"How is this possible?!"

  On the city wall, the burly commander's face instantly drastically changed.

  To shatter the defensive shield with a single strike... Could the attacker be a Rank 2 Wizard?

  In the distance, Anton and Fiona were equally dumbfounded.

  Even if you beat them over the head, they never would have guessed that Pierce could shatter a Turin defensive shield with a single attack.

  The destructive power of that strike was easily on par with a Rank 2 Wizard!

  Recovering from their shock, the two couldn't help but inhale sharply. When they looked at Pierce again, their eyes held poorly concealed awe.

  Just moments ago, they had thought Pierce was arrogantly boasting, but now it was clear his strength far exceeded their wildest expectations!

  Putting everything else aside, even if Anton, a Rank 1 Liquid Phase Wizard, had faced that strike head-on, he absolutely wouldn't have survived.

  This level of power was simply terrifying!

  Has Pierce really been a formal Wizard for less than two months?

  The exact same doubt popped into Anton and Fiona's minds.

  Pierce paid no attention to their changing expressions. With a thought, Mist Raven, perched on his shoulder, instantly took flight. Mid-air, it dissolved into surging black mist, from which thousands of Fog Crows swarmed out, sweeping toward the castle like a dark tide.

  Stripped of its defensive shield, the castle was completely exposed to the numerous Oak Guards.

  These behemoths immediately raised their massive, trunk-like branches and brought them crashing down onto the city walls.

  Boom! Boom!

  Caught off guard, the Turin knights on the walls were either sent flying by the sweeping branches or smashed directly into meat paste. In an instant, casualties skyrocketed.

  The walls, constructed from solid ice, were smashed into a spiderweb of deep cracks and craters, becoming heavily pitted in the blink of an eye.

  "Damn it!"

  The burly commander woke up as if from a nightmare, roaring in a mix of shock and rage:

  "Don't retreat! Counterattack immediately!"

  He then turned and bellowed at his adjutant, "Activate the ballistae again!"

  The adjutant hastily agreed and turned to issue the orders.

  The ballistae on the outer walls quickly roared back to life, unleashing a barrage of massive bolts at the Oak Guards.

  Unfortunately, at this point-blank range, the threat the ballistae posed to the Oak Guards was minuscule.

  Several Oak Guards simply turned their attention to the weapons, their numerous branches lashing out frantically. In no time at all, more than half the ballistae on the outer wall were reduced to splinters.

  The commander watched this unfold, his heart bleeding at the loss.

  But he wouldn't have time to mourn for long.

  At that exact moment, the black tide of Fog Crows crashed onto the city walls.

  One by one, the Fog Crows shrieked as they lunged at the knights and infantrymen.

  Facing summons with combat power comparable to peak Grand Knights, the weaker noble infantry were the first to fall. In a single exchange, they were torn to pieces by countless talons.

  The Church Knights held out slightly longer.

  Given their strength, they could barely hold their own against a Fog Crow in a one-on-one fight.

  But right now, they were facing a swarm outnumbering them more than ten to one. On average, each Church Knight had to fend off at least ten Fog Crows simultaneously.

  Under these circumstances, the Church Knights lasted only a few rounds before suffering the same fate as the infantry.

  The Turin forces on the walls were swept clean in the blink of an eye.

  Only a handful of officers at the Legendary Knight tier were still struggling desperately.

  But looking at the glaring disparity in strength, their demise was clearly just a matter of time.

  Anton and Fiona stood frozen once again, staring in shock at the swarm in the distance.

  "Familiar summons... and they all have the combat strength of peak Grand Knights. Plus, there are so many of them..."

  Waves of absolute shock crashed through Anton's mind.

  He had a familiar himself and had seen many others belonging to various Wizards, including powerful ones capable of slaying Tier 2 Legendary Knights in direct combat.

  Yet, none of them had delivered a fraction of the shock Pierce's familiar had.

  Visually, there were over five thousand of them, each packing the punch of a peak Grand Knight. Forget a Tier 2 Legendary Knight; even a Tier 3 Legendary Knight would be overwhelmed.

  How on earth did Pierce, a Wizard who had just advanced not long ago, cultivate such a monstrously powerful familiar?

  Anton was both horrified and deeply confused.

  Just then, his expression hardened, and he looked up into the distance.

  A violent fluctuation of energy erupted in the sky above the castle walls.

  A brilliant, crystalline blue halo suddenly bloomed amidst the raven swarm. After a brief pause, the halo detonated. A tide of azure air swept outward in all directions. Wherever it passed, the Fog Crows froze into ice sculptures, plummeting to the ground and shattering into pieces.

  In just a fraction of a second, at least four to five hundred Fog Crows were annihilated.

  A highly conspicuous empty space was instantly cleared out within the dense swarm.

  And in that empty space, four figures clad in white robes slowly revealed themselves.

  The leader was an elderly man with frosty white hair at his temples. His face was stern, giving off a rigid and unyielding impression. Two snowflake patterns were embroidered on the edges of both his sleeves.

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  Sweeping his gaze over the devastated walls and the heavily casualties of the Church Knight Order, anger flared on the old man's face. His sharp gaze locked onto Pierce, over five hundred meters away, like a drawn sword.

  "As expected of a Rank 2 Priest. He pinpointed our location immediately."

  Since he had been discovered, Pierce no longer bothered hiding his tracks, casually canceling the Invisibility spell.

  Anton said gravely, "Be careful, Pierce. A Rank 2 Priest is no weaker than a Rank 1 Liquid Phase Wizard."

  Fiona also wore a deeply serious expression.

  Neither of them noticed the strange looks on Sophia and Payne's faces behind them.

  After all, Pierce had effortlessly slaughtered a Rank 2 Priest just a few hours ago.

  Pierce nodded slightly without further explanation. He reached out his hand, and the liquid silver metal, which had returned to him at some point, flowed into his palm and quickly seeped into his pores, disappearing.

  A brilliant silver sheen emerged from his palm and rapidly spread across his entire body.

  In the blink of an eye, Pierce's skin was entirely coated in a gleaming layer of silver, reflecting a blinding, metallic luster under the sunlight.

  This bizarre transformation left Anton and Fiona stunned.

  Before they could react, Pierce shot forward, blurring into a streak of silver light. He crossed the distance in a flash, appearing in the sky above the city walls.

  Seeing Pierce charging aggressively, the four Winter Frost Priests all adopted cold, ruthless expressions.

  Although the Oak Guards and the surrounding familiar summons indicated the intruder was powerful, they had one Rank 2 Priest and three Rank 1 Priests on their side, while the enemy was completely alone. They had absolutely no reason to fear.

  Especially after using the Eye of Winter to confirm the attacker was only a Rank 1 Gaseous Phase Wizard, the Priests even revealed mocking smiles.

  —That was because they hadn't witnessed the defensive shield being shattered; otherwise, they wouldn't be smiling now.

  Crack!

  One of the Priests attacked first. Amidst the sound of condensing ice, a massive barrage of ice cones formed out of thin air, sweeping toward Pierce like a torrential storm.

  Simultaneously, the other two Rank 1 Priests also made their moves, each releasing a torrent of absolute-zero ice, attacking Pierce from the left and right.

  The elderly leader, however, stepped back and began chanting in a low voice. Violent divine grace fluctuations surged around him; he was clearly preparing a powerful spell.

  Taking in the situation, Pierce scoffed inwardly. Blue light suddenly flashed across his body as eight Lightning Runes materialized and rapidly sank into his flesh.

  Crackle!

  His body was instantly enveloped in a layer of nearly tangible electricity, as if he were wearing a suit of lightning armor.

  Boosted by the Lightning Runes, Pierce's speed spiked dramatically. He dodged the storm of ice cones and the ice torrent from the right, but it was too late to evade the torrent from the left.

  However, he had no intention of dodging. He plunged headfirst into the freezing blast.

  The bone-chilling torrent struck Pierce, but a vast majority of its power was neutralized and annihilated by the electrical armor. The remnant cold was completely incapable of affecting Pierce, whose physique had been massively enhanced by merging with Silver Star.

  He tore through the ice stream completely unharmed, flying like a bolt of lightning to appear directly in front of one of the Priests. Under the Priest's horrified gaze, he casually threw a punch.

  Crack!

  The crisp sound of shattering glass echoed from various points on the Priest's body. Five distinct divine protective items collapsed and shattered instantly.

  This was immediately followed by a sound like a bursting watermelon, as red and yellow fluids splattered in all directions.

  The Priest's headless corpse stiffened for a second before dropping from the sky like a meteor, landing with a heavy thud on the city wall.

  "Odis!"

  The expressions of the other two Priests drastically changed.

  The old man's face also changed.

  None of the three had expected Pierce to be so brutally ferocious, killing a Priest in a single exchange.

  This level of strength had undoubtedly far exceeded the scope of a Rank 1 Gaseous Phase Wizard!

  "Accursed Wizard!"

  A tall, thin Priest cursed under his breath. He opened his mouth and spewed out a massive cloud of white, freezing air.

  The freezing air surged forward, rapidly expanding in size while shimmering snowflakes continuously formed within it. It quickly evolved into a raging blizzard, trapping Pierce inside.

  At the same time, the other Priest pushed both hands forward, condensing multiple chains of solid ice that slithered toward Pierce like vipers.

  Realizing Pierce's formidable power, the two didn't hesitate to change their tactics. They coordinated perfectly, focusing on restricting Pierce's movements to buy time for the old man to complete his divine spell.

  Facing their pincer attack, Pierce sneered inwardly. Without hesitation, he activated the Magic Tattoo on his chest and instantly vanished from his spot.

  When he reappeared, he was over a hundred meters away, completely outside the blizzard's area of effect.

  The ice chains struck nothing but empty air.

  And Pierce didn't pause for even a second; he vanished again.

  The moment Pierce executed his first Blink, the old man knew things were looking grim. Seeing Pierce disappear a second time, he unhesitatingly activated every divine protective item on his person.

  Layers upon layers of glowing halos instantly materialized, wrapping him tightly in an impenetrable defense.

  Furthermore, four or five shields of solid ice condensed out of thin air, orbiting around him.

  A split second after he finished his preparations, the expected surge of violent energy erupted right behind him.

  A silver fist, wreathed in countless blinding arcs of electricity, smashed heavily into him.

  Crack!

  The ice shields shattered instantly. The glowing halos subsequently collapsed and dissipated, more than half of them annihilated in the blink of an eye.

  Fortunately, relying on this momentary delay, the old man finally completed his divine spell.

  Instantly, the void in front of him tore open. A massive rift, forty to fifty meters long, formed in a split second, and a gigantic beast clawed its way out.

  The beast resembled a Winter Wolf, but its entire body was composed of solid ice. At first glance, it looked like a colossal wolf carved entirely out of crystal.

  With the beast's appearance, a terrifying chill instantly swept through the surroundings.

  Frost actually began to condense in the empty air. A few Fog Crows that were too close were swept by the chill, instantly turning into ice sculptures that fell and shattered.

  "Winter Frost Behemoth!"

  In the distance, Anton's face drastically changed upon clearly seeing the beast.

  Fiona's expression also changed.

  The Winter Frost Behemoth was known as a Holy Beast within the Winter Frost Church, naturally possessing immense power over ice and cold.

  Anton had heard tales from others that during a past siege on a resource point, a Turin Priest had summoned a Winter Frost Behemoth.

  The Wizard who fought the behemoth had already reached the Rank 1 Crystalline Phase, yet the outcome was that the Wizard was turned into an ice sculpture and bitten into pieces in a single gulp.

  Without a doubt, this was an incredibly powerful magical creature!

  "This is going to be a problem," Anton frowned deeply.

  "Not necessarily," Fiona hesitated. "You saw the power of Pierce's previous attack. Even a Winter Frost Behemoth probably couldn't block that!"

  "That's true, but an attack of that magnitude must consume a massive amount of energy. If Pierce could cast it a second time, he would have used it by now instead of waiting."

  Fiona was rendered speechless, a shadow of worry falling over her face.

  The reality was exactly as Anton guessed.

  The crimson spear that shattered the defensive shield looked incredibly domineering, but it had consumed nearly half of Pierce's mental power.

  Although he could cast it one more time, doing so would drain his mental power completely, leaving him at the mercy of his enemies.

  That was obviously not a wise move.

  "Good thing I have other trump cards."

  Facing the ferociously charging Winter Frost Behemoth, Pierce unhesitatingly Overcharged his Magic Tattoo.

  A blinding light erupted from his back, so intense that even his clothing couldn't conceal it.

  Pierce made a grasping motion with his hand.

  In an instant, countless blinding arcs of lightning materialized in his palm, rapidly condensing into a nearly tangible spear of pure electricity, firmly gripped in his hand.

  Blue light flowed continuously across the surface of the spear, making it look as though it were forged from concentrated plasma, radiating a bone-chilling, terrifying aura.

  Just looking at that spear sent a shiver down the spines of the old man and the two Priests.

  Under their horrified gazes, Pierce violently hurled the spear.

  A deafening sonic boom exploded instantly. A streak of lightning tore through the void like a meteor, striking the massive body of the Winter Frost Behemoth with pinpoint accuracy!

  BOOM!

  Violent lightning erupted fiercely, expanding outward at breakneck speed until it transformed into a gigantic sphere of electrical energy, completely engulfing the Winter Frost Behemoth.

  For a moment, an area a thousand meters across was flooded with blinding, searing lightning.

  The old man and the two Priests retreated frantically, staring in horror at the massive globe of light in the distance.

  Soon, the lightning dissipated, revealing a shockingly massive, scorched crater.

  The Winter Frost Behemoth was entirely gone, devoured by the lightning without a single speck of residue remaining.

  Seeing this, the old man and the two Priests lost all color in their faces.

  The Holy Beast he had spent so much effort summoning, which he believed would easily handle the enemy, had instead been easily handled itself.

  The overwhelming power the enemy displayed at this moment plunged the three into an icy abyss; their limbs went cold.

  In the distance, Anton and Fiona stared with wide, unblinking eyes, their jaws dropping in utter disbelief.

  A Winter Frost Behemoth capable of killing a Rank 1 Crystalline Phase Wizard was just instantly obliterated?

  For a fleeting moment, both felt the absurd sensation that they were stuck in a dream.

  Is this guy really just a Rank 1 Wizard?!