Chapter 163: Ambush and Alliance

Chapter 163: Ambush and Alliance

Three days later.

The Hidden Grove Lodge convened as scheduled once again.

The Hunter informed everyone of the ambush location for the Everlasting Society.

To everyone's surprise, the ambush site was chosen in the Underworld, and it was located in a cave just over two hundred kilometers north of the Star Alliance.

This was good news for Su Nan, as it was close to his territory.

He speculated that the Hunter might have considered this factor as well.

If the ambush on the Everlasting Society failed, they could still retreat to Su Nan's territory for shelter.

With the ambush location decided, the operation was not set to begin immediately.

After all, the members of the Hidden Grove Lodge were scattered across the continent, and it would take them some time to gather.

After a thorough discussion, they finally decided to execute the plan five days later.

Since Su Nan was already close to the location, he decided to use the five days to make preparations.

Although he had the secret puppet, he felt confident but knew that the Everlasting Society was a formidable opponent. It was always wise to be well-prepared.

In the meditation chamber, Su Nan checked his personal interface.

His mental power was now nearly at 52 points, and he would be able to construct the 17th star ring in about five months.

With four super-magic techniques, his true combat strength was already among the top tier of third-level wizard apprentices, even without using his trump cards.

"In a fight without using my trump cards, I should be able to hold my own against the likes of Bloodmouth and Demon Hand."

"That's about the level of a third-circle legendary wizard."

"With the addition of the magic core and various magical items, I should have no problem taking on a fourth-circle legendary wizard."

Su Nan looked down at the back of his hand, where five bright red marks were tattooed.

The Death Bell Mark!

A bloodline mark created from the bloodline of a Death Bell Striker.

In addition to this, his spatial ring contained over a hundred high-level rune gems.

As his mental power grew, the amount of energy he could handle also increased.

Thanks to this, the number of high-level rune gems he could synthesize had skyrocketed to 37, with a significant boost in power.

Su Nan had tested the high-level rune gems and found that one gem was enough to break through the defense of the Great Guard Ring!

Its power was roughly equivalent to the stacking of over a dozen offensive second-circle spells!

It was even enough to instantly kill a high-level stone golem!

With so many trump cards at his disposal, Su Nan was confident that even if he faced the top-tier third-level wizard apprentices, he would have a good chance of winning.

However, to be on the safe side, Su Nan filled the Synthesis Cube with an entire small army of golems, occupying more than half of the Cube's slots.

Additionally, he ordered the Magic Mark Knights to stand by in Giant Eye City, ready to mobilize at any moment.

After making all these preparations, Su Nan finally felt at ease and stayed in Giant Eye City, waiting for the operation to begin.

The five days passed quickly.

Su Nan arrived at the ambush site as scheduled.

What greeted him was a massive cave, extremely spacious with a smooth ceiling, unlike other areas that were covered in stalactites.

This also meant there were no other entrances or exits at the top of the cave.

Similarly, there were no other openings deep within the cave, and all he could see were thick rock walls.

The vast cave had only one entrance, making it completely sealed off.

Su Nan understood the plan.

Once the Everlasting Society members were lured into the cave and the entrance was blocked, they would be like fish in a barrel.

"Nice place," Night Hawk commented.

When Su Nan arrived, all the members of the Hidden Grove Lodge, except for the Hunter, were already present.

Notably, everyone was still wearing long robes and masks, concealing their identities as they did in the Hidden Grove Lodge.

Only Su Nan was maskless, openly showing his true appearance.

At first, everyone was taken aback by his appearance.

Regaining their composure, Scepter laughed and said, "You are quite open."

Traveler also smiled, "After all, he has the confidence."

The true identity of the player was no longer a secret in the Hidden Grove Lodge.

However, out of consideration for not offending Su Nan, no one had actively revealed his identity, and they had avoided the topic.

Now that Su Nan had revealed himself, it showed he no longer cared, and they no longer needed to hide.

Hearing Traveler's words, everyone looked at Su Nan with a mix of admiration.

Only Su Nan could be so open.

With his current strength and influence, even if his true identity was revealed, he had nothing to fear.

Not to mention, the presence of the Adamantine Golem alone was enough to deter many with ill intentions.

"Where's the Hunter?" Su Nan asked, looking around.

"Time is almost up."

As Night Owl’s voice trailed off, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he turned his head to look at the cave entrance.

"They’re here."

Accompanied by the soft sound of footsteps, seven or eight figures entered the cave.

Leading them was the Hunter, followed by six heavily armored men with formidable auras.

Su Nan took a quick look and immediately recognized them as Legendary Knights, all wearing enchanted armor and wielding enchanted longswords.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Approaching, the Hunter first offered an apology, then pointed to the men behind him and introduced them:

"This is Perveto and Moss, high-ranking members of the Holy Fist. Both are experienced Second Ring Legendary Knights."

"This is Kurt and Berger."

The Hunter then introduced the remaining four men.

However, apart from a slight nod to Perveto and Moss as a greeting, Night Owl and the others showed little interest in the other four.

After all, in their eyes, First Ring Legendary Knights were merely cannon fodder, while Second Ring Legendary Knights were still worth a second glance.

The Hunter understood this and, after the introductions, got straight to the point.

"I deliberately left some traces along the way, so I believe the Immortal will catch up soon. Please take your positions and prepare to ambush them."

The details of the operation had been discussed beforehand, so everyone immediately sprang into action.

The Hunter, Night Owl, Scepter, and the Holy Fist members stayed inside the cave, while the rest left in pairs to find hiding spots around the area, ready to block the cave entrance once the Immortal members arrived.

Su Nan was paired with Rose.

The two of them cast an invisibility spell and sprinkled some scent-eliminating potion, then began to wait.

"Holy Fist is finished," Rose suddenly whispered.

Su Nan glanced at her and nodded slightly.

A once-mighty organization of Legendary Knights had been reduced to just six survivors, and after this battle, even fewer might remain. Even if they managed to eliminate the Immortal threat, Holy Fist would be nothing more than a shadow of its former self.

But Su Nan had other thoughts.

Based on the intelligence gathered so far, only the Forest Cottage and the Immortal were Third Tier Apprentice Wizard organizations in the southeastern domain.

Together, these two organizations accounted for at least half of the Third Tier Apprentice Wizards in the region.

After today’s battle, only one would remain, and the number of Third Tier Apprentice Wizards in the southeastern domain would drastically decrease.

"Come to think of it, I’ve killed four Third Tier Apprentice Wizards already."

Su Nan realized he had made a significant contribution to the reduction of Third Tier Apprentice Wizards in the southeastern domain.

But perhaps this was not a bad thing.

The continent’s resources were limited, and fewer Third Tier Apprentice Wizards meant more resources for the survivors.

"The Azure Gold Empire has been making frequent military movements, hinting at an attack on the Starlight Principality. Are you aware of this?" Rose suddenly brought up another topic.

Su Nan glanced at Rose, his brow arching slightly. "So, the Thornflower Principality sent you to persuade us?"

"Not exactly. It concerns my interests as well," Rose admitted frankly. "The Azure Gold Empire has dominated the southeastern domain for centuries, exploiting neighboring countries and using them as resources for its own growth. Many countries are seething with resentment but dare not rebel due to the Azure Gold Empire’s overwhelming military might."

"If the Starlight Principality leads the charge against the Azure Gold Empire, many other countries will likely follow."

Su Nan’s expression was peculiar. "We’re currently working together to deal with the Immortal. Are you trying to undermine Scepter’s position?"

Rose shrugged, unconcerned. "I don’t know about others, but Scepter had some disagreements with the royal family in his youth and has never felt a strong sense of belonging to the Azure Gold Empire. If you were to make a move, I believe he would not hesitate to abandon the Azure Gold Empire and join another country. With his capabilities, he would still be a valued ally wherever he goes."

Su Nan’s eyes flickered, and he fell into deep thought.

As Rose said, while most Apprentice Wizards from royal or noble backgrounds were tied to their countries’ interests, exceptions like Scepter were rare.

The prosperity and growth of the Starlight Principality would benefit him and the Star Alliance.

Even if the Starlight Principality didn’t initiate an attack, the Azure Gold Empire’s aggressive stance meant that war was inevitable. It would be better to form alliances and take the initiative now, securing their position.

Thoughts raced through Su Nan's mind, and he quickly made up his decision.

"Alright, I'll convey your message."

Upon hearing Su Nan's agreement, Rose's face lit up with joy.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, and she sharply turned her head to look into the distance.

Su Nan had already sensed it as well.

Out of nowhere, four figures appeared silently at the entrance of the cave.

Aside from the man in the lead, who looked relatively normal in his long robe, the other three had bizarre and unsettling appearances.

One was a graceful and elegant figure with only a pair of eyes on her face.

Another was a formless being made entirely of flames, with an indistinct human shape and an unknown gender.

The last was a man covered in obsidian armor, with a grayish face and a multi-segmented tail that ended in a mouth resembling a lamprey's.

It was clear that these four were Sauro, Elora, Ember, and Stone Scorpion from the Eternity Society.

Su Nan couldn't help but inwardly sigh.

Including the Ugo, Bloodmouth, and Clawhand he had already killed, the members of the Eternity Society seemed to have a penchant for transforming themselves into monstrous forms.

To them, their human forms were dispensable, and they could discard them at any moment to pursue power.

Only Sauro looked somewhat normal, but even that was uncertain.

Who knew what he might be hiding under that long robe? The one who could suppress a group of monsters might very well be a more powerful monster himself.

Perhaps to prevent the hunter from escaping, or perhaps out of confidence in their own strength, the four of them quickly scanned the area and then charged into the cave without hesitation.

However, once inside, they discovered that there were seven or eight other people present, in addition to the hunter.

The group was calmly watching them.

Sauro and his companions immediately realized something was wrong. They turned around to see more people entering the cave, blocking their retreat.

"Su Nan!"

Sauro instantly recognized Su Nan, who wasn't wearing a mask, and quickly understood the situation.

"So, you and the Forest Cottage are declaring war on us."

Night Owl coldly stated, "This is about the Star Tower and the chance to become a wizard. No wizard apprentice can resist such a temptation."

"Indeed," Sauro calmly nodded.

Despite being surrounded by a much larger number of enemies, Sauro and the other three remained unnervingly calm.

"Enough talk."

Ember's flame mouth curved into a mocking smile.

"Since we're all here for the Star Tower's key, let's have a battle. The last one standing will get the prize. Fair, isn't it?"

The moment he finished speaking, Ember's flame body suddenly expanded, transforming into a raging inferno that surged toward Night Owl and the hunter.

Night Owl's eyes twitched as he inwardly cursed the guy for being a madman.

Before the ambush, the hunter had provided intelligence on the Eternity Society to the group.

One key point was that most members of the Eternity Society suffered from bloodline rejection, leading to drastic personality changes, including extreme madness and psychological distortions.

Ember was one of them.

He had fused with the ancient bloodline of the Magma Revered Ghost, granting him control over fire and souls. His nature was bloodthirsty and manic, and he took pleasure in torturing souls.

A genuine madman!

His actions now confirmed this.

In a situation where they were ambushed and surrounded, he still initiated an attack, charging at the enemies alone. Only a madman would do something like that.

Despite his inner thoughts, Night Owl and the hunter didn't hesitate. They simultaneously cast their prepared spells, focusing their attacks on Ember.

The battle began.

At the same time, the other members of the Forest Cottage and the Holy Fist members, including Pivido, rushed toward Sauro and his companions.

"Stone Scorpion!" Sauro suddenly barked.

The moment he spoke, Stone Scorpion's obsidian-armored mouth opened, emitting a deafening screech that seemed to pierce eardrums!

The screech transformed into a wave of sound that spread out, causing the cave walls and ceiling to crack and crumble with a series of sharp sounds. Rocks began to fall.

Before anyone could react, there was a loud rumble, and the cave collapsed!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end