Chapter 241: The Struggle Underground (Part 1)

At this moment, the city of Shamas was brightly lit with lights. The eternal, elegant light on the walls, which looked like demon fire, was rare in the Underdark, but it helped visitors from the Surface who could not see in the dark. Just this one thing showed that the city welcomed those who came from the outside, especially those from the Surface. This was because if it were only creatures of the underground, they would not need this light since they had Darkvision or even infrared vision.

The tall spires in the very center of the city glowed with all kinds of magical Spirit Lights. Those were the Arcane Mage Academies. They were the second most powerful institution under the ruling Parliament and the actual rulers of this city.

The defense there was very strict. Besides Mages, who were non-spontaneous users of Arcane magic, anyone else entering would be killed immediately. The model of these Mage Academies was copied from the Silver Federation, but it appeared more authoritarian and had a strict hierarchy. They were not just educational institutions; here they also served as administrative bodies.

Each major Arcane Mage Academy had specific powers and duties, which together formed the city’s ruling network. The Protection Academy was responsible for the city’s direct defense and maintaining order; the Evocation Academy was responsible for resisting foreign invasions and regularly sweeping the surrounding areas; the Enchantment Academy was responsible for the slave market and interrogating prisoners; the Divination Academy secretly monitored the whole city, and so on.

Shamas City did not have a regular army. Its military power consisted of the instructors and students of the various Wizard Academies, along with a tight magical defense system built over thousands of years. More importantly, a magical Lock formed by the joint efforts of the various Wizard Academies covered the city and the surrounding areas. Any hostile creature would be automatically attacked.

A Lock was a masterpiece of High Elf magical arts. It was a living work woven from magical energy. It was a powerful barrier with a wide coverage range, possessing a simple consciousness of its own, and its creators had given it the task of guarding Elf cities or sacred lands. Their lifespan could last for hundreds, even thousands of years.

The design purpose of a Lock was to protect certain creatures within its range and drive others out. Its working principle was to pour a series of spells into the barrier. In addition, each Lock also possessed some unique abilities that could not be directly described by spells.

Its essence was a magical array, the highest achievement known in the field of magical arrays. Besides the floating cities left over from the Second Age, only places like the Silver Federation and the Elf’s Isle of Eternal Gathering were relatively common.

As mentioned before, magical items in the world could be divided into two types: Storing Items and Constant Items. The former involved pouring spells into specific items, which could be activated when needed, effectively storing them temporarily. Various Scrolls and the Fireball Magic Wand that the Val Knight had just obtained were of this type, and they were relatively easy to make.

The latter involved making the spell effect constant within the item, like the belt that George had given to Viscount Bolerum earlier. Also, during the Brandenburg Defense, the siege ring used by a young lady who dressed as a man was of this type. The latter was much harder to make than the former because the former were consumables, while the latter were constantly effective and could be used repeatedly. However, most people did not bother to distinguish between them and simply called them all “Magic Items.” In fact, the Blessing of Order on George’s body could also be considered an alternative constant spell.

The most obvious difference was that any Mage or Priest with some skill could make Storing Items if they were willing to pay the cost of mental exhaustion. But Constant Items were often only made by Mages because they were more complex and difficult, requiring the creator to truly understand the composition of spells—most Priests did not understand these things.

Priests obtained their ability to use spells directly from their Deities. Most of them did not truly understand the principles behind them; they knew the “what” but not the “why”—except for a few exceptions.

Mages, on the other hand, generally mastered their spellcasting abilities through their own studies. They understood the principles, knew the structure, and truly understood their own spells. Therefore, most Constant Items in the world were made by Mages, with only a few contributions from Priests, even though the number of Priests in the world was more than ten times that of Mages.

Usually, such Priests were called Monastic Priests. Compared to other Priests, they spent more time on research and prayer and less time on military training. They gave up some of the combat skills of Priests in exchange for more skills dedicated to knowledge and a broader understanding of spells. Like the belt George had received earlier, it was actually the work of a Monastic Priest.

Compared to orthodox Priests, who, after being empowered by Divine Arts, could fight against warriors several times their number and send them scurrying away in fear, these Monastic Priests, while not as weak as most Mages, were not much better either.

Sorcerers, who were also Arcane Casters, were not much better than Priests in this regard. Since they cast spells using only their instincts, they mostly only knew the “what” of spells but not the “why.” Most of them also lacked the ability to make spell items.

A Lock was one of the highest achievements in known magical studies. Compared to making Constant Items, it was a hundred times more difficult. Building it required the deepest understanding and mastery of Magic. Even a very talented Legendary Mage found it hard to do it alone; it was always completed by the joint efforts of many first-class Wizards.

Locks contained the most basic universal effects such as Permanent Spells, Refreshable Spells, Forbidden Spells, and Permanent Effects. They could also formulate specific measures for specific targets. It was because of their existence that Mages could become the actual rulers of the earth before Knights appeared.

The difficulty of creating a Lock was shocking, but there were other ways to reduce the difficulty. It could lower the difficulty at the cost of the caster’s own death. “Dying while weaving a Lock” might sound like something that would make the casters trying to create a Lock hesitate, but in fact, when many High Elf Mages possessed the ability to cast such a Legendary spell, they had already mentally prepared themselves to go to the Elf Kingdom of “Aphandor.”

In Elf society, sacrificing one’s own life to create the greatest and most powerful work in the secret arts could be called the most glorious way to pass away.

It was just unknown whether someone had sacrificed their life during the establishment of the Lock in Shamas City. After all, the traditions and beliefs of the Dark Elves had been very different from their Surface relatives for nearly ten thousand years.

Under the dome in that Mage Tower, a Dark Elf with drooping ears was talking to a Human beside him.

“I never thought that even our cities on this layer, like Menzoberranzan, Ched Nasad, and Eelkoth, would also participate in the attack on the Surface,” said the Dark Elf, rubbing his dry fingers on the Parchment in front of him.

“The cities on the first layer that are closer can quickly transport the loot and killed enemies back to the city after completing the raid and slaughter. By this method of fighting, they please the Goddess while strengthening themselves. But for our layer, we do not have a teleportation array leading to the first layer of the Underdark! If it is just pure slaughter, won’t they worry that the loss is too great and not worth the gain?” The Human male’s skin had no color at all, showing that he had not seen sunlight for a long time.

The Dark Elf put down the Scroll in his hand and said, “It is said that behind Blindstone City there is a passage leading to the western part of the Continent. Although there are some sealed stone walls and caves, they are not unsolvable, are they? After all, the Matrons of our layer have not held a blood sacrifice of Surface creatures for a long time. They need a larger sacrifice to please the Deity that grants them Divine Arts.”

“Cough! Cough! According to my memory, isn’t the Kingdom of Knights at the far west of the Continent?” The Human male, whose eyes could not see pupils, showed a strange smile.

The Dark Elf Mage flicked his fingers and said, “Let those warmongers hit the iron plate! It saves them from giving us trouble from time to time in the name of Lolth. If Lolth really intended to take action, Shamas City would not exist anymore.”

“It is because Lolth is a Deity who loves chaos and betrayal! Perhaps she thinks that the existence of Shamas City also demonstrates her will?” The Mage joked about this.

Blindstone City was one of the few places on the third layer of the underground that had signed a Contract with neighboring civilizations to unite into a self-sufficient city-state. Twelve thousand Underground Dwarves and Dwarves formed an alliance relying on the fortress guards to huddle together for warmth and jointly resist the large-scale attack of the Dark Elves.

The city was located in a huge cavern, with one side against a stone wall and three sides surrounded by city walls. The Dark Elves attacked the south side this time. The Dwarves built the city walls with sturdy black granite and poured molten ice iron into them. This allowed them to resist most siege magic. The city gates were made of pure Mithril and had a certain magical immunity.

The city walls were already filled with various siege defense devices. Every certain distance there was an arrow tower. Although Dwarves were not good at archery, they had ballistae and trebuchets. The Gnomes’ firearms were placed on the second city wall. Filled with lead bullets, their main use was to clear the area after the first city wall was breached.

Ogres, Bear Goblins, and Goblins, wearing helmets and armor, surged like a tide. They were slaves and cannon fodder loved by the Dark Elves. They used extendable Siege Ladders to climb the walls, carried semi-transparent Force Field siege rams to hit the city gates, and elite Minotaur units waited in the rear. Apart from the Siege Towers, not many Dark Elves were seen.

The area outside the city had already fallen. A series of huge catapults were set up, firing magical cannonballs at the city walls, including Fireballs, Lightning, and strong acids. The Dwarves’ sturdy armor could not withstand this attack, and the casualties were heavy.

The attacking force obviously had more troops than the defenders. Moreover, those catapults, reinforced by Magic, had a very long range, and the Dwarves could not destroy them with ranged weapons. Although the Mithril gates could resist magical attacks, they were not unbreakable. Under the impact of the Force Field ram, they had begun to deform.

This passive way of taking hits was obviously not a solution. Soon, a magnificent horn sounded, and the city gates opened with a loud boom. A team of Dwarves, wrapped in full armor like iron cans, with full-face helmets on their heads and holding Adamantine Battle Axes in their hands, formed an array like a moving city wall. In the blink of an eye, they knocked down dozens of Ogres who were hitting the city gates.

These were the famous Dwarf Defenders. They were warriors who dedicated themselves to the Dwarf race, Dwarf Deities, or Dwarf lifestyles. As their name suggested, they were skilled fighters, especially good at defense. A group of Dwarf Defenders was not only better than a 10-foot-thick stone wall but even more powerful.

The Dwarf warriors followed closely, rushing out of the city gate, shouting war songs as they crashed into the enemy ranks. Then, in just a few seconds, the attacking force lost over a hundred soldiers, mostly Ogres. In previous battles, the Dwarves had already figured out the enemy’s secrets. Among the Dark Elves’ cannon fodder, only Ogres and Minotaurs were the true main force. They were brave and fierce, while Goblins were the standard fence-sitters; if the situation was unfavorable, they would scatter and flee, so there was no need to waste effort on them.

The Dark Elves’ attack was frustrated. The Ogres, Bear Goblins, and Goblins began to retreat. Then a long war horn sounded, and fully armed Minotaurs surged from the rear, charging toward the Dwarf warriors. But more Dwarf warriors in heavy armor poured out of Blindstone City continuously. They held tall Tower Shields, rushed past their comrades to the front line, and stood firm like a Great Wall of Steel. No matter how fierce the Minotaurs charged, they did not retreat a single step.

Suddenly, a row of black smoke rose among the Dwarves, instantly killing nearly a hundred Minotaurs, causing the Minotaur charge to stall. This was the Gnome marksmen starting to show their power. Gunpowder in this world was not only expensive but also required spells to make. However, the Gnomes, who lacked strength, preferred this kind of weapon.

Although the trajectory was hard to aim and inconvenient, it could cause much more damage than a Crossbow at close range. It also had better effects against metal armor.

Behind the Defenders, dozens of Dwarf Priests also poured out of the city gate. They held up War Hammers and Moladin Holy Symbols, casting blessings of holy light on the battlefield to protect the brave warriors ahead.

The attacking force had an overwhelming numerical advantage, but in terms of field combat ability, these miscellaneous cannon fodder were obviously not as good as the well-trained Dwarf warriors and Gnome marksmen working together. They were killed and retreated step by step.

Suddenly, a huge spider illusion flashed in the sky in the distance. Immediately, teams of Lizard Cavalry poured out of the camp. The riders were all wearing exquisite Chainmail, half-covering helmets, revealing silver-white long hair and black jade-like faces, holding Spears.

Obviously, this was the true elite force of the enemy, while the ones in front were just cannon fodder. The Lizard Cavalry began to charge. The speed was very fast. You could see dust flying, but no sound was heard. They were about to crash into the Dwarves. Suddenly, dozens of Dark Elves in long robes and capes rose into the air behind them, pulled out their Staffs, and shot dazzling silver-white lightning and scorching Fireballs at the Dwarf warriors.

The soldiers on the wall of Blindstone City noticed those cavalry and fired a large number of crossbow bolts and stones to intercept them, but the distance was too far, and the Lizard Cavalry was too agile and fast. They easily avoided all attacks.

The vanguard of this Lizard Cavalry did not wear Chainmail like other cavalry. Instead, they wore a shiny and conspicuous Breastplate, with a cape fluttering in the wind behind them. They held Blood-red Spears. The Lizards under their feet stepped on footholds one by one and rushed into the enemy ranks in a blink.

The demonic black flame burst from the dancing Spear, setting several nearby Dwarf warriors on fire. More importantly, lightning flashed on the Spear, obviously an Enchanted weapon. Anyone pierced by it—whether the body, armor, or shield—would immediately become paralyzed and lose the ability to move.

In the distance, a young girl-shaped Dark Elf took out a telescope to watch the warriors fighting in the field. She seemed a bit thirsty and licked her lips. Her face showed a black velvet mask. From both ends of the mask, four spider-leg-shaped metal wires with joints extended out, completely hiding her face.

This Spider Mask was an item crafted by the Drow Elves. Wearing it gave the wearer two unique abilities. First, the wearer was completely unaffected by spider webs, “Web” spells, adhesive bags, and similar web effects, as if they had effectively cast a “Freedom of Action” spell. Second, the wearer could resist the poison of insectoid creatures more easily.

On her waist, an Adamantine handle and the whips of five snake-shaped constructs were visible. This whip was the famous Snake-Head Whip. These snakes were an extension of the whipper’s will. They would hiss and writhe to reflect the thoughts and emotions of the carrier.

Under the will of the whipper, these snakes could launch attacks independently. The whipper could command a single snake head to launch an attack, or command all snake heads to launch a comprehensive attack.

The Dwarves suffered heavy losses, their defense was torn open, and the Lizard Cavalry surged in. The two sides began to fall into a chaotic melee. Those Lizard Cavalry moved swiftly like the wind, going back and forth. They tried hard to tear the lines, but the Dwarf warriors performed very tenaciously. No matter how hard the Dark Elves tried, they could never completely shake the Dwarves’ defense.

The Dwarf Priests in the rear tried hard to cast various blessing Divine Arts on the warriors ahead, but they were cleanly and efficiently dispelled by the Dark Elf Wizards. The battle situation began to be stuck. The Dark Elves seemed to have a slight advantage, but the advantage was not obvious.

Suddenly, a golden pillar of fire fell from the sky and hit the vanguard officer who looked quite conspicuous. Although the demonic fire gushing from his body resisted fiercely, it could not finally overcome this golden flame. He and his mount beneath him turned into a wisp of green smoke. The flame seemed to be able to identify enemies. It quickly condensed into a ball and flew toward the nearby Dark Elf cavalry, repeating this cycle until the internal energy was exhausted.

The creator of all this was the group of Dwarves appearing on the city wall, holding long Staffs and wearing heavy armor. They were a special type of Spellcaster that appeared in large numbers among the Dwarves—Rune Priests.

Usually, Rune Priests appeared alone in Temples or Church libraries to explore the secrets of Divine Rune magic. Legend had it that the Deities had created a series of incredibly powerful characters, each containing a divine power, to help them create the world and give the world order.

During the long battle with the Primordial Spirits, most Runes were lost. Even the Gods could only vaguely recall the existence of Divine Runes. In some forgotten and dangerous space of the universe or in an isolated corner, these ancient Runes waited for people to discover them.

Since most Runes circulating today had a very strong connection with the Dwarf or Giant Deities, the art of using Runes belonged to the category of Divine Arts. Some people who learned Rune magic even gave up learning general magic and put all their energy into studying the mysteries of Runes. These Spellcasters mostly became Rune Masters.

Although a Rune Priest could learn a lot of relevant knowledge in a safe Temple, he or she would eventually have to put on armor and go out. They had to discover or create new Runes to earn a place among the masters of Rune magic.

These special Spellcasters integrated power Runes into their weapons and armor. They called upon the Deities and guided their power to strike enemies. Using Runes as weapons, they punished the enemies of the Gods.