Chapter 517: Reversal
Thorne Merlin, famed for his fierce, fire-like attacks, felt powerless for the first time. His relentless onslaught, fueled by vast reserves of battle energy, failed to harm the Chieftain in the slightest—instead, each strike left Thorne wounded to varying degrees.
He had a sinking feeling that he wasn’t facing a raging Forgefire orc, but rather an unstoppable killing machine—one that no one could hope to withstand.
At this moment, Leon had entered his Fire Elemental Avatar state, his entire body wrapped in flames. Using Flame Blink, he darted across the battlefield, the Arcane Wheel spinning behind him like a blazing disk. Pushed to its absolute limit, his spellcasting rhythm bordered on terrifying—an endless torrent of magic surged forth, battering the Chieftain without pause.
But...
Every spell that struck the Chieftain vanished without a trace, swallowed by the violently flickering dark red runes on his body, as if sinking into a bottomless swamp.
It was downright terrifying...
The Arcane Wheel, at the level of a mid-tier True Spirit Relic, could unleash power so fearsome that even sixth- and seventh-level Title Archmages had to be cautious—one misstep and they’d be wounded.
But the Chieftain’s strength had surged, now rivaling an eighth-level Title Archmage. Even under the relentless flood of spells, he remained completely unaffected.
Honestly, before heading to the Sacred Mountain, Leon hadn’t planned to do much. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have bothered—he’d have just stood aside and watched the chaos unfold. Why would he be working so hard to help the Black Tower now?
But unexpectedly, the Forgefire Clan’s Totem is the only thing that can help him unlock the Dragon Revival Array. Without it, his plan to break the array and claim the Five-Colored Dragon Core would be indefinitely stalled—he’d have to wait until his power reached the level of Star Sage Joey before he could brute-force his way through that barrier.
Obviously, he couldn’t afford to wait that long...
Now, his only option was to kill the Chieftain and seize the Totem.
But an eighth-level Title Archmage Chieftain wasn’t so easy to kill. Even this team of more than ten Title Archmages struggled against him, falling deeper into disadvantage as time dragged on. Their remaining mana dwindled; when it finally ran dry, most of them would die here...
At that thought, Leon’s expression grew more serious than ever. Three consecutive Flame Blinks, aided by Levitation, left him hovering in midair, looking down at the Chieftain. The Arcane Wheel spun relentlessly, unleashing countless spells that instantly engulfed the Chieftain.
For a moment, it seemed as if he could hear the Chieftain’s furious roar...
But Leon had no intention of stopping. He handed control of the Arcane Wheel to Anderson, and an ancient tome radiating death floated before him—the Death Tome. In an instant, a terrifying wave of energy spread outward. On the cover, three pitch-black sigils flickered, sending out strange, unsettling pulses.
"Roar..."
With a surge of mana, a cloud of black mist burst from the Death Tome, followed by a deafening roar. A blade of black energy rose silently, carrying a torrent of death, sweeping toward the Chieftain.
The summoned Death Knight, clad in battered armor and mounted on a two-meter-tall Nightmare, lifted a rusted longsword and charged into close combat with the Chieftain.
Suddenly, a surge of black mist swept forth, radiating a bone-chilling cold. Out of the haze stepped a gaunt figure in a black robe, clutching a Bone Staff—a Lich.
No sooner did it appear than the phosphorescent flames in its eye sockets flared, sending out faint psychic ripples—like it was chanting a spell. The next moment, endless death energy erupted, and countless Bone Spears coalesced around it. As the Bone Staff fell, the spears turned into streaks of black light, slicing through the air.
Their target was the Chieftain...
For a moment, the Chieftain roared in fury, swinging his Totem and Blazeforge Battle Axe with terrifying force. But with more than ten Title Archmages attacking, the relentless spells from the Arcane Wheel, and the addition of the Death Knight and Lich, the Chieftain was suddenly on the defensive, struggling to keep up.
After all, the Death Knight was a true level thirty-six undead, its bones far tougher than most magical beasts of the same rank. The Lich was even more formidable—level thirty-seven, a master of terrifying spells, easily rivaling Councilor Suville.
That’s what turned the tide...
But...
Only Leon truly understood: maintaining this situation was impossible. Both summoned creatures devoured death energy at a staggering rate; before long, the Death Tome’s reserves would be spent, and the undead would vanish—leaving the Chieftain back in control.
That wasn’t what he wanted...
Drawing a deep breath, Leon activated Limit Haste. Flames wrapped his body, making him even more agile as he darted through the air, leaving fiery afterimages in his wake—moving like lightning. This time, to hold back the Chieftain, he was burning almost all his power, barely keeping the Chieftain suppressed for now.