Chapter 29

Still, it's fine -- Alexis took a small bottle of mana potion from her leather bag and drank it in one gulp.

The battle situation was almost evenly matched, thanks to the fierce efforts of those around her, and if anything, the defenders had the upper hand.

Of course, the distant areas beyond their reach were being pressed by the griffins' fierce attacks, and the damage from explosive stones was not insignificant. Some of the city walls, though not completely collapsed, had cracks, and there were casualties and fatalities from the bombings.

Still, the defense was holding up because it had become clear that they could stand against the griffins, which were supposed to only ravage. A faint hope had emerged, and the results of the battle around Alexis had eased the air of despair and raised morale, creating a positive cycle of even more intense fighting and better results.

They blocked the enemies' path with a barrage of slings and arrows, guiding them to the few catapults, ballistae, and magic attack points. Among them, the results of the battle around Alexis were outstanding.

Griffins launched a strong assault from above her. Their bombings were blocked by her magic, and when they tried to slash with their sharp claws, she calmly cast 'Mental Burst' and finished them off. This pillar of light magic, which could be cast while distinguishing between friend and foe, left a strong impression on both sides, intensifying Alexis's presence.

Still, it's fine -- while feeling the recovery of mana from the effect of the Dragon Soul attached to her staff, she regulated her breathing.

Her -- the sage's -- weakness had not yet become apparent.

■

What is this -- the griffins, witnessing their companions fall to the ground as if they were wingless, were astonished by a phenomenon they could not understand.

After all, they could fly as long as they had mana.

However, it was not as if the battle had been going on for so long that their mana had run out, causing them to fall.

If it was due to some kind of attack, it could be inferred. However, if it was a visible arrow or magic, it was not impossible for them to avoid it in the vast sky.

They would not fall unless they were hit directly and did not receive a fatal wound.

However, it turned out that something invisible was pulling them down from the sky. It was a wonder that they did not fall into a panic given the inexplicable phenomenon. The griffin leading the group let out a cry, and they regained their composure.

However, it was certain that they had been imprinted with a fear of the unknown. Perhaps out of instinct, they naturally began to search for the cause of this anomaly.

What caught their eye was a group that stood out among the crowd of humans.

The attacks launched from a group covered by what seemed to be some kind of barrier were fatal, one-shot kills to them.

While catapults and slings could be launched, the one-shot attacks that were launched by simply swinging and throwing a stone were impossible to predict, as they pierced through their bodies at an unavoidable speed.

Moreover, the most noticeable was the human female at the center of the barrier. Every time she swung her staff, her companions fell without anything happening, and occasionally a prominent pillar of light would rise, reducing their numbers.

In other words, the griffins deduced that this human female was launching the invisible attacks.

To eliminate the threat, several griffins targeted the female, concentrated their firepower, and attacked, but they could not inflict a fatal wound due to the barrier.

If this continued, they would be killed unilaterally. Even if they ignored her and attacked others, as long as the female was there, the damage would only increase.

They were, after all, the humans who had defeated lesser dragons. They were not so easily dealt with.

Normally, the correct choice would have been to ignore the group and destroy other parts of the city walls. However, the instinct aroused by fear urged them to be cautious of the strong, leading to a skewed priority.

In other words, the griffins thought that they could not advance until this group was defeated.

Of course, they had not forgotten their purpose of destroying the city walls to ravage the city.

But if this obstacle was not removed, it would become a disaster later on, and it was imperative to defeat it here and now.

So the griffin leading the group thought. She observed the female intently, trying to figure out what to do.

The most terrifying thing for them was the invisible attack. Since it had a wide area of effect and was invisible, it was impossible to avoid.

So she observed her actions. Invisible attack, pillar of light, pillar of light --.

I see -- the griffin leading the group realized. She called out to her companions who had explosive stones and gathered them around her.

The griffins' counterattack was about to begin.

■

"What's going on?"

A hunter spoke in confusion.

Irene noticed his words and directed her gaze to the distance.

(The griffins are gathering. Are they targeting something?)

The griffins began to form a group while hovering, as if they were about to do something. Irene felt a piercing gaze that seemed to be directed at her, and she naturally braced herself.

"Lady Alexis, please be careful. The griffins seem to be planning something!"

Almost simultaneously with Irene's words, the griffins began to move. A dozen griffins flew out from the group and launched a strong assault on Irene, or rather, on Alexis.

"Griffins are coming this way! Everyone, be on guard!"

"Everyone, buy us some time. I will cast 'Erase' again."

"Ah, got it!"

"Don't worry! I won't let a single finger touch the lady!"

The surrounding people seemed to understand the importance of Alexis and her companions and followed their instructions.

Arrows, stones, and magic were concentrated on the approaching griffins. However, this time, the griffins' actions were different from before.

Upon seeing the attacks, the griffins took a certain distance and began to dodge, weaving through the air.

(What's going on? Why aren't they attacking?)

Irene was perplexed by the change in the griffins' behavior. They seemed to be hovering just within the range of arrows and magic, as if they had no intention of attacking at all.

From the attacks so far, it was clear that the griffins were not launching bombings from that position. While bombings had a limit, it was also predicted that the position was out of range of the city walls.

If that was the case, maintaining that position meant that the griffins would not launch any attacks. On the contrary, the defenders' attacks could still reach them, and a misstep could cost them their lives.

(Are they trying to deplete our magic and arrows?)

Irene thought that the griffins might be trying to drag the battle into a prolonged conflict. Since arrows and magic had limits, it seemed like an effective strategy.

In other words, they were using a few griffins as decoys to confuse the defenders and make them waste their arrows and magic, thereby depriving them of their means of attack. The decoys were likely to be replaced, as the evasive maneuvers were exhausting.

It was not a bad strategy. Under normal circumstances, it would be a solid and effective plan.

However, this time it was a poor strategy. If the griffins were within range of arrows and magic, Alexis's 'Erase' could reach them. While Irene could not accurately gauge the range due to its invisibility, the range of 'Erase' was much wider and longer than the griffins had anticipated.

Moreover, the invisible magic was difficult to avoid due to the timing being hard to predict.

"Erase!"

Seeing the griffins enter range, Alexis cast 'Erase.' The griffins, unable to avoid it, fell one after another. It was now clear that the same strategy could steadily reduce the griffins' forces.

At that moment, the group of griffins that had been hovering began to move in unison, as if they had been waiting for their companions to fall, heading straight for Alexis.

We've been had! -- Irene realized her mistake and bit her lip. The decoys were not intended to drag the battle into a prolonged conflict.

"Could they be targeting the recast time of 'Erase'!?"

Alexis shouted. Generally, the more powerful a magic, the longer the casting and recast times. While the casting time for the magic a sage could learn was short, the recast time was often long, and 'Erase' was no exception. The recast time was three minutes, during which 'Erase' could not be used.

Their miscalculation was that they had not realized how much the griffins were wary of 'Erase.' The griffins had gauged the timing of 'Erase' and realized that no one else could cast it besides Alexis.

"Everyone, we can't use 'Erase' for a while! Try to keep the enemies from getting too close!"

The counterattacks against the approaching griffins intensified. Alexis also countered with 'Mana Bolt,' but it was dodged, leaving her in a helpless situation.

One of the weaknesses of a sage was the lack of direct attack spells. The magic Alexis often used was status effect spells and 'Mental Burst,' which she had learned before becoming a sage, and support spells she had prioritized learning after becoming a sage.

Status effect spells lacked immediate effectiveness and could not stop the griffins. 'Erase' was effective as an attack spell this time, but it was not originally an attack spell. Moreover, as a newly minted sage, she had no time to learn new attack spells.

Therefore, the only magic that could deal direct damage was the 'Mana Bolt' and 'Mental Burst' she had learned originally. However, 'Mental Burst' had a circular range centered on Alexis, and if the griffins were aware of the range, it was not a threat to them. Thus, the only attack option was 'Mana Bolt.'

While 'Mana Bolt' had a higher rate of fire compared to 'Erase,' it was difficult to hit.

Still, the effects of Alexis's support magic continued.

Not only Alexis's attacks but also the attacks of the surrounding soldiers became more effective as the griffins got closer, reducing their numbers.

However, the griffins' strategy did not end there.

"Using their fallen companions as shields for a special attack!?"

The griffins skillfully grabbed the bodies of their fallen companions and used them as shields to protect their allies and reduce the number of hits.

This desperate action by the griffins caused confusion among the defending soldiers.

"Don't falter! Take them down!"

Irene tried to encourage them, but the confusion that had spread did not dissipate immediately. Seizing this moment, the griffins reached the city walls.

More precisely, they reached the wall where Alexis and her companions were standing. They launched a body slam, sacrificing the