Neither side was surprised by the breakdown of negotiations; neither side would compromise without a fight. The Elemental Wind Dragon and the Blue Dragon quickly separated and flew back to their respective camps.
Only Fode, riding his Gryphon, stood there dumbfounded. He had heard the whole argument; both sides had laid out their conditions. In fact, it wasn't impossible to reach an agreement; all that was missing was a mediator of considerable influence.
The Paladin mentioned Rhonin, who would be a perfect fit. Modera refused, could I go and find Rhonin myself?
Fode could easily do it; he and his students both had Hearthstones. All he had to do was send Arnold back to find Rhonin, while he stayed in the Forest as a spatial coordinate, and the new leader of Dalaran could be teleported over immediately.
However, doing so would severely offend Modera, Fode decided to wait and see how the battle went. If the Paladin was quickly defeated, then he wouldn't have anything to worry about.
While they were still in a daze, both sides began exchanging ranged spells. Fode quickly urged his Gryphon to dodge. Ice and fire spells collided and exploded behind him one after another. It was a pity that it was daytime, otherwise there would have been a very nice fireworks display.
This was just an initial probe, with both sides evenly matched. As Modera's side advanced, the magical exchanges intensified.
Huge protective barriers rose on both sides, firmly blocking any spells that managed to slip through. The Golem Legion on the ground continued to advance, and Shadra summoned the spider swarm again, causing the Giant Spiders scattered throughout the Forest to immediately converge here.
Seeing that the battle between the two sides would not end anytime soon, Fode made up his mind and deliberately led Arnold to fall behind and stay away from Modera's group.
Originally, someone from the Thorn of the Rose was responsible for monitoring them, but as the battle intensified, the female mages could no longer afford to be distracted. Unnoticed, the two gradually disappeared into the Forest.
Modera and her group were caught off guard. They had thought the spider swarm was the biggest threat, and that with the Golems in front, they could easily defeat the spiders by bombarding them from behind.
Unexpectedly, the Paladin brought so many mages, and they actually engaged in a magical battle that was not at a disadvantage. Fortunately, judging from the magical fluctuations, only the Blue Dragon and one mage on the other side were relatively strong, while the others should be below the high-level.
Thorn of the Rose had three high-level and four mid-level mages, and the six reinforcements that followed included one Archmage and three high-level mages, giving Modera's side a formidable lineup of two Archmages and six high-level mages.
Huoye's Mage Corps only had one Archmage, while the other nineteen were all mid- to low-level. Blue Dragon's magical attack power was comparable to that of an average Archmage, but it was far inferior to Modera. Little Red Dragon didn't know many spells and had just been freed from the freezing air, resulting in a significant drop in combat power.
Their own mage force was completely outmatched in terms of quality, and the Blood Elves could only maintain their output by casting spells together. Huoye had already ordered the Mage Corps to attack without holding back, but the enemy was still handling the situation with ease. It was only a matter of time before they were suppressed. Fortunately, everyone had a few top-quality magic gems, which could hold out for a while longer.
The battle on the ground presented a different picture. The three hundred Golems were completely surrounded by the spider swarm and could hardly move an inch. They were originally intended to be used as shields, but now that the mages' main damage output was being restrained by the enemy, they were naturally at a significant disadvantage.
Pino wasn't in a hurry at all. According to the agreement, Golem would have to pay in full for any golems destroyed during the rental period. The more Modera destroyed, the more he would earn. Who won or lost was not important to him.
The magical duel lasted for more than half an hour. Neither side had time to unleash their ultimate moves, instead using low- to mid-level spells that could be cast quickly, resulting in a fierce and intense battle.
Unas's Mage Corps can now only defend; their defensive barrier has been breached three times, and they only managed to re-establish it with the help of the ranged Giant Spiders.
Forty or fifty Golems have already been destroyed, and almost all of the outer ones have suffered heavy damage. If this continues, they may be completely wiped out. The spider swarm has also suffered considerable losses, but they are insignificant compared to their enormous numbers.
Modera grew increasingly anxious. The enemy mage was unusually resilient, and fearing a counterattack, she dared not spread out her attacks. This meant she couldn't protect the ground golems. If they were all wiped out, who Charge in place of the delicate mages?
Just as Modera was about to use a treasured level nine magic scroll, two Gryphon leaped from the forest into the center of the battlefield, and between Gryphon stood a familiar pale purple figure— Dalaran's young new leader.
"Stop!" Rhonin's voice echoed across the entire battlefield. At the opportune moment, Fode released a five-colored anti-magic aura, completely dissolving the incoming magic.
The mages on Modera's side had to interrupt their spellcasting, with Rhonin standing directly in front of them, preventing them from attacking the leader of Dalaran.
Huoye's side already lacked the strength to launch an attack, so naturally they wouldn't rashly attack the people brought by Fode.
The purple figure in the air turned towards Unas, "I am Rhonin, leader of the Kirin Tor, Paladin of the Argent Dawn. I heard you were looking for me, and now I have arrived. Immediately order your spider swarms to cease their attack."
Unas was overjoyed to hear this; his savior had finally appeared. He immediately instructed the Trolls to find a way to make the Giant Spiders retreat.
This is not difficult at all. You can't eat meat even if you take the iron lump apart. The Giant Spiders' desire to attack the golems is entirely driven by Shadra Golem. As long as the Spider God orders them to stop, they will naturally have no interest in attacking the Golems.
The Giant Spiders quickly began to retreat, and Pino, not one to be ungrateful, controlled the Golems to attack, and the entire battlefield swiftly calmed down.
Unas asked the Blue Dragon to carry him into the sky and approach the group in the center. When Fode apprentice, as well as Rhonin, came to greet them.
Rhonin could fly freely in the sky without any tools, so his mastery of air magic must be very high. He wore a set of light purple thick armor, making him look more like a heavy Warrior. Only the large rune gem inlaid on his chest revealed that he might have some connection with mages.
With short, reddish-brown hair and resolute features, he appeared to be in his early thirties. Such a young and promising Archmage was indeed a rare sight.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Rhonin went straight to the point. "Fode has told me everything that's happened here, Knight Unas. Why do you trust me? We don't seem to have ever met before."
Unas glanced gratefully at Fode and fabricated a story. "Your legendary feats of saving the Red Dragon Queen and defeating Deathwing are admirable. I've heard you're a very righteous person, so I believe you."
This level of flattery wasn't enough to make Rhonin dizzy. "You believe the bard's exaggerated stories? I did rescue the Red Dragon Queen, but she escaped mainly through her own strength. As for the story of defeating Deathwing, that's just a bedtime story."