Four Split Personalities

The first battle zone erupted into combat, and it swiftly escalated. Warriors holding heavy shields at the frontline were knocked down by the dozens in the blink of an eye. Had it not been for the layered enhancement effects applied earlier, the casualty number could have been drastic. Most mutants, when they charged the defense lines, used claws and teeth alike. Without the protection of Thorns Armor, Stone Skin Technique, and other effective Divine Arts or Magic Effects, the warriors who were toppled would have been severely injured after being torn for several seconds, and a few nearly got dragged away. If it weren’t for their comrades acting promptly at their side, they certainly wouldn’t have been saved.

The mages at the back ceaselessly waved their magic wands, using instant cast spells like "Lightning Strike" and "Ice Spear" to alleviate the pressure on the first two tiers, while tossing various area-of-effect damaging spells into the distance, not even needing to aim or lock on because the hordes of monsters filled the entire mountain path, ensuring no spell was wasted.

Flames, frost, storms, shadows, and strange negative energies constantly washed over the half-dead bodies, rarely inflicting fatal injuries. The summoned creatures, that burrowed everywhere only seeking a suitable spot to self-destruct, also only caused chaos, hardly killing large numbers of mutants. This fact greatly frustrated every spellcaster in the combat sequence, yet they were helpless.

It was an inevitable situation. Compared to regular life forms, these monsters, not significantly powerful on average, were extraordinarily hard to kill. As long as their heads were not removed, they could still lash out and harm, even if their limbs were blown off or their hearts pierced. The powerful destruction-oriented spellcasters found it difficult to accurately decapitate with magic, and even if they could, the effort was far greater than that required by the melee professionals up front.

Thus, their initial assignment was not to eliminate enemies but to repetitively till the ground with wide-range magic, simply ensuring that the mutants were battered and tenderized inside, which enabled their comrades in the front three tiers to swiftly harvest heads. This task of casting spells without aiming, by just raising a hand, was quite enjoyable. It somewhat compensated for the frustration of not being able to claim many kills directly.

The drumming resounded once again, with the shaman priests and clergy shouldering the battlefield support duties together. Their commonly used splash lightning spells were not very suitable for this situation, so they focused on providing support with skills like "Bloodlust War Drum," "Inspiring Aura," "Burning Weapon," and "Spring Totem," significantly enhancing the overall resilience of the first combat sequence.

Thieves in the shadows continuously roamed throughout the first encounter zone, with some scattered on the outer perimeter stabbing coldly and shooting arrows, while others mingled in between the first two tiers, swiftly eliminating any mutants that slipped through the defense lines in groups of three.

Under Motan’s orderly command, the over 600 members of the first combat sequence held against the initial onslaught, sustaining minor casualties and managing to block nearly ten thousand monsters in the middle section of the mountain path...

But that was merely blocking them.

Despite mutants continually falling every second, the pressure on the warriors did not decrease; on the contrary, facing endless undead monsters that seemed impossible to exterminate, the fatigue level of the first combat sequence was rapidly increasing. Although there would be no major issues in the short term, if this were to continue...

AM12:37

Twelve minutes into the combat against the mutant groups by the joint forces’ first battle sequence... thirty-nine severely injured, seven dead, spellcasters struggling to sustain their magic power, the physical strength of the second and third tiers precipitously declining, two hundred seventy enemies annihilated, and five hundred fifty-seven people not retreating a single step.

...

AM12:51

Under Commander Hei Fan’s orders, the first combat sequence slowly retreated, totaling sixty-nine severely injured and twenty-seven dead. The small team leader from the former S3 special observation area, ’Deeper Than Love’ and his subordinates took it upon themselves to cover the retreat for the main troops, holding the mutants off for a total of 11 seconds before being completely wiped out.

...

AM12:59

The main force retreated to the middle of the first encounter zone, using pre-arranged positions to once again contain the mutant groups. During this time, ogre warrior Tata Kha, being held back by a large number of mutants at the frontline, fought valiantly killing over thirty enemies before falling in battle.

...

PM13:08

The ancient war trees along both sides of the mountain wall retraced their steps back to the battlefield and replanted themselves, starting to attack the central part of the mutant groups, somewhat alleviating the pressure on the first combat sequence.

The average magic power level of all spellcasters fell below thirty percent, and the effect of mana potions began to wane.

...

PM13:16

Suddenly, a large number of logs and boulders collapsed from both sides of the mountain wall, killing over three hundred mutants in one go and also partially blocking the mountain path, acquiring a critical moment of respite for the struggling first combat sequence, now reduced to fewer than five hundred effective fighters.

The ’first support sequence,’ mostly made up of civilians, joined the fray, dropping batches of heavy, destructive objects from the mountain sides, effectively making a significant impact.

...

PM13:23

The mutants successfully removed obstacles and launched a fierce attack on the first combat sequence again. During this time, a small number of mutants attracted by the living beings near the mountain sides failed in their attempts to climb, posing no threat to the first support sequence. Instead, the latter used supply boxes, rolling stones, and light crossbows to eliminate over a hundred enemies.