“Make sure everything is ready,”
Solomon agreed readily, seemingly unconcerned by the spatial turmoil around him.
The issues Ivan had to deal with involved two runes sorcery arrays, a fantastic item, a space rift, and the incessant influx of Shadow Power—it wasn’t going to be an easy fix, certainly harder than repairing a single sorcery array.
In his estimate, he would also need to handle unexpected complications.
As expected, the space rift wouldn’t “go down without a fight;” the transmission of space energy and a surge of Shadow Power forced Ivan to call upon the help of two others, and only with their combined strength were they able to confine the Shadow Sphere within a certain range.
In this way, amid turmoil and anxiety, the Shadow Sphere slowly adjusted to its position.
…
At sea, one could clearly see from the depths and all around that the disturbance above was as majestic as celestial might, as oppressive as storm clouds bearing down, and also like strange black spikes falling in a sudden downpour.
The rampant strange black spikes turned the nearby islands and sea surface into a no-go zone for any creature.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the critical moment must have arrived; if we do not act now, when will we?”
Those coveting the Wondrous Land hadn’t left; their number grew from three to six, all of them being Level 2 Sorcerers who had hurried over from different places, with Oz Trollope being particularly eager.
“What do you think?”
“All of us came here without prior arrangement, and no one can point fingers at anyone else; we all surely have our own ideas. Just as Sorcerer Trollope said, we should act while they are in disarray, otherwise we might as well disperse now.”
“Disperse? My time isn’t that worthless,”
The several individuals realized the opportunity was not to be missed; they didn’t need any encouragement from others and soon came to an agreement with just a few words.
They intended to explore the Wondrous Land for the peace of Moon Pincer Peninsula, not allowing outsiders to act recklessly and presumptuously.
Because the Formation consisting of Twilight Steles blanketed the area, the best way to enter the Wondrous Land was through the islands, ascending through the islands to the black hole.
“Enemy attack!”
Oz and his group emerged from their hiding spot and headed straight for the islands at sea, putting the Star Moon Alliance sorcerers on the islands on high alert.
Because the Formation created by the Twilight Steles was not designed for defense, Tess and her group, despite their readiness, were no match for the attacking Level 2 Sorcerers, and the situation quickly turned one-sided.
“Maintain this runes sorcery array properly, or you’ll not get off easily.” Oz and his group didn’t chase them down to the last man, as the Formation on the island required people to sustain it.
After dropping that severe warning, the six soared to the sky, their defensive shields blocking the alien black spikes that splashed down.
“Have you notified the leader?”
“Damn it, these madmen are too insolent.”
Tess and the others could only watch helplessly as they flew into the black hole.
The six of them had no idea what the people below thought, and even if they did, they wouldn’t care; a mere Level 1 Sorcerer was lucky to keep his life in their eyes.
Passing through the black hole, Trollope and his group entered the space, greeted by a monotonous scene that met the eye at once and a few scattered figures.
“It seems we’ve arrived just in time,” a sorcerer with a black scarf covering his face chuckled, noting that the three sorcerers opposite him were standing in the Small Bronze Square, probably suppressing something.
“Ivan Marichardon, I’ve finally caught you, you villain.” Seeing one of the figures, Oz Trollope’s eyes flashed with red, and the murderous intent and hatred that he had hidden for many days could no longer be contained.
“Be wary of deceit,” another masked sorcerer cautioned.
One could easily sense an uncomfortable aura in this space, which subtly instilled unease.
Out of the six Level 2 Sorcerers, some put on face scarves, some wore masks, while others showed their true faces outright, like Trollope who was eager for revenge.
As Trollope recognized Ivan, Ivan also recognized him; as for the others shrinking back, he couldn’t tell who they were.
“One from Rapid Flow Twin Towers, two from Black Reef Sanctuary, one from Scorching Watch Tower, two from Kadan ruins—do you need me to call out your exact names?” Doug glanced back and forth, accurately identifying the origins of the assailants.
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“How dare you!” This fearlessness undoubtedly irked them. “You must be the power behind the Star Moon Alliance, causing chaos on Moon Pincer Peninsula for so long, it’s time you paid the price.”
“He’s trying to buy time; don’t waste words with him,” the masked sorcerer reminded again.
On the other side, facing the upcoming attack of six Level 2 Sorcerers and one among them being a sworn enemy, Ivan, suppressing the turmoil of the Shadow Sphere, felt very uneasy.
He could only pin his hopes on the two people beside him; otherwise, he would have to give up suppression and figure out a solution after dealing with the strong enemies.
“You two take care of here, and leave the rest to me, okay?” Doug volunteered.
“Are you sure you can handle it?” Solomon couldn’t help but ask, “If not, I’ll take over.”
“Underestimate me, will you? Don’t forget, this is my home turf,” Doug said confidently.
“Go on then,” Ivan secretly clicked his tongue and immediately agreed to his proposal.
Seeing this, Solomon didn’t say anything more. After all, it was Doug’s territory, and he was more than suitable to face the invaders, provided that he could actually take on six by himself.
Utterly arrogant!
Watching this scene unfold, the six opponents across were almost laughed off their feet, regarding the advancing Doug as a dead man.
However, before they could get close, accompanied by the roar of a two-headed tigon on the opposite side, the black water lake became extraordinarily turbulent, and a vast expanse of black smoke filled the entire space in an instant.
At this moment, the Shadow Tigon fully demonstrated what it means to be a “Child of Shadow,” exploiting the home ground advantage to its fullest extent.
“Be careful!”
“There’s something odd about this thing; don’t stray too far apart,” they cautioned.
“Protect the flying beasts; if they fall into the lake, they’re done for.”
The black smoke surged like rolling waves, engulfing Trollope and his six companions, forcing them to halt their advance and switch to a defensive stance to fend off the foreign energies swirling through the air.
This Shadow Power was highly corrosive, capable of petrifying anything it touched, and even a Level 2 Sorcerer could fall victim to it if careless.
Moreover, Level 2 Sorcerers lacked the ability to fly on their own, and the six were diverted to protect their flying beasts—a demanding endeavor.
“Let me show you what true arrogance is,” Doug sneered repeatedly, unlike the others.
Having sought the Child of Shadow for so long, he had already found ways to counter the Shadow Corrosion, especially now that the Shadow Tigon was part of him.
Calmly, Doug released two puppets with the combat power of Level 2 Sorcerers, and with the Shadow Tigon’s unusual nature, he finally had the confidence to face six alone.
The battle erupted under the cover of black smoke, with booming sounds of chaos.
“Sorcerer Ivan, how much longer over there?” Solomon showcased even greater might, nimbly filling the vacancy left by Doug.
“Almost there,” Ivan muttered in response.
With his companions so capable, naturally, he couldn’t fall behind and had made up his mind.
He upgraded “Study of Planes” to Level 5, activated the recently obtained Light of Wisdom, and with stronger cognition, he contemplated the remaining issues of the Shadow Sphere. His hands didn’t stop moving, adjusting the rune lines at an even faster pace, causing the Shadow Sphere to shrink incessantly.
After a while, a figure suddenly broke through the blockade of black smoke and charged towards Ivan’s position with a fierce intent to kill—it was unmistakably Oz Trollope.
Trollope looked somewhat bedraggled, with his hair and back showing signs of petrification, but to avenge his son’s death, he couldn’t care less about these things now.
“Ivan Marichardon, your time to die has come!”
“I’ll deal with my own troubles,” Ivan replied coolly, not waiting for Solomon to say anything before stepping up to meet him.
Swamp ants and the Silkworm Queen followed him on the side.
Ivan had a clear understanding. After adjusting for such a long time, with the strength Solomon had shown, he was more than capable of temporarily suppressing the turmoil of the Shadow Sphere.
Ivan didn’t know how Trollope had broken through, but since the man had specifically called him out, he certainly couldn’t back down; as the saying goes, one fights for a steamed bun’s worth of pride.