Chapter 984: Country Bumpkin
Their magic, while classified as dark, is actually specialized in shadow spells—completely different from my own dark magic. Even mages stronger than them could get killed if they're not careful.
Rumor has it that several assassin guilds in the Odin Kingdom are all linked to the Shadow Tower, and some assassinations are even carried out personally by their mages.
Head-on combat is manageable, but you have to watch out for their sneak attacks—they’re terrifying.
This time, the leader they sent to the Blazeforge Realm was supposedly a Sky Rank powerhouse. But after arriving, that Sky Rank vanished—no one, not even other Sky Ranks, could figure out where he went.
His ability to hide himself is downright frightening. If he wanted to assassinate someone, there are few in the Blazeforge Realm who could escape, not even most Sky Ranks.
That person’s been missing for ages. Next time he shows up, something big is bound to happen.
That’s why, even though plenty of people in the Odin Kingdom despise the Shadow Tower, they still don’t dare provoke them.
Their current leader used to be the second-in-command, but he didn’t come to the Blazeforge Battlefield this time. Instead, the one leading the charge here is his nephew—a Shadow Tower prodigy named Diras. He’s a natural fit for their legacy, and rumor has it he’s got a strong shot at reaching Sky Rank soon. One of the Shadow Tower’s own Sky Ranks even claimed Diras would definitely ascend within thirty years.
Just mentioning the Shadow Tower made Leon sneer.
Lately, there’s been some friction with the Shadow Tower. The Four Seasons Plain borders their territory, so clashes are inevitable.
The Four Seasons Plain is a treasure in itself—great climate, abundant crops, but most importantly, it’s loaded with mineral veins. Nearly every kind of magical metal produced in the Blazeforge Realm can be found here, and the reserves are no joke.
And on top of that, the Four Seasons Plain borders the Dilo Mountains, famous for their rich plant and herb resources. Some rare medicinal herbs that have gone extinct in Northend still grow here.
With a place like this, of course the Shadow Tower’s jealous. They’re attacking from another direction, and their goal is to take the Four Seasons Plain.
But just as they seized the territory bordering the plain, I’d already taken the Four Seasons Plain itself—and fortified it like a steel drum.
Border skirmishes have gotten worse lately. I’ve lost over twenty alchemical golems, and the Shadow Tower’s lost more than thirty mages.
A few days ago, a Shadow Tower mage tried sneaking into the Gray Orc Fortress, aiming for the restricted zone. Too bad he found nothing and got blasted to ashes by the alchemical golems.
Every key area of the Gray Orc Fortress is packed with Wizard’s Eyes, and secret True Sight arrays too. Thinking of sneaking in? Keep dreaming.
That’s why I upgraded the fortress’s defenses—adding covert True Sight arrays to the system. Any shadow trying to sneak in gets spotted instantly, and the alchemical golems won’t hesitate to strike.
All of this is done in secret. If needed, I can even power the entire fortress with the giant mana reactor, flooding every corner with True Sight. Every shadow gets dragged into the light.
Every patrol of alchemical golems has been upgraded to detect shadow and concealment spells.
They’ve even got orders: any mage using shadow magic is to be captured—if they can’t, then kill them. No questions asked.
The alchemical golems follow orders perfectly, so whatever plans the Shadow Tower has, they’re stuck. The border clashes just keep piling up.
When I first arrived, Diras already spotted me—he knew I was the one in charge of the Four Seasons Plain. Now, seeing Heron and me talking about them, Diras sneered and strode right over.
"So you’re the reckless commander of the Merlin Family? Damn bastard, was it your men who killed my envoy last time? Are you trying to provoke the dignity of the Shadow Tower?"
Diras came in swinging, head held high, his narrow eyes fixed on me, dripping with undisguised malice.
I just glanced at Diras, completely unfazed.
"Envoy? Didn’t see one. Just happened to catch a little mouse and crush it without a thought."
Diras’s eyes suddenly widened, radiating pure killing intent. Mana surged as his snake-like gaze locked onto my throat, his shadow twisting and writhing beneath him.
"Matthew Merlin, you know you’re about to die, right? My advice—run home while you still can. You’re just here to get yourself killed. So young... go drink milk for a few more years. Step onto the Blazeforge Battlefield, and you might never leave."
"You’d better hurry back and watch over your little patch of land. Who knows, maybe one day all your reckless subordinates will mysteriously drop dead, and that fortress you fought so hard for will be left unattended. Don’t blame me if I take it off your hands—I’ll be happy to manage the Four Seasons Plain for you. Oh, and Dilo Fortress too. That’s a nice spot..."
"Leaving it in your hands is just a waste..."
Leon shot Diras a cold look and sneered.
"Heh... whoever you are, mind your own business. There’s been a surge of alchemical golems on the Four Seasons Plain lately, and their patrols cover a lot of ground. You’d better hope these brainless things don’t stray too far and end up somewhere they shouldn’t."
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If any little mouse tries sneaking in to steal something, getting beaten to death is the best outcome. I’ve raised plenty of cats, and before they kill their prey, they love to play it to death.
This time, entry to the Blazeforge Battlefield is tightly restricted, and it’s packed with danger. The threats inside are bad enough, but the people entering are even worse.
So I can’t bring many people. The alchemical golem army and mage corps are stationed at the Gray Orc Fortress. Altogether, I’ve only got a dozen or so here—including the golems.
After all, the Andalusia Kingdom got the fewest slots, and splitting them among four factions made it even worse. That’s why we’re at a disadvantage here.
And lately, border clashes on the Four Seasons Plain have ramped up again. Just killed another mage who tried sneaking into the Gray Orc Fortress. No need to guess—the next round of fighting will be even nastier.