Chapter 224: Chapter 218: Eight Like Me Died?
Back in the workshop, an eerie calm settled over Zone 18 for the following week.
Ever since the Second-level Black Wizard was slain, no further attacks had occurred.
Allen was in his workshop, gazing at a monitor displaying the real-time status of Zone 18.
Three of the light points representing the mining sites were still a dim gray.
He had personally blown up Mine Site Three, more than half of the equipment at Mine Site Four was destroyed, and the Mining Golems at Mine Site Five had been almost completely wiped out.
"Jarvis, bring up my financial report."
"Reporting, Commander. Current available funds: 237,000 Low-Level Magic Stones."
"Unfinished projects: A second Freedom Gundam, 41% complete."
"Current projects: Restoring production at the three mining sites and repairing combat-damaged Golems."
"Projected income for this month: All revenue is being reinvested into current projects. Net income growth will be zero."
Staring at the pathetic six-digit number on the monitor, Allen took a deep breath.
’Over half a year of hard work, all gone in a single battle. Back to square one.’ The defensive counterattack had been beautifully executed, but his cash flow was nearly depleted. He desperately needed a period of peace to farm resources and rebuild.
’I’m flat broke.’
Allen rubbed his temples, feeling a rare hint of fatigue.
Just then, Jarvis’s voice echoed in the control room.
"Commander, there’s an incoming communication request from Master Mercer."
"Patch him through."
The monitor flickered, and Master Mercer’s handsome, chiseled face—like a marble sculpture—appeared.
His crystalline, deep-blue eyes scanned Allen, paused for two seconds, and then he spoke slowly.
"You’re still alive. Good. The frontline briefing says you managed to kill a Second-level Black Wizard?"
Allen bowed slightly. "Only thanks to the fallback Witchcraft you taught me, Master."
"Witchcraft is merely a tool. How you wield it is up to you."
Mercer’s tone was as level as ever, but Allen could sense the approval hidden within it. "And Victor?"
"He’s not in any serious danger and has mostly recovered."
Mercer nodded, then got straight to the point.
"The main force of the Magical Beast horde has been repelled, and the Black Wizards have all vanished."
Allen’s gaze sharpened. "All of them?"
"Yes. Their withdrawal was extremely decisive." Mercer’s voice carried a fearsome chill. "Their objective was clear: destroy the fortress’s production facilities, plunder high-value resources, and then conduct an organized, leapfrogging retreat."
Allen fell silent for a few seconds, his mind racing. "What’s the situation in the other zones?"
A nearly imperceptible flicker passed through Mercer’s crystalline eyes.
"Of the nineteen zones, not a single one was spared. All were attacked."
"Of the fourteen zones run by First-level Alchemy Wizards, the supervisors of eight zones were killed in action. Several of them were my own students."
Allen’s pupils constricted.
’Eight First-level Alchemy Wizards, all dead? A casualty rate of over fifty percent?’
"And that’s not all." Mercer dropped an even bigger bombshell. "One Second-level Alchemy Wizard has also fallen."
The air in the control room seemed to solidify.
’A Second-level Alchemy Wizard... They must have had immense resources and plenty of trump cards to save their own skin, yet one of them actually died?’
"Master, what were the Black Wizards’ losses?" Allen asked.
"Seven dead. All of them Second-level Wizards," Mercer said, his tone unwavering, as if stating a trivial fact. "But I couldn’t find the Son of the Abyss behind it all."
A chill ran through Allen.
’To use seven Second-level Black Wizards as disposable pawns... The mastermind behind this has to be a terrifying existence at the Morning Star level, at the very least.’
"However, I dealt a heavy blow to their forces and dismantled several Black Wizard strongholds." Mercer paused, then continued, "My Golem Legion has already begun a wide-area sweep, eliminating several large Magical Beast clusters in the surrounding region. They won’t be back anytime soon."
"My main forces have resumed their normal patrols." Mercer gave Allen a meaningful look. "You and Victor should use this time to focus on developing your territories."
"Understood, Master."
The transmission ended.
Silence fell over the control room once more.
Allen leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, his mind processing everything.
’Fourteen zones led by First-level Wizards, and the leaders of eight of them were wiped out.’
’Those numbers alone were enough to illustrate the brutality of this war.’
’The enemy had sacrificed seven Second-level Wizards and countless enslaved Magical Beasts to eliminate eight First-level Wizards and one Second-level Wizard, while also crippling nearly a third of the resource production in Mercer’s territory.’
’The value of the assets they plundered had to be in the tens of millions of Magic Stones, at a minimum.’
Just then, Victor floated over. He had treated the stump of his severed leg again with one of his own advanced potions. Although he hadn’t grown a new leg, his condition had clearly improved.
"I heard your communication with our Master," Victor said, his voice a little hoarse. "Eight First-level Wizards dead... I guess we were the lucky ones."
"Correction: it wasn’t luck."
Allen turned his head and looked at him calmly. "It was skill."
Victor stared blankly for a moment, then gave a wry smile. "You really... You don’t know the first thing about humility, do you?"
"Humility doesn’t pay the bills," Allen said, standing up. He walked to the window and gazed out at the devastated landscape. "What are your plans now?"
Victor was silent for a few seconds before his tone grew firm.
"First, I’ll return to the fortress to get my leg healed. Then, I’ll procure supplies and go back to Zone 19 to rebuild from scratch."
Allen turned his head, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Are you sure? The place was reduced to rubble. You’d be lucky to find a single intact brick."
"That’s exactly why I have to go back—to prove my capabilities." A defiant fire burned in Victor’s ice-blue eyes. "The heir to the Tieyan Clan will not be broken by a single failure."
Allen studied him for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Then I wish you luck."
"What about you?" Victor asked in return. "Your mining sites suffered heavy losses, too. What’s your plan?"
Allen turned and walked back to the console. His finger traced over the grayed-out nodes on the monitor.
"First, restore production. And then..."
He paused, and a cold glint flashed in his deep-blue eyes.
"Build more Golems, so I have the means to protect myself the next time the Black Wizards attack."
Allen didn’t elaborate, simply waving a hand. "Jarvis, prepare a Floating Ship to take Victor to the fortress."
"Acknowledged, Commander."
Victor gave Allen a long look, then turned to leave.
He stopped at the doorway and spoke without turning back.
"Allen, thank you for your help."
"No need for verbal thanks."
Allen replied without turning, his tone as pragmatic as ever. "If you really want to thank me, just remember to buy my Golems after you get back on your feet. Seeing as we trained under the same master, I’ll even give you a two percent discount."
Victor chuckled, said no more, and floated straight out of the control room.
