As the command center issued the orders, the floating city opened again, and war airships poured out like bloodthirsty sharks from the city.
Since this was a small-scale world, there were far more white wizards than in the previous battle. Every floating city launched hundreds of war airships.
The white wizards formed a complex military formation with the war airships at the core, and through the formation's effect, a magical shield appeared beneath their army.
Although the Fire Lizard's strategic weapon attacks had caused some damage to the floating city, they helped the white wizards understand the power of the Dragon Breath Bombs.
This magical shield was prepared for this exact purpose.
Without this preparation, those terrifying fireballs would have destroyed the wizards unless they were third-circle wizards.
"Direct ahead, Fireball, triple-cast, spell launch!" The white wizard commander issued the order over the mental network.
"Fire!"
In the next moment, hundreds of thousands of fireballs fell like a world-ending firestorm upon the Fire Lizard army.
Boom!
Although Fire Lizards had high resistance to fire elements, the environment of the Red Sun World enhanced fire magic by 20%, meaning that a 100 energy-level fireball, when amplified by the environment, could reach up to 120 energy.
This environmental advantage was enough to negate the Fire Lizards' resistance to fire.
Harash, watching the falling fireballs, remained unfazed. He glanced at Maihan beside him:
"Maihan, have your Corrupted Dragon army take to the skies. Barashar, prepare your Dragon Head Knights."
Harash then turned his attention back to the battlefield.
The previous spell barrage was indeed powerful, but for someone like Harash, who had prepared for this, it aligned with the information he had received from the Fire Lizard King.
He called over a messenger:
"Relay the order, Dragon Curse Sorcerer battalion, prepare. Dragon Breath Cannons, free to fire Dragon Breath Bombs."
As the orders were passed, thousands of Dragon Breath Cannons aimed at the white wizard army in the sky, launching giant Dragon Breath Bombs that collided with the magical shield, instantly creating ripples in the air.
The white wizards had already calculated the damage from the floating city, and though the magical shield appeared shaky, not a single Dragon Breath Bomb could break through.
After the Dragon Breath Bombs, the Corrupted Dragon battalion from the Myas Empire took action.
Monstrous black dragons flew out of the Fire Lizard army. These creatures, called Corrupted Dragons, resembled dragons but were smaller in size. Still, their strength could tear apart any creature foolish enough to underestimate them.
In addition to their strength, Corrupted Dragons had venom glands and massive, foul-smelling mouths that could rival the Komodo dragon. The bacteria in their mouths, combined with their venom, could incapacitate any third-level creature.
Mounted atop them were Dragon Warriors, wearing helmets and gripping reins, driving these beasts towards the white wizard army.
As the Corrupted Dragons ascended, the white wizard army didn't just stand by.
Once again, they launched a spell barrage. Thousands of lightning bolts streaked through the sky, instantly clearing the vanguard of the Corrupted Dragon army.
But before the second wave of spells could arrive, the Corrupted Dragons had already reached a range where they could attack.
"Bastards, try the Corrupted Dragon's breath!" With a roar, black-green breaths fell upon the white wizard army's magic shield.
This black-green breath carried terrifying toxicity and corrosive properties. When it struck the magic shield, it instantly caused the magic energy of the shield's frontmost wizards to skyrocket.
"Direct ahead, Chain Lightning, triple-cast."
The white wizards calmly issued their orders. Faced with such a small but concentrated enemy force, Chain Lightning was the most suitable spell to deal with them.
With the command issued, over a hundred thousand wizards waved their wands. In an instant, the purple lightning almost blotted out the three suns in the sky.
At the same time, the command center also issued the order for the black wizards to deploy.
The Dragon Breath Cannons posed a massive threat to both the white wizard army and the war airships.
Hundreds of airships simultaneously opened their drop pods, and tens of thousands of fireballs rained down from the sky.
Seeing the red balls falling from the airships, Harash furrowed his brows. His dragon eyes could clearly make out that these fireballs were actually wizards.
He turned to the messenger waiting for orders: "Deploy the Elite Dragon Warriors. Three Dragon Warriors paired with one Dragon Curse Sorcerer as a combat unit. Three units to protect one Dragon Breath Cannon."
"Also, use the light screens to communicate with His Majesty. These millions of troops are not enough. To defeat these wizards, we need at least five times the number of soldiers, plus the full Dragon Curse Sorcerer battalion, the entire Corrupted Dragon battalion, the full Dragon Beast Knight battalion, and all the Elite Dragon Warriors, along with one hundred thousand Dragon Breath Cannons.
This battle is for gathering intelligence on the wizards as much as it is for preserving the army. I hope His Majesty can make a decision."
...
The black wizards, after landing, charged toward the Dragon Breath Cannons. Unlike the disorganized slave army, the black wizards fought as individuals but were far stronger than the slave monsters.
The wizards' strange and powerful magic gave the Fire Lizard warriors a headache. Even though one wizard might cast Fireball, the next would summon a sharp earth spike, or use their wand to crush their skulls.
Compared to the wizards, the battle-hardened Fire Lizard warriors seemed like raw recruits, unable to find their bearings as the wizards used magic to defeat them.
Soon, the first wizard reached the vicinity of the Dragon Breath Cannon.
An old second-circle wizard with a decayed life force, wearing a black robe, his body mostly elemental, was wrapped in white and purple lightning, making up most of his form.
He swung his wand at the Dragon Breath Cannon, unleashing a blinding bolt of lightning.
Boom!
After the lightning, the Dragon Breath Cannon was unharmed. A Fire Lizard, clad in golden robes, was surrounded by three Fire Lizards with golden masks. A magical barrier emanated from him, successfully blocking the wizard's lightning.
This golden-robed Fire Lizard was reciting an ancient, cryptic language, and with every syllable, faint energy pulses rippled around him.
The old wizard, seasoned from countless battles, immediately recognized this technique.
"Command center, command center, this is Nacito. A new type of enemy combatant has appeared on the battlefield. Estimated to be a mental evolutionist, possessing curse-based abilities. The upper limit of their power can withstand up to 4,000 energy-level lightning."
As he retreated, the old wizard transmitted his analysis to the command center.
The golden-robed Fire Lizard continued his incantation, and with the final syllable spoken, a burst of fiery red flames erupted around him. The flames weakened as they consumed the retreating old wizard, and by the time they disappeared, the old wizard's body had been consumed in an instant.
The bizarre flames, seemingly a curse, spread quickly and threatened the wizard's remaining physical form.
"Such a strange ability, it's almost like a curse." The old wizard, shaken, reported the incident back to the command center.
This was vital intelligence and would earn a significant reward for the command center.
The Dragon Curse Sorcerers didn't pursue the retreating old wizard, as their mission was to guard the Dragon Breath Cannons, not to hunt down wizards.
Compared to the experienced old wizard, other black wizards who attempted to assault the Dragon Breath Cannons weren't so lucky. The Dragon Curse Sorcerers' curse flames killed over a hundred wizards in a single encounter, including several second-circle wizards.
But soon, the command center responded with a countermeasure.
"Emergency communication from the command center: The enemy has shown mental evolution combatants with curse fire abilities. The power of the flame ranges from 600 to 4,200 energy levels. Recommended countermeasures: high-frequency magical oscillations or optical invisibility for self-defense.
Also, for the destruction of strategic weapons, it is suggested that at least one or more second-circle wizards lead a small squad for the assault. It is not advisable for any third-circle or lower wizards to assault alone."
Receiving the message, the black wizards swiftly mobilized. A number of black wizard squads appeared, cutting through the Fire Lizard warriors' formation like arrows.
Cutting, surrounding, annihilating.
Under the command of experienced old wizards, the black wizard squads dismantled the Fire Lizard warriors' defense lines at an astonishing speed. Meanwhile, the white wizard army in the sky prevented most of the Fire Lizard army from providing support, leaving them to watch as their defense line crumbled.
Collapse was imminent.
...
"Impressive individual combat ability."
Harash stood in the command room, watching the battlefield unfold.
His position was at the rear of the battlefield, in a massive black obsidian pyramid carried by a giant dragon tortoise, capable of moving at any time. From this position, aside from the floating city's cannons, even the wizards' weapons couldn't reach.
Messengers continued to bring in reports from the front. The elite Fire Lizard units he commanded were being consumed at an astonishing rate.
While the strange creatures from earlier only killed a few thousand Fire Lizards over five days, these wizards had already wiped out over ten thousand of his soldiers in just half a day, and the number was still increasing at an alarming speed.
"Has His Majesty made a response yet?"
Harash looked at one side, where a messenger was anxiously awaiting, staring at a crystal screen.
Suddenly, the screen lit up with a point of light, and the messenger quickly brought the screen to Harash.
"Lord, His Majesty has responded."
Harash took the screen, tapping it. In the next moment, the Fire Lizard King's image appeared on the screen.
The Fire Lizard King sat on a golden throne, his imposing body nearly ten meters tall, with five menacing dragon heads that looked terrifying.
"Harash, withdraw the army."
Harash looked at the screen and knelt.
"Your will, Your Majesty."
...
Not long after, watching the Fire Lizard army begin to retreat, Richard turned and walked away from the edge of the floating city.
"Richard, you going down to join the fun?" Bob casually a
sked.
Richard didn't look back, pulling a wand from his pocket.
"Of course, this is one of the best opportunities to make money in this war."
(End of Chapter 214)