Elden Ring: The Shattering!

Tonight, the moon is full, seemingly falling above, and with it, the Erdtree initially emitted a glow. It wasn't unpleasant, and soon enough, a dozen small boats appeared on the lake, each carrying several soldiers.

In the small lake of Liurnia, there was no concept of a navy. These small boats surely set off from one of the nearby small islands, and after a fierce battle, they were now joining the fray.

It wasn't a surprise attack; these dozen Cuckoo soldiers didn't rely on a sudden assault to take the estate.

"Does attacking from behind the estate really break morale?" Kaelith could understand the nature of these battle tactics well—sometimes, victory isn't about how many people you kill, but about maintaining momentum. The first side to lose their resolve would be the one to fall.

The best counter to such tactics was a solid reserve force, and if the Carian side had sufficient manpower, they wouldn't have sent just five people to guard this area.

As the group set up formations by the lake, they heard Duke's sword and shield cry out in alarm: "Look, what is that?!"

Kaelith quickly looked up, his pupils shrinking. From the full moon, a shadow appeared, rushing towards them. It was roughly ten meters long, with brownish-gray scales reflecting the moonlight, a long spiny tail arching backward.

It was... a Dragon!

The violent force rushed in, and it wasn't a stationary wreck of a dragon, but one with massive wings, attacking from the air like a western Flying Dragon.

No time for cooperation; this was pure chaos.

Kaelith gripped the hilt of his sword, feeling as the Flying Dragon descended from hundreds of meters in the air. Its wings spread wide, blocking out the moonlight. Its fearsome dragon head, breathing blue fire, gathered power in its mouth.

"Glintstone Dragon, Smarag!"

A tremendous pressure descended from above. Kaelith gritted his teeth as he saw the Glintstone flames coming toward him, likely covering a hundred square meters. He suddenly grabbed Arnold by the collar and pulled him to safety, just in time to see a massive cluster of blue stones in the air. A Glintstone-infused Flying Dragon, its head obscured by crystallized Glintstone, blocked the view ahead.

Boom!

The two dragons collided in mid-air, with flames and smoke lighting up the area around the lake like daylight. As the dragon flames dissipated, the second dragon clutched a giant sword made of moonlight in its mouth, suddenly slashing upward.

"It's Lord Adula!" Laila growled beside him, watching as Smarag flew back a hundred meters to evade the moonlight sword, using its long spear to strike the ground with a dull thud.

Such a pity that the head of the evil dragon wasn't severed!

"Forget about them, we have our own mission!" Carine shouted, firing an arrow into the lake. "Prepare the Fire Pot, don't let this Cuckoo die easily! We must hold the line until reinforcements arrive!"

Kaelith withdrew his gaze at Carine's command. In truth, the battle between the two dragons wasn't all that spectacular—it was more about their claws, long tails, and the exchange of breath attacks. They fought in the air, and with a loud "boom," massive columns of water erupted from the lake, causing untold chaos for the fish beneath.

Looking back at the lake, the dozen small boats were now only a hundred meters from the shore. Carine held her bow, and Arnold and the others continued firing crossbows, their shields raised as bursts of fire erupted from them.

Kaelith, as a powerful Sorcerer, could easily wipe out all the Cuckoo with a single Comet Azur, sending them into the lake to feed the fish... But since he was still an apprentice, he had to raise his staff and focus his energy.

Great Glintstone Shard!

The longer he channeled the spell, the larger the light orb became. Two powerful Magic Stones, about the size of a fist, collided with the shields, causing the enemy to be sent sprawling backward.

"Now!"

The crossbows fired in unison, this time with no shields to cover them. A cloud of blood mist rose from the small boats, and the soldiers hit by the arrows screamed in agony, their cries echoing through the night sky.

But the fleet continued moving forward, unrelenting. Despite their attempts to retaliate, the soldiers were in no position to fight back effectively; they needed to reach the shore quickly. Kaelith could hear commands shouted over the chaos.

"Quick! Magic barrier shields!"

"Except for the two rowing, everyone else, brace yourselves!"

Several large shields immediately flashed with a deep green light. The Great Glintstone Shard collided with them, instantly neutralizing each other. As for the regular crossbows, the arrows were shattered upon impact.

With the small boats now within fifty meters, Carine dropped her bow and shouted, "Retreat!"

Duke and Laila immediately ran toward the rear, while Kaelith stayed behind to help the stunned young companion, urging him to run. As he turned his head, he saw a large number of glowing stones being hurled toward them.

Cuckoo Glintstone—these were magic grenades!

The stones hit the ground and immediately scattered Magic Stones, which Kaelith had to roll behind a chest-high stone wall to avoid. The sensation of the wall shaking violently was followed by a heavy impact, and when he looked up, the riverbank and the surrounding grass were covered in the dull glow of crystallized Magic Stones.

Carine didn't have time to catch her breath before she jumped and grabbed onto the stone wall behind her. She aimed her crossbow and pulled the trigger, the shot perfectly aimed at the landing point.

Whoosh—

The arrow flew over Kaelith's head, hitting the frontmost boat. The magic shield on it was instantly shattered, and the people aboard were sent tumbling into the water.

"What are you doing, Arnold? Load another arrow! Kaelith, suppress with Magic Stones! Both of you, get ready to throw the Fire Pot!"

The commands rang sharply in Kaelith's ears. He glanced over, wondering if Carine thought she was some kind of invincible mage from the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect.

Even without seeing the mana gauge, he knew that continuously casting Magic would make his head spin.

Wait a moment, wait a moment.

He chewed on the grass in his mouth and saw the second crossbow shot send several people flying, while the third shot was deflected by a large sword.

"Spotted a knight."

After being in The Lands Between for a few days, Kaelith understood that the regular soldiers were not difficult to deal with... but the real threat came from the powerful individuals who could single-handedly turn the tide of battle. His enemies were these powerful beings.

The fourth crossbow shot turned several people into pulp, their agonizing screams sending chills down one's spine. Meanwhile, the boats ahead had reached the shore, and the Cuckoo soldiers, clad in helmets and armor, rushed forward in a frenzy.

"Light the fire!"

Another command rang out, and the Fire Pot sailed through the air, tracing a curved path... but it was intercepted mid-air, shattered by a sudden strike. A Cuckoo Knight, standing at the bow of the boat, coldly stared in their direction.

From over a hundred meters away, the Fire Pot was accurately hit—a display of martial prowess far beyond the average.

"Second-tier knight, cover me!" Kaelith grabbed a Fire Pot with his right hand and pressed his left against the chest-high stone wall, leaping out suddenly. His comrades, Carine and the others, immediately shot him a sharp look, raising their crossbows to fire.

Arrows passed over his head, while ahead, there were both crossbow bolts and Cuckoo Glintstone...

But Kaelith wasn't driven by sudden impulse. Deep down, he knew exactly what he was doing:

He was buying time, pulling the battle toward the main battlefield, waiting for the toughest moment to pass, and drawing the Carian Knights to his aid.

He charged forward, lowering his body to reduce the impact, and an arrow grazed his cheek, leaving a streak of fresh blood... which he licked off with a vicious grin.

The feeling of life and death in an instant—that was the thrill!

Perhaps the full moon was watching over him, as the clouds hid the moonlight, concealing him in the dark.

Perhaps Kaelith, having taken down over a dozen soldiers, had developed a body stronger than the average soldier's. These arrows, strangely, never struck him directly.

A few seconds felt like an eternity as he saw the torchlight below. The Cuckoo Knight, drawing a spear from the ship's hold, fixed his sharp gaze on Kaelith's figure.

At that moment!

The knight raised his hand, and Kaelith swiftly grabbed Bloodhounds Fang with his left hand, activating the Ash of War "Program."

Bang—

The sword swept across, knocking the spear aside, causing a numbness in his palm. He didn't need to think; with his muscles tensed, he managed to halt the momentum.

Retreat back!

He jumped backward, only to see mud splatter as a spear lunged toward him, causing dirt and mud to scatter, and the sound of the wind tearing through the air ceased to reach his ears.

The hounds are chasing!

A brief pause only made his next burst of speed even faster. Kaelith vanished from his position and suddenly surged forward a few steps, using the momentum to throw the Fire Pot.

"How could this be!?" Daliger widened his eyes in disbelief. Due to the dim light, he couldn't see clearly how Kaelith avoided the "meteor shower," only noticing the Fire Pot flying toward him. He immediately knew it was over.

Thud — Boom!

The shards of tile scattered as the fire from the mushroom and fire-stone devices ignited in the mud, instantly making the air scorchingly hot. A wall of fire rose before him.

"Aah!"

The screams echoed as the soldiers who had just reached the shore were instantly turned into human torches. They screamed and scrambled, hoping to jump into the water to put out the flames, but the flames from the back of the boat only made the situation worse.

"Kill them all!" Another Cuckoo Knight cleaved a burning soldier in half with his sword and raised a magical shield to block the next attack. He heard a "clang" as an arrow struck the shield, pushing him back several meters. He looked down to see the dent in the shield, his expression darkening.

The fire stalled, and they began firing bolts, these Carian soldiers had learned their dishonorable tactics.

Daliger paused for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the person standing behind him. This person wore a Magic robe with a hood large enough to conceal their face, and from the look of their attire, they were Kaloros, the Sorcerer from the Academy.

"Move quickly, do you want to swim back to the Academy?!"

The Academy lecturer trembled slightly, as if finally understanding the situation. The crossbow bolts piercing the firewall wouldn't spare anyone, whether they were scholars or soldiers—they would die on impact.

He quickly raised his staff, calling upon the Academy's magic.

Glintstone Comet!

The staff was swung to and fro, unleashing long trails of magical comet-like energy that tore through the firewall, making the fire wall disintegrate into dust.

What?!

At this moment, Kaelith had already retreated to the stone wall behind him, holding two Fire Pots and preparing to throw more fuel on the fire. He suddenly saw the dark-blue magic blast coming toward him.

His limbs worked faster than his brain, and he quickly turned around, dragging Carine and Arnold into the trench with him. The three of them tumbled into the trench, but before they even hit the ground—

Boom!

The magic exploded, instantly shattering the crossbow and demolishing the stone wall. Kaelith shook his dizzy head and inhaled the scorching hot air.

Now, this is what magic should look like!