"Want to chat after the war? No problem, Master, just leave me an address, and I'll come find you after the war."
Damir was very pleased with Richard's suggestion and immediately agreed.
In his mind, Richard was the epitome of an alchemy master, and the fact that Richard took the initiative to discuss research with him was something he could only dream of.
Richard left him an address and then returned to the vehicle, continuing to bask in the sun.
He was gradually getting used to the life of an immortal being. The stalemate of the war was quite brief; rather than doing research, it was better to soak up some sun.
He wasn't in a hurry for those few days.
But good times were destined to be short-lived. Not long after Richard returned to the vehicle, a command from the command center came through the communication crystal ball.
"Teams 7, 8, and 9, the command center needs you to stand by at Position 19. Specific orders will be given by the battlefield commander at Position 19."
"Position 19? And the orders will come from the battlefield commander."
Richard frowned slightly; it seemed the stalemate on the battlefield was about to end.
Returning to the cockpit, Richard started the Magic Support Vehicle and began to follow the convoy to Position 19.
On the way, the scenery around the Magic Support Vehicle gradually took on a gloomy hue. The sky began to darken without anyone noticing, heavy clouds gathered in the air, moving slowly like silent beasts, obscuring the only sun in the sky. The sunlight was gradually swallowed by these clouds, leaving only a desolate grayness.
The wind suddenly picked up, whipping up gravel and dust from the roadside, then slamming against the cockpit windows with a crackling sound.
The area around the road was filled with the long-abandoned Fire Lizard village, and the desolate scenery appeared even more bleak in this dim and oppressive atmosphere, as if the entire world was shrouded in a layer of gloom.
"This is a good omen."
Looking at the apocalyptic scene, Richard couldn't help but chuckle.
"Huh? Did I hear that wrong? This atmosphere doesn't look like a good omen at all," Ulysses said, somewhat astonished.
If his aesthetic sense wasn't off, this scene certainly didn't seem like a good omen. In his impression, only those abyssal scraps would think this atmosphere was great.
"Ulysses, you need to understand our position," Richard laughed. "We are outsiders; the Fire Lizard is the native. In Fire Lizard mythology, the three suns in the sky represent the three Fire Lizard Kings. Now that the sun in the sky is obscured by clouds, it's a bad omen for the Fire Lizard, but for us, it's an excellent good omen."
"Huh, I have to admit, your explanation does make some sense," Ulysses said, somewhat surprised. "But unfortunately, this situation is artificial."
"Artificial?"
Richard was slightly taken aback. Could this be a weather weapon of the Fire Lizard? But then he thought of another possibility.
"Are you saying it's the Fire Lizard King or the Great Wizard?"
"Both."
Ulysses looked up at the horizon, his gaze seemingly able to cross space to see the capital of the Morik Empire.
"Huh, the World Master of this world is about to step down from the throne, and your Great Wizard will also come out of that iron city.
This war is about to truly begin."
...
Position 19
The battlefield commander listened to the reports coming from the communication crystal ball.
"Commander, the support convoy has arrived three kilometers behind Position 19, and the coverage of magical support can now encompass the entire position."
After hearing this, the commander replied in a steady voice, "Good, you will wait there for my orders."
Putting down the crystal ball, the commander picked up a specially made eagle-eye telescope and observed the intelligence from the opposing Fire Lizard position through the window.
Although the Morik Shield had dealt a heavy blow to the Black Wizard network within the Morik Empire, some Black Wizards still remained. These Black Wizards, due to being in the rear or in certain special positions, could not retreat from the Wizard-occupied areas, so the command center had issued them a temporary order to lie low.
But now that the war was at a stalemate, the command center had to deploy some of the Black Wizards to scout for information on the Fire Lizard.
Not long ago, the activated Black Wizards sent back a message that the main attack direction of the Fire Lizard was set on Position 19, and an attack would be launched soon.
Through the telescope, Position 19 still looked the same as usual, with no changes. The Fire Lizards were patrolling as usual, practicing as usual, and those giant Dragon Turtles carrying Dragon Breath Cannons were lazily lying on the ground, opening their mouths wide and using their tongues to eat the fire dragon grass.
If the commander hadn't received the intelligence, the deceptive facade the Fire Lizard was putting on would have certainly fooled him.
The commander picked up the communication crystal ball and operated it a few times, casually calling out:
"All Wizards, attention! All Wizards, attention! Strengthen your vigilance these days, and be sure to keep an eye on the movements of the Fire Lizard. If there are any special situations, report to the battlefield command center in a timely manner."
As the sky darkened, the temperature in the Crimson Sun World began to drop rapidly.
Although Fire Lizards were not cold-blooded animals, they would still instinctively become lethargic in the face of a sudden drop in temperature.
Thus, Fire Lizards rarely launched offensives day and night.
Wizards were also aware of this and understood the consequences of believing in this fact, so Wizard reconnaissance was always relentless.
Three kilometers behind the position, the support convoy.
Richard lay in the cockpit, his eyes gazing at the night sky outside, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a black crow flew in through the window.
"How's it going? Any signs of the Fire Lizard moving tonight?"
"Huh, it doesn't seem like it. I didn't see any troops gathering, but your intelligence is indeed correct. Many units are gathering here from other places, expected to arrive by dawn."
"Well, alright then." Richard replied lazily, "Looks like the battle won't start until tomorrow."
Time passed second by second, and a ray of light pierced through the darkness, bringing a hint of warmth to the land of the Crimson Sun World.
Looking at the rising sun, Richard suddenly recalled the mythology of the Fire Lizard.
In Fire Lizard mythology, the three Fire Lizard Kings were all incarnations of the sun.
Suddenly, Richard sat up, a sense of foreboding flashing through his mind.
"Ulysses, you said earlier that the Fire Lizard King is stepping down from the throne, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. What are you thinking?"
"Then tell me, how do you think our positions are viewed by the Fire Lizard King?"
"Probably not much different from being made of paper," Ulysses nodded. "I think I understand what you mean. Don't overthink it; when the Fire Lizard King strikes, your Great Wizard will also strike.
In planar wars, it's kings against kings, generals against generals. Unless a king dies, you people won't even get close to a king."
"But Ulysses, have you considered that there are three Fire Lizard Kings, while there are only two Great Wizards?" Richard said quietly.
"Unless the Great Wizard can quickly kill one Fire Lizard King, a single acting Fire Lizard King would be enough to wipe out all of us Wizards."
As soon as Richard finished speaking, a terrifying aura emanated from the horizon.
The owner of that aura was thousands of miles away from Richard, but the aura it radiated was as striking as the sun.
Richard quickly put on the eagle-eye glasses and looked in the direction from which the aura was coming.
He saw a very vague shadow appearing on the horizon, a shadow that reached from heaven to earth, resembling a combination of a giant dragon and a Fire Lizard. This strange creature was entirely crimson, with five dragon heads neatly arranged on its shoulders. As its mouths opened and closed, a long dragon roar echoed throughout the entire Crimson Sun World.
After the dragon roar, another massive shadow appeared on the other side of the front line.
This figure also reached from heaven to earth, with five dragon heads growing on its shoulders.
Fire Lizard's body flowed with Dragon Blood, and each time a dragon head grew, its life level would leap to a new tier.
Five dragon heads meant that these two shadows before him were both level five beings.
...
The Fire Lizard King stepping down from the throne was an unprecedented event for the entire Crimson Sun World. In the distant past, there had indeed been instances of the Fire Lizard King stepping down from the throne to personally engage in battle. But those instances were so long ago that they were almost regarded by the Fire Lizard as ancient legends.
The Fire Lizards looked at these two massive figures, letting out excited roars.
The Fire Lizard King is the embodiment of the sun, and the sun is the deity of the Fire Lizard.
Now that the Fire Lizard King was stepping down from the throne to go to battle, it meant that the deity was with them.
With a deity fighting alongside them, what was there to fear?
The appearance of the Fire Lizard King tightened the hearts of the Wizards; the Fire Lizard King had appeared, and the Great Wizard should also appear.
Although the organized White Wizard Legion did have plans to deal with the World Master, no one wanted to face a deity with a mortal body unless absolutely necessary.
Soon, under the expectant gazes of the Wizards, two figures appeared on the battlefield.
One figure was the familiar Frost Great Wizard to Richard, a blue ice man in a white Wizard robe hovering in the air. Just a glance at him brought a chilling sensation. He held a staff resembling ice crystals, on which countless mysterious runes flowed endlessly.
On the other side of the front line, Richard finally saw the Great Wizard known as Hellfire.
Richard had only seen information about Hellfire Great Wizard in the records. According to the records, this Great Wizard had already become a Wizard during the Wizard War, and after the war ended, he quickly accumulated resources during the expansion period, becoming one of the first Great Wizards of that era.
Legend has it that this Great Wizard started as a necromancer, later transitioning through the soul school, the shaping school, and even the curse school, blending the knowledge of these schools together to create a form of magic known as "Hellfire."
This was also the origin of his name.
Richard initially didn't believe this rumor, as during the early expansion period, there were deep-seated grudges between the various schools, and it seemed impossible for an ordinary Wizard to transition through several schools.
But upon seeing the appearance of this Great Wizard, Richard found that the rumor seemed to be true.
The figure before him, a skeletal frame engulfed in wicked green flames, perfectly matched the description of the rumor.
"Huh, I think we should hide for a bit," Ulysses suddenly said. After regaining his level three strength, his hiding ability had greatly improved, and he could now move under the noses of World Master-level beings—provided he didn't make a move.
"Hide?"
Richard was taken aback for a moment.
In the next instant, a massive divine shadow appeared in front of Position 19.
(End of Chapter)