"Could Gallo have already begun accelerating his evil plan?"
The sight of the entire room blazing red at once looked exactly like someone had cast Detect Evil and exposed a whole nest of cultists.
But everyone present was an experienced Battle Mage, and they quickly recovered.
"Lightning Bolt!"
"Prismatic Spray!"
"Ray of Exhaustion!"
All manner of spells were unleashed in rapid succession, blanketing the enemies opposite them with saturation fire.
They did not care who their opponents were or where they came from. Once they confirmed someone was an enemy, they struck hard.
The targets singled out in the room were soon obscured by thick clouds of smoke and dust.
But a moment later, the squad leader sensed something was wrong.
"Mana Shield?"
A colorless, invisible force field expanded outward. Guided by mana, it was an all-purpose shield capable of blocking most Evocation spells as well as attacks using positive and negative energy.
Its only drawback was probably its enormous mana consumption, so few mages other than High Mages used it, and fewer still could use it well.
Is there a High Mage hiding among them?
The thought flashed through the squad leader's mind.
Judging by how quickly the shield had expanded and the intensity of the attacks it withstood, there was definitely a High Mage hiding among these people.
The only question was which one.
Even so, the others did not panic at the sight.
To be selected for a special unit like the Arcane Gendarmes, they had to be at least Middle Tier and possess years of experience as battle-hardened Battle Mages.
They were Atrelin's most mysterious and powerful fighting force, the absolute elite under the Committee's direct command.
They immediately adjusted their formation. Magic Martial Artists carrying Tower Shields blocked the front, their high-grade equipment enhanced with