Chapter 481: He's Gone Mad
Thorne Merlin, leading the charge at the edge of the Inferno Fortress and slaughtering elemental creatures, finally breathed a sigh of relief when Leon and his Planar Legion joined the battle. Before Leon arrived, Thorne had been anxious—understandably so. The enemy numbers were overwhelming. Even with the unprecedented strength of his own Planar Legion, facing such a horde left him with no confidence.
Defeat would mean losing the Inferno Fortress—a humiliation for Thorne Merlin, who was rarely bested.
Fortunately, Mafa Merlin arrived with the Planar Legion just in time to stabilize the situation. With decades of experience in planar warfare, Thorne could tell that the Inferno Fortress was no longer in any real danger. All that remained was to hold the line; victory was only a matter of time.
Just as he swung his sword, the blade's energy tearing through a dozen ash elementals, three figures suddenly flew out from the fortress and plunged into the endless army of elemental creatures.
"He... he's gone mad!"
Thorne Merlin's hand trembled in shock, almost dropping his greatsword. He recognized them—the three who had flown out included Leon and two powerful figures from the Ancestral Grounds, both Title Archmages.
What the hell is this, a joke?
Thorne Merlin's face darkened instantly, fury boiling with nowhere to vent. His greatsword lashed out again and again, slicing through swarms of ash elementals.
By now, the situation was clear. Though the two Planar Legions had united and turned the tide, the sheer number of elemental creatures was overwhelming. Even if he recklessly left the fortress and got surrounded, he'd still face mortal danger. Decades of experience told him that in times like these, you had to hold fast and counterattack methodically—only then could the Inferno Fortress be secured.
But what did that bastard Matthew Merlin do? He actually dared to charge into the army of elemental creatures with two Title Archmages—was he trying to get himself killed?
Honestly, I can't understand how a reckless fool like that was sent to the Blazeforge Realm by the Ancestral Grounds Family Council. Damned if he didn't take a share of my authority, too.
Suddenly, he realized—the guy had just joined the Family Council. Maybe he was trying to show off, rack up some achievements, and prove his worth as a councilor?
Sure, that's necessary, but there's a time and place for everything...
In truth, when Thorne Merlin saw Leon leave the Inferno Fortress with two Title Archmages, his feelings were complicated. That damned guy had crippled his own son—a grudge that could only end in death. The last few times he'd met Leon, he'd barely restrained himself from attacking. If Leon died in the army of elemental creatures, Thorne would be delighted.
But the situation now was clearly unusual...
He'd seen Leon's strength months ago—armed with two powerful magical artifacts, Leon could almost stand shoulder to shoulder with Thorne, a Fifth Level Sword Saint. In the perilous Blazeforge Realm, that kind of power was top-tier, even enough to turn the tide of battle. That was why Thorne felt relieved when Leon arrived at the Inferno Fortress.
As much as he hated Leon, Thorne had to admit—the bastard was strong. In the coming struggle for the Blazeforge Realm, Leon's presence would be crucial. Losing such a powerhouse would leave the Merlin Family's Planar Legion at a severe disadvantage.
That's why Thorne's feelings were so conflicted. He hated Leon to death, but didn't want him dead—at least not before the Blazeforge Realm campaign was over...
Right now, he was seriously anxious. Having arrived early at the Inferno Fortress and suffered the elemental army's siege, Thorne knew all too well how terrifying those creatures were. If surrounded, even if Matthew Merlin's strength matched his own, he might not survive. After all, even the strongest mage could run out of mana, and against endless, unkillable waves of elementals, Thorne doubted Matthew Merlin would make it back to the fortress alive...
"God, are those three trying to get themselves killed? Don't they know how terrifying the elemental creatures outside Inferno Fortress are? And they dare to charge out..."
Actually, it wasn't just Thorne Merlin who noticed. As the fortress mounted its counterattack, thousands of Planar Legion members saw the three figures too—many were too shocked to speak.
That really was a death wish...
"That young guy looks like a Merlin mage. The other two are Lord Edgar and Lord Uriel..."
Those who'd arrived in the Blazeforge Realm with Thorne Merlin didn't recognize Leon, but the recently arrived Planar Legion members did. Even these mages and Swordmasters could see how dangerous this was—practically suicidal.
For a moment, nearly everyone's gaze on the battlefield locked onto Leon. Not because they were impressed by his boldness, but rather with a hint of disdain. They could clearly see that, after being surrounded by elemental creatures, the young mage hadn't attacked at all—he was hiding behind the two Title Archmages.
In a situation like this, how could he not step up and help? Even if he was the commander, that was no excuse!
Just look at Thorne Merlin, also a commander—he never backed down in this fight, always holding the fortress's edge with overwhelming strength, keeping the elemental creatures at bay and easing the pressure on the entire Planar Legion.
But then there's Matthew Merlin...
Leon, his expression grave, had no idea he was being looked down on by countless people present. All he knew was that this battle was far from as simple as it seemed...
Ever since he led the Planar Legion to reinforce Thorne Merlin, Leon had noticed many suspicious details. The battle had been raging for over an hour, with tens of thousands of elemental creatures slaughtered, yet their numbers hadn't decreased—instead, they were increasing at an alarming rate.
He'd wondered at the time—these elementals couldn't just be blowing in on the wind, right? He was sure there was a mastermind behind this, manipulating everything. With his Mana Harness running at full power, Leon finally detected a faint trace—a weak aura that belonged to a Blazeforge Orc.
Actually, catching that trace wasn't as easy as it sounded. Within a ten-thousand-meter radius, the endless elemental creatures, plus thousands of mages, swordsmen, and archers in the Inferno Fortress, filled the area with magical signatures. Even with Leon's nearly omnipotent Mana Harness, it took considerable effort to track down that faint aura amid the chaos.
Once he identified the Blazeforge Orc aura, Leon suspected they were likely behind all this. Otherwise, why would so many elementals suddenly appear out of nowhere?
And they were all fire elementals...
The Blazeforge Orcs are masters of fire manipulation—especially their powerful mages, who possess formidable summoning abilities. That's why so many top forces in Auckland have suffered losses to them.
After uncovering this secret, Leon knew the battle was anything but simple. Though the Planar Legion was currently holding its ground and securing the Inferno Fortress, a hidden crisis loomed. According to Leon's theory, those Blazeforge Orc mages were mingling within the elemental army, constantly summoning and controlling more elementals. If left unchecked, the danger would only escalate.
As the stalemate dragged on, the Planar Legion would eventually tire, and even the Inferno Fortress could fall. That was the last thing Leon wanted to see...
So now, he was weaving through the elemental army, using his Mana Harness to hunt down those Blazeforge Orc mages and eliminate them. Only then could the battle end swiftly.
But clearly, those Blazeforge Orc mages weren't easy targets...
They were deliberately concealing their auras...
Under normal circumstances, hiding from Leon and his Mana Harness would be impossible for anyone without the power of someone like Star Sage Joey.
But the situation right now was anything but normal...
The battlefield was chaotic, full of elemental creatures, mages, swordsmen, and archers—trying to pick out a hidden Blazeforge Orc in all that was nearly impossible. What made it worse, the Blazeforge Orcs' aura was eerily similar to that of fire elementals.
It wasn't enough to leave Leon helpless, but it definitely made things difficult.
So now, all his focus was on searching for those Blazeforge Orc mages, with no time to fight himself. He could only order Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin, the two Title Archmages, to protect him.
Meanwhile, the clueless crowd just looked down on him even more.
"Rumble..."
A thunderous roar erupted as dozens of massive Magma Giants swept in, waves of heat surrounding Leon and his companions. Nearby, Ashen Golems gathered, and streams of scalding magma poured from the giants' bodies, raining down from above in a dense, inescapable curtain.
Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin, both powerful Title Archmages, felt their scalps tingle at the sight. As they unleashed terrifying spells to blast through hordes of elementals, their expressions grew increasingly grim.
There were simply too many elementals. Surrounded on all sides, Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin fought desperately to tear open a gap in the encirclement, but to their shock, they couldn't kill them fast enough to keep up with their numbers. To break out, they'd need help from at least a Fifth Level Title Archmage.
But trapped as they were, where could they possibly find a Fifth Level Title Archmage now...