Chapter 55: The Onslaught

I just feel... incredibly pissed off.

Yesterday, I was blocked by a mysterious stranger; today, I'm bickering with a riddle-maker.

They are truly a bunch of people who are impossible to reason with.

*Ensure safety, stay low, and focus on development.*

This was the principle Lu Cang had set for himself for surviving in this otherworldly realm.

As long as something was dangerous, he wouldn't do it; as long as something looked abnormal, he would avoid it.

Yet, because of a few words from the Diviner, he was jumping into a fire pit despite knowing full well the danger that awaited him.

It truly felt like an itch he couldn't scratch.

【West Gate of Rain Town】

Lu Cang stood atop an Ice Shuttle, floating high in the air, looking out at a vast, dark mass in the distance...

When exactly did they arrive?

What is this situation?

Is this dark mass... a beast tide?

How could it be so sudden? How can anyone fight this?

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

*Clang-clang-clang-clang—!*

A continuous series of alarms blared! The adventurers in the guild were either shaken awake or jolted from their sleep.

The adventurers sleeping in the inns also rushed out in a frantic hurry.

Some didn't even have time to put on their trousers!

"Beast tide!"

"A beast tide invasion!"

"Emergency situation!"

"Damn it, why?"

"How could it break out at a time like this!"

"Wasn't everything fine yesterday!"

"Even if a beast tide has condensed, it shouldn't be able to form an invasion state instantly!"

"What's going on!"

"Wake up, wake up! The beast tide has formed!"

The town was also surrounded by walls. Because magic beasts were everywhere in this world, any human settlement would build walls to prevent them from invading.

Lu Cang landed on the city wall and looked into the distance...

These monsters had formed completely out of nowhere; in just a single morning, they had already gathered.

Was this a man-made phenomenon?

The only thing Lu Cang could think of was that someone had deliberately activated the beast tide to wipe out Rain Town.

Leading the charge were the fastest monsters.

At a glance, they were mostly small fry.

The most common monsters were Tier 1 and Tier 2; Tier 3 were extremely rare.

Further back, they gradually became Elites, Lords...

However, compared to the massive swarm of the beast tide, the Elites and Lords only accounted for a small fraction.

A staff appeared in Lu Cang's right hand.

「Staff of Distant Echoes」

This staff was worth 350 gold and could significantly increase casting range.

Thanks to the staff, Lu Cang's current maximum casting range was one kilometer.

"Lightning of galloping fury, the rest note of life, rage forth!"

「Learned Magic—Chain Lightning (Tier 2) (LV: 1)」

*Boom!*

Lightning streaked through the crowd of monsters in a continuous chain!

「Chain Lightning—Proficiency EXP +30,000」

「Chain Lightning—Proficiency EXP +1.05 million」

This was the incantation taught by Palli before she left.

She had told him: *You don't need magic books to learn magic; I'll just tell you the incantations.*

「Chain Lightning (LV: 36)—No chanting required, more chains, each chain hits more targets, greater power, generates continuous electric arcs.」

Chain Lightning was a spell specifically designed for crowd control.

After a single cast, under triple-casting conditions, it killed dozens of monsters.

In an instant, his experience points surged by over a million.

Lu Cang chanted, "Burning flames, form a zone of obstruction, rise up!"

*Whoosh!*

「Learned Magic—Belt of Flame (Tier 2) (LV: 1)」

A wide and long path of fire formed across the ground!

"Awoo!"

"Roar!"

"Howl!"

...

The beast tide wailed. As they scrambled forward in a frenzy, they inevitably trampled over this path of fire.

Their bodies ignited as a result.

Some of the weaker monsters rolled on the ground in agony after crossing the flame belt.

After rolling a few times, they were burned to death by the flames consuming them.

Meanwhile, Lu Cang continuously received the feedback of increasing proficiency.

「Belt of Flame (Tier 2) (LV: 44)—No chanting required, wider and longer flames, burns for a longer duration, higher burning temperature, entities on the flame belt receive higher burn damage.」

With a wave of his hand, Chain Lightning arced through the crowd.

The Belts of Flame spread out one after another, beginning to burn!

*Whoosh—*

*Crackle!*

Lightning chains arced through the beast tide, and monsters fell in waves!

Most of the monsters, after stepping through the Belt of Flame, ran for about ten meters while engulfed in fire before collapsing.

With just himself, Lu Cang had managed to form a defensive line.

*It doesn't seem that hard,* Lu Cang thought to himself.

Most of the monsters were very weak; area-of-effect damage could kill them instantly.

Immediately after, Lu Cang's gaze shifted toward several Lord-level monsters in the distance.

They were mostly Tier 1 to Tier 3 Lords.

【Sharp-Toothed Rabbit King】

【Hundred-Pincer Centipede】

【Wraith Knight King】

...

「Earthfire Heaven-Crusher」

*Boom!*

Earthfire erupted beneath the 【Sharp-Toothed Rabbit King】, accompanied by a sudden protrusion of stone pillars!

Lava and fire instantly impaled the Rabbit King through its body!

The Hundred-Pincer Centipede was nearly instantly shredded by a swarm of Wind Blades, losing its hundred legs.

The surrounding small fry were also cut down in the process.

The 【Wraith Knight King】 was pursued by three 「Holy Judgment Crosses」. It swung its sword to deflect one, but was pierced ruthlessly by the other two.

With souls erupting from its body, more than half of its physical form vanished instantly.

Lu Cang stood alone on the city wall.

Aside from the initial two incantations, he remained silent.

He simply stood there.

Yet, his magic swept across the battlefield like a torrential downpour.

He forcibly carved out several empty zones within the dense, dark mass of beasts.

If one couldn't feel the surging magic power emanating from him, they might have thought he was merely a quiet spectator.

At this moment, many mages who had arrived at the city wall looked at Lu Cang standing there holding his staff.

What they saw was not a child.

They saw...

A pillar of magic power surging toward the sky like a celestial column!

Compared to Lu Cang's magic, theirs was as weak and tiny as ants.

It was not even worth mentioning.

Nevertheless, they joined the battle!

They raised their staves upon the city wall.

"Ice that freezes all."

"Condense into a sharp spike."

"Pierce!"

An ice spike condensed beside one mage!

*Swoosh!*

It lunged toward the distant monsters!

*Puff—*

It pierced a monster's leg, but failed to kill it.

Lu Cang saw this scene.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

He truly hadn't seen other mages fight before.

Now that he had seen it...

As expected, they were weak enough.

Just as this thought arose in Lu Cang's mind...

He heard an unfamiliar incantation from beside him. A mage wearing a blue magic hat raised a blue staff high.

"Rising mists, sweep across the heavens, soaring winds, blow everything away!"

*Whoosh!*

The heavens and earth changed color!

A violent wind erupted between the sky and the ground! A tornado formed under the weight of the incantation!

「Tornado (Tier 4)」

*Whoosh—*

The powerful tornado ground across the earth. Every monster touched by the tornado was lifted into the air uncontrollably, only to be flung away by the gale!

They were sent flying from the high altitude into the distance!

*Thud!*

They slammed into the ground, turning into a bloody mess and even crushing many other monsters.

High-level mages.

A Tier 4 mage had already mastered magic capable of slightly altering the course of a war.

As expected, it was completely different from the trivial skirmishes of Tiers 1 and 2.

(End of Chapter)