Astrid's Thoughts

Chapter Thirty-Three

The Black Dragon's roar shook the sky. Like a black storm sweeping in, it dyed the entire horizon a deep, inky darkness.

Astrid slowly rose atop the Black Dragon's back. Her violet eyes held not the slightest emotion, and her voice rang out like thunderous war drums, announcing the official start of this battle.

This attack was completely different from the previous campaign against the Bitter Heart Sect.

When attacking the Bitter Heart Sect, the enemy's defensive array had been exceptionally formidable. The Furnace Army had been forced to wage a long siege first, breaking through their powerful defensive sorcery array.

Night Shadow Bunker's defenses, however, were distinctly different.

A thin black Sky Curtain hung above the bunker, concealing everything beneath it.

It was Night Shadow Bunker's unique defensive sorcery array, known as the "Anti-Energy Array."

The array's special feature was that it could effectively neutralize a large portion of attacks from long-range sorcery, and the energy it neutralized would in turn strengthen the array itself.

In other words, long-range sorcery was greatly weakened when facing this array.

However, the array was not without flaws.

It possessed extremely strong defenses against long-range attacks, yet it could not withstand physical impacts.

For that reason, the best way to breach Night Shadow Bunker's defenses was to force one's way through the Sky Curtain in person.

But that was precisely part of Night Shadow Bunker's original strategy.

As a force skilled in using undead, death spirits, and Negative Energy Sorcery, Night Shadow Bunker had long anticipated that its enemies would attempt to break through the array physically.

To them, the more people who dared charge into the Sky Curtain, the more continuous fuel they would provide for their Negative Energy Sorcery.

Once these outsiders were killed, the deathly aura produced by their deaths would strengthen the array. In other words, the fiercer the battle became, the stronger Night Shadow Bunker would grow.

Thus, Night Shadow Bunker's defensive methods were extremely troublesome. The price of forcing one's way in physically was enormous, and many people simply could not withstand the array's Negative Energy assault.

"If we charge in ourselves, the Negative Energy erosion will greatly weaken our combat strength. The losses would be too severe."

The Black Dragon spoke in a low voice, reporting truthfully.

A cold light flickered in Astrid's violet eyes as she swept her gaze across the Furnace Apprentices below, without the slightest emotion in her eyes.

"Then send them in first. Let them share the burden of the Negative Energy assault for us."

Astrid's voice did not waver in the slightest. It did not matter how many of the apprentices below died in this war.

They had one purpose and one purpose alone: to clear obstacles for Astrid, even at the cost of their lives!

After that, she, the Lord of the Furnace's student, would make a name for herself through this external war of The Furnace and let the Wizard World know Astrid's name!

"Proceed according to the original plan. Select apprentices carrying Light Crystals and have them slip in among the apprentice army. They will help us neutralize the Negative Energy particles inside the array."

"Of course, before that, send in a few apprentices to die first and lower the enemy's guard..."

Her voice echoed through the air:

"To die for The Furnace is a worthy death. The Furnace will remember them! Move out!"

As the overall commander of the current campaign, Astrid's orders were direct and swiftly conveyed to the Official Wizards below.

Without hesitation, those wizards began carrying out the orders, directing squad after squad of apprentices toward Night Shadow Bunker's Sky Curtain, preparing to pave the way for the coming assault.

Lynn and the other two were mixed in with the crowd when they received an Official Wizard's orders, directing them to launch an attack on Night Shadow Bunker's left flank.

At that moment, Night Shadow Bunker's sorcery array was still operating. Dark light flickered in the sky, as though an invisible barrier had cut it off from the outside world.

Yet the Official Wizards from The Furnace had ordered them to forcibly break through the array.

Many apprentices felt doubt and fear rise within them. Charging straight into an enemy sorcery array was no different from seeking death.

Yet any hesitation on the battlefield would bring sorcery from the Official Wizards down like lightning, directly killing those indecisive apprentices.

Of course, slaughter alone was not enough to ensure that the orders would be carried out.

Several Official Wizards casually produced a special contract, its densely packed runes radiating an intense sorcerous aura.

The contract's sorcerous suppression was extremely powerful. Once signed, the apprentices would be almost incapable of resisting.

One apprentice fled before the battle, only to be instantly devoured by the contract's backlash and die a gruesome death.

Therefore, no matter what the apprentices thought inside, they still had to carry out the wizards' orders on the surface.

"This Black Dragon Witch really doesn't care about the lives of us apprentices at all..."

"Sigh, after failing to become an Official Wizard for so many years, I ended up running into a commander like this..."

"If she keeps doing things this way, the death toll of this Furnace Hunt will probably set an unprecedented record. But then again, she's The Furnace's Little Princess... Heh..."

Sonia stared coldly at the Black Dragon circling high above, a mocking glint flashing in her eyes.

Lynn could not help nodding as well, though he sighed inwardly.

At this moment, he finally understood the true nature of The Furnace and the realm of Dark Wizards.

Although his teacher looked after him in The Furnace and his days had been relatively stable, under the constraints of The Furnace's contract, he could not escape the fate of being sent to the front lines either.

To The Furnace, apprentices were merely pieces on a chessboard. Their deaths were nothing more than numbers on a postwar list.

To gain true freedom in the world of Dark Wizards, one probably had to become an Official Wizard before even being qualified to speak of freedom.

"Lynn, remember not to run around later. The Furnace's contract curse is more terrifying than anything else. As long as you don't desert..."

At a time like this, Colin, who followed the same teacher, was still reliable. He came over and whispered to Lynn, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

Lynn keenly caught the hidden meaning in his words, because Colin had placed particular emphasis on the words as long as you don't desert...

Did that mean that as long as he did not desert, he could avoid triggering The Furnace's contract curse?

Lynn's mind was quick, and he soon understood Colin's hint.

Desertion was the contract's bottom line. As long as he stayed above that line, he could still take certain "measures."

For instance, he could pick a fight with a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice, or simply defend without attacking and drag his feet on the battlefield!

As the saying went, where there were policies, there were countermeasures. The Furnace's Little Princess wanted these apprentices to die for her, using their lives to forge her reputation in the Wizard World.

But students favored by certain wizards knew how to avoid the contract and had ways to deal with it, like Colin.

Of course, students with relationships like Colin's and Rosalind's with their teachers were a minority after all.

Most apprentices, even if they were wizards' students, were surely facing the dual pressure of Official Wizards and contracts at this moment. They could only charge toward Night Shadow Bunker's dim Sky Curtain.