Chapter 90: On the Eve of Battle

"What?" So-and-so pressed his aching forehead, visions of Bai Biancheng's various faces flickering through his mind. "...If there's any more bad news, just say it all at once. The truth doesn't hurt, but gasping does."

"Freshly delivered bad news," Huan Luo's voice sounded from the doorway, "Intelligence reports say the army of magical beasts is marching toward Arcacia, and the commotion is astonishing."

"Do we know their numbers?" Li Yi stood where he was, wearing the expression of someone who had expected their arrival.

Huan Luo didn't waste words. Still catching her breath, she walked over to Li Yi and handed him the intelligence report, her earlier warm-up battle having cost her some stamina. So-and-so hurriedly found a stool and pulled Huan Luo to sit; she accepted without protest.

Li Yi flipped through the report. "Quite the force... There are plenty coming."

"How many is plenty?" So-and-so asked Huan Luo curiously.

Huan Luo raised her hand. "Fifty thousand."

"Fifty thousand... isn't that a lot?" So-and-so hesitated.

"The magical beast tribe isn't numerous, but their combat strength is formidable," Huan Luo explained. "Don't be fooled by the number. If all fifty thousand beasts are arrayed on the battlefield before Arcacia, utilizing their full strength, even if Arcacia barely survives, the casualties will be devastating."

"Don't we have reinforcements?" So-and-so glanced at Li Yi.

"That's right. Reinforcements and the garrison together total a hundred thousand," Li Yi replied calmly, not dodging the question. "But in terms of combat power, the hundred thousand won't hold. Magical beasts aren't mere monsters—their individual strength far surpasses average soldiers, not to mention the frenzy that overtakes them after dusk..."

"Alright, I get it. It's like a whole party of bosses coming to wipe us out," So-and-so propped her chin. "But last time, the fight in the palace wasn't so intense, was it?"

"Bosses? Wipe us out?" Xia Kui didn't understand, gazing at So-and-so in confusion.

Huan Luo moved beside Xia Kui and whispered, "If you can't make sense of what So-and-so says, don't bother. No one understands her explanations anyway."

Xia Kui nodded, half comprehending.

"Last time in the palace, we held the initiative and the advantage of terrain. In fact, we caught them off guard, striking before they could frenzy. The magical beasts lacked coordination that night, their command was chaotic, and we had experts from the White Tower assisting us. Otherwise, how could the beasts have been subdued so quickly?"

"And besides, that night, the prince of the magical beasts wasn't leading the regular army, was he?" Lance suddenly added.

"The magical beasts have a regular army?" So-and-so laughed nervously, wiping away cold sweat.

"They do," Li Yi replied, glancing at So-and-so as if surprised she didn't know this. "Though the magical beasts seem scattered, their ranks are well organized. Otherwise, we would have long since conquered their territory."

So-and-so felt awkward under Li Yi's gaze, glancing around for help.

Receiving her signal, Lance sighed and spoke up for his clueless apprentice, "I told you to read more books, but you didn't. Now look what happens." He even tapped So-and-so's head in feigned sternness, a picture of helplessness.

Li Yi looked meaningfully at the two, bantering before him. Huan Luo tilted her head in confusion, wondering where the sudden air of romance had come from.

"We seem to have lost the advantage in timing, terrain, and unity," Lance observed. "With Huan Luo's strength diminished without the Dragon Fang, the soldiers lacking power, and the magical beasts sure to attack at dusk, it's a troublesome situation."

"Exactly," Li Yi nodded in affirmation. "So our mission is to drive the magical beasts back before dusk!"

Hearing Li Yi's commanding voice, Huan Luo knew he had a plan. Her breath calmed, she lowered her head to adjust her armor, ready for battle.

Xia Kui gripped her magic staff tightly, slowly shedding her cloak to reveal agile battle gear.

All the soldiers present knelt toward Li Yi, pledging in unison, "We swear to follow the Marshal to the death and defend the White Tower Kingdom!"

"Will Lance and So-and-so once again help Arcacia through its crisis?" Li Yi asked, eyes steady and confident, corners of his mouth lifting in satisfaction at their response.

So-and-so didn't hesitate, sweeping Lance to her side with a flourish, promising, "Of course!"

Lance smiled at Li Yi, silent.

"Very well, everyone, take your orders!"

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In the woods two thousand meters outside Arcacia, the army of magical beasts that had stirred the entire forest was desperately advancing. The monster units sent ahead to exhaust the enemy had already completed their mission at the cost of their lives. All that remained was for the magical beasts to reach Arcacia, harness the frenzy at dusk, and deliver the final blow.

The commander standing among the beasts ground his teeth in hatred at the thought of those seemingly fragile humans.

Those lowly, insignificant, and weak humans had killed their crown prince. The magical beast tribe was already scarce in number, and the emperor's offspring even rarer—this generation had only two heirs, the crown prince and the second prince.

The crown prince, though easily agitated, was pure-blooded, born of the emperor and empress, revered by the tribe, and certain to inherit the throne in time. Yet he had died inexplicably at the hands of these humans—unforgivable!

The commander beast seethed even more at the memory. The elders, hidden deep in the forest, responded not by attacking the humans and teaching them a lesson, but by analyzing the prince's unauthorized actions and summoning the second prince to better manage internal affairs, quickly filling the void left by the crown prince!

Unforgivable! The commander beast wished for his strength to surge so he could tear the humans and those conservative old beasts to shreds. The second prince, though named prince, was the offspring of the emperor and a lowly human. How could a half-beast possibly lead the tribe?

Resentful! The commander's rage flared, and gathering the loyal beasts who had followed the crown prince through years of conquest, he formed a temporary army, violently driving a group of monsters to attack Arcacia first.

He would take Arcacia, conquer the White Tower Kingdom, and annihilate all humans to avenge the crown prince!

"For Prince Crown, charge!" the commander beast bellowed. All the magical beasts with him were swept up in his overwhelming grief and fury, raising their voices in a deafening roar.

"For Prince Crown—avenge him!"