Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3096: Warlords

The sky lit up first.

Hundreds of dwarven crossbows fired in a single, thunderous volley, condensed bolts raining down across the charging horde like a sudden storm. Brilliant streaks of energy tore through the air before crashing into the advancing riders. Below, the striped tigers roared and scattered as the first wave of attacks tore through their ranks, but the surviving warriors pressed forward without hesitation.

Twenty-one infected Grand Magus warriors let out furious battle cries as they jump out of their mount surged toward the ark, thousand infected magus follows

Although intimidating, the charging Grand Magus warriors were only half the number of the dwarves aboard the Floating Tortoise. With the dwarves’ superior numbers and defensive formation, they should have been able to handle them.

Emery’s attention was drawn to a single presence buried within the charging horde.

An infected Three-Cosmos powerhouse.

His aura burned so intensely that it stood out even amid the chaos of the battlefield, like a raging flame hidden among countless sparks.

Soltz’s expression changed the moment he sensed it.

"...Vashtok," he muttered, disbelief creeping into his voice. "I fought beside that man once, decades ago. Warlord of the Storm tiger Tribe."

He didn’t wait for a response.

His figure blurred from the deck, his golden gauntlet already glowing like molten metal as he dropped directly into the warlord’s path.

Vashtok reacted instantly.

His massive axe came sweeping upward just as Soltz’s fist crashed down. The two weapons collided in midair with a deafening BOOM, sending a powerful shockwave across the grassland.

But Soltz had the advantage.

The newly upgraded golden gauntlet released the full power of the Earth Core Flame. Brilliant golden energy erupted from its surface.

The impact overwhelmed Vashtok’s defense.

The infected warlord was blasted out of the air and slammed into the ground, his massive body carving a deep trench through the grassland before finally coming to a stop.

Before he could recover, the ground beneath him suddenly erupted.

Massive stone arms rose from the earth, wrapping around Vashtok’s limbs and torso and locking him firmly in place.

Durnok had arrived.

The veteran dwarf had no intention of letting Soltz fight the infected Three-Cosmos alone. His advanced Earth Law surged through the ground, while molten metal flowed between the stone restraints like chains of burning iron, tightening around Vashtok’s body.

The two attacked together.

Durnok took the supporting role, using powerful earth and molten-metal spells to restrict Vashtok’s movements and create openings. Soltz took advantage of every opportunity, his golden gauntlet crashing into the infected warlord from the sides and rear.

Their coordination was brutal and efficient.

But Vashtok was still a Three-Cosmos powerhouse.

The moment he broke free from the stone restraints, his aura erupted.

A terrifying domain spread across the grassland.

Two enormous Lightning Tigers materialized within the storm of energy, their bodies formed from crackling purple lightning. They roared as they charged forward, meeting the dwarves’ attacks head-on and unleashing brutal counterstrikes of their own.

Every collision sent shockwaves through the surrounding grassland.

Durnok was struck by one of the lightning tigers and staggered backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Soltz immediately moved to cover him.

Emery was already preparing to join the battle when another figure moved first.

"You protect the ark!" Bragnir shouted at Emery.

The dwarf lord stepped forward, his Three-Cosmos aura erupting as powerful Metal Law spread across the battlefield.

The battle quickly turned into an unfair three-on-one fight, but who cared about fairness when fighting parasites?

Bragnir took the role of shield and protector, his mastery of Metal Law allowing him to withstand Vashtok’s attacks head-on while constantly protecting the other two. Durnok continued restricting the battlefield with his earth spells, while Soltz was finally free to unleash the full offensive power of his upgraded golden gauntlet.

Above the battlefield, Emery hovered at the ready.

Spatial energy coiled around his body, his Divine Sense covering the entire area. If the battle suddenly turned against the dwarves, he could cross the distance in an instant.

He never needed to.

Soltz’s newly upgraded golden gauntlet quickly proved its worth.

Every punch carried immense physical force, but that was only part of its power. The Earth Core Flame embedded within the weapon added a terrifying crushing pressure to each strike, causing the surrounding earth itself to tremble whenever his fist connected.

Vashtok endured.

He fought back with his massive axe, his Lightning Tiger Domain roaring around him as he desperately tried to break through the three dwarves surrounding him.

But the difference in numbers gradually became overwhelming.

One clash.

Then another.

Then another.

Dozens of exchanges shook the grassland before the infected Three-Cosmos warrior finally suffered a decisive blow and fell.

The rest of the horde broke and scattered shortly after, cut down by the ark’s continuing barrage.

Soltz landed back on the deck breathing hard, staring down at the drifting ash with something heavier than triumph in his eyes.

"I remember when the Storm tiger held the whole eastern steppe," he said quietly. "Thousands of warriors. Proud people." He shook his head slowly. "Look what this realm’s become."

No one had an answer for that.

An hour hadn’t passed before Emery’s shadow clones detected another threat.

The Scourge had found them.

Thousands of Parasite Hounds surging across the grassland as they pushed to matched the ark’s speed. More joined the chase with every passing minute, their numbers swelling until the entire horizon behind them seemed to move.

The grassland stretched flat and open in every direction, offering nowhere to hide and nothing capable of slowing the flood of corrupted beasts. The Floating Tortoise continued racing forward, its massive hull shaking beneath the strain as the horde relentlessly pursued from behind.

The dwarves opened fire.

Hundreds of crossbows unleashed their volleys, while explosive bolts rained down from every deck and firing window. The sky filled with streaks of condensed energy before explosions erupted across the grassland below.

Parasite Hounds died by the hundreds within seconds.

Bodies were blasted apart, thrown across the grass, or trampled beneath the advancing horde, yet the sheer number of creatures made every successful volley seem insignificant. None could reach high enough to threaten the Floating Tortoise directly, but their relentless pursuit kept the entire ark under constant pressure.

For some of the dwarves, however, it became something more than simple defense.

Years of buried grief came pouring out through every shot.

Friends they had lost.

Families that were gone.

Decades spent sealed away beneath the mountains while the world outside burned.

Every crossbow bolt became an outlet for anger that had been building for twenty years. Grim satisfaction replaced fear on more than one face along the rail as the dwarves watched their bolts tear through the creatures that had taken so much from their world.

But it wasn’t enough.

The horde was simply too large.

More Parasite Hounds joined the swarm faster than the dwarves could kill them, their numbers continuing to swell despite the hundreds already lying dead across the grassland.

Then came the second wave.

From above.

Parasite spawn suddenly descended from the sky, winged and vicious, their corrupted bodies tearing through the clouds in ragged formations as they rushed toward the ark’s exposed deck.

"Aerial enemies!"

A dozen Grand Magus dwarves immediately moved to intercept them.

Blades and hammers met corrupted claws in mid-air, sending sparks and shockwaves across the deck as the dwarves fought desperately to keep the winged creatures away from the ark’s more vulnerable areas.

The two High Elves once again demonstrated their power. Lightning and wind erupted from their hands, tearing through the sky and blasting dozens of flying Scourge away from the ark.

At the center of it all, Emery remained near the defensive formation.

His hands were firmly locked around the Star Plaque as he continuously fed his energy into the relic, keeping the golden barrier stable beneath the mounting assault. Every impact sent ripples across the barrier, while the constant drain of maintaining it gradually weighed on his body.

The grassland crossing became one unbroken battle after that.

Scourge hordes bled into infected tribal warbands, which in turn gave way to more Scourge. Every time one wave was destroyed, another appeared in the distance, racing across the plains toward the ark.

There was barely any pause between them.

The Floating Tortoise continued south through the Crimson Steppes, surrounded by a sea of corrupted creatures, while the dwarves fought without rest.

And the Scourge showed no sign of running out.