Vol. 3: Chapter 20
SkyVault, leader of Eternal Legacy, and Lotusbond, leader of Petal Veil, stood watch from a hastily constructed forward tower.
As commanders of Legions A1 and A2, the first engagement was theirs to direct.
The front rank of the Horde was, once again, composed of Vinemail Cuirass soldiers. This time, however, their numbers had swelled to a staggering twelve thousand—the single most numerous unit in the Burning Horde.
Lotusbond allowed a small smile. She had fought in the first defensive battle and knew the purpose of this cannon fodder: to trip traps and clear the way.
She keyed her command channel. "A2, Battalions B1 through B3, ranged DPS. Advance 800 yards. You are clear to engage and annihilate the Vinemail Cuirass."
"Copy!" the battalion leaders responded.
Nearly three thousand archers and mages moved forward in a disciplined block. They halted when they were just fifty yards from the approaching orcs.
At that exact moment, the front line of the Horde reached the first defensive measure. Hundreds of Vinemail Cuirass soldiers vanished, plummeting into concealed pitfall traps. The rest swarmed around the openings, continuing their advance.
Now, they were in range.
A thousand archers drew and loosed as one. The sky darkened under a dense swarm of arrows.
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The players’ new PVE gear was making a huge difference; their damage output was thousands of points higher than before. As the orcs closed another few yards, the mages unleashed hell. Blizzards crackled into existence, Flame Storms roared, and walls of fire erupted from the earth.
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Even with 150,000 HP each, the Vinemail Cuirass soldiers couldn't withstand the focused bombardment. By the time the front rank had navigated the first set of traps, they were already at half health. They didn’t get far before a second, staggered line of pitfall traps opened beneath them, swallowing hundreds more.
The players took ten steps back, continuing their relentless assault.
By the time the orcs had cleared the third and final line of pitfall traps, their ranks had been thinned by over two thousand, with another three thousand heavily wounded.
Player casualties: 0.
With the ground traps cleared, the ranged players quickened their retreat. Several hundred mages, however, deliberately fell behind. Flames erupted at their feet as they ran, leaving shimmering trails of fire in their wake. It was a spell called Path of Flames, one of the most effective grinding tools in a mage’s arsenal.
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Unlike Fire Wall, which could be cast at a distance over a large area for a short duration, Path of Flames required the mage to physically run to create a smaller, but far longer-lasting, line of fire.
Coordinated with a barrage of slowing effects from their allies—Blizzards, Frost Traps, Concussive Shots, and Sonic Arrows—the mages painted the battlefield with a sprawling canvas of magical fire.
The Vinemail Cuirass soldiers stood no chance. They stumbled through the inferno and collapsed, their bodies turning to ash. By the time the Horde had fully crossed the trap zone, more than half of their initial twelve-thousand-strong force was gone.
"Hell yeah!"
"Get rekt!"
The players erupted in cheers.
From their perch on the watchtower, SkyVault and Lotusbond remained stone-faced. They knew this lead was temporary. The rest of the Burning Horde was already marching over the bodies of the fallen, having successfully breached the first line of defense. The pitfall traps were spent.
Next lay a dense field of Steel Caltrops.
Just as the players expected the orcs to slowly pick their way through, a thunderous beat echoed from deep within the Horde's ranks. At the same time, a group of Tusked Shamans in white robes appeared, their mouths moving in a guttural chant.
"WAAAGH!"
A collective roar erupted from the surviving Vinemail Cuirass soldiers. Their green skin flushed a furious crimson as blood began to seep from their eyes. They looked horrific, but their power was skyrocketing. Suddenly, they broke into a sprint, charging with terrifying speed.
The Vinemail Cuirass soldiers had gone berserk.
The players, who had been planning a slow, controlled kite, immediately turned and fled.
SkyVault reacted instantly. "A1, Battalions B1 and B2, tanks! Move up and support the retreat! Do not engage! Fight while falling back!"
"Charge!"
Two thousand tanks surged forward, forming a living shield to escort the retreating archers and mages. The caltrops, thankfully, slowed the berserk orcs just enough for the casters to escape. Soon, the caltrops were flattened, trampled into the mud.
The players from Legions A1 and A2 fell back behind a line of heavy iron barricades. This was their last line of defense.
A shift in the Horde signaled a new wave. Two new unit types were advancing: heavy armor soldiers and elite Worg riders.
[Heavy Armor Soldier] (Level 30)
HP: 180,000
Phys Atk: 5,000
Phys Def: 18,000
...
[Elite Worg Rider] (Level 31)
HP: 120,000
Phys Atk: 15,000
Phys Def: 4,000
[Armor Break]: Upon charging, reduces the first target's armor by 3000 for 15 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.
[Leap]: Jumps forward 15 yards. Can clear obstacles under 10 yards high while charging.
Mixed among them were Kodo war drummers, their relentless beat buffing the entire army.
SkyVault and Lotusbond issued a rapid-fire series of commands.
"A1B1 and A1B2, tanks to the absolute front!"
"A2B5, priests, get buffs on the front line now!"
"A2B1 through B4, DPS form up in three ranks. Leave gaps for the tanks to fall back through!"
"A1B3, B4, and B5, tanks disperse through the ranks! Protect our squishies!"
The orders cascaded down the chain of command, and the chaotic mass of players shifted into an orderly, layered formation. Tanks formed the first two lines. The third line was composed of priests. The fourth line was another set of tanks to protect the casters. The fifth line was mages, the sixth was more tanks, and the seventh and eighth were a mix of mages and archers.
Dong. Dong. Dong.
The beat of the war drums grew louder. The Horde drew closer.
Under the combined assault of the Vinemail Cuirass and heavy armor soldiers, the iron barricades buckled and broke. The elite Worg riders charged through the breach, their Worg mounts snarling, fangs bared.
The first riders crashed into the tank line.
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The Armor Break debuff was even stronger than before. If it stacked to three, even the tanks would melt. But just as the second stack was applied, priests in the back line cast Dispel, cleansing the debuff.
The mages and archers unleashed a torrent of damage. The Worg riders, however, had no intention of getting stuck on the front line. With a powerful leap, they sailed over the tanks, landing directly in the middle of the terrified, soft-robed casters.