Mage Legend

"This is not the time to discuss historical issues," Zilvra didn't want to touch on this topic, so she said, "Do you have any more tasks for me? If I can be of help, I certainly won't be idle."

"Of course, there's one task that's perfect for you," the mage said with a smile, "Besides continuing to cover our tracks here and deceive the elves along with those undead creatures, you should stay by my side. When I perform spells, I need someone to applaud and cheer for me."

"Hmph!" Zilvra neither agreed nor disagreed with this suggestion.

In the deep recesses of the Elf Forest, there's an area where the land is muddy, with only grass and shrubs growing. Herbivorous fish swim back and forth in the shallow water, avoiding long-legged waterbirds. It's the Elf Kingdom's only wetland, known as the "Residual Star Swamp." Typically, few elves venture here.

On this day, two visitors came to this small wetland, a black-robed mage and a beautiful female warrior. Birds resting in the grass clusters watched these uninvited guests with curious dark eyes.

"Once, a meteor fell here, creating a massive crater. The lake outside couldn't climb the relatively high edge of the crater, but water slowly seeped in from beneath the soil. Layers of water and sand formed the land here," Lynch pointed to the open space before them, "This is the battlefield."

"Why are you so sure?" Zilvra said, "I don't see anything of value here."

"Then let me ask you, what is Salantir's most powerful defensive force?"

Zilvra pondered for a moment, then frowned, "What I fear the most is the elves' archers. Even in dense forests, they can shoot arrows through the gaps in the leaves, and combined with their elusive skills, they are quite hard to defend against."

"No, to the undead, those arrows aren't scary," Lynch responded, "In truth, the most powerful defensive weapon is Salantir's river. The water from Erutalon has effects similar to Holy Water. Though not as powerful as Holy Water from the holy Priest Pate, it has an unmatched advantage: quantity."

"I remember you once reminded us of the power of that river. But how can you use the river water?" Zilvra asked in confusion, "Wouldn't the undead be wary of this threat?"

"No, during their first attack, the undead didn't purposely avoid this river," Lynch explained, "According to the Empress, the initial assault was mainly by Ghosts and Vampires. Both can fly, so the river below doesn't pose much trouble. They just exploited the elves' defense weaknesses for a surprise attack. Any other race could achieve a similar effect."

"Then why bring up the river again?"

"Because Vampires and Ghosts alone can't conquer the Holy Mountain. Though they are strong, they're too few. It would take twenty times their number to have a chance," Lynch said, "What's puzzling is where are the Ghouls? The Zombies and skeletons? These should have been the backbone of the undead army, yet they're missing?"

"Yes, now that you mention it, it truly is strange," Zilvra remarked, "Plus, Ghosts and Vampires have no ability to fight during the day. Even if they gain an advantage at night, they must ceasefire by daylight. The undead's greatest advantage is their tireless combat capability."

"So, they've strategically used flying undead to attack, drawing the elves' attention and acting like 'Erutalon's river water poses no threat to us.' They likely plan a real attack next time."

"Have you figured out the undead's attack strategy?" Zilvra gleefully asked, as if stumbling upon something amusing, "You really have more brains than those hollow skeletons."

"Now isn't the time for jokes. We still have important matters to attend to," Lynch pointed to the Residual Star Swamp, "It's the only place not protected by Holy Power. It's the only passage for undead to march to Heather Holy Mountain on foot. The vast meteor crater altered the nearby river flow, diverting the Erutalon River away. If I were the undead leader, I'd make every effort to divert the elves' attention from here, allowing the main force to quickly pass through this open space. Once you see through their first attack, their true intentions become clear."

"What else have you seen through?" Zilvra asked, "Can't you mages just say everything all at once?"

"Heh, I'm not doing it on purpose," Lynch explained, "The undead don't care about sacrificing Vampires and Ghosts in their first attack, meaning they never intended for these two types of undead to be the main force. Besides transporting large troops through this area, what else could they plan?"

"If you were the overlord of the Necroman Magic Pearl, could you conquer the Holy Mountain known as Heather and become its lord?" Zilvra curiously asked.

Gazing at the Holy Mountain in the distance, shrouded in mist yet not beyond reach, Lynch turned his attention back to Zilvra, firmly stating, "No."

With those words, Lynch slowly walked deeper into the Residual Star Swamp, cautiously probing the path with his magic wand, hopping from one cluster of bushes to another.

"Let me help you," Zilvra swiftly leaped ahead of the mage, causing some small birds to flutter into the dense grass. The female Drow commented, "Your posture is too clumsy. But why not just use a spell to fly over?"

Lynch pulled a scroll from his pouch, waving it in his hand, "Because the workload here is immense and time is tight. I must complete all preparations before the next disappearance of the three moons from the night sky."

However, Zilvra held Lynch back. The mage turned, puzzled eyes meeting hers.

"That female elf must have recognized me, right?" Zilvra mused, "That's why you took me away from the Elf Holy Mountain, is it? How bad is the current situation? Tell me the truth."

"Bad? I don't see it that way," Lynch replied, "Seeing this wetland, I'm filled with confidence. Resolving matters here should address all problems. Even if more elves recognize you then, I think it'll be fine. Though, your nickname is truly terrifying, being called the Executioner. How many elves have you killed?"

"I never keep count; they don't amount to anything," Zilvra shrugged, "When I decide to surface to appreciate the outside world's beauty, the only way to avoid suspicion is by joining the surface assault team. For that purpose, sacrificing more elves doesn't matter."

"An unfortunate choice," Lynch commented, "I can't say you shouldn't face punishment, but not now. When I start casting spells, keep an eye on the surroundings for me."

"If any approach are to be killed without mercy, I would be more than happy to oblige."