Chapter 86: Back to the Battlefield

After speaking with Mage Roland for a while longer, the mage took his leave and departed, as the banquet was about to begin.

Once Mage Roland had left, Shaoke snapped his book shut. Hearing the other’s words, he increasingly felt he should venture out more often. After all, prolonged isolation could lead to psychological strain. Yet, considering the wound on his back, he temporarily abandoned the idea of going out. Instead, he resolved to extend his meditation sessions, hoping to advance to Third-Tier Mage as soon as possible.

Days passed one after another, and more and more mages arrived at the fortress. Some came to the courtyard where Shaoke and the others were staying; others headed to different courtyards. Shaoke believed, as Mage Roland had said, that this was largely due to their differing factions.

Only a few days after Shaoke’s wounds had healed, a new battle began.

That day, while Shaoke was practicing his hand-seal techniques, Mage Roland suddenly barged in, his expression grim. “Mage Xueye, I apologize for the intrusion,” he said, glancing at Shaoke’s new robe and cloak. “I hadn’t expected them to issue standard robes!”

Shaoke shook his head. “What’s wrong, Mage Roland? Please sit down and explain calmly.” He then gestured toward his cloak and robe. “Though these were provided by them, I paid for them myself. I heard an alchemical mage repaired the damaged robe.”

Mage Roland gave a bitter smile. “Mage Xueye, let’s set aside your robe for now. I’m afraid I must inform you—you’re needed on the battlefield. The enemy is attacking again.”

Shaoke nodded. “Understood. Shall we depart immediately?” As he spoke, he began gathering the necessary items.

Mage Roland nodded. “Yes. If the situation weren’t urgent, I doubt we’d need to take shelter in those stone towers, carefully guarding against stray arrows.”

Many mages still remained in the courtyard, but most were newcomers who hadn’t been there long. The rest had already headed to the battlefield earlier. The newly arrived mages anxiously questioned the more experienced ones, hoping to glean more battlefield survival tips.

Mage Roland pulled Shaoke aside behind a carriage and spoke in a low voice: “Mage Xueye, I’ve heard from several senior mages that several more mages perished outside the city walls. They couldn’t withstand the enemy mages’ assaults—only a few managed to escape.” Mage Roland once again urged Shaoke to change positions, suggesting he join the ranks of area-of-effect spellcasters.

Upon hearing Mage Roland’s news, Shaoke’s previously relaxed mood instantly tightened. “Mage Roland, I don’t yet need to leave the protection of the city walls to confront those enemy mages outside. Don’t worry,” he replied, forcing calm into his voice. Though he was reassuring Mage Roland, it felt more like he was reassuring himself.

Since he and Mage Roland were no longer assigned to the same duty, Shaoke set out for the battlefield by carriage alongside several newly arrived mages specializing in single-target spells. The young mages—who had arrived even later than Shaoke—couldn’t help but ask questions when they saw him board the carriage. “Mage Xueye, what should we do upon arrival? Is it dangerous?”

Shaoke looked at the mage who asked and nodded. “Yes—though, truthfully, it isn’t particularly dangerous. I believe the battlefield guidelines cover everything in detail. If you follow them, the risk shouldn’t be excessive.” After a pause, he added, “I only arrived a few days before you and have participated in one battle—but that was at night.”

With that, Shaoke leaned against the carriage wall, staff in hand, and settled into quiet meditation. Seeing he had no desire to converse, the other mages ceased their questions.

It was the same mage who had escorted them to the stone tower last time. He had already assembled over twenty Second-Tier Mages before him. When Shaoke and the others arrived, the mage rushed over and sternly reprimanded them. “Let me remind you now: when battle begins, every second counts. Next time, I don’t want you arriving only after the fighting has ended.” The mage—a Third-Rank mage himself—frowned and asked Shaoke, “Mage Xueye, I trust your injuries have healed and won’t delay this battle. What do you say?”

Feeling the collective gaze of the other mages, Shaoke flushed with embarrassment. “Yes, Honorable Mage—I will certainly not delay this battle.” He attempted a bow of apology, but the mage waved him off.

“Follow me. It’s time you learned to ride horses. Carriages are too slow. Someone will arrange for that after we return.” The mage raised his staff, signaling them to follow. They needed to reach the stone towers atop the city walls as quickly as possible.

The broad ramparts teemed with soldiers. Led by warriors wielding Aura, they methodically raised their shields to block arrows fired from below. Others carried bows and javelins, repeatedly striking enemies beneath the walls. Occasionally, high-rank enemy warriors surged onto the ramparts. Though the soldiers couldn’t withstand warriors empowered by Aura, they fought desperately—swinging swords and axes to prevent breaches and deny opportunities to the enemy forces behind. They knew that if they could hold off these elite enemy warriors for even a short time, the mages stationed behind them would swiftly cast spells to eliminate them.

The mages quickly assessed the battlefield before being assigned to their respective stone towers by the Third-Rank mages.

Two mages were already stationed in the stone tower where Shaoke was assigned. Upon seeing him arrive, their tense expressions eased slightly. “Mage Xueye? Hah! Didn’t expect you here.” Shaoke nodded in acknowledgment, then slid his staff into the pouch on his back. He promptly cast the Support Spell *Spellcasting Concentration* on himself—he didn’t want external interference to cause casting failure or misaiming, which might endanger his allies. After all, such conditions rigorously tested every mage’s control.

Shaoke’s arrival brought relief to the two mages, who had been alternating spells. At least now they had a little more time to meditate and recover expended energy.

Shaoke carefully observed the situation along the city walls, remaining vigilant against stray arrows that might accidentally fly through the casting window and strike them.

In reality, relatively few warriors with Aura actually breached the walls. Most attackers were fearless, robust infantry. Yet the mages’ targets weren’t these ordinary soldiers—they were left to the regular troops.

During this time, Shaoke sensed intense magical fluctuations from afar several times. Each time, dozens of area-of-effect spells rained down upon the enemies below, inflicting heavy casualties. Flaming boulders, black vortices, massive wind blades, exploding fireballs, crackling lightning—the large-scale deployment of these area-of-effect spells momentarily shook Shaoke’s resolve. *So this is what Second-Tier area-attack spells look like!* Each time these Second-Rank area spells struck, soldiers on the walls erupted in loud cheers, confirming significant damage inflicted upon the enemy below. It was difficult to imagine the sheer power—and devastation—of area-attack spells above the Third Rank!

Just as Shaoke lost himself in thought, agonized cries erupted from the soldiers before him. Snapping back to reality, he saw two low-rank Aura warriors leading dozens of soldiers onto the ramparts, ruthlessly hunting down ordinary troops and expanding their foothold.

Several defending low-rank Aura warriors swiftly emerged from the ranks, engaging the enemy’s low-rank warriors to buy time for their comrades to eliminate the regular soldiers.

Following protocol, Shaoke quickly roused the mage who had begun meditating earliest. The two of them would target the enemy warriors separately.

Chanting incantations, forming hand seals, focusing his mind—Shaoke released *Blazing Ray* just slightly ahead of the other mage’s spell. Guided by his mental energy, it narrowly skimmed past his own side’s warriors before slamming into the enemy’s head. Though the warrior had been wary of spell attacks, he couldn’t dodge in time while entangled by surrounding fighters—especially against a spell famed for its piercing power. His head was nearly severed; the ensuing barrage of swords and axes from nearby warriors hacked his now-unprotected body into pieces.

After observing the result, Shaoke shook his head. He had nearly lost control of the spell’s trajectory. Had his mental energy not surpassed that of an average mage, his still-unmastered Second-Level Spell might have struck his own allies.

After rousing the other meditating mage, Shaoke intended to recover his spent energy. But before he could sit on the carpet, several more Aura warriors charged onto the ramparts.

The mage who had just awakened said, “Mage Xueye, wait a moment—let’s deal with them before resting.”

Shaoke nodded. He noticed his side hadn’t deployed enough warriors to counter the enemy. Imperial soldiers kept surging onto the walls. Though some were swiftly eliminated by nearby javelin-wielding snipers, the chaos sown by the warriors allowed many soldiers to break through.

*Blazing Ray.* Just as Shaoke prepared to cast another Second-Level attack spell, the other mage—who had just finished eliminating his target—stopped him. “Mage Xueye, First-Level attack spells are sufficient for these foes. We needn’t eliminate them personally. Don’t forget—our warriors are still present.”

Shaoke nodded, offering no thanks. Ultimately, he chose *Scorching Ray*, as it possessed greater piercing power than the stronger *Fireball* and posed less risk to his allies.

After casting Second-Level Spells for an extended period, shifting suddenly to a First-Level Spell made Shaoke feel significantly more at ease. A crimson beam, as thick as an egg, struck a Second-Rank Warrior in the head. Though the warrior blocked it in time with both Aura and weapon, the spell’s force staggered him. Immediately, surrounding warriors and soldiers broke through his Aura defense, punching fist-sized holes through his body.

After briefly observing the warrior’s fate, Shaoke shifted focus to another. One crimson beam after another lanced toward imperial warriors. Few could withstand both spell strikes and the onslaught of surrounding fighters. Only a handful of exceptionally formidable Second-Rank Warriors required extra effort from the mages.

When most enemy warriors on the ramparts had been eliminated, several Third-Rank Warriors charged up. Seeing the dense Aura swirling around them, Shaoke felt a wave of helplessness. His spellcasting speed slightly exceeded that of the other two mages, and his spells consumed far more mana than their ordinary single-target spells. Now, Shaoke estimated he could cast only one more Second-Level Spell and one First-Level Spell—hardly enough to meaningfully harm Third-Rank Warriors.

The other two mages showed no concern at the arrival of the Third-Rank Warriors. After casting his spell, one paused to catch his breath and told Shaoke, “Mage Xueye, ignore them. Warriors of equal rank will handle them. Right now, our priority is coordinating against these Second- and First-Rank Warriors.”

Setting aside his doubts, Shaoke drew a deep breath of blood-tinged air and focused on a warrior not yet targeted by his companions. Unsurprisingly, with Shaoke’s intervention, the warrior was swiftly overwhelmed and eliminated by the surrounding warriors.

After eliminating that warrior, Shaoke cast no further spells against the others. Many warriors who had lost their targets were already assisting comrades in taking down remaining enemies. Moreover, Shaoke hadn’t forgotten the Elder Mage’s advice from Mist Academy—he decided to preserve one Second-Level Spell, ensuring he wouldn’t be left defenseless in danger.

The other two mages each eliminated one more warrior before ceasing spellcasting. Though they had been promoted longer—and thus possessed greater mental energy and mana than Shaoke—they had arrived on the battlefield earlier, so their depletion wasn’t insignificant. After all, brief meditation during combat restored little, even with medicinal aid.

The few Third-Rank Warriors from the enemy nation, having just breached the ramparts, killed few before being intercepted by Third-Rank Warriors of their own rank. Clashes between Third-Rank Warriors lay beyond the capacity of First- and Second-Rank Warriors to intervene. Ordinary soldiers wisely kept their distance—though some unfortunate souls were struck by explosive bursts of Aura, either dying instantly or flung from the walls to be trampled below.

The clashes between Third-Rank Warriors held Shaoke’s attention only briefly. He noticed that after his side’s warriors halted the enemy’s advance, several Aura-empowered warriors stood nearby, watching—ready to rescue their comrades should they falter.

Shaoke quickly scanned adjacent sections of the wall. Conditions were similar—but on one neighboring section, not only were Third-Rank Warriors locked in combat, but numerous Second-Rank Warriors were also engaged. Spells occasionally flew from the stone towers—either halting Second-Rank Warriors charging toward the towers or aiding allies in hunting them down.