Chapter 10: Is This What It Means to Be a Wizard?

Chapter 10: Is This What It Means to Be a Wizard?

The Blackstone Mine is located southwest of Blackstone City, consisting of over a dozen mines spread across a vast area. The shallower veins have been dug out, leaving the surrounding hillsides hollow and forming a concave valley. Looking into the valley, one sees vast stretches of reddish-gray and leaden-black rocks.

The valley is filled with mine carts and tracks, evidence of the substantial resources the former lord invested in developing this area. Unfortunately, after several decades, the place has become a desolate and abandoned wasteland, with the carts and tracks covered in rust.

Kai and Su Nan stood side by side at the entrance, surveying the interior. Behind them were over a dozen knights and a hundred soldiers. Due to the importance of the Blackstone Mine, Kai had mobilized nearly half of Blackstone City's military forces.

Of course, the regular soldiers wouldn't play a significant role in this operation. Their primary tasks were to secure the retreat route and ensure the logistics were in place. The real combat force consisted of Su Nan, Kai, and the dozen knights.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Jodan glanced at the dark, ominous mine entrance, his voice laced with worry. "The veterans say those Iron Devourers are incredibly strong. With our limited numbers, isn't this too risky?"

The other knights exchanged uneasy glances. To be honest, they were all surprised when Lord Kai announced his plan to clear the Blackstone Mine of the Iron Devourers. The situation at the Blackstone Mine was well-known in the city, and they had heard the stories.

Apparently, several previous lords had attempted to resolve the issue but failed, losing many men in the process. Over time, no one bothered with the Blackstone Mine anymore.

No one expected Kai to suddenly decide to reopen it. If it weren't for Lord Su Nan's assurance that he had a plan to deal with the Iron Devourers, they would have opposed the idea outright. Even now, many were still uneasy.

"Jodan, if you keep undermining our morale, I'll make sure you go a month without any alcohol when we return," Kai warned, glaring at him.

Jodan flinched and fell silent. He was a lover of fine wines and spirits, and the thought of going a month without a drink was almost unbearable.

Seeing Jodan fall in line, Kai turned back to the mine entrance, his own heart racing with apprehension. He had never seen an Iron Devourer before, and if these creatures were even more dangerous than the veterans described, they were in for a rough time.

However, a glance at Su Nan gave him the confidence to push forward. He chose to trust his brother and kept his concerns to himself.

Su Nan adjusted the scale armor he wore. It was the only piece of scale armor in Blackstone City, more valuable than a complete set of fine steel armor. Originally, it belonged to Kai, but he had insisted that Su Nan wear it, even giving him a longsword. Despite Su Nan's poor sword skills, it was better than nothing.

"Let's go!"

At Kai's command, the group lit their torches and entered the mine, leaving the soldiers to guard the entrance. The shallower veins of the Blackstone Mine had been completely mined out, and several deep shafts had been dug to reach the deeper layers.

The mine tunnels crisscrossed through the rock layers, with oil lamps hanging on the walls every few hundred meters. However, the oil inside had long since evaporated.

A knight poured oil from a leather flask into one of the lamps and lit it. Soon, the mine shafts were illuminated by a series of flickering flames, casting light and shadow in a winding path that guided their way forward.

As they ventured deeper, the group slowed their pace. The underground tunnels were uneven and poorly lit, and a misstep could result in a nasty fall. Even though the knights were physically strong, none wanted to end up with a face full of dirt.

The silence was oppressive, broken only by the sound of their footsteps and breathing. The cold, lifeless underground was enough to make anyone feel a chill down their spine.

After a while, the rock walls began to change. One of the knights approached the wall with his torch, and in the light, they could see a layer of dark, cold black covering the surface.

"It's Blackstone Iron Ore!" Jodan's eyes lit up.

No one needed him to say it; everyone could see it clearly. The group became even more cautious as they approached the unmined veins ahead.

The miners from back then likely encountered the Iron Devourers ahead, which forced them to halt their mining operations.

This meant they were about to face their target.

And indeed, their suspicions were correct.

After walking about four to five hundred meters, everyone soon heard a rustling sound coming from ahead, as if something was slithering along the ground.

"Be on your guard! Prepare for battle!" Kai said in a low, stern voice.

The group raised their weapons, their expressions grim as they stared into the darkness ahead.

Soon, feline creatures emerged from the shadows.

They gracefully stepped into the light of the torches, their gray-gemstone eyes fixed on the intruders before them.

Iron Devourers! Exactly as depicted in the illustrations Su Nan had seen.

More and more Iron Devourers appeared from the darkness, and a quick count revealed over ten of them. Beyond the boundary of light, several pairs of glowing eyes flickered in the shadows.

The dozen or so Iron Devourers formed a loose semicircle, surrounding the group.

"These beasts have quite the appetite. Looks like they want to keep us all here!" Knight Brade growled, gripping his massive steel shield tighter.

He was the second strongest knight in Blackstone City, just a step away from becoming a High Knight. Standing at two meters tall, Brade was known for his shield skills and was a renowned warrior in battle.

Upon seeing the Iron Devourers up close, Brade could sense that their strength did not exceed that of a Novice Knight, which eased his mind considerably.

"If that's the case, it's actually a good thing. We just have to worry about them running away," Kai added, relaxing slightly.

With over a dozen Novice Knight-level monsters, their group was well-equipped to handle the situation.

The question was how to keep the Iron Devourers from escaping.

Reality didn't give them much time to think. The Iron Devourers quickly launched their attack, leaping at the group with fierce determination!

The battle erupted instantly, and the tunnel was soon filled with the sounds of metal clashing!

Brade raised his shield and smashed an Iron Devourer away, sending it flying over ten meters to crash into the rock wall, sending a shower of dust down.

However, the Iron Devourer simply shook its head and continued its charge, as if nothing had happened.

Brade's brow furrowed in concern.

On the other side, the knights were also engaged in a fierce struggle.

The Iron Devourers' bodies were incredibly resilient; even sword strikes infused with battle aura could only leave faint cracks.

Only Kai, as a High Knight, could inflict noticeable damage.

If not for the narrow tunnel restricting the Iron Devourers' movements, making it difficult for them to use their speed and agility, the fight would have been even more challenging.

The battle was not as easy as they had anticipated, and it quickly turned into a stalemate.

At this moment, Su Nan took action.

He muttered strange syllables and pointed his hand. Instantly, a basketball-sized blob of acid materialized at his fingertips and shot forward, hitting one of the Iron Devourers square in the face.

Sizzle!

A thick, acrid smoke rose from the Iron Devourer's face, and it began to roll on the ground, trying to rub off the corrosive liquid.

There are no weak offensive spells.

Even though the acid splash was a zero-level spell, its corrosive power was more terrifying than aqua regia.

A single egg-sized blob of acid was enough to completely dissolve an adult human, leaving no trace!

Despite the Iron Devourer's incredibly tough body, a direct hit to a vital area was no small matter!

Splat!

A figure darted forward, striking the Iron Devourer's wounded face with a sword. With a burst of force, the Iron Devourer's head exploded, and its headless body fell to the ground with a thud.

Kai sheathed his sword and glanced at Su Nan in surprise.

The other knights also wore expressions of shock.

They had personally experienced how tough the Iron Devourers' bodies were, as strong as true Blackstone Iron.

Yet, in just a few breaths, a significant portion of an Iron Devourer's head had been corroded away!

What terrifying power!

If a flesh-and-blood creature were to be hit by such an attack, what would happen?

Just thinking about the scene made everyone's scalp tingle!

This is what it means to be a wizard!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end