Chapter 112: The War of Shared Minds

Chapter 112: The War of Shared Minds

"Join the war?"

Su Nan was taken aback by Amy's relayed message.

Without hesitation, he refused.

No way! His place wasn't a school for dark wizards, and he certainly didn't believe in weeding out the weak through fierce competition.

He had worked hard to train a competent apprentice; why would he let him die on the battlefield?

If they wanted more contribution points, they could simply complete more tasks.

Of course, Su Nan didn't intend to raise his students like delicate flowers in a greenhouse.

But if they wanted to gain experience, they could wait until they advanced to the Second-Class Wizard Apprentice and had some self-defense capabilities.

After sending Amy back with his response, Su Nan turned to continue his work.

After fusing the twenty-five divine blood ambers from the last gathering, his meditation efficiency had skyrocketed once again.

Now, he could gain an average of over 3,800 proficiency points every day while practicing the Star Ring Meditation Technique.

The progress was nothing short of miraculous! He only needed about ten thousand more proficiency points to upgrade his technique.

According to Su Nan's estimates, he would be able to construct the twelfth star ring next month, bringing him one step closer to becoming a full-fledged wizard.

His spell learning and silent casting training were also progressing steadily.

Most of his remaining time and energy were devoted to mass-producing constructs.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was the month of Flowing Fire (July).

He successfully constructed the twelfth star ring and attended the fifth gathering at the Forest Hut.

Unfortunately, Black Forest didn't attend, so the promised puppet design plans were still missing.

Su Nan only purchased some rare metals and three micro soul crystals before the gathering ended.

So far, all the micro soul crystals he had acquired from the gatherings were used to refine steel golems.

By now, Su Nan had twelve steel golems at his disposal.

He left three steel golems to guard his base, one to guard the second magic plant garden, and the remaining eight were stationed at the first camp.

It wasn't until the month of Autumn Veil that Su Nan was ready to launch his war.

At the first camp, Su Nan took a deep breath as he surveyed the neatly arranged puppet constructs before him.

There were eight steel golems, twelve elite stone golems, eight hundred stone golems, and fifty dual-blade puppets.

This army was formidable enough to sweep through any earldom or weaker marquessate on the surface.

Now, it would be used to take down the city-state of the Sphinxes, showing just how seriously Su Nan took this.

To build this puppet army, Su Nan had invested all the profits from his mines this year and even secured a large sum from the Flashing Territory.

His cash flow was now completely depleted.

But thinking about the seven ore veins surrounding the Sphinx city-state, he felt that the current investment was worth it.

"Too bad time was short. If I had another six months, I could double the size of my puppet army and take down the Sphinx city-state even more easily."

Su Nan had originally planned to delay the war to prepare more thoroughly.

However, in the past half-month, the Sphinxes had sent spies to investigate the cave.

They were extremely cautious and withdrew immediately upon discovering the elite stone golems, unaware that they had already triggered a magical alarm, and all their actions were known to Su Nan.

Su Nan estimated that the Sphinx city-state was eyeing this entrance and might strike soon.

Instead of waiting for them to attack and fighting a defensive battle, he decided to strike first and catch them off guard.

Collecting his thoughts, Su Nan stored all the puppet constructs in the cube and entered the cave.

At the lookout point, he stopped and the air beside him warped, revealing the massive and fearsome body of Hidden Dragon.

"Be careful. Once the fight starts, I might not be able to look after you."

Su Nan cast a Levitation Spell on Hidden Dragon and gave him a final warning.

"Roar!"

Hidden Dragon let out a low growl in response.

Since evolving into a sub-dragon, its roars had become more dragon-like, low and filled with a sense of dominance and authority.

Su Nan smiled, activated his Invisibility Cloak, and vanished instantly.

Hidden Dragon also disappeared into the air.

The two quickly emerged from the stalactites and hovered in mid-air.

To their surprise, the usually empty lake was now swarming with bat-like creatures, each carrying a Sphinx with a curved blade.

In the distance, in front of the rebuilt city walls, large numbers of goblins, lizardfolk, and ogres were being herded to form ranks along the lake shore, their shouts echoing continuously.

Beside them, the Sphinx army was ready, orderly and coldly menacing.

"This is it."

Su Nan's eyebrows arched, and a playful smile spread across his face.

He hadn't expected the Sphinxes to be so in sync with his plans, choosing the same day to launch their war.

This worked out perfectly; he wouldn't have to deal with a siege.

A direct confrontation on open ground would favor his golem constructs.

A glint of determination flashed in his eyes as he slowly flew forward.

The Sphinxes were completely unaware of the uninvited guest in their territory, still perched on their bat-like mounts, awaiting orders.

On the city walls, three half-snake, half-human Sphinx nobles looked down at the slave army below. Two Spirit Hunters lay lazily on either side, their tails swaying.

Paryda couldn't help but frown at the chaotic slave army, a look of disdain flashing in her eyes.

"A bunch of lowly slaves. Can we really invade the surface world with these creatures?"

Carolyna chuckled, "Of course, they're not as brave as our warriors, but they'll make excellent cannon fodder. The human soldiers on the surface aren't much better than dog-headed goblins or lizardfolk."

"Don't be complacent."

Ursula, the ruler of the Sphinx city-state and the city's lord, spoke with a serious tone.

"The humans are not the threat. It's the wizards on the surface we need to be wary of. They are our true enemies."

Mentioning wizards, Paryda and Carolyna's expressions turned grave.

The battle a few months ago was still fresh in their minds. Just two wizards had toyed with their entire city-state, killing many of their kin, and then escaped effortlessly.

This humiliation and the wizards' power left a deep impression on them.

Wizards were rumored to be among the most powerful beings on this continent, but they had always dismissed it as exaggerated tales. Now, they understood the weight of those words.

"We interrogated the captives from the Thistle Flower Principality. The exit above is in the territory of the Starlight Principality, specifically the Flashing Territory, which belongs to a marquess."

"A marquess? So they're not to be underestimated," Carolyna's eyebrows rose.

A marquess territory on the surface was no less powerful than their city-state, primarily due to the sheer number of soldiers they could mobilize.

Despite this, Carolyna's tone betrayed no worry.

After all, their goal wasn't to conquer a surface city but to raid and leave.

The real challenge would be the city's garrison.

"More than that, the city closest to the exit is the capital of the Flashing Territory, Flashing City. The marquess lives there, so the defenses are bound to be formidable."

"I've sent spies to investigate, and there are stone golems guarding the exit. This means there are wizards in Flashing City."

"I suspect they're the same two wizards who infiltrated our city-state that day."

Paryda looked at Carolyna, who thought for a moment before nodding.

"One of those wizards is likely from the Thistle Flower Principality, and the other's origin is unknown. But if what you say is true, it's very possible they're from the Flashing Territory."

Carolyna's face twisted into a cold smile, "If that's the case, it's perfect. We can finally avenge our last defeat!"

She hadn't forgotten the injuries they had suffered and was eager to find that wizard and exact her revenge.

"What's the situation to the south?"

Ursula suddenly interrupted their conversation.

Paryda hesitated, "I'm not entirely sure. My spies couldn't get close to Kasham. The insects have spread pheromones within a five-kilometer radius, and anyone who approaches is immediately detected."

"It seems they've recovered from the war two years ago and are now stirring again."

Ursula's brow furrowed, then she shifted her tone.

"What about the Red Widow and the Black Duke? How are they reacting?"

"They've only sent scouts to monitor the situation, nothing more."

After a moment's thought, Ursula waved a hand, "Send a message to them. Tell them we want to form an alliance."

Paryda looked hesitant, "Two years ago, we betrayed them. Will they trust us now?"

"They have no choice," Ursula said coldly. "None of the city-states—Aulake, Matu, or Osen—can stand against Kasham alone. If they don't ally with us, we'll all be destroyed in the end."

"I believe the Red Widow and the Black Duke will make the wise choice."

"Yes, my lord," Paryda nodded respectfully.

"Very well. We're ready. Pass the order to begin the march!" Ursula commanded sternly.

However, just as she finished speaking, the two Spirit Hunters beside her suddenly stood up, baring their fangs and growling at the lakeshore, their deep roars echoing through the air.

Carolyna's face changed, and she shouted, "There's an intruder!"

The moment her words fell, a deafening thunderclap echoed from the distance.

Countless blinding lightning bolts tore through the darkness, descending from the sky and striking the densely packed Sphinx army!

In an instant, over a hundred Sphinx warriors were reduced to charred corpses, their screams cut short before they could even escape their throats!

"Enemy attack!"

"Where is the attack coming from?"

"Find the enemy, where are they?"

The Sphinxes were thrown into chaos.

The slave army, which had just managed to form ranks, also fell into panic due to the sudden turn of events.

The surrounding Sphinx overseers drew their curved blades, bellowing orders to suppress the chaos among the slaves.

But their efforts were in vain when the army of constructs appeared out of nowhere.

The moment they materialized, the constructs launched a fierce charge towards the Sphinx army.

Eight hundred constructs charging at once kicked up a cloud of dust, their overwhelming momentum like a tidal wave, striking fear into the hearts of the Sphinxes. The more timid among them trembled, their faces pale.

The situation had escalated too quickly!

No one had expected the enemy to appear out of thin air, and in such overwhelming numbers.

At such close range, they had almost no time to react, let alone prepare mentally for the intense battle that followed.

In a single charge, the Sphinxes were forced to retreat, suffering heavy casualties.

As for the slave army, they were even less resilient.

Su Nan hadn't even sent many of his forces; just a dozen stone constructs charging into the slave ranks caused them to scatter in panic, their overseers' shouts unable to stop them.

Once the overseers were engaged by the stone constructs and unable to control the chaos, the slaves fled even faster.

"Should I say this is divine intervention?"

Seeing the favorable situation unfolding before him, Su Nan couldn't help but smile.

He had expected a hard-fought battle, but the Sphinxes had handed him an opportunity. It seemed the war would end much sooner than anticipated.

Su Nan's mood was buoyant, but the three Sphinx nobles on the city walls were far from pleased.

Witnessing their kin being slaughtered, the three nobles were consumed by shock and rage.

Carolyna immediately recognized Su Nan, even though he had worn a mask during their previous encounter. She would never forget the aura he exuded.

"It's you again!" Carolyna glared at Su Nan, her face contorted with fury.

Ursula and Paryda quickly realized that this was one of the wizards who had attacked their city-state before.

With new and old grudges combined, the three nobles looked at Su Nan with intense hatred, screeching as they rose into the air and charged at him.

Mid-flight, their staves glowed with an eerie light, shining brightly in the darkness.

Countless lightning bolts, flames, and ice appeared out of nowhere, surging towards Su Nan like a tide.

The Sphinx nobles lacked the ability to control elemental forces, so these were illusions.

However, deadly attacks often hid within these illusions.

The Sphinxes excelled in deceptive, alternating attacks, and a moment's inattention could be disastrous.

For example, Su Nan had already noticed the black snakes hidden within the waves of flame, their tongues flicking in and out, waiting for him to let his guard down.

But he wasn't concerned.

With the Ring of Supreme Protection, he knew the Sphinx nobles' attacks couldn't harm him.

Without any intention of defending, Su Nan activated the Ring of Catastrophe on his left hand.

Boom!

The surging lightning, flames, and ice engulfed Su Nan.

Seeing this, the three Sphinx nobles smiled, but their expressions quickly changed.

The expected cries of agony never came.

Instead, a series of cracking sounds, like ice forming, filled the air.

In the next moment, the illusions vanished without a trace.

A visible, snow-white shockwave suddenly expanded outward.

Caught off guard, the three Sphinx nobles were hit by the shockwave, their bodies freezing in place, a layer of frost instantly forming on their skin.

At the same time, four massive gray claw shadows materialized out of nowhere, clawing down viciously at Paryda.

The four gray claws tore through the air like lightning, striking Paryda from different directions.

Catastrophic Claws x 4!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end