The Synthesis Wizard

With the fall of Spiderweb City, the southeastern underground world came completely under the control of the Star Alliance.

As hostilities in the southeastern region ceased, the focus shifted to development and exploitation.

With few external threats remaining in the southeast, most military forces were redeployed to the northwestern front, leaving only a minimal garrison behind.

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Dragon Bone Tower, Study

Su Nan flipped through the recent battle reports.

The campaign in the northwest was progressing smoothly. After several crushing defeats, the Falling Star Alliance was on the verge of collapse, reduced to scattered, uncoordinated skirmishes.

All that remained was to systematically clear out the remaining resistance.

In just four or five years, the northwest would fall completely under Star Alliance control.

When that happened, the entire underground world would be his.

The thought brought a faint smile to Su Nan's lips.

In Su Nan's grand plans, the underground world held immense strategic importance—possibly even more so than the surface world.

The underground world's vast resources, particularly its abundant mineral wealth, were critical for building a wizard tower.

A wizard tower was essentially a massive fortress capable of housing thousands of residents and serving as a center for research and cultivation. The materials required for its construction were staggering, with stones and metals calculated in the tens of thousands of tons.

Without sufficient financial resources, even the tower's outer shell would remain an impossible dream, let alone its advanced internal facilities.

In the Age of Wizards, any wizard capable of constructing a tower usually controlled at least one private domain or colonized plane.

Su Nan intended to transform the underground world into his private base, ensuring a steady supply of resources for his future advancements.

The surface world, by contrast, currently served as a market for Star Alliance goods and a recruitment ground for fresh blood for Starlight Academy.

Reports indicated that the Starry Empire's unification war was nearing its final stages. Only three or four nations remained in resistance, and their defeat was merely a matter of time.

The reports estimated that the Starry Empire would conclude its southeastern campaign within two years, after which it would likely regroup and begin an offensive into the northwest.

Su Nan set the reports aside and turned his gaze toward the puppet girls standing silently on either side of his desk.

The battle with the Half-Spider Divine Follower had proven the puppets' combat effectiveness.

While they had been outmatched, it was against an opponent capable of directly confronting a wizard. The puppets' performance had been impressive under such circumstances.

Still, the battle had also highlighted a critical weakness: insufficient defense.

Their diamond-crafted bodies were nearly indestructible against opponents below the wizard level, but they struggled against higher-tier foes.

If their defenses had been stronger, the Half-Spider Divine Follower wouldn't have severed one of their arms.

Su Nan pondered several approaches to enhance the puppets' defenses, but each had drawbacks.

Upgrading materials: Crafting a harder magical diamond would drastically increase costs, rendering it impractical.

Adding defensive enchantments: The current enchantments had already reached the limit. Adding more would require superior materials, which weren't readily available.

"Enhancing their physical structure isn't feasible without skyrocketing costs," Su Nan mused. "I need to find an alternative."

Su Nan's eyes lit up as inspiration struck.

If improving the puppets' physical bodies was too costly, why not augment them with magical items?

Though puppets lacked the spiritual energy to activate magical artifacts, he could modify the items to trigger using energy particles, allowing the puppets to wield them.

This would effectively turn the magical items into external equipment for the puppets.

In fact, the current puppet girls already utilized Ring of Supreme Protection.

If not for the limitations of arcane tools, Su Nan would have embedded the Forbidden Zone directly into the puppets, which would have dramatically boosted their defensive capabilities.

While embedding high-tier arcane tools wasn't feasible, magic cores presented a viable option.

Magic cores were versatile artifacts, capable of both offense and defense. Integrating them into the puppets would not only strengthen their defenses but also diversify their attack options.

The puppets' primary disadvantage compared to wizards was their lack of innate abilities. Magic cores could help bridge this gap, making them comparable to wizards in combat power.

Su Nan grew increasingly excited as he thought about the possibilities.

The only challenge would be modifying the magic cores to function without consuming spiritual energy—a complex but achievable task.

If successful, the puppets' combat strength could rival that of a Half-Spider Divine Follower.

Su Nan's attention shifted to the jet-black branch on his desk, known as the Black Key, which served as the key to the Black Forest.

After weeks of research, he had deciphered its basic functionality.

The Black Key was slowly absorbing energy particles from the surrounding air and would take approximately three years to fully charge.

This suggested that, much like the Starry Tower, the Black Forest likely operated on a cyclical schedule, only opening at specific intervals.

If his calculations were correct, the Black Forest would open in three years.

"Let's hope it delivers some surprises," Su Nan murmured, his eyes gleaming.

After his experience with the Starry Tower, Su Nan no longer harbored any romantic notions about wizard inheritances.

The Black Forest was likely another facility created by a wizard faction to recruit and cultivate followers in preparation for their return.

Securing the Black Forest's resources would likely involve another grueling battle.

While Su Nan's strength had significantly increased since the Starry Tower campaign, he refused to underestimate the dangers that might lie within.

Of particular concern was the possibility that the Black Forest was linked to the Spider Queen.

The Philil Family had guarded the Black Forest's secrets for generations, and Su Nan doubted the Spider Queen had ignored its existence.

It was entirely possible that her influence had already infiltrated the Black Forest.

"Before entering the Black Forest, I need to be fully prepared," Su Nan decided.

He began drafting a list of tasks:

1. Upgrade Magic Cores: Complete research and integrate them into the puppets.

2. Increase Puppet Production: Create additional puppets for support.

3. Enhance Inscribed Gemstones: Experiment with combining twenty gemstones to further amplify their power.

4. Produce More Black Thunder: The immense power of Black Thunder had proven invaluable.

For the latter, Su Nan would need to venture into the Plane of Lightning to gather more Thunder Stones.

The Plane of Lightning was one of the most hostile elemental planes, second only to the Plane of Fire in its lethality.

It was a realm filled with endless layers of thunderclouds, where lightning struck continuously. Without adequate protection, even the most powerful knights would be incinerated within moments.

However, with his current arsenal—Forbidden Zone, Black Thunder, and other trump cards—Su Nan felt confident enough to begin exploring its outer regions.

In the capital of the Aurora Kingdom, Trevor Janji entered the council chamber, where the hall was packed with nobles and royals.

Every prominent figure in the kingdom was present, including sworn enemies who typically couldn't stand the sight of each other.

Trevor's eyes flickered.

"It seems the pressure from the Starry Empire has grown immense," he thought.

For these adversaries to sit together without drawing swords spoke volumes about the existential threat posed by the Starry Empire's advancing forces.

With the fall of Spiderweb City, the Star Alliance had solidified its dominance over the southeastern underground world. The region transitioned from war to development, while the Star Alliance's military shifted focus to the northwestern front.

In the Aurora Kingdom, situated at the northwest edge of the continent and bordering the Starry Empire's expanding territory, the air was thick with unease.

The pressure from the Starry Empire loomed large, as the Aurora Kingdom was the first likely target should war erupt. For the kingdom's leadership, survival had become a pressing question.

Trevor Janji, the kingdom's sole third-tier wizard apprentice, strode into the council chamber. The tension was palpable.

Within the grand hall, adversaries who would ordinarily draw swords at the mere sight of one another now sat side by side, united by fear of the Starry Empire's power.

"Trevor, thank you for coming in person," said the Aurora King, rising to greet him.

Even the normally quarrelsome nobles stood and saluted, a testament to Trevor's exalted status. As the kingdom's only third-tier wizard apprentice, Trevor held an unparalleled position of influence.

After the pleasantries, the king wasted no time.

"Trevor, you've surely heard of the situation in the southeast. What's your take on it?"

Trevor considered his words carefully before speaking.

"Your Majesty, the Starry Empire has made its intentions abundantly clear. Its actions reflect immense ambition. The empire will not stop at the southeast. Once it has consolidated its new territories, its next target will undoubtedly be the northwest."

The Aurora King sighed heavily, his face shadowed with worry.

The writing was on the wall. Any nation in the Starry Empire's position—with its strength and momentum—would make the same choice: the unification of the entire Starlight Continent.

"Trevor, what should we do?" the king asked, his tone anxious.

All eyes turned to Trevor, brimming with hope. The nobles had debated endlessly but failed to come up with a viable solution. Now they looked to the kingdom's most learned mind for guidance.

Trevor remained silent for a long moment, then finally spoke:

"Your Majesty, I believe surrendering to the Starry Empire might be the wisest course."

His words landed like a thunderclap.

Gasps echoed through the chamber as the assembled nobles and royals turned pale.

Trevor, unfazed by their reactions, continued, "Take the Duchy of Thornflower as an example. When they submitted to the Starry Empire, their royal family was not purged. On the contrary, they were granted the title of Ducal House. Most of the nobility retained their lands.

"Our kingdom could follow a similar path."

An uneasy silence fell over the chamber.

The Aurora King and his royal kin wore conflicted expressions.

Becoming a ducal family was an acceptable outcome for Thornflower, but to those who had ruled as sovereigns, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Surrender would mean a significant loss of power and status, a prospect they struggled to accept.

Among the nobles, expressions ranged from hesitation to outright fear.

While many of Thornflower's nobles had kept their titles and lands, there was no guarantee Aurora would receive the same treatment. Without an explicit promise from the Starry Emperor himself, surrender remained a gamble.

After a long pause, the Aurora King broke the silence, his voice tinged with desperation.

"Is there no other way?"

Trevor sighed inwardly, sensing the king's reluctance to relinquish power. He had anticipated this reaction and prepared an alternative plan.

"The Starry Empire's military is formidable, but if the nations of the northwest were to unite, they might stand a chance."

His next words carried an almost tangible weight:

"The key lies with Su Nan."

The Name That Shakes the Continent

At the mention of Su Nan's name, the chamber fell into a stunned silence.

The faces of every noble and royal shifted, marked by a mixture of awe and trepidation.

By now, Su Nan's reputation had spread across the entire Starlight Continent, especially within the circles of wizard apprentices, royals, and the upper nobility.

The man who had risen to the rank of wizard had demonstrated his power in no uncertain terms.

The moment he achieved his breakthrough, Su Nan had unleashed his might, obliterating over a dozen third-tier wizard apprentices of the Council of Truth. This decisive show of strength had sent shockwaves throughout the continent.

When the news reached the northwest, it had ignited a storm of fear and admiration.

Trevor continued, "Su Nan is not merely a wizard. He is the backbone of the Starry Empire's current dominance. Without him, the empire's conquests would not have been so swift, nor its expansion so steady."

"Are you suggesting we ally with him?" a cautious noble interjected.

Trevor shook his head. "No, not an alliance. That's impossible. Su Nan has made it clear that his allegiance lies with the Starry Empire. However, we can still learn from him.

"By investing resources into nurturing our own wizards, we can create a counterbalance. A single wizard holds more power than an entire army. If we had even one wizard on our side, the equation would change."

The Aurora King and his advisors fell into deep thought. Trevor's proposal was bold but not without merit.

Wizardry was a force unparalleled in its influence and destructive potential. If the Aurora Kingdom could produce its own wizard, it might be able to deter the Starry Empire—or at least negotiate from a position of strength.

Yet this plan was fraught with challenges. Wizards were rare, and nurturing one required immense resources, time, and luck.

Even so, the chamber buzzed with cautious optimism. For the first time in weeks, the Aurora Kingdom's leaders saw a glimmer of hope.

"Remember," Trevor concluded, "our survival hinges on how we act now. The Starry Empire is not invincible, but we must act decisively and strategically.

"And above all, we must not underest

imate Su Nan. His presence is the cornerstone of the Starry Empire's power. To face him unprepared is to invite destruction."

The chamber fell silent again as Trevor's words sank in.

The fate of the Aurora Kingdom—and perhaps the entire northwest—hung in the balance.