The opening of the rift was as alarming to the Evokers as it was to Lanek. As the tear in reality grew, the gaunt casters began a massive barrage, every single blast aimed at the rift. Despite the energies being flung at it, the rift grew, and a cloven foot finally stepped through.

  Moments later, a pair of clawed hands gripped the edges of the portal and forced it open enough for the rest of the summoned creature's enormous bulk to pass through. Standing in the clearing, seemingly unmoved by the projectiles being launched, was a five-meter-tall creature wreathed in flames.

  At first, Lanek was tempted to refer to the creature as a demon, primarily due to the fire and cloven hooves. However, as Lanek looked more closely, he saw that the creature's torso and face were those of a man. The combination of demonic and human features would have been disturbing if the beast hadn't started swinging its massive arms at the gaunts. Each strike slaying multiple gaunts.

  With the gaunt assault slowed, Lanek took the opportunity to Identify the creature.

  Avatar of Conflagration

  LVL ???

  The Avatar of Conflagration serves as the war form of the Duke of Conflagration, a powerful entity from the Elemental Plane of Fire. This formidable being stands second in power only to the reigning kings of that realm, making it a coveted ally for those who forge a bond with it.

  Those lucky enough to establish a contract with the Duke are granted the ability to summon his war form. However, despite the immense power this Avatar wields, its capabilities are tied to the level of its summoner.

  The Avatar lacks the Duke's intellect and cunning, so the summoner must provide clear orders, much like they would when commanding a lesser elemental.

  The Avatar roared and pushed into the forest, gaunts falling in droves. In moments, the flames enshrouding the Avatar spread to the forest. The brush and trees caught fire and spread rapidly, the growing devastation killing yet more gaunts as the Avatar walked unharmed through the flames. Almost as if in panic, the gaunt Evokers continued to unleash their spells at the Cithrel's summoned creature.

  Lanek smiled as a realization struck. The Evokers were making his job much more straightforward; their focused attacks on the Avatar were working alongside the fire to strip the forest and the gaunt's cover along with it. Even better, since every strike was aimed at the Avatar, it became child's play for Lanek to track each shot to the general vicinity of the Evokers.

  Lanek spotted the first Evoker in moments, unleashing another double shot with Mass Driver. This spell once again proved to be the most formidable attack at his disposal. The Evoker could not react in time and was turned into a bloody mist by the spheres.

  Surprised at the strike's effectiveness, Lanek wondered if the Evokers were running low on mana. The Evoker had not used a shield to protect itself. It may be using all of its mana on offensive spells.

  "How long can you keep the Avatar here?" Lanek called over to Cithrel, his voice rising to be heard over the sounds of battle even as he continued scanning the battlefield for the next Evoker.

  "Not long, " the elf shouted back. It has no set timer; it will return to its own plane when my mana runs dry or I dismiss it."

  Lanek nodded in acknowledgment, watching in satisfaction as the Avatar plowed through the lines of the gaunts. The shrieks of dying gaunts should not have been as pleasant to his ears as they were.

  Meanwhile, with the tide of reinforcements slowed by the Avatar, the front lines were given a much-needed reprieve from the fighting. This allowed the remaining orc warriors to leave the barricade in the hands of the humans and dwarves while they joined Cagan and Malaga. With these seven reinforcements, Liv finally gained the upper hand against the Gliders and Chargers.

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  Over several minutes, Liv and her forces could slaughter the creatures that had entered the camp and secure the breach in the northern wall. However, despite this success, the gaunts were still not finished. A tide of new gaunt variants rushed the main barricade, their incredible speed allowing them to bypass the Avatar.

  The gaunt Impalers leveraged their speed and agility to cross the river quickly, throwing themselves as the defenders with reckless abandon. Heedless of the spears piercing their bodies, the Impalers drove closer, their claws leaving grievous injuries on the defenders.

  The Impalers who managed to reach the defenders were lethal. The spurs of bones extending from their joints allowed them to attack from almost any angle.

  The Impalers had finally accomplished what the lesser gaunts had failed to do: inflict casualties on the front line. Within a few seconds of the clash, several dwarves and humans fell, their crumpling forms causing the rest of the defenders to waver. Despite their training, these were still inexperienced troops.

  Liv and the orcs rushed to prevent the front line from buckling, leaving only Yuri and the surviving archers behind to prevent further incursions from the north. With the bear in position slaughtering those gaunts that reached the shore, the archers could take up position and line up their shots, finally able to pick off the gliders as they approached.

  As much as Lanek wanted to help, he couldn't tear his attention away from the Evokers. He would have to trust that Duristor and Liv could handle the situation. While Lanek discovered another Evoker and blasted it apart, the horde unleashed another surprise on the defenders.

  Emerging from the forest were dozens of Bulwarks, each one towering above the other, leaner variants but still smaller than the Avatar of Conflagration. The massive beasts lumbered toward the Avatar, roaring their challenge. Despite their size, the Avatar had no trouble dispatching one of them with a single strike from its flaming claws.

  Unfortunately, the Avatar would not be able to get away cleanly. While dispatching Bulwarks, the remaining creatures swarmed it, bringing its charge to a standstill. For every one of the Avatar's strikes, it would receive a dozen in return from every side. Little by little, the Avatar began losing ground, the strikes from the Bulwarks putting a massive drain on Cithrel's mana as the Avatar drew from the elf to maintain itself.

  Cithrel adjusted the Avatar's tactics, forcing it to adopt defensive measures to keep it in the fight. The elf knew that allowing the Avatar to fall meant the end for him and his allies. With the flaming creature's distracting presence, the Evokers and Bulwarks could not take the camp apart.

  Over the next few moments, Lanek noticed a change in the flow of battle. The fire from the Evokers was tapering off. While Lanek had managed to kill several Evokers at this point, the fire should not have tapered off so quickly since the Avatar had not reached the Evokers' positions.

  Oh no, Lanek thought. Are they rearranging themselves while the Bulwarks keep the Avatar occupied?

  The last thing they needed was for the Evokers to flank their position and open fire on the barricade. A single volley would likely eliminate every defender clustered at the makeshift gate. Duristor might survive the first attacks, but the rest of the defenders did not have the levels to take that kind of damage. Even those with higher levels, like Liv and Duristor, would likely only be able to tank the first one or two attacks.

  The thought was sobering. The fact that the entire battle hung in the balance was unsettling. Lanek had known that his company was outmatched by the gaunts, but witnessing it firsthand was terrifying. Shaking off these grim thoughts, he decided to take action.

  Lanek contacted Pharaoh, asking the tressym to scout out the battlefield. He didn't want to endanger the cat, but he needed a quick, stealthy, and agile scout to get him information as soon as possible. Lanek hoped that Pharaoh could remain hidden and safe while scouting since his illusions did not affect the Evokers. If nothing else, he was reasonably confident that the tressym was agile enough to evade the relatively slow attacks from the Evokers.

  Shortly after Pharaoh departed, Lanek's eyes were drawn to flashes of greenish light in the forest. Despite his best efforts, he could not make out any details about what was causing these flashes. However, he could discern that wherever the light appeared, so too did the corpses of gaunts.

  Lanek experienced a surge of tension as he considered the potential threats surrounding him. His mind drifted to the worst-case scenarios: Was the Void finally taking decisive action to eradicate both rival forces simultaneously? Alternatively, could this be an entirely new and unforeseen challenge?

  Lanek let out a derisive snort at the notion, the sound escaping his lips like a low, mocking laugh. He could not shake the feeling that finding himself in yet another precarious situation was just his luck. It felt almost comical—he already had more than enough enemies to contend with, each harboring a grudge or a vendetta against him. So why not throw a few more onto the ever-growing list? The idea weighed heavily on his mind, a mixture of frustration and dark humor as he contemplated the chaos that seemed to follow him wherever he went.

  It was getting tiresome, and he feared it would only get worse as he continued his quest and his service to Eldros.