Chapter 21: Annihilation

Just as the mages fell silent, the scouts ahead discovered a new situation and signaled the sighting of a large group of magical beasts. Soon, a soldier hurried back to report to the captain: "Captain, the men up ahead have spotted a herd of Snow Deer, quite large, roughly fifty head."

After hearing the report, the captain's expression turned grave. He nodded slightly and said, "Good! Keep a careful watch. Tell the soldiers to be cautious and not alarm those magical beasts. Go on ahead." "Yes, sir," the soldier replied firmly, adjusting the powerful bow at his waist before swiftly heading forward to relay the new orders.

Since the magical beasts this time were Snow Deer—first-tier beasts capable of casting offensive spells—they posed a significant threat to ordinary soldiers. Only warriors who had awakened their Aura would be unconcerned by such low-tier beasts. The captain felt somewhat troubled for a moment. After a brief hesitation, he turned to Mage Shaoke with a resolute expression, explaining the situation and hoping the mages would fully engage and actively attack to eliminate this herd of beasts.

"Lord Mage Xueye, I think perhaps we should let the other two mages face off against these spell-casting beasts? I believe with your assistance, they won't make any mistakes. Moreover, the other two mages need this kind of experience, as they will have to face such situations alone in the future. Besides, as long as the soldiers stay alert and careful, this herd of Snow Deer doesn't pose too great a threat." The captain looked expectantly at Mage Shaoke, hoping for his support. After all, if the two new mages were to lead a team alone in the future and encounter magical beasts capable of actively casting offensive spells without prior combat experience, casualties could easily occur.

Indeed, the threat from this herd of magical beasts wasn't significant. As a mage, Shaoke understood the specifics of these Snow Deer. They could cast a first-tier "Ice Spike" spell at most once per engagement. After casting, they required a long recovery period before casting a second time, with a maximum of three spells per day. Moreover, the "Ice Spike" spell was a single-target attack with relatively low power, though it had good penetration. Beyond that, Snow Deer had very poor melee capabilities. A single soldier could easily handle two to three Snow Deer. As long as they avoided the Snow Deer's Spell attacks, everything would become straightforward.

Based on Shaoke and his team's accumulated experience, in a herd of about fifty Snow Deer like this, at most ten to twenty would be able to cast spells. The rest weren't necessarily incapable of casting, but they were prone to spellcasting failures. Not only were the mental powers of these low-tier magical beasts too weak to control formed spells for evasion or mental targeting in such an environment, but their spell range was also about half that of mages' Spellcasting range, meaning they couldn't threaten mages positioned further back.

Given these circumstances, Shaoke agreed to the captain's decision, seeing the captain's resolute demeanor. Observing how thoughtfully the captain considered the two mages new to the battlefield, and reflecting on the earlier incident, Shaoke couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow—perhaps for the lowest-ranking soldiers, or perhaps for the proud mages themselves. Shaoke decided not to dwell on these thoughts, as the more he pondered, the more vexing they became.

Mage Kiya and Mage Yija grew slightly tense again upon hearing Shaoke and the captain's decision. After all, they had never truly faced magical beasts capable of casting offensive spells. This was different from the previous two encounters with Mud Boars, which could only cast some Defensive Spells. This time, they didn't know if those spells might penetrate through various obstacles and strike them. Fortunately, after two real battles, their mental fortitude had strengthened considerably. Still, they looked to Shaoke, hoping for some guidance, as if they had already forgotten the earlier unpleasantness and the guidance from their predecessors.

Seeing the mages' anxiety, Shaoke couldn't simply ignore them. No matter the earlier discord, he couldn't let these mages fumble around in confusion. He didn't want their spells to veer off course and hit their own allies. Moreover, they were in the military and on a mission. 'Consider it like training two dogs,' Shaoke thought maliciously. They weren't exactly enemies, after all, and this would also reduce the chances of those poor soldiers getting injured.

"Mage Kiya, Mage Yija, when attacking later, prioritize those with antlers. The larger the antlers, the more powerful their spells. Those without antlers cannot cast spells; ignore them." Shaoke calmly gave the two mages some pointers, hoping they could complete the mission effectively based on this advice.

The group slowly converged with the scouts ahead, stopping outside their perimeter. Through gaps between the trees, Snow Deer with white spots could be seen leaping about occasionally, sometimes even digging through the snow on the ground in search of food. Although they weren't there to admire the scenery, it didn't stop the soldiers from appreciating these beautiful creatures. However, after many missions with these soldiers, Shaoke realized they weren't admiring the beautiful Snow Deer; their eyes were filled with the gleam of gold coins.

Seeing that the soldiers were all in position, the captain gestured, signaling Shaoke and the others to begin the attack.

Amidst brief, low chants, Shaoke very skillfully cast a first-tier "Web Spell." This spell was one of the few area-of-effect attacks in the First-level Spell system, suitable for most environments and enemies. Moreover, its mana consumption was relatively low, and it had the largest attack range.

A fist-sized spell construct formed a white mass in front of his body. Guided by the mage's mental power, it swiftly weaved around obstacles, flew above the predetermined target, and rapidly exploded, spreading into a five-meter-wide spider web.

Due to the surrounding trees, the web couldn't fully expand, forming only an irregular small net. However, it successfully ensnared five Snow Deer capable of casting spells and entangled two ordinary Snow Deer at the edges. The trapped Snow Deer struggled in panic. Upon realizing they couldn't break free from the web hindering their movement, they randomly cast their spells, hoping to break through the hateful restraints. As it turned out, these pitiful efforts were futile. Aside from accidentally killing one companion, they didn't help the pitiful creatures escape. However, the web was torn with several large holes, though it would still take some time for them to break out. Their fate was easy to imagine.

The herd, suddenly attacked and suffering from their companions' random spells, fled frantically in the direction they deemed safe under their leader's guidance. Perhaps it was misfortune for this fleeing group but luck for the hunters. This action saved the soldiers a lot of unnecessary trouble, as the herd was fleeing directly toward the direction where the soldiers had set up their ambush.

Javelins, axes, arrows, and short spears—various weapons capable of long-range attacks were calmly thrown by the soldiers at the oncoming prey with great speed. The herd paid the price for their erroneous escape direction with the casualties of seven or eight companions before frantically casting their innate spells toward the attacking direction. Over a dozen white crystalline projectiles whistled toward the soldiers' position. After this, the herd swiftly changed direction, attempting to flee elsewhere.

Coincidentally, Mage Yija and Mage Kiya's spells were also ready. Their spells successfully confused these simple-minded magical beasts even more about the direction of the enemy. After leaving behind two more companions' corpses, the herd broke. They no longer followed their leader's guidance and began scattering in all directions.

At this moment, Shaoke's second spell, 'Fireball,' was also successfully cast. Shaoke chose to target the front of the herd fleeing toward the direction without ambushers. After blasting one of their companions, he successfully forced the herd to flee back toward the direction of the waiting soldiers.

After dodging the herd's only attack, the soldiers quickly brandished their weapons and resumed coordinating with the mages for long-range attacks, prioritizing those prey attempting to escape outside the encirclement. The herd that had cast their spells truly had no noteworthy melee capabilities to speak of. After Shaoke stopped casting, the other two mages, who had shed their nervousness, slowly regained their composure and ceased their spell attacks, allowing the soldiers to move forward and slowly hunt down the remaining prey.

The soldiers now put away their ranged weapons, as most of the javelins and similar weapons they had thrown hit trees, causing little damage to the prey. They had mainly served to intimidate the enemy. Now it was time for close combat. The soldiers brandished their broadswords and hand-axes, roaring as they charged toward these remnant deer. Strange cries echoed as they surrounded the prey from all sides. Perhaps only in this way could the soldiers feel like true warriors, needed on any battlefield, rather than standing at a distance from the enemy, wielding those crude javelins and short spears. Perhaps, perhaps what these soldiers sought was that fervent feeling: the blade sinking into flesh, the axe biting into bone, the shield like a city wall, the body like a pillar.

After a series of relentless blows, the herd's leader could no longer organize an effective escape. The Snow Deer running wildly in all directions caused some trouble for the hunters who had given up ranged attacks. However, under the containment of the soldiers who had gained the upper hand, in this not-so-large battlefield, the deer felt they couldn't escape no matter what. One by one, the Snow Deer fell to the ground, never again able to run and leap on the snowy ground they loved.