"What’s the detailed intelligence?"

Moritz turned to face his subordinate.

"Sterling, a Level One Wizard specializing in Fire Witchcraft and Magic Potion Science. The camp’s Middle Level Apprentices are unaccounted for, but there are around ten High Level Apprentices."

Although their numbers were similar, every member of their Blood Bat squad was incredibly strong. They didn’t take their opponents seriously in the slightest.

Their objective this time was a batch of supplies Shadow Moon Tower had just shipped from the rear. It contained a large quantity of various Potions and Magic Stones.

A cruel smirk played on Moritz’s lips.

Magic Stones and Potions were exactly what they needed most.

Shadow Moon Tower had reinforced the defenses along its supply lines. Attacking a convoy directly meant going too deep into enemy territory. Even if they succeeded, retreating would be difficult. The risk was too high.

On the other hand, a fixed logistics camp like this on the border, supposedly secure with an Official Wizard in residence, seemed perfectly safe.

But in reality, its defenses were spread thin. All they had to do was break through one point, and the whole place would be ripe for the picking.

’Those Middle Level Apprentices are just lambs to the slaughter,’ Moritz sneered inwardly.

He had been a High Level Apprentice for thirty years, stuck at the peak, unable to cross the threshold and become an Official Wizard.

This war was his best chance.

To plunder resources, trade for High Tier knowledge, and even... seize the opportunity to achieve great merit and earn a reward from the Deep Red Royal Court.

’As for whether those Middle Level Apprentices lived or died?’

’In the world of Wizards, the weak have always been fodder for the strong!’

"Remember!"

Moritz looked up, his dark red eyes sweeping across his squad.

"Our target is the warehouse. The first thing we do is destroy their Defense Barrier. Then we rush in and grab all the supplies. Kill anyone who resists. Once we have the goods, we immediately retreat deep into the canyon."

"Yes, Captain," the eight squad members replied in low voices, their eyes filled with greed and savagery.

They were all High Level Apprentices. Since joining the Blood Bat squad, they had killed more people than they could count.

The squad pressed on. As they drew nearer to the camp, they could already see the glowing Rune patterns on the watchtower.

Moritz gave a hand signal, and the squad halted.

He took out a palm-sized black Crystal and infused it with Magic Power.

Faint ripples appeared on the Crystal’s surface, sweeping toward the camp. It was a Witchcraft device designed to jam detection spells.

It could temporarily mask Energy fluctuations within a certain radius.

"Get ready..." Before he could finish the word...

VMMMM!

On the western watchtower, a Rune that had been dim suddenly erupted in a brilliant, blinding silver light.

The light formed a pillar that shot toward the sky, accompanied by a shrill, ear-piercing alarm.

"Damn it! We’ve been spotted," Moritz cursed, his expression turning grim.

"Captain, they’re using a Dual-Frequency Detection Rune!" the skinny subordinate said, his voice trembling. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Full assault!" Moritz ordered without hesitation, pointing forward with his Short Staff.

"Rain of Blood Decay."

Dark red clouds rapidly gathered in the sky, transforming into a torrent of acrid, foul-smelling raindrops that poured down on the camp’s western flank and the watchtower.

Almost simultaneously, alarm bells began to clamor throughout the camp.

"Enemy attack! To the west wall! All hands, defend!"

A gruff roar echoed through the camp. It was Hank’s voice.

...

Inside the Alchemy Room, Ian was in a state of deep Meditation.

The Concentration granted by the Limit-Breaking Edition of the Awakening Potion had almost completely isolated him from the outside world.

Nine large Will Runes slowly rotated in his mind. Only a few of them had yet to sprout smaller Runes along their edges.

Suddenly, the shrill alarm pierced his mind like a steel needle.

Ian’s eyes snapped open, his deep gaze instantly turning sharp.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he sprang to his feet and waved his left hand.

"Vigilantia!"

An invisible Eye of Magic formed on the roof of the Alchemy Room, its vision rapidly expanding to encompass the entire camp.

Through the eye, he saw a shower of dark red raindrops falling over the western wall, sizzling and corroding the structure on contact.

He saw nine figures clad in dark red Long Robes charging the camp from various angles.

The man in the lead had the strongest aura and a grim, shadowy face.

’But Sterling Wizard is nowhere to be seen in the camp.’

’So they’ve finally come...’

Instead of alarm, a strange sense of calm washed over Ian.

’Weren’t these past two months of bitter training for this exact moment?’

He didn’t rush out. Instead, he quickly checked his equipment.

A Shield Ring, a few Potions for restoring Spiritual Power, the Skilled edition of the Rock Bear Potion...

He activated the Ring first, and a faint red Shield enveloped his body.

Then he cast a Crystal Energy Shield, which formed a translucent barrier inside the red one, giving him a double layer of protection.

Just as he finished, the door to the Alchemy Room was thrown open with a BANG.

"Ian! Enemy attack! Get to the eastern rally point!"

The one shouting was a camp guard he’d seen a few times during the day.

"Coming!" Ian grabbed his wooden box and rushed out of the Alchemy Room with the other Apprentice.

The camp was already in chaos.

The dark red Rain of Blood Decay was still falling, and a section of the western wall had already been breached.

Inside the camp, the surviving Apprentices had barely managed to form a defensive line under Hank’s command.

Shields of every color flared to life, and the brilliant flashes of Witchcraft clashed and crisscrossed in the night.

"Hold the line! High Level Apprentices to the front! Middle Level Apprentices, provide ranged support!"

Hank stood on a rooftop, his voice carrying clearly over the din of battle.

He wielded a Wide-Blade Battle Saber, its edge dancing with searing flames—a fusion of his Bloodline Witchcraft and Flame Witchcraft.

But the squad from the Deep Red Royal Court was more experienced. Leveraging the superior strength of their High Tier Apprentices, they attacked from all sides.

Moritz didn’t charge the breach himself. He directed the battle from the rear, his Short Staff jabbing forward repeatedly.

"Weakness!"

"Blood Vine Entanglement!"

The ground suddenly split open as countless dark red, barbed vines erupted from the earth, snaking toward Hank and the big fellow.

"Flame Slash!" Hank roared.

His flaming Battle Saber sliced down, severing a swath of vines.

But more vines immediately swarmed to take their place.

Off to the side, a Deep Red Apprentice was forming a Sealing Technique with his hands, chanting an unending Spell.

"Rotting Poison Nova!"

A ball of murky green light condensed in his palm. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he sent it sailing over the wall and into the heart of the camp.

It exploded with a PUFF, instantly turning into a thick Poisonous Fog that spread in all directions.

Trees and stones sizzled wherever the fog touched them.

Several Middle Level Apprentices who failed to dodge in time screamed and collapsed, their bodies convulsing for a few moments before falling still.

The Attendants and Knights couldn’t even withstand it for a second, silently collapsing in droves.

...

Ian reached the eastern rally point, located near the warehouse. It was a key defensive position for the camp.

About a dozen Middle Level Apprentices were gathered there, led by a female Apprentice in a red robe whom Ian didn’t recognize.

"You’re new? The Magic Potion Alchemist?" the female Apprentice asked, glancing at Ian and speaking rapidly.

"Get to the back. We don’t need you on the front lines."

Ian didn’t argue, quickly moving to take cover.

He set down his wooden box and cast Eye of Vigilance again, this time sending the eye higher for a broader view of the battlefield.

Through the eye, he got a clear picture of the entire battlefield, and his brow furrowed.

At the western breach, Hank and the big fellow were completely pinned down, locked in a desperate struggle.

Near the watchtower, Lina was tied down by another High Level Apprentice from the Deep Red squad, preventing her from using her skills as a Shooter to support her allies.

Over by Old Pipe, the repair work had been interrupted, and the guards protecting him were on the verge of being overrun.

Poison Fang was locked in a deadly dance with another Cursed Wizard in the shadows, a constant exchange of assassination attempts in a perilous duel.

Within the camp, the poisonous mist continued to spread, and more people were screaming and falling to the ground.

...

’This can’t go on like this,’ Ian analyzed quickly.

His gaze locked onto the Deep Red High Level Apprentice who had cast Rotting Poison Nova.

The man was positioned at the rear of the battlefield, protected by others, and was actively directing the spread of the Poisonous Fog.

’I can’t reveal my Instantaneous Witchcraft yet, but I can show off some of my other abilities.’

’My skills in Magic Potion Science are considerable. Now’s the time to put them to use.’

At Ian’s thought, two glass bottles were lifted by an unseen force and shot toward the dense fog at incredible speed.

He had mixed Silver Leaf Grass and Hemostatic Moss in a specific ratio and added the mixture to two different Potions.

’It’s not a standard Potion Refining process, and it’s incredibly wasteful, but it can create a potent Purification Mist.’

When the glass bottles were about thirty meters out, an unseen hand seemed to grab them and hurl them into the heart of the Poisonous Fog.

SMASH! SMASH!

As the bottles shattered, the liquid and powder mixture inside instantly vaporized, forming two clouds of mist, one pale green and one pale gold.

A hissing sound filled the air as the Poisonous Fog rapidly dissipated, a large swath of it clearly neutralized.

"It’s working!" The Apprentices behind cover felt their spirits lift.

The Deep Red Apprentice who had cast the Poisonous Fog snapped his head up, his murky green eyes locking onto Ian’s position.

"You’re asking to die!"

Just as he was about to cast a Witchcraft to kill Ian...

A heaven-shaking roar echoed from within the camp!