Synthesis Wizard-Chapter 171: The Assailant in the Shadows

Chapter 171: The Assailant in the Shadows

Starlight Calendar 1259, Frostfall Moon.

The first gathering after the ambush against the Eternal Society saw a significant decrease in attendance.

Aside from Night Owl and Su Nan, only Rose was present.

“The others have gone into seclusion to prepare for the Starlight Tower six years from now,” Night Owl explained.

“I will also be going into seclusion to focus on my cultivation. During this time, the gatherings at the Mysterious Wooden Hut will be temporarily suspended,” Su Nan said without objection.

Rose had no objections either, as she also needed to prepare for her trip to the Starlight Tower.

To achieve her goal of becoming a Wizard, she had to acquire as many resources as possible within the Starlight Tower.

Starlight Calendar 1260, Revival Moon.

Su Nan successfully constructed the seventeenth Star Ring, his Spiritual Power exceeding 53 points.

Simultaneously, the proficiency required to upgrade the Star Ring Meditation Method skyrocketed to seven million points.

Su Nan calculated that even with the meditation bonus from the Elemental Pool, it would take at least three years to construct the final Star Ring.

“This leaves only three years to construct the Talent Crystal model,” he thought.

“It’s a bit rushed, but not impossible.”

Su Nan stood up, leaving the Meditation Chamber and heading to the laboratory.

After nearly half a year of research, significant progress had been made in constructing the Talent Crystal model using the Magic Emblem Core as the original model. It was more than sufficient to complete the construction before the Star Rings and Spiritual Power met the requirements for advancement.

After all, it was just a lower-grade Talent Crystal model, not a difficult task.

It’s worth mentioning that the third small Magic Puppet legion was also established.

Its high-end combat force was composed entirely of Iron Golems, Elite Iron Golems, Elite Double-Bladed Spiders, and Mithril Golems.

In terms of high-end combat strength alone, it was actually slightly stronger than the other two Magic Puppet legions.

Su Nan planned to leave this Magic Puppet legion to expand the Star Alliance’s territory while drawing a legion from the other two to support the Starfall Duchy.

After receiving the cooperative intentions of the Thornflower Duchy from Su Nan, Kei began secret negotiations with the Thornflower Duchy. A joint effort against the Golden Sky Empire was quietly underway.

The war broke out sooner than Su Nan anticipated.

Starlight Calendar 1260, Spring Dawn Moon.

The snow had just melted, and nine nations, including the Starfall Duchy and the Thornflower Duchy, simultaneously declared war on the Golden Sky Empire.

The Golden Sky Empire, which had planned to initiate the war soon, was caught off guard.

They had expected the Starfall Duchy to launch a preemptive attack and had even prepared for it, but they never imagined that eight other countries would join the attack!

Suddenly, the Golden Sky Empire was facing enemies on all sides.

A large-scale war spanning ten nations thus began.

Su Nan paid no attention to the war on the surface. He simply had the palace send him a monthly war report and then continued to focus on his cultivation and research. He occasionally took time to check on the progress of exploration missions and the construction of Dragonwood.

After two years of restoration, Dragonwood was now fully repaired.

Zone 2 had been restored to its original state.

However, due to the lack of dragon breeding, Zone 2 could only be used as a large-scale magic plant farm.

Su Nan waved his hand, directly planting magic plants on a large scale, with nearly one-third of the area dedicated to planting Dragonblood Fruits.

After all, the Magic Pattern Knights would be expanding annually, and their demand for Dragonblood Fruits would increase significantly each year. Su Nan’s actions were a precautionary measure.

Simply planting magic plants did not require a lot of energy circulation.

According to the calculations of Butler 1, a final energy circulation ratio of 18.48% in Zone 2 would be sufficient.

As for Zone 1, where the Sub-Dragon species resided, it maintained the optimal energy circulation ratio of 35.12%.

The Dragon Bone Tower, due to the limited number of Wizard Apprentices, only used less than 10% of the energy circulation ratio at its peak.

More than half of that was used by Su Nan himself.

Overall, Dragonwood was currently in a state of energy surplus, and there was no need to worry about energy shortages for a long time.

On the other hand, the first batch of Dragon Antelope in the large-scale breeding room had moved to the Dragon Antelope ranch after leaving their infancy.

It was estimated that the first batch of mature Dragon Antelope would be ready for the formation of Dragon Antelope cavalry in four to five years.

By then, the combat strength of the Magic Pattern Knights would increase significantly.

Dragonwood was now on a stable development path, and Su Nan no longer needed to invest excessive attention in it.

Time flew by like an arrow, and the days flew by like shuttles.

Four years passed in the blink of an eye.

Starlight Calendar 1265, Thunder Moon.

Underground World, over 50 kilometers north of Nolan City.

A deathly silence reigned in the dark underground tunnel, only the faint echo of footsteps breaking the stillness.

Sherman cautiously observed the surroundings, confirming that all his team members were in their respective positions. He breathed a sigh of relief and tightened his magic cloak further.

They were at least ten kilometers below the surface, the air cold and damp, carrying a chilling coldness.

Even though Sherman had been living in the underground world for six or seven years, he still couldn’t fully adapt to it.

Thankfully, the magic cloak he wore was resistant to moisture and provided warmth, making it almost standard equipment for all Wizard Apprentices and Magic Pattern Knights participating in exploration missions.

Core and Atil, a few steps behind Sherman, were also cautiously alert to their surroundings.

After becoming Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices, Atil had returned to his previous state of working with Sherman and Core.

The three of them almost always acted, fought, and grew increasingly tacit with each other over the years, earning countless merits.

Their outstanding achievements as a team had also influenced others, with more and more Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices choosing to team up in groups of three.

Aside from the three Wizard Apprentices, Sherman, Core, and Atil, the team also included two Magic Pattern Knight squads, a total of twenty Magic Pattern Knights.

Everyone remained silent along the way, minimizing unnecessary communication to avoid making any noise that could interfere with their vigilance.

After ten minutes, the team arrived at a wide area.

Sherman gestured, and the group immediately dispersed, checking the surroundings. After confirming that there were no issues, they found a place with a clear view and sat down.

Except for the Magic Pattern Knights on watch, the others took out their food and water, trying to make time for rest and nourishment.

Sherman nibbled on his dry rations, his invisible Tower Shield still hovering behind him.

Years of exploration and battles in the underground world had transformed him into an experienced adventurer.

He always kept in mind that there were many monsters in the underground world that could burrow through rock walls, so he never chose places close to the walls as resting spots.

Secondly, the underground world could be prone to sudden monster outbreaks and battles, so they could never let their guard down.

At least one magical item, whether for magic or protection, should be activated at all times.

“I heard they’re forming Sub-Dragon cavalry at the base this year?” Atil broke the silence during their break.

Sherman nodded. “Dragon Antelope Knights, I saw the Dragon Antelope ranch from afar. There are many Dragon Antelope there, all very healthy.”

Pausing, he turned to Core and asked, “Core, did you get your Dragon Antelope Magic Companion from the breeding room?”

Core, always taciturn, simply nodded in response.

The three of them now had their own Magic Companions.

Core had a Dragon Antelope.

Sherman had a Storm Dragon Beast.

Atil had a Winged Dragon.

They were all contracted Sub-Dragon species, still in their youth.

After more than four years of cultivation, their Magic Companions had all grown to Legendary level.

Of course, they were still far from their teacher’s Magic Companion.

They heard that the Stealthy Dragon had now grown to four-ring Legendary level, its bloodline purity approaching that of a true dragon.

Even the three of them felt a sense of fear and shortness of breath when standing before the Stealthy Dragon.

It was a powerful pressure that was eerily close to the Dragon威压 (Dragon’s Intimidation).

It was foreseeable that the Stealthy Dragon’s evolution into a true dragon was only a matter of time.

Sherman dreamed of one day cultivating his Storm Dragon Beast to the same level as the Stealthy Dragon.

“I heard Prince Abbe is going to take the aptitude test this year?” Atil brought up another topic.

“Yes, Prince Abbe is already twelve years old, meeting the minimum age requirement for the aptitude test,” Sherman mused. “I wonder if he will pass.”

“After all, he’s a member of the royal family. He should have a high chance of passing the test,” Atil said.

“Not necessarily. The royal family only excels in Knight talent. Their Wizard aptitude is not much different from ordinary people. It’s more likely that they won’t pass the aptitude test,” Sherman explained.

Atil thought about it and agreed. Duke Kei was only a Legendary Knight, not a Wizard Apprentice. His descendants didn’t have much of a genetic advantage in this area.

But the teacher, if he had descendants, the likelihood of them having Wizard aptitude might be very high.

“Speaking of which, the teacher has been showing up less and less recently. I heard from Carolina that the teacher often spends one or two months at a time in the Meditation Chamber. Do you think the teacher is about to advance to Wizard?”

Hearing Atil’s words, Sherman and Core’s expressions moved simultaneously.

To be honest, they had similar thoughts.

Although they had gradually come into contact with a broader world and knew that it was almost impossible to produce a true Wizard on the Starlight Continent today, their teacher was different.

Although they had never met other Third-Rank Wizard Apprentices, they also knew that a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice with vast resources like their teacher was truly unique on the entire Starlight Continent.

If anyone on the Starlight Continent had the highest chance of becoming a Wizard, it would undoubtedly be the teacher!

“It’s possible,” Sherman said with a smile.

If their teacher really succeeded in becoming a Wizard, it would be a huge boost to them as apprentices.

At least it gave them a glimmer of hope that the Starlight Continent could still produce Wizards.

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“I’m not expecting to become a Wizard,” Atil sighed. “I’d be happy to become a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice in this lifetime.”

Sherman pursed his lips and didn’t speak. Deep down, he still held a glimmer of hope for becoming a Wizard, even though he knew it was a long shot.

The base now had over three hundred and fifty apprentices, with a two-digit number of Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices.

More and more Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices were joining the Star Alliance’s exploration efforts, significantly accelerating their outward expansion.

Compared to four years ago, the Star Alliance’s territory had more than doubled.

Four years ago, the Star Alliance only had four city-states:幽湖 (Youhu), 玛图 (Matu), 奥森 (Aosen), and 巨眼城 (Giant Eye City), plus 卡沙姆 (Kasham), which had become a magic plant farm.

But now the Star Alliance had grown into a behemoth with fifteen city-states and hundreds of resource points.

However, as their territory expanded, the Star Alliance encountered increasingly strong resistance to its expansion.

More and more city-state forces realized the threat posed by the Star Alliance and united against its expansion efforts.

This time they were out on a mission because they had received a report from a Man-Faced Lion Scout about the presence of Dark Elves in the area, which had cost them a few Man-Faced Lion Scouts.

“We’ve circled around several times but haven’t found them. Could they have been mistaken?” Atil brought up the main topic.

Sherman shook his head. “I don’t think so. Man-Faced Lion Scouts are extremely skilled at hiding. There aren’t many creatures around Nolan City that can detect their presence. Moreover, the body of the dead Man-Faced Lion Scout also had knife wounds and traces of Shadow Power corrosion, which does seem like the handiwork of Dark Elves.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Keep searching! Although Dark Elves are also very good at hiding, I don’t believe they can stay hidden forever. We will find them sooner or later!”

“魔蛛城 (Demon Spider City) is hundreds of kilometers away from here. I wonder what those Dark Elves are doing here?”

“Maybe they’re feeling uneasy about the Star Alliance’s expansion.”

Atil thought about it and agreed. If she were the matriarch of a Dark Elf family, she would also feel uneasy about the Star Alliance’s rapid expansion in the past four or five years.

Just then, a low shout came from the Magic Pattern Knights guarding the front.

“Something’s coming!”

In fact, there was no need for him to remind them, as the three of them had sensed it in the first place.

They immediately stood up, either activating magic items or casting spells.

The other Magic Pattern Knights reacted instantly, activating their Magic Pattern Constructions and raising their weapons, their eyes alertly fixed on the front.

Silence descended on the surroundings. After about six or seven seconds, a heavy and distinct series of footsteps came from the front, as if a huge crawling monster was moving towards them.

Its speed wasn’t fast, but its weight was clearly immense. The nearby rocks and soil seemed to be slightly shaking.

The Magic Pattern Knights instinctively tightened their grips on their swords, their expressions turning serious.

Sherman, Core, and Atil remained calm, their faces betraying no emotion. They had quietly placed the Rune Gems in their palms.

A round, black shadow soon emerged in their field of vision.

It looked like a giant black maggot, about three meters long from head to tail. It had six short, thick claws, a triangular pointed head, and a protruding, thin tube at its mouth. It had no eyes.

“It’s a Dark Sound Blind Monster!”

Sherman immediately recognized the creature.

The Underground World Creature Guide provided by the base mentioned Dark Sound Blind Monsters.

This type of monster lacked eyesight but possessed highly developed ears. Their tubular mouths could produce precisely controlled resonance, and the sonic waves they emitted were powerful enough to shatter rock walls.

Let me clarify the strength of Third-Rank Wizard Apprentices. As mentioned in previous chapters, the combat strength of Third-Rank Wizard Apprentices varies greatly. Depending on their Spiritual Power, equipment, and bloodline abilities, their combat strength can range from one-ring Legendary to four-ring Legendary. Also, Legendary Knights are only from one-ring to four-ring, there’s no five-ring. Beyond that, they are no longer considered normal Knights.