Veil of Destiny

Chapter 13 The Battle in Demon Forest

Knights of the Snow Fox deftly bypassed the frontal webbing formation, overtaking the infantry and beginning their full pursuit.

Dorian and his companions fled desperately, covering a distance of ten to twenty miles. When they glanced back, they saw the Snow Fox riders had closed in considerably amidst billowing clouds of dust. The cowardly nobles, terrified, turned their horses and veered towards the Demon Forest, some ten miles away.

Hart pursued them at a measured pace. With the riding skills of the Snow Fox brigade, they could have easily caught up to these ragtag fugitives. However, Hart, who had been suppressing his aggression for nearly a year, didn't see this small, obviously baiting squad as worthy of his attention. After all, he was known as "Butcher Hart." Every ten miles, a Snow Fox knight would turn back to guide the infantry, while a squad of five highly skilled knights kept a tight leash on Dorian and his men from about two miles ahead.

Hart relished the feel of the wind against his face as he galloped. With every stride, his blood began to boil, and an inexplicable fire burned within his nerves. His vision turned crimson, and he could almost see the fleeing clowns ahead impaled on his lance, their blood dripping down, flowing into his mouth, he really enjoyed this feeling."Damn, I am thirsty!" Hart cursed inwardly.

Dorian and his group slowed as they reached the edge of the Demon Forest. At Grayson's command, they suddenly turned around. The five Snow Fox riders half a mile behind them deftly reined in their horses, pulling back to maintain distance. Their riding skills were far superior to those of Dorian's group.

In a flash, Hart had caught up, slowing his pace about a mile away. Another Snow Fox rider turned back to relay messages to the infantry. Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded from the forest, and an arrow shot out like lightning, piercing the messenger's chest and spraying blood before embedding itself in the ground dozens of meters away.

The sudden arrow stunned everyone. From the forest came the clanging of weapons, and a hundred cavalrymen charged out, encircling Hart's rear.

Deep within the forest, Lucian struck the Reginald with his staff, snarling, "Why didn't you save that arrow for the mage, you pig-brained fool? If I can't handle that mage, I'll use you as a shield!" That impressive shot was the result of Reginald's months of training, but it had drained all his Battle Energy. At this moment, Reginald was more worthless than ever.

Hart coldly observed at the knights surrounding him from behind, his pupils narrowing as he spotted Ryder and his fifty lancers. He didn't even spare a glance at the axe lancers. Turning back, he eyed Dorian, causing everyone in his gaze to instinctively look away.

Hart roared with laughter, raising his lance and pointing it at Ryder. A hundred Snow Fox knights wheeled around, their thundering hooves forming a wedge formation. As they gained speed, their lances lowered, pointing towards the "Dragon and Beauty" mercenaries like a forest being felled.

Dorian felt a chill as if doused in ice water. He had hoped Hart would attack the weaker force, leading the Snow Fox riders into the Demon Forest ambush. Instead, Hart charged at Ryder's equally matched group. In their eyes, the strength of a group was determined by its numbers. Without hesitation, Dorian began chanting, quickly casting a magic shield and acceleration spell on himself, and using magic scrolls to cast acceleration spells on Grayson and Tristan.

Ryder quickly regained his composure. Knowing that fleeing meant certain death, he raised his greatsword, casting a Warrior's Swiftness on himself, and roared, leading his knights in a frenzied charge.

{ The key differences between the warrior's and the mage's use of acceleration abilities:Casting Methodology:The warrior can enhance their own speed through physical training, weapon properties, or special abilities. This acceleration is typically instantaneous, not requiring a complex casting process.The mage, on the other hand, needs to chant incantations and channel magical energies to invoke the acceleration spell, requiring a certain casting time.Duration of Effects:The warrior's acceleration effect may be more short-lived, naturally fading after a period of time.The mage's acceleration spell can often last for a longer duration, until the spell's effect ends.Extent of Enhancement:The warrior's acceleration may focus more on improving physical movement speed, such as mobility and attack rate.The mage's acceleration spell can potentially enhance a wider range of abilities, including reaction time and cognitive processing speed.Resource Consumption:The warrior's acceleration usually does not consume significant stamina or inner force, as it is a natural manifestation of their abilities.The mage's acceleration spell requires the expenditure of magical points or mana, imposing a certain degree of strain on the caster. }