Chapter 258 - 156: The Great War Erupts, The Quintessence of the Wizard Civilization (Part 2)

Chapter 258: Chapter 156: The Great War Erupts, The Quintessence of the Wizard Civilization (Part 2)

A little over a month wasn’t a long time, but with a great war on the verge of breaking out, Pei Ze didn’t know if the current peace could even last that long.

If he could advance to a Second-level Wizard before the war began, his chances of survival would undoubtedly be much higher.

However, reality didn’t unfold as Pei Ze had hoped.

「Star Realm Calendar, Year 14525, June 12th.」

The Turin Army advanced slowly on Red Maple City, assuming an offensive posture.

After a stalemate of nearly two months, the great war finally erupted.

...

「On the boundless plains.」

The countless soldiers of the Turin Army had already formed up for battle.

At the very front were millions of infantrymen. Their leather armor and weapons were non-standard, a clear sign they were private soldiers cobbled together from various noble houses. In the coming war, they would serve as cannon fodder.

Behind them stood the fully armed Sect Knight Order.

These formidable Knights wore fine armor and carried Fine Steel Longswords, their morale high. They were the true main force of the Turin Army.

On the army’s flanks, countless Knights rode Riding Beasts, which resembled horses but had limbs covered in scales.

They were elite cavalry regiments, ready at any moment to use their powerful charge to tear apart the enemy’s formation.

Even more eye-catching, however, were the densely packed Turin War Chariots hovering in the sky above.

Their heavy bronze chassis reflected a cold, metallic glint in the sunlight. On the surface of the carriages, the runes of magical Arrays shimmered faintly, waiting for the command to unleash their prepared Divine Arts upon the enemy ranks.

Among the tens of thousands of Turin War Chariots were over a hundred metallic structures resembling palaces, each emitting extremely powerful fluctuations of divine grace.

The sensation was clear even from dozens of kilometers away.

"Those are the War Fortresses of the Turin People, Alchemy Creations that integrate offense, defense, and mobility."

Annie said softly.

Her appearance had changed drastically. She had transformed into a small bat and was currently perched on Gu Lin’s shoulder.

According to her, it was to avoid attracting attention.

Pei Ze didn’t quite understand why she had come to the battlefield. ’But then again,’ he thought, ’having a High-tier Wizard around means she probably won’t just stand by and watch if we’re in real danger. It’s like an extra layer of security.’ And so, he didn’t press the issue.

"War Fortresses, huh...? Which are stronger, those things or Wizard Towers?" Gu Lin asked curiously, glancing behind him into the distance.

Opposite the Turin Army, the forces of Red Maple City were also arrayed for battle.

At their forefront were the slave regiments, composed of barbarians, Goblins, and other non-human races.

In the middle was the Golem Legion.

Tens of thousands of Golems stood in neat ranks, as still as stone statues, exuding a sense of formidable power.

Over eighty percent of the Golems were Flesh Golems and Clay Golems, but there were also a good number of Stone Golems and Iron Golems.

There was even a Vajra Golem!

This was a powerful Golem whose combat prowess could match a Level 3 Wizard!

A single one could annihilate a fully armed Sect Knight Order in a frontal assault!

And behind the Golem Legion were the Silver Light Legion and the Red Flame Legion.

The former was Chenxi City’s most famous ace legion, while the latter was Red Lotus City’s most powerful elite legion.

These two legions, having fought for years on the front lines of planar conquests, were the elite of the elite.

At a glance, their spears were a forest that blotted out the sun, their armor like mirrors, dazzling to the eye.

On the flanks of the army, cavalry were also arranged in neat square formations.

They were clad in full plate armor, holding lances, with heavy swords at their waists, all mounted on warhorses. Despite the great distance, their imposing pressure could already be felt.

The only force in the entire army that could surpass them in sheer presence was the Witch Hunting Team positioned at the very rear.

A thousand Wizards hovered in the air. They wore no dazzling armor and had no imposing, martial aura. However, the Mental Force Field woven from their countless projected Spirits enveloped more than half the battlefield.

Even the distant Turin People could feel that heavy, oppressive presence.

If the Wizards were the sharp daggers on the battlefield, then the Wizard Towers hovering above the army were the undisputed engines of war.

Over forty towering Wizard Towers stood suspended a thousand meters in the air.

Even from the ground, their colossal, towering forms were clearly visible, seeming to blot out the sun and occupy the entire sky, inspiring a deep-seated feeling of insignificance.

Hearing Gu Lin’s question, Annie chuckled and said languidly, "The War Fortresses of the Turin People are decent Alchemy Creations, but they’re not even in the same league as a Wizard Tower."

"A Wizard Tower is the very essence of Wizard Civilization. A proper one must, at a minimum, be able to withstand an attack from a Nine-Ring Spell. It must also have a stable mana supply, a small-scale Maze Locking Protective Energy Field, ultra-long-range strike capabilities, a built-in Golem Legion, and a Tower Spirit construct as a commander, among other things."

"The resources required to build even the most basic Wizard Tower are worth at least a million Magic Crystal Stones."

Gu Lin gasped.

Pei Ze was also left speechless.

Magic Crystal Stones are a higher tier of energy crystal than Magic Stone Coins, created by refining and condensing large amounts of Magic Stones.

One Magic Crystal Stone is worth one thousand Magic Stone Coins.

A million Magic Crystal Stones... The sheer number, when converted to Magic Stone Coins, was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

"It’s expensive, but a Wizard Tower’s power is worth the price," Annie said.

Pei Ze and Gu Lin exchanged a look, both tacitly agreeing with her statement.

The Wizard Towers of the Wizard Plane were renowned throughout the Multiverse. Countless planar civilizations had already fallen to the bombardment of their cannons.

Their fearsome reputation had long since spread across innumerable planes.

Pei Ze gazed at the colossal towers in the sky, a trace of longing in his eyes.

’If I could have my own Wizard Tower, it would be a huge boon for both my personal strength and my future planar journeys.’

’Unfortunately, to build a Wizard Tower, you have to be at least a Level 4 Wizard.’

’And I’m still a long way from that level.’

After a while, Pei Ze pulled his gaze back and looked around.

He was currently on the right flank of the formation, surrounded mostly by other Free Mages like himself.

All the Free Mages from Red Maple City who had answered the War Order were positioned on the left and right flanks.

This was to be expected. After all, Free Mages like them had no experience fighting in formations. If they were placed in the main battle line, the intense combat could easily lead to a breakdown in coordination and throw the formation into chaos. Placing them on the relatively lower-pressure flanks was the most suitable arrangement.

BRAAAAAW!

The resonant blast of a war horn suddenly rang out, echoing across the plains.

As the sound echoed, the Turin army began to advance slowly, rolling forward like a colossal, unstoppable beast.

At the same time, a deep, resonant voice sounded out above the Red Maple City army.

"Advance!"

The next moment, war drums began to beat from the walls of Red Maple City in the rear.

The army began to move, slowly at first, then gradually picking up speed, surging toward the enemy with the force of a tidal wave.

The two armies crashed into each other like a pair of raging torrents. In an instant, blood splattered and severed limbs were sent flying!

Deafening war cries instantly rose to the heavens!

Looking down from high above, the front lines of both armies had descended into a chaotic melee, a brutal slaughter like a giant meat grinder.

It was as if raindrops of red ink were being splattered onto a sheet of white paper, slowly bleeding outwards. In the blink of an eye, the vast plains were soaked in blood.

Meanwhile, the Turin War Chariots in the sky also began to move forward, accelerating into streaks of light as they charged the Wizard Towers.

The forty-odd Wizard Towers remained motionless. But near their peaks, points of starlight suddenly appeared, expanding rapidly until they became dazzling orbs as bright as the sun.

The next second, countless crimson rays shot out from the orbs, sweeping toward the Turin War Chariots in a dense, overwhelming barrage.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Any Turin War Chariot struck by a crimson ray instantly erupted in a ball of fire.

In a mere moment, hundreds of Turin War Chariots were reduced to scrap metal and fell from the sky.

Only the metallic fortresses managed to defend themselves, conjuring massive shields of ice to block the crimson rays. They immediately counterattacked. With a flash of light, countless Ice Dragons materialized from thin air and charged ferociously toward the Wizard Towers, baring their fangs and claws.

The war instantly escalated to a fever pitch!