Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 825
"It's her. She seems to be commanding the army!" Mo Fan saw a Battlemaga fending off seven Rock Monsters alone on a building. Mo Fan only noticed her because of the Mountain Drill Spinning Top that was her specialty.
Mo Fan happened to see a Rock Monster that was interested in joining the show between the seven Rock Monsters and the beautiful female soldier. He decisively hopped onto the Rock Monster's back.
The Rock Monster was indeed clumsy, with low intelligence. It only noticed Mo Fan's existence after reaching the top of the building. It immediately reached its hands out to grab Mo Fan.
"Down you go!"
Mo Fan jumped onto the building while breaking the platform extending out of it with a stomp.
The Rock Monster had nothing left to hold onto. It fell from the top of the building and slammed into a huge pit.
"It's you!" Wen Xia was surprised to see Mo Fan.
"The Rock Monsters have broken through so easily. It seems like you're not that good of a commander," Mo Fan scoffed haughtily.
"Enough with your cynical remarks. Just piss off if you are just being an eyesore, instead of trying to help!" Wen Xia shot right back.
"I'm here to help, of course! You are being tricked by these Rock Monsters. This is only a bunch of cannon fodder meant to distract you. The real force has already snuck into the city!" Mo Fan said righteously.
"Are you referring to those mud monsters that pounce on their targets?" Wen Xia asked while fending off the Rock Monsters.
"Yeah, I saw a whole bunch of them heading to the center of the city," Mo Fan said.
"Are you sure!?" Wen Xia was almost hit by a Rock Monster in the face from being distracted.
"I'm sure!" Mo Fan swore.
"Damn it, these cunning pricks!" Wen Xia cursed.
"Is the Barrier Core at the center of the city?" Mo Fan asked.
"Obviously, they are clearly heading for the Barrier Core," Wen Xia f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y broke free from the encircling Rock Monsters and jumped to a shorter building.
Mo Fan watched Wen Xia leave. He turned around and immediately felt like cursing when he saw the Rock Monsters coming at him.
"Don't go, get rid of my Seal first!" Mo Fan chased after Wen Xia.
Mo Fan seriously had enough of the Magic Seal. Only Wen Xia was able to get rid of it for him!
Chapter 1770 - Black-Silver Rock Demon
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Wen Xia was surprisingly quick, and adept at using the Earth Wave. She could manipulate flat and angled terrain to increase her speed, like she had put on a pair of boots that had zero friction with the ground. It felt like she was riding the wind as she surfed across the waves.
Mo Fan's control was outstanding, and he was learning from the more experienced Earth Maga on the spot to catch up to her. He was also skidding across the surfaces, but unlike Wen Xia, who was nimbly dodging the attacks of the Rock Monsters and jumping around, Mo Fan was more like a rookie who had put on ice skates for the first time. Not only was he waving his hands wildly, trying to balance himself, he kept crashing into trash cans, electric poles, advertising boards, and stalls along the way!
Mo Fan pursued the woman relentlessly, immediately putting the skills he had learned into practice. He was badly battered before he even reached the center of the city.
A Rock Monster that had just formed suddenly rushed out of an alley.
It was a Mud Morphing Monster that had just ambushed its prey successfully. He could see mud still flowing on the Rock Monster's body and solidifying in reaction to the air. However, the impatient creature was already attacking pedestrians on the street.
"I have no time to waste on you!" Mo Fan ducked and slid past between the Rock Monster's legs in style.
The Rock Monster was a little slow with its reaction. Mo Fan was already nowhere to be seen by the time it bent forward. He was already a hundred meters away by the time it turned and saw him.
"Turn, turn, turn, f**king turn!"
The street had a ninety-degree turn in front of a mountain wall. Mo Fan tried to manipulate the ground with his control of the Earth Magic so he could drift perfectly at the corner like Wen Xia did. Unfortunately, there were things that were impossible to learn just by observing someone doing it, nor was yelling going to make any difference. The dramatic move required great experience in using the Earth Wave.
Bang!
Mo Fan failed to step on the brakes in time, and slammed right into the wall. Golden stars were spinning above his head.
The Rock Monsters were still chasing after him. Mo Fan quickly wiped the blood gushing from his nose and quickly used another Earth Wave to leave the area.
Mm, mm, Mo Fan had learned how to travel in a straight line with the Earth Wave, but he was still struggling to turn the corners, let alone running along the walls and drifting around a ninety-degree turn like Wen Xia!
---
Wen Xia frowned after she arrived at the center of the city. There were a lot of buildings at the city's center, most of them were built with stone. To the south was a busy marketplace, and to the north were some ordinary commercial streets.
A modern city would normally consist of steel, concrete, and reinforced glass, but the city center of Dingcheng only had concrete. There was not even any greenery nearby.
The buildings had blocked off most of the view as she looked ahead, but she could still see strange mud creatures wriggling in different locations. Several Rock Monsters were destroying everything about them recklessly. It felt like a bunch of bandits had found their way into a rich mansion. They were overturning trunks and boxes, searching for the Barrier Core.
It was dangerous for demon creatures to invade a city. Luckily, the city was more like a battle fortress that only allowed Mages to enter it. Otherwise, there would be a lot more innocent lives lost.
Mo Fan was panting heavily. A lot of strange things were hanging off of him. He already lost count of the things he bumped into along the way!
"Get rid of the Seal, and I'll eliminate these creatures for you," Mo Fan gasped.
"Getting rid of the Seal is no different from giving the Barrier Core to these creatures. No non-Earth Element energy is allowed, especially so close to the Barrier Core!" Wen Xia replied instantly.
"Then what are you going to do? Do you think you can take them all out with your Earth Element? There are large numbers of Mud Morphing Monsters hunting their prey in the city now! The number of the Rock Monsters are only going to increase, and these creatures don't just stop there, they can also..." Mo Fan suddenly paused in the middle of his sentence.
Wen Xia was confused. She asked, "What were you trying to say?"
Mo Fan did not answer her. He pointed ahead with a stern face.
Since it was dark, Wen Xia and Mo Fan subconsciously assumed the two black shadows before them were some tall commercial buildings when they looked down from a great height. To their surprise, the buildings suddenly started moving by raising their thick and strong legs. Their steps left huge cracks on the ground, and even knocked the houses nearby to the ground!
Wen Xia was dazed for a moment.
A Rock Monster over fifty meters tall?
The tallest Rock Monster they had encountered so far was only four meters, which was about the height of a single-story building. How did such enormous creatures show up in the well-protected city center? How did they make their way past the rampart? How could the soldiers and Brown Earth Mages possibly let them pass?
"You saw it, they can evolve continuously. Not only can the Mud Morphing Monsters transform into Rock Monsters after pouncing on humans, these Rock Monsters are attacking Mages to devour them, too. Every Mage they devour will increase their size and strength… damn it, how many Mages did those two Black-Silver Rock Demons even devour to reach their current size? The people inside them are probably enough to stack up into a human pyramid!" Mo Fan said.
These dangerous and destructive creatures were born in such a short time. Heaven knew what they would do if they were left alone!
"They are turning the energy of the Mages into their own. The Research Union has done some research on them, but we didn't discover the Mud Morphing Monsters until it was too late," Wen Xia admitted.
"I thought so too. The people we rescued were very weak, as if all their energy was drawn away," Mo Fan said.
"Come with me, we can't let those two monsters reach the Barrier Core," Wen Xia seemed to know of a hidden passage, and Mo Fan off to a remote area.
"Hey, don't you dare drag me into a mess! I'm just being kind-hearted trying to remind you of the threat so the military won't be taken by surprise, so hurry up and get rid of the Seal. I promise you that I won't use my other Elements before the Barrier Core is done setting up. Besides, if those things do find the Barrier Core, who knows if they can evolve any further with the energy of the Barrier Core. It won't be just the Rock Monsters we have to worry about, but a Rock Demon Emperor. I still need my other Elements to flee for my life… ah, to protect the vulnerable residents of the city!" Mo Fan corrected himself.
Chapter 1771 - Saving the World Wherever He Goes
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"No way, I will not remove the Seal before the barrier is fully established!" Wen Xia said firmly.
"Don't be so stubborn. If you don't get rid of the seal, how are you going to take care of these Rock Monsters? What if everyone in the city is devoured by those monsters?" Mo Fan said.
"Look up," Wen Xia pointed at the night sky and said, "The moon will reach its peak at midnight, and the same time the barrier is finished. After that, the Barrier will no longer prohibit the Mages in the city from using other Elements. It's only a few hours from now!"
Mo Fan glanced at the moon hanging in the sky and scratched his head.
A few hours! It might sound easy, but the military and the Magic Association had not expected the Mud Morphing Monsters to sneak into the city. They had placed all their attention on the rampart, which was currently under attack by the Rock Monsters. The city was in a complete mess now. It was impossible for the city to hold on for another few hours!
On top of that, the people in the city were both more concentrated and unorganized. They were easy targets for the Mud Morphing Monsters to increase their experience bars. More Rock Monsters and Rock Generals were going to appear, in addition to the two Black-Silver Rock Demons, not to mention the civilians were already struggling against the Rock Monsters, even though they were the weakest kind!
"If we fail to protect the Barrier Core, there's no way we can rebuild the city for ten years. The defense of the headquarters cities along the coastline will fall a level without enough stone. If a purple-level disaster occurred, the headquarters cities which we spent so many resources on will cease to exist. The eastern part of our country will be as good as gone," Wen Xia said.
Mo Fan was startled by her words.
What the heck? Why did she sound like the fate of an elemental capital deep in the mountains was tied to the survival of mankind? Was she exaggerating something?
Wen Xia retained her righteous bearing as a soldier when she saw Mo Fan's doubtful face. "Perhaps you might think that the odds of a purple-level disaster are extremely low, but that's no excuse to not care about it. If it does happen, the consequences are unimaginable."
Mo Fan was left speechless.
It was a moment before Mo Fan finally remembered what he was trying to say. He sounded even less confident, "So there's no way you will get rid of the Seal before midnight?"
"Exactly!" Wen Xia said firmly.
---
Mo Fan knew he had no chance of convincing Wen Xia after seeing her attitude toward the fate of the world. He had no choice but to wait until midnight, which meant he had to make sure the Barrier Core stayed intact until then.
However, the Mud Morphing Monsters seemed to have picked up the scent of the Barrier Core. They began making their way toward an old structure with a clock tower at the center of the city.
"Please don't tell me that's where the Barrier Core is," Mo Fan sighed.
Wen Xia did not respond to his question, but her reaction had already told Mo Fan the answer.
"Damn it, wait for me!" Mo Fan cursed.
Mo Fan slid down the stairs and followed Wen Xia towards the clock tower. Brown lights were flickering along the streets at times. The city was different since only the Earth Magic was allowed in it. There was no sign of the brilliance of other Elements.
The only problem was, not every Earth Mage's spells could be used to attack. However, it was too passive for them to keep defending against the Rock Monsters' outstanding strength. If the tall buildings and the complicated streets had not been providing them some cover, the Rock Monsters would have long broken down the clock tower!
---
Wen Xia quickly jumped up the clock tower. A Battlemaga in a noble's Magic Coat stood at the top. It was easy to tell she was a Super Mage by her Aura alone.
A bunch of Rock Generals were naively approaching the clock tower, but the Super Mage was constantly manipulating the layout of the city to keep them away.
"Wen Xia, my Gravitational Ring can last until midnight. They won't be able to climb up the Barrier as long as it's still working. They can only roam around the building, but the two Black-Silver Rock Demons can use powerful Earth Magic, too. They are weakening my Gravitational Ring, so you will have to take care of them!" the woman stated grimly.
"Teacher, can you hold your ground until midnight?" Wen Xia asked, concerned.
"It's not like I have a choice. Don't worry about me, just do as I say!" the woman answered.
"Alright, I'll be going."
"Your men will have to stay here. You have to do it on your own," the woman said.
"Leave it to me!"
A special troop of Battlemages was also stationed up on the clock tower, Advanced Mages on average. Their numbers were not high, but they were quite strong. The place was still intact because of them.
A lot of Rock Monsters had shown up in the city center. The people had finally seen the unusual behavior of the Mud Morphing Monsters. The woman in a magic robe had quickly gathered the majority of the Mages at the clock tower before Wen Xia and Mo Fan had shown up. It was better for the Mages to stick together, and most importantly, to protect the Barrier Core!
The civilian Mages knew there were Advanced Battlemages at the clock tower, and were quick to hang around the clock tower knowing the experts of the Magic Association were there. They managed to form a strong defensive perimeter.
"You, come with me!" Wen Xia did not bring anyone else, but ordered Mo Fan to accompany her instead.
"Are you kidding me now? I'm no different from an Intermediate Mage if you don't take the Seal off, yet you're asking me to take care of the Black-Silver Rock Demons with you?" Mo Fan protested.
"You just need to provide me with some support, I'll take care of the fight. You wouldn't want the Barrier Core to fall into these monsters' hands either, right? You still won't be able to use your other Elements, and the city is going to fall. Once that happens..."
"If the city falls, the eastern part of our country is done for, and the rest of our country will follow too. The entire earth will be in danger… fine, I got it. I simply have the destiny to save the world wherever I go," Mo Fan scoffed by mimicking Wen Xia's righteous words.
The truth was, even if the city did fall, the country would still stand and endure through the difficult times. The earth would still spin as usual. They could easily say every incident was tied to the fate of the country!
Wen Xia was angry. She glared at Mo Fan and snapped, "Are you going or not?"
"Of course I'm going. These little creatures have no place in my eyes even when I can't use my main Elements!" Mo Fan continued in the same righteous vein.
Chapter 1772 - Are You a Man?
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
---
Mo Fan followed Wen Xia and slowly wove through a chaotic street with fallen buildings and houses. They noticed a few young Mages fleeing for their lives, and experienced Hunters taking on the Rock Generals. They would hear cries of agony at times, before a new Rock Monster was born in an alley somewhere...
"These Mud Morphing Monsters have the ability to conceal themselves. They will change their color to match their surroundings when they are crawling on the streets or the walls, making it difficult to sense them." Mo Fan had noticed the Mud Morphing Monsters' strange ability along the way.
"We weren't prepared for these creatures because we knew too little about them. Those idiots of the Research Union! I seriously wonder why the Magic Association even bothers paying them when they never do anything useful!" Wen Xia grumbled.
They had already encountered the Rock Monsters prior to the invasion. They had even saved a few Mages that went missing. The Research Union should have been able to figure out the traits of these creatures with the information they had, yet they did not learn anything useful. Otherwise, with such tight security, the city would not be so passive now!
As she thought, the local Research Union was not reliable at all. They were completely useless for practical matters!
"How are the two of us going to deal with those Black-Silver Rock Demons?" Mo Fan was not planning to use his brain, since he was only tagging along. Besides, he was just a weak Intermediate Mage if the woman did not get rid of the Seal!
"Look ahead," Wen Xia pointed.
Mo Fan looked at the Black-Silver Rock Demon and noticed it had caught another young Mage. The young man looked a little familiar to Mo Fan. He recognized the young man was Liang Junheng from the group after taking a closer look, the person who kept arguing with Zhou Donghao.
"You know him?" Wen Xia asked with a frown.
"Oh, I'm not close with him," Mo Fan said dismissively.
Wen Xia gave Mo Fan a disdainful look. She pointed out, "These Rock Monsters will turn into mud briefly to devour people."
