Free Web NovelChapter 198: Chapter 127: Spiritual Erosion, the Condensation Principle of Faith Crystals (Part 2)
Vast swaths of grayish-white permafrost began to appear, their color gradually whitening until the land looked as if it were covered by a thick, white blanket.
Seeing this strange sight, Su Ya and Peng Yan immediately understood they were not far from their destination.
Pei Ze took out his Magic Map, estimated the distance, and gestured for the other two to stop.
"Defensive Fortification No. 89 is another ten kilometers ahead. We’ll rest here for two hours to recover our strength before we move."
Despite winning several consecutive battles, Pei Ze had consumed a considerable amount of his Spiritual Power.
To be safe, it was best to wait until he had recovered to his peak condition before attacking the fortification.
The three of them found a spot with its back to a rock formation to land and rest.
Su Ya and Peng Yan took out rations to feed the giant eagle.
Pei Ze, meanwhile, casually cast a Secondary Illusion, creating the image of a large rock formation to conceal their figures.
If a war chariot were to pass overhead, its occupants would only see a large cluster of jagged, bizarre rocks.
Such a sight was common in the wilderness and wouldn’t arouse suspicion.
After feeding the giant eagle, Su Ya sat directly on the ground. The biting cold was not enough to affect her.
"Sir, what’s the garrison strength at Defensive Fortification No. 89?"
Peng Yan also looked over, his curiosity piqued.
They only knew that the mission to attack the defensive fortification was extremely difficult, but they didn’t know the specifics.
Pei Ze said, "According to the intelligence from Red Maple City, there are at least three First-Class Priests, and we can’t rule out the presence of a Second-Class Priest. Additionally, there’s at least one detachment of Sect Knights and an unknown number of noble troops."
The elite military forces of the Turin Plane were almost entirely in the hands of the sects.
Although the noble lords had their own private armies, they were mainly composed of Apprentice Knights and Knights and were not very powerful.
Only the high-ranking nobility—dukes, marquises, and counts—commanded small, elite armies.
In contrast, the main military forces of the three major sects, the Sect Knight Orders, were composed entirely of Grand Knights, and their officers were, without exception, Legendary Knights.
By establishment, a full-strength Sect Knight Order comprised about 4,200 men, divided into 10 detachments of 420 men each.
The ratio of Legendary Knights among them was about one in ten.
In other words, a single detachment had at least forty Legendary Knights.
Furthermore, only a Tier Two Legendary Knight could serve as a detachment commander.
Hearing this, Su Ya and Peng Yan couldn’t help but be secretly astonished.
The noble troops were one thing; as long as they weren’t elite forces, any number of them were insignificant and not worth mentioning.
But three Winter Frost Priests and a detachment of Sect Knights were not to be underestimated.
A garrison of this strength would likely require four or five Wizards working together to have any chance of being defeated.
The mission to capture the defensive fortification was certainly not going to be easy.
Of course, Pei Ze was an exception.
Having witnessed his power, Su Ya and Peng Yan had unshakable faith in Pei Ze’s decision.
’Since Sir Pei Ze has decided to attack Defensive Fortification No. 89, he must be completely confident.’
Seeing Pei Ze close his eyes to rest and recover his Spirit, Su Ya and Peng Yan fell silent so as not to disturb him. The area quickly grew quiet.
Wuyu stood atop the rock formation, preening its feathers with its sharp beak.
Peng Yan sat beside Wuyu, his gaze filled with a hint of awe.
’Having witnessed Wuyu in battle again, I can clearly see that its power has grown substantially. It also seems to have gained new types of Magic abilities.’
’The combat power of those familiar spawns has also skyrocketed. A single one of them probably has the combat strength of a Peak Grand Knight.’
’Five or six thousand familiar spawns, each equivalent to a Peak Grand Knight... The thought alone is terrifying.’
’Wuyu alone is probably enough to annihilate the Sect Knight detachment at Defensive Fortification No. 89.’
’No wonder Sir Pei Ze is so confident about completing the mission.’
Peng Yan mused to himself.
Just then, he saw Wuyu abruptly raise its head, its cold eyes staring intently to the front right.
At the same time, Pei Ze’s eyes snapped open. Silvery liquid metal detached from his wrist and condensed into a volley of sharp spears, all glinting with a cold light as their tips aimed in the same direction.
"Who’s there?" Pei Ze asked coldly.
Su Ya and Peng Yan reacted instantly, snatching up their weapons and rising to their feet. They stared guardedly toward the front right.
"Don’t misunderstand! We mean no harm!"
A voice suddenly called out from that direction.
The air distorted, and two figures slowly materialized.
It was a man and a woman who both appeared to be in their mid-twenties. Dressed in simple brown leather armor and tall boots, they looked like mercenaries.
However, Pei Ze could clearly sense their Mental Force Fields. The man and woman were obviously both Wizards.
Their outfits were likely for ease of movement.
"Sir, we’re just passing through," the man said. "We wanted to ask you something. We mean no harm. I apologize if we startled you."
The man glanced at Wuyu. ’This familiar obviously has a spell-like ability that can see through invisibility,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, keen senses alone wouldn’t have been enough to detect us from over thirty meters away.’
The young woman was also subtly sizing up Pei Ze, surprised by his incredibly youthful face.
A Wizard’s lifespan was much longer than that of an ordinary person, and they aged very slowly.
Unless they had already begun to age by the time they advanced, most Wizards maintained the appearance of a young adult.
But the man before them looked to be seventeen or eighteen at most, far younger than most Wizards.
Moreover, it didn’t look like he had used some special means to alter his appearance.
’In other words, this person is likely a genius who became a Wizard at a very young age. He either has a powerful mentor or comes from a Wizard Clan.’
The young woman and her companion exchanged a glance, their casual attitudes turning more reserved.
Pei Ze glanced at them, and his Eye of Omniscience instantly gauged their strength.
The man’s Spirit Level was 14.3, at the Level 1 Liquid Stage.
The woman’s Spirit Level was 10.7, at the Level 1 Gaseous Stage.
"What do you want to ask?" Pei Ze motioned for Su Ya and Peng Yan to lower their weapons.
"My name is Yan Dong, and this is my companion, Fang Na," the man said, introducing them. "Sir, have you seen a unit of the Turin Army escorting prisoners pass this way?"
Pei Ze raised an eyebrow. "I did encounter a Turin escort group with prisoners about two hours ago. But I’ve already dealt with them."
Yan Dong and Fang Na’s faces lit up at the first half of Pei Ze’s statement, but they froze when they heard the second part.
Fang Na quickly asked, "Was there an Official Priest in that Turin Army unit?"
Pei Ze shook his head. "No, just a group of Sect Knights and Noble Infantry."
Yan Dong and Fang Na immediately looked disappointed.
Seeing Pei Ze’s questioning look, Yan Dong gave a bitter smile and explained, "We were attacked by the Turin People a short while ago. Our companions suffered heavy casualties. We barely managed to escape, but then we were overtaken by a Turin Priest. One of our companions was captured by the Turin People while covering our escape. We’re searching for him now."
A Turin Army unit without an Official Priest in its escort would never be tasked with transporting a Wizard prisoner.
Hearing this, a peculiar expression appeared on Pei Ze’s face.
Yan Dong noticed and asked, puzzled, "What is it?"
"Were you guarding a Secret Silver Ore Vein resource point before this?"
Yan Dong and Fang Na were taken aback. The woman, Fang Na, asked reflexively, "How did you know?"
Pei Ze shrugged and recounted his earlier encounter.
After he finished, Yan Dong and Fang Na were silent, their expressions bitter.
This ambush by the Turin People had cost them dearly. Not only was their initial investment a total loss, but many of their companions had died. The past six months of struggle on the Plane Battlefield had been for nothing.
Yan Dong sighed. "Thank you for the information. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you headed?"
Pei Ze saw no reason to hide it. "Defensive Fortification No. 89," he said plainly. "We’ve accepted a mission to attack it."
As soon as he said this, looks of sheer astonishment crossed Yan Dong and Fang Na’s faces. Their gazes swept over Pei Ze and his two companions, their unspoken thought obvious: ’Just the three of them?’
