Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
“No way, I will not remove the Seal before the barrier is fully established!” Wen Xia said firmly.
“Don’t be so stubborn. If you don’t get rid of the seal, how are you going to take care of these Rock Monsters? What if everyone in the city is devoured by those monsters?” Mo Fan said.
“Look up,” Wen Xia pointed at the night sky and said, “The moon will reach its peak at midnight, and the same time the barrier is finished. After that, the Barrier will no longer prohibit the Mages in the city from using other Elements. It’s only a few hours from now!”
Mo Fan glanced at the moon hanging in the sky and scratched his head.
A few hours! It might sound easy, but the military and the Magic Association had not expected the Mud Morphing Monsters to sneak into the city. They had placed all their attention on the rampart, which was currently under attack by the Rock Monsters. The city was in a complete mess now. It was impossible for the city to hold on for another few hours!
On top of that, the people in the city were both more concentrated and unorganized. They were easy targets for the Mud Morphing Monsters to increase their experience bars. More Rock Monsters and Rock Generals were going to appear, in addition to the two Black-Silver Rock Demons, not to mention the civilians were already struggling against the Rock Monsters, even though they were the weakest kind!
“If we fail to protect the Barrier Core, there’s no way we can rebuild the city for ten years. The defense of the headquarters cities along the coastline will fall a level without enough stone. If a purple-level disaster occurred, the headquarters cities which we spent so many resources on will cease to exist. The eastern part of our country will be as good as gone,” Wen Xia said.
Mo Fan was startled by her words.
What the heck? Why did she sound like the fate of an elemental capital deep in the mountains was tied to the survival of mankind? Was she exaggerating something?
Wen Xia retained her righteous bearing as a soldier when she saw Mo Fan’s doubtful face. “Perhaps you might think that the odds of a purple-level disaster are extremely low, but that’s no excuse to not care about it. If it does happen, the consequences are unimaginable.”
Mo Fan was left speechless.
It was a moment before Mo Fan finally remembered what he was trying to say. He sounded even less confident, “So there’s no way you will get rid of the Seal before midnight?”
“Exactly!” Wen Xia said firmly.
—
Mo Fan knew he had no chance of convincing Wen Xia after seeing her attitude toward the fate of the world. He had no choice but to wait until midnight, which meant he had to make sure the Barrier Core stayed intact until then.
However, the Mud Morphing Monsters seemed to have picked up the scent of the Barrier Core. They began making their way toward an old structure with a clock tower at the center of the city.
“Please don’t tell me that’s where the Barrier Core is,” Mo Fan sighed.
Wen Xia did not respond to his question, but her reaction had already told Mo Fan the answer.
“Damn it, wait for me!” Mo Fan cursed.
Mo Fan slid down the stairs and followed Wen Xia towards the clock tower. Brown lights were flickering along the streets at times. The city was different since only the Earth Magic was allowed in it. There was no sign of the brilliance of other Elements.
The only problem was, not every Earth Mage’s spells could be used to attack. However, it was too passive for them to keep defending against the Rock Monsters’ outstanding strength. If the tall buildings and the complicated streets had not been providing them some cover, the Rock Monsters would have long broken down the clock tower!
—
Wen Xia quickly jumped up the clock tower. A Battlemaga in a noble’s Magic Coat stood at the top. It was easy to tell she was a Super Mage by her Aura alone.
A bunch of Rock Generals were naively approaching the clock tower, but the Super Mage was constantly manipulating the layout of the city to keep them away.
“Wen Xia, my Gravitational Ring can last until midnight. They won’t be able to climb up the Barrier as long as it’s still working. They can only roam around the building, but the two Black-Silver Rock Demons can use powerful Earth Magic, too. They are weakening my Gravitational Ring, so you will have to take care of them!” the woman stated grimly.
“Teacher, can you hold your ground until midnight?” Wen Xia asked, concerned.
“It’s not like I have a choice. Don’t worry about me, just do as I say!” the woman answered.
“Alright, I’ll be going.”
“Your men will have to stay here. You have to do it on your own,” the woman said.
“Leave it to me!”
A special troop of Battlemages was also stationed up on the clock tower, Advanced Mages on average. Their numbers were not high, but they were quite strong. The place was still intact because of them.
A lot of Rock Monsters had shown up in the city center. The people had finally seen the unusual behavior of the Mud Morphing Monsters. The woman in a magic robe had quickly gathered the majority of the Mages at the clock tower before Wen Xia and Mo Fan had shown up. It was better for the Mages to stick together, and most importantly, to protect the Barrier Core!
The civilian Mages knew there were Advanced Battlemages at the clock tower, and were quick to hang around the clock tower knowing the experts of the Magic Association were there. They managed to form a strong defensive perimeter.
“You, come with me!” Wen Xia did not bring anyone else, but ordered Mo Fan to accompany her instead.
“Are you kidding me now? I’m no different from an Intermediate Mage if you don’t take the Seal off, yet you’re asking me to take care of the Black-Silver Rock Demons with you?” Mo Fan protested.
“You just need to provide me with some support, I’ll take care of the fight. You wouldn’t want the Barrier Core to fall into these monsters’ hands either, right? You still won’t be able to use your other Elements, and the city is going to fall. Once that happens…”
“If the city falls, the eastern part of our country is done for, and the rest of our country will follow too. The entire earth will be in danger… fine, I got it. I simply have the destiny to save the world wherever I go,” Mo Fan scoffed by mimicking Wen Xia’s righteous words.
The truth was, even if the city did fall, the country would still stand and endure through the difficult times. The earth would still spin as usual. They could easily say every incident was tied to the fate of the country!
Wen Xia was angry. She glared at Mo Fan and snapped, “Are you going or not?”
“Of course I’m going. These little creatures have no place in my eyes even when I can’t use my main Elements!” Mo Fan continued in the same righteous vein.
