It wasn't Anton and Fiona's fault for being so surprised; the three people in front of them truly didn't look like a team about to assault a Turin fortification.

  One had to understand that given the typical garrison strength of a Turin fortification, it was impossible to conquer without a joint effort of four or five Wizards.

  To dare execute such a mission single-handedly meant one of two things: either they had already built their own army and possessed a massive number of golem puppets or kin, or their personal strength was overwhelmingly powerful—such as having reached the Rank 1 Crystalline Phase.

  But looking at the situation before them, there were absolutely no golems or puppets around, and the Wizard's kin consisted only of two Tier 1 Legendary Knights. The first possibility could be basically ruled out.

  As for the second... although they couldn't see through Pierce's exact level, the mental fluctuations radiating from him clearly indicated he wasn't a Crystalline Phase Wizard.

  Could it be a fledgling greenhorn who completely misunderstands the difficulty of assaulting a Turin fortification, and thus ran here with just two followers to do the mission?

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

  Taking in their changing expressions, Pierce knew exactly what they were thinking.

  He just had no intention of explaining.

  It was just a chance encounter; why waste the effort?

  Anton and Fiona exchanged glances, seemingly communicating via Message.

  A moment later, Anton looked at Pierce and, to Pierce's surprise, said, "Sir, we are also planning to head to Fortification No. 89. If you don't mind, why don't we go together?"

  Seeing Pierce's surprised expression, Fiona proactively explained, "We tracked our captured companion's trail all the way here. Judging by the route, it's highly likely he is being temporarily held in Fortification No. 89 before being escorted to the deep rear. That is the Turins' standard procedure for handling captives."

  "We want to go over and investigate."

  Perhaps fearing Pierce would misunderstand, Fiona quickly added, "But don't worry, no matter what happens, the rewards for attacking Fortification No. 89 will be entirely yours. We won't interfere."

  In truth, neither Anton nor Fiona believed Pierce could actually take down Fortification No. 89.

  They just wanted to get there, assess the situation, confirm if their companion was inside, and figure out a way to rescue him.

  Pierce raised an eyebrow, pondered for a few seconds, and nodded in agreement.

  Looking at the two of them, they seemed to have methods for reconnoitering fortifications. If he could use them to figure out the exact garrison strength inside, that wouldn't be bad at all.

  Seeing Pierce agree, smiles appeared on their faces, and the atmosphere instantly relaxed.

  "By the way, what's your name?" Fiona finally remembered to ask.

  "Pierce."

  "Pierce? That name sounds a bit familiar... wait, Pierce!" Fiona's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Are you the Pierce from The Spire Academy?"

  Anton also looked stunned.

  Pierce said calmly, "If there isn't a second Wizard named Pierce at The Spire Academy, then that should be me."

  Hearing this, Anton and Fiona stared at each other in shock.

  The competition between Aurora City and Red Lotus City had drawn the attention of countless people. Consequently, Pierce—who had turned the tide in the first match, consecutively defeating three top-tier Wizard Apprentices from Red Lotus City and laying the foundation for Aurora City's victory—was widely known.

  And the news of him advancing to formal Wizard at the age of seventeen had spread throughout Aurora City.

  Even Wizards like them, who operated on the Planar Battlefield, had heard plenty of tales about Pierce.

  But neither Anton nor Fiona ever expected that the Wizard they randomly bumped into on the battlefield would be that legendary genius.

  Now they understood. It wasn't that he looked young; he really was that young.

  A seventeen-year-old formal Wizard. You could search all of Aurora City today and only find one: Pierce.

  "What a coincidence. We also graduated from The Spire Academy," Anton smiled, his demeanor becoming much friendlier.

  A smile also bloomed on Fiona's face.

  Being able to build a connection with an impossibly promising genius like Pierce was an opportunity they couldn't afford to miss.

  Pierce smiled faintly and said, "Shall we depart now?"

  "No problem," Anton readily agreed.

  Since the Giant Eagles Anton and Fiona had been riding were killed by the Turins during their escape, they had been relying on Levitate to travel. Now, they had to share mounts with Sophia and Payne.

  The two women shared one Giant Eagle, while Anton rode with Payne.

  The group set off toward Fortification No. 89.

  To avoid premature detection, the three Wizards cast Invisibility on themselves and the Giant Eagles; Sophia and Payne were no exception.

  Traveling at full speed, the group arrived near Fortification No. 89 in under three minutes.

  Looking at the distant castle surrounded by towering, thick ice walls, Anton said solemnly, "There is definitely a statue of the Lady of Winter Frost inside the Turin fortification. These statues possess a divine aura similar to detection spells. As long as we get within five hundred meters of the fortification, any invisibility abilities will be nullified."

  This had been mentioned in the crystal ball Colin gave him, so Pierce wasn't surprised. Instead, he asked, "How do you plan to confirm if your companion is inside?"

  Fiona glanced at Anton. Seeing his subtle nod, she pinched a small pinch of powder from a pouch at her waist, sprinkling it downward while muttering an incantation.

  As she did, the frozen ground where the powder fell suddenly rippled like water. Translucent creatures, about the length and thickness of an index finger, burrowed out from beneath the earth.

  "These are Phantom Earthworms," Fiona explained. "Their bodies are naturally transparent, making them hard to detect with the naked eye. Furthermore, they possess an innate spell-like ability that shields them from mental power scans and aura detection. They are magical creatures perfectly suited for infiltration."

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  Anton added, "By using the Phantom Earthworms in conjunction with the Animal Possession spell, we should be able to scout the situation inside the castle clearly."

  Pierce clicked his tongue in wonder. This was the first time he had heard of the Phantom Earthworm.

  Logically speaking, given the breadth of his current knowledge, there were very few magical creatures he didn't know about.

  However, considering that countless Wizards researched and bred new magical creatures every year, it wasn't surprising to encounter unknown ones.

  These Phantom Earthworms were highly likely the experimental product of some Wizard.

  As Fiona chanted again, the Phantom Earthworms burrowed back underground and vanished.

  Simultaneously, Anton closed his eyes and began casting the Animal Possession spell.

  "Good. We've successfully entered the castle."

  "Hmm... I sense a very intense aura of divine grace right in the center of the castle. As expected, there is a statue of the Lady of Winter Frost here."

  "There are other powerful divine grace fluctuations nearby. One, two, three, four... four formal Priests in total. Judging by the situation, they seem to be conducting a prayer ritual. This is good news for us."

  "Let me see... there is one divine grace fluctuation that is exceptionally strong. It must be a Rank 2 Priest!"

  "Rank 2 Priests have very acute mental perception. I can't get too close to that area, or I'll easily be discovered."

  "I found the underground dungeon."

  "There are many divine traps set up here. The Phantom Earthworms can't go too deep..."

  Anton suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of joy in his gaze.

  "I found Cheng He! He's right there in the underground dungeon!"

  Joy also appeared on Fiona's face.

  After expending so much effort, they had finally found their companion.

  But the next problem immediately arose: how were they going to rescue him?

  Anton frowned in deep thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and looked at Pierce. "Pierce, how about we join forces?"

  "We don't want any of the mission rewards. We just want to rescue Cheng He."

  In Anton's mind, whether it was Pierce alone, or him and Fiona alone, neither party could possibly conquer Fortification No. 89 by themselves.

  But if they joined forces, there was a glimmer of hope.

  This proposal was equally highly beneficial to Pierce; he shouldn't refuse.

  Yet, to their surprise, Pierce shook his head and smiled faintly. "No need for all that trouble."

  "As payment for helping to scout the enemy's garrison strength, I will help you two rescue your companion. You just need to wait here on the sidelines."

  Anton and Fiona froze in place.

  Did he mean he intended to assault Fortification No. 89 alone?

  Was he insane?

  They had just explicitly told him there were four Winter Frost Priests inside the castle, including a Rank 2 Priest! How could he possibly think he could do it alone?

  Anton frowned, about to try and persuade Pierce again, but Pierce had already made his move. He flicked his wrist, tossing out a handful of seeds.

  The moment they hit the ground, the seeds split open. Green sprouts shot out, growing at a visible, rapid speed, becoming thicker and taller.

  In the blink of an eye, thirteen massive oak trees—over thirty meters tall and seven to eight meters in diameter—stood before them.

  Creak! Crack!

  The bark on the front of the oak trees suddenly contorted, faintly forming human-like faces that opened their maws to let out deep, resonant roars.

  "Oak Guards!"

  Anton and Fiona instantly recognized the creatures and were simultaneously shocked.

  These were powerful magical creatures with combat strength comparable to Tier 2 Legendary Knights!

  Anton looked at Pierce in astonishment, never expecting him to hold such a trump card.

  Just these thirteen Oak Guards were more than enough to wipe out a full detachment of Church Knights.

  Even a Rank 1 Gaseous Phase Wizard would find facing thirteen thick-skinned, highly durable Oak Guards to be an incredible headache.

  While Anton and Fiona were still reeling, the thirteen Oak Guards had already launched their assault on the castle.

  They slowly shifted their massive, intertwined root systems. Their colossal wooden bodies rumbled toward the castle like heavy siege engines.

  The Turin soldiers on the walls spotted the intruders immediately and rang the alarm bells.

  Clang! Clang!

  As the crisp ringing echoed out, the entire castle instantly sprang into motion like a precise, well-oiled machine.

  A massive number of fully armed knights rushed onto the walls, quickly taking up their positions.

  Along the upper middle section of the outer wall, a row of gun ports rumbled open. Ballistae, their surfaces engraved with dense arrays, were pushed out. The gleaming, razor-sharp tips of the heavy bolts aimed dead at the intruders.

  At the same time, a faint blue halo suddenly materialized above the castle. It exploded outward like fireworks, showering countless streams of light in all directions, forming a transparent, inverted bowl-shaped energy shield that encased the entire fortress.

  Clang! Clang! Clang!

  Accompanied by heavy footsteps and the crisp friction of metal armor plates, a burly man clad in heavy armor strode onto the wall, asking coldly, "What's the situation?"

  An officer immediately stepped forward. "My Lord, it's Wizards from Red Maple City!"

  "The currently identified attacking force consists only of thirteen Oak Guards. The enemy Wizards are likely keeping their distance; we haven't pinpointed their location yet."

  "Those sneaky alien bastards again." The burly man snorted coldly. He turned to look at the Oak Guards outside, a cold glint in his eyes, and swung his hand down violently. "Fire the ballistae! Smash them to splinters!"

  "Yes, My Lord!"

  As the order was relayed, the ballistae on the outer wall immediately ratcheted into action.

  Accompanied by deafening sonic booms, massive rune-engraved bolts—four to five meters long and as thick as barrels—shot out like artillery shells toward the Oak Guards over two hundred meters away.

  Boom! Boom!

  The Oak Guards were massive targets; they were easily hit without needing much aiming.

  Over thirty giant bolts fired, and not a single one missed.

  Terrifying, crater-like wounds instantly exploded across the Oak Guards' bodies.

  However, the hulking behemoths paid it absolutely no mind. They swung their branches, yanking the giant bolts out of their bodies, and continued their slow, relentless march toward the walls.

  With every step they took, the wounds left by the bolts healed a fraction more.

  By the looks of it, those wounds would be fully healed in two to three minutes max.

  Seeing this, the burly commander furrowed his brow tightly.

  The adjutant beside him whispered, "My Lord, Oak Guards are notoriously thick-skinned and highly resilient. Rune ballistae aren't very effective against them. Why don't we wait for the Lord Priests to arrive and let them handle it? We just need to hold the walls and ensure the Wizards don't find an opening."

  The commander frowned in thought for a few seconds and quickly adopted the suggestion.

  Given the defensive power of the array, holding out until the Priests arrived would be absolutely no problem.

  The combined strength of these dozen or so Oak Guards was nowhere near enough to break the defensive shield in a short time.

  Freed from the harassment of the ballistae, the Oak Guards soon reached the vicinity of the wall. They reared back their massive, trunk-like branches and whipped them down viciously, the strikes carrying ear-piercing shrieks as they slammed heavily against the energy shield.

  Boom!

  Amidst the deafening crashes, the shield merely trembled slightly before instantly stabilizing.

  Over five hundred meters away, Anton and Fiona watched this scene with deeply furrowed brows.

  "Oak Guards have top-tier defense, but their offensive methods are relatively lacking. They are fine for dealing with Turin Knights, but against a large-scale defensive array like this, they simply lack the punch."

  Anton turned to Pierce, urging him again:

  "Let's attack together. If we drag this out any longer and those Priests finish their ritual and come out, this raid will be completely pointless."

  But facing the proposal, Pierce shook his head again. "No need."

  Seeing Pierce being so stubborn, Anton couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

  Looking at how things were going, this raid was doomed to fail.

  Forget it, he thought. At least we know Cheng He is imprisoned here. Worst case, we go back, gather reinforcements, and rush back overnight to save him.

  Just as Anton made his peace with failure, he caught sight of Pierce making a new move out of the corner of his eye.

  A blob of liquid silver metal detached from his wrist, floating in the air and rapidly expanding to form a gigantic spear, twenty to thirty meters long.

  Immediately following that, eight Fire Runes, radiating blistering intensity, materialized out of thin air and rapidly sank into the spear.

  In an instant, the spear transformed from silver to a blinding, searing crimson.

  A wave of scorching heat rolled outward, instantly spiking the ambient temperature by dozens of degrees.

  Silver Star + Fire Runes + Fire Elemental Power!

  This combination was Pierce's absolute strongest attack, second only to burning a Magic Tattoo and fusing it with Silver Star.

  The moment it formed, the terrifying, oppressive aura radiating from it instantly terrified Anton and Fiona.

  Looking at the deep crimson spear—despite the air around them being boiling hot—a chill shot straight up their spines, and their scalps tingled with dread.

  They could clearly sense just how horrifying the energy contained within that spear truly was!

  In the next second, under their utterly shocked gazes, the spear shot forward like a blazing meteor, hurtling toward the defensive shield over five hundred meters away!

  BOOM!

  An explosion like a clap of divine thunder violently erupted. The distant defensive shield reacted as if it had been struck by the hammer of a god. It warped and fluctuated violently, trembling unstoppably.

  A second later, under the horrified eyes of both friend and foe, the defensive shield shattered with a resounding crash, exploding into countless motes of light that dissipated into the air.