Free Web NovelChapter 192: Chapter 124: Life-and-Death Struggle of Species, Turin People and Captives
Another black-haired Wizard shook his head. "Even if Pei Ze is a genius, he couldn’t possibly break through to the Liquefaction Stage in less than two months. And for a Wizard at the Level 1 Gaseous Stage, taking on a mission like this is no different from suicide."
The portly Wizard didn’t argue. He just smiled, his eyes narrowing. "Well, by your logic, if Pei Ze really does die on the mission, that’s good news for us in Red Lotus City. I imagine Xu Bo and his people will be delighted as well."
"You’re not wrong about that." The Red-Eyed Wizard nodded slightly, a mocking smile spreading across his face. "In that case, I’ll be watching with great interest."
...
The battlefield was vast. To carry out a mission deep within it, you certainly couldn’t travel on foot.
Using Magic wasn’t practical either; it would be a senseless waste of precious Spiritual Power.
Therefore, a mount was essential—and one that could fly.
"Sir, I made some inquiries yesterday," said Su Ya. "There’s a place near the Red Maple City gate that specializes in selling and renting giant eagles. Maybe we can buy a few there."
Pei Ze glanced at Su Ya with appreciation and nodded.
"Then we’ll buy the giant eagles on the way."
Without delay, Pei Ze led the two of them straight to the Red Maple City gate.
Due to its geography and layout, Red Maple City covered an immense area, even larger than Chenxi City.
Even flying across it took a considerable amount of time.
That was why numerous Teleportation Points were set up within the city, making travel convenient for its inhabitants.
It was just a bit expensive.
One Magic Stone Coin for a single teleportation might not seem high, but a trip across the city could require passing through seven or eight Teleportation Points. For the three of them, a single journey would cost a dozen or two Magic Stone Coins.
For Wizards of more modest means, this was already a significant expense.
Many Wizards preferred to spend the extra time traveling on a giant eagle rather than waste their Magic Stone Coins so extravagantly.
Pei Ze, however, had no intention of wasting time traveling. With a decisive wave of his hand, he had everyone use the Teleportation Points.
Four or five minutes later, the three of them arrived at the Red Maple City gate and spent 150 Magic Stone Coins to purchase three giant eagles.
Standing, the giant eagles were nearly three meters tall with a wingspan of over ten meters. Their broad backs had more than enough room for a single rider.
Su Ya had been secretly plotting to share a giant eagle with Pei Ze under the pretext of saving money. However, before she could put her plan into action, Peng Yan shattered her daydream with a single shout: "Boss, we need to buy three giant eagles!"
Furious, she shot a glare at Peng Yan.
Poor Peng Yan, completely oblivious, could only stare back in utter confusion.
They mounted the giant eagles, and with a great cry, the three beasts shot into the sky.
The towering walls of Red Maple City rapidly shrank in their vision, receding into the distance.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them had ascended to an altitude of a thousand meters.
Violent winds howled at this altitude, but as all three were Legendary Knights protected by Elemental Power, they were not afraid.
Pei Ze sat down cross-legged, took out the Magic Map, and spread it across his lap to study it intently.
All information on the Magic Map was updated in real time. If an outpost or defensive structure was destroyed or newly constructed, the map would reflect the change instantly.
Their destination for this trip, Fortification No. 89, was about 462 kilometers from Red Maple City as the crow flies.
At the giant eagles’ speed, the journey would take approximately two hours.
They would pass numerous outposts on the way, and Pei Ze planned to simply steamroll through them all.
This was partly to avoid revealing their position, which would allow the outposts to send intel back and give the Turin Army at Fortification No. 89 time to prepare.
The other reason was for the merit points.
Red Maple City did not require Free Mages to officially accept a mission in order to be rewarded.
If they happened to encounter patrolling Turin People’s chariots or outposts on the battlefield, they could still earn the corresponding merit points as long as they provided proof of the kill—like a recording from a Recording Ring, for instance.
’The merit points for these might be small, but every little bit helps. It all adds up to a considerable amount in the end.’
Pei Ze lifted his gaze from the Magic Map and looked down at the landscape below.
The bleak, wild plains below were completely barren. Hardly any plants could be seen, let alone animals. The only things visible were yellow soil and rock.
Perhaps not long ago, these plains had been fertile and full of life, but after enduring constant warfare, not a trace of their former self remained.
As they passed over a river, Pei Ze spotted a cluster of crumbling ruins.
It must have been a town once, but now only crumbling walls remained. Amidst the rubble, he could faintly make out a temple, one half collapsed and the other still standing.
Though it no longer had any worshippers, the majestic murals painted on its mottled outer walls still spoke of a sacred and glorious past.
Pei Ze watched this scene with a placid expression, feeling no sympathy for the fate of the Turin People.
Planar conquest, to put it bluntly, was simply a war between intelligent species of different origins, each fighting for the top of the "food chain." Feeling pity in such a life-and-death struggle for species survival was no different from committing suicide.
Su Ya and Peng Yan noticed the ruins below as well. While sighing at the cruelty of war, they grew even more cautious and vigilant of their surroundings.
After all, this was a battlefield; no one could say when an enemy might appear.
One had to be vigilant at all times and in all places, or a single moment of carelessness could mean losing one’s life.
They flew for over a hundred kilometers without any sign of trouble.
Just as Pei Ze was thinking they would reach the next outpost without incident, a troop of several hundred soldiers suddenly appeared in the distance.
It was a group of warriors dressed in uniform armor, wielding battle-axes and greatswords.
They rode on Riding Beasts that resembled horses but had limbs covered in scales. They chatted and joked as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings, looking like seasoned veterans—relaxed on the surface, but internally on high alert.
Following behind them were over a hundred infantrymen in leather armor, equally well-armed.
In the midst of the infantry were several dozen captives, their hands bound and their bodies covered in wounds. Every one of them wore an expression of despair and indignant grief.
"It’s the Turin People!" Su Ya quickly spotted the troop, her expression instantly turning grim.
"Are those captives from Red Maple City?" Peng Yan frowned in confusion. "The Turin People take prisoners?"
"What’s so strange about that?" Su Ya scoffed. "A planar civilization like that of the Turin People, with its feudal, aristocratic system, is bound to have a thriving slave trade. To them, we Knights are nothing more than valuable merchandise."
Peng Yan was speechless.
Pei Ze smiled faintly and nodded. "Su Ya is correct. We want to take the lives of the Turin People for merit points, and they want to capture us and sell us as slaves. We are both hunter and hunted."
"This is the true nature of planar war!"
"Concepts like morality and justice are all illusory. The only real principle is that the strong devour the weak!"
"So don’t ever have any misplaced sympathy."
Peng Yan fell silent, his expression slowly becoming resolute. As he looked down at the Turin People, his gaze turned cold.
As for Su Ya, she had understood this from the very beginning; her resolve had never wavered.
At the same time, the Turin People on the plains also noticed the giant eagles in the sky.
A commotion immediately erupted among the infantry, and the captives began crying out for help, plunging the scene into chaos.
The leader, a middle-aged Knight with a thick beard, didn’t hesitate. He drew his sword, spun around, and sent a captive’s head flying. With this bloody display, he brutally suppressed the rest of the prisoners, then barked a few orders at the infantry. Only then did the scene fall silent.
At the bearded Knight’s roar, the infantry drew their weapons and surrounded the captives to prevent any escapes during the commotion. At the same time, they formed a defensive line, gazing up at the sky as if facing a formidable foe.
As for the armored Knights, they had already formed ranks with swift, reflexive competence the moment the enemy was spotted, displaying the composure of true veterans.
’They’re a pretty elite bunch.’
A smile touched Pei Ze’s lips as he patted the giant eagle’s back.
The giant eagle let out a piercing shriek and dove swiftly toward the ground.
