Chapter 107
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Ben led his troops on foot southeast toward Baymeadow under the cover of darkness. There was a slight orange tint on the eastern horizon but it could not provide enough light to expose the two thousand plus troops calmy marching in perfect formations.
When Ben opened his map to take a close look at how many guards were currently patrolling the walls of Baymeadow city he was shocked to find thousands of gray dots assembled just outside the city walls.
They were still a half mile from the city so he could not visually see why there were so many people outside so walls so he cautiously led his people forward after informing his generals that something seemed off.
A half mile out from the city they began to see hundreds of campfires in the distance and what appeared to be tents which were illuminated by those campfires.
At first Ben thought they were possibly refugees who fled Trareniel after they heard the kingdom had been captured.
It wasn't until they were a few hundred yards away that they could see men walking in the camp wearing armor and carrying weapons!
This was an army of at least two thousand troops but whose army were they?
Ben stopped his army four hundred yards away from the unknown troops. He had the heavy armored infantry create two front lines and the archers lined up behind them in two lines. The Fairy magi and female cultivators were divided into two squads and placed on the left and right flanks of the archers. The ten Half-Giants were held in reserve behind the double archer's lines where Ben, Mythia, and the generals were now.
After Ben looked over the enemy camp he decided to have his men hold here until the sun began to rise. He wanted to find out who this army belonged to before he decided to make a move.
If he were to recklessly approach their camp while it was still dark out they would more than likely attack them. This did not worry him if they did attack he was confident in his troops but he did not want to get into a fight with another kingdom if it could be avoided.
A half an hour later the sun had rose enough to alert the unknown army of their presence. The camp was in chaos when they woke to the calls of the patrolling guards.
Somehow during the night, a large army had snuck up on their rear and they were now pinned in between them and the Baymeadow city walls!
While the unknown army was preparing to line up outside their camp to face toward the Avalon troops who were in perfectly straight lines, Ben walked across the field to stop halfway between the two armies.
The unknown army was making such a racket he feared they would never hear him so he closed his eyes and began to focus Mana into his throat.
"Test, test, test, TEST!"
After four tries, he learned how to drastically increase the volume of his voice with Mana. He saw his notification icon flashing so he stopped to view it before proceeding.
[Notice] [You have learned a new spell! Voice Projection Apprentice: Level 1!]
[Voice Projection]: By channeling Mana into your vocal cords you can increase the volume of your voice. Higher levels of this spell will allow you to stun enemies with load shouts and roars.
Ben closed the notices after reviewing them and then cast his new Voice Projection spell.
"I am Ben King the king of the Avalon Kingdom! We have officially declared war against the Brandomma Kingdom after their troops attacked us in the Trareniel Kingdom. I wish to know who this army is before me and why they are here!"
Ben's voiced echoed off the city walls and had quieted down the unknown army in front of them who had stopped to listen to him. It wasn't every day you heard someone speak loud enough to be heard from hundreds of yards away and it made them all stop to listen.
As the rag-tag line of troops looked between one another while talking a small group of five men came out to walk over to Ben.
Three of them looked like military men and two of them were richly-dressed. One of the richly-dressed men who looked to be about 55-60 years led the following men toward Ben.
"I am the King of Galeron and I have already captured the small town west of here and I plan to capture Baymeadow next. Our men have been here for three days now fighting against the city defenders. What is the meaning of you bringing your troops here while we are laying siege to this capital?" The Galeran King spoke arrogantly toward Ben as if he had no right to be here.
"I am the king of Avalon and I had declared war against the Trareniel Kingdom. I sent out a document to each kingdom stating why we were going to war. One week ago I attacked the capital of Trareniel and we were forced to fight against Brandomma troops. Since the king of Brandomma sent his troops to defend the Trareniel capital and ordered them to fight against my forces he has also officially become an enemy of my Avalon Kingdom!"
"Pft, your Avalon Kingdom? A young boy like you claims a small chunk of land in the wilderness and decides to play king and everyone is supposed to acknowledge your self-proclaimed kingdom? My Galeran Kingdom is over a thousand years old! We are recognized as one of the eight kingdoms so I recommend you take your men back to your so-called kingdom because you are a thousand years too early to step around my army!"
The men around the Galeran king began to arrogantly smile as they listened to their king put Ben in his place. Just because this young man had a few troops behind him he thought he could question the affairs of a true kingdom? How could he compete against the kingdom of Galeran who had a larger population, a highly profitable economy, and over a thousand years of prestige?
Ben could see there wasn't going to be a peaceful resolution to this standoff. This king had his pride and he was here to attack his enemy who they had quarreled with for years.
What pissed Ben off is this king would never have invaded if Brandomma had not sent their troops north to defend Timbershield!
He had to fight against the troops while this guy snuck in the back door and tried to sack the poorly defended City of Baymeadow.
Ben knit his brows and said, "I see so while my self-proclaimed kingdom was actually fighting the Brandomma army your prestigious-self decided to sneak in like a thief in the night and steal the prize while others did the real fighting?
You may not recognize me to be a king but I recognize you! I recognize you as a cowardly king who has stained a thousand years of his ancestor's honor!
Let me guess your spies discovered Brandomma had sent their troops to the Trareniel Kingdom to defend against me and your craven military officers behind you there and your palace staff talked you into leading an army here to capture the Brandomma Kingdom?
Were you expecting to parade through the streets yourself like some god of war because you beat back a few city and palace guards? I will say this only once withdraw your men from this kingdom or you will become the next enemy of my Avalon Kingdom!.
Before the Galeran king could respond the richly-dressed older man next to him spoke up.
"Young man, who the hell do you think you are talking to in that manner! I will not stand off to the side and allow anyone to address my king in such a way!"
Ben suddenly felt the pressure of the old man cultivation weigh down on him and it wasn't very impressive. This old man must be the Galeran royal cultivator and he was obviously unaware of Ben being a cultivator because he was attempting to intimidate him in the same way Ben had done to the many guards who had initiated with his own aura in the past.
Ben scowled and said, " Is this your answer as well? As he pointed with his nose to the surprised royal cultivator attempting to drive him into the dirt. "I just want to make sure since your royal cultivator is trying to drive me off with his aura. Is it also your wish to make an enemy of me?"
The king cast a surprised sidelong glance at his royal cultivator who was obviously straining to make Ben respond to his attack.
Seeing his royal cultivator was basically ignored by Ben made him worried and angry. He had never heard anything about the Avalon king being a cultivator and he was much too young to be a match for his royal cultivator so how was he dismissing an attack from a Stage Five, Level Three cultivator?
The Galeran king was thoroughly pissed and embarrassed at being called a thief and a coward who dishonored his ancestors. He now realized there was something strange about this young king but his pride and arrogance were not about to give way.
He gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care that your men had fought against the Brandomma troops! This kingdom has been a thorn in the side of my kingdom for centuries! I will not allow someone else to step in and create future competition over the gulf reef fishing zones! I will take this kingdom and finally control the profits from those sought-after fish species only found in the gulf between these two kingdoms! This was the dream of my ancestors as well so don't you dare say that I am a stain on their honor!'
The Galeran King was actually breathing heavy with a red face after his tirade.
Ben simply shook his head and opened his inventory. He equipped his full set of armor and a visored knight helmet. Which shocked the hell out of the Galeran party.
The five people in front of him took a half step back when they saw the armor suddenly appear on Ben making him look like he was some type of metal man.
Ben looked up and yelled, "Then let there be war!"
He activated Whirlwind Manuevor and flashed back to his troops before his words could be even registered.
"Infantry front lines shield wall!"
When Ben began to yell out commands to his troops the Galeran King and his entourage quickly retreated to the rear of their troops.
Ben had Athena perform the trajectory between his archers and the enemy front line.
"Archers aim six inches high!"
The two rows of archers knocked an arrow and drew back while aiming six inches of above the heads of the distant enemy front line.
"FIRE!"
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Four hundred barbed arrows were released all at once. They arced through the air and landed amongst the motley line of unsuspecting enemy troops.
For one they would have never thought they were in range of the enemies archers and two they haven't even received orders from their king to prepare for battle.
By the time their king had made it to the back of his troops a black cloud of arrows were following behind him. As he prepared to send a mixed group of infantry and archers forward to launch an arrow barrage he was startled by the screams and cries of his impaled men standing around him.
Ben showed no mercy and had decided Galeran was now an enemy which must be eliminated. He had his archers fire at will after the first volley. As soon as they knocked an arrow and drew back on their bow an arrow was sent down range toward the enemy.
A constant wave of four hundred arrows can begin to quickly reduce your total fighting force and the continuous barge frightened the king into making a move. If he could not get close enough to use his archers he had to make use of the infantry units.
The Galeran King ordered a full charge of ninety five percent of his units. If they continued to stay at a distance the Avalon archers would shoot them all down. If he could get his troops in close to engage the Avalon frontline it would take the Avalon archers out of the fight.
The Galeran king climbed up into his cart with his royal cultivator and his military officers. He had kept one hundred infantry in reserve to protect him. Once the Avalon troops began to tire he would send these fresh troops in to turn the tide of battle.
Unfortunately, this strategy wasn't going to work. Ben had cast a Reverse Gravity spell fifty yards out in front of his troops and allowed the archers to attack the charging civilian soldiers, until the center of their line stepped into his Reverse Gravity trap.
A hundred men were sent screaming toward the sky only to come smashing down two seconds later at speeds nearing terminal velocity.
The advancing Galeran troops stopped in horror as they saw their comrades raining down around them. They were afraid to go any further thinking there might be more terrifying traps hidden before them.
As they indecisively stood their ground Ben and the Fairies on the archer's flanks toss out Lake of Lava spells to the left, right, and behind them.
A sudden lake of lava sprung up from the ground on each side and behind the frightened Galeran troops. There was only one route open to them and that was to move forward toward the waiting Avalon troops!.
[Lake of Lava]: Create a 10x10ft area covered in lava for 30 seconds. This lava will ignite or melt clothing, metal armor, and weapons. Cause severe fire and burning damage to anyone who enters the lava lake. [As the spell level increases the spell radius and damage increase]
The intense heat being projected from the lava threatened to cook anyone who approached it. Ben could have had his Magi toss this spell under their feet and cooked a large number of them but he was hoping to make them surrender.
Now that Ben knew that killing a kingdoms troops also meant destroying the population and economy he wanted to avoid it at all costs. He had already decided he would invade Galeran next after finishing up in Brandomma and he did not want to anger the population by killing off all the men and destroying the economy.
Ben had seen what happen when a large portion of the male population is killed off in the Trareniel Kingdom. There were so many occupations unfilled afterward that the kingdom's economy would not have bounced back for the next twenty years.
By using the Servants Guild he plugged a large portion of the low-level commoner occupations to help slowly bring the economy back but it would still be a few years before things were back to how they were.
As the next barrage of Lava Lake spells flew out to block the retreat of the Galeran troops, Ben sent the ten Half-Giants out. The ten Half-Giants charged out screaming and roaring. They were encased in Mythril Alloy Armor and carried steel weapon in each hand that was the size of a normal man.
Ben ordered them to stop just in front of the trapped Galeran troops and to slam their weapons against the ground and roar at them. With nowhere to run these regular civilians were suddenly face to face with these giant men who towered above them. At nine feet tall and weighing near seven hundred pounds of muscle it would be impossible for them to fight them.
One Half-Giants leg was bigger than they were it left only one option charge forward and die or surrender. These were normal men who had families at home counting on them to return they were not full-time soldiers who were paid to fight.
They were told upon being drafted they would only need to attack a city with a few guards. So what the hell was this? They were suddenly tossed into the lower levels of hell with fire brimstone boiling around them and men as tall as houses threatening to tear them apart!
When the Galeran King saw the remaining seven hundred plus men of his were throwing down their weapons he had his military officer turn the cart west and they began to escape the battlefield.
The one hundred men held in reserve were left behind by their fleeing king. Upon seeing the king running away and their comrades surrendering they walked forward to throw down their weapons.
Ben yelled out his orders, "Generals have our soldiers secure the surrendering enemy and wait here! All cultivators follow me!
Ben activated Whirlwind Maneuver and ran out around his troops with Mythia, the ten female cultivators and the twenty Fairy magi who were now also low stage cultivators.
Ben yelled out over the wind in their ears to the girls following behind him, "I will fight the old man who is their royal cultivator! The rest of you quickly take care of the others and then you can join me! At this point, I do not care if you capture them alive or you kill them! Just fight safely and don't take any unnecessary chances!
Just before they reached the escaping cart Ben threw out an Ensnare: Adept: Level: 1 spell. The entire area surrounding the cart began to sprout roots and vines from the ground that crept up to wrap around the wheels of the cart and the bound the legs of the beasts pulling it.
They were stuck in place so the royal cultivator jumped down to run toward the small squad pursuing them and the three military officers drew their swords and surround the Galeran King to protect him.
Barkskin!
Mana Shield!
Enhanced Form!
Aura Assault!
Ben quickly buffed himself with a series of spells. Thick harden bark began to cover his entire body providing an additional layer of armor under his Mythril Alloy armor. Mana Shield formed a damage absorbing oblong bubble around him and his feet and hands began to glow from the Enhanced Form.
When the enemy royal cultivator was only yards away Ben could see his Aura Assault had drastically decreased his speed.
Casting Firebolt: Expert: Level: 3 the burdened enemy cultivator was struck by a blast of fire that ignited his clothing and hair.
Ben used the distraction to throw out a glowing fist into the cultivators face. The old man was sent tumbling end over end from the punch but he nimbly got back to his feet and tried to shake off Ben's attack.
It was obvious to Ben that this old guy had a technique that made his body more durable or helped him to resist pain. He had got back on his feet too quickly and was ready to make a move.
The old man came charging right back at him so Ben tossed out a Mana Javelin: Adept: Level: 2 spell to slow him down. The enemy cultivator crossed his arms in front of him to block the Mana spear which hardly penetrated his right forearm. This was a spell that could penetrate a stone block up to five inches and it barely even wounded this old guy.
The royal cultivator may be a lower Stage than Ben but is physical toughness was surprising.
Ben intentionally collided with the old man and took him to the ground. By using his Iron Grip and Grappling skills he got around behind the old man and place him in a rear naked choke hold.
It did not matter how strong his body is if the oxygen was cut off to his brain he would pass out and eventually die. Making use of his overpowering strength Ben locked his arm around the old man's neck and cut off the blood to his brain and prevented him from breathing.
He could feel the old man stop struggling after ten seconds. When the old man went limp he looked around him to make sure the girls were okay. The Galeran king and his three military officers were laying face down in the grass not far away.
Mythia was walking over to Ben with blood on her blade followed closely behind by thirty attractive young ladies also carrying longswords.
While the old man was unconscious Ben had a nasty idea, he used his Slave Command spell on the old man and smacked his face until he woke up.
Before Ben left the old man who was trying to get his bearing from being unconscious he gave him a series of commands.
He told him he was never allowed to fight against the Avalon Kingdom or harm its people in any way. From today forward his only objective was to travel the land looking to help people in need. If he came across a person down on their luck he would do everything he could to get them back on their feet again. The only way he was allowed to use his cultivation was to defend innocent people from harm.
He was no longer a royal cultivator and he was not allowed to be hired as a cultivator unless it was to earn money to help someone who was struggling.
Ben smiled and said, "Instead of killing you I will have you travel this continent for the rest of your days helping those who you looked down on all your life. At least before you die you will be of some good to your fellow man!
Ben found out that the girls had killed the Galeran King and the military officers while he was fighting so he tossed their bodies on the cart released the beasts pulling it and set it on fire.
One of the Fairies cast a lava lake spell under the burning cart and it slowly sank down into the lava The cart and bodies slowly submerged leaving only a few tendrils of smoke behind.
The former royal cultivator now turned slave was left alone to mourn the loss of his king who vanished along with the spell. There was nothing left behind to show a pool of lava was just there and that it had swallowed the remains of the four men he had been with for years.
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Ben led his troops on foot southeast toward Baymeadow under the cover of darkness. There was a slight orange tint on the eastern horizon but it could not provide enough light to expose the two thousand plus troops calmy marching in perfect formations.
When Ben opened his map to take a close look at how many guards were currently patrolling the walls of Baymeadow city he was shocked to find thousands of gray dots assembled just outside the city walls.
They were still a half mile from the city so he could not visually see why there were so many people outside so walls so he cautiously led his people forward after informing his generals that something seemed off.
A half mile out from the city they began to see hundreds of campfires in the distance and what appeared to be tents which were illuminated by those campfires.
At first Ben thought they were possibly refugees who fled Trareniel after they heard the kingdom had been captured.
It wasn't until they were a few hundred yards away that they could see men walking in the camp wearing armor and carrying weapons!
This was an army of at least two thousand troops but whose army were they?
Ben stopped his army four hundred yards away from the unknown troops. He had the heavy armored infantry create two front lines and the archers lined up behind them in two lines. The Fairy magi and female cultivators were divided into two squads and placed on the left and right flanks of the archers. The ten Half-Giants were held in reserve behind the double archer's lines where Ben, Mythia, and the generals were now.
After Ben looked over the enemy camp he decided to have his men hold here until the sun began to rise. He wanted to find out who this army belonged to before he decided to make a move.
If he were to recklessly approach their camp while it was still dark out they would more than likely attack them. This did not worry him if they did attack he was confident in his troops but he did not want to get into a fight with another kingdom if it could be avoided.
A half an hour later the sun had rose enough to alert the unknown army of their presence. The camp was in chaos when they woke to the calls of the patrolling guards.
Somehow during the night, a large army had snuck up on their rear and they were now pinned in between them and the Baymeadow city walls!
While the unknown army was preparing to line up outside their camp to face toward the Avalon troops who were in perfectly straight lines, Ben walked across the field to stop halfway between the two armies.
The unknown army was making such a racket he feared they would never hear him so he closed his eyes and began to focus Mana into his throat.
"Test, test, test, TEST!"
After four tries, he learned how to drastically increase the volume of his voice with Mana. He saw his notification icon flashing so he stopped to view it before proceeding.
[Notice] [You have learned a new spell! Voice Projection Apprentice: Level 1!]
[Voice Projection]: By channeling Mana into your vocal cords you can increase the volume of your voice. Higher levels of this spell will allow you to stun enemies with load shouts and roars.
Ben closed the notices after reviewing them and then cast his new Voice Projection spell.
"I am Ben King the king of the Avalon Kingdom! We have officially declared war against the Brandomma Kingdom after their troops attacked us in the Trareniel Kingdom. I wish to know who this army is before me and why they are here!"
Ben's voiced echoed off the city walls and had quieted down the unknown army in front of them who had stopped to listen to him. It wasn't every day you heard someone speak loud enough to be heard from hundreds of yards away and it made them all stop to listen.
As the rag-tag line of troops looked between one another while talking a small group of five men came out to walk over to Ben.
Three of them looked like military men and two of them were richly-dressed. One of the richly-dressed men who looked to be about 55-60 years led the following men toward Ben.
"I am the King of Galeron and I have already captured the small town west of here and I plan to capture Baymeadow next. Our men have been here for three days now fighting against the city defenders. What is the meaning of you bringing your troops here while we are laying siege to this capital?" The Galeran King spoke arrogantly toward Ben as if he had no right to be here.
"I am the king of Avalon and I had declared war against the Trareniel Kingdom. I sent out a document to each kingdom stating why we were going to war. One week ago I attacked the capital of Trareniel and we were forced to fight against Brandomma troops. Since the king of Brandomma sent his troops to defend the Trareniel capital and ordered them to fight against my forces he has also officially become an enemy of my Avalon Kingdom!"
"Pft, your Avalon Kingdom? A young boy like you claims a small chunk of land in the wilderness and decides to play king and everyone is supposed to acknowledge your self-proclaimed kingdom? My Galeran Kingdom is over a thousand years old! We are recognized as one of the eight kingdoms so I recommend you take your men back to your so-called kingdom because you are a thousand years too early to step around my army!"
The men around the Galeran king began to arrogantly smile as they listened to their king put Ben in his place. Just because this young man had a few troops behind him he thought he could question the affairs of a true kingdom? How could he compete against the kingdom of Galeran who had a larger population, a highly profitable economy, and over a thousand years of prestige?
Ben could see there wasn't going to be a peaceful resolution to this standoff. This king had his pride and he was here to attack his enemy who they had quarreled with for years.
What pissed Ben off is this king would never have invaded if Brandomma had not sent their troops north to defend Timbershield!
He had to fight against the troops while this guy snuck in the back door and tried to sack the poorly defended City of Baymeadow.
Ben knit his brows and said, "I see so while my self-proclaimed kingdom was actually fighting the Brandomma army your prestigious-self decided to sneak in like a thief in the night and steal the prize while others did the real fighting?
You may not recognize me to be a king but I recognize you! I recognize you as a cowardly king who has stained a thousand years of his ancestor's honor!
Let me guess your spies discovered Brandomma had sent their troops to the Trareniel Kingdom to defend against me and your craven military officers behind you there and your palace staff talked you into leading an army here to capture the Brandomma Kingdom?
Were you expecting to parade through the streets yourself like some god of war because you beat back a few city and palace guards? I will say this only once withdraw your men from this kingdom or you will become the next enemy of my Avalon Kingdom!.
Before the Galeran king could respond the richly-dressed older man next to him spoke up.
"Young man, who the hell do you think you are talking to in that manner! I will not stand off to the side and allow anyone to address my king in such a way!"
Ben suddenly felt the pressure of the old man cultivation weigh down on him and it wasn't very impressive. This old man must be the Galeran royal cultivator and he was obviously unaware of Ben being a cultivator because he was attempting to intimidate him in the same way Ben had done to the many guards who had initiated with his own aura in the past.
Ben scowled and said, " Is this your answer as well? As he pointed with his nose to the surprised royal cultivator attempting to drive him into the dirt. "I just want to make sure since your royal cultivator is trying to drive me off with his aura. Is it also your wish to make an enemy of me?"
The king cast a surprised sidelong glance at his royal cultivator who was obviously straining to make Ben respond to his attack.
Seeing his royal cultivator was basically ignored by Ben made him worried and angry. He had never heard anything about the Avalon king being a cultivator and he was much too young to be a match for his royal cultivator so how was he dismissing an attack from a Stage Five, Level Three cultivator?
The Galeran king was thoroughly pissed and embarrassed at being called a thief and a coward who dishonored his ancestors. He now realized there was something strange about this young king but his pride and arrogance were not about to give way.
He gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care that your men had fought against the Brandomma troops! This kingdom has been a thorn in the side of my kingdom for centuries! I will not allow someone else to step in and create future competition over the gulf reef fishing zones! I will take this kingdom and finally control the profits from those sought-after fish species only found in the gulf between these two kingdoms! This was the dream of my ancestors as well so don't you dare say that I am a stain on their honor!'
The Galeran King was actually breathing heavy with a red face after his tirade.
Ben simply shook his head and opened his inventory. He equipped his full set of armor and a visored knight helmet. Which shocked the hell out of the Galeran party.
The five people in front of him took a half step back when they saw the armor suddenly appear on Ben making him look like he was some type of metal man.
Ben looked up and yelled, "Then let there be war!"
He activated Whirlwind Manuevor and flashed back to his troops before his words could be even registered.
"Infantry front lines shield wall!"
When Ben began to yell out commands to his troops the Galeran King and his entourage quickly retreated to the rear of their troops.
Ben had Athena perform the trajectory between his archers and the enemy front line.
"Archers aim six inches high!"
The two rows of archers knocked an arrow and drew back while aiming six inches of above the heads of the distant enemy front line.
"FIRE!"
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Four hundred barbed arrows were released all at once. They arced through the air and landed amongst the motley line of unsuspecting enemy troops.
For one they would have never thought they were in range of the enemies archers and two they haven't even received orders from their king to prepare for battle.
By the time their king had made it to the back of his troops a black cloud of arrows were following behind him. As he prepared to send a mixed group of infantry and archers forward to launch an arrow barrage he was startled by the screams and cries of his impaled men standing around him.
Ben showed no mercy and had decided Galeran was now an enemy which must be eliminated. He had his archers fire at will after the first volley. As soon as they knocked an arrow and drew back on their bow an arrow was sent down range toward the enemy.
A constant wave of four hundred arrows can begin to quickly reduce your total fighting force and the continuous barge frightened the king into making a move. If he could not get close enough to use his archers he had to make use of the infantry units.
The Galeran King ordered a full charge of ninety five percent of his units. If they continued to stay at a distance the Avalon archers would shoot them all down. If he could get his troops in close to engage the Avalon frontline it would take the Avalon archers out of the fight.
The Galeran king climbed up into his cart with his royal cultivator and his military officers. He had kept one hundred infantry in reserve to protect him. Once the Avalon troops began to tire he would send these fresh troops in to turn the tide of battle.
Unfortunately, this strategy wasn't going to work. Ben had cast a Reverse Gravity spell fifty yards out in front of his troops and allowed the archers to attack the charging civilian soldiers, until the center of their line stepped into his Reverse Gravity trap.
A hundred men were sent screaming toward the sky only to come smashing down two seconds later at speeds nearing terminal velocity.
The advancing Galeran troops stopped in horror as they saw their comrades raining down around them. They were afraid to go any further thinking there might be more terrifying traps hidden before them.
As they indecisively stood their ground Ben and the Fairies on the archer's flanks toss out Lake of Lava spells to the left, right, and behind them.
A sudden lake of lava sprung up from the ground on each side and behind the frightened Galeran troops. There was only one route open to them and that was to move forward toward the waiting Avalon troops!.
[Lake of Lava]: Create a 10x10ft area covered in lava for 30 seconds. This lava will ignite or melt clothing, metal armor, and weapons. Cause severe fire and burning damage to anyone who enters the lava lake. [As the spell level increases the spell radius and damage increase]
The intense heat being projected from the lava threatened to cook anyone who approached it. Ben could have had his Magi toss this spell under their feet and cooked a large number of them but he was hoping to make them surrender.
Now that Ben knew that killing a kingdoms troops also meant destroying the population and economy he wanted to avoid it at all costs. He had already decided he would invade Galeran next after finishing up in Brandomma and he did not want to anger the population by killing off all the men and destroying the economy.
Ben had seen what happen when a large portion of the male population is killed off in the Trareniel Kingdom. There were so many occupations unfilled afterward that the kingdom's economy would not have bounced back for the next twenty years.
By using the Servants Guild he plugged a large portion of the low-level commoner occupations to help slowly bring the economy back but it would still be a few years before things were back to how they were.
As the next barrage of Lava Lake spells flew out to block the retreat of the Galeran troops, Ben sent the ten Half-Giants out. The ten Half-Giants charged out screaming and roaring. They were encased in Mythril Alloy Armor and carried steel weapon in each hand that was the size of a normal man.
Ben ordered them to stop just in front of the trapped Galeran troops and to slam their weapons against the ground and roar at them. With nowhere to run these regular civilians were suddenly face to face with these giant men who towered above them. At nine feet tall and weighing near seven hundred pounds of muscle it would be impossible for them to fight them.
One Half-Giants leg was bigger than they were it left only one option charge forward and die or surrender. These were normal men who had families at home counting on them to return they were not full-time soldiers who were paid to fight.
They were told upon being drafted they would only need to attack a city with a few guards. So what the hell was this? They were suddenly tossed into the lower levels of hell with fire brimstone boiling around them and men as tall as houses threatening to tear them apart!
When the Galeran King saw the remaining seven hundred plus men of his were throwing down their weapons he had his military officer turn the cart west and they began to escape the battlefield.
The one hundred men held in reserve were left behind by their fleeing king. Upon seeing the king running away and their comrades surrendering they walked forward to throw down their weapons.
Ben yelled out his orders, "Generals have our soldiers secure the surrendering enemy and wait here! All cultivators follow me!
Ben activated Whirlwind Maneuver and ran out around his troops with Mythia, the ten female cultivators and the twenty Fairy magi who were now also low stage cultivators.
Ben yelled out over the wind in their ears to the girls following behind him, "I will fight the old man who is their royal cultivator! The rest of you quickly take care of the others and then you can join me! At this point, I do not care if you capture them alive or you kill them! Just fight safely and don't take any unnecessary chances!
Just before they reached the escaping cart Ben threw out an Ensnare: Adept: Level: 1 spell. The entire area surrounding the cart began to sprout roots and vines from the ground that crept up to wrap around the wheels of the cart and the bound the legs of the beasts pulling it.
They were stuck in place so the royal cultivator jumped down to run toward the small squad pursuing them and the three military officers drew their swords and surround the Galeran King to protect him.
Barkskin!
Mana Shield!
Enhanced Form!
Aura Assault!
Ben quickly buffed himself with a series of spells. Thick harden bark began to cover his entire body providing an additional layer of armor under his Mythril Alloy armor. Mana Shield formed a damage absorbing oblong bubble around him and his feet and hands began to glow from the Enhanced Form.
When the enemy royal cultivator was only yards away Ben could see his Aura Assault had drastically decreased his speed.
Casting Firebolt: Expert: Level: 3 the burdened enemy cultivator was struck by a blast of fire that ignited his clothing and hair.
Ben used the distraction to throw out a glowing fist into the cultivators face. The old man was sent tumbling end over end from the punch but he nimbly got back to his feet and tried to shake off Ben's attack.
It was obvious to Ben that this old guy had a technique that made his body more durable or helped him to resist pain. He had got back on his feet too quickly and was ready to make a move.
The old man came charging right back at him so Ben tossed out a Mana Javelin: Adept: Level: 2 spell to slow him down. The enemy cultivator crossed his arms in front of him to block the Mana spear which hardly penetrated his right forearm. This was a spell that could penetrate a stone block up to five inches and it barely even wounded this old guy.
The royal cultivator may be a lower Stage than Ben but is physical toughness was surprising.
Ben intentionally collided with the old man and took him to the ground. By using his Iron Grip and Grappling skills he got around behind the old man and place him in a rear naked choke hold.
It did not matter how strong his body is if the oxygen was cut off to his brain he would pass out and eventually die. Making use of his overpowering strength Ben locked his arm around the old man's neck and cut off the blood to his brain and prevented him from breathing.
He could feel the old man stop struggling after ten seconds. When the old man went limp he looked around him to make sure the girls were okay. The Galeran king and his three military officers were laying face down in the grass not far away.
Mythia was walking over to Ben with blood on her blade followed closely behind by thirty attractive young ladies also carrying longswords.
While the old man was unconscious Ben had a nasty idea, he used his Slave Command spell on the old man and smacked his face until he woke up.
Before Ben left the old man who was trying to get his bearing from being unconscious he gave him a series of commands.
He told him he was never allowed to fight against the Avalon Kingdom or harm its people in any way. From today forward his only objective was to travel the land looking to help people in need. If he came across a person down on their luck he would do everything he could to get them back on their feet again. The only way he was allowed to use his cultivation was to defend innocent people from harm.
He was no longer a royal cultivator and he was not allowed to be hired as a cultivator unless it was to earn money to help someone who was struggling.
Ben smiled and said, "Instead of killing you I will have you travel this continent for the rest of your days helping those who you looked down on all your life. At least before you die you will be of some good to your fellow man!
Ben found out that the girls had killed the Galeran King and the military officers while he was fighting so he tossed their bodies on the cart released the beasts pulling it and set it on fire.
One of the Fairies cast a lava lake spell under the burning cart and it slowly sank down into the lava The cart and bodies slowly submerged leaving only a few tendrils of smoke behind.
The former royal cultivator now turned slave was left alone to mourn the loss of his king who vanished along with the spell. There was nothing left behind to show a pool of lava was just there and that it had swallowed the remains of the four men he had been with for years.
Ben led his troops on foot southeast toward Baymeadow under the cover of darkness. There was a slight orange tint on the eastern horizon but it could not provide enough light to expose the two thousand plus troops calmy marching in perfect formations.When Ben opened his map to take a close look at how many guards were currently patrolling the walls of Baymeadow city he was shocked to find thousands of gray dots assembled just outside the city walls.They were still a half mile from the city so he could not visually see why there were so many people outside so walls so he cautiously led his people forward after informing his generals that something seemed off.A half mile out from the city they began to see hundreds of campfires in the distance and what appeared to be tents which were illuminated by those campfires.At first Ben thought they were possibly refugees who fled Trareniel after they heard the kingdom had been captured.It wasn't until they were a few hundred yards away that they could see men walking in the camp wearing armor and carrying weapons!This was an army of at least two thousand troops but whose army were they?Ben stopped his army four hundred yards away from the unknown troops. He had the heavy armored infantry create two front lines and the archers lined up behind them in two lines. The Fairy magi and female cultivators were divided into two squads and placed on the left and right flanks of the archers. The ten Half-Giants were held in reserve behind the double archer's lines where Ben, Mythia, and the generals were now.After Ben looked over the enemy camp he decided to have his men hold here until the sun began to rise. He wanted to find out who this army belonged to before he decided to make a move.If he were to recklessly approach their camp while it was still dark out they would more than likely attack them. This did not worry him if they did attack he was confident in his troops but he did not want to get into a fight with another kingdom if it could be avoided.A half an hour later the sun had rose enough to alert the unknown army of their presence. The camp was in chaos when they woke to the calls of the patrolling guards.Somehow during the night, a large army had snuck up on their rear and they were now pinned in between them and the Baymeadow city walls!While the unknown army was preparing to line up outside their camp to face toward the Avalon troops who were in perfectly straight lines, Ben walked across the field to stop halfway between the two armies.The unknown army was making such a racket he feared they would never hear him so he closed his eyes and began to focus Mana into his throat."Test, test, test, TEST!"After four tries, he learned how to drastically increase the volume of his voice with Mana. He saw his notification icon flashing so he stopped to view it before proceeding.Notice You have learned a new spell! Voice Projection Apprentice: Level 1!Voice Projection: By channeling Mana into your vocal cords you can increase the volume of your voice. Higher levels of this spell will allow you to stun enemies with load shouts and roars.Ben closed the notices after reviewing them and then cast his new Voice Projection spell."I am Ben King the king of the Avalon Kingdom! We have officially declared war against the Brandomma Kingdom after their troops attacked us in the Trareniel Kingdom. I wish to know who this army is before me and why they are here!"Ben's voiced echoed off the city walls and had quieted down the unknown army in front of them who had stopped to listen to him. It wasn't every day you heard someone speak loud enough to be heard from hundreds of yards away and it made them all stop to listen.As the rag-tag line of troops looked between one another while talking a small group of five men came out to walk over to Ben.Three of them looked like military men and two of them were richly-dressed. One of the richly-dressed men who looked to be about 55-60 years led the following men toward Ben."I am the King of Galeron and I have already captured the small town west of here and I plan to capture Baymeadow next. Our men have been here for three days now fighting against the city defenders. What is the meaning of you bringing your troops here while we are laying siege to this capital?" The Galeran King spoke arrogantly toward Ben as if he had no right to be here."I am the king of Avalon and I had declared war against the Trareniel Kingdom. I sent out a document to each kingdom stating why we were going to war. One week ago I attacked the capital of Trareniel and we were forced to fight against Brandomma troops. Since the king of Brandomma sent his troops to defend the Trareniel capital and ordered them to fight against my forces he has also officially become an enemy of my Avalon Kingdom!""Pft, your Avalon Kingdom? A young boy like you claims a small chunk of land in the wilderness and decides to play king and everyone is supposed to acknowledge your self-proclaimed kingdom? My Galeran Kingdom is over a thousand years old! We are recognized as one of the eight kingdoms so I recommend you take your men back to your so-called kingdom because you are a thousand years too early to step around my army!"The men around the Galeran king began to arrogantly smile as they listened to their king put Ben in his place. Just because this young man had a few troops behind him he thought he could question the affairs of a true kingdom? How could he compete against the kingdom of Galeran who had a larger population, a highly profitable economy, and over a thousand years of prestige?Ben could see there wasn't going to be a peaceful resolution to this standoff. This king had his pride and he was here to attack his enemy who they had quarreled with for years.What pissed Ben off is this king would never have invaded if Brandomma had not sent their troops north to defend Timbershield!He had to fight against the troops while this guy snuck in the back door and tried to sack the poorly defended City of Baymeadow.Ben knit his brows and said, "I see so while my self-proclaimed kingdom was actually fighting the Brandomma army your prestigious-self decided to sneak in like a thief in the night and steal the prize while others did the real fighting?You may not recognize me to be a king but I recognize you! I recognize you as a cowardly king who has stained a thousand years of his ancestor's honor!Let me guess your spies discovered Brandomma had sent their troops to the Trareniel Kingdom to defend against me and your craven military officers behind you there and your palace staff talked you into leading an army here to capture the Brandomma Kingdom?Were you expecting to parade through the streets yourself like some god of war because you beat back a few city and palace guards? I will say this only once withdraw your men from this kingdom or you will become the next enemy of my Avalon Kingdom!.Before the Galeran king could respond the richly-dressed older man next to him spoke up."Young man, who the hell do you think you are talking to in that manner! I will not stand off to the side and allow anyone to address my king in such a way!"Ben suddenly felt the pressure of the old man cultivation weigh down on him and it wasn't very impressive. This old man must be the Galeran royal cultivator and he was obviously unaware of Ben being a cultivator because he was attempting to intimidate him in the same way Ben had done to the many guards who had initiated with his own aura in the past.Ben scowled and said, " Is this your answer as well? As he pointed with his nose to the surprised royal cultivator attempting to drive him into the dirt. "I just want to make sure since your royal cultivator is trying to drive me off with his aura. Is it also your wish to make an enemy of me?"The king cast a surprised sidelong glance at his royal cultivator who was obviously straining to make Ben respond to his attack.Seeing his royal cultivator was basically ignored by Ben made him worried and angry. He had never heard anything about the Avalon king being a cultivator and he was much too young to be a match for his royal cultivator so how was he dismissing an attack from a Stage Five, Level Three cultivator?The Galeran king was thoroughly pissed and embarrassed at being called a thief and a coward who dishonored his ancestors. He now realized there was something strange about this young king but his pride and arrogance were not about to give way.He gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care that your men had fought against the Brandomma troops! This kingdom has been a thorn in the side of my kingdom for centuries! I will not allow someone else to step in and create future competition over the gulf reef fishing zones! I will take this kingdom and finally control the profits from those sought-after fish species only found in the gulf between these two kingdoms! This was the dream of my ancestors as well so don't you dare say that I am a stain on their honor!'The Galeran King was actually breathing heavy with a red face after his tirade.Ben simply shook his head and opened his inventory. He equipped his full set of armor and a visored knight helmet. Which shocked the hell out of the Galeran party.The five people in front of him took a half step back when they saw the armor suddenly appear on Ben making him look like he was some type of metal man.Ben looked up and yelled, "Then let there be war!"He activated Whirlwind Manuevor and flashed back to his troops before his words could be even registered."Infantry front lines shield wall!"When Ben began to yell out commands to his troops the Galeran King and his entourage quickly retreated to the rear of their troops.Ben had Athena perform the trajectory between his archers and the enemy front line."Archers aim six inches high!"The two rows of archers knocked an arrow and drew back while aiming six inches of above the heads of the distant enemy front line."FIRE!"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!Four hundred barbed arrows were released all at once. They arced through the air and landed amongst the motley line of unsuspecting enemy troops.For one they would have never thought they were in range of the enemies archers and two they haven't even received orders from their king to prepare for battle.By the time their king had made it to the back of his troops a black cloud of arrows were following behind him. As he prepared to send a mixed group of infantry and archers forward to launch an arrow barrage he was startled by the screams and cries of his impaled men standing around him.Ben showed no mercy and had decided Galeran was now an enemy which must be eliminated. He had his archers fire at will after the first volley. As soon as they knocked an arrow and drew back on their bow an arrow was sent down range toward the enemy.A constant wave of four hundred arrows can begin to quickly reduce your total fighting force and the continuous barge frightened the king into making a move. If he could not get close enough to use his archers he had to make use of the infantry units.The Galeran King ordered a full charge of ninety five percent of his units. If they continued to stay at a distance the Avalon archers would shoot them all down. If he could get his troops in close to engage the Avalon frontline it would take the Avalon archers out of the fight.The Galeran king climbed up into his cart with his royal cultivator and his military officers. He had kept one hundred infantry in reserve to protect him. Once the Avalon troops began to tire he would send these fresh troops in to turn the tide of battle.Unfortunately, this strategy wasn't going to work. Ben had cast a Reverse Gravity spell fifty yards out in front of his troops and allowed the archers to attack the charging civilian soldiers, until the center of their line stepped into his Reverse Gravity trap.A hundred men were sent screaming toward the sky only to come smashing down two seconds later at speeds nearing terminal velocity.The advancing Galeran troops stopped in horror as they saw their comrades raining down around them. They were afraid to go any further thinking there might be more terrifying traps hidden before them.As they indecisively stood their ground Ben and the Fairies on the archer's flanks toss out Lake of Lava spells to the left, right, and behind them.A sudden lake of lava sprung up from the ground on each side and behind the frightened Galeran troops. There was only one route open to them and that was to move forward toward the waiting Avalon troops!.Lake of Lava: Create a 10x10ft area covered in lava for 30 seconds. This lava will ignite or melt clothing, metal armor, and weapons. Cause severe fire and burning damage to anyone who enters the lava lake. As the spell level increases the spell radius and damage increaseThe intense heat being projected from the lava threatened to cook anyone who approached it. Ben could have had his Magi toss this spell under their feet and cooked a large number of them but he was hoping to make them surrender.Now that Ben knew that killing a kingdoms troops also meant destroying the population and economy he wanted to avoid it at all costs. He had already decided he would invade Galeran next after finishing up in Brandomma and he did not want to anger the population by killing off all the men and destroying the economy.Ben had seen what happen when a large portion of the male population is killed off in the Trareniel Kingdom. There were so many occupations unfilled afterward that the kingdom's economy would not have bounced back for the next twenty years.By using the Servants Guild he plugged a large portion of the low-level commoner occupations to help slowly bring the economy back but it would still be a few years before things were back to how they were.As the next barrage of Lava Lake spells flew out to block the retreat of the Galeran troops, Ben sent the ten Half-Giants out. The ten Half-Giants charged out screaming and roaring. They were encased in Mythril Alloy Armor and carried steel weapon in each hand that was the size of a normal man.Ben ordered them to stop just in front of the trapped Galeran troops and to slam their weapons against the ground and roar at them. With nowhere to run these regular civilians were suddenly face to face with these giant men who towered above them. At nine feet tall and weighing near seven hundred pounds of muscle it would be impossible for them to fight them.One Half-Giants leg was bigger than they were it left only one option charge forward and die or surrender. These were normal men who had families at home counting on them to return they were not full-time soldiers who were paid to fight.They were told upon being drafted they would only need to attack a city with a few guards. So what the hell was this? They were suddenly tossed into the lower levels of hell with fire brimstone boiling around them and men as tall as houses threatening to tear them apart!When the Galeran King saw the remaining seven hundred plus men of his were throwing down their weapons he had his military officer turn the cart west and they began to escape the battlefield.The one hundred men held in reserve were left behind by their fleeing king. Upon seeing the king running away and their comrades surrendering they walked forward to throw down their weapons.Ben yelled out his orders, "Generals have our soldiers secure the surrendering enemy and wait here! All cultivators follow me!Ben activated Whirlwind Maneuver and ran out around his troops with Mythia, the ten female cultivators and the twenty Fairy magi who were now also low stage cultivators.Ben yelled out over the wind in their ears to the girls following behind him, "I will fight the old man who is their royal cultivator! The rest of you quickly take care of the others and then you can join me! At this point, I do not care if you capture them alive or you kill them! Just fight safely and don't take any unnecessary chances!Just before they reached the escaping cart Ben threw out an Ensnare: Adept: Level: 1 spell. The entire area surrounding the cart began to sprout roots and vines from the ground that crept up to wrap around the wheels of the cart and the bound the legs of the beasts pulling it.They were stuck in place so the royal cultivator jumped down to run toward the small squad pursuing them and the three military officers drew their swords and surround the Galeran King to protect him.Barkskin!Mana Shield!Enhanced Form!Aura Assault!Ben quickly buffed himself with a series of spells. Thick harden bark began to cover his entire body providing an additional layer of armor under his Mythril Alloy armor. Mana Shield formed a damage absorbing oblong bubble around him and his feet and hands began to glow from the Enhanced Form.When the enemy royal cultivator was only yards away Ben could see his Aura Assault had drastically decreased his speed.Casting Firebolt: Expert: Level: 3 the burdened enemy cultivator was struck by a blast of fire that ignited his clothing and hair.Ben used the distraction to throw out a glowing fist into the cultivators face. The old man was sent tumbling end over end from the punch but he nimbly got back to his feet and tried to shake off Ben's attack.It was obvious to Ben that this old guy had a technique that made his body more durable or helped him to resist pain. He had got back on his feet too quickly and was ready to make a move.The old man came charging right back at him so Ben tossed out a Mana Javelin: Adept: Level: 2 spell to slow him down. The enemy cultivator crossed his arms in front of him to block the Mana spear which hardly penetrated his right forearm. This was a spell that could penetrate a stone block up to five inches and it barely even wounded this old guy.The royal cultivator may be a lower Stage than Ben but is physical toughness was surprising.Ben intentionally collided with the old man and took him to the ground. By using his Iron Grip and Grappling skills he got around behind the old man and place him in a rear naked choke hold.It did not matter how strong his body is if the oxygen was cut off to his brain he would pass out and eventually die. Making use of his overpowering strength Ben locked his arm around the old man's neck and cut off the blood to his brain and prevented him from breathing.He could feel the old man stop struggling after ten seconds. When the old man went limp he looked around him to make sure the girls were okay. The Galeran king and his three military officers were laying face down in the grass not far away.Mythia was walking over to Ben with blood on her blade followed closely behind by thirty attractive young ladies also carrying longswords.While the old man was unconscious Ben had a nasty idea, he used his Slave Command spell on the old man and smacked his face until he woke up.Before Ben left the old man who was trying to get his bearing from being unconscious he gave him a series of commands.He told him he was never allowed to fight against the Avalon Kingdom or harm its people in any way. From today forward his only objective was to travel the land looking to help people in need. If he came across a person down on their luck he would do everything he could to get them back on their feet again. The only way he was allowed to use his cultivation was to defend innocent people from harm.He was no longer a royal cultivator and he was not allowed to be hired as a cultivator unless it was to earn money to help someone who was struggling.Ben smiled and said, "Instead of killing you I will have you travel this continent for the rest of your days helping those who you looked down on all your life. At least before you die you will be of some good to your fellow man!Ben found out that the girls had killed the Galeran King and the military officers while he was fighting so he tossed their bodies on the cart released the beasts pulling it and set it on fire.One of the Fairies cast a lava lake spell under the burning cart and it slowly sank down into the lava The cart and bodies slowly submerged leaving only a few tendrils of smoke behind.The former royal cultivator now turned slave was left alone to mourn the loss of his king who vanished along with the spell. There was nothing left behind to show a pool of lava was just there and that it had swallowed the remains of the four men he had been with for years.
