Chapter 506: Cannon Fodder
"Damn it..."
Lazart's expression grew increasingly grim, veins bulging on his forehead. He never expected Ash to cause such a disaster. Furious and flustered, he roared, "Do you even know what you've done? What did I tell you before I left? I warned you a thousand times—don't act on your own. Without my orders, you can't mobilize the troops..."
Lazart was nearly driven mad with rage. As he spoke, his finger almost jabbed Ash in the nose—a rare sight for someone so respected among the Forgefire Clan’s Seers.
He had every reason to be furious...
Nearly a thousand elite cavalry—except for Ash, not a single one escaped. That force was the backbone of the Specter Valley garrison. Such a massive loss would wreak havoc on all the Forgefire Clan’s plans.
No matter how much he usually spoiled Ash, even Lazart couldn't hold back his scolding now...
Most importantly, this was a catastrophe. Even as one of the six Grand Seers of the Forgefire Clan, Lazart’s status couldn’t shield him from responsibility after losing nearly a thousand elite cavalry in one blow.
"Teacher, I... I was wrong. But those humans were too cunning. They only had five hundred or so High Mages, but suddenly dozens of powerful Magisters appeared out of nowhere..."
Ash’s face was pale. It was the first time he’d ever seen his teacher so furious, and panic overwhelmed him. His gaze toward Lazart was filled with fear.
"Enough! Shut your mouth!"
Lazart shot Ash a fierce glare and said nothing more. He knew that at this point, anger was useless—the only thing that mattered was finding a solution. No matter what, Ash was still his prized disciple. Even though Ash had made a foolish mistake and brought disaster to the clan, as his teacher, Lazart had to help clean up the mess.
Otherwise, if the clan punished him, Ash would be finished...
With that thought, Lazart's expression softened slightly. He glanced at Ash and spoke in a low voice, "Go back and reflect on your actions."
Only after Ash left did Lazart let out a long, weary sigh, his face etched with worry. Cleaning up this mess was going to be anything but easy...
The loss was catastrophic—nearly a thousand elite cavalry wiped out. Without any results to show for it, there was no way to explain to the Grand Seer, and severe punishment was inevitable. Only by seizing full control of Specter Valley could Lazart hope to make up for the disaster.
Lazart was seriously considering this option...
But carrying it out would be far from easy. Both sides had fought over Specter Valley for years, and without overwhelming force, it was nearly impossible to gain total control.
"Looks like I’ll have to let him make a move..."
Lazart sighed again, as if making up his mind. He suddenly stood up and walked straight out of his quarters, spending who knows how long to reach a hidden place...
Long, cryptic incantations in ancient orcish spilled from Lazart’s lips. The moment the words rang out, the dark red runes on his body flared violently, and the ground began to shake...
...
By now, the fierce battle near Specter Valley had ended. Members of the Merlin Mage Legion roamed the battlefield, burning Blazeforge orc corpses and collecting spoils.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Leon and his group stood at the center of the camp, watching the busy legionnaires. Nearly everyone wore a look of joy—after all, the Merlin Mage Legion had wiped out nearly a thousand orc cavalry at minimal cost, dealing a heavy blow to the Forgefire Clan...
Standing off to the side, Thorne Merlin looked as if he'd seen a ghost. His eyes darted among the busy Magisters, his face growing darker by the minute.
Earlier, he'd come to the camp hoping to learn the origin of those fifty Magisters, but the young mage kept dodging his questions. When the Forgefire Clan attacked, he didn't hesitate to join the fight—not to help the young mage, but to observe the Magisters and see if he could confirm they were Black Tower operatives...
With that in mind, Thorne Merlin watched closely as the battle began. Soon, he realized the Magisters looked oddly familiar, as if he'd seen them before—a discovery that left him stunned.
As the battle drew to a close, Thorne Merlin suddenly remembered: over two months ago, after the young mage returned to the Merlin Family manor, he’d seen him at the gate with fifty weak High Mages. Back then, Thorne suspected the young mage was planning to take those people to the Blazeforge Realm.
Now, Thorne Merlin finally understood why those Magisters seemed so familiar. They weren’t Black Tower agents at all—they were the same fifty High Mages from over two months ago!
As unbelievable as it seemed, he had to admit the truth. Those fifty Magisters who had shocked him so deeply were, in fact, the same High Mages he'd mocked as cannon fodder two months ago.
He was nearly dumbstruck—the result was simply unfathomable. He remembered clearly that when he first saw those High Mages, their power was pitiful; the strongest among them hadn’t even reached Level Five. Yet in just over two months, those so-called cannon fodder had somehow become Magisters.
Most astonishing of all, every single one of those fifty High Mages had become Magisters!
There were simply no words for how shocking this was...
At that moment, Thorne Merlin recalled how, before the orc cavalry attacked, he’d tried to ask the young mage about the Magisters’ origins. The answer had been that a batch of High Mages had recently broken through. He hadn’t believed it, thinking the young mage was just brushing him off. Now, he realized the young mage had been telling the truth all along.
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For a moment, Thorne Merlin looked at the busy Magisters with a complicated gaze...
Deep in thought, Thorne Merlin failed to notice several gloating glances cast his way by Leon Merlin, Ross Merlin, and a few others. Outwardly, they remained calm, but inside they were practically laughing at the irony—he’d never have guessed that those fifty Magisters were the very same 'cannon fodder' he’d once dismissed.
In fact, when Thorne Merlin came to the camp to investigate the Magisters, those standing nearby had already anticipated this outcome.
Now, seeing Thorne Merlin’s haunted expression, several of them nearly burst out laughing, unable to help recalling the scene outside the Merlin Family manor two months ago, when Thorne Merlin had scoffed and called those fifty High Mages worthless cannon fodder...
Reality can be cruel, no doubt about it...
Those former cannon fodder were now bona fide Magisters—and not just ordinary ones. United, their power might even surpass Thorne Merlin, a Level Five Sword Saint.
With the battlefield cleared, Leon had no intention of lingering in camp. He immediately ordered the Merlin Mage Legion to pack up, and soon, the entire force set out in grand procession toward Specter Valley.
Notably, not a single person paid Thorne Merlin any attention. As the legion marched away, Thorne was left standing alone on the empty ground, his face ashen. It felt as if the young mage had slapped him in the face—no one even bothered to acknowledge him...
In the end, Thorne Merlin headed toward Inferno Fortress.
Leon led the mage legion into the depths of Specter Valley about half an hour later. He’d already investigated the orc force stationed nearby, and if nothing went wrong, the nearly thousand elite cavalry wiped out in the last battle were their main strength.
With their main force destroyed, the orcs no longer posed a threat. That’s why Leon dared to march the mage legion into Specter Valley in broad daylight.
Before, the Merlin Family and Forgefire Clan would never risk sending a large force into Specter Valley—it was too conspicuous and invited ambush.
Now, there was no such concern...
Upon entering Specter Valley, the mage legion’s tactics shifted. The fifty Magisters, along with Uriel Merlin and Edgar Merlin—both Title Magisters—became the core of the force, while the remaining five hundred-plus High Mages served as support. The legion quickly swept through the valley, pressing ever deeper.
Over the next three days, the orc force stationed near Specter Valley couldn’t stand the pressure of the legion’s advance. They tried several times to resist, but after Ash’s disastrous command, their losses were devastating. The remnants couldn’t stop the mage legion’s advance and were pushed deep into the valley—most were wiped out, with only a handful escaping in the opposite direction.
In fact, Uriel Merlin and Edgar Merlin, both Title Magisters, never even had to fight. The fifty Magisters handled all the cleanup, including the battles against the Blazeforge orc force...
The power these fifty Magisters gradually revealed was increasingly astonishing. Leon’s arrangement was meant to test their strength: with Stellar Rush as their Meditation Law and Blaze Storm as their magical rune, they were far beyond balanced—especially when united. Even a Title Magister would feel uneasy facing this group.