169: The decisive moment (VI)

“Listen quickly, there's movement down the mountain!”

“Wizard Wizard Moshat, what's the feedback from the detection wizardry below? Are the enemies attacking us...?”

Wizard Mo Er Dun immediately took it seriously. They had set up numerous detection wizardries and other detection methods within five hundred meters around the hill. Wizard Blood Cat—Wizard Moshat—was in charge of intelligence.

“Heart of Plants has made new moves.”

Wizard Wizard Moshat, wearing a Blood Cat mask, said with a solemn expression:

“They are felling trees to build the same defensive formation as us: cheval de frise + forest trees + beast traps. It seems they want to siege us and prevent us from breaking out through Blood Rong.”

“I have a bad feeling; we might be in big trouble...”

“Haha...”

“Wizard Moshat, how did you become so timid?”

“I heard you suffered a great loss in your last encounter with Heart of Plants, and it took you several years to recover. Could it be a case of 'once bitten, twice shy,' and your courage has been shattered?”

The voice of the small giant, Wizard Lester, boomed like a bell, full of disdain.

“In my opinion, these farmers have been scared off by us and dare not come up to die anymore. I despise them; they retreated after only a few wizards died. They really have no guts.”

“Let's continue to observe; it's still too early to make such a rash decision.”

Wizard Mo Er Dun said indifferently from the side:

“Wizard Moshat, keep a close eye on the movements opposite. Report any unusual situations immediately.”

“Yes!”

The hill returned to peace, with only the many wizards silently constructing various defensive works and setting up various wizardry traps.

The sky grew even gloomier, a stifling calm before a storm, making it hard to breathe... Six hours later.

It was now the 16th hour since entering the Ancient Elf Secret Realm.

The wizards of Blood Fortress had already constructed all their wizardry traps. During this time, no battles occurred, except for the opponents down the mountain occasionally throwing a few incendiary potion bottles to harass them.

Both sides seemed to have a tacit understanding, frantically building their own defensive systems.

After the frantic busyness came an uncontrollable exhaustion. Wizard Mo Er Dun also understood everyone's condition and arranged for people to take turns on duty, guarding various defensive strongpoints and monitoring the enemies below. Everyone else got a chance to rest.

In a resting area, three wizards sat together, resting and chatting.

Middle-aged Wizard A: “Sigh, if only it could stay this quiet, we wouldn't have to fight, and we could live peacefully until the end of the Secret Realm. Why all the killing?”

Young Wizard B: “I actually hope they attack. If they don't come, how can we earn battle merits? On this hill, we have the advantage of timing, terrain, and unity. It's a great opportunity to collect heads! They took a huge advantage in the forest before; we can also avenge our companions' blood feud...”

Old Wizard C: “You are still too young. The wizards of Heart of Plants are not to be trifled with. You should think more about how to save your lives in the upcoming battle. The calmer it is now, the more brutal the coming war will be...”

Middle-aged Wizard A: “Yes, the opportunity for a Formal Wizard, a hundred years of lifespan! Who wouldn't go crazy? Ah, what the hell is this?!”

“Slap...”

Middle-aged Wizard A slapped the foreign object stuck to his arm to death, then picked it up to look:

“Whoa...”

“What a huge variegated mosquito! Isn't this a specialty of the Corrosion Poison Swamp? This isn't a swamp, so why are there such big mosquitoes?”

“Not good!”

Old Wizard C exclaimed.

“This must be the enemy's conspiracy. In this Ancient Secret Realm, we are on the Mist Forest terrain card. It's absolutely impossible for such large mosquitoes to appear.”

“Quickly, everyone, look around! See where else there are mosquitoes?”

“I have some here...”

“Ah, such huge mosquitoes...”

“I have some here too...”

“Slap, slap, slap...”

The sounds of mosquito-slapping, one after another, grew louder, like a unique and moving symphony... Soon.

The three-person decision-making team of Blood Fortress learned about the mosquito army's attack.

Wizard Wizard Moshat was stunned for a moment, recalling an unbearable past event, and murmured to himself:

“Could it be that accursed person has come? No, no, no, with his genius, Heart of Plants wouldn't let him come in to die. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Maybe it's some wizard who specializes in insect control playing tricks...”

Wizard Mo Er Dun, an old hand, was very experienced.

He dispatched people to investigate the cause while organizing personnel to kill the mosquitoes.

“What, there are also blood-sucking horseflies on the mosquitoes?”

“Hahahaha, now they've shown their true colors.”

“This must be the handiwork of those old geezers from Plant Heart Academy. I didn't expect Brucekrin to have made some progress these years, actually learning to use variegated giant mosquitoes to carry blood-sucking horseflies.”

“Hmph, it's just a trivial trick, flashy and impractical...”

Plant Heart Academy and Blood Fortress Wizard Academy have been old neighbors and rivals for hundreds of years. Wizard Mo Er Dun and Wizard Brucekrin have been fighting since they were young, and they know each other's methods, tactics, practices, and trump cards inside out.

Therefore, the commotion caused by the variegated giant mosquitoes quickly subsided. Everyone had plenty of defensive measures against their old rivals... At this moment.

Wizard Wizard Moshat immediately called a core three-person meeting.

He dropped a bombshell.

“We are really in big trouble.”

“Have you noticed this smoke blowing up from the foot of the hill?”

“They are using a smoke attack!”

“So what if it's a smoke attack?”

“Can they really choke us to death with mere smoke?”

The small giant, Lester, was full of disdain.

“Something's wrong, this smoke is problematic!”

Wizard Mo Er Dun also noticed something. His hundred years of life experience were incredibly rich, and moreover, he had fought his way out of life-and-death battlefields, possessing an extremely keen sense of crisis.

“This smoke is mixed with something else.”

“Everyone, listen to my command: immediately hold your breath, or use air filtration methods. You absolutely must not inhale this smoke; there is poison in this smoke.”

After issuing the emergency order, Wizard Mo Er Dun immediately asked Wizard Wizard Moshat, who had first discovered the situation:

“Wizard Wizard Moshat, what other problems have you found? Can this smoke be dealt with?”

“I estimate that everyone's breath-holding strategy can only last for an hour. After an hour, even I won't be able to hold my breath.”