Everyone looked in the direction of the source of the voice. By this time, the White Clothed One had left the back of the dragon and was now standing on the ground nearby. He was holding his magic wand leveled at his right hand while its tip shimmered with a faint glow of lightning.
Clearly, the barrier spell enveloping their surroundings was of his doing.
"Finish this quickly!" the White Clothed One spoke, his aged voice thereby issuing his first command since their arrival.
Jiu You knew they had to retreat, but he wasn’t the only one privy to this knowledge. The enemy was well aware of it, too. Despite appearances where it seemed the fools within the city were formidable, they were actually only irregulars and in no position to come near the Wizard Tower. Just a single Magic Crystal Cannon was enough to counter the Zerg Strategy.
The elite troops numbering around a hundred were the real threat to the Wizard Tower!
This wasn’t just the immediate threat before them. It was the long-term threat in the struggle between the two races that would persist over an extended time.
Therefore, the Wizard Association had made the decision early on. Even if it came at a cost, they would utilize this battle to annihilate the core strength of the fools right here and nip the problem in the bud!
Upon hearing this, the other wizards immediately launched a more frenzied offensive, hurling all manner of spells like money was no object.
One significant advantage of fighting while having the Wizard Tower at their back was the swift recovery of their magic power and HP.
This was one of the fundamental features of the Wizard Tower. Any Wizard Association member fighting within a thousand-meter radius of the tower would enjoy a considerable boost in stats. It even provided a 1% healing effect for HP and magic power every second.
That’s precisely why the Arcane Tower was purpose-built within the Wizard Tower. By forcing the battlefield to be around the Wizard Tower and fighting with the tower as their backup, the overall combat power of the Wizard Association could be leveled up!
Facing the massive onslaught of magic, the player team naturally did everything they could to resist and counterattack. Since their levels and numbers didn’t lag behind by much, it was evenly matched initially.
However, while their enemies enjoyed an uninterrupted supply from the Wizard Tower, they did not have such a advantage. As the battle persisted, this equilibrium was bound to be broken sooner or later.
What was making everyone uneasy was the presence of the Chimera.
One-on-one, Jiu You and his teammates wouldn’t fear a lesser dragon, but in this kind of chaotic group combat, the power that such a heavy-duty magical beast could demonstrate was truly terrifying.
The beast was virtually an artillery battery that never ceased casting spells. One after another, the dragon breaths, with their horrifying damage, corroded and burned. Attempting to resist head-on was unfeasible and avoidance became the only option.
The formation painstakingly assembled by everyone was repeatedly torn apart by waves of dragon breath. They were struggling to mount an effective resistance as a result.
Just when they were left with no recourse against the Chimera’s onslaught, the black-robed man atop the dragon was still complaining.
The black-robed man, holding a special long whip, lashed it around the Chimera’s neck.
"What’s the matter? You’ve breathed so many times, yet you can’t hit even one person. Was the targeting training I gave you wasted?"
One strike of the whip and a mark appeared on the dragon’s neck. The Chimera let out a roar, but didn’t dare express much anger. A bone spike collar tightly wound around its neck quickly tightened, burying itself deeper into its flesh.
Enduring the pain, the Chimera continued to spray fire with even greater vigor.
To genuinely tame a dragon would be hard, thus they could only resort to a collar to control it forcefully, using ample time to tame it gradually until its wild nature was worn off.
"The use of the whip should be moderated. Balance is the most important principle in The Way of the Beast Tamer. Disorderly punishment would only invite retaliation," the White Clothed One, observing from a distance, advised in a calm tone.
"Yes, Master," replied the black-robed man, nodding hurriedly.
This dialogue infuriated the players beyond measure. They were being treated as practice tools!
However, they were already overwhelmed with dodging the dragon breaths at this moment and had no time to express their anger.
The sole consolation for Jiu You was that the Boundary Magic which was blocking teleportation required continuous casting. The White Clothed One, in his attempt to prevent their escape, had to maintain the casting state, and as such, he hadn’t attacked them. Otherwise, their defeat would only have come faster.
"...Hold on, reinforcements are being arranged..."
Bits and pieces of news were transmitted through their mind-links intermittently.
Jiu You, however, didn’t harbor much hope.
The current battlefield in the Imperial Capital had been divided into three parts: they were engaged in combat with the wizard team led by the White Clothed One at the cemetery; in the urban area, numerous ordinary players were matching their wits and courage against the Imperial Guard troops, but after the Guard’s knights had contracted their defensive lines, these low-level players found it very difficult to organize an effective offensive.
Additionally, underneath the Wizard Tower, between six hundred to seven hundred elite players had boarded a ship, attempting to storm the Wizard Tower. But under the watch of the three elders, that battlefield was likely more desperate than their own. The chances of receiving help from there were virtually nil.
With all three fronts under severe strain, the scales of victory were quickly tilting away from them.
Still, Jiu You had a glimmer of hope in his heart. Based on the news received from their headquarters, the big shot who had provided them with Evolution Elixir, the Ghost Captain, has yet to appear!
When and in what condition would he intervene in this battle?
If he were to make his appearance, could he break the current deadlock?
Or was all this just a mirage? In the face of such a desperate situation, would the Ghost Captain still show up...