When all the orders were carried out, and the wall of shields was completed, the guards who were proficent in magic started launching a probing bommardment on the incoming metal monsters. The display of various kind of elemental missiles was needed to discover what element was the most effective against the incoming horde.

- Stop! Check for results!

The voice of the temporary commander echoed when the visual of the monsters was lost, due to the various magic's after effects, but what appeared after the air cleared made almost everyone swallow. Out of the many shoot only the one of the water and ice element seemed to have some effects on the metal swarm. Some of the insect-like monster had scorch marks from the fire, other were covered in dirt from the rocks that hit their main body, and the one hit by wind were only lightly scratched. The only ones that staggered and were even more slow that the others were the ones that received the water and ice hits.

- @#$%... Mages, only water and ice attacks! Shields, advance we need all the terrain we can gain now! Second row, if rocks shooted by magic had no effect I doubt the spear will have any, switch to heavy equipment and hit their legs, if you can push the @#£$%& into the sea below. The shields bearer near the sides will try to do the same! Let's go!

While the front line rushed forward the metal creature seemed unfazed by all that was happening, and continued their slow but incessant advance. Even when they finally clashed with the guards's shields they only tried to push forward, even when the improvised fight strategy started to decimate their numbers they seemed like a machine that know only one instruction.

- Good! Continue like this! Mages attack the ones closer to the origin, try to clog them, first and second row keep on smashing and pushing!... Even is they sunk in the water we can always recover them later... with all this metal I can finally retire and live like a rich, send the twins to the academy...

While the encouraging shouts of the leader reached everyone his mutterinf about his wild delusions were heard only by the one closest to him. They already knew his desire to retire from active duty, he never really tried to hide it, but what started to worry them was the fact that, while he seemed to see the monster only as profit, their numbers keept on increasing at a constant ritm. Sure, the strategy was working for now, but in a battle of attrition the monster was surely going to win.

After a while a small hill of monster's scrap metal formed into the shallow water surrounding the pier, and the guards, especially the first row, startes giving the first signs of fatigue. Even if they periodically took some distance, after pushing together to stagger the enemy, and switched roles between rows, the mental stress of confronting a seemingly endless number of enemies took his toll on all of them.

In the end, after even the magic barrage started to became sparse, the guard closest to the leader managed to convince him to let go of his greed and retreat.

- @#%&! We really are going to get overwhelmed like this, they pushed us almost on land, fine we will retreat and try to regrup at camp in front of the ruin. Mages, stop the attack, if you have any mana left start boosting the speed of as much people as you can! Front line, at my signal we will give a last push to hinder them as much as possible! ... and let's pray that regrouping we can solve this mess...

Every mage started to switch thai magic from attack to enhance, but this time nobody was able to hear the leader's prayer. When they signaled that their work ended the retreat order was given, while the shields bearer pushed two steps forward, this time helped by the second row, all the other personnel started running uphill torward the main camp, soon followed by everyone else.

So finally the metal monster were unhindered in their mindless advance.

While the fight was still unfolding the messenger arrived at the camp and was escorted to the commander's tent were another battle, albeit a verbal one, was still taking place.