Interlude 21: Admitting You’re Wrong
Graced with over a dozen mental enhancements from the system, Roy Edricar could out-think practically any commoner. He was not a man who often had to admit to being wrong.
Unfortunately, the day seemed resolutely insistent on proving that statement false.
When told that the savage beasts of the jungle were gathering, Roy had claimed that it was nothing to be concerned about. There was no way that such base creatures could coordinate enough to form a cohesive force. Even if a few packs came together, they were unlikely to pose any significant threat.
He had to admit that he may have slightly underestimated the beasts as the swarm of avian creatures rose up from the treetops.
Even against such overwhelming numbers, he trusted both the strength of his men and his magic. Between his storms of fourth tier spells and the might of the expedition forces, they would win the day. It was possible that even the local waif could prove somewhat helpful. Perhaps she could even wound a beast or two with her pointy stick.
The last thing Roy expected was for her to somehow cast a fifth tier spell worthy of a demigod. Such an impossible level of power from such a young caster wasn’t something anyone could have predicted. It was an utterly ridiculous anomaly that must have been the result of many near unrepeatable circumstances.
The girl didn't seem to care that her actions flew in the face of Roy's extensive knowledge of the world. She unrepentantly cast the ridiculous spell again just a few moments later.
Even as he wove dozens of spells and commanded the defenders, part of Roy's mind fixated on comprehending the impossible situation he faced. In the span of moments, thousands of notions were considered and discarded, leaving only one utterly implausible possibility. The girl he had looked down on had to be both genius and a true caster.
Leaving such matters, perhaps along with an apology, for later, Roy focused on dealing with the encroaching swarm. Fearsome though the savage forces were, they were still a bunch of dumb beasts. There was little they could do against the magical defenses of the camp.
Even thinking that proved to be yet another mistake as the entire defensive ward on the wall collapsed inwards. A disadvantage to his greatly enhanced mind was that Roy had plenty of time to silently curse as he cast dozens of spells to keep his warriors from falling to their deaths.
Nearly out of mana, Roy eased the last of the falling warriors to the ground. Already some of the defenders were digging cannons and ballista from the ruins of the defensive wall to use against the wave of encroaching monsters.
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With monsters rushing forwards both on land and in the air with the defenses in ruin, things were not looking good. The only bright side was that things could hardly get any worse.
At that moment, a titanic serpent-like creature tore its way out of the ground near the camp.
“You have got to be kidding me!”
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Though I hit the ground harder than I would have liked, it was a much more gentle landing than what I would have expected. Someone had used a spell to slow my fall. I wasn’t the only one saved by the other caster’s quick thinking.
Though their actions saved the defenders from the fall, we were still in grave danger. Without the defensive barrier from the wall, the airborne monsters were free to attack with their deadly rain of stones. Even worse, there was now nothing but scattered chunks of wood and stray logs between us and the advancing horde.
I levered myself back up to my feet using my spear as I took a quick look around. Some people were having difficulty standing back up, but most looked ready to fight. The other defenders were already starting to regroup and salvage some of the weapons from the ruins of the wall.
As I went to stand by the others, I took a quick look at my available mana.
Mana Pool: 152/200
I still had a decent amount left, but against such overwhelming numbers, I was going to have to use it sparingly. I couldn’t afford to lose control of any more powerful spells.
As the army of beasts drew near, their thundering footsteps seemed to shake the ground beneath my feet. It took me a moment to realize that the ground really was shaking.
The emergence of a crimson scaled titan threw rubble from the wall in every direction. Even as I dodged out of the way of a thrown log, a stone dropped by one of the flying creatures nearly struck my arm.
The colossal snake turned towards us, sending some of the men scrambling back in terror. Many others held firm, even faced with the might of a titan. I was very impressed by their reckless bravery.
The titanic serpent was less impressed. Pulling itself further out of the ground, the behemoth lurched towards our defensive line. I was certain it would crush the relatively diminutive shieldmen standing at the front of the line. Fortunately, these men had an ability similar to Martin allowing them to deflect an incredible amount of force with their shields. The line stood firm as the titan was rebuffed.
I didn’t have much time to watch. Without the barrier created by the wall, there was nothing stopping the airborne enemies from attacking with their barrage of stones. I was forced to cast a barrier of my own. I couldn’t afford to try and stop all of the falling rocks. Instead, I focused on just deflecting them far enough to the side so they wouldn't hit me.
Noticing the small shelter I was providing, the warriors near me gathered under my barrier. I struggled to expand my protection far enough to cover everyone around me, but it was worth the effort. No longer watching the skies, my allies were free to attack with their scavenged weaponry and a handful of spells.
Even the constant twangs and booms around me couldn’t drown out the roar of the approaching horde. Things were not looking good.