Black Hearted Mage

A dozen or so ornately decorated carriages, accompanied by several dashing figures atop majestic horses, slowly stopped a full mile from the Bone Burial Fort. One of the carriages was spacious and enormous, with an open roof. A savage-looking animal-hide war drum and two quaint, metallic-gleaming bronze horns were placed on the deck.

The distance was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, making the vision somewhat blurry. In addition, the distance was not very close, so even with the keen eyesight of Caesars, it was difficult to see the specific occupations of the Saint Laurents.

"Commander, the Saint Laurents are here to challenge you!"

The middle-aged spy who was in charge of gathering intelligence came to the small house made of crystal again in a hurry, and loudly reported the purpose of the Saint Laurent people to Caesars in the house.

Caesars frowned slightly, waved his hand impatiently, and said, "You don't have to go out with me to fight today. With your ability, you can only watch helplessly from the sidelines and won't be able to help at all!"

"Yes, Commander!" The middle-aged spy bowed hurriedly in response, then quickly retreated.

Caesars did not jump directly from the towering top of the Bone Castle, but walked down the winding stone stairs slowly and leisurely, step by step.

Caesars walked through a narrow passage over twenty meters long and passed through a small, half-foot-thick magic steel door. He left the towering, sturdy war fortress and continued walking slowly forward. Finally, he stopped over three hundred meters from the Bone Castle. He then retrieved a comfortable recliner and an exquisite coffee table from his interspatial ring. He even slowly lit the stove and began brewing fragrant tea.

"A fool who doesn't know how to live or die!"

The sturdy paladin, clad in gilded plate armor, stared at the complacent Caesar with wide eyes, his rage threatening to burst forth. His deafening roar echoed with the mighty warhorse beneath him, which, as if sensing its master's wrath, suddenly reared up its front hooves and neighed.

The dark red puppy, originally lying quietly on the coffee table, seemed to sense the provocation from the warhorse. It quickly stood up, howling loudly, and responded to the warhorse's protest without showing any weakness.

"Dead dog, do you want to eat horse meat? Horse meat is much more delicious than those fire lizard meats!" Caesars said with a smile.

The puppy extended its scarlet tongue and greedily licked the corners of its mouth, cleaning up the saliva that was about to flow out. Its sparkling eyes stared straight at the warhorse in front of it, as if it had already regarded it as a sumptuous meal.

Caesars leisurely poured a cup of tea and sat comfortably on a recliner, observing with interest the carriages not far away. Several people disembarked, and several robed figures stood out. They were ascetics whose strength should not be underestimated. There were also paladins on majestic horses and magicians sitting by the carriage windows.

At this moment, Caesars turned his gaze towards the Paladin Commander who had just yelled at him. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a sly smile as he said, "If this set of gilded plate armor, used exclusively by the Grand Knight Commander, were to be auctioned at the auction house in Fire Maple City, it would definitely become a hot treasure and fetch an astonishingly high price!"

Caesars stared intently at the heavy plate armor, mentally assessing its thickness. The plate was a full inch thick, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. A large, meticulously carved gilded cross pattern graced it, each line imbued with exquisite refinement and opulence. Such exquisite craftsmanship not only highlighted the armor's nobility and majesty, but also hinted at its exceptional defensive capabilities. Even the Shadow Arrow, renowned for its penetrating power, would likely struggle to inflict substantial damage.

Capable of carrying a fully armed knight, this horse was undoubtedly extraordinary. Its tall, imposing figure, powerful limbs, and smooth, shiny coat revealed that it must possess the blood of a demonic horse, capable of such a formidable task.

"I'm going to kill you!"

The Paladin's eyes widened as he roared fiercely. He gripped his lance tightly and gave a powerful shake of the reins with his left hand. The warhorse beneath him, as if sensing its master's wrath, immediately took a vigorous step forward. The resounding sound of its hooves hitting the ground was like the clatter of war drums, making one's heart race.

Seeing this, Caesars didn't hesitate. He quickly stood up and reached out to grasp the dragon bloodwood staff beside him. He knew the Paladin leader before him was extremely powerful. His own strength alone was not to be underestimated, not to mention the tremendous impact of the majestic warhorse. Facing such a fierce attack, the magic shield would likely be pierced by the lance in an instant.

The Paladin, this mysterious and powerful class, is not much different from the Mage. Not only do they master a variety of exquisite combat techniques, they also possess impenetrable protective abilities, making them both offensive and defensive. Facing such a ruthless character, whose entire body is brimming with strength, even their brains are filled with muscle, a head-on confrontation would be like an egg against a rock.

The Paladin Leader slowly lowered the visor of his helmet, and in an instant, his face was obscured by a layer of cold metal. Yet, through the shimmering crystals above the visor's eyes, one could still sense the fury in his gaze. Then, with his feet, clad in heavy magic steel boots, he gently tapped the belly of the warhorse beneath him. This seemingly gentle movement, like a spark igniting a powder keg, instantly unleashed the warhorse's latent power.

The majestic warhorse neighed, its massive hooves beginning to pick up pace rhythmically, as if the very earth itself were trembling beneath its charge. As the hooves grew denser and faster, the warhorse, like a flash of lightning, galloped forward, officially beginning the thrilling run-up to the charge.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Caesars, as usual, quickly cast a series of buff spells. He waved his hands, and magical light burst out from his hands, surrounding his body and continuously strengthening his various attributes.

At this moment, in an ornately decorated carriage, a robed magician was watching Caesars's every move through the window. Suddenly, he uttered a slightly puzzled "Huh!"

Although the exclamation was not loud, it was heard by another magician in the carriage.

"what happened?"

The sound was strange, dry and abrasive, like the rubbing of dry wood, and completely unlike any sound a normal human could make. Listening closely, it sounded more like some kind of magical sound.

"Nothing much, his casting speed is very fast, and there are some buff spells that I don't recognize!"

"Let's wait and see. I don't necessarily need to take action unless they are all dead!" The dry voice came again.

The burly, imposing paladin suddenly bucked his horse and charged out like a bolt of lightning. He gripped the three-meter-long magic steel spear tightly in both hands, the sharp tip flashing with a chilling gleam as he pointed it directly at nearby Caesars. At the same moment, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from the icy tip, threatening to rip through the air.

At this critical moment, Caesars showed no sign of weakness. He swiftly swung his staff, which was as translucent as red crystal, and in the blink of an eye, three gray spells fell on the Paladin without warning.

What made Caesar secretly shocked was that although the three curse spells hit the opponent accurately, two of them were resisted by the opponent.

At this moment, the two-foot-long, icy spear tip was less than ten meters away from Caesar! Seeing it about to pierce his chest, Caesar couldn't help but cry out inwardly, "Not good!" Fortunately, the Paladin's mount had been slowed down by the impact of three powerful curses.

Despite this, the Paladin still displayed astonishing combat prowess and tenacious willpower. The spear in his hand swayed only slightly before he regained steady control. Then, with a furious roar, he summoned all his strength, driving the spear with the force of thunder towards Caesar's chest.

In a split second, Caesars acted decisively, instantly performing a miraculous flash. With a dazzling flash of light, his figure vanished instantly. The razor-sharp spear tip barely scraped past his body, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

Caesars, having flashed to safety, spun quickly. Facing the formidable foe so close at hand, he unleashed a series of powerful dark spells, including Curse of Pain, Corruption, Immolation, and Death Coil, hammering down upon the paladin like a raging storm. For a moment, the battlefield was a crisscross of light and shadow, energies surged, and the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

Both the warhorse and the paladin were massive, like two rolling hills. Their heavy bodies made swiftly turning the horse incredibly difficult. At that moment, the mighty warhorse, ravaged by the curse for so long, suddenly gave way, collapsing like a crumbling mountain. The paladin, atop the horse, was also thrown violently by the immense momentum of the sudden change.

The paladin leaped from the ground with astonishing speed, the magic steel plate armor he wore gleaming with a dazzling light. A closer look revealed that the gleaming gilt on the plate wasn't merely decorative; its true purpose was to cleverly conceal the mysterious magic patterns embedded within. This meticulously crafted set of magic patterned plate armor undoubtedly reduced the paladin's magical damage considerably.

Immediately afterwards, the paladin unhesitatingly cast the spell of dispel. This magical spell was not only wielded by priests, but even the linen-robed monks were familiar with it. As the spell took effect, the negative effects were instantly dispelled without a trace.

Despite this, the Paladin's fury remained undimmed. His eyes, blazing with rage, stared intently at Caesars before him. Without the aid of his steed, the Paladin was now as immobile as a cripple. Just as he was concentrating on casting a dispel spell on his beloved steed, a powerful, oppressive surge of magical energy suddenly surged from all around him.

Caesars stared coldly at his foe, his heart clinging to the cruel thought of "strike him while he's weak." He stretched out his hands slightly and began to chant a spell. As he chanted, the air around him seemed to freeze, and a powerful magical force quietly gathered.

Gradually, dark elements surged from all directions like a tide, their quantity and concentration reaching a point where they could be clearly seen with the naked eye. These dense, indissoluble dark elements swirled and danced around Caesars, resonating and merging with the dark currents within him, forming a massive and terrifying vortex of energy.

At that moment, a pitch-black spear slowly emerged from the air. Its surface was covered in strange patterns that shimmered with a faint light, seemingly imbued with some unknown power. Caesars swung his right hand violently, and the seemingly illusory yet substantial black spear transformed into a flash of lightning, vanishing from its original position at a speed beyond human imagination.

Elsewhere, facing such a sudden and powerful attack, the heavily armored paladin's face showed a look of terror. He didn't dare to delay even a moment, immediately activating his body protection technique. A pale golden shield instantly enveloped him. Simultaneously, he pushed hard with his feet, quickly dodging to the side.

At this moment, a dry and low voice suddenly came from the carriage: "He has been marked by this spell and can't escape!"

Before he could finish his words, the jet-black spear, which had been hurtling towards him, suddenly, as if it had eyes, suddenly swerved mid-air in an extremely strange manner, stabbing straight towards the Paladin's dodging position. In the blink of an eye, the spear accurately struck the Paladin's chest.

Surprisingly, the expected earth-shattering crash didn't occur. Instead, there was only a slight muffled sound as the spear made contact with the paladin's shield. Then, the seemingly indestructible pale golden shield shattered instantly, like paper.

The pitch-black spear seemed to soften, as if it had turned into a pool of liquid, and it quickly penetrated into the gaps between the gilded plate armor.