Mobilization and strategy were key aspects, but there was something else that had a direct impact– buff and debuff spells.
One of the main requirements for being a good commander was to possess such skills. Ria’s clairvoyance was the perfect example of that. She was the weakest among marshals when it came to individual strength. But when it came to the actual battle, her role was second only to Zyrus.
*Guuurgle*
Thousands of aqua bullets rained down on the bubble. Even after losing most of their powers, the water that dripped down caused fatal injuries among the players.
“Focus on staying alive at all costs. No matter how injured you are, you must survive the next 30 minutes.”
Zyrus’s voice jolted them back to their senses. The players had yet to figure out the rules of shatar, but then again, no one needed extra reasons to keep their lives.
Survival was something they were used to. Perhaps in the entire second ring, no one was better at adapting than them.
“Vajeers, mobilize the injured players to backlines. Mammoths will be in charge of protecting them while bishops and knights will coordinate in rescue.”
“Roger that.”
“As for you, do your best to keep the casualties at a minimum,” Zyrus ordered Ria who was activating her tiara.
“Leave it to me.”
Everything was done in less than a minute. The bubble was starting to become thinner and thinner where the mermen’s firepower was concentrated.
‘Huu…been a while since I led the army,’
Zyrus took deep breaths and cleared his mind. The players didn’t realize how strong the merfolk were, but he knew.
There was no stopping their attacks. Killing them was even more difficult since the water attribute was most suitable as a healing medium.
Insectoid species and common monsters used horde tactics. The fish also used similar means. On the other hand, humanoid species such as goblins, ogres, elves, dwarves, werewolves, vampires…all of them used varying degrees of military tactics.
And among them, humans were the most renowned for their art of war. Trade, negotiations, logistics on the frontline, or even the battle itself. They used every means available to achieve the victory.
As a former leader of humanity, Zyrus was well-versed in these aspects. His reptilian eyes took in every movement of the opposing army.
‘20,000 in total, with an elite unit of 1000,’
Be it their blue armor or silver pikes, both were superior to the average player’s equipment. There were no talismans either since there was neither time nor the materials needed to make them.
Individual power, military discipline, equipment, terrain…no matter what one considered, the players were inferior in comparison.
The sole exception was Zyrus himself.
‘And that’s enough.’
Today, the players will realize that he was the leader not just because of his individual strength. He was the general whose name alone was enough to deter most races. He had lost his former skills and achievements compared to his peak level, but if one compared his powers at lv 40, the current him was far stronger than before his regression.
*Pop*
The faint sound of popping bubble was akin to a thunderclap in everyone's ears. It was fortunate that the merman’s speed was slowed down inside the bubble. Nonetheless, they had reached near the anchor within a moment.
They wouldn’t be so fast on land, but the ground inside the bubble was more like an energy film. They faced no resistance in slithering their way over.
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“Zhakal”
The tallest mermen took charge and led the elite troop. Their goal was the anchor while the others were tasked with clearing the nearby players.
“Let them come, deal with the rest,” Zyrus gave his orders and summoned his abyssal legion and 1500 amargs.
So what if his troops were weaker? He had enough abilities to make up for that.
[Fear]
[Monarch of Toxin]
The former stalled the enemy’s charge while the latter gave his summons the means to gain an edge over water attribute. Water could harmonize everything, and that included poison.
Momentum was an important factor. Fear wouldn’t do much on enemies that were higher leveled than him, but still, it gave him the time frame to take the initiative.
[Noxious Shrine]
*Clang*
An old shrine appeared in the center of the battlefield. Unlike the monarch of toxin that only worked on his summons, the shrine affected the entire battlefield.
*Clang*
-Sacrilege: There is a 30% probability that the poisoned targets will perceive the poison as a blessing.
-Anathema: There is a 12.5% probability that the poisoned targets will act opposite to their thoughts.
-Desecration: There is a 20% probability that the poisoned targets will abandon their weapons.
-Heresy: There is a 15% probability that the poisoned targets will blabber nonsense.
-Apostacy: There is a 10% probability that the poisoned targets will abandon their faith.
The mermen were thrown into chaos right from the start. Their advantage over mobility was reduced to bare minimum.
‘Damn, I need more mana,’
Zyrus clutched the twilight crusher and used every bit of his Mp. Aoe skills were more taxing to use, but their effects more than made up for it.
Besides, he would face no trouble recovering MP due to the trait of Nastronder dragon. He was able to recover his MP by devouring the corpses of those slain by him. The mermen would turn into water puddles upon their death, so the effects were restricted.
Zyrus guessed that the MP he absorbed was 12th of their level instead of the original 8th. He scanned the battlefield, and just as he guessed, the players weren’t faring too well.
*Bang*Bang*Bang*
It was like a bunch of barbarians were fighting against an armored infantry. The mermen’s lances not only negated the player’s armors, they also came with a built-in aqua bullet spells. Just this weapon alone made them unparalleled at close and mid-range combat.
Zyrus’s orders reached every player. The limited-range telepathy was one of the perks under the heavenly eye ability.
“Amargs, focus fire.”
*Roooar*
*thump*thump*thump*
The enormous amargs charged towards the elite group while the abyssal legion blocked their advance. Zyrus hadn’t summoned Elsid and Zirnitra, and thus, they were barely holding on.
Hundreds of amargs died before they managed to encircle half of the elite squad.
*Shhhhiiiiu*
“Aaarg-”
The mermen weren’t even able to finish their dying screams before getting shredded to pieces. 1500 amargs were sacrificed to make the abyssal legion equal in numbers to the elite squad.
More importantly, Zyrus recovered all of his MP.
[Good day]
The glorious dawn overshadowed every other color in the Shuidao island. The faint orange light that arose from the sun’s projection was further amplified by the crystalline surface.
Create Dawn. ATK +100, ATK + 10 for all allies and summons. You can use the skills [Blessing of Eos],[Morning star], and [Glory] at Dawn.
Blessing of Eos (Passive): Activates if horizon is visible behind your enemy. Your attacks will be mirrored with 20% power.
Morning Star: Summon the projection of the brightest star for one minute. Critical rate +10%, Critical damage +50%,
Glory (Passive): Create a halo of sunlight around you and your allies. Frontal assault deals 10% bonus damage, the halo will increase DEF by 1 with every kill.
Befitting of an epic weapon, its abilities were game changing. 'Blessing of Eos' couldn’t be used due to the location while 'Morning Star' wasn’t needed since there wasn’t anyone Zyrus couldn’t kill on this bubble.
What mattered the most was Glory. Orange barriers formed around the players in the blink of an eye. As if on cue, the players also launched their counterattack.
“Scatter.”
Much to everyone’s surprise, Zyrus sent off his abyssal legion. No one thought that a single person could hold off against 500 elites and the mermen leader.
“Nokath(Kill him)”
“Come and try it,” Zyrus pointed his spear at the approaching mermen and activated his skills. At the same time, the abyssal warriors arrived at the 100m boundary and dragged in the nearby mermen.
The halo will increase DEF by 1 with every kill– this was the key to achieving victory.
*BAAANG*
The 412 abyssal warriors exploded in an instant.
[Arcane lance]
[Spear Aura]
[Shackles of Nihility]
Purple shackles bound every enemy within the 100m range. What followed was a rain of blue and white spears.
Buffs and debuffs weren’t direct attacks, so Zyrus was able to use them without the king role’s restriction. It went without saying that Twilight Crusher’s direct attacks were restricted.
‘Still, I managed to get around 150,’
The orange barriers almost solidified around the players. That was the result of +150 def buff.
“Focus on defense.”
Zyrus gave the final order and stood before the foot-long anchor. All that was left for him was to defend this place until the 30 minutes were over.
‘All at lv 50…it won’t be easy’
Zyrus’s blood boiled in anticipation as the twilight crusher met the enemy.