Descending from the floating city, Richard immediately rushed to the battlefield.
With the Fire Lizards retreating, now was the perfect time to rack up some kills.
From what he had observed, these Fire Lizards likely had dragon ancestry, making them extremely valuable for his research.
Their retreat was swift and well-organized, unlike a complete rout. The coordinated rear-guard tactics they employed demonstrated that their commander was an expert in military strategy. Unfortunately, against the technological and magical superiority of the wizards, his tactics could only slightly reduce casualties—heavy losses were still unavoidable.
Richard gripped his staff and casually launched a black fireball. With the aid of Fortune's Blessing, the fire-element-rich environment of Red Sun World boosted his fire magic's effectiveness by an astounding 25%.
A 400-energy-level spell, after layering enhancements, surged to an incredible 580 energy levels.
A single fireball could effortlessly obliterate a Fire Lizard, which was only a first-tier lifeform.
Before Richard could revel in his success, a sudden gust of wind came from behind.
"Hissss… Die!"
A heavily wounded Fire Lizard, concealed within a pile of scorched earth, lunged at Richard in a desperate final attack.
Clang! The spear tip shattered.
Compared to Richard's meticulously crafted armor, the Fire Lizard's crude weapon was laughably inferior.
Richard turned around and flashed a "friendly" smile.
"Not bad, a heavily injured one. Saves me some effort."
Grabbing the Fire Lizard's spear, Richard yanked the creature toward him and, with a resounding smack, delivered a powerful slap across its face.
The Fire Lizard immediately collapsed, achieving an infant-like slumber.
Richard examined its wounds. "A bit serious, but nothing major."
He casually opened a spatial rift and tossed the unconscious Fire Lizard into his pocket dimension.
"Don't let this one die. I need it for research."
Shortly after, a rift appeared behind Richard, and Ulysses flew out.
"Gah! You entered a new world and didn't even invite me?"
Ulysses landed on Richard's shoulder, surveying the surroundings.
"A fire-element-heavy world. Boring."
"Boring?" Richard raised an eyebrow. "Then what kind of world do you find interesting?"
"Gah, these elemental-imbalanced worlds are all the same—volcanoes, deserts, barren lands, maybe a few fire-element plants. At first, they seem novel, but after a few encounters, you realize they're all cut from the same mold.
At least with balanced worlds, there's some variation in climate… Ah… achoo!"
Mid-sentence, Ulysses sneezed—a rare sight.
Richard was surprised. "You've reached third-tier strength. How can you still be affected by the environment?"
Ulysses shook his head. "It's just a soul habit. You blow on your tea before drinking it, don't you? But is it really because it's too hot?"
Richard had no response.
Following the main force, Richard arrived at a massive city.
The city was built around a volcano, spanning hundreds of kilometers outward. Its towering sandstone buildings indicated that this native civilization had reached a certain level of development.
Architecture was often a key indicator of a civilization's progress.
Even in a world with supernatural abilities, constructing large stone structures required knowledge of structural engineering, materials science, and mathematics.
A veteran wizard once summarized a simple rule: The more advanced a civilization, the grander its buildings.
"This civilization is quite developed… looks like these Fire Lizards won't be turned into slaves," Richard murmured as he surveyed the city.
"Gah! You wizards have standards for choosing slaves? Isn't it just about picking the best species?" Ulysses asked in confusion.
"It's an unwritten rule among Grand Wizards. I heard about it from some older wizards," Richard explained. "When a Grand Wizard conquers a world, they deliberately exterminate certain species.
These species usually have impressive civilizations, with deep knowledge of their own abilities and advanced mathematical sciences.
If a species meets these criteria, no matter how exceptional they are, they're doomed to extinction."
After hearing this, Ulysses was silent for a moment before muttering:
"Gah… Probably to maintain the purity of your civilization."
"Purity?"
"Gah, I'm not sure. Let's keep watching. But one thing's certain—I can smell the same scent in their blood as in that dragon blood serum you had me analyze last time.
These natives' ancestors were likely connected to those dragons."
Ulysses didn't dwell on the topic and shifted his attention back to Richard.
Richard nodded. "I figured as much. Let's see what I can extract from their bodies later."
---
Inside the command room, Harash methodically reported all the intelligence he had gathered on the wizards.
"…Your Majesty, this species is even more terrifying than what you learned from the astral beings. Given our current situation, it's only a matter of time before Kafra City falls."
On the light screen, the Fire Lizard King sat high on his golden throne, expressionless.
But as someone personally appointed by the Fire Lizard King, Harash knew his ruler was furious.
Harash could read the subtlest changes—the shifting of scales, the flexing of the spine, the angle of his gaze, even the twitching of his tail.
As a close retainer, he had learned these signs instinctively, even if he never meant to.
"Harash, give me some good news. So far, you've given me nothing but bad news," the Fire Lizard King said calmly.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Harash stood up and waved to his subordinates.
Soon, his men brought forth a bound first-circle wizard.
From his life force, it was evident this wizard was young and full of vitality—likely a student soldier fresh from the academy.
A nail had been driven into his forehead, rendering him unconscious.
"Your Majesty, we extracted valuable intelligence from this wizard's soul. The wizard army in this war numbers approximately one million, led by two individuals they call 'Grand Wizards.'
I suspect these Grand Wizards are beings at your level.
Thus, in terms of high-level combat power, we still hold the advantage.
Additionally, the wizards cannot replenish their forces for a long time. Every death is a permanent loss. But our soldiers can be replenished endlessly.
If we can crush them during this vulnerable period, the wizards will either retreat in disgrace or be buried here forever."
Hearing Harash's analysis, the Fire Lizard King's mood finally improved.
"Harash, from now on, you have full control over the empire's military. You may deploy the Elite Dragon Warriors, the Dragon Curse Sorcerers, and even…"
The Fire Lizard King hesitated, seemingly making a difficult decision.
"…even the warehouse guards.
But remember, the wizards are not our only enemies. The other two empires are constantly looking for an opportunity to consume us."
With that, the light screen flickered off.
Harash handed the screen back to his attendant and turned to the window.
Watching the relentless pursuit of the white wizard army, he muttered,
"Holding back at a time like this… This war is going to drag on."
---
"You brat, why aren't you staying in the floating city where it's safe? What are you doing on the front lines?" Vladimir grumbled when he saw Richard.
At this moment, the white wizard army was preparing for a siege. Various alchemical components were being transported from the rear, rapidly assembled by alchemists into siege weapons.
"This is the best time to make money," Richard replied with a grin.
As a second-circle wizard, a pursuit battle posed no danger to him.
"Make money?" Vladimir snorted. "You sure know how to pick your moments. But you've come to the wrong place this time. The natives' commander is quite skilled—he managed to preserve most of his forces during the opening battle.
Now that they've entered the city, urban warfare is inevitable."
"Urban warfare?" Richard was puzzled. "Can't we just flatten the place with spells?"
"Flatten it? You wish."
Vladimir sneered, giving Richard a mocking look.
"You think these natives are target dummies? Look at that massive city—how long do you think it would take to blast through all that with magic?
Buildings aren't made of flesh. Even if you miss, the shockwave alone could kill people.
See those large structures? If you don't pinpoint the right spots, you could drain yourself of magic before even bringing one down."
On the battlefield, the old wizard's temper had become even more irritable.
After being bombarded with sarcasm, Richard begrudgingly asked,
"So, in your opinion, this siege is going to be tough?"
"Tough."
Vladimir sized Richard up, then suddenly reached into his robe.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Well, well, kid. No wonder you dared to come—your armor's pretty solid," Vladimir said, mildly impressed. "With that kind of protection, you might actually make a decent haul."
He then issued an order via crystal ball, and soon, a white wizard squad arrived.
"This is our technical advisor. Out of the goodness of his heart, he has volunteered to assist in the urban combat operation," Vladimir declared righteously.
The squad captain hesitated but reluctantly accepted.
"Yes, Master Vladimir!"
Vladimir turned to
Richard. "Stick with these guys. Be careful, and don't get yourself killed."
Richard nodded and turned to the squad leader.
"Captain, I'll fully cooperate with you in battle."
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