- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 86
**Chapter 86: The Defeated Minotaurs**
Time continued to pass as the Eagle’s Crest gathered large numbers of knights. Meanwhile, more news arrived, making Baron Pape Lawrence, Baron Valmy, and Baron Glatton grow increasingly anxious. Even the two remaining pioneer lords could not help but feel a sense of foreboding.
As the tension mounted, the minotaurs drew ever closer.
At the same time, Thor’s preparations were nearing completion.
The following day, Thor led the three barons, the two pioneer lords, along with Steve and Perlos, on a grand march. Behind them followed thousands of knights, representing the combined strength of the entire Maine Valley.
Their target was the lower part of the valley, where they planned to intercept the advancing minotaur horde.
Thor had decided against a defensive battle. If he allowed the minotaurs to freely roam, they could split up and attack various territories, making it far more difficult to deal with. Instead, his strategy was to strike decisively and stop them in their tracks.
Five magic crystal cannons had already been deployed to the front lines.
“Geniel, take the first and second knight battalions and wait in the right-side forest for my signal!” Thor commanded.
“Aimray, you lead the third and fourth battalions to the left-side forest and await my command,” Thor continued issuing orders as they arrived at the designated area.
“Yes, sir!” both commanders replied promptly, and soon, a large portion of the knightly force had split off to take their positions.
Just as everyone was getting into place, a loud rumble echoed from the distance.
Dust rose into the air as the sound of approaching hooves grew louder.
Although the region had experienced a month of rain, the recent clear weather had allowed the ground to dry out. Soon, the minotaurs began to emerge from the gorge ahead.
The sight of the massed knights waiting for them caused the minotaurs to hesitate for a moment. But once they realized there were no powerful individuals among the knights, their hesitation turned to excitement.
“Haha, those cursed humans have come out to meet us!” one of the minotaurs roared.
“By the grace of the Titan God, let’s crush them!” another shouted.
The eyes of the minotaurs glowed with a fierce red light as they prepared to charge.
Atop the hill, Baron Pape Lawrence couldn’t help but glance nervously at Thor. The other leaders were equally tense.
“Don’t worry,” Thor reassured them. “We can handle this. When the second-tier minotaurs charge, I’ll need you to hold them off.”
“Understood!” the barons responded after exchanging uneasy glances.
Although they had previously agreed on this plan, the sheer number of minotaurs in front of them made it hard to ignore their rising anxiety. Nonetheless, they had no choice but to proceed.
As soon as they voiced their agreement, the moment of reckoning arrived.
The five magic crystal cannons activated, glowing with a pale blue light.
In the blink of an eye, a thunderous roar filled the air as the cannons unleashed their devastating power.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
Lightning crackled across the battlefield, engulfing the minotaur horde in a storm of destruction. Any minotaurs caught in the barrage were instantly obliterated by the searing bolts of energy.
Although the cannons were powered by second-tier magic cores and could not reach their full potential, they were more than capable of dealing mass devastation to the weaker minotaurs, especially the ones artificially created through sorcery. Such enemies were easier to destroy.
Even one of the second-tier minotaurs was caught off guard and seriously wounded by the lightning barrage.
However, despite the damage, figures began to emerge from the smoldering ranks of the minotaur horde, charging toward the knights with savage intent. Thirteen second-tier minotaurs appeared, indicating that their numbers had grown by one since Thor’s last report.
The cannons fired again, their mighty blasts echoing across the battlefield. Two more second-tier minotaurs were struck by the lightning, but the remaining eleven pressed forward, clearing the gorge and reaching the hillside.
If the second-tier minotaurs broke through into the knights’ ranks, the consequences would be catastrophic. With so few full-fledged knights among them, the knightly force would be decimated.
“Move!” Thor commanded, gripping his knight’s sword as he charged forward.
Behind him, Steve and Perlos followed closely. The three barons and the two pioneer lords exchanged determined glances and joined the charge with their swords drawn.
It was eight against eleven, with three of the minotaurs being second-tier elites. The odds were grim.
Yet Thor remained composed.
His ice-element life force surged as he faced down one of the second-tier elite minotaurs. At the same time, Steve and Perlos each engaged another of the elite minotaurs.
Normally, fighting a second-tier elite minotaur would be extremely difficult, even with the ice-enhanced life force Thor possessed, given the vast difference in power. The same challenge faced Steve and Perlos.
But then, glowing rings of magic appeared around them.
Behind them, Anna was channeling magic, her voice resonating with an incantation:
“Wind of freedom, storm of thunder, countless hands of the horizon, ungraspable darkness, sovereign’s hand of denial, shining path of the heavens, sparking winds of fire, gather as one, doubt no more. By my command, let the beams of light, the eight bodies, nine paths, sacred cannon, great wheel, and the gray turret loose their arrows, fading into the distant sky.”
A series of powerful enhancement spells enveloped Thor, Steve, and Perlos, boosting their strength and allowing them to hold their ground against the elite minotaurs.
With the three second-tier elite minotaurs held at bay, the remaining nine were intercepted by the other five leaders and their knights. Although outnumbered, the knights managed to temporarily stall the minotaur advance.
However, the struggle to hold back the minotaurs could not last forever.
Thor, Steve, and Perlos were fighting with all their might, but they couldn’t maintain their advantage indefinitely. Without their support, the knightly force would be overrun by the sheer number of minotaurs.
Thunder boomed again as the magic crystal cannons fired, their bolts of lightning wreaking havoc. Meanwhile, flames began to spread across the battlefield.
Thor had anticipated the minotaurs’ approach, thanks to the daily intelligence reports, and had prepared the surrounding area by saturating it with wildfire oil.
As the flames ignited, the field quickly turned into a sea of fire, engulfing many of the charging minotaurs. Chaos erupted among their ranks as the blaze spread.
(End of Chapter)