Is This What a Wizard Is?

The Blackstone Mining Area is located in the southwest of Blackstone City, with more than a dozen mines spread over a vast area.

The extraction of shallow mineral veins has hollowed out the surrounding mountain walls, forming an inward concave valley. Looking inward from the valley entrance, large expanses of reddish-gray and lead-black rocks come into view.

Everywhere in the valley are mine carts and iron tracks, indicating that the original lord invested significant resources in the construction of this mining area. Unfortunately, decades have passed, and it has long since become a desolate and abandoned ruin, with the mine carts and iron tracks covered in rust and dust.

Brother Ke Yi and Su Nan stood shoulder to shoulder at the valley entrance, surveying the environment inside.

Behind them were more than ten knights and over a hundred soldiers.

Due to the significance of the Blackstone Mining Area, Brother Ke Yi had mobilized nearly half of Blackstone City’s forces at once.

Of course, ordinary soldiers wouldn’t play much of a role in this operation.

Their task was to guard the retreat route and ensure logistics.

The real combat mainstays were Su Nan, Brother Ke Yi, and over a dozen knights.

“Is it really okay?”

Jodun glanced at the dark mine entrance and muttered worriedly:

“I heard from the veterans that those iron-eating beasts are very strong. Isn’t it too risky for us to enter with just this number of people?”

Hearing this, the eyes of the other knights flickered.

To be honest, when they heard the lord say they were to clear the iron-eating beasts from the Blackstone Mining Area, they were all surprised.

The matter of the Blackstone Mining Area is well-known in Blackstone City, and they had heard some rumors.

It is said that several previous lords had thought of resolving the issue of the Blackstone Mining Area, but all eventually failed, losing quite a number of men in the process.

Over time, no one dared to have any ideas about the Blackstone Mining Area anymore.

No one expected Brother Ke Yi to suddenly decide to restart the Blackstone Mining Area.

If it weren’t for Lord Su Nan claiming to have a way to deal with the iron-eating beasts, they would have voiced their objections long ago.

Even so, many people still felt anxious in their hearts.

“Jodun, if you shake the morale of the troops again, I’ll punish you with no drinking for a month when we return.”

Brother Ke Yi turned back to glare at him.

Jodun shrank his head and awkwardly closed his mouth.

He loves all kinds of fine wines and strong liquors and can’t live without them. Not allowing him to drink for a month was no different from taking his life.

Seeing Jodun calm down, Brother Ke Yi turned back to look at the mine, his heart a bit unsettled.

After all, he had never seen an iron-eating beast with his own eyes. If these monsters were even more terrifying than the veterans said, it would be trouble.

But after glancing at Su Nan beside him, Brother Ke Yi decided to trust his brother and didn’t show any worry.

Su Nan patted the scale armor on his body.

This is the only piece of scale armor in Blackstone City, more precious than a full set of refined iron armor.

It was originally Brother Ke Yi’s equipment, but because he was afraid something might happen to Su Nan, he insisted on putting the scale armor on him and also handed him a longsword.

Although Su Nan’s swordsmanship skills were poor, it was better than nothing.

“Let’s go!”

With Brother Ke Yi’s command, everyone lit torches and filed into the mine, leaving soldiers to guard the entrance.

The shallow mineral veins of the Blackstone Mining Area had long been exhausted, and several deep wells were drilled to go underground to mine the lower mineral layers.

The mine shafts crisscrossed beneath the rock layers, and every few hundred meters, an oil lamp hung on the rock wall.

But the oil inside had long evaporated.

A knight poured lamp oil into the oil lamp from a leather flask, then lit it.

Soon, the mine passageway was lit by a series of lights, drawing a winding path with light and shadow, guiding everyone forward.

As they delved deeper, they gradually slowed their pace.

These underground tunnels were uneven, and the dim light meant a careless step could result in injury.

Although all present were knights with strong physiques, none wished for an embarrassing fall.

The surroundings were silent, with only the sound of footsteps and breathing; there were no other noises.

The cold, lifeless underground lacked any signs of life, and an ordinary person walking alone in such a place would instinctively feel eerily scared.

After advancing further, the rock walls around them finally began to change.

A knight brought a torch close to the rock wall, and by the firelight, one could clearly see a layer of deep, cold black coating the rock surface.

“It’s Blackstone iron ore!” Jodun’s eyes lit up.

He needn’t have pointed this out; everyone present recognized it too.

Immediately, they all became extremely cautious.
Ahead lies the mining vein which has not yet been explored.

Years ago, the miners might have encountered the Iron Devourers here, forcing them to cease their work.

In other words, they were about to meet their target very soon.

It turned out they were right.

After advancing four or five hundred meters, everyone began to hear a rustling noise from ahead, as if something was sliding along the ground.

“Stay alert! Prepare for battle!” Brother Ke Yi ordered in a deep voice.

Everyone raised their weapons with grave expressions, staring intently ahead as if facing a formidable enemy.

Soon, feline creatures began to emerge from the darkness.

They gracefully stepped into the torchlight range, staring at the uninvited guests with eyes like gray gemstones.

Iron Devourers!

Exactly like the illustrations Su Nan had seen.

More and more Iron Devourers emerged from the darkness. A quick count revealed over ten, and beyond the line of light and shadow, several pairs of glimmering eyes were moving.

More than ten Iron Devourers faintly formed a semicircular encirclement, surrounding the group.

“These beasts have quite the appetite. Looks like they intend to keep us all here!”

Knight Bred said in a muffled voice, tightening his massive steel shield.

He was the knight in Blackstone City second only to Brother Ke Yi, just a step away from being promoted to a senior knight.

Standing at two meters tall and adept with a shield, he was the finest shield knight in Blackstone City and a renowned fierce warrior on the battlefield.

At a close distance, after seeing the Iron Devourers, Bred could feel that these monsters’ aura wouldn’t exceed the level of a beginner knight, which relaxed him quite a bit.

If that were the case, it might be a good thing; the only worry was that these beasts might run away.

Brother Ke Yi noticed this too and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Facing more than ten beginner knight-level monsters, their lineup was more than adequate.

The problem was how to capture this group of Iron Devourers and prevent them from escaping.

Reality left them little time for contemplation, as the Iron Devourers soon launched an attack, pouncing fiercely at the crowd!

The battle erupted instantly!

The tunnel resounded with the incessant clang of metal!

Bred raised his shield and smashed an Iron Devourer, sending it crashing against the rock wall with a loud thud, causing stone dust to fall continuously.

Yet, the Iron Devourer merely shook its head after standing up and continued its charge undeterred.

Seeing this, Bred’s brows knit tightly.

Meanwhile, the knights fell into a fierce struggle.

The Iron Devourers had incredibly hard bodies. Even blades imbued with combat energy could only leave shallow cracks.

Only Brother Ke Yi, a senior knight, could inflict noticeable damage on them.

If not for the tunnel’s narrow confines limiting the Iron Devourers’ movement and preventing them from utilizing their agile speed, they would have been even harder to deal with.

The battle was not as easy as expected, and a stalemate ensued.

At that moment, Su Nan took action.

He muttered strange syllables as he extended his finger. Instantly, an orb of acid the size of a basketball formed at his fingertip, shooting directly at an Iron Devourer and splattering across its face.

Sizzle!

The Iron Devourer’s face immediately emitted a large amount of acrid white smoke, and it rolled frantically on the ground, trying to wipe off the corrosive liquid.

There is no weak attack spell.

Although the acid splash was merely a zero-ring spell, its corrosiveness was more terrifying than aqua regia.

An egg-sized blob of acid could completely dissolve an average adult male human, leaving no remains!

Even the Iron Devourer’s hard body could not endure a hit to its vital parts!

Swoosh!

A figure flashed by, stabbing the wound on the Iron Devourer’s face with a sword. A burst of force splintered the beast’s head, causing its headless body to sway a few times before collapsing with a crash.

Brother Ke Yi withdrew his long sword, glancing at Su Nan in astonishment.

The other knights could hardly hide their shock.

They had personally experienced how tough an Iron Devourer’s body was, rivaling even Blackstone City’s iron.

Yet, such a tough body had a significant portion of its head corroded away in mere breaths!

What kind of terrifying power was this?!

If such an attack hit a mortal body, what would remain?

Just imagining the scene made everyone’s scalp tingle!

Is this the power of a wizard!