This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 243 - 224: Laine’s Last Chance

Chapter 243: Chapter 224: Laine’s Last Chance

The sudden ambush came to a quick end.

Though it seemed formidable, the casualties among the Laine People were not heavy; upon tallying the numbers, only twelve had died, with even fewer wounded.

The main reason was the early detection and the enemy’s particularly decisive retreat.

Clearly, the purpose of these Desert People was mere harassment, and they had not left but somehow found a way to hide, launching another sneak attack every half an hour or so.

After all, the desert was the Desert People’s turf and the Laine People held no geographical advantage there.

At the meeting, the Silvermoon Knight massaged his brow.

Headaches had been tormenting his nerves; as a man with one foot in the grave, he really shouldn’t be exerting himself so.

From the moment the first attack on Dew City failed, things had spiraled out of control.

But the situation being as it was, the Silvermoon Knight could only muster his spirits and discuss the next plan of action with his generals.

The Desert People were not going to give them time to rest, it seemed better to launch another attack while they were not completely exhausted. Whether it failed or succeeded, it would be Dew City’s final battle.

Allen stood on the side; as a mere attendant, he had no right to express any opinion.

But hearing those generals talk about how to retaliate, whether to launch a counter-ambush or to poison the enemy, or some other method – although these sounded like venting in a fit of pique, and even though it was coming from the mouth of a Black Knight.

Yet Allen felt something strange; for the first time, he saw these Laine People as somewhat alien.

Allen remembered a young man who had been killed in a sneak attack by the Desert People; when his brother came to claim the body, he did so with a smile on his face, as if he thought his brother deserved to die.

Originally, Allen had thought that killing a coward afraid of war for the honor of the family and victory in battle was just an overzealous act, but not fundamentally wrong.

And the words of the Silvermoon Knight echoed in his mind.

When war can be used as an excuse to override doctrines, then could the royal power do the same?

In an instant, a thousand excuses came to Allen’s mind.

For the sake of maintaining Laine’s rule, had the Laine royal family ever done anything against their doctrines? Making excuses in the name of the interests of the majority, or the broader picture, and then deceiving oneself that it was a necessary evil to cover up all misdeeds.

Allen felt lost in life, praying to the Deity for enlightenment, yet the Lord of the Dawn did not respond.

At this moment, Allen had no idea that in the near future, he would witness the divine descent of the Lord of the Dawn and that he would become the youngest Legendary figure in the Empire, witnessing the departure of his mentor.

Meanwhile, Amberser was looking at his work with smug satisfaction.

He had modified the Defense Magic Array of Dew City without any hindrance, even receiving Hoffman’s support.

It was only after seeing Amberser cast spells that Hoffman believed the preposterous idea that a Magipuppet Automaton had awakened its own consciousness. No Magipuppet Automaton could cast magic; the most expensive products sold in Alchemy City did not have the ability to cast spells.

They could use Mana Power Furnaces for power, they could launch mini Magic-guided Shells, but these were all pre-set Magic Arrays that could only operate as programmed.

But Amberser had cast a multitude of spells in front of Hoffman, a level of spellcasting that was more formidable than any Legendary Mage Hoffman had seen. There was no way such a powerful Magipuppet Automaton could exist; if Alchemy City had such technology, they would have dominated the entire continent long ago.

An awakened Magipuppet Automaton with self-consciousness, a Dragon Knight no less, possessing outstanding spellcasting ability, made Hoffman believe it was the will of the Deity, a salvation encountered during the hardest time of his life.

So when Amberser said he would repair the Defense Magic Array, Hoffman fully supported him.

Then Hoffman watched a group of mages who maintained the magic array being scolded harshly by Amberser; these normally haughty mages couldn’t retort a single word. They were like a bunch of Mage Apprentices, bowing their heads and admitting their mistakes.

Then Amberser began commanding these typically sly mages to modify the entire Defense Magic Array.

A complete repair within a few short hours was impossible; the city’s defensive Magic Array was designed to counter Legendary assaults, expensive and intricate in maintenance, and even more so in refurbishment.

Even if Amberser brought out the Golden Throne, there was no hope of a swift repair, so instead, he built his own Magic Array on top of the original one.

He simply borrowed the original Magic Array’s energy source to achieve the results he desired.

After hours of busyness, Amberser activated this new Magic Array. After a period of hazy changes in light and shadow, it seemed as though nothing had happened.

Hoffman was at a loss, but after he left Dew City under Amberser’s guidance, he understood the effect of the Magic Array.

Great Dew City had vanished without a trace.

The place where the city stood was nothing but a stretch of desert sand, reflecting a golden hue under the twilight sun, indistinguishable from any other dune, to the point that even Hoffman, who grew up in the desert, could not spot the slightest flaw.

"I borrowed the mirage phenomenon of the desert to enhance the illusion effect. To outsiders, Dew City would not be here, but over there, about three kilometers away."

Amberser, accompanied by Hoffman, arrived at the location of the projection. Indeed, an incredibly lifelike city appeared before his eyes.

Without actually entering it, one could not see any difference with the naked eye.

"This is incredible, I’ve never seen such a large-scale illusionary projection!" Hoffman exclaimed in amazement.

Amberser was also very proud. He used to be unable to create such a large-scale illusion, but ever since he mastered the spell known as ’Laila’s True Illusion,’ his understanding of illusions had improved by leaps and bounds.

By borrowing the natural environment of the desert and utilizing the mana reserves of Dew City, he was able to complete this unbelievable massive illusion.

After Hoffman expressed his admiration, he said to Amberser, "Do you intend to set the battlefield inside this illusory city? But once the Laine People begin their siege, they will immediately see through it."

It doesn’t seem useful at all. Just shooting an arrow towards the false Dew City would reveal the truth. The Laine People are not fools, they cannot be deceived.

Amberser said, "It’s not the Laine People we need to deceive, but that old fellow from the Silvermoon Knights. In the next battle, he will definitely strike with his sword again, and none of us can block it. So, we have to use this city to trick him into striking once."

All of Amberser’s plans revolved around depleting the energy of the Silvermoon Knight. As long as the old fellow was worn out, Dew City would surely hold.

This fake Dew City was right on their route of advance. Although it was a few kilometers away from the original location, the desert terrain naturally made it hard to judge distances. Amberser decided to gamble, hoping that when the Laine People saw Dew City, they would overlook the few kilometers’ difference.

It was just a pity that Amberser’s Dice of Destiny was sealed by the Goddess of Fate. Otherwise, he would have been able to turn this possibility into a certain future. Now, he could only rely on luck.

That’s just how worthless men are, once dismissive of the Goddess, yet desperately hoping for her favor in crucial moments.

Hoffman understood Amberser’s intentions and said, "If that’s the case, then it cannot be an utterly empty city. We need to deploy enough troops to at least make this city seem difficult to capture, which will force the Silvermoon Knight to make his move. Otherwise, our plan will be immediately seen through."

Amberser did not understand the military details, so naturally, he let Hoffman, who knew what he was doing, take over.

Before long, Dew City had dispatched a contingent of Dwarf Iron Guards to build defensive fortifications outside the city.

These were serious preparations. They transformed the front of this fake city into a complicated battlefield that, even to an amateur, seemed easy to defend and hard to attack.

With this fortification as a buffer, the chances of deceiving the Laine People were even greater.

By the time all these preparations were made, the sky had already darkened. The desert, bereft of sunlight, returned to its plain appearance, as if a filter had been applied, quite unadorned.

Dew City gradually lit up, exceptionally conspicuous in the surrounding darkness.

Without needing to resort to divination, Amberser was certain that the Laine would launch another attack tonight. They had already bypassed the front lines to assault Dew City and had only one day to do so.

If they were delayed, their forces would be surrounded by dwarven legions from all sides.

No matter how formidable the Silvermoon Knight was, he couldn’t possibly leave with ten thousand men unscathed; they were bound to suffer heavy losses.

So, tonight was their last chance.

If they succeeded, they would take Dew City and grasp the throat of the Dwarf Kingdom. If they failed, they would immediately have to retreat, fleeing the encirclement as fast as possible.

Amberser lay on a sand dune outside the city, staring at the moon in the sky that seemed a bit too large, and suddenly thought of Katherine, wondering where she had gone all this half day.

Just as he thought this, Amberser sensed someone approaching.

Getting up to look, it was none other than Katherine, the very person he had just been thinking of.

Bathed in the moonlight, the elf maiden looked divine and noble, even in her bulky clothes. It was no wonder that she was favored by the Elven Gods. Sometimes Amberser thought that if Katherine spoke a few words in front of the two armies, it might just lead both sides to negotiate peace directly.

Katherine came over and sat down beside Amberser quite naturally.

"How did you find me?" asked Amberser.

Katherine pointed to the sky. In the night sky, a Giant Eagle was circling, flying so high that it would go unnoticed without careful observation.

"Rangers really are convenient," Amberser remarked.

Katherine laughed and said, "You’re a ranger too. If it weren’t for the power I shared with you, how could you play this role of a Dragon Knight?"

"That’s true. But what do you want from me now? Haven’t you decided not to get involved in the war? If the Laine People see you later, it’s going to be a political issue."

Amberser’s question made Katherine fall silent for a moment, and her next answer surprised him.

Loking at Amberser with absolute seriousness, Katherine said, "I really shouldn’t get involved in this war, but suddenly, I wonder if the Deity wants me to help you?"