It reminded him of drug addicts who used needles to inject drugs into their veins. Why were so many mages willing to spend their entire lives in stacks of books and boring meditation just to study magic?
Many now had an answer to his ideal.
Because having reached this step, the intense pleasure brought by the growth of power had long surpassed the imagination of any mortal!
"But, I don't think there's anything to be proud of when I've really reached this step."
Many lifted his hand to look at his own arm. It was as if in his vision, the power had manifested as an external radiance — of course, this radiance was invisible to others.
"No matter how you walked this path, or if you simply don't understand how far you've walked …" Nairíos said softly. "Just keep looking forward and keep moving. People will only see how far you've walked, and not how much bitterness you've endured on this path."
"Is this the so-called path of the strong?"
Many of them lowered their heads and sighed, a rare look of loneliness on their faces. "It really is a lonely path."
"Compared to others who have walked this path, you've had too much luck. But usually, it's not luck, but misfortune."
Nairíos's warning rang alarm bells in Many's head as usual. "Know yourself, and act cautiously."
With that, his figure vanished, leaving Many alone to stare blankly at the river of lava before them.
In their vision, the flowing lava had an indescribable sense of violence, the occasional splashes of blazing light and liquid bringing with it a blinding heat.
"Thinking about something?"
Noda's figure appeared next to many of them. This Elven Assassin's strength had increased, and his status in the territory had also increased significantly. However, he preferred a more free life, so he had rejected several titles and positions that seemed to give him a lot of power.
Many also understood the elf's nature to yearn for freedom. Moreover, his relationship with Elena was enough for them to put their wedding on the agenda. Even in such troubled times, Many would still do their best to help their comrade.
"The next battle might be tough."
Many of them looked at the orange-red eyes and closed their eyes. After pondering for a moment, they turned to look at Noda. "It's not as simple as the Abyss Army."
"Henry killed Saville. The Undead Council will make their next move."
"We are too passive."
This was a problem that many people faced. From start to finish, they would wait for the opponent to attack and then attack and defend. They had no initiative at all.
Of course, this was also because the resistance forces of the entire continent were too scattered, and the source of soldiers was insufficient.
"No matter what, I will do my best, brother."
Noda reached out and patted Mandy's shoulder. He hadn't done this for a long time, so much so that Mandy felt a little dazed. It was as if he had returned to the time when he and Noda were mercenaries in Karo City two years ago.
Looking back at this moment, things remained the same, but the people had changed.
"Brother."
Many reached out and patted Noda in the same manner, nodded, and remained silent.
※ ※ ※
"They're attacking!"
The dwarves' loud voices didn't need to be amplified at all times. Even if they were separated by a small half of the mountain, they could still hear them clearly.
The dwarves chose to withdraw their defense. All the dwarves in the villages at the foot of the mountain retreated to Rockhammer Castle, and the narrow mountain road built a solid line of defense just like the last time they resisted the Abyss Monsters.
But unlike the last time, in addition to the very short dwarven soldiers, there was also a group of terrifyingly big guys.
Mandy looked at the Abyss Race soldiers rushing up in front of them and felt that the enemy in front of them seemed to be underestimating them. Because there were not even three thousand soldiers rushing over. All in all, there were more than two thousand and seven hundred people. They were charging on this mountain where the air was thin, and it seemed that they would be exhausted to death without them doing anything.
"Dwarven soldiers, stand back."
The order was given in the distance. The dwarves who wanted to fight freely looked back in surprise at the horn that changed the formation. They did not know why and took a few steps back. They watched helplessly as the Caucasian Trolls, who were about four meters tall, blocked the mountain road that was less than 20 meters wide.
"Daugen!
What's going on?! "
Someone understood that Daugen knew the origin of these big trolls. He, who was standing in the front of the team, was a little hesitant when asked by his comrade. Because dwarves would never admit that others were more warlike than they were. Even if Daugen had long accepted the idea that "the Caucasian Trolls were invincible on land," he still did not know how to explain it at this time.
"Maybe the patriarch called us for something … I don't know anything!
Don't ask me! "
Daugen responded a little helplessly, and then silently watched the huge Caucasian Trolls blocking the road in front of them like prehistoric beasts.
How exquisite were the dwarves' forging skills?
One would know just by looking at the armor on the Caucasian Trolls. The wealthy Oditore would never be stingy with the armaments of the warriors, especially the Caucasian Trolls, which could be called small strategic weapons. Their armor was often the most exquisite and sturdy.
Steel plates that were more than 40 millimeters thick were unimaginable for ordinary warriors, and the quality of this fine steel was even more unimaginable. If an ordinary warrior wore it, he would probably not be able to walk more than a few steps. But after engraved with mithril, the weight of these armors was almost the same as leather armor.
At the same time, all the joints of the Caucasian Trolls were redesigned so that they would not be deformed or split during strenuous movements. What was more exaggerated was that the important parts such as the knee and shoulder joints were engraved with extension magic circles. This magical magic circle could make the metal stretch like spider silk when it was moving. This meant that the movements of these big guys would not be affected by the armor.
It should be known that a heavy cavalry's legs and upper body were basically fixed to the saddle. If a heavy cavalry dismounted and fought, his movements would be very slow. But now, these Caucasian Trolls had armor that was a hundred times more exaggerated than that of heavy cavalry, and at the same time, a hundred times more agile than them.
The consequences were self-evident.
Many stood directly above the giant gate of the Stonehammer Fort. From there, they could overlook the battle at the foot of the mountain and on the mountain path below the fort. The Abyss Army in the distance was shrouded in the clouds halfway up the mountain, so they could not see the specific number. But they could see that they were not as aggressive as they had seen on the Solameia Wall.
The harsh environmental conditions made it extremely difficult for them to march. The high altitude caused the trotting soldiers to suffer from severe hypoxia.
"Woo —"
A bugle horn was blown. This was the signal for the Abyssal Army to charge. In contrast, the Gaugass Trolls were lined up in rows of seven or eight, blocking the entire path. They were like statues, waiting for the enemies to appear in front of them without saying a word.
Arrows flew over. But in the face of the fully enclosed armor of the Caucasian Trolls … these arrows that were fatal in the past became a joke.
There was a series of "ding ding dong dong" sounds. The Caucasian Trolls did not move an inch as they welcomed the rain of swords in front of them. The sturdiness of their armor had exceeded the understanding of ordinary people. Even the most fragile joints could not be pierced by arrows!
Thirty meters.
The soldiers of the Abyss Army were all two meters tall.
This height was unimaginably oppressive to ordinary human soldiers. But in the face of the four-meter-tall Caucasian Trolls, they would have a good taste of what true "oppression" was.
If there were only three to five Caucasian Trolls, perhaps the Abyss Army would not feel too much fear. But when all the enemies in front of them were all four meters tall, the visual impact was hard to accept.