Chapter 87: Fame Won in a Single Battle

“The Black Mage is ridiculously powerful, you have no idea. My cousin was there at the scene—he said the mage cast more than twenty fire blasts in a single second, obliterating an entire mountain.”

“Stop exaggerating! An entire mountain? Why not say he wiped out all the monsters too? Sounds like another guild-made legend.”

“There’s no need to exaggerate. So many witnesses saw it happen! After the Peach Blossom Village’s defenses fell, it was basically the Black Mage alone holding the line. No need to hype it up—he’s definitely a hidden class master.”

“It’s strange the forum hasn’t blocked the term ‘Black Mage.’ But this situation really is tough. Many guilds are scrambling for reinforcements. Troubled times indeed.”

“The real issue now is whether the Black Mage who caused trouble earlier is the same person defending now. The authorities’ stance is vague—they want to set an example but aren’t sure how to proceed.”

“The task force has withdrawn the wanted notice. Apparently, someone exposed dirt on Zhao Zhiyong, and rumor has it he committed suicide out of guilt.”

On the forum, it wasn’t just explorers from the Jingmen Safe Zone discussing the situation. Thanks to coverage in the China Daily, neighboring safe zones were watching intently, and more teams were arriving to support.

Though the main fighting force in the Jingmen War Zone came from a few large guilds, there were also official corps stationed between Jingmen and Hanzhong—government forces run under a different system entirely. Previously, Jingmen had few significant incidents, so no corps were stationed there. But after the defenses collapsed this time, higher-level explorers rushed in to assist.

The Black Mage, being a hot topic in Jingmen, naturally became the focus of discussions. It was undeniable that this battle made him famous, sparking debates in other safe zones as well—some suspected he belonged to a never-before-seen magical class capable of rapid cooldowns!

More information about the Black Mage was uncovered. Top guilds from other safe zones, learning he had no formal affiliation, began extending invitations.

At this point, all the guilds, aside from establishing defenses, started paying close attention to this mysterious explorer known as the “Black Mage.”

“He’s probably not from our Jingmen Safe Zone. Otherwise, we’d have crossed paths.”

“I tried using a probing spell on him when I got close, but everything came up question marks. If his level is higher than mine, he must be on par with Battlefish.” Chen Yuan, president of the Blood Reaver Guild, sighed as he spoke. “My scouting spell is grade A—very few can block it. Either his level is much higher, or he has some anti-detection equipment.”

He was admittedly envious of the Black Mage. The Blood Reaver Guild’s war zone was close to Peach Blossom Village, so Chen Yuan had personally gone to observe the battle.

But due to the Mage’s Heart’s shielding, he couldn’t glean any information about Yi Shen.

“True. Lately, Jingmen Safe Zone has been crowded and chaotic—he must be someone from outside.” Vice President Qian Ye agreed.

“Impossible to probe?” Jiang Jingying hadn’t been near the battlefield at the time; she was busy reorganizing logistics and supplies within Jingmen Safe Zone.

Upon hearing about the inability to probe, Jiang Jingying frowned slightly. She’d recently met a young man also immune to detection spells.

But after some thought, she shook her head, dismissing the possibility. Yi Shen’s age was clear; it was impossible for him to suddenly leap to level sixty or seventy. Level isn’t just about strength—it’s about accumulated time.

Judging from the Black Mage’s performance, even Yi Qinfei couldn’t reach such heights. Jiang Jingying let the thought go.

“In any case, we should be cautious. We mustn’t become enemies with the Black Mage.”

“I’ve heard he personally struck against Anqing on the battlefield. This can almost be confirmed, but the authorities won’t publicize it.”

“Anqing—is he really dead?” Jiang Jingying was a bit excited. “Good riddance. He should’ve died long ago.”

“Anqing’s death isn’t the main concern. What matters is that we can now activate our arrangements in Peach Blossom Village. With Anqing gone, Qi Gu Yi might make a move. Jiang, you need to negotiate again with Lin Grape.” Chen Yuan swiftly assigned follow-up tasks to Jiang Jingying.

This monster assault was very different from prior urban chaos. Urban turmoil was a matter of internal resistance, slow and gradual, impossible to truly reshuffle the power structure.

But now, in the defense of Moonlight Territory, it was a real battle. If the Blood Reaver Guild could make their mark, they could easily replace Peach Blossom Village and become one of the new three major guilds in Jingmen Safe Zone!

Jingbei Industries Headquarters.

At this moment, senior members of several large groups and task force members were gathered for a meeting. In fact, many task force members were originally from Jingbei Industries.

“The battle lines are basically established, with the defensive perimeter now ten kilometers outside Jingbei City.”

“We can’t uncover any information about the Black Mage. Neither Hanzhong nor Dongting has any record of this individual. His first appearance was the attack on Peach Blossom Village, and now he’s tampered with their battle lines again.”

“This person is dangerous—he actually dared to guide the monsters to assault the front.”

Jingbei Industries had already deduced the connection between the eastern frontline assault and the Black Mage, but in the public sphere, most people held the Black Mage in high esteem.

“We can’t release this information. If we do, we’ll likely face scrutiny ourselves.”

“What a mess.”

“Hmph, a mess? Anqing collaborated with you. Now he’s dead, so you can’t get a share of Peach Blossom Village’s spoils—is that what you call a mess?”

Jingbei Industries wasn’t a monolith; arguments erupted but were quickly suppressed. For now, city defense took priority, and they needed to coordinate support from other safe zones.

Western Jingmen Safe Zone.

In a small courtyard on a mountain, this area was outside Jingmen proper, near the Jing Mountain range, rarely visited by explorers.

Yet on a hillside, a few rural courtyards stood.

At this moment, Battlefish—who should have been stationed in Jingmen Safe Zone—suddenly appeared in one of these courtyards.

The yard was protected by special wards, with several guards at the entrance. Upon Battlefish’s arrival, the guards saluted him. In a corner of the yard, a man with black-and-white hair was arranging a small sand table.

This sand table precisely depicted the current Jingmen Safe Zone battle situation, even more detailed than the one at Jingbei Industries.

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(End of chapter)