Lord of the Sky City

"My God! Are these all Three-Star Magic Armor?!"

In the Guard Corps' camp, the guards who had received new equipment couldn't let go of their shiny acquisitions, especially the new recruits.

These new recruits were all enlisted by Rocky after he had retaken Carltos City, all hailing from Thunderhawk City. However, due to their later enlistment in the Guard Corps, there was a significant gap in equipment compared to the veterans, who sported Guardian Sets—the complete Two-star Magic Energy Outfits—exchanged by Rocky from the Alliance, imposing and powerful in combat, which had long been the envy of the fresh recruits. Thus, when Lin Feng brought back the new equipment and issued it to them, it was these newcomers who were the most thrilled.

"Awesome! I can finally wear Magic Energy Equipment too!"

Inside the barracks, a few new recruits, holding their newly issued Magic Energy Longswords, swung them around and chattered excitedly.

"Look at how pathetic you are."

While the newbies were buzzing with excitement, a roomful of veterans could only smile wryly and push back with, "Don't get too excited. Getting new gear means you'll be fighting demons soon. You better be ready."

"......"

The moment the veterans finished their reminder, the exuberant recruits quickly simmered down and gathered around them, asking, "Uncle Peter, do you think... we can really beat the demons?"

Most of these newly-drafted soldiers were aged between eighteen and twenty years old, originally just ordinary city kids with no real-life experiences facing true demons, and their knowledge of demons was limited to hearsay. So, the thought of actually fighting demons soon naturally made them uneasy.

Surrounded by the crowd, Uncle Peter himself was nearing forty years old today. Being called 'uncle' by the youngsters wasn't an exaggeration, and he was indeed an old soldier by now, having been with Rocky since the Backhill Village defense and participating in every action, big and small, in the Guard Corps, ultimately rising to the rank of a squad leader.

So when the new recruits, anxious and unsettled, circled around him, Peter just laughed heartily, "Lads, not only can we defeat the demons, we've beaten them more than once. As long as you follow orders, don't run away on the battlefield, and execute what you've been trained for, you'll be fine."

"Cut the crap, it isn't as simple as you say!"

"Exactly, fighting demons isn't like having a brawl."

"Uncle Peter, you're not fooling us. The Guard Corps' victories over demons were always thanks to the City Lord and the Void Magic Squad."

Peter had intended to boost the morale of the youngsters, but no sooner had he spoken than he was met with a wave of rolling eyes, which left him at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Nonetheless, as a seasoned veteran used to countless battles, he didn't retort immediately. Instead, he continued after a warm smile, "You're right, our Guard Corps' success indeed owes a lot to the City Lord's bravery, but don't forget, Thunderhawk City didn't always have the Void Magic Squad. When we first came to Backhill Village, there was only one Void Magic Warrior in the entire city—Lord Rocky himself. Even so, didn't the Guard Corps still vanquish the demon onslaught under his leadership?"

"Now, why do you think that is?"

"Why?"

"Because we are the elite forces under the Lord's command! Since joining the Guard Corps, you train every day so that when needed, you can stand by his side and crush all enemies, including demons, under his command."

"So, just like I said, if you don't flee when the battle comes and put all your training into action, you'll certainly defeat the demons. Besides, you said it yourself— we have the Void Magic Squad, and most importantly, the City Lord. What is there to fear with the Lord on our side?"

"Well, that's true..."

After Peter conveyed his thoughts, the new recruits nodded in half-understanding, finding some sense in his words. But soon after, someone asked, "Uncle Peter, do you think the City Lord will join us in battle?"

"Of course."

Hearing this, Peter gave the questioner a weird glance, with a somewhat mischievous expression, "You kid, haven't you ever heard about Lord Rocky's feats?"

"I've heard... but..." the querying recruit nodded hesitantly then added somewhat sheepishly, "My mom said those are all made up, hero tales concocted by Lord Rocky himself to boost his image. She said no high and mighty City Lord would actually go to the battlefield..."

"This..."

As the young soldier finished, Peter snorted with laughter, then gave the kid a pat on the shoulder while chuckling, "Kid, don't listen to your mom's nonsense. I can't speak for other lords, but our Lord Rocky will definitely join everyone on the battlefield, leading the charge every time."

"Really?"

"Really, you'll see with your own eyes."

......

......

The day after the Guard Corps was ready, Rocky left Thunderhawk City in Orton's temporary care and took all the guards to Carltos City. At the same time, Karina was also prepared, so both parties swiftly set off!

Since Karina had been to the ruins once and had even drawn a map, she was very familiar with the route, and both groups headed westward after leaving Backhill Village.

"Given our pace, it should take us about three days to get there," Karina remarked on her flagship, inspecting her drawn map while speaking to Rocky beside her.

The ruins they were heading to, although in the region of Skybreaker Peak, were quite a distance from the actual peak. Plus, the flight speed of Sky City was slow, so even with a precise destination, it would take at least three days to reach.

"No worries, it just gives us more time to prepare."

Rocky was completely unbothered by this, as he was free for the time being, and as he mentioned, those three days of travel, while not short, provided an ample prep time for everyone, with only benefits and no drawbacks for the upcoming battle.

"Right, the more prepared, the better," agreed Karina, nodding to his words. More time for preparation was indeed not a bad thing for them, but just as she was about to continue speaking, her gaze shifted, and she pointed outside, "Rocky, look!"