Chapter 606: What's Going On?
Cyrus Watson nearly fell straight out of the sky, not even having time to cast a single cushioning spell...
There was no helping it. This is what happens when you forcibly use the Crystal Balance—Cyrus Watson had almost drained the last of his magic...
"Quick, save Lord Cyrus!" Anthus, still coughing up blood, realized something was wrong. But he was too far away to help, and could only shout to Reid Watson from a distance.
Reid Watson was just about to cast Flight to catch Cyrus Watson as he fell, when suddenly a figure shot up beside him...
"Leon?"
Yes...
At this moment, the only one with enough strength to save Cyrus Watson was Leon. With a single Flight spell, Leon caught Cyrus Watson midair.
"Th...thank you..." Cyrus Watson was so weak he could barely get the words out.
"You're too polite, Lord Cyrus." Leon set Cyrus Watson gently on the ground and handed him a few bottles of mana recovery potion. At this moment, Cyrus's combat strength was indispensable, and a few potions could at least help him recover a bit.
Cyrus Watson knew full well that now wasn’t the time for pleasantries. He simply shot Archmage Leon a grateful glance, uncorked several bottles of mana recovery potion, and downed them one after another. After a string of bottles, his mana finally clawed its way back to about half strength. Only then did this eighth-tier Archmage manage a weary sigh...
But it was already too late for anything.
Damn it... This trip to the demi-plane? Catastrophe after catastrophe. First Oracis, now the Mountain Serpent—each one a nightmare made flesh, strength beyond reason.
Cyrus cursed under his breath—the young mage was just too impulsive. Just thinking about it left him with a bitter taste, defeat gnawing at the edges of his heart...
Didn’t he see? His real value wasn’t in direct combat, but in supporting the team. And this battle had only just begun...
Yet our side was already battered—Anthus gravely wounded, his strength halved; I’d burned my last trump card, the Crystal Balance, and my mana was barely crawling back. Even with Red Watson added to the mix, we’d barely be a mouthful for the Mountain Serpent. Sometimes, just one alchemical potion, one alchemical array, could be enough to save everyone...
If only I’d brought a few more people from the ancestral lands this time... Well, now look at the mess we’re in...
At the very least, we wouldn’t be this damned pathetic... If he gets badly hurt—or killed—who’ll brew the potions or set up the arrays when we need them most?
Now, the only ones left standing were the Merlin Family’s handful—still unscathed. But even on their side, only Reina the Frost Dragon could hope to stand toe-to-toe with the Mountain Serpent. The alchemical golems, sure, not weak, but they’d never measure up to a true mage—their instincts, their drive, always lacking. As for the Dragonblood Beastman? I’d seen enough: a walking disaster in mass battles, but when it came to a clash of titans, his solo power was laughable. Right now, Cyrus even felt a pang of regret...
Right. And then there’s Archmage Leon... If I’d known it’d turn out like this, I’d have rushed the Mountain Serpent myself when my mana was half-restored—maybe then Archmage Leon wouldn’t have been so reckless...
At that thought, Cyrus couldn’t help but glance sidelong at Archmage Leon.
And still, he couldn’t stifle a weary sigh...
Still too young...
Archmage Leon’s talent was the strongest Cyrus had ever seen in a young mage.
Honestly, for someone his age to wield that kind of power—it defied all logic.
But no matter how absurd it was, he was still just a twenty-something mage. No way—even with all his strength—could he stand against the Mountain Serpent...
“Hm?” Just as Cyrus brooded on all this, a sudden gust of wind whipped up beside him.
What the hell...?
Cyrus froze, then his jaw dropped in disbelief...
Because in the split second he’d spaced out, that young mage at his side had already cast Flight and was soaring straight for the Mountain Serpent’s head...
"Archmage Leon, wait—" Cyrus Watson started to call out to the young mage.
But it was already too late...
Damn it...
Cyrus spat out a curse—this young mage was just too reckless...
Didn’t he get it? His real value wasn’t charging into the fray, but supporting the team behind the lines. Against a monster like the Mountain Serpent, a Creator’s worth was nearly incalculable...
Sometimes, just one alchemical potion, one alchemical array, could be enough to save everyone...
Well, now look at the mess we're in...
If he gets badly hurt—or killed—who’ll brew the potions or set up the arrays when we need them most?
Right now, Cyrus even felt a pang of regret...
If I’d known it’d turn out like this, I’d have rushed the Mountain Serpent myself when my mana was half-restored—maybe then Archmage Leon wouldn’t have been so reckless...
Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.
Cyrus let out a heavy sigh and focused on regaining his mana. It was all he could do—only by restoring his strength could he hope to take up the fight and let Archmage Leon retreat from the front lines.
Leon hovered in midair, gripping his Dragon Staff. The Arcane Wheel spun slowly above his head, but his face betrayed none of the tension Cyrus had imagined.
Because Leon knew—the Mountain Serpent wasn’t as invincible as Cyrus thought...
That’s right—the Mountain Serpent really was level thirty-nine, but don’t forget, it had just barely awakened from its centuries-long slumber.
After a thousand years of depletion, the Mountain Serpent was at its weakest. The strength it could muster now was nothing compared to Oracis.
And this—this was Leon’s best chance...
The Arcane Wheel began to spin...
A surge of magical energy erupted—countless fifth-tier spells thundered out from the Arcane Wheel.
Suddenly, the space before Leon erupted into a sea of fire. The blazing light nearly smothered the cold of the snowfield, waves of heat rolling out for hundreds of meters.
The Mountain Serpent was born of ice and snow, an incarnation of the ice element itself. Only fire magic could truly harm it—so Leon unleashed a relentless barrage of flames.
In that instant, the Mountain Serpent’s body—entirely composed of ice—turned a fiery red under Leon’s flames. The beast writhed in agony, its head thrashing, shrill screams tearing from its maw...
"ROAR!"
Furious, the Mountain Serpent lashed out. Its massive tail, coiled behind the glacier, slammed toward Leon with crushing force.
"Quick, get out of there!" Cyrus, still recovering his mana, shouted in alarm. The Mountain Serpent's power could snuff out a Title Archmage in an instant—if Archmage Leon tangled with that tail, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Leon seemed not to hear. He raised his Dragon Staff, and a young dragon's cry echoed out. It was the artifact spirit within the staff—three seconds later, a violet glow shot from the Five-Colored Dragon Crystal.
The violet light unfurled into a boundless shield of radiance, bathing Leon in its glow.
At the same time, Leon unleashed his first spell.
Boosted by the Dragon Staff, the spell surged in power. Soon, the process was complete—dark red runes began to rise across Leon’s body...
"Rune Shield?"
Cyrus never expected it—against the Mountain Serpent’s devastating strike, Leon actually cast such a basic spell...
Damn it, using such a low-level spell now—he’s just asking to die!
Has Archmage Leon lost his mind?
Does he have a death wish or something?
He didn’t even dare imagine what would happen to Leon...
Maybe he’d be smashed to bits—or maybe something even worse...
Then, a muffled bang echoed from above...
"Huh?" But after that bang, Cyrus’s face twisted in surprise.
Cyrus saw it clear as day—after taking the Mountain Serpent’s tail head-on, Leon’s Rune Shield hadn’t dimmed at all. It still glowed softly, and the only change was that Leon had been sent flying hundreds of meters...
Leon barely broke a sweat—he steadied himself in midair with Flight, then shot back toward the Mountain Serpent’s head even faster than before...
What was going on?
Leon had actually tanked the Mountain Serpent’s full-strength blow with just a Rune Shield...
Cyrus’s eyes brimmed with shock and confusion.
Was that really a Rune Shield, or was it the Crystal Balance?
This completely defied the laws of magic...
But before Cyrus could make sense of it, Leon had already raised his Dragon Staff again, pointing at the Mountain Serpent. One fireball after another, trailing long tails and roaring, crashed down on the beast...
"ROAR!"
A thunderous roar shook the air—the emerald scales on the Mountain Serpent’s head began to fall away, and even the frost element swirling around its head started to dissipate.