Defense Battle One

Suddenly, the two felt an unusual tremor from the earth beneath their feet. Jialan turned alertly, Mana already gathering in her hand in an ice-blue hue.

"Don't be nervous, it's me." A familiar voice came from underground. Immediately after, the ground rippled like water, and a dirt-covered figure slowly rose. It was the Earth Mage, Albert!

"Mage Albert!" Jialan exclaimed, a mix of surprise and joy. "You're alive!"

The old Mage looked disheveled, his robes tattered and his face covered in scrapes, but his eyes were still sharp. He patted the dirt off himself and said with a wry smile, "I'm old. I don't have many skills left, but I still have ways to survive."

Argyle cautiously scanned their surroundings. After confirming no one was watching, he asked in a low voice, "What about the others?"

Albert shook his head. "They all perished inside. When I saw things were dire, I immediately used 'Earth-Walking Technique' to escape. That's how I saved my old life."

The three fell silent for a moment. Jialan thought of the soldiers and mages who had accompanied them, soldiers who didn't even know why they died, all for a false treaty, a dirty deal.

"The Fortress is completely surrounded now, we can't get in," Argyle broke the silence.

The old Mage smiled mysteriously. "I know a secret passage."

"A secret passage?" Argyle raised an eyebrow.

"That's right," Albert nodded. "When the Fortress was built, we Earth Mages secretly left behind some... escape routes. This passage goes from the warehouse area on the east side of the Fortress all the way outside the city. Very few people know about it."

Jialan and Argyle exchanged a look. This was undoubtedly a godsend.

"Lead the way," Argyle said gravely. "We must return to the Fortress as soon as possible. The Deputy Commander and the others don't know when they'll be back. The Fortress is leaderless now, we must go back and stabilize the situation."

Albert nodded and led Jialan and the other toward a mountain hollow. He then placed his hands on an ordinary dirt wall. The earth parted as if alive, revealing a narrow passage. The inner walls of the passage were covered in glowing moss, providing just enough light.

"Stay close to me," the old Mage entered the passage first. "This path is a bit winding."

Jialan followed closely, with Argyle bringing up the rear. The air in the passage was damp and muggy, but it was relatively clear. By the dim light of the moss, Jialan could see that the passage walls were covered in fine root systems.

The passage sometimes went up, sometimes down, and at times they even had to stoop to move forward. Jialan could feel them moving towards the center of the Fortress. About half an hour later, Albert suddenly stopped.

"The exit is ahead," he pointed to a seemingly ordinary stone slab above. "Once you go up, you'll be in the storage room of the East Warehouse."

Albert chanted a few incantations, and the stone slab moved aside silently. The three climbed out one after another, finding themselves indeed in a storage room filled with wooden crates. Just as they had settled, the storage room door was suddenly pushed open. A familiar figure stood at the entrance – it was the army physician, Jack! The young physician's eyes widened when he saw the three, and the medical kit in his hand fell to the ground with a "crack."

"Mage Jialan! You're back!" Jack shouted excitedly, his voice echoing in the narrow storage room. He quickly stepped forward, his eyes full of surprise. "Priest Anna told me you went out on a mission. The area outside the Fortress is full of Magic Beasts and monsters now, I was worried about you..."

Jialan didn't wait for him to finish and immediately asked, "What's the situation in the Fortress now? Can we still hold it?"

Jack then remembered his purpose for coming to the storage room, his expression changed. "Oh no, the medical tent is running out of medicine! I came to get some!" He hastily grabbed the medical kit from the ground and spoke rapidly, "The situation on the city walls is dire. There are more and more Magic Beasts, especially the flying ones. The soldiers are suffering heavy casualties. Captain Kendy is struggling to hold the line..."

Argyle immediately interrupted him, "There's no time! We'll split up!"

Jialan nodded and turned to rush out of the storage room. The interior of the Fortress was in chaos. Soldiers were running back and forth, the wounded were being carried to the medical area, and the air was filled with the smell of blood and burning. He quickened his pace, passing through the crowded corridors, heading straight for the city walls.

When Jialan reached the city walls, the sight before him made his heart clench.

In the darkness, the barrier protecting the Fortress had shattered. Countless Magic Beasts roared outside the city walls, and a dense Beast Tide continuously battered the defenses. Even more dangerous were the Flying Magic Beasts circling in the air. Some resembled giant bats, others giant eagles, covered in Shadow Energy, with sharp claws and beaks. Each dive took the life of a soldier.

Not far away, Jialan saw a familiar figure – John Marcus, the Squad Leader of the border camp, an old acquaintance.

John and several soldiers were being surrounded by three Flying Magic Beasts, their situation precarious. His armor was covered in claw marks and bloodstains, and his movements were noticeably slower than before, clearly having fought for too long. A soldier was impaled through the chest by a Magic Beast's claw, falling with a scream, while another Magic Beast opened its gaping maw, aiming for the back of John's neck.

"Watch out!" Jialan shouted, and without hesitation, tore open a Scroll that had appeared in his hand. The moisture in the air instantly condensed, forming a sharp Ice Crystal Spear that shot through the air.

"Pfft!"

The ice spear accurately pierced the Magic Beast's skull, and black blood splattered out. John turned his head sharply. When he saw Jialan, a hint of surprise flickered across his exhausted face. "Mage Jialan? You're back!"

"Don't get distracted!" Jialan sternly reminded him, while simultaneously gathering Mana again, chanting a spell rapidly.

The other two Magic Beasts let out piercing shrieks and lunged at him from the left and right. A blue light flashed in Jialan's eyes, his hands crossed, and he let out a low cry.

"Frost Shield!"

"Boom!"

A solid ice shield formed around him just in time. The Magic Beasts slammed into it, letting out pained roars. Jialan didn't stop. With a flick of his finger, the ice shield shattered instantly, transforming into countless sharp ice cones that rained down on the Magic Beasts!

"Pfft, pfft, pfft!!"

The two Magic Beasts were riddled with holes and fell heavily to the ground. After the series of battles in the recent period, he was no longer the naive student from the academy; his combat experience was now quite rich.

John seized the opportunity to catch his breath, propped himself up with his longsword, and said with a wry smile, "You've come at the perfect time... If you were any later, I might not have held on."

Jialan quickly walked to his side, frowning as he examined his injuries. "You don't look good!"

John smiled bitterly and shook his head, his gaze sweeping towards the outside of the city walls. "The Magic Beasts' assault is getting fiercer. We're short-handed, and the defenses could collapse at any moment."