"Aqua, I need you to contact your direwolf and inform me of Nalia's current position," Thorian said as he approached Aqua, who was sitting with Forlune, Zogarth, and Vigil.
"Right away, my lord," Aqua nodded, beginning his telepathic communication. After a few seconds, he looked back at Thorian and replied, "It seems she is almost finished with her Thunderous Citadel clears. She should arrive in the city in about 20 minutes."
"This doesn't give us much time, but it's still better than expected," Thorian nodded, before continuing. "I also want you to inquire with Elder Oom about her current capabilities, as well as those of her two main subordinates."
With a nod, Aqua relayed Thorian's message to Elder Oom through his direwolf. After half a minute, he finally responded, "It appears she has reached level 20 in her class. As for her stats, they're slightly improved but nothing significant. Regarding her subordinates, the one with a tough appearance has stats focused mostly on strength and constitution, while the slender one emphasizes mana and agility. Their skills also enhance those respective stats."
"What about their level?" Thorian asked, his brow furrowed.
"Both are at level 17 of their first advancement," Aqua quickly replied.
Hearing that, Thorian nodded. It seems they have made some progress within the abyss. But she hasn't advanced far enough to secure the more significant rewards.
"Good, they shouldn't prove to be too difficult to handle, then," Thorian concluded before turning to Forlune and Zogarth. "Gather our main teams; it's time for us to set up our ambush."
"Right away," Forlune responded, rising to his feet.
"The time for battle has finally arrived," Zogarth said with a wide grin, standing up and towering over everyone else in the group.
Seeing Zogarth overshadow him, Forlune frowned. "How can we ambush anything when your body is so huge? They could spot you from a mile away."
Hearing this, Zogarth blushed with embarrassment. "I-I apologize for that."
Suppressing his urge to laugh at the ridiculous scene, Thorian shook his head and sighed. "That won't be a problem as long as you stand a couple of hundred meters away from us. With your power and speed, you could close that distance in a second."
"Thank you for the insight, my lord," Zogarth said, relieved to have found a solution to his embarrassing predicament. "I shall follow your command."
With that, the group ventured deeper into the forest, guided by Elder Oom's information. Knowing Nalia's usual path through the forest, they positioned their ambush near a cliff, giving them the high ground.
Turning to Vigil by his side, Thorian instructed, "Once the battle begins, I want you and the other priests to bless us all before retreating as far as possible. If Nalia has any sense, she'll target you first, and with her agility, we wouldn't stand a chance of stopping her."
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“I understand, my lord,” Vigil nodded. “I shall relay that information to the rest of the priests.”
With Vigil gone to inform the other priests of Thorian's orders, Aqua moved to his side. "My lord, they are nearing our position. They'll be here in just a few minutes."
"Good," Thorian nodded. "Prepare for imminent battle. Do not underestimate our opponents; strike with all your might."
"We shall give them a taste of hell," Aqua replied, a cold determination in his eyes.
Turning his gaze across the clearing, Thorian saw Harald and his pack of elemental direwolves concealed among the trees.
"Harald, focus on the grunt soldiers first. Individually they may be weak, but their proficiency in combination spells could pose a nuisance," Thorian instructed telepathically.
"Don't worry," Harald responded confidently. "With my pack and me on this, we'll handle them swiftly and then rejoin you."
With everything ready, Thorian sat on the ground to wait for Nalia's arrival. Minutes later, Aqua nudged him, signaling their approach.
Nodding, Thorian said, "Inform Elder Oom and the others to join our ranks immediately once the ambush begins. The priests should follow Vigil's lead to avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
"Right away, my lord," Aqua acknowledged, swiftly passing on Thorian's instructions. At that moment, Nalia and her group began to emerge through the dense foliage of the forest, heading towards the clearing and Thorian's prepared ambush.
However, as they neared, the slender man whispered something to Nalia, prompting her to look directly towards Thorian.
Cursed be that ability, Thorian thought.
With resolute determination, he commanded, "Begin the attack!"
"I've been eagerly awaiting that command!" Forlune exclaimed, his laughter ringing out as he leaped from the cliff to spearhead the assault. Caedar, Zarjin, Inly, and the remainder of the warriors followed suit, charging toward Nalia's troops.
In accordance with Thorian's earlier directives, Elder Oom convened with Vigil and the other priests to bestow blessings upon the warriors, enhancing their strength, constitution, and agility. After completing their task, they promptly retreated to the rear, allowing the warriors to advance.
"Magi, unleash hell upon them!" As the attackers drew near, Nalia stood undaunted. With decisive command, she ordered her magi, who unleashed a barrage of spells at the incoming warriors.
Yet, not even the fiercest fireballs or towering pillars of flame could halt Forlune's advance. Wearing a triumphant grin, he brushed aside the magical attacks as he drew his sword. Lightning streaks illuminated his Tempest Strides as he charged toward Nalia, intent on bringing her down.
However, before he could reach her, Ragnar and Soren initiated their counterattacks. Ragnar was enveloped in a swirling vortex of red aura, charging at Forlune with his battle axe, while Soren conjured multiple wind slashes aimed at Forlune.
"This is mere child's play," Forlune scoffed, infusing his sword with a radiant golden aura. With a single, powerful strike, he sliced through the wind slashes and collided with Ragnar's battle axe.
"What is this power?" Ragnar grunted, feeling the impact of their weapons clashing. Within moments, he found himself overpowered and was hurled aside.
Witnessing this display, Nalia's eyebrows knit together, before she was enveloped in a pitch-black aura. From this dark shroud, wisps of black smoke formed into the shapes of tormented faces that shrieked in horror.
She then produced her staff and smirked, "I would have preferred a scythe, but one must make do with what one has."
Incensed by her casual demeanor, Forlune charged at her. In a blink, he was beside Nalia, his sword poised for a strike. Yet, as he brought his sword down, aiming to cleave Nalia in two, she effortlessly blocked his attack with her modest staff.
Before Forlune could even register his shock, Nalia delivered a kick to his abdomen, sending him hurtling backward. Caedar, Inly, and Zarjin, who followed closely behind him, met a similar fate, quickly overpowered by Nalia's superior physical prowess.
At this, Nalia laughed, then lifted her gaze to Thorian, who stood atop the cliff. "Why don't you come down here and face me, Thorian? Or do you prefer to watch as your men fall one by one?"