A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 536 Temporary Comrades-in-Arms, United Against the Enemy

The scorching wind swept over us again, emerging from the dark, dilapidated ruins and carving out a corner of "hell" in the material world.

The world turned into a vast expanse of white, and winter bestowed paleness upon all things. The bright colors of the blue, white, and red military uniforms were obscured by gray and dust, while the gray uniforms became even dirtier and blacker. Only the monsters were bright red, their abnormal vitality driving clusters of fleshy buds to move towards the real living people.

Both the Imperial Army and the National Guard had spellcasters present, so they weren't without ways to deal with the attacking monsters, but the overall environment was deteriorating. An inexplicable and unfathomable white miasma shrouded the entire battlefield and city, and more seriously, it seemed that a second rain of ash was brewing.

On the edge of the ruins on the south bank, the two armies, who had been locked in fierce combat, finally ceased fighting in the face of a common, inhuman enemy and turned their guns around. For ordinary people, the role of guns was merely to slightly hinder the attacks of the undead monsters, and perhaps more importantly, to provide them with a little comfort and maintain their slowly retreating formation from collapsing.

When faced with inhuman flesh-budding creatures, it is the mages who truly play a role.

Pascal never imagined he'd be fighting alongside spellcasters from the Empire, especially from the Royal Magic Academy. Wait, his junior brother seems to be one too...

"Hey, don't get distracted." The unnamed mage in the army blocked a monster's attack for Pascal. Pascal smiled awkwardly and used a missile to pounce on the monster that was close at hand.

Pascal's shot knocked down a wall, but the lump of flesh quickly got back up.

The senior brother immediately changed his approach. He chanted softly and threw out two lightning balls at the fleshy monster. The monster that was touched trembled all over, bathed in the snake-like current, and quickly dispersed into a mass of bloody, rotten matter.

"What kind of spell was that?"

"【Electric Explosion Orb】." Pascal answered instinctively.

The Empire's accompanying mage immediately reported using the [Radio Communication] spell: "[Electric Blast Orb] is effective, [Magic Missile] is ineffective..." He repeated it in the public channel, and then received some more information.

Based on his experience with others, he told Pascal, "Specific necromancy spells are effective, such as the [Apoptosis Ray]. Don't use healing spells against these things, as it will cause the granulation tissue to explode and spread."

Who would attack with a healing spell? But Pascal quickly realized, "Someone's mistaking them for undead creatures."

"That's right, but they aren't. At least not ordinary undead creatures." The mage was operating on three fronts simultaneously: while communicating with Pascal, he kept an eye on his surroundings, swiftly completing a spellcasting gesture and unleashing a bolt of lightning—he didn't know [Electric Explosion Orb], but he could apply the concept to other situations. At the same time, this spellcaster quickly summarized the new experience and immediately reported it to the public channel:

"Lightning-related magic can all cause damage, but to pass the current through the entire body of the enemy target, the weakest effect is paralysis. Note that weaker currents can only paralyze; you need to finish them off! Repeat, you need to finish them off!"

As he spoke, he demonstrated by casting a [Fireball] spell on the spread-out minced meat.

"Doesn't it have combustion resistance?" Pascal didn't understand his temporary comrade's methods.

"Based on experience, as long as they are 'fully matured,' they cannot regenerate or split." By this time, the monsters around them had been mostly cleared out, but Pascal noticed an unsettling detail:

The so-called "fully cooked" by the accompanying monks meant that the minced meat was completely and thoroughly carbonized. However, after the red heat subsided, the charred remains revealed some white ash, which peeled off the charcoal and floated into the air.

Pascal didn't know if similar phenomena were happening in the vicinity at the same time, whether they were the culprits exacerbating the white miasma, or whether they would bring another rain of ashes that would bring annihilation and monsters.

The three things he didn't know, each one more alarming than the last, secretly terrified him.

Of course, the other spellcasters also noticed the situation. The number of monsters charging towards the army on the south bank was gradually decreasing. Paul dispatched a group of mages to begin a collective spellcasting session, summoning wind and rain in an attempt to prevent a second burning ash event. Some of the Imperial army's accompanying mages were also sent to assist. However, the others were more concerned about the situation on the north bank.

The north bank houses the command post and numerous residential areas.

The ensuing actions were quite delicate. Both sides abandoned their individual battles to halt the monsters' advance on the army from the south bank, but what about the urban areas on the north bank?

"We don't have enough manpower; we should ask for help."

"Requesting help? We were fighting to the death just hours ago! How could we be so careless?"

"They've fought their way here; it'll be easy to get them to the north bank, but difficult to get them out."

A debate erupted in the public communication channel of the accompanying mages, and even a direct argument broke out between the Valuans and the Imperials.

Originally, most Valuwa people were just thinking about getting rid of the filth and getting as far away from this horrible place as possible. What really ignited their anger was suspicion and distrust. Starting with the soldiers, almost everyone was blaming the other side for causing this disaster.

If neither side had suffered heavy losses in this calamity, there would have been no room for argument, and the guns they had laid down on each other would have been raised again immediately.

However, it seems that time is fast approaching. The Imperial Army wants to reinforce the city on the north bank, but is worried that the National Guard will take the opportunity to launch an attack.

The National Guard also wanted to retreat, but they were also reluctant and uneasy, fearing that the Imperial Army would pursue them aggressively during the retreat.

After all, neither side has a safe distance now, and the external enemies around them have been seemingly cleared out. These two groups of soldiers are standing together and could start a second battle at any time from a distance, medium distance, or close distance. At least now they have reached the point of exchanging trash talk and accusing each other of being the source of the disaster.

"More are coming! It's Imperial Army reinforcements!"

A dark shadow appeared on the white horizon, growing deeper and larger until it became clear that it was a gray-robed army. Its general unusually took the lead at the head of the column, indicating that this army was not going to fight the Valois.

The leader was Major General Richard, who gradually quickened his pace and began to charge, taking the lead.

On the way to the city's edge, many more monsters suddenly emerged from the ground, with rapidly converging fleshy tentacles and sharp spikes trying to intercept, touch, and devour them.

Richard remained calm and composed, raising his hand to condense a bolt of lightning. The mere tributary that pierced the air prevented the monsters from getting close. He quickly flicked it, hurling it forward like a divine spear, clearing a safe path with the sparks and lightning along the way.

"Am I that handsome?" Pascal couldn't help but swear.

"Could it be that the general has already connected to the public communication channel of the mages on our battlefield by using lightning magic directly?" The mage accompanying Pascal considered things further; he also thought...

The young man on horseback was a handsome man who perfectly fit the aesthetic standards of the empire's masses. At this moment, his well-fitting military uniform and golden hair still shone in the pale sunlight. What was even more captivating was his resolute gaze and the composure with which he cast spells.

No wonder rumors circulated from aristocratic circles to the common people that the new Emperor Wilhelm II had an "inappropriate friendship" with the young general who had saved his life.

"Pah, pah, pah! What am I thinking at this crucial moment?" The mage accompanying the army composed himself. Pascal hadn't expected his temporary comrade beside him to have such filthy thoughts; his attention was completely drawn to the imperial reinforcements general galloping towards them.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Richard tightened the reins and turned to bow slightly to both his own and the enemy's soldiers.

(End of this chapter)