Chapter 703 10: Legendary
In Governor Magid's terrified gaze, Losa slowly raised an arm, and the flames in the burning forest behind him extinguished without warning, as one by one, the winged cavalry stepped on the black embers and assembled behind him.
They held their red-lanced lances backward, the tips tied with red square banners, and their faces were unnaturally calm.
Having just experienced the brutal wars recorded in the annals of battle, the small scene they now faced failed to stir any excitement within them.
"Kill them all."
The knight with the golden mask swung his arm forward, uttering a string of merciless words.
The cavalry behind him lunged out like tigers released from a cage.
"In the name of God!"
"For Saint Losa!"
The iron cavalry, with light steps, formed a loose formation, gradually accelerating as they closed the distance.
At this moment, Governor Magid had no intention left to fight.
The merit of claiming the first victory, or finding a port leading to the Mediterranean for his land, was no longer considered.
Even Master Ali, such a powerful caster, had fallen at the first clash here. Now he just wanted to survive, return to his own territory, and no matter how chaotic the battles outside got, as long as he held on to Fayoum, he could wait for the victors to emerge and then choose a side to join.
But clearly, those Franks weren't going to let them go.
Adil betrayed me!
Governor Magid cursed in his heart, urging his personal guard to bring him a new mount.
"Lord Governor, the enemy's caster hasn't continued to act, we still have a chance!"
"Yes, at least there's a chance to retreat!"
Magid mounted his horse, loudly calling to organize the defense.
But when the real battle commenced, his soldiers collapsed at the first encounter.
He differed from most Saracen nobility. Traditional Saracen nobility either squandered wealth on pleasure, maidens, and young boys, or pursued arts, patronized scholars, built libraries, shen kan, holy altars, and even searched for ancient relics.
He was an anomaly among them, living frugally, having only married one wife, and owning very few slaves, with the vast majority of his wealth poured into his territory.
Building canals, digging wells, and training troops.
He was confident that his mamluks were undoubtedly the best in Egypt, at least stronger than the unruly Black Gulams under Adil.
However, the course of the battle delivered a harsh blow to his confidence.
With the winged cavalry as the spearhead, armored cavalry as the backbone, and monastic cavalry flanking, they cut through like a hot knife through butter.
Every Frankish cavalryman fought with the skill of a seasoned veteran, and their fighting will was as hard as iron. When slashing enemies, they wouldn't even blink.
It seemed that such a battle was as relaxing as a countryside stroll for them.
He watched as his army dissipated like snowflakes.
The slave cavalry, costly forged and purchased from the Caucasus and Asia Minor, couldn't withstand the Frankish cavalry's charge, quickly disintegrating, cut apart, surrounded, and then devoured.
"Impossible, this is impossible!"
He felt a wave of darkness before his eyes and nearly fell to the ground.
Suddenly, he felt a cold blade pressed against the nape of his neck.
"Protect the lord."
The cries quickly turned into a series of screams.
Soon, Magid saw the female swordswoman staring at him expressionlessly, amidst the direction of countless corpses behind her. The armor of his lavishly equipped guards offered no impediment to the enemy, and they all perished under this female demon's sword in less than a breath.
"No! Don't kill me! I can pay the ransom!"
He raised his hands to show he was unarmed.
Not far away, Losa remained quietly seated on Eclipse, watching this one-sided battle unfold.
He suddenly felt something and lifted his head, gazing into the distance.
...
"He sees us?"
Adil was surprised as he looked into the mirror, through which Losa seemed to gaze back at him, crossing the barrier of space, causing his heart to race.
Even through the mirror, he felt as if a terrifying evil beast was staring at him.
He instinctively glanced at Master Shemir beside him.
The master's expression remained calm, but his furrowed brow cast a shadow over Adil's heart, knowing that Shemir had officially declared his breakthrough into the legendary domain yesterday.
Even if he found Losa daunting, did this mean that Losa, too, had made a breakthrough?
"Didn't expect Ali to die so quickly."
Shemir sighed softly, waving his hand to dismiss the mirror's image.
Master Ali wasn't bad; it was just that the climate of the Holy Land limited his performance. If he were on his home turf, those dense ancient forests rarely trodden by humans, he could wield near-legendary power even without being a legend.
"A pity."
He sighed softly. Casters of the natural domain were clearly not best at combat. As long as they sincerely pledged allegiance, whether aiding in alchemical experiments, cultivating magic potions, or excelling in agriculture, their value far surpassed that of battle.
Adil feigned sincerity, "Master Ali died for the holy war; he must ascend to the Celestial Kingdom."
Although he swiftly absorbed much knowledge of the extraordinary layer, he was only half-aware of many things, clearly unaware of what a high-level caster of the natural domain like Master Ali represented.
Even knowing wouldn't concern him.
Could it be more significant than the Divine Tree seized by the Franks, which could turn deserts into fertile lands?
Should our side defeat the Crusaders, the three Divine Trees would all belong to us.
"I advised him not to take the risk, but it seems to have backfired."
Shemir shook his head with a bitter smile. Though nominally heading the advisory council of spellcasters who showed the utmost respect after his legendary breakthrough, their true thoughts remained unknown.
It's not hard to guess: probably "luck" or "benefiting from the ancient relic Divine Artifact".
This Master Ali couldn't even fake outward respect and resented his advice—these old relics lost in mountain wilderness, immersed in the study of magic, were too eccentric.
"Master, can you handle Losa and his casters?"
Adil pressed on, given it was the critical point.
Shemir sneered, "He indeed had a breakthrough, seemingly an evolution on a level of life, transforming from a blood-diverse half-dragon into a true giant dragon, but that's nothing frightening."
He said softly, "Fine, let me show you what a 'legend' is."
Even though he entered the legendary domain relying on external aid and shortcuts.
Yet precisely due to possessing the cuneiform clay tablet, this out-of-classification Divine Artifact, paired with him, a spellcaster in the legendary domain, his current power has multiplied unimaginably from before.
Even if the world returned to the mythical era of ancient gods, with his might, he could stand equal to many an ancient god.
He extended a finger, slowly touching the mirror's surface.