Badge in Azure

Saleen stared daggers at the Holy See’s main forces who were situated more than five miles away, “That old man in a red robe is the leader of this army, right? If I can send the two grade-9 sorcerers to conduct an offensive, I would have led the experts around me to deal with that fellow already. A pity though, the grade-9 sorcerers will only guard western town, I cannot let them settle down in Metatrin City. In the future, Metatrin City will be dominated by Sregl Island.”

Behind the main body of the expeditionary army was a team of five-thousand men. These five-thousand people were clad in black armor and they gave off a murderous aura. Saleen was very concerned about this five-thousand man team.

“The power of this team is similar to that of Lex’s elite swordsman’s camp. Other than the aspect of equipment, their offensive power might also rival that of Lex’s swordsmen. There are a dozen high grade holy masters in this black-armored army.”

While observing, Saleen also noticed that there were three people in the black-armored army who were asked to look for the old man clad in a red robe. Saleen could not hear their conversation, but he noticed that the red-robed old men treated them with respect.

At this point in time, Saleen realized that something was amiss. The powers of these three people might have even surpassed that of the red-robed old man. There was a characteristic displayed by one of them that Saleen found so familiar. Despite pondering in detail, Saleen could not recall anything. Saleen had no choice but to use the Figaro Formula to deduce the way this person walked.

After some calculations, Saleen felt goosebumps raising. The way this black-robed man walked was ninety percent similar to someone; Prince Safilos from the Holy Rock City.

“This person is no holy master, he is a Golden Grand Swordmaster!”

Golden Grand Swordmasters were too rare in this world, but their offensive powers were definitely higher than that of a grade-9 mage. The restricted flying area above Metatrin City had too little restraint over a Golden Grand Swordmaster, a Golden Grand Swordmaster could easily ascend the height of the city walls before starting an onslaught atop the city walls.

A Golden Grand Swordmaster was most vulnerable to a siege by grade-9 mages. Over long distances, a Golden Grand Swordmaster would not be able to outfly a grade-9 sorcerer. A grade-9 sorcerer might possess holy equipment or godly equipment. In a solo battle, a grade-9 sorcerer would be defeated by a Golden Grand Swordmaster. In the face of one, grade-9 sorcerers would surely choose to team up.

“Get Uncle Fellett!” Saleen’s tone was peppered with urgency, Nailisi could detect the fear in Saleen’s heart. “All the battlements shall change into magic arrows,” Saleen gave a second order. “Get Banchajanna over, Diyabannersa, get ready to take action,” Saleen immediately gave a third order. “Jola… don’t cherish your weapon. If any experts rush up to the city entrance, just let the Tears be destroyed.” At this point, Saleen’s heart lurched, “I actually wanted to invite Eleanor over, but Eleanor is planning to kill the three kings. The moment her skills get revealed, it will be impossible to kill the three kings already.”

“Narnia, return to the temple.”

“Saleen, I am not going back!” Narnia could detect the sense of catastrophe, she had never seen Saleen behaving so anxiously before.

“Listen to me, don’t disrupt the morale of the army,” Saleen said sternly. “Golden Grand Swordmaster! Golden Grand Swordmaster! If this black-robed man is a Golden Grand Swordmaster, then… I have no choice but to spend money. I might not be able to defeat you, but I can flood you with money.”

Back at the Holy See’s army, the three black-robed killers from the inquisition came before Archbishop Nicholas, they then bowed reluctantly. They were also in a fix. Judging by the current situation, Archbishop Nicholas could not conquer this city and he might also lose all his soldiers.

“Men, before us is Metatrin City. It is a pretty strong city, I…I’m afraid I am powerless, should you guys take action now?” Nicholas stammered, he was feeling unnerved.

“Archbishop, the battle has just begun and the situation over at the enemy’s side isn’t clear yet. If we attack recklessly, the wardens will suffer massive losses.” The three killers were speaking from the bottom of their hearts this time around. They also felt that it would be a challenge to invade this city. If there were one-hundred-thousand wardens present, they would naturally be confident. There were only five-thousand wardens and only twenty-five-thousand regular troops at the moment however.

The remaining seventy-thousand people were made up of fanatic believers, that was why the battle could last until now. If the Holy See wanted to overcome Metatrin City’s defenses, it would be inadequate to only rely on faith.

“Okay, I will plan another offensive. When the sun sets, the three of you should attack. What do you think?” Nicholas made a demanding request. Unexpectedly, the three killers nodded.

“Archbishop, try to use the soldiers to tire the enemy. Once they are exhausted, the three of us will attack at the same time.”

This conversation took place before Saleen’s eyes, but Saleen did not know how to interpret Tanggulasi language. It was impossible to know the contents of the discussion just by reading their lips. Saleen thought to himself, “I will learn more languages in the future, so I will know what others are talking about from afar. It will be easier to eavesdrop compared to using wind magic.”

Saleen gave some orders. At the moment, he was unwilling to disembark from the city walls. Judging by the looks of the enemy’s general, there might be a siege.

Among the three people, one was a Golden Grand Swordmaster while the other two might be mages or holy masters. Mages existed in the inquisition, but they rarely left purgatory. If these people left purgatory, they were likely to be slaughtered by other mages.

Fellett and his wife arrived at the city entrance soon after. Saleen dismissed the people around him, leaving only his confidantes. Then, he sat down across from Fellett and his wife and said, “Uncle Fellett, Aunt Lanny, how many level-9 scrolls can you release consecutively?”

“Level-9 scrolls?” Fellett was momentarily stunned. Saleen quickly removed the White Crystal Ring from his finger, then handed it to Fellett.

“Wearing this, I can release four, then I will need at least an hour to regain all my mental strength. Your aunt can release two consecutively. If she releases three, we will lose the ability to protect ourselves.”

“Six level-9 spells should be sufficient. Uncle Fellett, Aunt Lanny, one of the enemies might be a Golden Grand Swordmaster. I have equipment which can only attack once and even a grade-10 expert will not be able to resist its attack directly. This equipment cannot be used to lock onto an enemy…it is similar to attacks such as the ancient magic cannon, it travels in a straight line.”

When Fellett and Lanny first learned that the enemy might have a Golden Grand Swordmaster, they were startled. After discovering that Saleen had equipment which could kill a grade-10 expert, they were startled again. Saleen had delivered many surprises to them, but this time around, it was undoubtedly the most astounding.

“If he isn’t killed, we will all die,” Saleen quietly declared.

“How much time do you need?”

“At most half a second, I only need him to freeze for half a second and I will be able to kill him,” Saleen answered with certainty. The power condensed in the clan badge could be released instantly, but time was still needed to aim at the target. Half a second, Saleen needed half a second.

As long as an attack was not level-9 magic, a Golden Grand Swordmaster could destroy it easily. Their actions would not even be slowed, let alone trapped or paralyzed. At least six level-9 spells were required to freeze a Golden Grand Swordmaster in their tracks.

“I will send Nailisi, Cuisi, and Jola to protect the two of you.” Saleen sent his strongest subordinates to the two of them. No one other than this couple could release so many level-9 scrolls.

Saleen was willing to expend six level-9 magic scrolls, he was going to flood the enemy with money.

Saleen still had to arrange for people to protect Fellett and his wife because casting so many level-9 scrolls in succession would cause their mental strength to be emptied. A mage would not be able to cast magic without mental strength even if their magic chords were not depleted. In the event Fellett and his wife died after helping Saleen kill the Golden Grand Swordmaster, Saleen would have sustained huge losses.

“Sure.” Fellett knew the profiles of the people around Saleen. With Nailisi and Cuisi, coupled with a Silver Grand Swordmaster, Fellett and his wife would remain safe.

Saleen handed six level-9 scrolls to them on the spot, then told Sika, “Don’t leave me, the other two people are depraved mages.”

“What about Diyabannersa and company?”

“They aren’t reliable,” Saleen answered briefly.

Under such immense pressure, Saleen had steeled his mind to get rid of the three kings. When a true crisis struck, the three kings had actually turned into a burden. Saleen decided to deploy his strongest subordinates to protect Fellett and wife because he was afraid that the spirit kings might behave abnormally.

Saleen had also prepared dozens of level-6 magic scrolls as a precaution. Most of the scrolls he had amassed over the years were blank, many of the completed ones were actually brought out from Sregl Island.

The Holy See’s expeditionary army continued attacking. The second wave still relied on the steel arrow chariots, using the arrow chariots to fire at the city entrance so as to suppress the arrows originating from there.

Five-thousand soldiers changed into armor, then charged towards the walls of Metatrin City. This time around, the expeditionary soldiers did not use ladders and there was no help from any large equipment either. This group of troops only wielded weapons and charged to the foot of the city walls.

By the time these five-thousand men reached the foot of the city walls, one-thousand of them had already died under the barrage of arrows. Saleen did not even use the magic stone cannons. The soldiers donned lightweight metal armor in order to withstand the attacks from the bows. Saleen’s spirits were using large bows, so the weight of the feather arrows was higher than the equipment used by a normal human. When fired, their penetrative ability was also very powerful.

The soldiers who arrived at the bottom of the city walls used the steel thorns on their gloves to slap the walls. They attempted to use their strength to help them scale the walls. The lower portion of the city walls were unusually smooth and there were no concave spots either. When the steel thorns contacted the walls, they simply fractured. The Tanggulasi soldiers immediately changed into another pair of gloves which they took out from their leather pouches.

The situation immediately changed. The new gloves worn by the soldiers had a layer of sticky fluid and there was animal mane within the fluid, allowing the gloves to possess strong adhesive ability. The front of the soldiers’ boots were also slathered with a layer of sticky fluid. All the soldiers then began scaling the slightly tilted city walls.

Fireballs descended from the city entrance, but there were no ladders this time around. Some soldiers fell off, but more soldiers continued ascending the walls. Unlike the previous time, the soldiers who got shot by the arrows did not fall off. The body of every soldier flashed with a white radiance. Before they set off, they were already blessed with a divine spell, so they would not feel pain. As long as they did not die, they would climb the walls desperately.

“Whoever treats me ruthlessly, I will also treat them in the same manner.” Saleen had no hint of sympathy as he ordered Diyabannersa to command the spirits to pour oil down the city walls. This layer of oil caused the city walls to be extremely slippery, but the unknown fluid on the soldiers’ gloves could counter the oil. The soldiers remained stuck to the wall, they did not back down.

“Set it ablaze!”

Immediately, from the structures behind them, mages released the Phoenix Spell. Phoenixes encircled, igniting the oil which was flowing down the city walls. The soldiers who were climbing the walls amidst the oil began burning at the same time.