Chapter 603: Higher Lifeforms

The Heart of the Blazing Lion army was made up of three groups. Three Commanders, each at the Peak of Tier-4, controlled a portion of the Heart of the Blazin Lion army to act independently.

The army moved in unison until the forces reached the entrance to the Untamed Jungle. The moment they collided with the High Beast Horde of the Untamed Jungle everything changed. The army split up into three groups of 50,000 members and acted without paying heed to the other groups.

Most members of the heart of the Blazing Lion army were Lionhearts, thus giving the army its 'unique' name. Each army had more than 40,000 members in the 2nd Tier and close to 10,000 members in the 3rd Tier.

While that was already extremely dangerous, the most important units of the three groups were their Tier-4 powerhouses. Each of the three groups had roughly 100 Higher Lifeforms. Every Higher Lifeform controlled a small team of natives and Awakened that worked together. They followed the Commander's orders but it was not uncommon for the Higher Lifeforms to move out on their own as well.

Michael quickly realized that the Heart of the Blazing Lion army had more Tier-4 powerhouses than expected. It was well-known that it was extremely difficult to become a Higher Lifeform, yet so many members of the Blazing Lion Army achieved such a great feat.

Most Summons would never manage to ascend to a Higher Lifeforms. It was said that most 2-Star Summons would reach their limit at the 2nd Tier and that their bodies wouldn't be able to survive the toll of advancing to Tier-3.

It was still possible to reach Tier-3 as a 2-Star Summon, but that usually required a unique physique or a perfect foundation built with resources and determination. The requirements to achieve such a feat were tremendous.

That was also why Michael was slightly surprised when he found out that the Heart of the Blazing Lion army had such a high percentage of Tier-3 Soldiers.

'So that's what an elite army looks like?' Michael thought, squatting on a large branch high up in a towering tree's canopy.

It was not unlikely that the Zentika Empire had similar structures such as the Sacred Knight Temple. Picking out the most talented students and giving them the resources they needed to become Tier-3 powerhouses was still possible. Training them would still take a while though.

But even with enough time, resources, and determination, it was usually close to impossible for 3-Star Natives to ascend. The mortality rate was said to be extremely high among those 3-Star Summons who were ambitious enough to give it a try.

It was common knowledge that one had to be a 4-Star or higher-ranked to ascend to a Higher Lifeform. Rarely someone below 4-Star ascended to the 4th Tier. It was close to a miracle.

There were exceptions, of course, but most of them were really old folks who'd spent decades training their Soul, Mind, and Body, or the minority who had been fortunate with a fortuitous encounter.

'They don't shy away from heavy expenses at this point. But, I guess...that makes sense.'

According to the Scouts' intel and the memories of the Lionhearts Michael had consumed a while ago, the Heart of the Blazing Lion Army was the second largest army that remained intact after the battle with Taros and the Red Dragon. That was intriguing, but it also made it seem like the Zentika Empire had been weakened quite a bit.

That might be the case, but the Scouts' intel was grossly exaggerated. The Scouts didn't know that the pieces of information they forwarded were grossly exaggerated. But Michael did. Michael was aware of the Zentika Empire's stunt and what they were trying to do.

To the Zentika Empire's misery, Michael knew a lot more than that. He was fully aware that more than two million seasoned Combatants at the 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th Tier were spread all over the Zentika Empire's territory.

This included more than 15,000 Adventurers who have been serving the Zentika Empire for decades.

Most veteran Combatants were either deployed to keep the crime rate in the Zentika Empire's cities and towns as low as possible, to train newcomers to rebuild the armies that had been obliterated in the fearsome battle against Taros and his Red Dragon or to keep the Zentika Empire's neighbors in check.

Many neighboring kingdoms, counties, and independent Lords bordering the Zentika Empire had been preparing themselves for an all-out war for months. They began with their preparations the day Taros and his Red Dragon attacked the Zentika Empire. As of now...all they were waiting for was the perfect opportunity to get a slice of the Zentika Empire.

Michael was grateful that the Zentika Empire had various enemies to keep in check at their borders, otherwise, the Heart of the Blazing Lion army wouldn't be the only Elite Army invading the Untamed Jungle.

'But then again, the Lords living in the Zentika Empire haven't made their move to support the Zentika Empire either.'

Michael was aware of more than 150 Lords to whom the Native Empire had granted access to a piece of land in the Zentika Empire. There might be more Lords, but Michael was not all-knowing. His information network could have been better.

Nonetheless, he knew that the Zentika Empire had yet to tap into the power of those 150+ Lords.

Maybe that would happen soon? Or was there something Michael wasn't aware of?

'That is not important right now.' Michael shook his head.

He had to remind himself that the battle near the Untamed Jungle's border was more important.

However, one thing was certain: Defeating the Heart of the Blazin Lion army won't be easy.

It was a good thing that Michael never expected it to be an easy feat, in the first place.

The meeting with the higher-ups of the territory didn't take long. Michael had already given everyone precise orders long before the Heart of the Blazing Lion army decided to attack. The plans had been set in stone a long time ago.

All they had to do was initiate the plans he, Immortal Knight, and the other strategists of the territory had come up with.

There was no Legendary Strategist in his territory yet, but Immortal Knight and some other Summons were already old enough to be considered experts on the battlefield. Even if Siegfried Dracoon was more of a fighter, his warfare knowledge wasn't low either. In fact, Siegfried was a great strategist, even if it wasn't the reason he was a Legendary Summon. His experience on the battlefield taught the old man well.

The Forest Elves moved out on their own. They were led by the Forest Elven Adventurers leading them and stalked through the trees. They ignored the monsters barging through the Untamed Jungle's undergrowth and went into position by spreading throughout the Untamed Jungle's outer ring.

As Forest Elves, their ability to detect lifeforms in any forest was extraordinary. They couldn't see their enemies through the trees and thicket, but it was possible to sense their enemies and their power level rather easily.

The Forest Elves nocked their arrows on the bowstring, channeled energy into their bows to reinforce their armament's power, and pulled the bowstring back smoothly in one go.

The Forest Elves' wrists glowed faintly as traces of Elemental Might were applied to the arrowheads. Some arrows were coated in gales while others were shrouded in ice. Thousands of Lesser Elementals decided to join the battlefield. Some were hesitant at first, but the Elemental Empress convinced them to support their lands and allies.

The Elementals didn't need to expose themselves. Their presence and Elemental Might were already more than enough to provide the woods Elves with enough destructive power to go up against the Zentika Empire.

Hundreds of arrows poured down onto the weakest forces of the Heart of the Blazing Lion army, however, they came prepared. The Heart of the Blazing Lion army was equipped with strong Pyro Steel Armor Sets. They wielded heavy shields and were well protected against the hail of arrows.

Only a few couldn't block the incoming arrows. The arrows shrouded in raging winds were too fast for some Soldiers to block. They lifted their heavy barriers but were a quarter of a second too late. The gale arrows penetrated the chainmail covering their necks and pierced deep into their throats.

But the gale bolts were not the only arrows that worked out. Each arrow amplified with Elemental Might worked to a certain extent. They didn't reap many lives but the attacks were still dangerous. Their enemies were forced to pay attention to the treetops which made it increasingly more difficult to block the monster charging at them.

The barrage of arrows forced the Lionhearts to split their attention.

Waiting for the hail of bolts that came at irregular times was impossible. The moment they stared blankly into the treetops the Soldiers would get attacked by a group of monsters ahead.

However, if they focused too much on the monsters around them, a hail of bolts would take them by surprise.

The Forest Elves, whether they were Peak Tier-1 or at the lower ranks of Tier-2, managed to create chaos wherever their bolts flew. The distraction caused was great, but it was not yet enough. Fortunately, they had stronger arrows and archers by their side.

Mika, Opars, and Lilica used more expensive bolts and Bow Artifacts with great pulling force and additional enchantments. Their arrows were creations made with the Relic of Draka. Everyone considered it a waste of precious time, but Michael was adamant about creating Spirit Arrows with the Relic of Draka. The Relic of Draka didn't require more than ten minutes to finish one Spirit Arrow, yet everyone told Michael that it would be a waste. After all, it was not uncommon for rapid shooters to release dozens of arrows in a minute.

But Michael did not care. Spirit Arrows were great weapons and they were even more useful in the hands of someone who knew how to handle them.

The EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team were such people.

They learned about the Spirit Arrows' special properties from Michael and fell in love at once. The three remaining participants of the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team trained relentlessly. They didn't want to lose someone dear to them ever again.

Therefore, they had to grow stronger. Strong enough to obliterate those who endangered their peace!

It was about time to show the Zentika Empire what it meant to be at war with Forest Elves!

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