"Screech!"
The eagle's cry tore through the long sky. The gray wings that blotted out the heavens suddenly flapped, stirring up air currents that tore through the churning Gray Mist, diving down like a bolt of gray lightning.
Princess Louisa, clinging to the eagle's back, was now clearly visible to everyone.
The fierce wind made her deep blue, silver-edged mage robe flutter noisily. Her golden hair, as dazzling as sunlight, streamed in the wind. Her gaze traversed the battlefield, locking onto Simo Barnes on the distant hill.
Without a moment's hesitation, she raised the Staff inlaid with a Magic Gem.
[Magic Missile]
The gem at the tip of the Staff suddenly blazed, gathering surrounding magical elements. In the blink of an eye, five missiles, their surfaces flowing with starry sand as brilliant as the Milky Way and faintly swirling with profound runes, shot towards Simo on the hill.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
"Your Highness?!" Simo's heart jolted violently.
He had no time to think further. Combat Instinct made him instinctively swing his massive warhammer, holding it horizontally before him like a shield.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The five Magic Missiles struck the warhammer in rapid succession, erupting in a series of deafening roars.
The explosive force of each missile far exceeded Simo's expectations. He felt a tremendous power surge from the front, the ground beneath his feet cracking inch by inch. He was sent flying backward, tumbling several times before barely managing to steady himself.
This power... it was definitely at the level of The Extraordinary!
A storm of shock raged within Simo's heart.
The Fourth Princess of the Kingdom, Princess Louisa, who had always been obscure and even considered by many to be just a pretty face, was actually a hidden Extraordinary mage?!
By the time he scrambled back up, the massive gray eagle had already carried Louisa high into the sky.
Another damn aerial unit!
Simo stared at the figure in the sky, his expression extremely grim.
He instantly understood everything.
The invasion of the Magical Creature Legion, the betrayal of the Arevalo Family... it was all likely inextricably linked to this Princess who had been branded with the crime of "treason."
He lifted his head and roared towards the sky, "Your Highness, do you know what the consequences would be if Storm Fortress were to fall during the Magical Tides?!"
"Countless civilians would be exposed to the fangs and claws of magical creatures! The Golden Tassel Plain would be scorched to ashes! Is this what you want?!"
From the sky, Princess Louisa's calm voice drifted back, carrying a hint of what seemed like pity.
"Sir Simo, I believe you should understand better than anyone that Storm Fortress has long ceased to belong entirely to the Kingdom."
"Your power, and the backers behind you, are not as concealed as you imagine. In fact, many nobles and ministers within the Kingdom have long since seen the truth."
"Without their covert support and cover, how could I have possibly escaped the judgment of the Sun Church?"
"Sir Simo, it's not too late to turn back now and stand on the side of justice and order."
As soon as her words fell, the Staff in her hand once again erupted with a dazzling crimson-red light. A scorching aura instantly permeated the air.
[Summon Elemental Creature]
The Staff pointed towards the battlefield below. A burning Magic Formation materialized in mid-air. Immediately after, a massive fireball, like a miniature sun, plummeted from the formation.
"BOOM!!!"
The fireball crashed into the Magical Tides. Amidst the deafening explosion, magical creatures within a hundred-meter radius were directly Vaporized by the terrifying high temperature. The ground turned to scorched earth. Even Simo in the distance could feel the wave of heat rushing towards his face.
And amidst the billowing flames and thick smoke, a colossal figure composed entirely of fire and lava—the Fire Lord—slowly straightened its body. With each step it took, the ground beneath its feet turned into a pool of molten lava, emitting a suffocating heat.
Gazing at the Fire Lord standing tall upon the scorched earth, Simo's face twisted with struggle and shifting emotions.
But quickly, a blurry black shadow flickered past his side. In an instant, the hesitation on his face vanished, replaced by resolve.
"As expected of a Princess who consorts with Demons, skilled at beguiling hearts."
He let out a furious roar, as if convincing himself, "I, Simo Barnes, guardian of Storm Fortress, will never allow you to advance another step!"
Simo, showing no fear, directly stepped into the Fire Lord's flame domain, hot enough to melt steel. The scorching flames licked at his heavy armor, producing a sizzling sound.
The Fire Lord seemed enraged by this tiny creature's provocation. It let out a silent roar, raised its giant fist formed of molten lava, and smashed it down towards Simo.
"Come at me!" Simo neither dodged nor evaded. Roaring, he swung his warhammer to meet the blow head-on.
"THUD!!!"
Warhammer and lava fist collided, like a meteor striking the earth. A visible shockwave spread outwards in a ring, sending nearby magical creatures and rubble flying.
Pure physical power and elemental force engaged in the most primal struggle on this scorched earth. Each collision made the ground tremble violently, as if shuddering for this battle.
Elsewhere, Princess Louisa and Celeste passed through the Kingdom's Shield unimpeded, flew into the Magical Creature Legion's position, and finally landed on Peachy's back.
Celeste exchanged a glance with Peachy beneath her feet using her eagle eyes. To avoid looking too much like a pet, she silently transformed back to her original form, holding Louisa steady as they landed.
Chen Yu waved a gel hand in greeting.
Landing on Peachy's back, Louisa first glanced curiously at Chen Yu's round, gelatinous body, then elegantly performed a noble curtsy. "Louisa von Whiteman, greets the Slime Majesty. I hope our arrival is still timely."
Chen Yu muttered, "No wonder you were confident about breaching Storm Fortress. So you are an Extraordinary mage yourself."
Princess Louisa smiled slightly, offering no further explanation about the source of her power. Her gaze soon turned towards the distant figure locked in fierce combat with the Fire Lord amidst the flames, her tone turning grave.
"According to my investigations over these years, I discovered that as early as over thirty years ago, the Barnes family had already established a secret connection with the Demons of the Golden Glow territory."
"I specifically delved into Simo's past. I found that the trajectory of the first half of his life could almost be described as mediocre. He attempted the Kingdom Knights training camp three times in a row, ultimately failing the Knight Trial each time."
"But then, thirty years ago, during his fourth and final attempt at the Knight Training Camp, he overwhelmingly took first place and was directly assigned to the Fourth Legion."
"After that, his promotions within the Legion were smooth sailing. He repeatedly achieved meritorious deeds in battles against the Magical Tides over the years. Finally, ten years ago, he successfully stepped into The Extraordinary."
Louisa's voice carried a chill. "There is no doubt. Thirty years ago, he already sold his soul to that Greater Demon and obtained power that was never rightfully his."
"Even so, the power he wields now is still not to be underestimated. My summon likely won't be able to hold him for too long."
"We need the Magical Creature Legion to breach Storm Fortress's defenses as soon as possible. Otherwise, once the fortress garrison regains its footing, or if Simo breaks free from the entanglement, the situation will become extremely unfavorable for us."
As she spoke, her gaze subtly fell upon Chen Yu. The look in her eyes seemed to hint that this Slime Majesty should also demonstrate his power.
Chen Yu pretended not to see it. Just as he was about to command the legion to continue advancing, a shadow suddenly fell upon Peachy's back. Nilly emerged from the shadows, poking her head out sneakily and looking around.
Seeing Louisa and Celeste, she waved politely. "Yo, hello there."
Chen Yu bounced over, sprang up, and bumped into her. Through the Gel Network, he asked, "What are you doing here, you rascal? Weren't you supposed to keep watch in the Deep within Gore and look for Yano's whereabouts?"
It had been quite a while since Yano entered the Deep within Gore seeking his ancestors' power.
With no sign of him emerging, Chen Yu couldn't help but worry that his knight might have met with an accident inside.
Coupled with the recent abnormalities of the Magical Tides, even troublesome creatures like Gargoyles had emerged from Gore. The situation Deep within should be worse than usual.
"Hey! You're a King now, can't you pay a bit of attention to your image?" Nilly complained, steadying herself. Then, lowering her voice mysteriously, she said, "But, I came here with good news."
She leaned close to Chen Yu and spoke rapidly. "Those few guys who entered the Deep within Gore have all returned recently."
"They said they received a lot of care from Yano inside. If not for the Magical Tides erupting and the environment becoming dangerous, they wouldn't have planned to come out yet."
"According to them, that guy Yano is still advancing deeper into the dark zones of Gore."
"And..." Nilly's tone shifted, a cautious expression appearing on her face. "I was just passing by to check out the excitement, but I didn't expect to make an unexpected discovery."
"Unexpected discovery?" Chen Yu bounced in confusion.
"I observed from the shadows for a good while earlier. I definitely didn't see wrong. His shadow is very abnormal. There's definitely a Stealth master lurking nearby."
Her expression turned serious. "But that guy is very alert. He's already left that half-dwarf's side. His Stealth technique is extremely skilled, almost blending into the environment. Even I find it hard to pinpoint his exact location."
"My Majesty, you need to be careful. What if that guy is targeting you? After all, you're quite valuable now."
As she spoke, she hunched her shoulders slightly. "Rivalry between peers is fierce. I've said this much; that guy must have noticed me."
"My skills aren't much help here. I'm slipping away first. You take care."
Finished, Nilly, as if fearing a dagger would stab out from the shadows the next second, flickered and once again merged into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
Although Chen Yu was somewhat speechless at Nilly's escape, his heart stirred.
As expected, things weren't that simple.
The Demon's agents had been operating in Storm Territory for so many years. How could there only be Simo and Dominic, these two pieces on the board?
That assassin hidden in the shadows was likely also an Extraordinary.
No wonder Simo dared to turn his back on them so confidently to tangle with the Fire Lord. It was to lower their guard and create an opportunity for that assassin.
Damn, that's really devious.
Chen Yu immediately heightened his vigilance. He bounced over to Louisa, and through gel contact, quickly conveyed Nilly's discovery and his own speculation.
Celeste gave a slight nod, confirming that Chen Yu's speculation was not without basis.
An Extraordinary assassin hidden in the shadows...
For a mage who needs to focus on spellcasting, being targeted by such an enemy was undoubtedly bad news.
But if they knew about it in advance and used it to their advantage...
She decided to use herself as bait.
This thought had just flashed through her mind when she felt the slime in her arms give a gentle bounce and say something only she could hear.
Louisa was stunned for a moment. She looked down at the slime in her arms, pondered for less than a second, and made a decision.
She nodded and said to Celeste, "Celeste, while Simo is entangled with the Fire Lord, let's go. To the City Wall to help Sir Raven deal with Dominic!"
Celeste glanced at Louisa and the slime in her arms blinking innocent eyes, but didn't ask further. She simply replied briefly, "Alright."
Her form twisted once more, transforming back into the gray Giant Dragon eagle.
Louisa, holding Chen Yu, leaped lightly onto the eagle's back.
Celeste let out a clear, sharp eagle cry, flapped her wings, and carried the two, skimming low over the ground, seemingly preparing to go provide support just like that.
This "reckless" move of theirs indeed attracted the attention of a certain hidden presence.
Just as Celeste had skimmed past the front line of the Magical Creature Legion and was about to gain altitude, a blurry human figure seeped out from the void, appearing without warning on the giant eagle's back.
The sharp blade in his hand carried an icy killing intent, soundlessly thrusting towards Louisa's fair nape.
In this assassin's mind, he had even rehearsed the scene of the dagger slicing through blood vessels and blood spurting forth.
At that very instant, the most unexpected thing happened.
That seemingly weak slime, as if sensing his action in advance, shot out from Louisa's embrace. Its round body headed straight for his chest.
A slime?
Just an obstacle to be sliced through in passing. My blade...
The image in his mind of cleanly slicing the slime in two suddenly came to an abrupt halt. The moment the dagger made contact with the green gel, a terrifying force erupted from the point of contact. It felt as if he had collided head-on with a Giant Dragon flying at high speed.
The assassin only felt darkness before his eyes. His entire body flew backward uncontrollably, crashing heavily onto the ground with a dull thud, stirring up dust.
He struggled to get up from the ground, clutching his chest that felt as if it were tearing apart. He looked at the slime that had landed opposite him, his pupils trembling violently.
This power... a Gold-rank Slime?!
A slime can become a magical creature lord?!
What the hell.