Chapter 167: Plans to Attack

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Plans to Attack

’Just how much strength are they holding back?’

Caelia glanced at Damon, who was walking ahead with a relaxed expression. He was even chatting with Freya, who seemed particularly pleased with their recent battles.

It was strange.

They had just fought through a massive swarm of high-ranking beasts, yet Damon and his spirits were acting as though they had finished an ordinary training session.

She had started to realize that the beasts weren’t necessarily the most frightening things in Tempest Hollow.

It was Damon and his spirits.

They kept experimenting with their elements and Arts in the middle of battle, finding new ways to combine them and improve their efficiency. Even when facing dangerous opponents, they seemed to enjoy discovering what they could do.

Caelia couldn’t help shivering slightly.

’They’re all battle maniacs.’

Damon glanced at her.

"What’s wrong? You’re looking at me strangely."

"Nothing."

"Are you sure? You look like you’ve just realized something terrible."

Caelia rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking about how strange you and your spirits are."

Damon chuckled. "That’s a rather broad accusation. What exactly did we do?"

"You were smiling while fighting that entire swarm."

"Well, it was a good fight."

"That’s what I’m talking about!"

Damon laughed again, and Caelia shook her head.

Still, she couldn’t deny that his attitude had helped her feel more confident. The more they fought together, the less intimidating the beasts became. She was beginning to understand that strength wasn’t only about the power of one’s Arts, but also about how well they could use them under pressure.

And Damon was exceptionally good at that.

They continued forward, following the route Sylphie had provided. The farther they travelled, the more noticeable the destruction became. The ground was scarred by repeated elemental attacks, and the remains of abandoned camps appeared along their path.

Soon, Sylphie returned from scouting ahead.

Her wings beat gently as she landed near Damon, and she gave a short cry before pointing toward the distant horizon.

Damon understood her message.

"There’s a battle going on ahead?"

Sylphie nodded.

"How far outside the zone?"

She spread her wings and gestured toward the distance.

Damon’s expression turned thoughtful.

They had already crossed the boundaries of Tempest Hollow, yet the unstable Aether and the beasts had spread far beyond the zone itself. The human defenders had been forced to establish several layers of defenses to prevent the tide from reaching the surrounding settlements.

And those defenses were now under severe pressure.

"Let’s take a look."

The group moved forward, and before long, the sounds of battle reached them. Explosions echoed across the landscape, followed by the roars of beasts and the shouts of elemental users.

As they climbed a rocky slope, the battlefield finally came into view.

Caelia stopped.

Below them, a vast tide of beasts was pushing against a human defensive line. The formation stretched across the landscape, with several fortified positions built from stone, Aether barriers, and elemental treasures.

But the defenses were beginning to collapse.

Beasts poured toward the barriers from every direction, their numbers seemingly endless. Wind and Lightning Elemental Arts tore through the air, while the defenders launched their own attacks in a desperate attempt to hold them back.

Damon studied the battlefield for a moment.

The human forces had managed to establish a strong defensive formation, but the beasts were attacking with increasing intensity. Several sections had already been breached, and the defenders were struggling to close the gaps before more creatures forced their way through.

Damon smiled faintly.

Caelia looked at him.

"You’re thinking of something, aren’t you?"

"Of course."

"Let me guess. You’re going to attack them from behind."

Damon turned toward her, amused.

"You’re getting good at reading my mind."

Caelia sighed.

"That isn’t difficult when you always come up with the same kind of plans."

"Well, it works."

He looked back at the swarm.

The beasts were advancing toward the human formation, leaving their rear largely exposed. If they attacked from behind, they could disrupt the tide and reduce the pressure on the defenders.

Of course, it would also mean placing themselves in the middle of a massive swarm.

But Damon wasn’t particularly worried.

They had already fought through a large number of high-ranking beasts inside Tempest Hollow, and his group had grown stronger with every battle. As long as they moved together and focused on their targets, they could handle the pressure.

"We’ll attack from the rear," he said. "If we can break their formation, the defenders should have an easier time holding the line."

Caelia looked at the enormous number of beasts.

"You’re making it sound rather simple."

"It doesn’t need to be complicated. We just need to kill them faster than they can overwhelm us."

She let out a quiet sigh.

To anyone else, his plan would have sounded reckless. But Damon wasn’t acting out of arrogance. He had assessed their strength, considered the battlefield, and decided that they had enough power to carry it out.

Caelia had seen him fight, so she knew he wasn’t making an empty promise.

"Alright. Let’s do it."

Damon nodded and turned toward the others.

"Everyone, get ready. We’re going to hit them from behind."

Freya’s silver lightning flickered excitedly, while Sylphie spread her wings. Shiro and Snow moved closer to Caelia, prepared to support her.

Damon gave them a final look.

"Stay coordinated. We don’t need to waste our strength, but don’t hold back if something dangerous appears."

The group acknowledged him, and they began moving down the slope toward the battlefield.

At the frontline, the situation was growing worse by the minute.

The human defenders had been fighting for hours, and their strength was rapidly declining. Elemental users stood in organized formations behind reinforced barriers, launching wave after wave of attacks against the incoming beasts.

Several Aether cannons had been positioned along the defensive line. Their operators loaded them with concentrated Aether crystals before firing powerful blasts into the swarm.

Each shot tore through multiple beasts, creating brief openings in the advancing tide.

However, the beasts kept coming.