The spiritual power and mana of wizards were limited.
Even those who possessed extraordinary power were still subject to the constraints of nature.
Even though Jemos was a third-rank apprentice, if he faced over a hundred elite soldiers, his only option would be to retreat.
The enemy simply had too many people. Even if they lined up to let him slaughter them one by one, his pitiful reserves of spiritual power and mana wouldn't be enough.
And what if these soldiers were all cavalry?
A faint sense of despair had already begun to well up inside Jemos. Surrounded by so many horsemen, at best he could use that magical item to escape—he wouldn't even be able to save Jenny.
"But! With Lord Leilin here! Everything should be fine, right!"
Jemos glanced at Leilin, who still had his eyes closed, and forced himself to calm down.
In the history of the Extreme Dark Region, there had never been an instance of a formal wizard fighting head-on against an army composed of ordinary people.
After all, no lord would be foolish enough to provoke a formal wizard.
Besides, for a formal wizard, a simple Invisibility combined with a Curse could easily claim the life of the mastermind behind such an army. Why would they waste their own time?
If Lord Leilin truly was a formal wizard, they would surely make it through safely.
Jemos silently encouraged himself, then heard Weilin's somewhat nervous—even trembling—voice: "Who are you people?"
Despite having advanced to Great Knight, Weilin's mentality clearly hadn't caught up. The moment he saw the chilling army before him, the petty commoner mindset that had always filled his heart resurged once again.
Amid the whinnying of warhorses, a gap opened in the cavalry formation, and an old man wearing black robes with a skull brand on his face walked out unhurriedly.
"Rod! It really is you! How dare you mobilize the garrison forces—aren't you afraid of facing punishment?" Jemos's expression was very strange, a mixture of anger and regret…
"Dear brother! Of course it's me!" Rod sneered coldly.
"Brother?" Only then did Weilin realize with astonishment that if you removed that hideous brand from Rod's face, he actually bore a striking resemblance to Jemos.
"We're both just vassals of the Augustus Family. Why must we resort to swords and spears?" Jemos made one last effort.
"Brother Jemos! Because I need to prove that I'm stronger than you! Even the lord I've chosen to follow will definitely be the patriarch who controls the Augustus Family!"
A deep look of hatred filled Rod's face.
"If it's about what happened when we were children, I apologize to you. I'll even kneel if I have to! But Rod, please don't step into this whirlpool—it'll be the death of you…"
"Hehe! What's the use of saying all this now?"
Rod let out a strange laugh.
"You people are really annoying!" Meanwhile, Leilin, who was sitting in the carriage, furrowed his brow in displeasure.
He had been deep in thought, refining his plan, when this Rod suddenly disturbed him, and a flare of irritation surged up.
"This must be Lord Leilin, correct?"
Rod bowed deeply. Before this person who was very likely a formal wizard, even he dared not be careless or disrespectful.
"This is an internal matter of the Augustus Family! Furthermore, our family's Lord Siegfried is also an honored wizard, and he would very much like to meet you…"
"No! You're lying! Grandfather Siegfried must have been deceived by you all!"
Before Leilin could even react, Jenny sprang up like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.
"So the Augustus Family's formal wizard is named Siegfried? It seems he's a common ancestor of both sides…"
Leilin felt a twinge of pity for this wizard.
His own descendants were fighting each other for power. He must have had quite a headache about it—or perhaps he didn't care at all?
After all, wizards lived very long lives. After a few generations had passed, their attachment to family and kinship would simply fade away.
"I don't care which side Siegfried supports, but I think you're blocking my path! Now, get out of the way immediately!"
Leilin barked out a rebuke. A first-level wizard posed absolutely no threat to him. On the contrary, Rod's attitude disgusted him greatly.
"Uh…" This attitude clearly stunned Rod, who stood there as if turned to stone. His face flushed crimson.
Everything he had done, all his efforts—it was all just a joke in this person's eyes.
"Damn it! That tone again! That look! Exactly the same as my brother when we were children! Why is he always better at everything? Why does he get all the good things!"
Rod's eyes grew increasingly red.
"And besides, who's even sure that this Leilin is actually a formal wizard? It's very likely that that bitch Jenny is just trying to scare me!"
Rod swung his arm viciously. "Attack!"
The soldiers, receiving their orders, immediately launched a charge.
"So what if you're a formal wizard? Facing this many knights, your spiritual power isn't inexhaustible. After this is done, I'll simply hide inside the Augustus Family and live off their wealth. With Lord Siegfried's protection, what can you possibly do to me?"
Rod stared intently at Leilin, an unnatural flush spreading across his face.
"My lord! Jenny! You need to leave first!" Weilin immediately drew his sword. His body swelled outward, making him look like a small giant as he positioned himself in front of the carriage.
Once the enemy charged, he had readied himself for battle and activated the secret knightly technique Leilin had taught him.
And the abnormality on Rod's face was clearly visible in Leilin's eyes.
"Pupils dilating abnormally! Blood flow in the brain increased by thirty-four percent! These are clear symptoms of mental damage!"
Looking at the somewhat manic Rod, Leilin finally understood why the man was so reckless.
The study of wizardry was an extremely dangerous endeavor. All manner of experiments could claim a wizard's life, and the Meditation Method was especially critical—it involved the Sea of Consciousness and one's spiritual power. Even the slightest error could lead to irreversible consequences.
This Rod had clearly suffered damage to his Sea of Consciousness during his advancement to third-rank apprentice, leaving him unable to fully control his own spirit and emotions, making him somewhat neurotic.
But Rod's madness was only a minor matter. Leilin merely glanced at him before turning his attention to the charging cavalry, a hint of contemptuous amusement playing at the corners of his lips.
The charging cavalry numbered roughly two hundred—likely the entire military strength of Lilanburg had been mobilized. Every soldier wore high-quality armor, and the spears and great axes in their hands gleamed with a sharp, cold light.
Two hundred iron cavalry charging in unison caused the very ground to tremble, and before such momentum, Weilin appeared utterly helpless—like a tiny ant.
This kind of formation would make even an ordinary wizard frown slightly upon seeing it. But in Leilin's eyes, they were no different from clay chickens and pottery dogs.
"Why do you mortals always insist on judging wizards by the standards of common men?"
He let out a soft sigh, and a point of earthen-yellow light dropped from his fingertips into the ground.
Hummm! The light was as tiny as a firefly—so small that a single gust of wind could have blown it out.
The moment the earthen-yellow mote of light touched the ground, it vanished instantly, as if it had merged completely with the soil. Then a ring of shockwaves began to radiate outward from that point.
Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom!
The ripples spread outward in all directions like dominoes, each wave more powerful than the last, until it ultimately escalated into a full-blown earthquake!
Crash! The earth split open, and a massive shockwave slammed directly into the cavalry formation as they charged like the tips of spears.
The surrounding terrain surged like ocean waves in an instant, heaving and trembling violently.
"Ah!" "Earthquake!" "My horse!" "Help—my leg is broken!"
The collapse began at the vanguard of the knights and immediately spread throughout the entire cavalry force.
With each successive shockwave, horse after horse toppled, throwing their riders to the ground.
The piercing cracks of bone, the screaming of horses—all were drowned out by the tremendous roar of the earthquake. Only people with real strength like Weilin and Jemos could still barely make out any of it.
BOOM!
The shockwave swept through the cavalry formation and continued to propagate into the distance.
And the entire spell had cost less than five points of spiritual power!
Wizards wielded power through wisdom, not brute force! Just now, Leilin had used meticulous calculation to apply a tiny amount of force to exploit a weak point in the earth's crust, then, through multiple stages of amplification and transmission, produced a terrifying effect equivalent to an earthquake.
A single strike! Complete devastation! The cavalry force of over two hundred was entirely annihilated. The moaning of the wounded and the scattered limbs strewn across the battlefield left Rod completely stupefied.
"How… how can he possibly be this strong?!"
Rod screamed inwardly, then turned and fled without a moment's hesitation.
"Weilin! Go bring him back!" Leilin pointed directly at Rod. But Weilin himself stood there as if turned to stone, rooted to the spot.
"Go! Now!" Leilin flicked his finger, and a transparent palm materialized and gave Weilin a sharp smack on the head.
"Oh! Right!" Only then did Weilin snap out of his daze and chase after the fleeing Rod.
"Mr. Leilin! Oh no—Lord Leilin! Forgive my presumption, but may I ask… what level of wizard are you, exactly?"
Jemos's expression was extremely solemn as he performed the most formal salute a wizard could offer. Behind him, Jenny did the same.
"I?" Leilin smiled. "Just a first-level wizard still lingering at the threshold of the Hall of Truth…"
"So you truly are a formal wizard! Please forgive our earlier discourtesy!"
Hearing Leilin confirm it with his own words, Jemos and Jenny instantly felt a wave of relief. They bowed once more to Leilin, their eyes alight with undisguised excitement.