Chapter 1311: Against gravity
It didn’t take long for him to see the demi-human’s response. They had gathered an entire battalion of their Red Mankey soldiers and had them positioned near their flanks.
Their mastery over their kingdom proved truly supreme. If it weren’t for Michael’s Supreme Talent sensing the Light mana from these demi-humans, then he couldn’t have even seen them coming. They hid underground, used secret tunnels in the cliffs and mounds, and even covered themselves in that strange moss that allowed them to camouflage from view.
Michael raised his hand, stopping his army. "Non-lethal moves only," he reminded them.
Although they were being attacked, he didn’t want to kill any of these demi-humans. It would sour any potential relationships with their kingdom if so.
And besides. These demi-humans could never hold a candle to his army.
"RAGGHHH!"
Red Mankeys surged out of the trees, holding human weapons and shields in their hands. It didn’t take long for an army containing about 20,000 demi-human soldiers flanked them at all sides, seemingly trapping them in a small circle. Most were hidden, while others acted as a decoy.
"Surrender now, human!" said a Red Mankey wearing a beret on his head. This seemed to be their leader.
Michael raised his hand to demonstrate his good intentions. "I’m not here for hostilities. I only want to communicate with your monarch."
The Red Mankeys snarled at his words. They didn’t like the fact that he had even addressed their monarch, much more requested an audience with them. He was too young to make such requests.
"You court death!" they screamed. "Then prepare for it!"
In an instant, Michael felt a change in the air. This wasn’t from the magical disturbance in the mana field, nor was it the invisible waves of Aubility Powers. It was something else entirely, which was eerily similar to the power of the Knights and swordsmen of the Lionhearts.
Violet tendrils appeared out of nowhere, coming from the ’primitive’ swords and weapons that these Red Mankeys used.
And in an instant, Michael and the Rebornian army found themselves in a sea of purple haze.
The effects soon caused the Rebornian soldiers to feel a tremendous force pulling them down to the ground.
"Urgh!"
Some of the weaker soldiers found themselves almost crumbling, their legs turning to jelly, as they were subjected to the power of these demi-humans.
Gravity?
Somehow, these Red Mankeys could control the gravitational field of the battlefield!
And the most surprising part was it wasn’t achieved through magic nor Aubility Power. It was something more innate within them, something similar to the Eternal Flame swordstyle!
It’s a manifestation of their Sword Heart, much like the flames that the Rebornian soldiers were able to manifest!
This was a revelation that Michael couldn’t help but be excited for.
Even though they had basically isolated themselves underground, even though they had no history that allowed them to learn from, these Red Mankeys were still able to learn their own art styles!
He could even tell that their use of the gravitational field was crude. It was simplistic. The only good thing about it was their coordination. They moved in complete unison, allowing the gravitational field to be a lot stronger than it was supposed to be.
"Have you seen this before?" he asked Seberus.
"No," the Mystic Master replied. "It certainly isn’t taught by the Order."
This meant only one thing. This power of theirs was innate! They probably weren’t even using this power consciously! It was all purely instinct.
Such potential!
He was so enamored by this sight that he completely neglected to even think about the fact that they were currently surrounded at all sides.
It was at this moment that the Red Mankeys lunged at his army, attacking their sides, making them turn away from their original formation and create a dissonant sense of cooperation within them.
However, the Rebornians held fiercely. They swung their swords, manifesting the fire of the Eternal Flame!
Its heat was able to burn through the purple tendrils brought out by the demi-humans, burning it into ashes.
Unfettered by gravity, the soldiers were able to defend against their onslaught with a coordinated attack and defend strategy. One raised shields, while the other pierced their swords at the open space between their formation.
It was a modified version of the Phalanx!
"KURGH! These humans!" cursed the demi-human captain. "Retreat!"
Seeing their initial attack rebuffed, the Red Mankeys retreated, using the tendrils of their gravitational field to act as a deterrent against the humans trying to pursue them.
And as expected, not even half a minute later, the Red Mankeys disappeared off into the jungle, not even leaving a single sound for their retreat.
The entire demi-human kingdom turned eerily silent. Their entire army had used the complex underground tunnels and vines in their environment to make a quick and easy escape.
If it weren’t for his Mini Drones tracking them, he wouldn’t be able to see them at all.
Thankfully, he did. The entire battlefield was in his hands. He could see them separating off into much smaller groups.
Some of them resorted to creating traps within the jungle, while some rounded over to the Rebornian army’s backside for a flank.
They were resorting to guerilla tactics, something that had allowed them to keep steady even with the onslaught of humans in the Chasm.
And it seemed that their tactics only got more intense here, in their main kingdom itself.
"Onwards," he said to his soldiers.
The Rebornian army marched directly into a trap. The entire jungle floor was littered with pitfalls hidden by moss. Once caught, they’d get impaled with sharp sticks laced with some kind of poison that would surely prove fatal within seconds of being administered inside the body.
Michael marked these traps in his virtual map and distributed the information to his army.
They received it telepathically, since they were all connected to ChatJK6. It’s why their cooperation was so good. They were basically in their own voice channel that allowed them to speak to each other through only their minds.