"It's something costly..."
The training cost for an elven mage is three hundred magic crystals. That meant he had to kill at least five hundred dark forest creatures to nurture a single elven mage.
On the other hand, the cost of an elven hunter was almost twice that of a mage and several times higher than that of an elven swordsman. If it weren't for the knowledge he had gained from the World Tree, Thranduil would have wondered why the difference.
But the real reason is that whether it's a mage or a hunter skilled in exterminating ancient creatures, either one surpasses the strength of other troops.
An elven hunter was similar in strength to a warlock, one created by man primarily as a professional monster slayer to protect humanity from the creatures that infested the land and against which humans were not equipped to fight.
With these troops, Thranduil could stop sending his main army to hunt monsters, leaving that task to the hunters, who would be experts.
Whether it's the elven mage or the hunter, their strength must surpass that of the elven swordsman and the elven archer. After all, it is an upgraded military profession.
Thranduil trained a mage and a hunter respectively and planned to look at their information panels before deciding how to train them specifically.
In no time, the selected elves stood beneath the Tree of War, and within seconds they received their gifts.
The life magic transformed the clothes of these elves, starting with the mage, who received golden robes and a long staff similar to the one Thranduil always carried.
The other elf, the hunter, looked even more majestic as nature granted him a creature he could ride—a giant leopard.
The Mountain Leopard is a high-level magical beast with extremely strong talents and magical abilities.
No wonder the training costs are so high. Buying one and getting another free is also well worth it.
…
"[...
Army of the Solar Elf King.
[Elven Swordsman]:
Level: High Rank
[Innate Skills]: Strong Slash, Enhanced Speed.
[Description]: Elven swordsmen possess vast combat experience and master fencing with great skill. Furthermore, their elven swords are extremely sharp and cut through iron like mud.
[Elven Archer]:
Level: High Rank.
[Innate Skills]: Powerful Attack, Long-Range Shot.
[Description]: Elven archers are famous. Each one of them has the ability to hit the mark every time. Even the fastest birds can barely dodge the arrows released from their fingers.]
[Elven Mage]
Level: High-Level Mage
[Skills]: Enchantment, Wisdom.
[Description]: Elven mages are an extremely powerful profession. Their magical power is enough to strike fear into enemies on the battlefield.
[Elven Hunter]
Level: High-Level Hunter.
[Innate Skills]: Speed, Hawk Eye, Trap Specialization.
[Description]: As extremely professional hunters, elves can annihilate their monstrous enemies without anyone noticing. The hawks they train through their innate skill can easily locate enemy positions.
[Royal Elven Guard]
Level: Very High Rank.
[Innate Skills]: Perfect Archers, Swordsmen, Martial Arts Experts.
[Description]: The royal elven guard are powerful warriors with thousands of years of combat experience. Those who form it fought in the last war against humans and made a vow to protect the Solar King in order to preserve the future of the elven race.
…]"
"Just as expected from an upgraded unit!"
Not counting the elven mage. As a type of soldier that possesses area-of-effect abilities, their role on the battlefield is clear.
The powerful high-level magical abilities can definitely make the enemy feel unimaginable pain.
As for the hunter, it is known to be even stronger. The initial level was as high as a warrior at peak performance, rivaling the best warlocks.
Most importantly, the mount of the elven hunter, the Mountain Leopard, is also a high-level magical beast that is not easy to tame.
No wonder the training costs as much as five hundred energy crystals.
If you think about it, it's actually cheap!
"Elven hunters, thanks to their connection with magical alcohols, can detect enemies from great distances. They are perfect for avoiding enemy ambushes." Thranduil was in a good mood.
He then calculated how many elven mages and hunters he could train.
Originally, he had around 60,000 energy crystals. After his previous operation, only about 31,000 remained.
"Half and half."
Upon making that decision, a squad appeared in front of Thranduil.
Fifty elven mages consumed fifteen thousand magic crystals. Thirty-two elven hunters consumed sixteen thousand energy crystals.
It may seem like a small number, but it really isn't.
With more than 30,000 crystals, if they were used to train elven swordsmen and archers, more than 600 could be trained. And the number of elven mages and hunters combined was less than 100.
"Although these two elven professions are powerful, the elven swordsman and archer cannot be ignored. Each branch of the army has its own role."
"The elven swordsman can serve as the front line, protecting the long-range troops in the rear on the battlefield."
"The rain of arrows from the elven archers is also a powerful weapon for killing enemies. The most important thing is that the Elven Swordsman and Elven Archer are cheap to train!"
"That's why if I want to complete the tasks assigned by the system as soon as possible, I must train more elven swordsmen and archers!" After thinking about it, Thranduil looked up to see his new troops.
"Praise be! Your Majesty, the great Elven King!" A group of elven mages and hunters gathered and saluted Thranduil respectfully.
They have different ways of saluting. The elven mage held his magical staff to his chest and bowed his head toward his king.
The elven hunter kneeled on one knee before Thranduil.
At the same time, his magical pet, the swift leopard, also crawled along the ground and bowed obediently.
As advanced magical beasts, they already possess intelligence.
"Raise your heads, dear children of the Tree of Life." Thranduil raised his hand.
His eyes scanned each new soldier who had received their abilities.
Haldir, as commander of the elven forces, began assigning tasks to be completed that night.
Now with mages available, he assigned them the task of continuing to build homes in the high trees for all the elves.
Then the other thousand elves were divided into twenty teams, and each team was guaranteed to have one or two elven hunters.
For night hunting, the use of hawks was extremely useful.
Now having teams that could scout from above, the ground team no longer had to worry about being attacked by monsters or undead creatures.
If a strong enemy approached, the elves could also evacuate the battlefield quickly.
After dinner, the elves gathered and departed one after another. They continued hunting in the ruins surrounding the plaza, but the hunting territory could be expanded accordingly; after all, the team had grown stronger.
Following Haldir's instructions, each elf carried a vial of the Water of Life taken directly from the lake by the fairies.
The fairies had prepared vials made from tree eyes, and each elf received one before going out to hunt.
It is worth mentioning that the effect of the Water of Life is truly powerful. The elves who were injured during the day recovered quickly after drinking it, and even their magical power increased slightly.
This is only low-level elf spring water.
It's hard to imagine how amazing the effects of higher-quality elf spring water or even the sacred Water of Life must be.
…
After the elves went out to hunt, Thranduil checked the tasks issued by the system.
Now he had two tasks that hadn't been completed. One of them was to have ten thousand soldiers in his army.
The other was to clear a part of the kingdom, which was progressing more each day.
If he could complete the latter, he could obtain the Temple of Gifts, which would enhance the strength of the elves.
"Even if we can't finish it tonight, we can do it tomorrow since the mages can find alternatives!" Thranduil was very interested in the Temple of Gifts.
Just by reading the name, it was clear that this building must have an extraordinary function.