Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

On his orders, Brontë III lured out the giant Box Monster from the central square of the Mechanical Heart, plunging the entire realm into turmoil and chaos.

It's possible that the wizards currently engaged in battle were implicated by him and suffered this undeserved calamity.

"Boom boom boom—"

The heavy footsteps, like the death knell of doom, struck every inch of the metal ground.

That was the oppressive aura of the giant Pandora's Box.

This oppressive force was not purely a mental shock, but rather a mixture of high-density metallic radiation.

The free energy particles in the air began to become agitated, like boiling water.

It was Dago who was at the eye of the storm.

Without much hesitation, Dago moved swiftly and flew directly towards the direction from which the magical fluctuations were coming from.

In the wizarding world, there is no such thing as unconditional pity.

There is no such low-level interest as simply shifting the blame eastward.

The logic behind all actions stems from the consideration of maximizing benefits.

In unknown and dangerous places, when faced with uncontrollable forces, finding others of your kind to share the pressure is an ironclad rule of survival.

"Symbiosis and competition are often separated by a fine line."

Dago silently recited the wizarding code.

If the wizards there are powerful enough, joining forces to fight the enemy is the best strategy.

If their strength is weak, they become ready-made bait, buying precious time for his retreat.

Regardless of the outcome, taking control of information is always wiser than blindly fleeing.

Of course, Dago didn't necessarily want to find someone to help him; he wanted to go over and check the situation first before making a decision.

With physical strength unleashed, the muscle fibers beneath the skin, like tightly wound steel cables, burst forth with astonishing explosive power.

Combined with Living Silver Ice and the Soul Seal [Spatial Silver Ice], Dago's speed is extremely fast.

It's not just about speed on a physical level, but also about folding and traversing on a spatial level.

He almost turned into a blurry silver streak of lightning, leaving only an afterimage on my retina.

He flashed and jumped among the abandoned brass buildings.

Each step leaves a spiderweb-like pattern of cracks on the rusted metal surface.

That was a pure outpouring of power.

Those low-level metal golems that tried to stop him couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

Easily breaking through layer after layer of obstacles, they quickly arrived at the battlefield from which the magical fluctuations were emanating.

"Whoosh—"

The airflow surged, kicking up a cloud of metallic dust.

Dago stopped about a kilometer away from where the battle had broken out.

This distance is the safe observation distance for a wizard.

It can attack or defend, and can also perform detailed scans through its mental tentacles.

He stood atop a tall, brass-colored, pointed building, gazing out at the battle.

The building beneath my feet exuded an ancient and decaying aura, like the remains of some kind of giant beast.

The area on the other side of the battle seemed to be completely shrouded in a thick cloud of golden elements.

It can block most low-level detection spells and even has a corrosive effect on mental power.

But under the gaze of the eye of truth, nothing can hide.

Countless metallic elemental life forms and metallic puppets surrounded several figures.

These monsters come in various shapes and sizes; some resemble multi-legged spiders, while others look like a twisted collection of gears.

They are tireless and feel no pain.

They launched wave after wave of attacks against them.

Each impact was accompanied by a piercing metallic scraping sound that made your teeth ache.

Through the dense horde of rampaging metal monsters, Dago saw four figures struggling to hold on.

Two men and two women.

They were all wearing rather rare moon-white magic robes.

Judging from its magnificent design, it doesn't resemble combat attire but rather some kind of ceremonial robe.

They all have the same badge on their chests.

It was a pattern that Dago had never seen before—a white ring with a crown woven from green leaves at its center.

"A variant of a plant? Or some hidden school of life science?"

Dargo frantically searched his memory, but found nothing.

It looks like the symbol of a plant-based wizarding force, but the spells being cast by the wizards in the battle are not plant-based spells.

There are no vines, no poisonous spores, and no wildly growing roots.

Instead, they were clusters of pure white light.

The white light was not dazzling, but rather had a warm and gentle quality.

There were traces of life energy, similar to that emanating from Dago's body.

Is that a manifestation of vitality?

No, it's more like a highly purified, even "domesticated" life energy.

But it's many times thinner.

If the life force within Dago is a surging river, then what they hold in their hands is merely a trickle.

Three of the four wizards are third-ring wizards, and the remaining one is a second-ring wizard.

This configuration itself seems strange when exploring high-risk secret realms.

Third-ring wizards are the backbone of any organization, yet they are now willing to act as guards.

However, the only second-ring wizard was firmly protected in the middle by the other three third-ring wizards, suggesting that he was of extraordinary status.

That's the smell of power.

In this dog-eat-dog wizarding world, only a higher level of knowledge or a more ancient bloodline can make a high-ranking wizard bow down.

Dago's gaze swept over the four people, finally settling on the second-circle wizard who was being protected.

She was a young girl, who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old.

In the long lifespan of a wizard, this apparent age is often deceptive.

However, the life force emanating from this girl indicated that she was extremely young, even excessively young.

Her long, straight black hair danced in the surging wind.

Her bright green eyes, like the purest emeralds, exuded an innocent clarity that suggested she was naive and untouched by the world.

Her wheat-colored skin gives off a healthy and energetic vibe, but she's actually an innocent and romantic young girl.

In the wizarding world, which is full of scheming and intrigue, this kind of "naivety" is simply an anomaly.

Or perhaps they are greenhouse flowers that have been overprotected.

At first glance, Dago felt that the girl's appearance and temperament were familiar to him.

This sense of familiarity does not stem from physical resemblance, but rather from a certain stirring deep within the soul.

Like a dusty box of memories, gently turned by an invisible key.

Memories stirred slightly in my mind.

Countless data streams, faces, and experimental records flashed by before my eyes.

Soon, a name popped into my mind.

"it turns out……"

Dago gazed at the beautiful young woman in the center of the battle, her expression slightly tense. His eyes widened in surprise, and he murmured, "It's her."

"Boom!"

A loud bang interrupted Dago's thoughts.

A huge, pure white ball of light, resembling a heart, exploded with a deafening roar.

It was a pure release of energy, carrying a sense of purification.

The terrifying aftershocks of energy swept in all directions, compressing the air and causing it to explode.

Those metal monsters made of hard alloys showed signs of melting under this fluctuation.

The relentless attacks of the surrounding metallic elemental lifeforms and metallic golems suddenly faltered.

A vacuum zone appeared for a moment in the center of the battlefield.

"Emily".

The handsome young man, dressed in a moon-white robe and holding a long, pure white staff, gave a low shout.

His voice carried a hint of urgency, but more so a theatrical resoluteness.

He immediately flipped his palm, the movement flowing smoothly, clearly the result of countless rehearsals.

A delicate, small white spool, about the length of a palm, extends between the five fingers.

Complex runes flowed across the surface of the scroll, emanating a chilling spatial fluctuation.

"I'll hold this position for now."

The handsome young man turned to his two companions and said calmly, "You and Simon take the princess and go first. I'll come back to meet you later."

Is this a classic case of sacrificing a pawn to save the king?

No, Dago keenly caught the glint in the young man's eyes.

This is an investment.

He used a "rearguard" maneuver that guaranteed his survival to gain the "princess's" gratitude and trust.

What a classic wizarding calculation.

"Fink, are you sure you can manage on your own?"

The witch with long silver hair and dark skin asked.

Her tone didn't convey much worry, but rather a sense of scrutiny.

Clearly, she had a clear understanding of her companion's strength—or rather, their trump cards.

The handsome young man gave a light snort, a confident smile playing on his lips, and said calmly, "What do you think?"

This rhetorical question is full of arrogance.

That was absolute confidence in the control of one's own power, and also contempt for the scrap metal in front of them.

The witch frowned slightly, but said nothing.

At such a critical moment of life and death, unnecessary words will only hasten death.

He exchanged a brief glance with Simon, another third-ring male wizard.

That was a tacit confirmation, and also a handover of responsibility.

He then respectfully addressed the girl who was being protected by the three men, saying, "Princess, we will take you away."

"Where to?"

The girl asked a question with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Her reaction was a beat slow; she was clearly still reeling from the explosion.

With such a reaction speed, without strong protection, one wouldn't survive more than three days in the wizarding world.

The silver-haired witch glanced around, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes.

"Something has happened inside the Mechanical Heart, and all the wandering elemental life forms and puppets are attacking any outsiders in a frenzy."

"Under these circumstances, further exploration could pose a threat to your safety, so we'll have to withdraw for now..."

This is also the most rational judgment.

Upon hearing this, the girl's face immediately showed disappointment.

That was the expression on a child's face when they lost their favorite toy—pure and direct.

But looking around and seeing the gruesome metal debris, she quickly nodded in agreement.

Reason still prevails; there is no reckless or impulsive behavior.

He merely glanced with a slightly worried look at the young wizard Fink, who had volunteered to stay behind to cover the rear.

Hesitant to speak.

It was an instinctive concern for the safety of his companions, and also a sense of guilt arising from his own powerlessness.

The latter seemed to sense her gaze.

Turn around, amidst a flurry of flying metal shards and sparks of energy.

A gentle and submissive expression appeared on his handsome face.

Like the most loyal knight before his one and only sovereign.

This level of facial expression management is textbook-worthy.

"Princess, you need not worry about me. I can handle everything."

Even in dangerous situations, his every action still conformed to the strictest etiquette norms.

He gave a simple, elegant bow and said, "And what does it matter if I were to give my life for the princess?"

These words were spoken with deep emotion, as if reciting an ancient poem.

But to Dago, it sounded like a cloying, hypocritical sweetness.

In the eyes of a wizard, the value of life can be measured by an equivalent, and pointless sacrifice is foolish.

Unless, of course, the reward far outweighs the effort.

"Fink..."

The girl didn't seem to appreciate the young wizard's overly exaggerated words and actions.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and she instinctively shrank back.

His expression was slightly embarrassed and unnatural.

Clearly, this enthusiastic declaration of loyalty was a burden for her.

But he still solemnly instructed, "Then be careful."

This was the only thing she could do.

After the four-person group made their decision, the silver-haired witch Emily and another level-three wizard, Simon, immediately protected the girl and retreated.