Wizards begin by accessing the Inspiration panel.

Chapter 216 is coming.

Baghdadi had just led several elite troops out of the city lord's mansion when the mental energy shockwave from Stone Elemental Lord Lokor, which affected almost the entire city, immediately stopped.

"Oh no! The worst-case scenario has occurred!"

"Aset, immediately contact all the second-level archmages in the city and tell them it was me who ordered them to come to the city lord's mansion. I'll be waiting for them in the control room on the first floor of the city lord's mansion."

After saying that, Baghdadi, who was turning back, ran into Hawkins, who had just come out.

"Perfect timing, Hawkins. I was just about to look for you. You must have heard that sound just now, right? A third-tier elemental lord has broken free of the seal. This time, the seal has been broken quite badly."

"This is worse than the worst-case scenario I had anticipated!"

"Alas! The only way now is to immediately activate the suppression magic array. Old friend, I need your help!"

"Now come with me to the control room on the first floor to wait for the others. I've already started gathering all the second-level archmages in Tug City. I don't know if I can gather ten people."

Baghdadi hurriedly grabbed Hawkins' arm and said.

"Don't worry, Baghdadi, we should be able to gather enough people! As long as the major wizarding organizations follow the rules, there should be one Grand Wizard staying in Tug City each time, so there shouldn't be a shortage of people."

"However, Baghdadi, don't you think the way the seal shattered this time is very strange? It doesn't seem like a natural breakage caused by years of age, but rather like it was caused by someone." Hawkins said, looking intently into Baghdadi's eyes.

His eyes were bright and piercing, like torches!

"You mean..." Baghdadi looked at Hawkins, as if he had thought of something, and fell silent for a moment.

"You're right. Now that I've thought about it carefully, I feel the same way. However, Hawkins, this matter can only be put on hold for now. The most important thing right now is to activate the suppression magic array!"

"Otherwise, you should know the destructive power of the Stone Elemental Lord. If the suppression magic array isn't activated, no one will be its match! In less than two hours, the entire city of Tug will be destroyed!"

"As for the question you raised, we can only address it after we've driven the elemental creatures back," Baghdadi said in a deep voice after a moment's thought.

"That's true, that's all we can do for now!" Hawkins nodded, indicating his agreement with Baghdadi's opinion.

The two quickly arrived at the control room on the first floor of the city lord's mansion.

The control room on the first floor is located in the most central area of ​​the city lord's mansion. Although it is only a room with an area of ​​only seventy or eighty square meters, it is heavily guarded. You can feel intense energy fluctuations as soon as you get close.

This is the control core of the giant witch array.

Its primary function is to activate the witch array immediately when the ancient seal of the Scorched Earth Secret Realm malfunctions, suppressing the strength of all creatures within the entire Tuge City area to below the third tier.

Because deep within the Scorched Earth Secret Realm resides a considerable number of Tier 3 Elemental Lords, and even some stronger beings.

If they were all allowed to swarm out, not only would the situation in Tug City be in chaos, but the entire western part of the Grey Dwarf Empire would likely fall apart.

Therefore, at the very beginning of the construction of Tug City, the high-ranking officials of the Gray Dwarf Empire arranged for a master of witchcraft arrays to set up this giant witchcraft array.

If any unpredictable changes occur in the Scorched Earth Secret Realm, the official forces of Tug City can immediately activate the suppression witch array, thus buying time for the Empire to react.

-

Inside Richard's villa in Tug City.

Fingart and Stephanie exchanged bewildered glances, still reeling from the violent tremors of the ground and the mental shock that had pierced their very souls—"This place...is about to belong to Lokauer."

The two were so shocked that they were at a loss for what to do!

As Stephania listened to the various noisy screams coming from outside the villa, her gaze lingered through the villa's gate at the panicked crowd running around in the street, her beautiful eyes revealing worry.

She wasn't worried about her own safety.

Because the villa's defenses are already quite strong.

Richard, after all, was a mithril-level alchemy master of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood. Before leaving with Gorkan, he requested the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood to strengthen their defenses.

Currently stationed at the villa is a small team of twelve level-three wizard apprentices, plus three full-fledged wizards—an elite force.

Stephanie knew that Richard and Gorkan had gone to the Scorched Earth, but the series of events that had just occurred seemed to originate from underground and were likely related to the Scorched Earth.

Therefore, at this moment she could hardly contain her worry!

She strode over to a grey dwarf wizard with chestnut hair and asked:

"Captain Bronco, did you hear that sound just now? Has something happened in the Scorched Earth Secret Realm?"

With a serious expression, Bronco was discussing the recent incident with two gray dwarf wizards beside him when he heard Stephanie's voice. He immediately turned around and looked at the mysterious woman in front of him who was always wearing a hood and a mask.

He knew that this was a woman whom Master Livy "favored," even though she always referred to herself as a maid.

So, Bronco forced a smile and said:

"Madam, we were just discussing this matter. It seems the seal on the Scorched Earth Secret Realm has been breached. However, this doesn't mean Master Li Wei is in danger. Seals break every few decades, so please don't worry too much."

Bronco didn't say one more thing: although the seal of the Scorched Earth Secret Realm breaks every few decades, usually only some first-tier elemental creatures sneak out.

In his memory, a situation like this, where even a third-tier elemental lord had appeared, hadn't happened in hundreds of years.

Normally, Stephanie would have corrected Bronco's way of addressing her, but now, her mind was in turmoil, and she obviously had no time to care.

"Captain Bronco, could we now request permission from the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood to send someone to the Scorched Earth to rescue our master?"

"This," Bronco said after a moment's thought, shaking his head.

"Madam, that's probably not very likely. Given the extremely rare occurrence of the secret realm's seal breaking, all the organization's available combat personnel should have been transferred away, and even the guild leader and vice guild leader should have been summoned by the city lord."

"So, you..." Bronco hesitated, then stopped himself.

"Captain Bronco, could you three possibly..." Stephanie said, then realized it was unlikely.

The three members of Bronco clearly understood what Stephena meant.

"Madam, according to Master Li Wei's defense mission, we need to be stationed at the villa until he returns or the one-month time limit is met. So, I'm truly sorry."

Stephania nodded, having expected this answer, but unfortunately, she and Fingart were simply too weak.

Suddenly, Bronco looked up and yelled, "Who goes there!"

Above Richard's villa, a surge of dark elemental energy began to rise, and a giant spider phantom began to appear.

"It's the Wrath of the Spider!! Enemy attack!!" Upon seeing the enormous spider phantom, Bronco gasped and shouted a warning!

He immediately recognized the enemy as a shadow elf, as this was one of the night elves' signature spells.

"Those night elves!"

"This is clearly taking advantage of a crisis!"

"Dark Flame Whirlwind!"

After giving the warning, Bronco quickly recited a short incantation.

The other two gray dwarf wizards beside him immediately began casting spells.

In less than a second, Bronco conjured a powerful ball of dark elemental energy in his hand, another gray dwarf wizard held a ball of fire elemental energy, and a third gray dwarf wizard took out a mountain-shaped candlestick-like object.

The two energy orbs seemed to be attracted to the candlestick and were pulled onto it. Instantly, a flash of light appeared.

A dark elemental shield, over twenty meters in diameter and hemispherical in shape, suddenly rose in the villa's garden, enveloping Stephanie, Fingart, and the team members.

This is surprisingly a rare example of a combined defensive magic array created using magical artifacts.

Head-on collision with the giant spider phantom.

The next second, the spider phantom slammed into the hemisphere wreathed in dark fire, instantly creating a deep dent in the entire hemisphere.

As the three members of Bronco continued to use their mental power to mobilize energy elements, fine beads of sweat quickly appeared on their foreheads.

"The opponent must be a high-level first-class wizard, otherwise the power of Spider's Fury could not be so great."

"Zam'el, have everyone reinforce the magic array!"

"Yes, Captain Bronco!"

A gray dwarf with the strength of a level three wizard apprentice immediately led the rest of the team to quickly place triangular supports at certain intervals around the bottom of the Darkfire vortex.

Their movements were orderly and perfectly coordinated, clearly indicating a well-trained team.

At this point, the three of them, including Bronco, looked much better.

Although all three of them were first-level wizards, they had studied defensive magic and the principles of magic arrays during their apprenticeships, and after advancing in rank, they focused on this field for a long time.

Therefore, although it is only at the first level, it is capable of withstanding the attacks of a high-level first-level wizard and will not collapse in a short period of time.

"Huh, its defenses aren't weak!" Grace outside the villa exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't expected that her attack wouldn't have destroyed the villa, causing the attackers to panic and scatter.

This was indeed somewhat unexpected for her.

"In that case, Irene, let's join forces!" Grace said, turning to Irene beside her.

"Yes, sister, Shadowgun!"

A three-meter-long black spear formed from dark elemental energy was swiftly thrown from Irene's hand, striking the dark fire vortex like a bolt of lightning.

"boom!"

The violent explosion caused the Darkfire Shield to shake violently.

This caused Bronco, Stephanie, and the others, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, to change their expressions drastically, and their hearts, which had been at ease, immediately became anxious again.

"My lords, let us lend a hand!" Gremi smiled humbly beside him.

With a gentle wave of his hand, the two grey-robed men who had come with Gremi immediately began chanting incantations and casting spells.

In less than two seconds, three emerald green, seven- or eight-meter-long fiery serpents flew out from the three men's hands, swimming towards the protective barrier as if they were alive.

The people inside the villa were instantly horrified upon seeing this scene!

"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!"

Even with the reinforced shield, it could no longer withstand the successive powerful attacks!

With a loud "bang!", it shattered and dissipated in the air.

"Pfft!" The three gray dwarf wizards on duty immediately coughed up blood and became extremely weak. The team members, whose strength was only at the apprentice level, were in even worse shape and had all been knocked unconscious.

Bronco tossed an arrow-shaped object to Stephanie, who was standing nearby, and quickly shouted:

"Quickly, launch a distress flare!!"

Stephania, slightly flustered, used her mental power to trigger the model transmitter.

"Whoosh!"

A red signal flare shot directly into the sky from the garden of Richard's villa, spreading out to faintly form the word "save" in the language of the gray dwarves.

The only two people standing in the arena were Stephena and Fingert, making them extremely conspicuous.

Therefore, when Grace and her group slowly stepped into the villa, Grace's expression immediately darkened.

She now realized that the villa's defenses were mostly provided by grey dwarf wizards. Grey dwarves were the mortal enemies of the night elves, yet these very enemies were now serving Shadra.

Could it be that the other party has already contributed the Black Dragon bloodline to the higher-ups of the Grey Dwarves, and thus gained their protection?

"Shadra, you traitor! I never expected you to fall into the arms of the gray dwarves so quickly."

Grace paid no attention to the distress signal, because she knew that Tug City was in complete chaos.

There is absolutely no chance that any rescue force from the gray dwarves will arrive here in the short term.

-

The Desol Villa is located nearby.

After the ground shook violently, Dessol ran out of the brewery.

Just as he was assessing the situation, he suddenly saw a signal flare rising over the Levi's villa.

This immediately startled him, and he muttered to himself, "Is this a distress signal from the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood? Could it be that something has happened at Levi's villa?"

After a moment's thought, Desol decided that he definitely had to go and take a look, and then quickly walked towards the door.

Just then, a slightly mocking chuckle rang out not far behind him.

"Oh ho, you old drunkard, where are you headed?"

Desol was completely stunned!

As if struck by lightning, they froze on the spot.

He knows his own abilities better than anyone else.

But this time, I didn't even realize someone had gotten close to me.

This time, the enemy.

Moreover, the voice sounded somewhat familiar, and it seemed to be one of the voices I least wanted to hear.

Although he had only heard of it once before, Dessol was deeply impressed by it.

The knuckles of Dessol's fingers, gripping the short staff tightly, were turning slightly white from the force.

He slowly turned around, his throat dry, as if scraping with a knife, and forced out a few words: "Nikol?"

The moment Desol saw who it was, his pupils contracted sharply. It really was him!

Nicol, who had been wearing a gray robe, had now taken it off.

It revealed a monstrous body, over 2.4 meters tall, with a pair of black horns sprouting from the top of its handsome face, resembling black scimitars. Its hands had mutated into a pair of incredibly sharp claws, and its lower body resembled that of a ram!

Apart from a vague resemblance in appearance, the rest of his body parts were almost entirely different from those of the night elf Nicol he had met a few years ago!

"Nikol, your body has actually mutated like this!" Disol exclaimed in shock.

(End of this chapter)