The Synthesis Wizard

"Participate in the ritual? What do you mean?"

Tajana looked at her friend in shock, grabbing her arm tightly. She spoke with urgency:

"You're one of the most elite Dark Elf warriors in the family. Why would they choose you as a sacrifice for the ritual?"

Vinnia shook her head, a faint, almost otherworldly smile on her lips.

"This ritual is different from the previous ones. The Spider Queen's emissary will descend to save Spider City."

"Only the most devout Dark Elves are allowed to participate. We will become part of the divine emissary, destroy that wizard, and then ascend to the Divine Kingdom alongside the emissary!"

Tajana felt the blood drain from her face as she looked at her friend's fervent, almost fanatical expression.

How could they believe so blindly in a being that had been absent for over twelve centuries?

It was sheer madness!

"Vinnia, you'll die!" Tajana couldn't bear to watch her friend sacrifice herself.

"That doesn't matter, Tajana." Vinnia's face glowed with serene joy. "Death isn't frightening. Once I ascend to the Divine Kingdom, I'll be reborn under the Spider Queen's power and gain eternal life."

Seeing that Tajana was about to argue further, Vinnia raised a hand to cut her off.

"Enough, Tajana!"

"We are the Spider Queen's most loyal subjects. Obeying her decree is an honor!"

Without waiting for a response, Vinnia turned and strode toward the Central Temple.

Tajana stood frozen, her expression a mix of helplessness and confusion.

---

At the same time, Dark Elf warriors from all corners of Spider City were making their way toward the Central Temple.

The eerie violet witchfire burned among the stalactites hanging from the cavern ceiling, casting an ominous glow over the massive temple below.

The structure loomed like a monstrous beast in the shadows, its gaping maw waiting to swallow the warriors stepping willingly into its depths.

---

Bank City.

As the closest city to Spider City, Bank City served as the frontline buffer.

Before retreating, the Dark Elves had evacuated all the slaves and dismantled the city walls along with most of its structures to delay the Star Alliance's advance.

The repairs forced the Star Alliance to temporarily halt their progress—a delay that suited Sheman perfectly.

Not wanting to rush the attack on Spider City, Sheman welcomed the opportunity to spend a month or two rebuilding the city's defenses.

---

Emerging from his meditation chamber, Sheman made his way directly to the study.

Though he commanded the army, he never neglected his training and studies—his foundation as a wizard apprentice.

Participation in the war was merely a means to earn contribution points to exchange for resources. The ultimate goal was always personal advancement.

Sheman never lost sight of this priority.

---

As he entered the study, he found Artil engrossed in a battle report, so focused she didn't notice his approach until he stepped inside.

Looking up, she greeted him with a smile.

"You're just in time. I have a few documents that need your signature."

As the army's commander, many decisions required Sheman's authorization.

Taking the documents, Sheman scanned them briefly before signing with practiced efficiency. Then he asked,

"Where are the two secret constructs?"

"A new batch of magic stones just arrived—they're 'recharging.'"

Recharging, as Artil had learned, was a matter of inserting magic stones into their cores.

However, she couldn't help but marvel at how resource-intensive the constructs were.

Despite their overwhelming power, their energy consumption was astronomical. A single battle could consume over ten mid-tier magic stones, equivalent to nearly ten thousand gold coins—per construct!

"They're absolute money pits," Artil muttered with a wry smile.

---

"Which one will you send into the next battle?" she asked.

"Number One is still recovering from the last fight against a Spiderling. Let's send Number Two this time," Sheman decided.

To avoid completely crushing the Dark Elves' will to fight, Sheman had refrained from deploying both constructs simultaneously.

He ensured only one was used per battle.

With their shapeshifting abilities, both constructs could maintain identical appearances, making it impossible for the Dark Elves to tell them apart.

---

"By the way, there's a new directive from the master," Artil said, handing Sheman a rolled parchment.

Unrolling it, Sheman's expression turned peculiar.

Artil, having already read the contents, voiced her confusion.

"What is the master planning? First, he told us not to push Spider City too hard, and now he wants us to encircle it without attacking?"

Sheman was equally baffled but replied, "The master must have his reasons. Let's just follow the orders. It gives us more time to train, anyway."

Artil chuckled. "That's true. Earning contribution points while training—opportunities like this don't come often."

---

The two continued chatting until a soldier entered the study, bowing respectfully.

"My lords, scouts report that Spider City's army is marching toward us."

Sheman blinked, then exchanged a surprised glance with Artil.

Spider City's previous strategy had been to abandon its satellite cities and concentrate its forces for a last stand. Why would they now relinquish their defensive advantage to launch an offensive?

"Are they coming to surrender?" Artil joked.

"If they are, it's a trap," Sheman said. He had no trust in the notoriously cunning Dark Elves. "Besides, who marches an army to surrender?"

---

Reaching the city walls, they saw the Dark Elf army arrayed in formation just beyond the outskirts.

"They've brought their entire force," Artil noted, her expression growing serious.

Sheman frowned as well.

It was clear the Dark Elves were treating this as their final battle.

But what gave them such confidence?

Why would they choose to attack instead of defend—a move that put them at a disadvantage?

Though puzzled, Sheman glanced at the secret construct standing silently beside him.

Whatever the Dark Elves were planning, the constructs ensured he had little reason to worry.

---

The Dark Elves launched their attack.

As before, slave troops were sent in as cannon fodder. Once sufficiently weakened, the Minotaur warriors and Lizard Cavalry charged forward.

---

Boom!

The battle began with a thunderous roar.

The city gates creaked open as the golem army marched out in perfect unison, their metallic forms forming an unyielding wall that intercepted the surging tide of attackers.

The clash was immediate and deafening, as both sides descended into a chaotic melee. The battlefield resounded with the roar of combat, steel clashing against steel, and desperate cries reverberating through the cavern.

Sheman, standing atop the wall, fixed his gaze on the rear of the Dark Elf forces.

There was no way the Dark Elves would mount such a reckless assault without some hidden trump card. Their reliance couldn't rest solely on this ragtag force.

Was it another wave of Spiderlings? Or something else entirely?

He wouldn't have to wonder for long.

---

A shadow suddenly launched from the Dark Elf encampment, shooting into the air with blinding speed. It paused briefly before hurtling toward the battlefield like a black lightning bolt, halting mid-air above the chaos below.

The faint glow of phosphorescent crystals illuminated the figure, revealing its terrifying form.

---

"Spiderling? No... that's not right," Artil murmured, her pupils shrinking. "What kind of monster is this?"

The creature hovering above the battlefield bore a superficial resemblance to the Spiderlings they had encountered before, but its appearance was far more menacing.

Its spider-like lower body was massive, pitch-black, and shone with an eerie metallic sheen, as if it absorbed the light around it. Its eight limbs swayed lethargically in the air, their razor-sharp edges glinting ominously.

Above the monstrous arachnid body rose the torso of a Dark Elf female, completely bare and devoid of armor. Her jet-black skin was marked with crimson runes, the intricate patterns forming grotesque, blood-red spider shapes. Under the faint phosphorescent light, her appearance exuded a macabre yet otherworldly allure.

---

Sheman's heart sank as he scrutinized the abomination.

He couldn't explain why, but the creature radiated an overwhelming aura of danger, far surpassing anything he had felt from the previous Spiderlings.

Before he could voice his thoughts, the creature let out a piercing shriek, its soundwaves visibly distorting the air.

With shocking speed, it hurtled toward the city walls, its eight bladed legs slicing effortlessly through the air.

---

Two elite steel golems moved to intercept it, their chests glowing with arcane energy as they unleashed a barrage of sonic pulses and magic missiles.

The monster didn't even flinch.

It plowed through the attacks as though they were nothing but mist, its bladed limbs carving deadly arcs in the air. In an instant, both golems were reduced to shattered fragments, their sturdy frames cleaved apart like paper.

---

A floating adamantine golem activated its levitation spell and rose to meet the creature head-on. Its massive fists, enchanted with devastating force, swung with bone-crushing power.

The monster retaliated with twin scimitars, severing the golem's arms with terrifying precision. A flurry of strikes followed, reducing the once-imposing construct to a heap of lifeless scrap metal.

---

It all happened in the blink of an eye, leaving Sheman and Artil stunned.

Sheman snapped back to reality, his voice sharp and decisive.

"Pull the remaining golems back! They're no match for this thing!"

The monster showed no interest in the retreating golems, its focus fixed solely on the robed figure standing atop the city walls.

---

Without needing instructions, the cloaked puppet girl shed her robes and leapt from the wall, meeting the creature head-on.

A cascade of fire and lightning erupted from her hands, slamming into the spider-like monster with explosive force.

Unlike before, the creature didn't attempt to tank the attacks. Instead, it dodged with unsettling agility, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat.

Its scimitars and bladed limbs struck simultaneously, aiming to shred its opponent.

The puppet girl met the assault with her enchanted longsword, parrying with a precision that blurred the line between machine and warrior.

---

The two combatants clashed mid-air, their battle a blur of steel and spell. The puppet's relentless attacks alternated between melee strikes and rapid spellcasting, her prowess as a dual-threat combatant evident.

The monster, however, was no mere brute.

Its numerous bladed limbs, coupled with its crimson runes that seemed to negate any incoming magic, allowed it to hold its own against the puppet's onslaught.

Their duel quickly escalated into a fierce stalemate.

---

As the battle raged, the monster let out another bone-chilling screech. Its body ignited with violet flames, the energy radiating from it surging to new heights.

The flames spread to its limbs, creating a storm of spectral blades that rained down on the puppet girl.

Each hit caused her protective field to flicker and distort—a clear sign that even her formidable defenses were being overwhelmed.

---

Sheman's fists clenched as he observed the exchange.

"What is that energy? It's not elemental or spiritual... I've never seen anything like it."

Beside him, Artil's voice wavered.

"That thing is overpowering the puppet... But how? That puppet is practically on par with a full-fledged wizard!"

---

Meanwhile, in the Dark Elf encampment, the twelve family matriarchs watched the battle unfold with bated breath.

When they saw their "divine emissary" firmly suppressing its opponent, a wave of relief washed over them.

"Unstoppable. As expected of the Divine Emissary," murmured the matriarch of the Fillier family, her voice tinged with reverence.

"All those sacrifices... they were worth it."

The Oloré matriarch almost echoed the sentiment but caught herself, hastily shaking her head to dispel any thoughts that might be deemed irreverent toward the Spider Queen.

This wasn't a sacrifice, she reminded herself. It was an honor.

---

The Lurista matriarch allowed herself a faint smile.

"Once the wizard is dead, the Star Alliance will descend into chaos. That will be our opportunity to strike back."

"Exactly!" Fillier's matriarch nodded fervently. "Without the wizard, the Star Alliance is nothing."

The others echoed the sentiment, their confidence swelling.

With the Divine Emissary leading them, Spider City would not only prevail but conquer the entire underground world!

---

Boom!

The sound jolted them from their thoughts.

A figure plummeted to the ground like a meteor, obliterating a cluster of Dark Elf warriors and golems upon impact.

When the dust settled, the puppet girl lay crumpled in the center of a massive crater, her body battered and broken. Her left arm had been severed completely.

Hovering above, the spider-like monster gazed down at her with cold disdain, its bladed limbs poised for the final blow.

---

"We've won!" Fillier's matriarch exclaimed triumphantly.

Cheers erupted from the Dark Elf soldiers, mingled with hymns of praise for the Spider Queen.

The matriarchs made no effort to quiet their subordinates. Victory was at hand.

---

In the sky, the monster raised its scimitars high, preparing to deliver the killing strike.

It descended like a falling star, aiming to finish the puppet girl once and for all.

Clang!

To everyone's shock, its attack was intercepted mid-strike.

Another figure—a tall, lithe silhouette—stood between the monster and its prey. The newcomer

's dual swords locked against the monster's bladed limbs, holding them at bay.

---

In the distance, Fillier's matriarch blinked in confusion, her eyes darting between the puppet girl in the crater and the figure now facing the Divine Emissary.

Her expression twisted into a mix of astonishment and disbelief.

"What... another one?"

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