Well, I almost end up not noticing the attack of the troop leaders. You cannot really blame me for this now. The creatures appear almost the same as the ambient mana of this region. Even with my pretty sensitive mana sense the creatures just seem to dissolve into the background whenever they are not actively using their abilities.

Still, if I had maintained a better vigil then I would have detected them much earlier. Well, it is not like the creatures have really caught me off guard. It is just that they have managed to get in a couple shots at the wall in the time that it took me to reach their location. Today I will be able to give a demonstration of formation control.

Without this skill, I would not even be able to use this formation. the skill allows me to control a formation even when it is incomplete. The only method of controlling a formation other than this is the control stick and the control stick cannot be used unless the class eight spell has been inscribed into the formation.

Reaching the wall, I do not activate the formation. It would certainly buy me a few precious moments but the problem is that the formation base was not meant to be used only to power a single spell and it is not designed to be activated in short bursts like this. Activating it once means that I will have to spend the next couple of days shutting it down.

It would mean that I will be losing a majority of the mana that has been stored in the core in the end. It is not much of a problem now but it eventually is going to be. I can't use it unless I confirm the beasts are actually there. Such a waste of mana cannot be done lightly.

To return back to the creatures, now that I am looking at them directly it is easy to differentiate them. Right now there are four troop leaders standing here. The only difference that these creatures have to their underlings is that they are much larger than the usual ice beast.

I would say one of these creatures is at least double the size of the usual ice beast. they seem to be manipulating the external mana to power some kind of spell. I can't allow them to do that. Letting them attack the wall was already a failure.

The moment that I step on the wall though they try to shoot what I can only call orbs of ice mana at me, the only problem being that their aim sucks. The goal of this ice ball is clearly not to cause physical damage but to cause its victims to freeze.

I have the advantage of a wall on my side. The ice beasts and their powers are more suited to fighting on the vast open plains of the northern wastelands. If they were to climb to the wall, they would be fighting in an environment as favorable to me as it can get here. While the normal grunt ice wolves do not seem to realize this, the troop leaders are certainly smarter than that.

That is why there is little to no chance that these creatures are going to be climbing the wall.

Well, I begin to condense strings of mana which go deep into the fortress in search of the formation core. The instant that the strings find the core, suddenly it feels like my eyes have opened up. Honestly, it feels as if I have suddenly grown a third limb. It is such a freeing sensation that I feel like I can do anything. That is a dangerous feeling though. Most formations end up destroyed because it was pushed beyond its limit.

I activate the water spear formation, which begins to take in the mana from the formation base. I can feel the mana being taken, passing into the rune and converting into a water spear. All of this is happening in moments as the central formation fully awakens, which the enemy can also feel. They are already raising their shields, though I am faster.

Right now there is no way for me to use these spears other than throw them. Most projectile formations tend to be self sufficient. That is, using them is kind of like directing a troop of archers. Tell the formation where to strike and it will strike the target. This formation of mine provides me only with the spears. I will have to figure out a method of shooting these using other spells or my own two arms.

The major benefit of this is I do not need to inscribe all of the runes that such a formation would have. (For aiming, shooting, control and much more.) I still need to create a specialized quiver to hold them, though that is a work for later.

The fully formed water spear pops into my arm like a ghost. I can see the entire process of the spear manifesting in my arm. The best way to describe it would be that it was literally weaved into existence. Not giving the creature even a moment I throw the spear at it.

I almost succeed in killing it instantly, but the creature's half-formed shield while not strong enough to block the magic, knocked it off course. What should have hit the enemy's heart hit its guts.

The remaining ice beasts make use of this time to launch their spells at me. Naturally, those spells do not hit me as I jump to the side where three ice balls hit the place where I was just standing. Looks like I am not the only one trying to trick my enemies, as the ice balls have essentially frozen the spot that I was just standing in. They were clearly holding back before.

I can feel the chill in my body grow restless as if the proximity to this much ice mana is giving it strength.(well, those ice balls are made up of ice mana compressed quite a few times so there might be an element of truth there.) Okay, I have seriously underestimated the deadliness of the chill. I do not have time to think as another set of ice balls fly in my direction. Too late to dodge, which means that the only way to block the strike would be to shoot a water spear at it.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

My aim is true as three water spears leave my hands and deviate the spell from its path. Well, the fact that it can do even this is amazing. What I am doing is the equivalent of fighting a shark in the ocean. anyway, I can feel another water spear form, which I throw at another of the ice beasts. The beast uses its ranged attack to block that strike.

I can see the troop leaders retreat taking the victim of my first strike with it. A bit more time and the creatures will pass the range of my throw. At the moment I am left with a dilemma. The retreating of the leaders can be considered to be an achievement but I certainly will not get another opportunity to hurt them like this.

They are already aware of the strength of the spear after all. I can push them now and hope to get rid of the injured creature before they can complete their retreat. With the chill, this is going to be a bit of a gamble but this seems like a season of gambles for me.

Not thinking too much, I jump down the wall. I begin to cycle all of the mana in my core along with siphoning a little of the mana from the formation, at least the little that I dare to channel into me. (Well, it is something that can killed you if you do it wrong.) Let's hope that will be enough to counteract the chill. At the same time, I am running the formation to keep producing water spears.

While all of that is happening, the beasts have reacted to my action by sending a leader to act as a distraction. I could try and chase after the injured one but even if I reach it, it is unlikely for me to kill it with two leaders acting as its guards anyway. It will also leave me quite vulnerable to the cannon fodder leader. My back will be to him.

Preparing a water spear, the cannon fodder leader has already reached me as it tries to force me into a melee. I can sense the ice mana in this creature's body gathering around its claws, strengthening it. I almost am not able to react as the creature seems to have teleported to my side.

Thankfully, on instinct, I hit the creature in its snout, causing it to retreat, though what damage I might have done I don't know. Well, in my present situation, I am missing my old formations which would have given me quite the edge in this situation. At the moment I feel like cursing at the old bastard.

How in the hells is this teaching me, he is fucking getting me killed. (well, I had forgotten that I was in the middle of a battlefield at the moment) Due to all of these thoughts, I am almost struck by the creature's claws. It is only twisting my body away from its claws that has managed to protect me. I am knocked off my feet though as the creature tackles me to the ground.

After that, I am stuck in an embarrassing tumble to the ground, in which I am trying to fight the chill which seems to have intensified, the creature that is trying to get a bite into me and the perspective shift from being tackled to the ground. In that period at the very least, I had not gotten bitten by the creature. I cannot even imagine what would have happened to me if I did get bit again.

It must have been adrenaline or something as I literally pluck the creature and throw it away from me. I can feel my body shivering, but there is little that I can do about that. Regardless, I can sense the creature standing just a bit away from me, gauging out what move I want to make. Good, because I need this time to reorient myself. I enter into a defensive stance preparing for an attack.

Well, manifesting a water spear at this distance there will be a lag, a time in which the enemy can strike me quite easily. For now, I think that the wisest move I can make (of which I have been not making many) would be to distract the creature somehow before I end up dying and ambushing it with a water spear.

Well, firstly I begin by manifesting a water spear. Thankfully, the other side does not seem to have noticed it, as I charge at the beast. Naturally, the beast focuses on the threat that it can notice which is me. (Splitting focus like this is quite risky.)

Well, at this close range, there is little I can do to keep the enemy at bay other than to block the enemy charge by focusing all of the mana into my arms. That is what I do, as I duck dodging the beast's mouth, but before I can retreat I am struck by the creature's claws.

I can feel the chill in my body grow stronger. Thankfully, in this period the water spear has manifested, delayed due to me splitting my focus on trying to keep this one in range. That is going to be a problem with this formation.

The spear hits true to its aim or at the very least it would have if the opposite side did not suddenly jump back, nearly dodging the water spear. The water spear does hit the creature but it is a peripheral hit not even enough to keep the beast from running.

The creature's plan has succeeded. It was attempting to distract me so that its allies could retreat from the range of the water spear. While I was focussing on the creature, it was making sure that I did not throw any more water spears at its escaping ally. Now, the ally has disappeared from the range of my water spears, so the creature has also disappeared.

Well, it has been a victory regardless of what my present state suggests. I am screwed but I have won this particular fight at the very least.

I have to focus on dealing with the chill and healing myself though, one of these days. No formation is worth a claw to the throat.

Limping, which I am sure is going to hurt like hell as I return to base, well, when the hell did I even get hit that it is paining there? Well, I am going to have a miserable couple of days to say it simply. Fuck it, I cannot maintain this record anymore.