17: Final Exams: The Trials of the Alien Astral Realm Begin! (Part 2)

The charge of the Grotto Lizardmen carried a savage Aura, their crimson eyes filled only with a hunger for prey. Numbering nearly a hundred, they looked like a surging black tide in the dim light, instantly closing the distance to the mine's defensive line.

"Hold steady!" Bronzebeard Stonehammer stood at the very center of the defense, his voice like muffled thunder, drowning out the lizardmen's hisses. The massive runic battle-axe in his hands was already raised, its earthy yellow glow growing increasingly heavy under the empowerment of the [Immovable as a Mountain] formation.

Eighty meters, sixty meters, forty meters... They entered the effective range of the Elf Rangers!

"Fire!"

Elwin's cold voice rang out like a command. Thirty Rangers, who had long been ready, released their bowstrings simultaneously!

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"

A dense rain of arrows, accompanied by the whistle of tearing air, showered down upon the most crowded area of lizardmen! In the dim environment, these arrows were like invitations from the Grim Reaper.

Puchi! Puchi!

The sound of sharp blades entering flesh and the lizardmen's shrill screams instantly rang out! The Lizardman Hunters at the very front fell in large numbers like straw being mowed down! The [Triangular Armor-Piercing Arrowheads] easily tore through their not-so-tough scales, and the [Burst Mechanical Arrows] exploded into bursts of fire and shredded meat among the lizardmen, causing considerable splash damage!

With one volley, the lizardmen's charging momentum faltered, and at least fifteen lizardmen lost their combat effectiveness.

However, these underground creatures were full of ferocity; the deaths of their companions only stimulated them further. The lizardmen behind them stepped over the corpses of their own kind and charged even more frantically. Spear-throwers began to exert themselves to hurl bone spears, carrying hissing acidic liquid, towards the high ground where the elves were stationed.

"Raise shields! [Silent as the Forest]!" Elwin ordered in a timely manner.

The Dwarf Rune Iron Guards in the front row, along with the Elves and Gnomes responsible for cover in the back, raised their shields or used the terrain for protection. As the military formation Laws operated, their defensive postures became more coordinated. Most of the bone spears were successfully blocked; only a few hit, causing minor corrosive damage and panic, which were quickly stabilized by the Lightforged Gnomes' [Minor Brilliance].

Meanwhile, ten elite Elf Ranger acted like reapers in the shadows. Their arrows were more precise and lethal, specifically picking off the lizardman shriekers trying to organize the assault and the more threatening spear-throwers. Every time a bowstring twanged, it was almost certainly accompanied by the fall of a lizardman elite.

Twenty meters! The lizardman vanguard finally reached the dwarves' shield wall!

"For my god! For Order! Crush them!" Bronzebeard Stonehammer let out a sky-shaking war cry, leading with a [Heroic Strike] that split a lizardman hunter, who was trying to pounce, in half along with his bone blade!

"Ha!" Ten Dwarf Rune Iron Guards shouted in unison, shield bashing and warhammers swinging! They were like a true steel bulwark; the lizardmen's bone blades and claws struck the enchanted heavy shields and armor, leaving only shallow white marks. In contrast, every attack from the dwarves was powerful enough to shatter bones and snap tendons!

[Dwarf Rune Iron Guard (Rank 20)]:

Defense: 55 (Base + Equipment + Runes + [Immovable as a Mountain])

Attack: 38-45 (Rune Warhammer + Strength Bonus)

Traits: [Tenacity], [Runic Protection] (Elemental Resistance +15), [Formation Synergy]

The lizardmen's prideful numbers and speed appeared pale and weak in the face of absolute defense and efficient slaughter. They were like waves crashing against a reef, shattering into pieces without being able to shake it in the slightest.

At this moment, the Lawful Merman Enforcers, who had been silently standing by, moved. They did not participate in the frontal defense but instead moved like ghosts along the flanks of the defensive line and through the gaps between the dwarves. Utilizing the eerie footwork brought by their [Aquatic Race] (though penalized on land) and their [Cold Enforcement] trait, they specifically dealt with lizardmen trying to climb from the sides or crawl into defensive blind spots. Their bone spears might not have been sharp enough, but their attacks were extremely precise and ruthless, targeting vulnerable areas like eyes and throats. Coupled with those cold eyes that seemed to be reading out a 'judgment,' they actually produced a unique deterrent effect.

[Lawful Merman Enforcer (Rank 10)]:

Attack: 18-22 (Bone Spear)

Traits: [Defender of Order], [Cold Enforcement], [Aquatic Footwork (Land Weakened Version)]

Performance: Efficient, cold, and precise "finishing" and flank protection units.

The battle showed a one-sided trend. With superior equipment, strict discipline, heroic leadership, and targeted tactics, the expeditionary force perfectly countered the lizardmen's savage charge.

In less than ten minutes, over sixty lizardmen became corpses in front of the mine. The remaining twenty or so were finally overwhelmed by fear, letting out terrified hisses as they turned and fled into the dim depths of the rock cavern.

[Battle Ended]: Repelled the Grotto Lizardman attack! Annihilated Lizardmen * 63, wounded/driven off several others.

[Battle Losses]: 3 Dwarf Rune Iron Guards lightly injured (acid corrosion, already treated), 1 Elf Ranger lightly injured (scratched by bone spear), zero deaths.

[Obtained]: Small amount of combat experience, [Low-quality Lizardman Scales] * several, [Acid Glands] * several.

"Clear the battlefield, reinforce the defenses, and treat the wounded." Elwin ordered, her tone calm as if the battle just now was merely daily training. She looked at Bronzebeard Stonehammer, "Clan Chief Bronzebeard, it seems this world is not very friendly."

"Heh heh, it's just right for the boys to practice a bit." Bronzebeard didn't care at all, directing the dwarves to drag the lizardman corpses far away for uniform disposal to avoid attracting more trouble.

The victory in the first battle greatly enhanced the expeditionary team's confidence and also validated the rationality of the team's composition and the adaptability of the army under the guidance of the School of Military's philosophy.

Over the next two days (Divine Realm time), the expeditionary team established a stable "Outpost Base No. 1" based on the abandoned mine. The Tiangong Dwarf Engineers showed amazing efficiency; they cleared the collapses inside the mine, reinforced the structure with stone and metal, and even used the iron ore they found to forge a batch of supplementary arrows and equipment repair tools on the spot. The Lightforged Gnomes improved the lighting System, using energy crystals and glowing moss to ensure the interior of the base was well-lit.

With the base as the center, the Elf Rangers and elite Rangers explored a larger area, drawing detailed maps and marking multiple mineral points and water sources. They also found more traces of Gray Dwarf activity, as well as... signs of other examinees descending!

"Approximately five kilometers to the southeast, combat traces were discovered with demonic fire residue. It is suspected that an examinee is fighting native creatures or other examinees."

"Due north, strong Holy Light fluctuations were detected. The duration was very short; it's possible an examinee used a powerful divine spell or card."

The competition had already begun.

On the afternoon of the third day, the Lightforged Gnome Technician responsible for monitoring surrounding energy fluctuations suddenly issued an alarm!

"High-intensity spatial fluctuations detected! Bearing... due west, distance approximately three kilometers! Nature of fluctuation... non-natural teleportation! There is a strong elemental energy reaction!"

Almost simultaneously, Lin Zhou also captured those fluctuations through his wide-range perception. That was not the Aura of Gray Dwarves or lizardmen, but a more violent, more... familiar feeling? It was the followers of another examinee! And they seemed to be under siege; the situation was critical!

"Elwin, send an elite squad to scout ahead. Pay attention to concealment." Lin Zhou ordered. He needed to learn more about the other examinees and this world. Sometimes, rescuing others could bring unexpected gains, or... an opportunity for the 'mantis to stalk the cicada while the oriole follows behind.'

Elwin immediately assigned five of the most elite Elf Ranger and led them personally to scout the location of the fluctuations. Bronzebeard Stonehammer remained to guard the base.

When Elwin led the Ranger squad to silently sneak near the target location and looked down from behind a huge rock, the scene before her made her pupils shrink slightly.

Below was a relatively open valley where a fierce battle was currently taking place. On one side were about fifty [Magma Elementals] (average Rank 14) composed entirely of rock and lava, emitting high temperatures; they seemed to be special native elemental lifeforms. And the ones being besieged by them were fewer than thirty... human followers clad in silver armor, wielding flails and shields?

These human followers were not weak in combat power, with an average Rank of 13. They were well-equipped, had skilled combat techniques, and were surrounded by a faint holy glow, clearly indicating their deity leaned towards Order and Holiness. However, facing nearly double their number of Magma Elementals, whose attributes countered theirs (Holy effects are average against Elementals), they were already struggling, their defensive line precarious. Seven or eight corpses of human soldiers already lay on the ground.

In the center of the human formation, a young woman wearing gorgeous priest robes, who appeared to be a hero unit, was holding a staff high, propping up a tottering Holy Light shield and struggling to hold on. Her face was pale, clearly showing a massive consumption of Divine Power.

"It's a human examinee... looking at their combat style and follower traits, they seem to follow the Sanctuary or Guardian Knight path," Elwin quickly judged. "They won't be able to hold out much longer."

Whether to help? How to help? Was there a trap behind this?

Elwin calmly observed every detail of the battlefield, her mind racing as the School of Military's philosophy of "planning before acting" flowed through her heart. She needed to make the most advantageous judgment for her god.

As she observed, the human priestess seemed to falter due to exhaustion; the shield flickered, and a lava fireball took the opportunity to strike the human defensive line, blowing over two soldiers and creating a gap! More Magma Elementals roared as they surged toward that gap!

The human followers were in imminent danger!