Chapter 712: An Opportunity
Elsa opened her mouth, forcing a bitter smile as she looked at Jeremy. After finally persuading this human mage, he was getting carried away again—did he really think this human mage was afraid?
"Jeremy..."
Jeremy snorted coldly, cutting off whatever Elsa was about to say next.
"Elsa, I know what you're going to say. You don’t need to. I’ve already seen through this human—this despicable clown. I know exactly what he’s plotting!"
Then Jeremy looked at Leon, a trace of pity in his eyes, as if he were bestowing charity.
"You fool, you'd better confess honestly—what scheme do you have against the Dark Elf Clan? If you spill everything and come back with me, I’ll plead for you before the Elder Council. They won’t execute you—at worst, you’ll lose your magic, but you’ll keep your life."
Seeing Leon’s slightly stunned expression, a faint smile involuntarily crept onto Jeremy’s face.
Damn human, have I finally seen through you?
If you dare touch me, my father will mobilize the entire Dark Elf Clan to avenge me. When the time comes, you’ll die a miserable death, your soul unable to rest. So you don’t dare kill someone as noble as me—you’re just bluffing!
Jeremy sneered repeatedly, as if victory was in his grasp. Suspended in midair, he looked down at Leon below.
The look of surprise vanished from Leon’s face, replaced by utter calm—so calm it seemed devoid of emotion. In a flat, colorless tone, he began muttering to himself.
"I was still wondering how to persuade you to offer yourself up willingly. After all, voluntary sacrifice yields the best results, and forcing it might not work as well. Now it seems you’ve made the choice for me..."
Jeremy was stunned, but then, cold sweat suddenly broke out all over him, and a shrill scream rang out.
Hellvine’s four thick, sharp thorns pierced through Jeremy’s palms and the soles of his feet, blood gushing from the four bloody holes.
Blood trickled down from midair like tiny streams, yet the Hellvine didn’t absorb a drop.
As the Hellvine squirmed, a thick, sharp thorn grew larger and larger in front of Jeremy’s face. He stared at it in terror, screaming in panic.
But it was all in vain. Leon’s expression was icy cold, and that thorn slowly pierced Jeremy’s brow, leaving a bloody hole that made him look like a vengeful ghost drenched in blood.
Damn it, does this human really mean to kill me?
The more he struggled, the more thorns pierced his body. His convulsing form carved out new wounds, and in an instant, Jeremy became a man of blood, streams pooling beneath him like a crimson creek.
But as blood poured from his body, Leon’s array seemed to draw it in, the blood soaking into the lines as if guided by some strange force.
"Ah..."
The pain was so intense his body went numb, yet agony still flooded his mind. Jeremy couldn’t help but scream, forgetting all about Leon—he could only beg Elsa for help.
When Elsa saw the rough outline, and especially when she recognized the array Leon was drawing, her face instantly turned pale.
"My god, that’s the Elven Dirge..."
Elsa’s fingers trembled. She knew this array all too well—her mother had demanded she master it before ascending the throne as queen of the Dark Elf Clan.
Elsa gritted her teeth, magical runes beginning to glow on her body. Looking at Leon, she hesitated: "Master Merlin, please let Jeremy go. You can’t possibly succeed in casting the Elven Dirge—only a willing elf can activate this array..."
Leon kept his head down, focused on drawing the array, ignoring Elsa completely. He was running out of time—the Flame Elemental Dragon and Hell Bull were about to be taken out by Curio.
In fact, that’s exactly what it was: the Elven Dirge was the elves’ trump card against overwhelming foes, cast by the queen, sacrificing all her power and using blood as a catalyst to summon the force of nature.
Every time it was used, it could drive back the enemy—but the price was steep. To wound a thousand, you’d hurt yourself eight hundred. Each queen only ever got one chance to use the Elven Dirge in her lifetime, and surviving afterward was rare; even if she did, she’d be left a shell of her former self, barely clinging to life.
Losing one’s magic is as good as death for a Dark Elf...
But wasn’t this alchemical array supposed to be reserved for royal elves—only the successor could even approach it? How could this human know it, and how was he drawing it so fast?
She’d seen her mother draw it once, but even then, her mother was nowhere near this fast. How was this possible?
Leon kept his head down, drawing at full speed. Elsa gritted her teeth, and a glowing magical rune appeared on her body. A flaming meteor, half a meter wide, plummeted from the sky—headed straight for Leon.
If Leon wouldn’t listen, she’d have to interrupt his drawing, at least keep him from continuing...
Leon’s hands moved without pause as he drew the array, eyes locked on the ground. Overhead, a blue fireball with a long tail shot into the sky.
Jeremy, screaming, heard Elsa’s exclamation and immediately recalled information about the Elven Dirge. It was so famous—every Dark Elf knew the name, but only the privileged knew the details.
Jeremy obviously had that privilege, but the more he knew, the more terrified he became. Elsa, as a princess of the Dark Elves, definitely wouldn’t be mistaken.
Damn it, does this human really mean to kill me?
Only then did Leon, still not looking up, issue a cold warning.
But as blood poured from his body, Leon’s array seemed to draw it in, the blood soaking into the lines as if guided by some strange force.
"Ah..."
The pain was so intense his body went numb, yet agony still flooded his mind. Jeremy couldn’t help but scream, forgetting all about Leon—he could only beg Elsa for help.
"Elsa, save me—please, hurry! This human is insane, you know it, you must know—damn it, save me!"
"Ah..."
Jeremy’s face twisted in pain as he howled at Elsa.
Elsa gritted her teeth, magical runes beginning to glow on her body. Looking at Lin Yun, she hesitated: "Master Merlin, please let Jeremy go. You can’t possibly succeed in casting the Elven Dirge—only a willing elf can activate this array..."
Leon kept his head down, focused on drawing the array, ignoring Elsa completely. He was running out of time—the Flame Elemental Dragon and Hell Bull were about to be taken out by Curio.
The surrounding Abyssal creatures were being held back by Andefa and the others.
As they kept retreating, Curio was about to reach the teleportation array, while they themselves were getting farther and farther away...
The teleportation array was etched onto the branches of the Tree of Wisdom. Ordinary Abyssal creatures couldn’t damage it—but Curio was an exception. If the array itself was destroyed, it would truly be over...
In the sealed environment of Nightfall Gorge, it wasn’t just Curio—there was also Duncan, who already had one foot in the Heavenly Rank. If it came to that, they were all doomed.
They had to suppress Curio in one decisive move and push him back, or there’d be no chance to repair the teleportation array.
Leon kept his head down, drawing at full speed. Elsa gritted her teeth, and a glowing magical rune appeared on her body. A flaming meteor, half a meter wide, plummeted from the sky—headed straight for Leon.
If Lin Yun wouldn’t listen, she’d have to interrupt his drawing, at least keep him from continuing...
Leon’s hands moved without pause as he drew the array, eyes locked on the ground. Overhead, a blue fireball with a long tail shot into the sky.
In an instant, it blasted Elsa’s meteor away. Then another blue fireball streaked down from above, landing right in front of Elsa in the blink of an eye.
Elsa cried out, quickly casting a magic shield.
Two loud explosions rang out. Elsa grunted as her shield shattered, sending her flying.
Only then did Leon, still not looking up, issue a cold warning.
"One chance—your last. If you come at me again, it won’t be this simple."
Elsa picked herself up, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, wearing a bitter smile.
Merlin was truly forceful—and terrifyingly strong. He could draw the Elven Dirge at that speed, never even raising his head, and still control Explosive Flame to blast into the sky, keeping all the power far from the array.
He even managed to instantly cast another Explosive Flame to knock me back. That casting speed, control, and array-drawing ability—no titled mage at my level could possibly match it...
What kind of monster is this...
After that one move, Elsa completely gave up on saving Jeremy. It was impossible. With Curio looming as a threat, she could only focus outward—after all, there was no way the Elven Dirge would actually work.