Chapter 10: So This is a Wizard?
The Blackrock Mine was located southwest of Blackrock City. It consisted of more than a dozen mining sites and covered a vast area. The shallow veins had been exhausted, leaving the surrounding mountain walls carved into a concave valley. Looking inward from the valley entrance, one saw a vast expanse of reddish-grey and lead-black rocks.
The valley was littered with mining carts and rails, evidence of the resources invested by the former lord. However, decades had passed, and the place was now a desolate ruin, the carts and rails rusted and covered in dust.
Kyi and Sunan stood at the valley entrance, surveying the scene.
Behind them were more than a dozen knights and a hundred soldiers.
Due to the importance of the Blackrock Mine, Kyi had mobilized nearly half of Blackrock City's forces.
Of course, ordinary soldiers wouldn't play a major role in this operation. Their task was to guard the retreat route and provide logistical support.
The true fighting force consisted of Sunan, Kyi, and the knights.
"Are you sure about this?" Jorton muttered, glancing at the dark entrance to the mine with a worried look. "I heard from the old soldiers that those Iron-Swallowing Beasts are very strong. Are we taking too much of a risk with just this few people?"
The other knights exchanged uneasy glances.
To be honest, they were all surprised when Lord Kyi announced his plan to clear the Iron-Swallowing Beasts from the Blackrock Mine.
Everyone in Blackrock City knew about the mine and the rumors surrounding it.
It was said that several previous lords had tried to deal with the Iron-Swallowing Beasts, but they all failed, suffering significant losses.
Over time, no one dared to attempt it again.
No one expected Kyi to suddenly decide to reopen the mine.
If Master Sunan hadn't claimed to have a solution, they would have voiced their objections.
Even so, many of them were still apprehensive.
"Jorton, if you continue to undermine morale, I'll forbid you from drinking for a month when we get back," Kyi warned, glaring at him.
Jorton shrank back, falling silent.
He loved all kinds of wine and spirits; forbidding him from drinking was akin to torture.
Seeing Jorton subdued, Kyi turned back to the mine entrance, his own heart filled with uncertainty.
After all, he had never seen an Iron-Swallowing Beast himself. If these monsters were even more terrifying than the old soldiers described, they would be in trouble.
However, glancing at Sunan beside him, Kyi chose to trust his brother, masking his worries.
Sunan touched the scale armor he wore.
It was the only piece of scale armor in Blackrock City, more valuable than a full set of refined iron armor.
It originally belonged to Kyi, but Kyi, fearing for his brother's safety, insisted that Sunan wear it. He even gave him a longsword.
Although Sunan's swordsmanship was terrible, it was better than nothing.
"Let's go!"
With Kyi's order, everyone lit their torches and filed into the mine, leaving the soldiers to guard the entrance.
The shallow veins of the Blackrock Mine had long been exhausted. Later, several deep shafts were dug to mine the deeper layers.
The shafts crisscrossed beneath the rock layers, and every few hundred meters, an oil lamp hung on the wall.
However, the oil within had long since evaporated.
A knight stepped forward with a leather pouch, refilling and lighting the lamps.
Soon, a series of flames illuminated the tunnels, casting long shadows that outlined the winding paths, guiding them forward.
As they ventured deeper, they slowed their pace.
The tunnels were uneven, and the dim light made it easy to stumble and injure themselves.
Although they were all knights with strong bodies, no one wanted to fall flat on their faces.
A silence hung in the air, broken only by their footsteps and breathing.
The cold, desolate tunnels held no sign of life. An ordinary person traveling alone in such a place would be filled with instinctive dread.
After walking further, the surrounding rock walls finally changed.
A knight held his torch close to the wall, revealing a layer of dark, cold black coating the surface.
"Blackrock Iron ore!" Jorton exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
Everyone recognized it.
They immediately became more alert.
Further ahead lay the unmined ore veins.
It was likely here that the miners had encountered the Iron-Swallowing Beasts, forcing them to abandon their work.
This meant they would soon encounter their targets.
Their prediction proved correct.
After advancing four or five hundred meters, they heard a rustling sound coming from ahead, as if something was crawling on the ground.
"Alert! Prepare for battle!" Kyi ordered in a low voice.
Everyone raised their weapons, their expressions grim as they stared into the darkness.
Soon, feline shapes emerged from the shadows.
They stepped gracefully into the torchlight, their grey, gemstone-like eyes fixed on the intruders.
Iron-Swallowing Beasts!
Exactly as depicted in the portrait Sunan had seen.
More and more beasts emerged from the darkness, quickly exceeding ten in number. Beyond the reach of the torchlight, several pairs of gleaming eyes flickered.
The Iron-Swallowing Beasts formed a loose semicircle, surrounding them.
"These beasts are quite ambitious. It seems they want to keep us all here!" Knight Bradd muttered, tightening his grip on his massive steel shield.
He was the strongest knight in Blackrock City after Kyi, just a step away from being promoted to a high-ranking knight.
Standing two meters tall and skilled in shield techniques, he was a renowned warrior on the battlefield.
Seeing the Iron-Swallowing Beasts up close, Bradd sensed that their aura did not exceed that of a primary knight, and he relaxed slightly.
"It would be a good thing if that's the case. I'm afraid these beasts will run away."
Kyi also noticed this and breathed a sigh of relief.
They had enough strength to deal with a dozen or so primary knight-level monsters.
The question was, how to keep these Iron-Swallowing Beasts from escaping?
Reality didn't give them time to think. The beasts launched their attack, leaping towards the group!
The battle erupted instantly!
The clang of metal against metal echoed through the tunnels!
Bradd slammed his shield into an Iron-Swallowing Beast, sending it flying ten meters back. It crashed against the rock wall with a loud bang, sending dust and debris raining down.
But the beast simply shook its head and charged again, seemingly unharmed.
Bradd frowned.
The other knights were also struggling.
The Iron-Swallowing Beasts' bodies were incredibly tough. Even swords and axes infused with Dou Qi could only leave faint scratches.
Only Kyi, as a high-ranking knight, could inflict significant damage.
If not for the narrow tunnels that limited the beasts' movements, preventing them from utilizing their agility and speed, the fight would be even more difficult.
The battle was not as easy as they had anticipated, and they were quickly locked in a stalemate.
Just then, Sunan made his move.
He chanted a strange incantation, pointed a finger, and a basketball-sized ball of acid materialized at his fingertip. It shot out, striking an Iron-Swallowing Beast squarely in the face.
Sizzle!
The beast's face erupted in acrid white smoke as it thrashed on the ground, trying to rub off the corrosive liquid.
There were no weak offensive spells.
Although Acid Splash was only a zero-ring spell, its corrosive power was more terrifying than aqua regia.
An egg-sized ball of acid was enough to completely dissolve an adult human male, leaving no trace behind!
Even with their tough bodies, the Iron-Swallowing Beasts wouldn't be able to withstand such an attack to a vital area!
Swish!
A figure darted forward, thrusting his sword into the wound on the beast's face. With a burst of force, the beast's head exploded. Its headless body swayed for a moment before collapsing.
Kyi withdrew his sword, glancing at Sunan in surprise.
The other knights were also shocked.
They had experienced firsthand how tough the Iron-Swallowing Beasts' bodies were, comparable to real Blackrock Iron.
Yet, in just a few breaths, half of the beast's head had been corroded away!
What terrifying power was this?!
What would happen if a flesh-and-blood body was hit by s
uch an attack?
Just imagining the scene made their scalps tingle!
So this is a wizard!