Chapter 608: Slaying
That's right.
Just as those two undead creatures were destroyed by the Mountain Serpent, Leon gripped the Death Tome in one hand and quickly stuffed several Soul Mana Crystals into it with the other. Instantly, Death Knight Ragulin and the Lich Belton were summoned once more.
The two newly revived undead streaked forward like shadows, charging at the Mountain Serpent once again. They were like death gods crawling out of hell, radiating a bone-chilling cold. Soon, a thunderous crash echoed out—the undead spear of Death Knight Ragulin had once more pierced the Mountain Serpent's skull.
At the same time, a dense volley of bone spears burst forth from the Mountain Serpent's head, trailing black mist in their wake. For a moment, undead magic exploded like fireworks...
The Mountain Serpent suffered blow after blow. Leon even activated the Death Tome, invoking the eighth rune—Infinity Rune—to amplify his spells even further. One ultimate spell after another flew from his hands, joining Death Knight Ragulin, the Frost Dragon, and others in besieging the Mountain Serpent.
But soon after, both Lich Belton and Death Knight Ragulin fell once again. Their relentless assault had drawn the Mountain Serpent's full wrath—whenever it unleashed its endless frost, their bodies were shattered instantly.
But that didn't matter—Leon could simply summon them again...
He quickly reopened the Death Tome, and the hexagram array reappeared. Using Soul Mana Crystals as fuel, he summoned the two undead creatures for a third time.
As soon as they appeared, they dashed toward the Mountain Serpent without pause.
"Damn!"
Even Cyrus Watson couldn't help but curse when he witnessed this, staring in horror at the undead Death Knight Ragulin and Lich Belton, revived for the third time.
For a moment, he was genuinely terrified.
Leon Merlin actually possesses the power to endlessly summon undead creatures...
That was honestly terrifying...
If Leon Merlin truly had the power to endlessly summon undead, he would be downright horrifying.
For a moment, Cyrus Watson broke out in a cold sweat. If that were really true, the Merlin Family's strength could only be described as terrifying. At the very least, Leon Merlin could match a level thirty-eight powerhouse, plus a beautiful Frost Dragon above level thirty-seven, an alchemical golem of similar rank, and two nearly immortal undead—one level thirty-six Death Knight and one level thirty-seven Lich. No, forget those other assets—even just these two undying summons could sweep through half the Watson Family...
"What are you waiting for? Planning to just stand there and watch the show?" At that moment, Leon's voice rang out from afar.
"Huh?" Cyrus Watson was stunned for a second before snapping back to reality. Right—what was he waiting for? This was the perfect opportunity: the two undead had locked down the Mountain Serpent, and with Leon Merlin, the Frost Dragon, and the alchemical golem suppressing it, now was the best time for the Watson Family to join the fight!
With that thought, Cyrus Watson didn't hesitate any longer. He cast Flight, transforming into a streak of light and darting into the battlefield at breakneck speed...
With Cyrus Watson finally tossing himself into the fray, Reid Watson and Anthus snapped out of their trance—about time, really. They hefted their staves and greatswords, hurling spells and battle aura to help my undead minions keep the Mountain Serpent distracted. Maybe next time they’ll join in before things get dire.
And right then, I finally flipped the switch on my Mana Harness. If there was ever a moment for theatrical timing, this was it.
A ring of blinding fire shot up from beneath my feet—one second I was Leon, the next, I was a blazing giant towering over everything, all smoke and heat, probably scaring the hell out of the bystanders.
Then came the classic fire-flash—blink and you’d miss it. One moment I was below, the next, I was standing on top of the Mountain Serpent’s skull. Not exactly the safest perch, but style points matter.
"ROAR!"
A roar tore through the world, loud enough to rattle bones—rage, humiliation, the whole cocktail. If sound could kill, we'd all be dead.
The Mountain Serpent thrashed its head like it was trying to shake off a nightmare—or maybe just me. No luck there.
From its point of view, my little stunt was the ultimate insult. Mountain Serpents—hell, any magical beast—would rather swallow their own tails than let a human stand on their head. Guess I’m just that disrespectful.
But let’s be honest—the Mountain Serpent had no chance of shaking me off.
Under my feet, flames flickered—the telltale glow of Flame Suction, the most basic Tier Two fire spell. Laughable, really, but in this moment, absurdly effective. My legs clung like suction cups; no matter how much the beast flailed, I wasn’t going anywhere.
Finally, I spat out the last incantation, knuckles white around the Arcane Wheel. If this didn’t work, well—there wouldn’t be a next time.
The Arcane Wheel exploded to life—one thunderous boom and a flood of spells crashed into the Mountain Serpent’s skull. Overkill? Maybe. Satisfying? Absolutely.
"Aaargh!"
Another earth-shaking roar, but this time laced with pure agony. The Arcane Wheel’s eruption peeled scales off its skull, one by one. The beast spat out frost magic in a panic—pathetic, really; it might as well have been blowing snowflakes at a bonfire.
Its skull wasn’t just a magic cannon—it was the Mountain Serpent’s ultimate blind spot. Neither its spells nor its tail—currently locked up by the Frost Dragon—could reach me here. As long as I kept my feet planted, I was untouchable. Sometimes, being bold pays off.
But let’s be honest—I wanted more than just safety.
Seconds ticked by. I hefted the Arcane Wheel again and crammed a fistful of Soul Mana Crystals inside. The Wheel devoured them greedily, its surface erupting in flames, threatening to drown the world in fire. The heat was so intense, I half expected the horizon itself to melt.
Expressionless, I raised the Arcane Wheel. Spell after spell hammered the Mountain Serpent’s skull. No mercy, no hesitation—just relentless magic.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Again and again. Relentless—like I had a personal grudge against the laws of physics.
Flames wrapped the Mountain Serpent, burning away everything it had. Every impact was thunder and torment, its screams echoing through the inferno. Somewhere in all that noise, I almost felt sorry for the beast. Almost.
"Too bad—you won't get a tenth chance to wake up." I stood atop its head, Arcane Wheel blazing in my hand, face pale and cold. Final judgment, delivered with all the drama the situation deserved.
Then I pulled out more than twenty Soul Mana Crystals—yes, twenty—and shoved them all into the Arcane Wheel. Subtlety was overrated.
The Arcane Wheel erupted, light pouring out in waves. Hundreds, thousands, maybe more spells crashed down, fueled by the crystals. For a moment, it felt like I was wielding the wrath of the gods—if the gods had a grudge against oversized snakes.
And then—silence. Utter, perfect silence. The kind that makes you wonder if the world itself forgot how to breathe.
To the Watson Family and the others, time itself froze. The world hung in the balance, suspended in this single, absurd moment.
Everyone just stood there, slack-jawed, except me—apparently, I’m immune to awe. As the Mountain Serpent’s corpse crashed down, I drifted to the ground, blasted open its vital spot with an Explosive Flame spell, and plucked out its Mana Crystal. Routine stuff, really.
The crystal was no bigger than a pinky, but let’s not kid ourselves—this was the Mountain Serpent’s Mana Crystal. Even Star Sage Joey would drool over it.
Now that the Mana Crystal was finally in my hands, I could breathe easy. All that effort? Worth it.
Then I got busy, picking through the rest of the loot. Never let a good corpse go to waste.
...
Watching me work over the Mountain Serpent’s body, Cyrus Watson looked like he was wrestling with his own soul.
The eighth-tier titled Magus’s face cycled from white to red to green. Can’t blame him—who wouldn’t be tempted by a Mountain Serpent’s corpse?
When he saw me pocket the Mana Crystal, Cyrus nearly had a heart attack. But what could he do? He didn’t have the power to stop me, and even if he did, he couldn’t bring himself to try. After all, I’d killed the beast single-handedly.
But the other materials...
The Watson Family deserved at least a taste, right?
So, seeing me nearly done with the harvesting, the eighth-tier Magus finally lost his patience and nudged the still-stunned Reid Watson.
"Go..."
"Huh?" Reid Watson was still in shock.
Cyrus was so frustrated he nearly kicked him. "What do you mean, 'huh'? Go ask for some spoils, you idiot..."
"Oh, oh, right..." Reid finally snapped out of it.
Carrying Cyrus’s orders, the seventh-tier Magus shuffled over to me, all smiles and bows, trying to look as harmless as possible. After what he’d just seen, who could blame him? You see a ghost, you fear the dark.
After witnessing me slay the Mountain Serpent, Reid Watson wouldn’t dare mouth off again—not even if you gave him ten times his usual courage.
By the time Reid made it over, I’d already sorted the serpent’s materials.
Every bit I harvested from the Mountain Serpent was worth a fortune. Ten scales from its vital spot could make top-tier shields and armor; its four fangs could be turned into deadly weapons. In the hands of a skilled alchemist, you could whip up artifacts that would make anyone jealous.
Don’t forget—these came from a beast that could rival Aurachis, an ancient mutant. For the Watson Family, even a scrap would be a windfall beyond imagination.
Oh, right...
There was also the Mountain Serpent’s bile...
Now that was the real treasure.
Just a single drop in any alchemical potion and you’d see its quality jump a whole tier...