Chapter 41: The Battle Begins
On the vast ocean, the enormous human fleet was sailing.
At this moment, they looked utterly miserable.
Just moments ago, they had been struck by a storm.
Faced with the gales and towering waves, many warships and crew had sustained injuries, and several even sank to the ocean’s depths along with their ships.
Although they had suffered losses even before the battle started, it did not dampen the spirits of the human army.
They remained eager and full of combat spirit, looking forward to clashing with the Elven Race and conquering them.
The current target of the human fleet was a nearby island.
According to reports from the scouts, the Elven army was already arrayed there, waiting for them.
On either side of the island, Elven warships were anchored.
The Elven Soldiers were all brimming with fighting spirit.
Despite the numerical advantage of the humans, the elves held their pride high.
They scoffed at competing in numbers with humans and relied on quality instead.
This grand army was naturally led by Krul and numbered forty thousand.
When the island appeared in the line of sight of the human fleet, the soldiers on the warships erupted in excitement.
They could hardly wait to fight.
After drifting at sea for so long and facing a storm, a pent-up frustration twisted within them.
Naturally, they intended to vent that frustration on the elves.
Although Alexander was also excited, he maintained a high level of composure.
He gazed towards the island ahead, his expression slowly becoming serious.
The Elven Race preferred to wait for the right moment.
While the human soldiers were filled with zeal, they were also fatigued.
As the combat spirit waned, all defects would come to light.
If that happened, this war might end in defeat right here.
Suratu, who had been quietly observing, noticed Alexander’s demeanor and nodded with satisfaction.
The old man was quite pleased.
Alexander was a truly capable monarch.
And this monarch was one he had personally trained.
This was quite the boast he could share.
After a moment, Suratu appropriately asked, “Your Majesty, what do you plan to do next?”
Alexander turned to Suratu, saying, “I’ve decided to launch a probing offensive against the Elven Race.”
Suratu nodded, “Who do you think would be suitable to lead this first strike, Your Majesty?”
The opinions of both master and disciple were clearly aligned.
The human army, full of combat spirit, might not be enough to take the island, but it would help them gauge the enemy’s strength.
Countless candidates sprang to Alexander’s mind.
To be honest, having too many generals was also a dilemma.
At this moment, Alexander was somewhat torn about who to send.
This would be an offensive destined to fail, but it was also an extremely crucial one.
Quickly, an excellent candidate emerged in Alexander’s mind.
“Let Bask lead the Ninth Legion.”
“Bask is indeed a suitable choice.”
Then, the flag on the Lion team waved in the air.
Upon receiving the orders, the soldiers of the Ninth Legion rolled up their sleeves, ready to show their prowess.
The other legions felt rather dejected.
However, within the Ninth Legion, things weren’t quite so upbeat.
Bask, who was over fifty and appeared to be a very steady man, was known for his careful demeanor.
Also, since Bask grew up alongside Alexander, he understood his emperor quite well and could guess the reason he was sent to spearhead the first attack.
In this situation, he pondered how to explore the Elven forces while keeping his own soldiers safe.
Though the mission was important, the lives of his soldiers were equally critical.
These soldiers were indeed excellent human warriors.
As the call to charge echoed through the human fleet, the warships carrying the Ninth Legion soldiers shot forth from the main body of the human fleet.
They surged like an unsheathed sword, aiming directly at the Elven fleet on the island’s right side.
Unlike the island, the Elven fleet on the sea was clearly visible; recklessly attacking the island without clearly understanding the situation would be extremely foolish.
Plus, they risked being surrounded by the Elven fleet and could very well find themselves unable to retreat.
“Send Mohas out to engage.”
On a small hillside on the island, Krul surveyed the state of the human fleet and gave his command.
He realized the humans were merely testing the Elven forces.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent such a measly number for the first wave; at least two or three legions should have been sent to attack.
Whether they targeted both flanks to eliminate supporting forces or included the island itself in their range of attack, the lack of full commitment revealed the human’s intentions.
Since it was just a probing offensive, Krul decided to demonstrate the Elven Race’s might to the approaching humans.
Upon Krul’s order, a fleet from the Elven ships on the right side surged forth, targeting Bask’s Ninth Legion.
Commander Mohas was one of Krul’s most trusted subordinates.
His ship was also a Magic Warship.
Of course, this Magic Warship was not as massive as the Eternal Queen and was well within standard size.
Thus, although there was a headwind, propelled by the power of magic, the speed of the ship was comparable to that of the human vessels.
Behind the Magic Warship, the other Elven ships, though not Magic Warships, benefitted from the cover of the leading ship.
As the distance closed in, human soldiers began to notice something peculiar about the lead Elven ship.
Without sails or oars, how was it moving?
This ship was downright eerie!
“It’s magic!”
At that moment, a young male Mage shouted excitedly as he gazed ahead.
“That warship is definitely powered by magic!”
He seemed incredibly thrilled.
Bask looked at the male Mage beside him, slightly furrowing his brows, and asked, “What’s going on?”
The young man was the esteemed apprentice of Grand Mage Suratu, so Bask refrained from reprimanding him for his outburst.
Instead, his concern lay with understanding what exactly was happening with that ship.
Davis, remaining more composed, couldn’t quite hide his excitement as he said, “Lord Bask, that ship is indeed driven by magic.”
“Magic can do such things?” Bask asked, puzzled.
Davis replied, “I’m just as surprised, but my sensing skills don’t fail. That is definitely magic!”
Finishing that, he muttered to himself, “As my teacher said correctly, while the quality of the human magic has improved a lot in recent years, it’s still far from that of the Elven Race…”
