However.
"Again! It's chanting the same syllables again!"
The black-robed wizards of Steel City stood on the city wall, waving their magic staffs, chanting strange syllables. Like before, Ian couldn't understand a word of it.
He could only hear gibberish.
"Damn it! These guys' steel, just like the Bronze Gate, is so solid... completely magic immunity?!" Ian gritted his teeth, quickly sidestepping.
However.
The steel giant scorpion's tail needle grazed across his shoulder.
His cloak was also torn open with a gash.
"Bastard! Is there any reason in this?!" Ian shouted loudly while dodging the overwhelming attacks, angrily cursing. His magic wand waved swiftly, carving countless spells in the air.
But these magic spells he learned from his era seemed to be of no use against the steel giant beasts. Ian tumbled awkwardly in the air, attempting to distance himself, yet more steel giant beasts had already surrounded him from all directions—mechanical flying eagle, gear giant serpent, steam giant. They have no life, unaffected by mental interference, and even disregarded all magic attacks!
As if they were born just to counter wizards.
"Fire God's Path! Shadowless Storm! Gravitational Collapse!" Ian frantically waved his magic wand, spells poured out like torrential rain. However, neither cutting curse nor explosive curse.
All were swallowed or deflected by those eerie runes.
Even the magic designed to manipulate gravity had no impact on these steel giant beasts.
"Boom——!"
A steel giant swung its fist, compressing the air into shockwaves. Ian barely used the Iron Armor Spell to block but was still sent flying tens of meters away, a sharp pain in his chest.
"These lunatics!" He spat out a mouthful of blood foam, glaring at the black-robed wizards on Steel City, "I haven't done anything, and you directly go for the kill?!"
"Truly discourteous!"
Ian criticized these black-robed wizards.
However, those wizards only watched him nervously. Although it seemed the steel giant beasts had the upper hand, the pressure on these wizards didn't seem any less than Ian's at the moment.
Not a single black-robed wizard stepped out to engage in magic duel with Ian.
Is it because they don't want to?
It looks more like they're afraid! They didn't personally engage, only controlling the steel giant beasts, seemingly... more like trying to drive him away rather than completely kill him.
"You bunch of iron lumps, are you deliberately conspiring against me!" Ian shouted in exasperation while evading, "I'm just passing through! I'm a polite person!"
"Damn it, these things can't be killed at all." Ian gritted his teeth but now wasn't the time to dwell on this. He took a deep breath, a flash of determination in his eyes.
"Since magic doesn't work..."
He abruptly put away his magic wand, crossed his hands over his chest, and the magic power within him surged crazily. In the next second, his body began to twist, transform, bones reshaping, muscles contracting, skin turning into pitch-black feathers.
Animagus form!
"Caw——!"
A gigantic raven soared up, its black wings cutting through the sky, with all the steel giant beasts' attacks missing. Ian's figure instantly transformed into a shooting star, darting towards Steel City's barrier. Those wizards seemed stunned, exchanging glances, and then erupted with more intense cries of alarm.
"It really is it!"
"Stop it! Stop it!"
"Phase two! Its phase two is here!" The black-robed wizards were all very frightened, beginning to control the metallic giant beasts, attempting to intercept the raven charging towards them.