Before the Final Assault

Many areas around William's command tent were off-limits to players. Naturally, that made them curious. They figured he was hiding some mighty force, but the real shock came when assassin players sneaked in for a look and ran straight into a barrier.

A Legendary Magic Barrier!

For a while, the players were convinced Dawn City was hiding some incredible treasure. Even the Legendary Mercenary Group thought so.

Paul Bain had noticed the problem long ago. None of his reconnaissance methods had located Dawn City's Dragon Blood Legion.

Nor had he found the well-regarded Glory Legion, Night Legion, or any of the others. Puzzled, he asked, "Have we worked out how many barriers along the Dawn Front we can't see through?"

"Legion Commander, there are too many. According to the intelligence our Sky Scouts risked their lives to gather, there are at least a hundred barriers along Dawn City's line. Each one could hold at least three legions."

"A hundred?" Alfred's mouth twitched. "Who the hell can check all those? For all we know, that unbeatable Dragon Blood Legion is hiding behind any one of them.

"And that Moxis is practically mass-producing Magic Scrolls. Wendis, make us a hundred barriers too. Let Dawn City's air scouts see what it's like to grope around in the fog!"

Wendis raised an eyebrow. Ignoring Alfred, she said flatly, "Can't afford it. Sorry."

Paul Bain cleared his throat. "It's fine. Making that many Magic Scrolls must have cost Moxis plenty. If they're trying to keep us guessing, we'll keep testing them. Their strength along the edges should tell us how many legions they're hiding.

"When the full assault begins in three days, we'll concentrate on their weak points and drive straight through."

Paul Bain intended to probe Dawn City from every angle over the next