<h4>Chapter 40: Mystical, Supernatural Power</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Nyoi-Bo Studio <strong>Editor: </strong>Nyoi-Bo Studio


    “Retreat? We don’t need to retreat.”


    Schr Hank held on to his cane. His wrinkled face looked calm.


    He sported a deadpan expression.


    His wrinkled looks showed not only his age but also his experience, which eclipsed that of most people.


    This was not his first time seeing such a brutal battle. Furthermore, as a well-informed and knowledgeable schr of the Dukedom of Leo, Hank had mastered mystical powers while he was looking into the record. They had required a lot of studying to obtain and included things like spells.


    “Rock Hide.”


    He tapped the ground lightly with his cane. A brown glimmer swept away from Schr Hank.


    The Swadian Recruits, who had been struggling to hold the line, were shrouded by the brown light. It seemed as if they were covered with brown stone. Although theyer was thin, it allowed them to stand stubbornly as if they were constructs of stone.


    Even though they were being hammered by the spiked clubs of the Jackns, causing theyer of stone on their skins to crack, but were able to tough it out instead of just spitting blood and immediately dropping to the ground.


    It was the work of a spell cast by Schr Hank.


    “Is this...”


    Kant was stunned.


    He extended his hand intending to drag the schr away, but he immediately halted.


    “Level 1 earth elemental magic, Rock Hide.”


    Schr Hank wore a faint smile. His eyes shone with pride as he borated, “I have gotten to expert level with this spell. It is capable of allowing the troops to withstand five heavy impacts from the Jackns. It is equivalent to giving each of them fine-scale armor.”


    “That is really something.” Kant subconsciously gulped.


    The Swadian troops at the front were no longer backing away from the Jackns’ fierce impacts. They had even stood their ground and regrouped. They formed a defensive formation and continued to strike with their spears and long scythes.


    The troops, who had stabilized their line of defense and put the formation back together, were being caught in a momentary deadlock.


    It was attrition warfare from then on out.


    The ce had be a mill of the flesh and blood. It was like a ughterhouse grinding lives down.


    The night sky seemed to permeate the stench of blood from the ughter.


    As long as a side was unable to keep up with the attrition and had fear strike their hearts, the momentary deadlock was bound to be broken. The side overwhelmed with fear faced ughter by the winning side.


    Fighting on battlefields was extremely brutal.


    “I never thought...”


    Kant slightly shook his head. He smirked and said, “Master Hank, you are actually a mage.”


    When Kant was studying in the academy with Schr Hank, he had always thought the old man was a high-level schr and nothing else. Kant had never seen any signs that Schr Hank was a mage.


    Schr Hank chuckled and replied, “While I’m indeed a senior schr of the academy, I’m also an honorary mage in the Association of Mages.”


    “I don’t understand. That’s like two different worlds to me.”


    Kant shook his head and kept the smirk on his face. “I’m really surprised.”


    He was well aware of the so-called Association of Mages.


    For Kant, he only knew what he had seen in the records.


    The true mage tower was on the side of the castle, which was forbidden ground for Kant. Despite being the youngest son of the duke, he was deemed unqualified to venture inside. Thus, he had been unable to learn more about the ce.


    Instead, he had chosen to learn in the academy.


    “The Association of Mages is extremely strict with their selection of mages. That much is no secret.”


    Schr Hank was able to sense Kant’s dejection from the tone of his voice.


    The schr stayed silent for a while before offering words offort and saying, “Although the mages mastered supernatural powers, those powers acquired through years of study and experimentation. If you were to be apetent mage, it would require no less than 30 years dedicated to magical studies.”


    “That many years, eh? That’s quite a steep cost.”


    Kant smirked. Despite having an apparent desire for supernatural powers, that was not a cost he willing to bear.


    It was especially so given that he had a cheat with him.


    His capabilities were not all that different from those capable of supernatural powers.


    For instance, there was the Intimidation banner in his hand. As the battle went on and a great number of Jackns were being brought down by the long scythes and spears, the red banner became increasingly gleaming and the golden lion looked increasingly fierce.


    Brroommmmm


    Faint rumbles of thunder were heard on the battlefield.


    Glimmers of shock were seen in the unforgiving eyes of the Jackn Chieftain, who wasmanding his forces at the center.


    He was not the only one. The other Jackns behind looked up as well.


    The rumble of thunder had grown increasingly loud, yet there was not a single dark cloud shrouding the dazzling stars in the sky above. All of the Jackns were puzzled. They wondered where that rumble of thunder, which seemed to be so close to their ears, actually came from.


    Owwuuuu!


    Shrieks of fear were heard among the Jackns. The howls were how such a primitive racemunicated.


    The Jackns at the rear started to waver. Even those who were still tearing at their enemies up front, whose eyes were filled with bloodlust as they tore at the human forces, also retreated. All signs of ferocity and brutality in their eyes disappeared without a trace.


    The reverence and fear spread throughout their ranks and were gradually seen in the eyes of all the Jackns around.


    They soon discovered where the rumble hade from.


    The 50 heavy cavalry units, which were in the form of the retainer knights, came crashing down at them with theirnces extended.


    “Hobson’s knights.”


    The face of that wizened schr looked rather relieved.


    He smiled faintly as he turned around to look at Kant. He held up his cane and said, “Given that the n is ongoing, I shall cast a level 2 spell afterward, Baron Knight. You will need to do your part after that.”


    “Of course.” Kant nodded.


    That had been the n to begin with. It was just that no one had expected Schr Kant to cast magic.


    However, there was no doubt that it was indeed due to the spells cast by the schr that Kant’s forces, which consisted of low-level troop sses, had been able to hold their own against such ferocious Jackns attacking in such huge numbers. It helped turn the tables around and gave his forces a chance at winning.


    “Poison Mist.”


    Schr Hank’s eyes glimmered slightly as he pointed his cane forward.


    A mysterious connection seemed to have been built. Dirt-yellow light was conjured. It quickly turned into a green liquid. As the schr willed, the liquid slithered through the Swadian troops struggling to resist the Jackns. It finally struck the enemy hard, spraying all about the ranks of the Jackns.


    Fiiizzzzz!


    Owwuuuu, wwuuuuuu


    The green liquid sttered on the bodies of the Jackns. Intense corrosion was soon seen taking ce.


    Smoke rose into the air. A thick stench permeated the ce. It was a result of the corrosive chemical effect taking ce when the green liquid came into contact with flesh and blood. All the Jackns sttered by the liquid howled in pain.


    However, those howls did notst for long.


    The corrosive liquid only took seconds to eat past their skin and coats and makes its way into the muscles and vessels underneath. Jackns were hardy creatures, but they knelt on the ground coughing up blood in intense pain all the same. Those that were hit were rendered dead within seconds of their first whimper.


    More than 39 feet of the battlefield, which had been packed with ferocious Jackns, had almost been instantly cleared away.


    “Do not hesitate, Baron Kant.”


    Schr Hank patted Kant’s back and said in a low voice, “This is an opportunity like no other, so don’t waste it.”


    “Sure.” Kant immediately came to his senses.


    He raised the Intimidation’ banner in his hand high and drew the short sword by his side. He charged forward shouting, “Brave warriors of Swadia, press forward! With me!”


    “Kill them all!”


    The handful of Swadian Recruits left standing roared in anger.


    The peasants, who had suffered severe casualties, responded in the same manner. All of them raised their long scythes and pressed forward.


    Courage welled from their hearts.


    Even the militia members on the rooftops, who had long been fighting against the Jackns while armed with theirbat shovels and heater shields, roared angrily. The deaths of theirrades caused intense hate to explode within them.


    The forces, which had dwindled to below 100, had forgotten all about possible injury and death.


    They pressed forward with their weapons held high under Kant’s orders. They charged head-on against the Jackns flooding into the street. They ughtered the Jackns until the Jackns were no longer behaving like an army. Some of those primitive race had even begun to fear and run from the frenzied human soldiers.


    Two effects of Intimidation activated at the same time.


    Effect 3 easily dispersed enemy forces due to panic and fear.


    Effect 4 boosted the forces’ morale when the enemy suffered casualties.


    Morale immediately skyrocketed.


    The tables had turned in favor of Kant’s forces.


    The situation quickly bing in their favor was so apparent that it would have turned a coward into a roaring butcher.


    Evenmon peasants would have be Swadian warriors eagerly charging into battle.


    “All hail Swadia!”


    “Long live Lord Kant!”


    The remaining eight Swadian Recruits swung about with their hand axes.


    The remaining 19 Swadian Militia members brought theirbat shovels onto their enemies.


    The remaining 53 peasants tore at their enemies with their long scythes.


    It was like they had all be bloodthirsty lunatics. They charged at their enemies with wild abandon, bringing down all of the Jackns flooding the end of the street. They were all willing to go as far as was needed to kill all those Jackns invading their vige, even if it cost them their lives.


    Owwuuuuuu!


    The chieftain, who was wearing mail armor, angrily howled.


    However, the chieftain, who had initially been an intimidating andmanding presence, had no way to stop his forces from faltering. The fear spread throughout the entire Jackn force, causing their formations to crumble. Many Jackns were seen running away.


    The most apparent ones were on the frontlines fighting against the humans. They were so severely ughtered that they began to flee.


    There were also the ones on the nks.


    Hundreds of Jackns stared ahead in fear and shock. Their gazes were locked hundreds of feet before them. The threatening, imposing knights were charging, and they wereing for the Jackns.


    The dust kicked up by the knights seemed to have been enough to block the sky from view.


    The hoofs hit the ground hard, bringing about intense tremor and noises that sounded like thunder. It caused the legs of the Jackns to wobble in fear.


    The human heavy cavalry forces from 10 years ago re-emerged in their minds.


    Mass panic had taken ce among the Jackns, and many began to flee.