Forest Fire

How many priests were there in the forest altogether?

That was a difficult question to answer—and also one that was rather terrifying to contemplate. Benjamin did not know what divine spell that bishop had cast before his death, but... they might soon be facing nearly a thousand clusters of golden flames filling the entire forest.

Benjamin could not help clenching his fists.

He had never expected that, upon realizing the tide had turned against him, the bishop would choose to perish together with them!

Catalyzed by the flames' scorching heat, the entire forest would erupt into a terrifying inferno. Whether they were Hori Kingdom cavalry or Ikor troops... everyone trapped inside would be swallowed by the blaze. Only mages could escape disaster with the Flight Spell.

How ruthless.

"Retreat! Everyone, get out of here!"

At this moment, Benjamin had no solution. Given the intensity of the golden flames, even if he activated Descent of Water, he would be unable to extinguish the forest fire about to break out. And at least forty thousand Ikor soldiers were still alive in this forest!

Not to mention the supplies they had brought, the wounded... once this fire started burning, it would all be finished.

In that instant, he summoned vast amounts of water vapor, sending it rushing toward the helpless soldiers around him. Benjamin had never tested how many people he could carry with magic while flying, but he knew perfectly well that forty thousand was simply an impossible number.

He could only save as many as he could...

Meanwhile, the golden flames grew ever more vigorous upon the priests' bodies. The priests' figures suddenly began to fade within the firelight, as though soul and flesh alike, every last shred of life, were serving as dye for the flames, urging them to become