War Fortress Command.
This was a hemispherical hall that was absurdly spacious.
The dome hung hundreds of meters high, composed of translucent pale green crystals. Countless fine points of light flowed within it, each point corresponding to a creation on the battlefield.
The cannon fodder legions, including slaves, contract beasts, mechanical servants, and enslaved beasts, were transformed into tiny symbols on the dome's light screen, their vital signs and location data pulsing in real-time.
A ring of control consoles lined the walls of the hall, with a white-robed wizard seated at each one.
Small, pale blue light screens hovered before them, constantly refreshing with combat data from various sectors.
In the center of the hall, twelve thick crystal pillars formed a circle, each as wide as three men could span with their arms.
Eerie blue light flowed within the pillars; they were the energy hub nodes for the entire War Fortress.
In the center of these twelve pillars hovered a massive 3D battlefield map over ten meters in diameter, showing the real-time situation of every engagement zone on the Emerald Plain.
Blue represented the Wizard World's side, while green represented the Amons. The two colors collided, permeated, and tore at each other frantically on the large map.
Directly beneath the map, five figures stood before a circular command console.
The leader was an old man with graying hair, his white robe embroidered with intricate silver runes.
He was the supreme commander of this sector, Third-Tier White Wizard Thousand Eyes.
Four Second-Tier Wizards stood behind him, also in white robes, whispering to one another as they stared at their respective light screens.
Thousand Eyes' gaze swept over the battlefield map, and he suddenly raised a finger to point at the southeast corner.
"The Seventh Sector has pushed forward eight hundred meters; have the reserve legions press up. There is a gap in the Ninth Sector's flank; deploy two of Wizard Jade Shadow's Treant legions to fill it."
One of the Second-Tier Wizards behind him immediately lowered his head to operate his light screen.
A female wizard nearby looked up. "Lord Thousand Eyes, the casualty rate of the cannon fodder legions in the Third Sector is nearing the critical threshold. Should we rotate them out?"
"No need. Let them keep holding. The Third Sector is directly facing the Amons' elite battle groups. Rotating them now would just give the enemy a breakthrough point."
As soon as Thousand Eyes finished speaking, a bald, chubby wizard at the edge of the console suddenly let out a surprised sound.
This was Azhan, a Second-Tier White Wizard specifically responsible for monitoring abnormal data of all individuals on the battlefield.
He was currently staring at the small light screen before him, which was locked onto a tiny symbol moving at high speed.
"Oh? Whose subordinate is this? So brave?"
Azhan's voice wasn't loud, but in the relatively quiet command area, it was enough for those around him to hear.
The tall, slender female wizard next to him, Geyang, tilted her head, her gaze falling on the small light screen.
She split off a strand of mental power to project the real-time monitoring footage corresponding to that symbol.
A small window the size of a palm popped up in the corner of the screen, showing a figure sprinting across the battlefield.
Clad in dark gray tight-fitting clothes, the figure was covered in emerald Wood Armor, with a wooden round shield hanging from his left forearm.
His stature wasn't particularly large, but his running speed was startlingly fast, every step leaving deep footprints in the mud.
His hands were constantly raised, emerald light flickering in his palms. With every flash, Flying Leaves and wooden spikes shot out in all directions.
The Amons warriors along his path fell like harvested wheat, collapsing in swathes.
"An apprentice has this kind of combat power?" A hint of surprise entered Geyang's voice.
Wusha, another Second-Tier Wizard who had been reading combat reports, was also drawn over. He leaned in for a glance at the screen. "Which academy is he from?"
Azhan slid his finger across the screen, pulling up the apprentice's file.
"Ethan Leo, Blood Bone Tower Academy, Third-Tier Apprentice. Mission record: Participated in the infiltration mission for this World War; completion rating: Perfect."
He paused for a moment. "Wait, the infiltration mission? He's the apprentice who built five Wizard Towers and teleportation arrays?"
"Five? All of them?" Geyang's eyebrows shot up even higher.
"Five. All completed. Command headquarters rated it as Perfect," Azhan nodded.
Wusha rubbed his chin. "An apprentice with a perfect infiltration rating should be resting. Why run to the very front of the line? Does he have a death wish?"
"Probably for magic stones. After all, anyone who takes an infiltration mission clearly wants magic stones. You know, Lord Jade Shadow's rewards include a ninety percent discount on High-Level Meditation Methods."
"Tsk, a High-Level Meditation Method. That's certainly worth risking one's life for."
Azhan's finger slid across the screen again. "He certainly is risking it. In just this short time, the number of Amons warriors fallen by his hand has already exceeded three hundred."
Hearing this, Geyang turned her head, her gaze fixed on Azhan's screen.
"A Third-Tier Apprentice, on a battlefield of this scale, has a kill count higher than a squad of cannon fodder. Is his mana free?"
Wusha also leaned in, staring at the footage for a few moments before suddenly speaking. "Look at his left hand."
The wizards simultaneously turned their gaze to Ethan's left hand.
In the footage, Ethan's left hand was gripping three magic stones.
"So that's it. This little fellow is absorbing mana from magic stones to maintain such high-intensity cantrip output."
"Tsk, a rich kid."
"Based on this kid's output power, his cantrips are at least 20 degrees. By killing so many Amons natives and constantly seizing their equipment, he's probably earning enough to break even."
"Heh, true. These Black Wizards, they really are..."
Wusha didn't finish his sentence, but the surrounding wizards all understood what he meant.
As White Wizards who championed order and large-scale legion combat, they naturally looked down on Black Wizards like Ethan, who relied on personal martial prowess and had little regard for rules.
Of course, they still appreciated those who were brave enough to put their lives on the line for personal gain.
After all, over hundreds or thousands of years, they had seen millions, if not tens of millions, of Third-Tier Apprentices.
When someone like Ethan appeared, they would naturally take a second look.
Unfortunately, it was just a second look.
"Enough," Thousand Eyes, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Stay focused. Lord Jade Shadow is currently eroding the World Consciousness and cannot intervene for a short while. Do not underestimate the enemy and cause excessive losses. I don't want my command rating to drop."
Hearing the commander say this, the wizards instinctively looked toward the ceiling.
In a place invisible to most, a force so massive it was suffocating was slowly fluctuating. Just sensing it made one's scalp tingle.
And so,
Azhan withdrew his gaze from the screen and focused on other front lines.
Geyang continued processing the combat reports in her hand.
Wusha also turned back to his own control console.
No one paid him any more mind.
Half an hour later.
A Treant walked in quickly from a side door. "Lord Thousand Eyes, all First-Tier Wizards have been adjusted."
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