Chapter 813: Return of the King
In the depths of despair, as one companion after another fell, even when Thorne roared with deathly resolve, burning his battle energy and preparing to self-destruct—never once did he feel the urge to cry. But now, Thorne was overcome, his body trembling with emotion, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.
"Master Leon, you finally came back..."
Leon drifted down from the sky, tossing Thorne several bottles of life potion.
"Leave things here to me."
With those words, Leon turned toward the mountain peak—where over a thousand Blazeforge Orcs gathered, along with the formidable Hobart and that massive teleportation array.
Leon could tell at a glance: if that teleportation array was used for humans, it could send at least eight hundred at once, and its recovery time was incredibly short—the fastest way to reinforce troops in a large-scale war.
Hobart's wary gaze softened slightly when he saw Leon, and the violent surge of magic around him calmed a bit.
The arrival of the USS Dauntless had been terrifying—a spatial rift over a thousand meters long was torn open in an instant. That was power far beyond any Title Archmage.
If not for the importance of the teleportation array here, Hobart would have already fled.
But after the USS Dauntless appeared, Hobart's shock faded. He realized the Dauntless itself wasn't as powerful as it seemed—apart from its massive size and terrifying defense, it posed little real threat.
Especially after seeing Leon, Hobart's worries vanished completely.
Just a mere Title Archmage...
And a young human at that. Heh, another one here to die...
"Looks like you're with the Merlin Family too. What a shame—you're about to die. The Merlin Family is truly foolish. Before dying, you even gift me such a warship. Excellent, simply excellent. With this ship, we can break out of the Blazeforge Realm and destroy you all..."
Hobart was overjoyed. A giant warship with formidable defenses but little offensive power would massively strengthen the tribe. With it, the Blazeforge Orc army could break through enemy lines and drive out all other forces from the Blazeforge Realm.
If things went well, there was a real chance of becoming someone like Emperor Norlick—conquering and unifying the entire Blazeforge Realm, then using the warship to strike out and exact revenge on those damned humans.
Hobart's face was wild with joy as he floated down from the mountain peak, eyes wide, glaring fiercely at Leon.
"Foolish human, you can die now."
Leon gripped the Doombringer Staff, gazing at Hobart with calm indifference.
"Who the hell are you?"
Hobart's expression froze, then in an instant, rage flared in his eyes. Flames erupted around him, threatening to set the entire sky ablaze.
Before the furious Hobart could speak, Leon snorted dismissively.
"Forget it. I have no interest in knowing the name of a dead man."
Hobart roared in fury, and from the fiery cloud surrounding him, over thirty fire dragons burst forth, attacking Leon from every direction.
"Damn human, I'll tear you to pieces and let your soul drown forever in the Howling River!"
Leon hovered in midair, unmoving. Behind him, a massive phantom wheel appeared, runes swirling within. In an instant, a spherical shield of ice enveloped him.
The fire dragons crashed against the icy shield, sending waves of flame surging, but they couldn't shake it. The translucent blue shield shimmered with starlight, and with each flash, a fire dragon was forcibly scattered.
Below, Thorne stared in stunned silence at the scene.
Master Leon has advanced to Title Archmage, but why is he so strong? My god, he didn't even chant a spell, and his magic aura didn't change—how did he instantly cast that frost shield?
When did the frost shield become so powerful? Isn't it just a fourth-level spell? Each of Hobart's fire dragons was equivalent to a fifth-level spell—how could Master Leon's frost shield withstand dozens of them without the slightest change?
My god, I can't even tell what rank Master Leon is anymore. How is that possible in such a short time? Even if someone is stronger than me, I can sense it—so why can't I sense Master Leon's level at all? I can't feel his strength...
Thorne stared blankly at the sky, utterly unable to comprehend.
Seeing that the fire dragons were useless, Hobart suddenly extended a hand. A pitch-black rune appeared, transforming into a ray that shot at Leon.
The ray struck Leon's frost shield, spreading into a wash of black light that swept over him.
But in the next instant, several runes in the phantom wheel behind Leon faded away, and the black ray was instantly dispelled.
As the ray dissipated, a faint gray ripple followed. But when the ripple reached Leon, it seemed to hit an invisible barrier and spread around him.
Thorne looked up at the battle, completely unable to understand...
Why did a ray of exhaustion have no effect on Master Leon, and why did that fatigue spell just skirt around him?
Did Master Leon just cast a spell? Why didn't I sense him casting any defense at all?
Has Master Leon really become this powerful?
Not just Thorne—even the few surviving members of the Merlin Family stared wide-eyed at the battle in the sky.
Just months ago, Master Leon Merlin was only a fifth- or sixth-level mage. Now he can hold his own against a peak eighth-level Title Archmage Blazeforge Orc Warlock.
And from the looks of it, he's not just holding his own—he's completely at ease, not even using incantations. With just a simple defense, Hobart's spells all fail.
They'd witnessed Hobart's strength firsthand. Thorne, a fifth-level Sword Saint with countless battles behind him, hadn't even had a chance to fight back—he was like a child swinging a toy, utterly helpless.
A few casual spells from Hobart had left Thorne seriously wounded. Then a fire meteor killed dozens of Merlin Family members, and even Thorne paid a heavy price to escape.
If Hobart hadn't gotten cocky, trying to crush their last hope, everyone would probably be dead by now. Thorne wouldn't have had even a chance to resist.
And before, Hobart hadn't even brought out his staff when casting spells!
But now, they're seeing something else—Hobart has drawn his staff, is fighting full force, even sneakily casting two spells in a row. Yet not a hair on Master Leon's head is harmed; he seems to be blocking everything with ease.
Has Master Leon's strength already far surpassed Commander Thorne?
Did Hobart hold back? Don't be ridiculous—just look at his eyes, they're practically glowing green with rage.
That giant warship in the sky is terrifying. When it appeared, it ripped open space itself—elemental storms and thunder rained down like a downpour, but all it did was brush a little dust off the ship, not even a scratch.
A greedy red-skinned groundhog like Hobart would never let that slip by. He's ignoring Commander Thorne now; all that's left in that foolish Blazeforge Orc's mind is killing Master Leon and stealing the ship.
In this situation, Hobart would definitely go all out to kill Master Leon quickly. But what did they see? Hobart looked half-starved—his spells seemed powerful, but couldn't harm Master Leon at all.
It wasn't just the surviving Merlin Family members who were shocked—the Blazeforge Orcs on the opposite peak, braced for battle, were stunned too. Their faces were tense; none dared attack, as if facing a giant beast, afraid that young human in the sky might suddenly strike at them.
Damn, anyone who can fight their chieftain to a draw can't be weak. Didn't you see the chieftain even brought out his staff?
That staff—normally, even glancing at it could get you yelled at, and touching it might get you killed. Hobart treasures it like nothing else, never uses it unless absolutely necessary. Now he's wielding it in battle—doesn't that say it all?
Us, go up there? That's suicide. Blazeforge Orcs might not be as crafty as humans, but they're not idiots. The chieftain's orders are to guard the teleportation array, nothing else.
All the Blazeforge Orcs on the mountain looked grim, holding their ground. Even though a single charge could kill the few humans below, not one of them moved.
The battle in the sky raged on. Hobart's fierce attacks failed; even his warlock's cunning spells had no effect. Now shock was written all over his face.
"Foolish human, are you only capable of defending like some burrowing rat?"
As he spoke, Hobart suddenly launched a sneak attack. Several black runes shot from his fingertips, and in an instant, a thick mist enveloped Leon.
Within the semi-transparent gray mist, faint sounds echoed—beastly roars, the seductive calls of sea sirens, and the clinking of countless treasures.
Thorne saw the mist appear, and even glimpsed vague, illusory shadows inside. His face changed instantly.
Mind Fog—Hobart actually knows this spell? Isn't it said that only a handful of warlocks skilled in mind magic can cast it?