Thousands of wooden stakes erupted from the soil simultaneously, each as thick as a man's waist.
The charging Amons warriors, the archers drawing their bows, and the commanders wielding their battle-axes—all were impaled from the soles of their feet by the stakes in the same instant.
The corpses were skewered onto the stakes, standing densely across the ground like rows of meat on sticks.
Pale green blood trickled down the wood, merging into small streams on the soil and flowing toward the low-lying areas.
Silence fell over the entire position.
Ten thousand Amons warriors, along with the archers and commanders, were all hanging from the stakes.
Some corpses were still twitching slightly, their limbs hanging limp and their amber eyes devoid of luster.
Others had their mouths wide open, frozen in a death-cry, as pale green blood leaked from the corners of their lips.
Ethan withdrew his hands, his gaze sweeping across the entire battery.
Catapults, ballistae, ammunition piles, and bundles of arrows were scattered everywhere.
"Heh, it's all mine. Once I sell these, I'll be one step closer to that meditation method."
Ethan grinned, and his vines exerted force simultaneously.
The catapults were uprooted, soil cascading from their bases.
Vines wrapped around the axles of the ballistae, lifting the entire machines off the ground.
The ammunition piles were entangled by countless vines at once, looking as if they were being swallowed by a green tide.
One by one, everything was pulled into his storage ring.
The entire war machine battery was stripped clean.
When cleaning up a battlefield, one couldn't leave behind even a single scrap.
Clapping his hands, Ethan used his mental power to communicate with the Wizardry Tool in his right ear. "Fortress Command, this is Ethan Leo. All war machines have been destroyed. Requesting mission termination."
Ethan originally thought he would have to wait a while for the command to confirm. Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished his report, a message from Fortress Command arrived simultaneously: "Fortress Command acknowledges. Ethan Leo, in view of your contribution this time, a reward of 74,000 magic stones has been recorded. You may redeem it at any time."
"Acknowledged. Thank you, Fortress Command."
Ethan's mood brightened considerably upon receiving the news of the extra reward.
He had originally thought it would only be 1,000 magic stones. He hadn't expected that because he had personally wiped out the entire force, they would grant him so many.
It was truly an unexpected windfall.
Dusting off his hands, Ethan prepared to move to the next location.
There was still a large deficit in his Life Energy; he had to work harder.
Right then, pillars of emerald light suddenly shot into the sky from various points across the battlefield.
Those pillars rose simultaneously from all over, each dozens of meters thick. They pierced the clouds and interlaced in the sky to form a massive, boundless net of light.
In the next instant, the light pillars abruptly widened.
The diameter of each pillar expanded, and the gaps between them shrank until their edges began to touch and merge.
Emerald radiance flowed between the pillars, sketching out complex, dizzying runic patterns.
Those runes continuously flickered and reorganized, weaving into a massive light array that covered the entire battlefield in the sky.
The light array descended from high above like an infinite net, trapping the entire War Fortress along with the surrounding million-mile battlefield.
The moment the light array fell, everyone from the Wizard world felt their bodies sink slightly.
And then, nothing happened.
Ethan stood in place and waited for three seconds, then another three. He looked down at his hands, moved his fingers, and then raised his arms to feel the weight of his body.
"Just this?"
He turned his head to look at the glowing pillars in the distance, his lip twitching.
"It's a success! The Mother Goddess Array is complete!"
"The outsiders are finished!"
"Kill them all! Leave none alive!"
An Amons strongman stood atop a bastion, raising a battle-axe high with both hands, his amber eyes filled with fanaticism.
Below the bastion, the warriors were frantically clashing their weapons. Battle-axes, spears, and hunting bows collided, creating a deafening metallic roar.
"Stupid outsiders! This is the price for despising us!"
"The Mother Goddess's punishment has arrived!"
"Their strength has been weakened! Charge! Kill them all!"
The roars of the Amons erupted from the front lines, spreading in all directions like rolling thunder.
The warrior phalanxes, which had been retreatng under the pressure of the Official Wizards, now reignited with fervor.
They trampled over the corpses of their comrades to charge forward, their amber eyes filled with a near-insane excitement.
Inside the War Fortress Command, dozens of white-robed wizards stared at the projection screen in front of them in collective silence.
Wizard Azhan looked down at the real-time data updating on the screen, his lip twitching repeatedly.
【Enemy array activated】
【Array coverage area: 1,145,140 square kilometers】
【Analyzing array effects...】
【Analysis complete】
【Array effect: Applies a vitality weakening effect to all combat units of the Wizard world within range】
【Weakening magnitude: No effect on First-Tier lifeforms and above】
【Below First-Tier lifeform, vitality reduced by ten percent】
【Duration: Unknown】
【Array stability: High】
【Cracking difficulty: Tier 3】
【Recommendation: Not worth cracking】
Wizard Geyang couldn't help but complain, "Wait... just this? All that fanfare just to produce this piece of junk?"
Wizard Wusha didn't laugh; he just rolled his eyes. "With such a massive commotion, I thought it was some kind of super strike. We even doubled the fortress shields temporarily, and it's just this?"
"Ignorant natives," a young white-robed wizard sitting in the corner muttered, his fingers sliding rapidly across the screen as he continued to issue orders.
Azhan looked up at Wizard Thousand Eyes. "Sir, shall we proceed with the original plan?"
Wizard Thousand Eyes' voice spread to everyone through the Wizardry Tools. "No need for any combat units to worry. Continue with your original combat missions."
Ethan stood atop a pile of corpses, listening to the orders coming from the command in his ear, his mouth twitching.
"Damn, I wondered what it was."
Just this?
A ten percent reduction in vitality?
Those Amons were shouting so loudly just now about some Mother Goddess Array and punishments descending, only to squeeze out something like this.
Of course, under normal circumstances, a ten percent reduction in vitality would be a very serious matter.
However, except for the very few who specialized in body refinement, wizard apprentices didn't really care.
Everyone relied on mental power and cantrips for a living.
Who would be foolish enough to go into melee combat?
What?
The body refinement lot?
A bunch of fools—just let them be.
The Wizard world was very inclusive.
Ethan casually swung out a few Flying Leaves, pinning three charging Amons warriors to the ground in the distance, his gaze sweeping over his panel.
【Current Life Energy: 1,274,589.】
One million, two hundred and seventy thousand.
It was enough.
"Unlock passive."
【Consume 1,048,576 points of Life Energy to unlock the 21st passive?】
"Confirm."
【Energy deducted: 1,048,576 points. Current energy: 226,013 points.】
【Generating passive...】
【Generation complete. Obtained passive: Combat Instinct.】
【Combat Instinct: Allows for the most perfect response in any battle by relying on instinct.】
Rate on N.U.
