Chapter 4: Withered Tree Guardians

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Withered Tree Giants had brown skin etched with intersecting lines, similar to the tree rings on wood. Their chest muscles were made up of sections. From far away, they looked like walls of hard granite.

There were thorns on their knees and elbows. Even though they were shorter than daggers, they were incredibly sharp. Yang Ling had no doubt that they could easily pierce through a person’s skull.

The weapon held by each Withered Tree Giant was suffocatingly massive. Rather than call it a giant mace, it was more like a giant log of primordial wood, even thicker than the pillars used to support Yang Ling’s old apartment. Yang Ling was sure that even a T92 tank would be pulverized if it met the impact of those clubs.

Shocking, this is too shocking!

Yang Ling was dumbfounded. The warriors in black were even more fearful. The Withered Tree Guardians were the guardian deities of the elves of the forest. They were tall and immensely powerful. Even though they knew that they might have to face off against such terrifying entities, the warriors in black had not expected that the long-haired beauty would be able to summon a whole twenty-five of them at the same time.

Under the commands of the long-haired beauty, the Withered Tree Guardians took large strides toward the warriors in black. With every step, they brought up large amounts of soil. Even though they were slow, they covered nearly ten meters with every step. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived directly in front of the warriors in black.

They brought down their clubs, the impact as loud as lightning. They smashed the warriors in black who could not avoid the attacks in time into pulp, blood splattering everywhere.

Caught off guard and facing the massive Withered Tree Guardians, the warriors in black frantically whipped their condors and gryphons and took to the air. The Withered Tree Guardians before them did not advance, but the hardy bodies of these entities were not something the swordsmen could deal with. Only the spellcasters that followed them into battle would be able to deal much damage to the guardian deities of the elves.

Under the cover of the Withered Tree Guardians, the elves retaliated. Their dark green arrows rained down on the warriors in black, turning them into porcupines. The morale of the warriors was smashed in an instant.

Unable to take to the skies in time, some of the warriors in black fearfully steered their flying beasts to the side. But quickly, they realized that their actions were all for naught. They were either reduced to porcupines by the arrows of the elves or smashed like flies by the clubs of the Withered Tree Guardians. After that, a bulldozer-like foot would crush down, turning them into thin pancakes. Yang Ling had chills just witnessing the scene.

According to the Horned Bee Beasts he sent out to scout the surroundings, there were no ambushes set by either party. This put Yang Ling more at ease. He did not want to risk losing his life to witness the action. This world was too crazy; rabbits could spew fire, pythons could spew water, and now even a tree could turn into a spirit. Who knew what other monsters he would come across next.

“Wind Riding Technique, quick!” Seeing how invincible the Withered Tree Guardians were, the fearful young man ordered loudly. “All spellcasters are to take steps backward and support the warriors using the Wind Riding Technique, quick!”

After the heavy loss, the morale of the young man on the gryphon was low. He stared at the long-haired beauty holding the dark green staff on the ground and clenched his teeth in hatred. According to the intelligence he got from his soldiers, there was only a small elf tribe here. He had thought that he could easily defeat them. He did not expect to face off against this many Withered Tree Guardians.

“Yiblis, I’ll sell you to the lowliest brothel after I am done with you. I’ll make sure you satisfy eighty barbarians everyday, d*mn it!” The young man cursed in hatred. Only by selling these young beautiful elves to the nobles or brothels can I recover the loss incurred by this attack. Otherwise, I will have lost big.

After receiving the order, several spellcasters dressed in long robes took to the skies on the gryphons. They stopped after they confirmed that they were out of range of the elves’ arrows, then started casting the Wind Riding Technique on the warriors in black. In that instant, the warriors in black sped up. They could now easily avoid the slow Withered Tree Guardians. They charged with bloodlust toward the elves.

The condors and gryphons were naturally fast, but they reached alarming speeds after the Wind Riding Technique. Some of the elves were caught off guard, their throats slit by the descending warriors in black. Some of them had even poorer fates, torn in half by the calf-sized gryphons. Blood, brain matter, and intestines slopped onto the ground.

Seeing the bloodthirsty warriors in black, the long-haired beauty commanded the Withered Tree Guardians to engage them in combat. Unfortunately, the warriors were too fast to catch. Often, the warriors in black would have already left the attack range of the Withered Tree Guardians before they had finished lifting their clubs. It was like trying to fish with a basket; the basket was too slow, and the fish were too quick.

“Sofia, gather the Withered Tree Guardians, quickly!” Seeing the speedy warriors in black, the elder commanding the elves had an idea. Since the Withered Tree Guardians were ineffective and were unable to catch up to the opponents, it was better to gather them and focus on their defense.

Indeed, the tide of the battle changed once again when the twenty-five guardians were gathered together. The warriors in black did not dare swoop down and attack, fearful of the thick, long clubs of the guardians. The elves could hide behind the Withered Tree Guardians and shoot their arrows, accurately taking down several warriors in black.

“Ice Frost Technique, freeze the Withered Tree Guardians!” the young man ordered after circling the air. Following the command, the several spellcasters started to chant. Quickly, the temperature of the surroundings dropped. Even Yang Ling, who was hiding in the treetops, could not help but shiver.

After hearing the incantations of the spellcasters and noticing the increasing magic power in the air, the color drained from the face of the elf elder. The Withered Tree Guardians had not advanced and could not attack the targets in the air. If they became frozen and unable to attack the targets on the ground, the outcome would be disastrous.

“Elder, we have to ensure the continuity of our clan: lead the clansmen in retreat. It will be too late if we don’t leave now!”

After clenching his teeth, an elf warrior with a full holster of arrows stepped forward. But without waiting for the elder to give an order, the spellcasters in the air raised their right hands at the same time. Swan feathers descended from the sky like snow. In the blink of an eye, the slow Withered Tree Guardians were frozen solid.

Ice sculptures? Really?

Shivering, Yang Ling once again calmed the Horned Bee Beasts, excited by the smell of blood. He circulated the wizard powers in his body to ward off the cold. Admiring ice sculptures was a recreational activity, but being turned into a living ice sculpture was another story.

Seeing that the Withered Tree Guardians were now unable to move, the morale of the warriors in black ran high. They frantically charged toward the elves.

“Haha, you’re asking for death!” The young man slit the throat of an elf warrior and gave a loud order, “Kill all the men and take all their possessions. Tie up all of the women!”

The young man was heavily armored, his gaze sinister. He charged downward riding his gryphon, under the protection of many guards. After scattering the elves’ formation, he charged straight for the long-haired beauty.

“D*mn it, don’t kill the young elf ladies! They are all money. Tie them all up.” The young man reprimanded a warrior who was enjoying the massacre. He looked lecherously at the bodies of the young elf ladies. “Haha, warriors, enjoy this day with me, Ymir!”

After understanding the intentions of the young man, the warriors in black let out loud howls, advancing even faster toward the retreating elves. Some of them even became savages, immediately tearing off the clothes of the elf ladies.

“Release me you beasts, release me!”

The long-haired beauty struggled after she got tied up by several warriors in black. Seeing her grandfather unable to help, and then looking at the young man advancing toward her lecherously, she could not help but cry.

“Haha, beauty, I am coming for you!” Ymir could not control his urges when he saw this fairy-like lady. He could not wait and pounced forward. “Oh my little beauty, you need not worry, I’ll treat you well!”

“Ah… my eyes!”

“Ah, Horned Bee Beasts, help!”

…

Just as the long-haired beauty closed her eyes in despair, the warriors in black beside her suddenly started shouting hysterically. Blood was flowing out their eyes. They dropped onto the ground and started rolling around. She opened her eyes and looked, only to see many Horned Bee Beasts savagely biting the eyes and heads of the warriors in black.

In the critical moment, Yang Ling had sent out his Magical Beast army that was excited by the smell of blood.

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