Chapter 180: Retreat?

Chapter 180: Retreat?



The battlefield was in chaos, with smoke and debris clouding the air. Valeria remained crouched behind the stone formation, her senses heightened as she listened for the next whistle of incoming artillery from the human gunship. The sky had become her enemy, and she knew better than to underestimate the humans' precision.

Telus, on the other hand, seemed completely unwilling to accept the danger they were in. His blood shield flickered with dark energy as he stubbornly tried to reestablish his dominance over the battlefield. The wave of blood magic that surged upward, twisting and writhing, reached high into the sky but never came close to touching the AC-130. It was a futile display of power, one that Valeria knew would only cost them time.

"Telus!" Valeria snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. "You're wasting your energy! That thing is too far-"

Before she could finish, another round fired from the AC-130's 40mm Bofors cannon exploded nearby, sending a shockwave through the battlefield. The force sent both Telus and Valeria staggering back, though Telus's shield absorbed the brunt of the impact. Valeria, however, knew they couldn't keep this up. The humans were picking their targets carefully, and it wouldn't be long before they landed a direct hit.

Telus wiped dust and debris from his face, his eyes wild with fury. "I won't be beaten by something I can't see!" he snarled, slamming his hands into the ground. Blood erupted from the fallen dwarves and spread out in all directions, forming a gruesome barrier around him. "Let them try again! I'll tear their flying fortress apart!"

Valeria gritted her teeth. "You're blind to the reality of this battle! This isn't about brute strength!" She scanned the sky again, knowing the humans had the upper hand. She had seen this before-felt the devastating power of their aerial bombardment firsthand. Telus's

arrogance would get them killed if they didn't act soon.

"Spooky-1, this is Alpha Actual, targets are still mobile. They seem to be trying something new," came a voice through the comms within the AC-130. The crew was watching the erratic movements of Telus's blood magic but remained cautious. Despite Telus's powerful display, the human soldiers knew that all it would take was another well-placed round to neutralize him.

"Roger that, Alpha Actual. Repositioning for another strike," replied the gunship's

commander, his hands steady on the controls. The crew was puzzled by the demons' strange movements but remained focused. They had already taken down one of the Demon King Generals, and they weren't about to let the others escape.

As the AC-130 banked to make its next pass, Valeria knew they had seconds at most before the next attack. She could hear the faint hum growing louder, the unmistakable sound of the massive gunship preparing to fire again. "Telus!" she shouted, her patience wearing thin. "They're going to fire again. Get out of the open!"

But Telus was consumed by his rage. He channeled more energy into his blood barrier, ignoring Valeria's warning. His pride wouldn't let him retreat, not after seeing Morgath fall so easily. "Let them come!" he roared, his eyes glowing with malevolent energy. "I'll destroy them all!"

Valeria, realizing there was no getting through to him, cursed under her breath. She had no choice. She had to survive, and if Telus wasn't going to listen, then she'd have to rely on her own instincts. Without wasting another second, she darted to the nearest cover, her body moving swiftly between the rocks as the sky roared again.

The AC-130 unleashed another volley. This time, the 105mm howitzer round hit its mark perfectly, slamming into Telus's blood barrier with an ear-splitting explosion. The blast sent a shockwave through the air, and the once-impenetrable barrier of blood magic shattered like glass, raining crimson droplets across the battlefield. Telus, caught in the heart of the explosion, was thrown back violently, his body slamming into the ground with bone- crushing force.

Valeria, from her vantage point behind the rocks, watched as Telus struggled to get up. His blood shield had been obliterated, and he was visibly weakened. His defiance, however, was still burning bright in his eyes.

"No... I won't fall... not to these insects!" he gasped, trying to summon more magic, but his body refused to cooperate.

The AC-130 circled overhead, preparing for another strike. Valeria knew they wouldn't stop until both she and Telus were eliminated. She glanced at Telus, who was now on his knees, still trying to fight. It was clear he wouldn't survive another hit, not with the gunship still looming above them.

With a cold, calculating gaze, Valeria made her decision. "Telus, you're done. We need to regroup and reassess this fight."

Telus's head snapped toward her, his expression twisted with anger and disbelief. "I... I can still fight!"

stop until we're

dead."

Valeria didn't respond immediately. Her focus was on survival, and she knew Telus's pride

was still bruised from their earlier encounter. "Let them try," she finally said, her voice

steady. "But we won't be caught out in the open again."

The narrow mountain paths provided cover from aerial strikes, and Valeria was using every advantage the terrain could offer. They needed to regroup and rethink their strategy. The humans had proven to be more formidable than Telus had expected, and underestimating them again would be a fatal mistake.

As they moved, Telus growled under his breath, his fingers twitching with the desire to unleash his blood magic once more. "If only I had been at full strength-"

Valeria cut him off sharply. "If you had been at full strength, you'd still be dead if you didn't learn to adapt. The humans fight differently. We're not used to their kind of warfare, but that doesn't mean we can't find a way to beat them."

Telus grunted, his anger barely held in check. "And what do you suggest? Running? Hiding in these rocks while they bomb us from above?"

Valeria stopped, turning to face him. "No. We draw them into a place where their air support

can't reach us. The dwarven tunnels might be filled with their kind, but they offer us a better

chance than standing out here, waiting to be blasted to pieces."

Telus considered her words, his jaw clenched tight. "You think we can take them on

underground?"

Valeria nodded. "It's where we have the advantage. Their airships won't be able to target us,

and we can use the narrow passages to trap and kill them one by one. Morgath might have been the weakest of us, but we don't make the same mistakes."

Telus, despite his pride, couldn't argue with her logic. "Fine," he muttered. "But I want to

tear them apart myself."

Valeria's eyes narrowed. "You'll get your chance, but not like this. We fight on our terms

now."