Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 177 Blood Sacrifice to Seal the Demon, Divine Orphans Clash Between Priest and Mage; Meteor Chases the Moon, A Point of Cold Light Breaks Through the Formation
Seeing this, Marduk understood why Zul'jin insisted on keeping the caravan in its lair when they ambushed it, instead of sending this old man who needed two trolls to carry him even when traveling to ambush others.

Unable to persuade the other party to stay and help, Marduk could only watch as the other party was once again put on a wicker chair and carried back to the troll cave like an old man.

Well then, most of the troll tribe's fighting force is already here, there are more than twenty trolls, including Zul'jin, the two-headed troll leader. How can the trolls lose when they are on top of the enemy?

To be fair, these trolls are a bit stupid, but they are quite competent as allies and henchmen. Their worship of Mara and the one they serve have some connection. The trolls are simple-minded and only care about eating and sleeping. They can be driven to work for us with just a few small benefits. It's a win-win situation.

Following the beacon of Mara's magic, a group of trolls and one person hurried to their target before dawn. According to the beacon, the target had not moved for a long time and must have settled down and set up camp.

While they were still some distance apart, Marduk and Zul'jin discussed and adjusted their formation, resulting in the following:

The brave, powerful, and fearless Zulkin charged ahead;
The cautious, frail clergyman Marduk was in charge of bringing up the rear.

The troll leader, who readily agreed to Marduk's praise, expressed a smile of sympathy for Marduk's weakness.

Marduk, however, didn't care. What was face worth? With so many cannon fodder and thugs, why should he show his face?

As the saying goes, things are unpredictable!

Who would have thought that the convoy, which was expected to be tiny, would actually form a lineup comparable to a small battle group?

And look at those things on the other side—stone golems over three meters tall? How the hell did they even fit into the carriage? Or is there a high-level spellcaster or alter morph mage mixed in with the opposing team?

That other one, also nearly three meters tall, was a huge, spherical figure covered in fat, especially with the stitches all over its body, making it look like a giant whose body had been pieced together and then expanded. It looked like a Frankenstein's monster.

Marduk was already a little uneasy about those two guys, but the house that came into view next weighed on his heart like a heavy stone, making him slow down.

In the middle of nowhere, where would you find a house, especially one made of stone?

Marduk, who had some knowledge, was certain that this was either the effect of Leomon's Sanctuary or the work of some transmutation mage.

Realizing this, the black-robed priest became even more discreet, even secretly casting a Sanctuary spell on himself to erase his presence. Marduk, who had been full of confidence just moments before, now only hoped that his allies could successfully deal with the enemy, so that he wouldn't have to risk stepping forward.

Unfortunately, it backfired.

It's understandable that Zul'jin was suppressed by the opponent's stone golem. After all, without a specific weapon and with no advantage in strength, it's indeed a disadvantage to fight against such a construct with flesh and blood.

However, the opposing team's Frankenstein-like defensive line managed to hold off the trolls' offensive, although this was also related to the terrain, as the relatively narrow terrain limited the deployment of the charging formation.

But that's not why the opponent's mere nine people could withstand the attack of more than twenty trolls.

Marduk, with his exceptional senses, calmly observed for a while and noticed that most of the enemy defenders were covered in inconspicuous but real magical aura. At that moment, the entire battle situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The strange ability unleashed by the stone golem not only directly brought down the troll leader but also turned the entire formation into a breached barrel. The hope of victory, like the water in that barrel, was rapidly and irretrievably drained away.

No longer caring whether he would be exposed to the enemy spellcaster, he unleashed a dispelling spell from his hand, which flashed in the enemy ranks.

The results were remarkable!

The spell was even more effective than Marduk had anticipated; the once impregnable defenses crumbled in the blink of an eye.

But there was no time for pride and joy; Marduk immediately began the next round of spellcasting.

The opponent's momentum is already evident on the front lines, and that potential mage is the biggest uncertainty on the field. However, as long as the next spell takes effect, it will be enough to give the opponent a hard time.

Sealing Magic - Third Ring Divine Art, Domain: Chaos.

Any spellcasting creature affected by this spell will have its spellcasting ability greatly hindered, specifically, when the target attempts to cast a spell, its chance of failure will be significantly increased.

Marduk had it all planned out. Once the magic seal was successful, the next Unholy Strike would land on the enemy's defensive line, completely opening the way to their rear. At that point, neither the enemy's mages nor those wretched archers would have any other fate in the face of the enraged trolls.

If everything could go as planned, there wouldn't be so many tragedies and comedies in the world.

Marduk had just uttered a few syllables when he suddenly felt his blood rushing wildly under the pull of an inexplicable force. The high pressure caused by the blood rushing to his brain made him dizzy and nauseous, almost causing him to lose control of his body.

These symptoms, resembling late-stage hypertension or even stroke, were naturally the work of a blood demon under the command of a certain unscrupulous mage. After being suddenly struck like this, it was difficult for him to even stay conscious, let alone chant. Naturally, his prepared sealing magic failed.

Marduk, who did not understand the mechanism of the spell, felt its effects deeply. Instinctively feeling that it was the magician in the shadows who had made the move, he hurriedly tried to retreat and wait for the effects of the spell to subside before making any further plans.

Just then, Zhang Yuan's powerful sleep spell enveloped the area where he was, and a wave of dizziness washed over him, making his already throbbing head even more uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Marduk, being a priest, possessed an exceptionally strong mental perception, which allowed him to be exempt from the spell's effects. However, when he gritted his teeth and looked up, he discovered that the trolls that had been blocking his way had all fallen to the ground, with only a handful still able to stand.

"Oh no!" Marduk felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he was completely exposed to his opponent. In this situation, continuing to fight would be unwise. He wanted the remaining trolls to cover him, but apart from the leader and the old priest, the other trolls couldn't understand Common Tongue at all.

Language barriers can be deadly!
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he was about to cast the only small protective spell he had today. This spell, which was originally meant as a precaution, had now become his lifeline. He didn't know whether to be grateful for his thorough preparations or to lament his bad luck of being watched by Bensaba.

Just then, an arrow shimmering with starlight and moonlight traversed the entire battlefield, piercing through the trolls' sparse formation, and flew like a streak of light.

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(End of this chapter)