My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

Chapter 131 Deploying in a Backwater Formation

"careful-!!!"

Numerous exclamations rang out simultaneously.

There was the soldiers' terror, the adventurers' screams, and the priests' instinctive chanting of protective prayers.

But those voices seemed so small and powerless in the face of the ape demon's arrival.

The ground trembled violently the moment Bagula the Ape Demon landed.

Boom! ...

The impact was like an earthquake, and the ground within a radius of thirty feet trembled.

Dust and gravel shot into the sky, forming a cloud of smoke and dust more than twenty feet in diameter. The shockwave spread outwards, knocking several nearby soldiers to the ground.

Everyone held their breath for a moment.

Is the monk still alive?

The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

Where the mage once stood, only a huge, deep pit remains.

The pit was over ten feet in diameter and at least three feet deep, with the soil at the edges smashed smooth like glass—a result of the combined effects of high temperature and immense force.

But there were no bodies in the pit.

There was no blood, no remains, and no trace of any mage who had ever existed.

"There!" someone pointed to an open space sixty feet away.

The monk's figure appeared out of thin air, and he staggered to his feet.

His face was pale, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and the runes on his robes had dimmed considerably. He still gripped his staff tightly, but the electric light within the gem had diminished.

Flash.

Third-circle alteration spells allow the caster to instantly teleport to any location within their line of sight. This is a core survival skill for high-level mages and a key to their survival on the battlefield.

"He's still alive!" someone cheered.

But before the cheers had even subsided, Bagula the Ape Demon had already turned around.

Its dark red eyes locked onto the blue-robed mage, and the smile on its face became even more ferocious.

Then, it moved again.

This time it wasn't a leap, it was a charge.

Its thousand-pound body charged toward the blue-robed mage at incredible speed, each step causing the ground to tremble and leaving deep claw marks.

It covered a distance of sixty feet in less than two seconds.

The blue-robed mage raised his staff.

No chanting, no gestures, only mental control—this is a skill that only high-level mages can master, compressing the casting time of spells to the extreme.

A beam of lightning shot out from the tip of the staff once again!

The blue-white lightning, like a giant sword, slammed head-on into the Bagura Ape Demon!

Crack! ...

A blinding light exploded, and lightning leaped, raged, and burst through the ape demon's fur. The scene resembled a real bolt of lightning descending from the sky and striking the demon.

Everyone held their breath, anticipating that moment—

The ape demon fell, the ape demon was repelled, and the ape demon was finally injured.

However, what they expected did not happen.

The lightning dissipated.

The Bagula ape demon remained standing.

Its fur was indeed charred black, especially on its chest, where large patches of fur were burned, revealing the dark red skin underneath.

But the skin was only slightly red, without even any signs of charring.

It lowered its head, looking at the scorch marks on its chest, then raised its head to look at the blue-robed mage.

On that ferocious face, an extremely human-like expression appeared—neither anger nor pain.

It was mockery.

It's as if it's saying: That's all?

The blue-robed mage's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Damn it..." he muttered, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

He forgot.

Unlike lower-ranking demons like Thorn Demons and Bearded Demons, the Bagura Ape Demon is a true mid-ranking demon with a challenge level as high as 5.0.

They not only possess terrifying strength and speed, but also extremely strong elemental resistance.

Thornfiends and Bearded Demons are immune to fire and resistant to freezing, but they have no particular defense against lightning.

The Bagula Ape Demons possess strong resistance to fire and freezing, as well as lightning.

Ordinary three-ring lightning beams are nothing more than a tickle to them.

The blue-robed mage gritted his teeth as he cast three consecutive third-ring spells, a huge drain on his energy.

He felt his magic draining away madly from his body, his mental energy nearly depleted, and every nerve screaming in protest.

Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his eyes and blurring his vision.

His hands were trembling.

His legs were trembling.

His whole body was trembling.

But the Bagula Ape Demon gave him no chance to catch his breath.

It pushed off the ground with both legs.

Snap! Snap!

The ground cracked again, this time with deeper, denser, and more terrifying fissures. Countless fragments of rock shot out from the cracks, scattering in all directions like bullets.

The ape demon leaped into the air once more!

This time the distance is shorter, the speed is faster, and the power is greater!

It crashed down on the blue-robed mage like a meteorite!

The blue-robed mage tried to cast Teleport, but his mental energy was running out. He could only barely raise his staff, attempting to conjure a final defensive spell—

That's too late.

The ape demon's body had already crashed down in front of him.

Its incredibly thick arms, like two battering rams, slammed down on the blue-robed mage at the same time!

At this critical moment—

A pale blue, eggshell-shaped arc of light suddenly illuminated the blue-robed mage's body!

Mage's Shield—a first-level protection spell that creates a continuous protective field around the caster, absorbing physical and energy damage.

The ape demon's arms slammed into the force field.

boom-!!!

The loud noise was deafening.

The blue arc of light trembled violently, and countless cracks instantly appeared on the surface, like glass struck by a stone. The cracks spread and expanded rapidly, until finally, with a snap!

The protective spell shattered.

But the blue-robed mage was not hit.

The shattered force field absorbed most of the impact, transferring only a small portion to him. Even so, the force was enough to send him flying.

The blue-robed mage's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, tracing an arc in the air before crashing heavily to the ground twenty feet away.

boom!

Dust flew everywhere.

He struggled to stand up, but as soon as he propped himself up, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The dark red blood splattered onto his robe, staining a large area red.

His staff flew from his hand and landed in a pool of blood five steps away. The gem at the top of the staff had completely dimmed, no longer gleaming.

He was covered in blood, slumped on the ground, panting heavily.

Asking a level 5 mage to solo a level 5 Bagram ape demon is an impossible task in itself.

If he had three teammates of the same level 5, forming a complete professional squad, he might have a chance to defeat or even kill this ape demon.

But he didn't.

He was all alone.

Meanwhile, his teammates—those equally high-level professionals—were currently deep within the gray forest, battling even more terrifying demons.

The blue-robed mage trembled as he took a bottle of potion from his robes.

The blue potion, its bottle engraved with intricate magical runes, glowed faintly in the twilight.

Mana Restoration Potion - High-grade, at least 50 gold coins per bottle.

He uncorked the bottle, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

The cold medicine slid down my throat.

Then, his expression began to change.

However, Xiu Qi noticed that after drinking the potion, the mage's face did not become rosy, but instead became even paler.

Its pale complexion was tinged with an eerie bluish-gray hue, as if life force was draining from its body.

This is the price of forcibly casting spells by overdrawing one's magic power.

His body had reached its limit.

But at this moment, he had no other choice.

Magic began to recover within the mage's body.

The dried-up pool of magic began to ripple again, and the depleted spiritual energy began to gather.

He raised his head and looked ahead.

The Bagula Ape Demon was slowly approaching, each step causing the ground to tremble.

That ferocious face still bore that mocking smile.

In the distance, the lustful demon still hovered in mid-air, looking down at everything.

Her charming smile became even more radiant.

The blue-robed mage felt an overwhelming bitterness in his heart.

When will the reinforcements arrive?

They were deep in the gray forest, less than fifty miles from here.

For a master-level professional, a distance of fifty miles takes less than fifteen minutes.

But can he hold on for this quarter of an hour?

At that moment, Xiuqi's eyes met the gaze of the Desire Demon at the entrance of the checkpoint.

The lustful demon tilted her head slightly, revealing an even more alluring smile on her bewitching face.

Then, she gently raised her hand and pointed towards the edge of the forest.

Six Thorn Demons and two Beard Demons turned around at the same time and pounced on Xiu Qi and the others!

"Defense—!"

Gareth's roar echoed at the edge of the forest.

The level 3 shield-wielding captain immediately raised his shield, strode forward, and stood at the forefront of the group. His eyes were fixed on the charging demons, his face showing no fear, only the calm and determination of a warrior facing a formidable foe.

"Everyone, to your positions!"

Xiu Qi's voice followed immediately, calm, clear, and unquestionable.

He had no time to hesitate, no time to be afraid, and no time to think about anything unnecessary.

Six Thorn Demons and two Beard Demons.

This is the enemy they must face.

Three hundred paces in front of them was the camp where the massacre was taking place.

They have no way out.

"Frontline warriors, hold off the demons!"

Xiuqi's voice was like an ice spike, piercing the chaotic air on the battlefield.

"Cade, Gareth, you two at the front! Hodor, Max, on the left and right flanks! The other three captains, you and your respective teams will cover your positions!"

Without hesitation, Cade stepped forward, shield raised high. The scar on his face looked particularly menacing in the firelight, but his eyes were more resolute than ever.

Gareth stood beside him, his aura as a Level 3 Shieldbearer fully unleashed. The shield in his hand was a size larger than Cade's, its surface engraved with intricate patterns—proof of his years of honing his skills on the brink of life and death.

Ador strode forward, the ogre's massive body like a mobile fortress, blocking the gap on the left flank. Its golden eyes stared at the charging demons, a low growl emanating from its throat—a growl of both anger and excitement.

Max stood on the right flank, the imposing goblin warrior gripping his greatsword tightly, his crimson eyes calmly analyzing the demon's charge. His left shoulder wound had fully healed, and his [Clan Leader] talent was at full power, an invisible aura enveloping the entire group.

The captains of the other three teams also led their members to quickly join the formation.

The squad leader of Squad 13 was a Level 2 Champion Defender. This sturdy man, around three thousand years old, quickly took his position with his three teammates. Most of them were Level 1 professionals, and although their faces showed tension, they were even more eager for battle.

"Middle row players, fill in!"

Xiuqi continued to issue orders.

"Wanderer, intercept any escapees! Druid, have your brown bear flank! Mage, prepare support!"

The squad leader of 25 was a Level 2 roamer. Upon hearing this, the lean, middle-aged man immediately led all the roamers to disperse. Their figures appeared and disappeared in the twilight, ready to launch a fatal attack at any moment.

The leader of Squad 38 was a level 2 druid. The young female druid began to chant softly, and her brown bear companion let out a low growl. Its massive body pressed against Ador's back, filling the last gap in the defensive line.

"Archers in the back row, prepare your silver arrowheads!"

Xiuqi's gaze swept over the archers Allen, Lia, and the archers from the other squads.

"Aim at those Thorn Demons and shoot them first! No arrows are to be fired without my order!"

Captain Allen drew his longbow, a silver-plated arrow nocked. The ranger's eyes were calm as ice, his breathing steady as ever.

Leah stood beside him, her aura as a level 3 ranger completely different from that of a level 1 ranger. She drew three arrows at once, nocked them on the bowstring, and pulled the longbow to its full extent.

Those grey eyes were locked onto a Thorn Demon charging at the forefront, the arrow tip adjusting slightly as it moved.

"Mage, do not cast fire or freezing spells!"

Xiuqi turned to the young mage from Gareth's squad.

"Demons are resistant to fire and cold, so your spells will be much less effective. If you have any copied force field or lightning spells, use them now. If not, prepare support spells!"

The young monk nodded, took a deep breath, and began to chant softly.

He possessed neither a large nor a small number of spells, but he happened to have a first-ring lightning bolt—although its power was far inferior to the blue-robed mage's third-ring lightning beam, it could at least inflict effective damage on thorn demons and beard demons.

"priest!"

Hugh looked at Selena, and a trainee priest who was with the other squad.

"Blessing spell! Now!"

Selena clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and began to chant. A soft white light emanated from her, enveloping the entire group.

Another novice priest chanted at the same time. Although his divine magic was not as proficient as Selena's, the combined effect of the two blessings was enough to make everyone feel a warm current flowing through their bodies.

Exhaustion was dispelled, fear was suppressed, and power surged from the depths of the body.

Everyone was ready.

And all of this—

Less than twenty seconds passed from when Xiuqi gave the order to when everyone was in position.

Twenty seconds.

On the battlefield, twenty seconds can be the difference between life and death.

Twenty seconds ago, they were a chaotic team that had just rushed out of the forest, shocked by the horrific scene before them.

Twenty seconds later, they were a combat force that was ready to fight.

This is an example of an effective team leader's command.