- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 161
As Avila was summoned by the elven call and left, Thor, Raine, and over twenty full knights had already positioned themselves on the outskirts of Stein Campbell’s location.
With the Eagle Commerce Guild’s resources, tracking Stein’s movements was almost effortless.
“Boom!”
“Boom-boom!”
The sounds of intense battle rumbled from the distance, accompanied by the roars of beasts and the shouts of men.
Even at this range, Thor could feel the overwhelming waves of life force emanating from the battlefield.
“Impressive,” Thor remarked, clicking his tongue. “Judging by the scale, there must be at least a thousand magical beasts. And yet, they’re holding out.”
Even Thor had to admit Stein’s strength was remarkable.
Such a massive beast onslaught would have already obliterated most pioneering lords or barons. Yet here, the fight continued unabated.
Still, Thor wasn’t worried.
As time passed, the number of magical beasts would only increase, their bloodlust heightened by the scent of carnage. What was manageable now wouldn’t remain so for long.
“Rustle…”
The distant sound of movement in the forest caught Thor’s attention.
He raised his hand instinctively, signaling his team to fall back.
Emerging from the underbrush, another wave of magical beasts appeared. Their blood-red eyes burned with a savage intensity as they turned toward the distant battlefield.
“Roar!”
A massive beast let out a thunderous roar, spurring the others into a frenzy. With deafening cries, they charged toward the chaos.
In the heart of the forest, the fight had raged for over an hour.
Stein’s knightly retinue had suffered heavy losses. Squires were long gone, and even full knights had been reduced by a third. The remaining knights were visibly exhausted, struggling to catch their breath.
But the real threat lay in the growing swarm of magical beasts surrounding them, their crimson eyes locked on their prey.
“Boom!”
A powerful collision sent a figure stumbling backward, his face pale. Across from him stood two massive grey wolves, each the size of a wild boar—third-tier Wind Wolves.
One wolf alone was manageable. But two? Even he was struggling.
Stein himself was similarly entangled, locked in combat with a third-tier Flame Tiger. Cloaked in fire, the beast was a top-tier predator even among magical creatures of its rank.
The battle had taken its toll on Stein. His golden armor bore deep scratches, and a massive gash across his chest threatened to incapacitate him. Were it not for the armor’s enchantments, he might already have perished. Even so, the glowing runes on the armor were dimming, their power nearly spent.
“We can’t keep this up, my lord!” a deep voice called out. It was Adelibek Rivell, Stein’s guardian knight, his tone grave.
After more than an hour of relentless combat, even a Earth Knight like Rivell was nearing his limit.
If Rivell was struggling, the plight of the others was clear.
“Damn it! Why are there so many beasts?” Stein growled, his expression dark.
A routine withdrawal had turned into a nightmare. The sheer absurdity of the situation fueled his mounting frustration.
But anger alone couldn’t change reality.
Rivell was right: they couldn’t hold out much longer. Their life force reserves were finite, and when they were depleted, the end would be swift and brutal.
Stein’s thoughts raced as he weighed his options. His mind settled on one grim conclusion: survival was paramount.
He couldn’t die here. Not like this. He was Stein Campbell, one of the most gifted heirs of the Campbell family. To perish in such a pitiful manner was unthinkable.
“Ster, you and the others will stay behind and cover our retreat!” Stein ordered, his voice cold and resolute. “Rivell, we’re leaving!”
His decision was immediate and ruthless—abandon the majority to save himself.
“Understood.”
A broad-shouldered knight sighed but obeyed, rallying the remaining full knights. He raised his hand, signaling them to charge into the fray.
As the knights advanced, several of them activated secret techniques, their life force surging in a desperate bid to hold the beasts at bay.
“Boom!”
A crimson light erupted, clashing violently with the magical beasts. The temporary burst of power halted the creatures’ advance, buying Stein precious moments.
“Go!” Rivell shouted, his power flaring as he defeated two Wind Wolves in quick succession. Grabbing Stein, he turned and fled at breakneck speed.
Like a meteor, the two Earth Knights tore through the forest, any beast that dared block their path shredded by Rivell’s immense life force.
Meanwhile, those left behind faced a grim fate.
“Ahh!” A scream cut through the chaos as a full knight fell to a second-tier Crimson Rock Panther. Fresh blood soaked the ground as more knights succumbed to the overwhelming tide.
Without Stein and Rivell, the remaining forces could barely mount a defense. Their secret techniques allowed for brief resistance, but it was ultimately a futile struggle.
One by one, knights were torn apart, their anguished cries filling the forest. Chaos descended into panic, then despair. Angry shouts and curses echoed, but amidst the turmoil, their meaning was lost.
Soon, the magical beasts turned their attention to the great knights.
Though stronger than their full knight counterparts, the sheer number of beasts made survival nearly impossible.
“Slash!”
A great knight fell, his blood mingling with the carnage. The battle had become a massacre.
From his vantage point, Thor watched as Stein’s forces crumbled. His expression remained calm, calculating.
With Stein and Rivell’s retreat, the stage was set for Thor to strike.
“Well,” Thor murmured to himself, a small smile playing on his lips. “Let’s see how far you get, Stein Campbell. You thought you could come after me later?”
His eyes gleamed with confidence.
“You must have forgotten—I have an intelligence system.”
Ster cleaved through a second-tier magical beast with a decisive swing of his sword, but before he could react, a burst of flames descended upon him. In an instant, the roaring fire engulfed his entire body.
A harrowing scream pierced the air.
From a distance, Stein Campbell and Adelibek Rivell, who had just managed to break free of the magical beast swarm, turned pale at the sound.
“Keep moving!” Adelibek urged, gripping Stein tightly and preparing to flee. Though they had escaped the immediate danger, safety was far from guaranteed.
But before they could act, the forest ahead stirred once more.
The rustling of leaves and the crack of branches made both men tense.
Then, as the figures emerged from the trees, Stein’s expression shifted from fear to relief.
“People!” he exclaimed, stepping forward instinctively.
Adelibek, however, grabbed his arm, halting him. His face was grim as he observed the approaching group.
“Who goes there?” Adelibek called out, his voice steady but wary. “We are from the Campbell family!”
His right hand gripped his knight’s sword tightly, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
As the figures drew closer, Stein got a better look, and his relief gave way to unease.
The newcomers—dozens of them—wore black iron armor, their faces obscured by matching helmets. Unlike typical knights, they kept their masks on, a clear sign of readiness for combat.
Stein’s heart sank. Only in dire situations would knights keep their faces hidden.
He wasn’t a fool; this didn’t bode well.
His grip tightened on his sword.
“Raine, take the injured one,” Thor said calmly, nodding toward Adelibek Rivell. “Can you handle him?”
Adelibek, though a formidable Earth Knight, was clearly worse for wear. Injured from his fight with two Wind Wolves and further drained by the use of a secret technique, his strength was likely down to a fraction of its usual.
Raine nodded confidently beneath his mask. “Leave it to me, my lord.”
Thor grinned. “Good. Move in!”
At his command, both Thor and Raine sprang into action.
“Sir—” Adelibek began to warn Stein, but his words were cut short as Raine surged toward him, crackling with a strange, electrifying energy.
“An aberrant life force?” Adelibek’s eyes widened in shock. He barely had time to raise his sword before Raine’s attack was upon him.
Thor, meanwhile, charged directly at Stein.
There was no conversation, no taunts—only action. Thor’s intent was clear: to eliminate Stein without giving him a chance to react.
The air around Thor grew frigid as frost magic swirled around him. At the same time, wind energy from Nia, his elemental companion, enhanced his speed.
Stein’s face contorted with fury.
“Foolish!” he roared, angered at the audacity of a mere great knight challenging him.
He could feel Thor’s life force—it was undoubtedly that of a great knight. The sheer insult of being attacked by someone of lesser rank stoked his rage.
“When did a great knight dare to strike at me?” he spat, raising his sword defensively.
But Stein barely had time to process the thought before Thor closed the gap.
“Fast!” Stein’s eyes widened, his mind barely able to register the incoming attack.
The force of Thor’s charge, bolstered by wind magic, slammed into Stein’s sword with staggering power.
“Bang!”
Stein’s body was flung backward like a ragdoll. Blood spurted from his mouth, freezing mid-air as frost magic took hold. The chilling energy spread through his body, seeping into his organs and leaving a layer of frost on his armor.
“How… is this possible?” Stein muttered as he hit the ground, his eyes dazed with confusion.
The sheer force, the combination of frost and aberrant life energy—these were not the hallmarks of a mere great knight.
But before he could make sense of it, Thor was upon him again.
Thor’s knightly spear gleamed with a mixture of frost and wind energy as he prepared to strike Stein’s chest.
Thor didn’t waste time with words. Victory belonged to those who acted swiftly, not those who hesitated.
“Bang!”
The full force of Thor’s attack barreled toward Stein, the tip of the spear aimed directly at his heart.
Stein’s pupils dilated as the spear loomed closer, his mind screaming at the impossibility of his defeat.
But then, a strange ripple spread through the air.
“Buzz!”
A wave of overwhelming life energy erupted from Stein, halting the spear mere inches from his chest.
Thor’s eyes narrowed.
“Well, this should be interesting…” he murmured, bracing himself for what came next.
(End of Chapter)