The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 310 - Throw Another Two Hundred On The Table, I’m Betting Black! Maybe Not *That* Black…

Chapter 310: Chapter 310 - Throw Another Two Hundred On The Table, I’m Betting Black! Maybe Not *That* Black...

"We should intercept them before they reach the cave. The open field near the cave outskirts would give us room to maneuver."

"If this works, we could significantly reduce their numbers before rejoining the main force."

"Are we agreed then?"

The three cultivators affirmed the plan as they set off toward their chosen battleground. Qatrand straightened her shoulders in mild concern as Elua hopped and danced forward along the trampled grass beside the worn path. It seemed like a lot of trouble to be hiding all that movement.

Over the horizon the moon brightened the darkness just a little more. Eventually they stumbled upon the first wave of regrouped Voidlings as they searched for their lost goals.

It was fortunate that they did not have a dedicated scout-type in their ranks, as they would have been able to pick up the trail toward the cave much more speedily. Hundreds of people moving in a hurry left plenty of signs.

The swordswoman, twin-blader, and longswordsman drew their weapons.

"I’ll engage first, draw them into position."

Kefa twirled the edges in her hand with a little nervous excitement, but still looked over to check with the real lynchpin of their plan.

"Go. I’ll be the bait that keeps them there."

The Yecine’s voice held no hesitation or fear. Qat accepted this role fully. This time not as a sacrifice, but as the most effective application of her abilities she could think of.

The burning sensation of her Physique would probably remain once things started, but after dealing with it before it no longer overwhelmed her senses. Instead, with the talk with her wife and walking they’d just done... she was feeling better about her inability to completely control it.

Vantablack forms rippled against the landscape and Kefa burst right into them with a warrior cultivator’s speed. Her blades flashed in deadly arcs that made three Voidlings fall before the others even registered the threat. The nimble fighter danced between them, creating chaos in their ranks without becoming a fixed target.

Qatrand felt time had slowed again. Not from fear or resignation as before, but from focused awareness. This was quite similar to what she had attempted in the town on her own. Both of them noted positions, calculated angles, and planned their strikes.

’She’s more adaptable. The lighter weapons can shift angles easier. But what takes me a single swing is a stab, a kick, and five slashes.’ novelbuddy-cσ๓

The Yecine strode forward toward the cluster of enemies while locking eyes with the nearest of them. The effect was as quick as before, jittering many of them to a complete stop. Flames for eyes stopped their plan to pile on Kefa and turned to the new threat.

Ryder circled to position himself behind the distracted swarm. His blade swept through the creatures’ rear ranks, focusing on the ones that seemed compelled to surge toward Qatrand. The tall young heir just stood there with their weapon overhead.

Knowing that she was not alone, controlled strikes born from years of training rocketed into Voidling after lunging Voidling. Each motion conserved energy, each step positioned her for the next attack. Dozens of the little eldritch entities screeched and tore apart as her kill count climbed.

But it was not sustainable to just wait in place.

More poured in from the sides, drawn by her returned presence to the battlefield. The heat across her skin was intensifying, but she stopped holding the physical energy back from doing what it was trying to do. Which is how she began to notice a useful detail.

That the temperature spiked in the direction of thickest attention on her.

"Kefa, left flank!"

Her command came just as a new large group tried to circle behind her. The twin-blade wielder responded to the call instantly, leaping into their midst with a flurry of strikes. Ichor flew and Void essence dissipated into the air.

The Void Defense member sent his attacks precisely targeted at vulnerable points in the creatures’ forms. His experience with their weaknesses was evident in every strike. Delimbing when appropriate and piercing their core when possible.

However, there were still so many of them and not every single one had come under the spell of Cynosure. A Voidling lunged at him from behind, its barbed limb poised to strike and wrap around his neck.

Pigeon-blues watched as the creature suddenly lashed out in a different direction. As if attacking something that had moved in the opposite direction of the man. It careened into the cultivator’s back, but nothing more - creating a momentary opening that Ryder exploited without fully noticing his narrow escape.

Qat recognized her El’s subtle intervention. A pulse of gratitude flowed through the fragment in the brunette as mint eyes surveyed the field from atop a nearby tree. Watching the flow of things and meddling here and there while listening in to their Hivemind.

’I just hope neither my beloved or the nearby leader has noticed that I’ve been pushing more of the loose ones at that woman. She could at least get a *little* hurt!’

As they fought and led them closer to the clearing, Qatrand began to notice patterns in how the Voidlings responded to her focus on them. When she deliberately directed her gaze at specific groups not yet after her and wished they would look her way, they would break from their current targets to charge directly at her.

Creating predictable movements that her teammates could exploit.

"They’re thinning out!"

Ryder’s observation came between rapid stabs. The coordinated attack was working because they fought as a cohesive unit. Leveraging the Yecine’s unique ability without overcommitting was tricky, but quite doable.

"Another wave approaching from the west!"

Kefa’s warning shifted all their attention. A fresh swarm of Voidlings with movements more cautious than spread a wide net, seemingly adapting to the trio’s strategy and deciding to box them in.

Qatrand moved to reposition and attract some of the new enemies. Her muscles ached a little from sustained combat, but her spirit and intent remained firm. Rest could come when her immediate duty was over. Until then, she knew she could fight with less restraint.

Her wife was on her side.

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

"The cave entrance should be just beyond those trees."

Ryder pointed as they dispatched the last few stragglers. The cultivators moved to join the others with grim, flithy faces. When the heavy blade smashed through piles of enemies, it tended to rain the surreal colored ichor.

On all of them.

Still, their efforts had thinned the dangerous numbers significantly. To the point that the Continental Army could easily rotate fresher forces and hold the cave entirely on their own.

The feeling of her fever had diminished greatly as fewer enemies remained to be affected by her Cynosure. Qat now felt only a manageable, lingering warmth rather than the searing intensity of her first activation. If she had to choose between having the ability and not, she would now firmly choose to have it.

While many stories had been told about famous single cultivators on the field of war, three of them taking out as many as they did in the time span that they’d done it was actually rather high up on the list of accomplishments. Something that Ryder would not tell Qatrand himself.

For one, he didn’t want the Yecine to get a bigger head. For two... the disgusting substance crawling underneath the back of his shirt and mixing with his sweat was entirely the heir’s fault.

The mouth of the cave system soon loomed ahead, illuminated by the ring of defensive torches and essence lanterns. Sentries spotted their approach toward the Army’s position and raised the alarm.

"Three incoming! Full-size class Void- ah... I mean, it’s the cultivators!"

Captain Cyera quickly appeared at the defensive perimeter, squinting into the darkness over the top of her soldiers before recognition dawned on her weathered face. The large blade wielded by that family in particular was like a calling card.

"You actually made it back."

The old woman’s expression shifted from shock to grudging respect as she watched the trio approach. Her eyes were stuck on Qatrand, taking in the filth that covered the young cultivator nearly from head to toe. If she had never met the young man, she too might have thought from afar that it was a higher tier of enemy.

"Report."

"We engaged and eliminated approximately two hundred lesser Voidlings in total. No sign of the leader-class in direct combat. Though their coordination still suggests one is operating nearby."

The older teen delivered the assessment with military professionalism, deliberately omitting the details of her near-death experience on the rooftop. The enemy count in town was impossible to recall... she only knew that it had to have been a fraction of what she accomplished with more help.

Behind the captain, she spotted the shield bearer and archer of her team moving forward with relief evident in their postures.

"You look like you fought the entire damn invasion force yourself, Yecine. Or maybe... switched sides."

The shield bearer’s voice carried a note of admiration as he approached before making a joke. His own armor showed signs of earlier combat, but nothing compared to what was on the other three. It just made him thankful that he preferred to use a shield.

Elua observed the reunion with satisfaction. Her insides still tingled painfully from the strain of maintaining illusions and offering subtle manipulations throughout the battle. The nosebleed had been placed under control... but she could feel the strain of prolonged spiritual energy use.

Competent psychic warfare was not something she’d had to regularly engage in since she was reborn - and it was taking time to dust off the unused skill set. Especially while simultaneously fighting her Physique that wanted to go rampage through the crowd and her attempt to use artifacts for something other than what they were intended.

’All of it is worth it to see her being recognized properly. Stack results, over and over, until any naysayers sound like jealous toddlers.’

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