Battle Against the Mage Horde

After clearing out the remaining bandits, the battle finally came to an end. As long as he avoided being stunned, there was no way four bandits could take down Ethan. After several back-and-forth attacks, he managed to eliminate the last twenty or so bandits.

This fight lasted just over ten minutes. In total, he had wiped out 146 bandits, plus the four gate guards, bringing the total to 150 bandits. This level of efficiency was beyond the imagination of any player at this stage. After all, these were level 20 enemies.

The 150 bandits granted Ethan a total of 57,600 experience points. He had just leveled up, and yet he was already nearing the next level. Meanwhile, Silverfang, who had been waiting safely in the distance, had also leveled up to level 13.

Immortal Physique granted him an additional 150 max health, bringing his total boost from the talent to 545 points. His health pool now stood at 2,976, nearly reaching 3,000.

Next, Ethan checked the two pieces of equipment he had just looted from the fallen bandits.

[Log Shield] (Black Iron Grade)

Health +200

Physical Defense +20

Magical Defense +10

Block Chance +2%

Bonus Attribute: Stamina +21

Requirement: Guardian

[Attack Speed Ring] (Black Iron Grade)

Attack Power +60

Attack Speed +6%

Bonus Attribute: Agility +22

Requirement: Archer, Assassin

The stats were solid. Equipment dropped by level 20 monsters was already comparable to level 10 Bronze gear. Ethan immediately swapped out his [Toad Ring] for the [Attack Speed Ring]. The change resulted in a loss of 20 health but a gain of 52 attack power, 5% attack speed, and 22 agility—a worthwhile trade.

As for the [Log Shield], he placed it in the auction house, setting it for a 30-minute bidding period.

Now, it was time to explore the Blackwind Stronghold.

Ethan proceeded cautiously, advancing into the compound. The stronghold was structured in layers—the outermost area consisted of crude wooden huts, likely the quarters of low-ranking grunts. The middle section had fewer but sturdier buildings, probably meant for officers or more important members. At the very top stood a grand, imposing structure, which could only be the Bandit Chief's residence.

The bottom layer seemed completely empty, likely because the bandits stationed there had already rushed out to fight earlier. Ethan moved toward the middle tier, where the buildings were spaced farther apart. Naturally, the enemies here were bound to be stronger.

Upon stepping into this new area, Ethan immediately spotted groups of bandits dressed in mage robes. He sighed. Mages? Seriously? It seemed that mages held a high status in this stronghold. The ones that had joined the previous battle had likely come from here, while the grunts stationed below had been purely melee fighters.

He hadn't paid close attention to their attributes earlier. Now, he cast Insight to check their stats.

[Blackwind Sorcerer]

Level: 20

Health: 36,000

Magical Attack: 480

Physical Defense: 120

Magical Defense: 180

Movement Speed: 68

Skills:

Fireball – Launches a fireball at the target, dealing 120% magical damage. Cooldown: 3 seconds.

Ice Spike – Fires an ice spike at the target, dealing 130% magical damage and reducing movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

Two attack skills. Ethan observed the area. The section he had entered contained only five sorcerers—easy to handle. The problem was whether attacking them would draw out additional enemies from deeper within. If another wave rushed out mid-fight, escaping might not be an option.

"Wait a second… they don't have Eagle Eye!" Ethan suddenly remembered.

Smirking, he activated Stealth and silently crept closer. The five sorcerers stood around chatting, completely unaware of the imminent danger.

Ethan first circled the area, scouting the surroundings. He spotted several other small groups of sorcerers nearby, but they were spread far enough apart that they wouldn't immediately rush over. If they moved, it would take at least three to four seconds for them to arrive. With that window, he could poison at least three to four sorcerers before making a run for it. And even if things got dicey, he still had Void Step as a last resort.

Having planned his approach, Ethan moved in. Bursting into a sprint, he slashed at the first sorcerer twice, applying two layers of venom. With his attack speed at 2 strikes per second, he swiftly moved to the next target. Before the first sorcerer even realized what was happening, Ethan had already poisoned three of them.

It was only then that the sorcerers screamed in alarm and attempted to flee—desperately trying to widen the distance between themselves and Ethan.

Ethan didn't let them. With his superior speed, he closed the gap almost instantly, striking down another two sorcerers. Only one of them managed to react in time, casting Fireball.

As Ethan dodged backward, he noticed more mages rushing in from the adjacent areas. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted. As he ran, two Ice Spikes and three Fireballs struck him, dealing nearly 2,000 damage in total.

Fortunately, before the reinforcements could close the gap, Ethan had already sprinted out of their attack range, escaping to safety.

The sorcerers stood frozen in frustration, watching their target disappear. Their movement speed simply couldn't keep up.

After about a minute, Ethan returned to the area. The five sorcerers he had poisoned earlier had collapsed, dead. But now, a total of twenty-five more had gathered in their place, standing tense and scanning their surroundings for any sign of him.

Ethan now faced a real challenge. "This is going to be tough," he muttered with a wry smile. With twenty-five mages focusing their attacks, even Silverfang wouldn't last long.

"Should I use the [Protection Scroll]?" Ethan hesitated. It was an absolute lifesaver, but using it now felt like a waste. However, without it, he had no clear way to deal with this many spellcasters.

"Maybe I should level up a bit more and come back later?" Ethan pondered, but quickly dismissed the thought. If he left and returned later, the bandits he had just slain would respawn, making all his previous efforts pointless. Besides, even if he gained a couple more levels, it wouldn't drastically change the outcome of this battle.

"Forget it. Let's give it a shot first. If it gets too dangerous, I'll use the scroll to save myself." Making up his mind, Ethan checked his cooldowns—everything was ready. He activated Stealth and crept toward the mages. Once close enough, he burst into a sprint, venom-coated blade flashing as he struck.

The sudden ambush threw the mages into chaos. For a brief moment, they scrambled in confusion, unable to react properly. At close range, they struggled to lock onto Ethan as he weaved through them. Only a handful managed to land Fireball hits, their spells barely finding their target in the frantic shuffle.

But this disarray only lasted a few seconds. The mages quickly regained their composure and began spreading out.

"Huh, they're smarter than I expected!" Ethan thought. As they distanced themselves from one another, Ethan's advantage began to wane. He might have superior speed, but he was still just one person. As the mages dispersed in different directions, it became much harder to hit them all. He managed to venom four more before the incoming Fireballs and Ice Spikes intensified.

His health plummeted as fiery explosions and chilling shards battered him from all sides. Gritting his teeth, Ethan quickly gulped down a Regeneration Potion and followed it with a Healing Elixir, momentarily stabilizing his health. However, after landing just two more attacks, he was once again on the brink of death.

Seeing another wave of incoming spells closing in, Ethan had no choice but to tear apart the [Protection Scroll]. Instantly, a golden aura enveloped him, shielding him from all incoming attacks. The barrage of magic struck the barrier harmlessly, leaving him unscathed.

Knowing his time was limited, Ethan wasted no second and charged toward the remaining mages. The [Protection Scroll] only lasted ten seconds, and he needed to reserve at least two seconds for his escape. The mages' attack range was roughly ten meters, so he estimated that two seconds of running would barely allow him to escape their spell radius.

Despite his enhanced speed, the scattered positioning of the mages made things difficult. Even with his burst into a sprint, he could only apply venom to seven more enemies within those crucial eight seconds. Adding them to the six he had poisoned earlier in the chaos, plus the six he pursued afterward, meant that nineteen mages were now infected, leaving only six untouched.

But there was no time left. Ethan immediately turned and ran, leaving the remaining six behind. Spells rained down on him, the last remnants of their Fireballs and Ice Spikes slamming against his golden shield. Just before reaching safety, he felt the protective glow fade—he was vulnerable again. Looking back, he saw yet another barrage of magic incoming. Without hesitation, he activated Void, allowing the deadly spells to phase right through him.

Finally, Ethan broke free from their attack range.

"I should have reserved at least two full seconds for the escape. If I had, I wouldn't have needed to use Void at the last moment," Ethan reflected.

All that was left to do was wait out the one-minute countdown before returning to claim his victory. With only six mages remaining, the battle was practically over.