Rumble!
The explosions continued without end. The warlocks stared in silence at the battlefield littered with scrap metal — the occasional severed metal arm and vine with massive calyx still writhing among the wreckage.
"The enemy's plant army clearly has regenerative properties, while our steel puppets are not only complicated to construct but also drain a massive amount of stored energy from the Wizard Towers every time they're deployed. At this exchange rate, we're taking a huge loss..."
Lucy said with a bitter smile, her voice carrying an indescribable dryness.
Outside the city, a sea of flowers had bloomed. Just above the ruins, countless tender shoots tenaciously pushed through the soil and sprouted. In a mere few minutes, the man-eating flower army had taken shape once more.
Not only that — the other wizard formations, and even the Blue Rain Knight Order and the Devil Wizard Corps, were converging toward the headquarters.
"Everyone, focus on your respective defense zones! Even with the combined Wizard Towers' defenses, I can only feel at ease with crystallized warlocks stationed at each position!"
Faisal gave a dry laugh.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The many projections vanished one after another, leaving only Faisal and a sparse handful of warlocks on the scene.
It turned out that those who had been conferring here moments ago had all been projections formed by other crystallized wizards through the Wizard Tower network — but thanks to the advanced technology, they had been virtually indistinguishable from real people.
Faisal, the one left behind, wore a dark expression, his thoughts unclear as something flickered behind his eyes.
"Sir! Have you reconsidered what I said before?"
At that moment, a thick plume of smoke billowed out from a corner, coalescing into a black silhouette.
At this person's appearance, Faisal furrowed his brow but held his tongue.
Everyone present was his people anyway — there was no risk of the secret leaking.
"What are you here for?"
"Hehe! The Ouroboros Circle is on the verge of annihilation! For all you know, among the very colleagues you just met, there are already hidden traitors aplenty. Surely the sir will consider his own future and that of his family?"
The black figure spoke in an unhurried tone, exuding powerful confidence — the gap created by absolute strength in hand.
Faisal's subordinates immediately changed color, and after several moments of visible struggle on his own face, he waved his hand dismissively.
"I... need to think about it a bit more!"
"I hope you can give me your answer as soon as possible. Once the city walls are breached, any agreement we previously reached will be completely worthless!"
The messenger said slowly, and then his figure dissipated like a ghost.
"Sigh..." After he disappeared, Faisal let out a sigh, his mind churning with thoughts, a strange light flickering through his gaze.
[[[lang:en]] ......
In the western district, Furi watched the enemy slowly closing in, a bitter smile on her face. "I can't believe my luck is this terrible — running into these Demon-Contracted Wizards..."
The ones who had chosen to break through at her position were none other than the elite forces of the Sinful City — the Demon Wizard Corps!
Any wizard admitted to the Demon Wizard Corps was guaranteed to be at least Second Tier in strength! Moreover, due to their contracts with countless unknown demons, most of them possessed bizarre and terrifying abilities — even trump cards for survival.
To make matters worse, the wizards of the Sinful City were already wanted criminals across the entire continent — notorious, savage, and bloodthirsty. They were nothing short of a pack of lunatics even more terrifying than the Bloodline Emotional Warlocks!
Having to face them head-on, it would be a miracle if Furi could maintain any pleasant expression.
"Heh heh! I didn't expect my opponent to be such a gorgeous beauty!"
Below the city wall, the leader of the Demon Wizards — a wizard with horns growing from his head and his right arm bound tightly in heavy iron chains — rubbed his chin with his remaining left hand, a suggestive smile flickering across his face.
Around him, the other Demon Wizards all respectfully cleared a wide space, while more than a few stole glances at his right arm, their eyes filled with unmistakable dread.
It was as though some horrifying monster lurked beneath all those iron chain seals.
The leader paid no heed to the fear of his subordinates. Instead, he waved his hand. "Attack!"
The wizards roared, and most of their bodies underwent eerie transformations. Some spread a pair of black fleshy wings and soared into the air, hurtling toward the city wall.
"Prepare for battle!" Furi commanded with an expressionless face, and the warlocks tensed involuntarily.
Next, the barrage of spells from the Demon Wizards struck the defensive barrier, creating large dents across its surface and leaving the warlocks inside terrified and shaken.
"We can't let them drain the formation's energy — we have to strike first!" Furi gritted her teeth. A layer of fine black scales spread across her entire body, and her eyes turned into amber-colored vertical slits.
Swish! Her figure vanished from the top of the wall in an instant. When she reappeared, she had already seized a Demon Wizard and torn him apart. Flesh, viscera, and bone scattered in a rain of blood across the sky.
"Gaze of Petrification!" Every wizard caught by her stare — those below Third Tier turned to stone on the spot, and even Third Tier and above Demon Wizards experienced a moment of mental paralysis, left utterly defenseless.
"Kill!" The Blood Snake Warlocks, seeing their matriarch already fighting outside, charged out with bloodshot eyes and clashed with the Demon Wizards in a furious melee.
Relying on the protection of the wizard formation, they rarely had to worry too much about their own safety, which allowed them to claim a rich haul of kills. One Demon Wizard after another fell.