Chapter 691: The Second Head
Looking back now, Elsa could only force a bitter smile. They had been far too reckless, attacking without even the most basic attempt at communication. She never should have listened to Jeremy's advice. If only they had tried to talk, so many Dark Elves wouldn’t have been lost…
Elsa glanced back. Jeremy, who always carried the pride of a Dark Elf, now wore an expression of pure terror. All traces of his earlier bravado were gone—no sign of that kingly arrogance, that wild judgment he’d shown when they first discovered the outsiders.
The magic within her was draining rapidly, and despair began to show in Elsa’s eyes.
This Wooden Sanctuary wielded power on par with a top-tier seventh-level spell, but even it couldn’t hold forever.
"Surrender. If you surrender and let us seal your magic, I won’t kill you. I’ll speak with your elders," came Leon’s calm voice from outside the Wood Barrier.
Leon’s even voice drifted in from outside the Wood Barrier. His words left every Dark Elf feeling a little ashamed. Even Jeremy’s eyes, filled with despair, flickered with hope. He quickly remembered—this was the Tree of Wisdom, and there were still plenty of experts among their people. The real top-tier masters hadn’t even shown themselves yet.
These outsiders really don’t dare make mortal enemies of us Dark Elves. As long as Elsa and I survive, there’s still a chance to turn things around!
My father is the Grand Elder, and Elsa is the Dark Elf Princess. These outsiders must know what it means to kill an elven princess!
As for those ordinary Dark Elves, their fate is just misfortune. They provoked a powerful outsider without malice, and died for it. The elders won’t risk everything for a few common elves against such formidable outsiders.
Such a huge loss could only be blamed on Elsa and himself. They would certainly be punished, but compared to being killed by these outsiders, whatever punishment awaited them back home was nothing.
A glimmer lit up in Jeremy’s eyes—he thought he’d figured out what these outsiders were thinking.
But the pride of a Dark Elf made Jeremy hesitate. Surrender and defeat might seem similar, but for Dark Elves, there’s a fundamental difference. The tribe could tolerate failure—punishment would come, but life would go on.
But surrender? The tribe wouldn’t punish them much, but they’d carry a lifelong stigma. If he ever went to the market, he might not even be able to buy the most ordinary breadfruit.
They’d be scorned by almost everyone. Life would be over.
Jeremy was still wavering, but the exhausted Elsa had already called out, her voice firm: "As a Dark Elf, there have only ever been heroes who die in battle—never cowards who surrender!"
There was no color left in Elsa’s face. Dark Elves were usually pale, but it always seemed natural. Now, though, the veins beneath her skin stood out starkly, her features almost translucent.
It was a sign of severe magical depletion—even her vitality was fading. Elsa was at her limit…
Leon glanced at Elsa, a little surprised. He disliked the arrogance of these Dark Elves, but Elsa was somehow different.
He was annoyed by their ambush, and by their attitude—acting as if the world revolved around them, as if it was only natural for everyone to obey their commands.
Still, it didn’t stop Leon from feeling a hint of admiration for this Dark Elf princess.
All sentient beings have an instinct to seek fortune and avoid disaster. When threatened with death, survival becomes the deepest instinct.
To die standing rather than live kneeling—people with this kind of integrity are rare. The longer you live, the stronger you get, the more likely you are to do anything to survive when faced with oppression.
Still, Leon felt no urge to show mercy. Ever since they’d attacked without provocation—even injuring Reina—he’d decided to give these Dark Elves a lesson they’d never forget.
"Hubert, go talk some sense into these stubborn fools," Leon said, tossing the words over his shoulder.
Hubert bared his teeth in a savage grin and charged, his warhammer Slaughter pounding furiously against the Wood Barrier…
"Damn Dark Elves, you dare ambush the great Archmage Leon—and the great Hubert! You must have a death wish!"
"Surrender now, or when Hubert smashes open your turtle shell, he’ll crack your skulls one by one."
"If you surrender, the kind-hearted Archmage Leon won’t kill you. But if you keep resisting, don’t blame Hubert for going all out! I’m warning you idiots: when I get serious, I even scare myself…"
Hubert really had a face made for taunting. Even Elsa glared at him in fury, and the Dark Elves bared their teeth at him, but they still couldn’t suppress the growing panic.
Hubert swung Slaughter—the warhammer was far more intimidating than any spell.
Hubert’s tirade only made the Dark Elves more afraid. More and more of them broke down in tears, but Elsa just gritted her teeth, refusing to yield.
Leon had lost his patience. Anderson hadn’t intended for these Dark Elves to surrender at all—the Arcane Wheel was spinning at full force, bombarding the Wood Barrier with spells and rapidly draining Elsa’s already dwindling magic…
Magic, for Dark Elves, was as vital as life itself…
Leon frowned slightly. The Wood Barrier’s defenses were incredibly strong—after so many spell attacks, it had held for almost ten minutes.
You could see the power of the Ultimate Rune in the Dark Elves’ defenses—the higher the level, the more outrageous the abilities.
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Though the Dark Elves’ defeat was inevitable, for now, things had reached a stalemate.
Suddenly, Leon looked up, gazing into the distance. From a far-off slope came a rumbling sound, like an avalanche or a mountain collapsing.
In the distance, countless towering trees toppled one after another. It was as if a massive boulder had rolled down from the slope—heading straight for them.
Within mere seconds, the air was shattered by a succession of agonized screams—those were the Dark Elves, fleeing in utter panic.
Occasionally, flashes of magical light flickered above the forest canopy, followed closely by terrified shrieks.
A heavy, suffocating aura began to permeate the air, while tendrils of sinister energy silently encircled them all.
Roar...
A savage, brutal roar ripped through the forest, and Leon's face instantly paled...
"Run!"
Leon shouted, ready to bolt, but it was already too late.
The colossal creature weaving through the dense forest—just moments ago a distant shadow—was now barreling straight toward them.
All around, massive trees toppled in waves, some splintering into fragments from the sheer force of the impact.
A storm of dust and wood chips filled the air, obscuring everyone's vision.
Suddenly, a claw—over ten meters long—pierced through the swirling dust, followed by the looming outline of a beast towering more than a hundred meters tall...
Roar...
Amidst its furious roar, the colossal beast finally burst from its cover.
Its form resembled an enormous Earth Draconis, its scales layered and intricate, with streams of fire flowing across its hide.
Its hind legs, each over twenty meters wide, shook the entire Leaf Continent with every step. Its forelimbs, covered in runes and gleaming like metal, ended in claws at least five meters long!
But most terrifying of all, three grotesque, massive heads sprouted from its neck.
On either side, a red and a blue serpent head—Ashen Pythons—with cold, unblinking eyes, flickering tongues, and jaws that could extend to reveal fangs seven or eight meters long, each a testament to its deadly power.
At the center, a horned, demonic head twisted in a snarl—the unmistakable visage of an Abyssal Demon...
"Oracis..."
Seth, who had been enjoying the spectacle, now shrieked like a girl cornered by a pack of thugs.
He was terrified. Last time he saw Oracis, he’d barely escaped with his life—and now, so soon after, another ancient beast Oracis appears...
"Damn it, why is there another Oracis here?"
Anderson cried out, clearly not expecting the rampaging beast to be an Oracis.
Leon’s expression was grim. From the moment he sensed the approaching power to Oracis’s arrival, barely a few seconds had passed.
Even Leon hadn’t expected to encounter an Oracis here—thankfully, it wasn’t Sky Rank...
By the looks of it, this one was just shy of reaching Sky Rank.
Damn, since when did Oracis become so common?
Leon swiftly withdrew his Dragon Staff, ready to lead the group in retreat. Oracis was not a foe they could hope to defeat—escape was their only option...
With Oracis’s sudden appearance, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
Elsa, still maintaining the Wooden Sanctuary, fell into utter despair at the sight of Oracis...
The Wooden Sanctuary was strong, but it had a glaring weakness—it couldn’t move...
Boom...
A deafening crash echoed inside the Wooden Sanctuary. The thunderous impact knocked dozens of Dark Elves unconscious as Oracis’s claw struck, leaving deep, jagged cracks across the sanctuary’s surface...