The Duke took the binoculars and found a rock for cover.

Through the high magnification of the binoculars, the details on the city wall became clearer.

He could see the alert expressions of the soldiers, the cold gleam of the catapults, and the faint glow flowing through the energy patterns on the surface of the city wall.

This line of defense was indeed solid.

But as Leonard had said, in the face of the true power of wizards, this city wall was insignificant.

As long as one was willing to pay the cost, this wall could be utterly destroyed in an instant.

The Duke recorded the observations as required while secretly evaluating.

This line of defense might withstand low-intensity conflicts and the impact of the Erosion Bodies but would certainly not withstand the full assault of several United Legions.

The fall of Toulouse territory was indeed just a matter of time.

The last time the Duke had not come here but had entered Toulouse territory through a smuggling route.

After seeing this city wall, he understood why Hawke had not recommended taking the official route back then.

The defenses at the border of Toulouse territory were extremely tight, and the inspections were undoubtedly very strict, making it hard to pass unnoticed.

As for forcibly crossing, that was almost impossible; such a defensive line was not something individual strength could breach, at least not for an ordinary Level 1 Wizard.

Thinking of this, the Duke did not know how Hawke's caravan was doing now, as they were not seen in Goose Peak Castle.

Goose Peak Castle had a dedicated dungeon, which was once used by the Leighton Clan to imprison criminals; the wizards captured at the Seventh Outpost were held there.

Now, the dungeon had become a place to imprison the natives of the Devourer Plane, hosting both common people and Awakened Ones.

The Duke had not yet visited, as not everyone could enter that place; authorization was needed.

In terms of time, Hawke's caravan should have left before Goose Peak Castle was captured.

They were just a trading caravan and wouldn't stay long in Goose Peak Castle, most likely having already left far from here.

For them, it was naturally a good thing; otherwise, survival amid the wizards' attack would have been tough, and even if they survived, being locked in the dungeon would almost ensure they wouldn't survive.

But even if Hawke and his caravan were somewhere else, they probably weren't having an easy time.

Now, the United Legion forces were attacking everywhere, and Hawke's ordinary caravan had almost no power, with only Finn and Bal, two Apprentice Awakened, unable to make much difference, and even self-preservation was hard.

In chaotic times, mere survival was extremely difficult for these ordinary people.

The Duke didn't feel much sympathy or pity for them, as they were on different sides, and many things were beyond his control.

The team members dispersed to observe and record the defense situation at different sections of the city wall.

The Duke naturally stayed with Vivian, investigating to the right, diligently recording.

They were cautious about secrecy, keeping their bodies low to avoid being spotted by the guards on the city wall.

Ella hid behind a heavily weathered boulder. Perhaps she found squatting too tiring, or perhaps she wanted a clearer view, she unconsciously straightened up slightly, exposing her upper body out of the rock's coverage.

The delicate alchemical telescope in her hand reflected a faint, almost imperceptible glimmer against the backdrop of the Iron Curtain Great Wall.

In that instant, a sharp, piercing tearing sound suddenly shattered the relative silence of the wasteland.

From a shooting opening above the Iron Curtain Great Wall, a blazing energy beam suddenly shot out.

It was like a furious bright purple viper, rushing across the open ground at an astonishing speed, aiming directly at where Ella was.

"Watch out!" Leonard, being the nearest, reacted the quickest, his face changing dramatically as he hurried forward to shield his sister.

But the speed of the energy surpassed his actions; the energy catapult had already arrived, about to hit the area where Ella was.

At this critical moment, several extremely thick vines appeared out of thin air, forming a massive defensive shield in front of Ella.

At this moment, Richie took action, having always been attentive to the team's situation.

Seeing Ella in danger, his heart leaped to his throat as he hurried to save her.

Ella and Leonard came from the Silver Hand, their father being a demigod-level wizard of the Silver Hand.

If anything happened to the two, Richie and Catherine would undoubtedly bear some consequences.

The bright purple energy beam fiercely collided with the suddenly arisen vine shield, with deafening explosion sounds.

The several thick vines hurriedly brought forth by Richie were incredibly resilient and played a crucial role at this moment.

Interwoven into a dense shield, although they were violently shaken and rapidly carbonized and shattered at the forefront by the energy catapult, they barely managed to neutralize the core destructive energy of the attack.

However, the impact force of the energy catapult was still astonishing.

The fierce airwave that the vines hadn't entirely absorbed was like an invisible heavy hammer spreading outward fiercely.

"Ah!" Ella only had time to utter a short cry of surprise before the powerful shockwave sent her flying two or three meters back, landing somewhat awkwardly on the sandy ground.

She wasn't seriously injured but landed in a sorry state, her beautiful blue robe covered in dust, her hair slightly disheveled, and the last trace of sleepiness scared away, leaving only pale fright.

Only when Captain Richie finally calmed down did he realize his back was covered in cold sweat.

Although the Duke wasn't in the attack range, he still felt the violent energy of the catapult, with the yellow sand around him moving, ready to defend at any moment.

He and Vivian were also retreating slowly, trying not to expose their position here to avoid attracting attacks.

Richie keenly perceived that after the cannon shot, at least three places on the Iron Curtain Great Wall became unusually active and aggressive in energy, quickly locking onto their location.

That was a sign that more catapults were charging and aiming, and they needed to leave the area quickly.

"Go! Move immediately! Full retreat! They've locked onto us!" Richie's voice was filled with unprecedented urgency.

He didn't leave first but stayed to cover the retreat of the others.

By this time, the Duke had already taken Vivian's hand, half-embracing her, flying low over the ground through the sand and woods at high speed, distancing themselves from the area.

Samuel and others also sped up their departure, with Leonard supporting Ella, then carrying her on his back as a tornado-like thing appeared around him, flying away.

Attacks from the Iron Curtain Wall came shortly after, with three even thicker and more dazzling bright purple energy beams ripping through the air with a deadly scream, precisely covering the area where they had just been hiding.

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