It wasn't obvious at first, probably because the Tribe of Death was trying to hide it, but there was a pattern to the way their mages used magic. And it would have been impossible to notice if the battle was any more chaotic. But since it was a simple game of attacking and defending, where the Tribe of Death attacked and the Alliance of Kingdoms defended, General Scoll saw the pattern.
At first, he only sensed that something was a little off with how the Tribe of Death used magic. He couldn't put his finger on it, but his instincts were telling him that something strange was happening.
But General Scoll eventually noticed what it was.
The more powerful spells and magic all came from the same points. There were about five spots around the battlefield, and they moved around constantly, which made it harder to notice. However, every time a significantly powerful magical attack came flying, the others that followed it came from nearly the same place.
It could have been because the Tribe of Death's skilled mages were grouping up and moving through the ranks to avoid getting targeted and counterattacked. Since powerful mages capable of casting spells destructive enough to decimate the enemy are a must-eliminate type of threat, it made sense to keep them safe by obscuring their positioning.
However, the Alliance of Kingdoms and their allies were all focused on defense. It would be a lot more worth it if the Tribe of Death flaunted their mages and let them concentrate on showing off their firepower instead of shuffling them around like playing cards. It would allow them to display their full offensive capabilities while also baiting the humans into initiating an attack, which was what the Tribe of Death wanted and would gain the most from doing.
There was also the fact that the spells themselves weren't rare or something that required a capable mage. They were just strong. As if they had been strengthened or improved by something.
So rather than powerful mages moving around, it could be some kind of power source that supplied the demons with demonic energy. The power sources allowed a few demons at a time to strengthen their spells and magic as they attacked the humans' barriers.
That in itself wasn't weird. The humans also had items to help them cast magic or mana potions to help them restore their mana.
But there was one key difference between the human forces and the Tribe of Death's forces. At least the ones with the death attribute.
The Fountain of Death that supplied them with near-endless demonic energy.
With the Fountain of Death on their side, the Tribe of Death didn't have to worry about running out of demonic energy, no matter how much magic they used. It might not inherently strengthen their magic the same way the power sources being passed around did.
But the death mages had to hold back on how much demonic energy they used if they didn't have the Fountain's supply, which would end up with them using weaker attacks to conserve their demonic energy. So the power sources that General Scoll guessed were Chalices of Death didn't do much except restore the power of the Tribe of Death's spells to the same level as what they would have unleashed if the Fountain of Death had been active.
However, the Chalices of Death did something else as well, something not directly related to their combat ability. They made it look like the Tribe of Death was still using the Fountain of Death.
General Scoll rubbed his chin with his thumb as he looked at their enemies with a thoughtful expression. It could be a trap. The Tribe of Death could be counting on them noticing this abnormality and assuming that the mission aiming to destroy the Fountain had been a success, even if the people executing the mission didn't return.
General Scoll would have placed such a trap if he had been in that position, especially with the looming mana storm. If it was a trap and they fell for it, the Alliance of Kingdoms could potentially be running face-first into their demise and the end of the war.
But General Scoll couldn't decide whether he had seen through the Chalices of Death because he was meant to see through it. Or because it was a hasty solution to the problem that was the loss of the Fountain of Death.
It could either be a trap or a way for General Scoll to increase the chances of winning and with fewer sacrifices to boot.
However, he didn't have enough information to make a decision just yet. And although the human troops were beginning to reach the end of their ropes, they could hold out for a while longer with a little help, which might give General Scoll enough time to come to a decision.
"Potion run!"
With a short-term plan of action, General Scoll barked out an order. And following that order, a group of sprinters armed to the teeth with spatial storage items took off.
As they ran through the battlefield at incredible speeds, the sprinters shoved mana, stamina, and health potions into the mouths of everyone they came across.
The combatants had their own spatial storage items and carried their own potions in case of emergency. But they also had to have backup equipment in case their weapons or armors broke. And in the middle of a battle, it was easy to lose or break a ring or bag.
However, there would be no risk of losing the potions if they were protected behind the backlines. And when it was time to use them, people who perfected the art of speed were tasked with delivering the potions.
With the supply of potions, the combatants reinforcing the barriers could restore some mana while also relieving some fatigue and nursing their wounds. They still had to be careful of shields breaking and attacks coming their way. But no one was stupid enough to let down their guard just because they got a few potions. If anything, the opposite happened.
Thanks to the potions, the frontline combatants were sharper than ever.
General Scoll didn't even look at his own troops as his gaze was focused on the enemy.
"Come on. What do you do now?"
