The Synthesis Wizard

Starlight Calendar 1280, Autumn Veil Month (October).

The weather had begun to carry the chilly air of decline.

However, on the Saar Plains, a tense atmosphere prevailed, with ominous dark clouds looming overhead, foreshadowing the impending war.

From a bird's eye view, the once-empty plains were now occupied by massive armies stretching as far as the eye could see.

The two sides faced off kilometers apart, the tense atmosphere having already driven all animals from the area.

War was imminent.

Within the Northwest Alliance camp, on a slope.

A group of high-ranking alliance officers observed the distant, elite Imperial army, engaging in hushed discussions.

At the forefront, the Alliance Commander, Edys Thurman, set down his spyglass, his brow furrowed.

Only after directly engaging in warfare with the Starlight Empire did he truly grasp the terrifying military might of the empire that had conquered the Southeast Region.

With the Black Rock Cavalry and Golem Army leading the charge, the alliance had been repeatedly pushed back on the front lines.

If not for Facado and others repeatedly employing decapitation tactics to disrupt the Starlight Empire's strategic plans, the alliance might have already faced defeat.

Even so, in the battles so far, the alliance had lost more than it had won.

Continuing like this would only worsen the alliance's situation.

Edys sighed, wishing the alliance also had a puppet-making wizard apprentice.

Third-level wizard apprentices were indeed powerful and could influence the outcome of smaller battles, but in a continent-spanning war, their impact was limited.

Unless someone like Sunan, capable of establishing a powerful golem army, appeared.

Edys sometimes struggled to understand why a region as rich in heritage as the Russell family had never produced such a formidable wizard, while the Southeast Region had.

After a moment, Edys sighed again, gathering his thoughts before turning to leave.

Today's battle was crucial and had to be won.

If the Imperial forces broke through the Saar Plains, the following three thousand kilometers would be open ground without natural defenses, difficult to guard.

At that point, the alliance's situation would become even more dire.

Returning to the central tent, Edys found it filled with people.

On the left sat military representatives from various countries, and on the right were the third-level wizard apprentices led by Facado Russell.

A total of twenty-five third-level wizard apprentices, representing over 80% of the Northwest Region's third-level apprentices, were present.

Edys first nodded respectfully to the wizard apprentices before taking his seat at the head, glancing around to ensure everyone was present, then signaling his deputy to begin the war meeting.

"Preliminary estimates suggest the Starlight Empire has deployed over a million troops on the Saar Plains, including a Black Rock Cavalry regiment of twenty thousand and ten thousand stone golems."

The deputy's opening statement caused a stir among the attendees.

A low murmur of surprise rippled through the tent.

"Over a million troops? The Starlight Empire has reinforced?"

"The Black Rock Cavalry has also increased to twenty thousand... that's equivalent to two hundred thousand regular troops!"

"The ten thousand stone golems are even more troubling. These puppets are fearless, making them difficult to deal with on the front lines."

Edys seemed to have anticipated this, calming the murmurs with a simple command for silence.

As the Alliance Commander, he commanded some respect among the generals.

Once quiet resumed, Edys signaled the deputy to continue.

"The commander leading this war is Duke Braid, accompanied by Marquis Joton, Marquis Stali, Count Lange, and Count Crook."

As the names were listed, the generals' expressions grew increasingly grim.

The people mentioned were all close confidants of the Starlight Emperor from his early days in Blackstone City, who had risen through the ranks to their current positions in the empire.

These were seasoned, renowned generals.

Their presence on the Saar Plains underscored the Starlight Empire's seriousness about the war.

The more serious the empire, the slimmer the alliance's chances seemed.

Patiently waiting for the deputy to finish, Edys spoke in a calm tone.

"I believe everyone understands the strategic importance of the Saar Plains. This battle can only end in victory, not defeat."

With that, Edys turned to Facado, asking, "What are your thoughts, Lord Facado?"

Edys knew the key to winning the battle lay not with the generals and their troops.

With a disadvantage in both numbers and morale, the alliance's chances of winning through direct confrontation were slim.

The hope lay with Facado and his companions.

Facado, though over a century old, appeared no older than a man in his thirties, with fair skin and slender fingers, indicative of a life of privilege.

In response to Edys, he smiled slightly:

"The gathering of the Starlight Empire's generals on the Saar Plains is actually an opportunity for us, isn't it?"

"If we can take this chance to eliminate them, the empire's army will be leaderless, leading to chaos and presenting a prime opportunity for the alliance to counterattack."

Facado's words brightened the eyes of the generals, who nodded eagerly.

Edys, however, was not swept away by excitement, maintaining a serious tone as he responded, "We've attempted to assassinate Imperial leaders multiple times; they must be prepared. Duke Braid and his peers will be heavily guarded, making another assassination attempt risky."

"Indeed."

Facado agreed with Edys's concern, nodding in acknowledgment before shifting the conversation.

"That's why we plan to attack the Imperial camp directly during the battle, striking when Duke Braid and others are least guarded."

Edys was momentarily stunned, pondering the plan.

A surprise attack on the enemy camp during battle seemed fantastical, but with wizard apprentices executing it, success became feasible.

With Facado and his group's strength, they could silently approach the Imperial camp's rear and launch a surprise attack.

At that time, most of the Imperial forces would be engaged on the battlefield, leaving the camp less defended.

The chances of success were higher than attempting a night raid when the empire was on alert.

"One more concern," Edys said seriously. "What if Sunan shows up?"

"Ahem."

Kaire, seated beside Facado, cleared his throat and spoke up. Among the wizard apprentices, he was second only to Facado in seniority and strength.

"In the four months we've been at war with the Starlight Empire, Sunan hasn't appeared. It's likely he won't now either; he may not care about the empire's war with the alliance."

Edys frowned slightly but didn't argue with Kaire.

Their intelligence suggested Sunan hadn't personally intervened in the Starlight Empire's unification of the Southeast Region.

"Even if Sunan does appear, we aren't powerless."

Kaire glanced at Facado.

They had twenty-five third-level wizard apprentices, collectively stronger than the former Council of Truth.

Besides, Facado possessed a wizard tool inherited from the Russell family.

Though its power had diminished over a millennium, it remained a formidable weapon, far surpassing twilight-grade magical items.

It was unique on the Starlight Continent!

With this trump card, if Sunan didn't appear, they would surprise him if he did.

Seeing the confidence on Facado and Kaire's faces, Edys said no more.

At that moment, a low horn sounded outside.

Edys's expression sharpened as he stood and exited the tent.

A soldier quickly approached, reporting, "Sir, the Starlight Empire's forces are on the move!"

Edys's eyes narrowed as he issued orders.

"Prepare for battle!"

He turned back to Facado and his group, bowing slightly, his expression grave.

"I leave it to you!"

Facado smiled slightly. "Rest assured, Lord Edys, expect good news from us."

As the armies began to move, the Saar Plains came alive with activity.

With the stone golem army at the forefront, infantry in the center, archers in the rear, and the Black Rock Cavalry protecting the flanks, the Imperial army advanced steadily, like an ancient beast.

The force of their advance tore a massive gap in the dark clouds above.

Watching from afar, the recently arrayed alliance forces stirred uneasily.

Though they quickly steadied, it was enough to reveal their fear of the Imperial army.

Edys observed this, feeling a growing heaviness in his heart.

The alliance's hopes now rested on the success of Facado's assassination attempt. If it failed, the consequences would be dire.

Taking a deep breath, Edys dismissed his distracting thoughts, issuing the command:

"Advance!"

"Advance!"

The order spread through the ranks, and the alliance army soon began to move, their pace quickening.

From above, the two armies surged like accelerating torrents, colliding fiercely in the center of the plains.

At the point of impact, a blinding crimson flash erupted, followed by a thunderous wave of battle cries and screams echoing across the plains!

Stone golems swung their iron fists, crushing armored foes into pulp, rampaging through the enemy ranks like beasts.

The alliance often suffered casualties tenfold that of the stone golems to destroy just one.

Amidst the fiercest fighting, the stone golems fell rapidly, yet showed no signs of retreat.

Fearless, they continued to crush enemy after enemy like cold machines.

As in countless previous encounters, facing such fearless foes, the alliance's front lines faltered under immense psychological pressure, threatening to break.

Seeing this, Edys promptly deployed the rearguard to stabilize the line, executing over ten retreating soldiers to restore order.

The rear forces moved up, and the cavalry charged the flanks, attempting to disrupt the Imperial forces and ease the pressure on the front lines.

But the cavalry soon met the mightier Black Rock Cavalry...

Meanwhile, the Imperial infantry joined the battle.

The alliance's situation remained unchanged.

Despite expecting this, Edys's heart sank at the sight.

His gaze swept over the battlefield, focusing on the distant Imperial camp.

At the same time.

Facado and his group reached the rear of the Imperial camp, hiding in a forest several kilometers away, observing the mass of tents.

Facado turned to a pale, almost translucent man.

"Same as always, Momir, it's up to you."

Momir nodded silently, sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes.

A strange wave emanated from him, spreading far and wide.

After a moment, Momir opened his eyes.

"How is it?" someone eagerly inquired.

Momir nodded, expressionless. "Located the targets, twelve in total. Besides two hundred and twenty-three guards, there are thirty-two golems."

"What types?" Facado asked.

"Two adamantine golems, five high-grade iron golems, five high-grade dual-blade spiders, the rest are iron golems."

Having faced the Starlight Empire repeatedly, they were familiar with the empire's golem capabilities.

Kaire relaxed, smiling. "Manageable, with our strength, breaking through won't be difficult."

The group shared relaxed smiles.

Only the two adamantine golems posed any threat, and even then, only slightly.

"No sign of Sunan?" Facado inquired, still cautious.

Momir shook his head, hesitating briefly before adding, "There are three others near the noble commanders, one woman and two cloaked figures whose faces are hidden, but judging by their build, they seem female."

"If Sunan were present, he wouldn't hide," Kaire said lightly. "I doubt he intends to intervene in this war."

Facado agreed.

"A pity, I'd like to face Sunan, to see a formal wizard's prowess," a tall wizard apprentice chuckled.

His right arm was thicker than his left, covered in fine scales.

"If you met Sunan, you wouldn't last a minute," a friendly apprentice teased.

Facado cleared his throat, refocusing the group with a serious tone:

"Enough chatter."

"We begin now. Our targets are the noble commanders, not the golems. Avoid prolonged fighting, eliminate the targets swiftly, then retreat to avoid encirclement."

Even third-level wizard apprentices faced danger if surrounded by an army.

Understanding this, the group nodded silently in agreement.

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