873 Everybody“s Trick
In a forest on the border between Sherwell County and Rentato, the bright fog had covered the vast territory, suppressing the sorcerers’ spiritual powers and the knights’ instincts.
In the last years of the elves’ reign, because of the “scheme” of the Will of Abyss, many space gaps appeared on the ground. Some were tiny and disappeared on their own before long, but some further collapsed and connected different floors of the abyss, turning into the channels for the demons’ invasion. Later, thanks to the help of the elven tree, the elves sealed most of the similar cracks. However, space disorder still lingered in some places, and this forest was one of such places. So, it became a good shelter for the sorcerers to hide in.
In a valley deep inside the forest, an “invisible” magic tower was enshrouded in the thick fog. This was a very important base of “Tower of Destroyers”. Thanks to the environment and its mobility, even though the Church knew that plenty of sorcerers were hiding in the forest and sent many people to search, nobody had ever discovered it.
Of course, it was also because the Church was not doing its best. Right when they were tired of searching and was about to erase the forest, the war in the west broke out, and the main forces were mobilized to the front line in Aalto. So, the plan had to be put on hold.
“Cracking (Advanced), plus your ‘Time Stop’, will finish the battle quickly.” At the edge of the valley, Priscilla, who was in a red magic robe, gave Douglas a scroll and looked at Arnold. She said with a faint smile, “It’s very difficult and costly to create the scroll even for me. Old fox, I get to pick the trophies first after the battle.”
Then, she paused and said, “Also, I have offered my ‘Tower of Destroyers’. If the plan fails and it’s destroyed by the Church, hehe…” She had a “you know what I would do” look on her face.
The magic tower, which could move and become invisible, was exactly what Tower of Destroyers was named after. After their headquarters was changed to someplace better and it was no longer useful, it was relocated here.
Fernando couldn’t have seconded the way Priscilla called Arnold more. To this moment, he hadn’t figured out why President Arnold was confident that Sharp would not betray them. Was it only a wild gamble? What an old fox!
Arnold said with a smile, “Although it’s been almost three hundred years since you became an archmage, I am still a senior who watched you grow up. Please show me some respect.”
His evasive answer certainly did not satisfy Priscilla, who snorted heavily. “A senior? Who proposed to me at the beginning only to be refused?”
Ha.
Fernando burst into laughter when he learned the president’s dark history that he did not know. He knew that Priscilla had a husband who was killed by the Church, but he did not know that she was with someone else before!
Blushing, Arnold said, “I was in my prime years back then, not nearly as old as I am right now…”
Priscilla had prepared her own way of escape. So, instead of further pursuing the question, she looked at the servant of death next to Arnold gravely and asked, “Who is this? I can tell that he is strong, but something is not right…”
“He’s my servant of death, a supernatural creature equal to level nine…” Arnold explained again.
“A servant of death. No wonder it gives me the feeling of the dead.” Priscilla nodded in relief. Congus, who was behind them, said coarsely, “Old fox, after the operation succeeds, you have to lend your servant of death to me for a while. It is not normal. Perhaps it contains the mysteries of death.”
Led by Priscilla, everybody called Arnold “old fox”.
“I’ve noticed it too, but I never know why.” Arnold opened his eyes, neither declining nor accepting Congus’ request.
Congus’ eyes flashed. When he was about to continue asking, fat Nielson opened his mouth and said coldly, “Alfonsol is probably coming, and you are still in the mood of chitchatting? Are all the sorcerers of Sylvanas as unreliable as you? In that case, I would have to reconsider the dangerousness of our cooperation.”
“Hehe.” Congus shut his mouth.
Looking at Amanata who stayed in shadow quietly, Priscilla nodded. “According to the news from the south, Kritonia is still after League. So, we will stick to our plan.”
She turned around and flew back to the Tower of Destroyers. After all, Alfonsol would notice something wrong if no sorcerers were inside it.
Nielson and Congus flew in different directions, so far that it was beyond what Alfonsol could search and notice. It was also out of the range for them to reinforce the Tower of Destroyers immediately.
Amanata had long disappeared from the shadow too.
“Fernando, you set up the magic circle and keep this place in a storm, preferably for two hours.” Arnold led Douglas and Fernando into a crypt nearby and completely melted into the shadow with a weird spell.
He speculated that Alfonsol would arrive in one hour because the traitor was given a wrong location, which would mislead the enemy but eventually bring them to this place.
Boom!
Thanks to Fernando’s arrangement, bolts of lightning struck the trees, setting them on fire.
Hualala.
Clouds were gathered, and rain poured, making the place look like the end of the world. Nobody could sense anything.
Arnold was not scared that Alfonsol might discover that the storm was manipulated. After all, this place was an important base of the Tower of Destroyers. It was perfectly normal that such stealth and interference circles had been established.
Time went by one second after another. The Tower of Destroyers, in the storm and the darkness, was more and more like a monster that was about to swallow the world. Arnold and Douglas both remained absolutely calm with the spells such as Mechanized Mind. Fernando, who did not need to attack, looked at the dark forest anxiously. If anything went wrong in the operation, half of the magic organizations in Holm would be paralyzed.
“The target is here…” The blowing wind brought Amanata’s gloomy, unemotional voice.
Even Douglas couldn’t help but stand straight, clutching the scroll of Cracking (Advanced) in his hands.
BOOM!
Several minutes later, a pillar of light enshrouded in fire descended from the sky, illuminated the darkness, and hit the Tower of Destroyers overwhelmingly.
Symbols and patterns glittered around the transparent magic tower, constructing defense magic circles that blocked the pillar of light.
At this moment, an old man in a red robe appeared in the sky. His wrinkled face was full of hate and satisfaction. Around him, several red robes and divine knights were providing protection in battle formation.
In the forest nearby, bishops, reverends, and night watchers in black gloves emerged, blocking the way and killing the hiding sorcerers.
Arnold and Douglas did not attack immediately but waited for the feedback of the other archmages.
“Hiding gold knights detected…” Congus’ voice came first from the storm.
Nielson gave a feedback very soon too. “Several senior-rank night watchers have set up a divine power circle and are ready to activate it at critical moments.”
“There are enemies in the shadow…” Amanata said simply.
“Alfonsol is rather cautious. He has brought more men than we thought. He must’ve planned to counter-ambush the enemy in case of an accident,” Arnold said to Douglas in the telepathic bond. “Let’s do it!”
Far away, Congus, in his glamorous black robe, suddenly flew out from below the ground. The skull glistened in coldness under the bolts of lightning, and his teeth opened, letting out invisible howls.
Wu!
Above the trees, behind the rocks, and in the bushes, clerics and night watchers dashed out, screaming. Their skin began to fester, and their eyes were flashing in redness. They lunged at their companions who were struggling to resist!
After only a brief moment, they had been turned into specters!
In the meantime, skulls rose from the softened mud. Zombies and ghouls declared the arrival of the kingdom of death.
Before the hiding gold knight was able to react, he was already surrounded by the undead!
Congus did not decide to fight with his life. Naturally, he chose his spells accordingly.
On the other side, Nielson also flew out of his shelter, but his appearance had greatly changed. His fat was now tightened, filled with the patterns unique to the frost giants; his left eye popped out, turning into a brown Eye Demon with stubs floating around it; his right eye was gray and dim, and whatever it saw became a stone quickly; and pale tentacles grew out of his head and his body, as if he were a dehydrated octopus.
His mouth collapsed, baring his tusks; his right hand was full of maggots, and the incomplete fingers carried the intense stink of death; his left hand was covered in fish scales, which were mixed with electric arcs; his back had a pair of bat wings that were similar to vampires’; and the lower half of his body turned into four furry horse legs…
He looked like a monster from the worst nightmare!
Dragon breath, bolts of lightning, petrifaction, freezing, death summoning, ray shooting, mind stealing… Even though he was by himself, Nielson charged like a whole army of sorcerers, bringing unimaginable trouble to the night watchers, reverends, bishops, and divine knights. The divine power circle they established in secret was immediately sabotaged.
The clerics and night watchers on other directions were even more intimidated. They heard their companions scream and saw them disappearing into the darkness, but they could not find any enemy!
After Arnold gave the order, Douglas immediately tore apart the scroll of Cracking (Advanced) toward Alfonsol!
Generally speaking, Cracking (Advanced) should be performed after “Time Stop”. However, since Alfonsol was confident to come and destroy the Tower of Destroyers, he was very likely to have brought extraordinary items that could resist the effect of Time Stop. Therefore, Douglas intentionally changed the order.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Under the sudden attack, different lights burst out of Alfonsol’s body, as splendid as fireworks.
He does have items that can resist Time Stop! Douglas keenly sensed it.
At this moment, an enormous shadow appeared before Alfonsol. Arnold’s servant of death, dragging the long scythe, slashed at Alfonsol, forcing him to defend himself with divine power.
The intense fog of death around the servant of death blocked the subconscious attacks of the other red robes and divine knights.
Without any delay, Douglas cast “Time Stop” after the cooldown.
The spell was cast successfully. However, he discovered, to his surprise, that it was not anxiety or panic on Alfonsol’s face, but a casual smile!
