Chapter 309: The Northern Battlefield
The battle on the northern border was in full swing.
Fortunately, this year was a rare warm winter. Although the biting wind howled, it wasn't cold enough to freeze people stiff. Moreover, those appearing on this battlefield were the elites of various races, so the weather's influence was minimal.
The smell of blood and pervasive smoke dyed the northern sky an oppressive grey-yellow.
The already barren land was further ravaged. Scorched earth and the occasional collapsed house all testified to the brutality of the demon invasion.
Initially, the demons focused their attacks entirely on human territories.
Due to the absence of the Southern Unified Empire, the human defense line bore immense pressure in the early stages, retreating step by step. The few border cities fell one after another, and the remnants of the army and refugees fled constantly southward.
Fortunately, the demons' spearhead wasn't pointed solely at humans.
After uprooting several human cities, the demons targeted the dwarven cities in the North.
These dwarven cities also suffered fierce attacks. However, relying on sturdy mountain fortresses and powerful forging skills, the tough dwarven warriors forcibly withstood the demons' first wave of offensives.
Upon receiving the news, the Dwarven Kingdom quickly organized a massive legion to march to the front lines.
Immediately after, the usually detached Elven Kingdom dispatched its own elite troops, and elves appeared on the battlefield against the darkness.
After a thousand years, the allied forces of elves and dwarves stood once again on the front lines against the demons. But this time, a human army joined them.
Thanks to Rhodes's personal guarantee, and knowing he had gone to the Southern Unified Empire, the current Emperor of Ersten led the expedition personally.
Although his forces were far inferior to the other two races, relying on the legacy of the Holy King Norne and the Emperor's unyielding stance, he still won the respect of the Dwarven King and the Elven Commander, gaining a seat at the highest military council.
Meanwhile, relying on her identity as a mage, Flamme successfully passed through layers of strict defense lines and saw the rear of the allied forces.
In her eyes, the allied encampment was like a forest of steel, undulating along the perilous terrain.
Because this location was still some distance from the front lines, it was used as the logistical base for the allied forces.
She had no time to attend to other matters. As soon as she arrived, she asked around for Carlo's whereabouts.
Flamme had tried very hard to catch up to Carlo, but she didn't know how that guy did it—he actually ran faster than she could fly with magic.
Originally, Flamme thought Carlo should be here.
But unfortunately, things exceeded her expectations once again.
Carlo wasn't here. She searched the entire rear area but didn't find that familiar figure. Finally, she had to personally ask the soldiers who had retreated for rest if they had seen him.
However, in the face of a crisis involving the survival of the entire continent, an obscure human mage was simply too insignificant.
She asked countless people, from resting soldiers to busy logistics officers, but most responses were blank shakes of the head.
Just as she was almost out of options, a mage who had just retreated from a battle and was receiving treatment provided a clue.
The mage's face was pale, clearly suffering from the aftereffects of excessive mana consumption. Panting, he told Flamme, "Carlo? I seem... to have a bit of an impression. A guy who doesn't fit in well. A few days ago, he went with a mixed unit toward the Riftfire Valley in the west... The fighting over there is very tight; it is said a new demon army has appeared."
Riftfire Valley!
Flamme's heart jumped. After thanking him, she set off immediately.
Using flight magic and disregarding mana consumption, she rushed west at top speed.
When she arrived at the edge of the battlefield, a fierce battle was in a white-hot stage.
An allied unit was surrounded in a narrow terrain by a demon army several times its size. Mixed within were quite a few demon mages, and even a Great Demon was present.
The unit's formation had been scattered. The soldiers, not very united to begin with, were fighting individually, causing the encirclement to shrink further.
Seeing this, Flamme didn't hesitate. Mana surged around her rapidly.
She waved both hands, and countless violent thunderbolts appeared out of thin air, instantly striking the monster horde below.
The lightning emitted ear-piercing crackles, instantly turning dozens of low-level monsters into charcoal. The commanding demons, facing this sudden attack, were forced into hasty defense. One unlucky fellow was struck directly into slag.
This sudden, powerful reinforcement greatly boosted the morale of the desperate soldiers.
Flamme dove down, dozens of dazzling light spears condensing instantly in her hands.
The light spears seemed to possess life, automatically tracking the demons. Weaker demons were pierced directly and pinned to the ground, while the remaining ones had to defend with all their might.
Her arrival instantly turned the tide of battle.
Not only did Flamme hold back all the demons single-handedly, but she also occasionally cast large-scale offensive spells to clear out the minions, and even used precise single-target attacks to pick off high-threat units, greatly relieving the pressure on the allied forces.
The surviving allied soldiers seized the opportunity to regroup and launched a counterattack under the command of their respective officers.
This small-scale skirmish ultimately ended in a tragic victory for the allied forces.
The battlefield was a mess. The remains of monsters and the bodies of allied warriors lay intertwined. Fortunately, because the God-slayer had severed the connection between monsters and gods a thousand years ago, the corpses of these monsters would soon turn to ash, greatly reducing the difficulty of cleaning up the battlefield.
But the downside was also obvious: the allied forces gained nothing from this war. They were forced to comfort themselves constantly with the banner of justice.
At least we protected the continent, right?
Flamme's astonishing performance naturally attracted the attention of the allied high command.
Soon, a dwarven soldier found her and respectfully invited her to the main camp of the allied forces not far away.
Inside the command fortress built in the rough style typical of dwarves, Flamme met the commander of the dwarven army in the alliance, the current Dwarven King—a strong dwarf wearing heavy armor with a beard as red as fire.
"Hahaha! Good! Beautifully done, human mage!" The Dwarven King's voice was loud. He slapped the table forcefully, spilling quite a bit of wine from his cup. "I am Hek, the current Dwarven King. Thank you for your assistance in saving that brave vanguard unit."
His gaze fell on Flamme, filled with undisguised praise. "Such pure and powerful strength, such skilled combat techniques. Rarely seen among humans. Can you tell me your name?"
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