258: Chapter 193: Military Morale, Inspiring Aura Aids Fighting to the Death

The smell of blood, the scent of burning, the rank stench of wild beasts... mixed with the aroma of juices released from the trampled and crushed prairie grass, formed a nauseating battlefield air.

Wang Meng's Behemoth Legion was like a burning golden meteor, violently crashing into the core of the Beast Tide. The fourteen Behemoth Giant Beasts (including the hero unit "Giant Rock") that had activated [Extreme Frenzy] displayed a destructive power akin to dry weeds being crushed by a strong wind under the terrifying 50% strength boost.

The Red Behemoth Sub-species that bore the brunt of the impact suffered greatly in its first collision with Giant Rock. Its estimated strength was around 75 points, which was already extraordinary, but it was completely at a disadvantage before Giant Rock, whose strength approached 98 points after frenzying. Giant Rock’s massive palms, wrapped in golden air currents, struck the opponent's skull, shoulder blades, and chest one after another like a pile driver. The red Behemoth's dark red fur was torn, its thick bones groaned under the unbearable weight, and blood splattered like a fountain, staining the golden giant palms red.

Another red Behemoth was besieged by three frenzied Behemoths; although it bit and slapped with all its might, leaving bone-deep wounds on its opponents, it quickly became riddled with scars in the exchange of injuries, and one of its forelimbs was brutally smashed and broken.

Although the War Mammoths were larger and stronger (estimated strength 85-90), their movements were relatively slow. Facing the siege of four or five frenzied Behemoths (which, relying on their soaring strength and speed, could actually briefly wrestle with the mammoths and climb onto their bodies to bite frantically), they also fell into a bitter struggle. One mammoth's long trunk was bitten off, and it charged around wildly while howling in pain; the leg joints of another were targeted, causing it to walk with a stagger.

The frenzied charge of the Behemoth Legion was like a red-hot blade, not only piercing into the heart of the Beast Tide but also churning it frantically!

From the rear of the Beast Tide, Captain Hal's voice of shock and anger was clearly audible: "How is this possible?! Their Behemoths... how can their strength be so high?! And how can they maintain their reason and cooperate in a frenzied state?!"

However, the chaos and advantage created by the Behemoth Legion were built on an extremely fragile foundation.

The cost of [Extreme Frenzy]—a 30% decrease in defense—was manifesting in a shocking manner.

Although Giant Rock suppressed its opponent, its golden fur was also covered in bone-deep wounds torn by the red Behemoth's claws and fangs, with blood staining half of its body. Its defense plummeted from 70 points to 49 points, meaning its ability to withstand damage was nearly halved!

The Behemoths besieging the War Mammoths were even more miserable. Every stomp, every tusk thrust, or even a simple shake of the mammoth's body could cause terrible damage to the Behemoths with greatly reduced defense. One Behemoth had its abdomen pierced by a mammoth's tusk, and its intestines spilled out; though it didn't die immediately, it had lost most of its combat power. Another was stepped on by a mammoth's giant foot, its spine making a terrifying cracking sound as it collapsed to the ground.

More importantly, the Beast Tide did not stop because the core giant beasts were pinned down! On the contrary, after a brief moment of shock, more mid-to-low-tier beasts on the periphery became even more frenzied under the Shaman's drive and the stimulation of the smell of blood! Like a black tide, they surged toward the Behemoth Legion from all directions, trying to drown these dozen "rebellious" giant beasts with numbers!

Worg Riders used their speed to circle and bite the Behemoths, Raptor jumped onto the Behemoths' backs to gouge wounds with their claws, Thunder Lizards' chain lightning jumped and exploded among the giant beasts, and Thunderbirds and Wyverns in the sky ignored the interception of Zhao Hao's Dragons, diving down to spit lightning and acid, focusing their attacks on the Behemoths' relatively vulnerable eyes and wounds.

The Behemoth Legion instantly fell into a desperate situation, surrounded on all sides by enemies!

"Giant Rock!" Wang Meng's eyes were nearly bursting, feeling the intense pain and the fear of rapidly draining vitality transmitted from every Behemoth through the mental link. He frantically output Divine Power to maintain the Behemoths' frenzied state, stimulate their vitality, and cast rudimentary Healing Totems, but it was a drop in the bucket. He could feel that although the Behemoths were still fighting in their frenzy, that unstoppable Aura was being quickly eroded by the endless pain and the shadow of death. Fear, an emotion that shouldn't have appeared in the hearts of frenzied Behemoths, began to sprout like poisonous weeds. Once fear spread and caused even one Behemoth to flee, the entire legion's fighting spirit would collapse like an avalanche!

From behind the defensive line, Lin Zhou took all of this in. He frowned deeply, his brain calculating rapidly.

Wang Meng's Behemoth Legion had indeed achieved its tactical objective—successfully attracting the enemy's core giant beasts and most of their attention, creating space for Zhao Hao, Qin Qing, and others to clear out other units. But the cost was too high! At this rate, in five minutes at most, the Behemoth Legion would be completely wiped out! At that time, not only would the tactic fail, but Wang Meng, having lost his Behemoths, would also suffer a major blow to his Origin Qi, making subsequent battles even harder to sustain.

"I must support them immediately! But how?" Lin Zhou's gaze swept across the battlefield. Zhao Hao's Dragons were in a fierce battle with the enemy's aerial units; although they had the upper hand, they were also tied down and couldn't provide effective ground support in the short term. Qin Qing's Judgment Angel was busy purifying negative effects and sniping Shamans, also unable to split her attention. Li Mo's defensive works and Ballistae had limited effects on the tide-like beast swarm. His own Literary Heart Elves and Law Fishmen would suffer extreme casualties if thrown into the frontal meat grinder, and they might not even be able to break the siege.

"Simple troop support won't work... what needs to be broken is the stalemate of morale and will!" Light flickered in Lin Zhou's eyes as various discourses on "morale," "death matches," and "desperate encouragement" from the School of Military classics seemed to come alive, racing and colliding in his consciousness.

"What Wang Meng's Behemoths lack is not strength (which frenzy has already provided), but a 'Qi' that can make them ignore pain, transcend the fear of death, and burn their battle will to the limit!" Lin Zhou had a sudden flash of inspiration. "The School of Military says: 'Throw them into a place of death and they will survive; trap them in a desperate situation and they will live,' and 'Break the cauldrons and sink the boats, and the hundred and twenty passes of Qin will eventually belong to Chu!' In a desperate situation, only by cutting off the path of retreat and stimulating the will to die can one burst forth with power that transcends limits!"

He needed a power that could directly act on the legion's morale and willpower! A rule-based buff that could temporarily "block" fear and "solidify" Battle Intent!

Within the Temple of Civilization, the radiance of the School of Military thought suddenly brightened. Lin Zhou's Divine Thought immersed itself in it, drawing out the essence of "morale," "encouragement," and "death matches." At the same time, his own insight into the battlefield situation, his empathy for the Behemoth Legion's plight, and his unyielding conviction were all integrated into it.

Divine Power began to burn violently! The goal was not direct lethality, but to shape an invisible "field," an "Aura"!

"Wang Meng! Have your Behemoths hold on for ten more seconds!" Lin Zhou shouted in the team link. At the same time, his voice, through some mysterious rule resonance, boomed directly in the depths of all the Behemoths' consciousnesses, drowning out the pain and roars:

"You are the Sons of the Earth! You are the strongest shields and the sharpest spears under the command of civilization! Behind you is your home; behind you is the abyss! Now that you are trapped in a place of death, there is only battle! Why fear pain? Why fear death? As long as Battle Intent is not extinguished, the heroic Souls will last forever! Break the cauldrons and sink the boats; fight to the death and do not retreat!"

Following this declaration, which was like war drums, a bugle call, and a Soul-searching interrogation, a majestic, scorching, invisible wave carrying the scent of iron, blood, and determination instantly spread out with Lin Zhou as the core, precisely enveloping the entire Behemoth Legion that was struggling in the bloody battle!

[School of the Military Divine Art · Burning One's Boats (Aura)]—First practical manifestation!

Type: Area-of-effect Legion Morale/Willpower Encouragement Aura.

Principle: Drawing on the essence of the School of Military's "desperate death match" and "soaring morale" thoughts, combined with the caster's deep understanding of the battlefield situation and firm conviction, it forms a special rule field that acts directly on the mental and willpower levels of allies within range.

Effects:

Immunity to Mental Collapse: Within the Aura's range, all allied units are temporarily immune to negative mental states such as "fear," "panic," and "rout." No matter what desperate situation they face or what pain they endure, their Battle Intent core will be forcibly locked, and they will never retreat! (Rule-level effect, high priority)

Willpower Strengthening: Unit willpower attribute is temporarily increased by 30% (based on the base value). Resistance to pain, mental shock, charm, etc., is greatly enhanced.

Potential Stimulation: On the basis of immunity to fear and willpower strengthening, there is a certain chance (related to the unit's own battle will) to trigger a "Transcending Limits" state, where all attributes receive an additional 5%-15% temporary boost (this boost stacks with states like frenzy), and skill release success rates and critical hit rates are slightly increased.

Pain Ignoring: Greatly reduces the impact of pain on mobility; as long as the unit is not completely destroyed or loses its ability to move, it can continue to fight.

Range: Centered on the area designated by the caster, with a maximum radius of five hundred meters (adjustable, currently concentrated on the Behemoth Legion area).

Duration: Base 60 seconds, influenced by the caster's Divine Power maintenance and the collective willpower feedback of the affected units, can be extended.

Cost: Initial construction consumes 2,000 Divine Power, maintenance is 300 per second (related to range and intensity). Requires extremely high mental focus from the caster.

Restrictions: Effect is weakened or ineffective on units that have completely lost their autonomous consciousness (e.g., being mind-controlled) or have no battle will themselves (e.g., forcibly conscripted slave soldiers). After the effect ends, some units may experience mental fatigue or willpower exhaustion.

Buzz—!

An invisible but scorching torrent that every warrior within could clearly "feel" swept through every Behemoth fighting in blood!

A miracle happened!

The Behemoths, who were being tormented by intense pain and blood loss to the point of almost wanting to give up and instinctively wanting to shrink back, suddenly felt as if a raging fire had been lit in the depths of their Souls! That bone-deep fear, that dread of death, rapidly melted away like ice and snow under the sun! Replacing it was an irresistible, indestructible Battle Intent!

"Roar—!!!"

Giant Rock let out a roar completely different from before! There was no pain or anxiety in that roar, only the most extreme anger and killing intent! Its movements, which had been somewhat sluggish due to blood loss and pain, suddenly became incredibly swift! Golden flames (the manifestation of will) burned in its golden eyes, and it completely ignored several new bone-deep wounds on its body. Its giant palms, in a more frenzied and precise posture, slammed hard into its opponent's already shattered skull!

"Bang!" Like a watermelon bursting. The head of that Red Behemoth Sub-species was completely deformed and shattered under Giant Rock's wrathful blow! Its massive body crashed to the ground, never to make a sound again.

The same was true for the other Behemoths! The Behemoth whose abdomen was pierced and whose intestines were spilling out actually used its forelimbs to crudely stuff the spilled intestines back into its belly, then roared and pounced on a War Mammoth, biting its neck deathly tight, refusing to let go no matter how the mammoth struggled or trampled! The Behemoth with a damaged spine actually struggled to crawl with its forelimbs, grabbed the hind leg of a Thunder Lizard, and used its last bit of strength to pull it down!

Fight to the death and do not retreat! These words were given the most cruel and tragic interpretation by these dozen or so Behemoths at this moment!

They no longer considered defense (which was already greatly reduced) or life and death. Only one thought remained in their minds: Attack! Attack! Attack again! Destroy all enemies in front of them!

This extreme Battle Intent, combined with the terrifying power brought by frenzy, formed a chilling storm of destruction. The beast swarm besieging them was actually intimidated by this Aura, and their charging momentum stalled. The biting wolf packs and scratching Raptor began to fall in heaps under the Behemoths' frantic counterattacks, where they completely ignored damage and exchanged injuries or even lives for those of the enemy.

The Behemoth Legion's defense line (if it could still be called that) not only did not collapse but instead burst forth with an even more dazzling and lethal light in the desperate situation! They were like a jagged rock that was firmly embedded in the center of the Beast Tide, remaining steadfast despite the crashing waves!

"This... what is this?!" Hal's voice was filled with unbelievable horror. He couldn't understand how the Behemoths, clearly riddled with scars and on the verge of collapse, suddenly became so terrifying as if they had been injected with stimulants. What exactly was that fearless Aura that even made his heart palpitate?

Behind the defensive line, Lin Zhou's face turned slightly pale. Maintaining the [Burning One's Boats] Aura consumed a huge amount of Divine Power, with 300 points flowing away every second like water. But his eyes were bright as he stared closely at the Behemoth Legion reborn from the fire in the center of the battlefield.

"Wang Meng, now! Cooperate with Giant Rock and expand our gains! Zhao Hao, speed up the aerial clearing! Qin Qing, focus on eliminating the remaining Shamans! Li Mo, all long-range firepower, cover the beast swarm on the periphery of the Behemoth Legion!" A series of commands were quickly issued.

Morale waxed and waned.

The Behemoth Legion's refusal to retreat even in a death match acted like a shot of adrenaline, also infecting the other troops behind the defense line. The Literary Heart Elves' chanting became firmer, and their arrows more precise. The Law Fishmen's assault became more decisive. Even the Tiangong Dwarves' speed in repairing the fortifications increased slightly.

On the side of the Beast Tide, the core giant beasts fell one after another (one red Behemoth died, and a mammoth was heavily injured), and the mid-to-low-tier beast swarm suffered heavy losses under the Behemoths' frantic counterattacks and Zhao Hao's Dragons' aerial strikes. More importantly, that invincible savage Aura was forcibly pushed back by the Behemoth Legion's even more savage and fearless will! Fear began to appear in the eyes of some wild beasts.

The scales of the battlefield began to tilt.

Wang Meng felt the ice-cold Battle Intent and the all-ignoring fury transmitted from the Behemoths, his heart filled with shock and excitement. He knew this was Lin Zhou's doing, the power of that miraculous "Hundred Schools of Thought"! He no longer hesitated, pouring his remaining Divine Power into the Behemoth Legion without reservation, commanding them to cooperate with Giant Rock to begin the final siege of the other red Behemoth and the heavily injured War Mammoth.

The golden Behemoths, reflected in the blood-colored setting sun and the scorching Aura of "Burning One's Boats," seemed to transform into truly immortal gods of war.

School of Military morale, at this moment, became the backbone supporting the death match and the key to reversing the battle situation.