Fode sighed and called down, "Miss Sunstrider, I'm sorry, please be prepared. We will definitely be back."
He was kindly reminding the Beautiful Spider to prepare for battle, but the female mages wouldn't let it go easily; they would definitely get their revenge for losing face.
Although Fode disciples disagreed with Modera's actions, they could not stand against her, so they could only urge the Gryphon to give chase.
The open space of the ruins was densely covered with a layer of Giant Spiders, almost obscuring the ground. More were gathering in the surrounding Forest, bringing the total number mobilized to nearly a thousand. Rosebayne dared not let them disperse and could only leave the area as it was.
The Little Red Dragon remained frozen in place; this was what was called "partial unsealing," where the ice block was lifted on the surface, but the prey was still unable to move.
According to common knowledge, the Red Dragon race is all fire-attributed. The chilling aura created by the two high-level ice spells caused Alexstrasza tremendous damage. Even if she were to dispel it immediately, she would be severely weakened and would be lucky to retain 50% of her combat power. It would be difficult for her to recover within a week.
Before long, Unas, the Trolls, two Night Elves, the Mage Corps, and the Blue Dragon arrived. The Blood Elf mages' Magic Carpet played a decisive role in their rapid arrival.
In the past, Quel'Thalas was a very fashionable mode of transportation, Magic Carpet almost every mage owned one. It was beautiful, lightweight, and quite fast, the only drawback being that it consumed a lot of magical energy.
At that time, the Sunwell provided an almost inexhaustible source of energy, which the High Elves could naturally squander. However, with the fall of their kingdom and the destruction of the Sunwell, the Elves could not even satisfy their own Mana Addiction, let alone have the energy to drive fancy vehicles. Therefore, the Magic Carpet was gradually sealed away by the Elves.
This time, Unas's spoils were plentiful, rewarding Huoye with so many top-grade magic gems. Huoye naturally distributed them to his subordinates, so the Blood Elf Mage Corps was full of magic power. After receiving the order to assemble urgently, they used their respective Magic Carpets to rush to Fairy Lake.
The Trolls stationed at Blue Rock Pass, having heard of the threat posed by the ruins, also requested that the Blue Dragon bring them over. Unas was naturally delighted, as Haikesi's presence would make communication with Shadra much smoother.
Two young Druids were also sent by Oakleaf to provide support. The Paladins had helped them so much, and their comrades were about to be saved, so they naturally couldn't stand idly by.
The lingering shockwaves from the wide-area attack magic and the traces of battle in the woods immediately told the newly arrived group that a fight had taken place there.
Mati'gosa immediately spotted the Little Red Dragon acting strangely on the ground and quickly landed. Rosebayne had already ordered the spider swarm to retreat into the forest, making room for the Warden.
The Blue Dragon, a master of ice magic, quickly identified the problem and immediately began to remove the freezing energy that had invaded the Red Dragon's body.
The Beautiful Spider emerged from the burrow and explained what had happened to the group that had landed.
"This is outrageous! Luckily, the Spider God is here to protect us, otherwise this place would already be in the hands of those women," Huoye said indignantly. "My lord, what should we do next?"
Although it was the Little Red Dragon who stirred up the trouble, the female mages must have been prepared to seize the place by force since they dared to take action. Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. They never dreamed that Shadra's influence was so strong, and they could only retreat in disgrace.
Unas sensed things weren't looking good. "Since Fode says they'll be back, we have no choice but to prepare for battle. They'll definitely have found a way to deal with the spider swarm by the time they come again."
"But they don't know we're coming. Don't worry, sir, we'll give them a surprise."
Huoye recently broke through to the level of Magister, and by Dalaran's evaluation standards, he has already entered the ranks of newly Archmages. He also leads a small Mage Corps consisting of seventeen mid-to-low-level Blood Elf mages, Helen, and two apprentices, Pafeman.
Although his average strength was far inferior to his opponent's, his numbers were nearly three times greater. As long as he prepared a combined attack Magic Circle in advance, he was confident that he would not be at a disadvantage in the magical duel.
It was good that his subordinates were confident. Unas was unsure but didn't say anything more. His immediate priority was to put Merlin's body into his backpack.
Previously, Fode had said that the murder scene should be preserved, so the Archmage's body had been lying in the Anti-Magic Room on the second basement level in the state immediately after his death. Now, there's no need for that anymore; if the female mages were to steal it, it would mean losing a crucial piece of evidence.
After a brief freezing process, Unas made some space and stuffed Merlin's body into his Spatial Bag.
What followed was a series of combat preparations. Two Druids went out to track and scout the enemy's movements. They could transform into beasts and were the most secretive scouts.
Rosebayne and the Trolls chose to keep the elite Giant Spiders they could. With so many spiders crammed together, they couldn't hunt, and hunger would eventually overcome their reverence for the gods, so most of them had to be sent away.
Furthermore, many melee-type Giant Spiders are not very useful in battles against mages; the female mages are in the air, out of their reach, and they can only take hits.
Therefore, it is necessary to select ranged Giant Spiders, especially Flame Spiders. Each of their blasts is equivalent to an enhanced version of a large Fireball, making them very powerful ranged attackers. Unfortunately, their numbers are scarce.
The Mage Corps also began setting up defensive barriers and attack Magic Circle. Unas then distributed hundreds of magic gems to the mages, greatly boosting their morale.
Helen has made great progress in her studies with the Blood Elf mages these days, but compared to Pafeman, her progress is still incredibly slow. This replacement prepared by Merlin is indeed a magical genius, with amazing memory and thinking abilities. She learned several basic spells in just one day with Huoye, and her future achievements are limitless.
While preparations for battle were in full swing here, the retreating female mages flew in silence for a long time before finally stopping. The atmosphere was as cold as an ice cave, which suited the current weather perfectly.
They found a clearing in the woods to rest. After a brief whisper between Modera and Rachel, the leader of the Thorn of the Rose, her face beaming with joy, exclaimed, "Don't be discouraged, everyone! The Lord's reinforcements are already in the city, ready to march! Now, let's work together to build a Portal. Those Giant Spiders and murderers will finally know what the wrath of Dalaran is like!"
Avril asked curiously, "Who are the reinforcements?"
"Master Pino's Iron Army!"
Master Pino is one of the most famous Golem makers in Dalaran. His Mage Tower is a Golem factory, and he is also a merchant who raises funds to support his research by buying and selling Golems.
The mass-produced Golems wouldn't be very powerful, but they were more than enough to deal with the Giant Spiders. The members of Thorn of the Rose immediately gained confidence and began to work together to create Portal.