CH211
Severus had read about wizards in ancient texts.
Described as cruel, powerful, and greedy, the portrayal of wizards was mostly negative.
But one thing was certain: wizards were powerful.
Severus asked, "Wizards? What are they doing there?"
Lucio explained, "It's related to planar warfare, very complex. Simply put, wizards from the wizard plane are greedy, wanting to conquer our elven plane and control all its resources."
Severus was taken aback.
He hadn't expected this reason.
Growing up, he heard stories of heroes saving the world, but knew such world-ending events were rare.
Yet now, a world crisis loomed before him.
"What will they do if they capture Cole?" Severus asked.
Lucio replied uncertainly, "They might kill him or keep him for information. Either way, his situation isn't good."
Severus brightened, realizing Cole might still be alive.
"Please let me join you," Severus requested.
Lucio nodded, "You can, but don't act recklessly. Wizards are more cruel and powerful than you think."
***
After preparing and notifying the king, Severus joined Lucio and the elves on their journey to Oberstein.
He couldn't recall the last time he traveled far.
The last trip was to help with a magical beast in a western city.
Years had passed since then.
Severus lived a retired life in Sea Stone City, teaching students and overseeing the royal city.
He thought he'd live out his days peacefully.
Never did he imagine traveling to a distant border to save his student.
After half a month, they reached Oberstein.
Lucio and the elves drew many eyes upon entering the city.
Elves were rare here; most people had never seen one.
Though they'd heard elven legends since childhood.
Adventurers, seeing Lucio and the elves, kept their distance.
Those who'd dealt with elves knew their nobility and arrogance.
Even if an elf killed them, no kingdom could punish the elf.
Thus, avoiding elves was common sense among adventurers.
A squad of soldiers rode up, the leader glancing at Lucio and Severus.
Dismounting, he bowed, "Are you Mr. Lucio and Mr. Severus?"
Lucio nodded silently.
They'd informed Tyron before departing.
Tyron had soldiers at the gate, ready to report elven arrivals.
The soldier respectfully said, "Please follow me to the camp to rest. The commander is at the border but will return soon."
Tyron, upon hearing the news, rushed back.
He'd been personally patrolling the border, monitoring the Lim Mountains.
Tyron understood the elves' arrival meant the Norn Kingdom couldn't handle the situation alone.
Returning to camp, Tyron saw Lucio, the elves, and the aged Severus.
"Mr. Severus! Honored elven friends!" Tyron greeted.
Severus, seeing Tyron, remarked, "Tyron, you've aged too."
Being at the border, Tyron rarely returned to Sea Stone City.
Years ago, Tyron had less gray hair.
In a blink, his temples were white.
"This is Mr. Lucio, an elven friend," Severus introduced.
Hearing Severus's comment, Tyron smiled wryly.
He sighed, then addressed Lucio, "Let me update you on recent events."
"We've been closely monitoring the Lim Mountains, but it's been quiet, no activity. No one has entered or exited, and nothing seems amiss from outside."
Lucio listened, then walked to the wall, gazing at the distant mountains.
"Let's go see," Lucio told his companions.
The elven guards followed, with Tyron and Severus joining.
Lucio and the group rode to the Lim Mountains' outskirts.
Beyond lay the mountain's edge.
Lucio stopped before a large tree, placing a hand on it and closing his eyes.
An invisible wave spread as Lucio seemed to sense something.
Minutes later, he opened his eyes, "No one has come out."
He placed his hand back on the tree, his magical aura fluctuating.
A branch protruded from the trunk.
It extended, resembling a human arm.
Then, a wooden head and another arm emerged.
The treant pushed off the trunk, freeing itself.
Standing 1.8 meters tall, the slender treant faced the group.
Lucio placed a hand on its head, chanting quickly.
A breeze blew past.
The treant's limbs and body shrank.
It soon condensed into a basketball-sized wooden sphere.
The sphere shrank further to egg size.
Suddenly, the sphere was encircled by green light, transforming into a bird with white wings.
Lucio closed his eyes, the bird circling overhead before flying toward the Lim Mountains.
During this, Lucio's vision switched to the bird's perspective.
Technically, the bird was his magical avatar.
This avatar was stronger than typical familiars, possessing some spell abilities.
Familiars communicated with animals and trees, which lacked spell abilities, only lending their sight.
Lucio controlled the bird, nearing the Lim Mountains.
He flew over the entrance, seeing nothing unusual.
He continued, seeking traces below.
Hundreds vanished, leaving some clues.
But the entrance area showed no signs, not even of a struggle.
"Must go deeper."
After pondering, Lucio flew the bird further into the mountains.
The bird was merely an avatar, its loss inconsequential.
CH212
Lucio hoped to remain undetected for a while longer, needing more information from his bird avatar.
After flying some distance, Lucio noticed traces of activity.
There were depressions in the ground and unnaturally flattened shrubs.
These were clear signs of battle.
However, no bloodstains were visible, likely cleaned up.
This confirmed Lucio's suspicion of wizards in the area.
The battle traces suggested the hundreds who entered the Lim Mountains were likely dead.
If alive, they were probably enslaved or imprisoned.
Capturing hundreds without leaving a trace wasn't a solo act; it required an organized group.
Seeing these signs, Lucio had a good idea of the situation.
He continued flying, observing carefully.
As an elf, Lucio grew up in forests, familiar with plant growth and forms.
A glance revealed paths frequently traveled.
To him, unnatural tracks were as obvious as the sun.
Lucio flew over large areas, memorizing all traces.
"These are patrol routes!"
Connecting the traces in his mind, he recognized them as patrol routes.
As a guard captain, Lucio understood patrol tactics well.
Perched on a tree, he analyzed the collected traces, quickly deducing the target's location.
The patrol routes circled a central point.
All patrols provided security for this area.
After confirming the location, Lucio took flight again.
He blended into a passing flock of birds.
Nearby birds eyed him, sensing he was different.
Following the flock, Lucio reached the target area.
He saw nothing unusual below.
Circling above, he found only ordinary forests.
But he noticed one anomaly: the energy particle concentration.
Elves have a natural affinity for magic, sensitive to energy particles.
Flying over the area, Lucio sensed high energy particle density below.
This was unusually high.
Normally, energy particles flow from high to low concentration areas.
Yet here, particles flowed into and remained in the area.
A clear boundary formed: low concentration outside, high inside.
This was intriguing.
It indicated human interference causing this phenomenon.
Living under the World Tree, Lucio was used to high energy particle density.
But there, the distribution was natural, unlike this eerie place.
After more circles, Lucio saw no other anomalies.
He memorized the energy boundary.
The area was large, within patrol range.
It all made sense.
"Wait, something's odd. Patrol traces show frequent patrols, but why is no one here today?"
Lucio felt uneasy.
This was abnormal.
No patrols below.
Could it be a non-patrol day?
Impossible.
The only explanation: he'd been discovered.
Realizing this, Lucio turned back.
But before leaving the area, a black energy arrow pierced the bird.
The bird turned to wood, falling into the forest below.
Lucio opened his eyes, the connection severed.
The avatar spell ended.
"I've been discovered," Lucio said gravely.
"Discovered? Should we leave?" Severus asked.
Tyron reacted, "Discovered by whom?"
Unaware of planar warfare or wizards, Tyron knew nothing of the Lim Mountains' situation.
Lucio shook his head, "No need. They seem not to be coming out. I got the information I needed."
Lucio gained much from the investigation.
Though discovered, he knew the wizard base's location and patrol routes.
Patrols would change, but not drastically.
The base was stationary.
"Let's go. Staying here is pointless. I must inform the elder and other tribes. There's a wizard base inside," Lucio said firmly.
"You three stay here, adapt as needed, and wait for my return. Don't attack; wizards are dangerous," Lucio instructed the elves.
They nodded, agreeing.
"Wizards?" Tyron heard the term for the first time.
Severus patted his shoulder, "I'll explain when we return."
Lucio felt heavy-hearted. Observing the wizard base, he realized it was well-established.
He knew wizard bases had many protective arrays, making direct assault difficult.
Attacking was only feasible when they emerged.
If wizards stayed inside, expanding the base, they were untouchable.
Fortunately, the wizards hadn't begun mass slaughter, leaving nearby civilians safe.
Lucio pondered, telling Tyron, "You may need to plan Oberstein's evacuation."
"Evacuation?" Tyron was shocked by the severity.
Lucio nodded, "Inside… well, there's a powerful threat. If they emerge, they'll harm nearby life. You must prepare."
Past wizard invasions saw similar events.
Wizards performed blood sacrifices, devastating life to fuel powerful spells.
TL/n -
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