Suddenly, a burst ray struck the Arcane Wheel. Anderson screamed and retreated into the Arcane Wheel, the magical artifact blasted away.
Another Hammerfall Golem dropped its weapon, its impact slamming into the Spellbook of Ages. The Spellbook of Ages transformed into a flaming tome, blasted away by the Hammerfall Golem's force.
With Anderson and Theo gone, Leon's counterattack power instantly plummeted by half.
Leon's face turned deathly pale, yet his eyes remained as calm as stagnant water. Only the blazing flames in his mind burned even fiercer.
I can't die. I have to win. I can't die here...
I absolutely can't die here. I must survive, build the Sanctuary Tower, uncover the truth behind the apocalypse, and transcend...
I haven't reached Sky Rank yet. How could I die now? I must not be killed...
Pure combat, the oppression of death—this squeezed every last drop of potential from me. For the first time since my rebirth, I fought with no distractions, only the raw, primal urge to survive.
Vaguely, the multicolored skull—like a phantom shadow—slowly merged into Leon's own skull, becoming one with him in every sense.
The endless darkness in Leon's mind had transformed into a world awash in flowing multicolored light. At its center stood the Ancient Gate, now marred by a visible crack...
But now, it seemed too late. Leon had already forgotten everything else; only one pure instinct remained—to survive, an urge so primal it resonated with every fiber of his body and soul.
Leon's gaze stayed calm, yet unfocused. He had forgotten the battle itself, his body moving with the precision of an Alchemical Golem controlled by a combat system—executing each step flawlessly.
With only Sky Rank Level 1 power, Leon forcibly held off eight Sky Rank Alchemical Golems—four of which, on their own, could unleash the strength of Level 2.
Eight together could easily kill even a true Sky Rank Level 2 expert. Yet now, Leon, with only Level 1 power, managed to withstand them...
Ten minutes passed. The Ironwall Golem finally braced through Leon's counterattacks, closing in to just five meters away.
This distance was the Ironwall Golem's attack range. Of the six golems originally attacking, one more now joined the assault.
Ironwall Golem excelled at defense, but that didn't mean its offense was weak. It too could exert Sky Rank Level 1 strength.
An ice ray struck Leon's shield, followed by a burst ray. Then the Hammerfall Golem shook the Rule Rune Shield again, while the Colossus, two Swiftblade Golems, and Ironwall Golem all attacked in near-perfect unison.
In less than a second, seven Alchemical Golems attacked simultaneously—their timing and coordination flawless.
The thick, weakening ice ray arrived first, not only diminishing the shield's defense but delivering the first shockwave. Next came the burst ray, its impact amplified by the opposing nature of the ice ray—together, they unleashed even greater force.
Then the Hammerfall Golem used its penetrating strike to rattle the Rule Rune Shield, further lowering its instant defense and causing the runes to flicker even more.
The Colossus and Ironwall Golems only increased the number of flickering runes, while the Swiftblade Golems targeted a single point behind Leon with all their attacks.
A dense flurry of sword shadows flickered at that spot, striking dozens of times in an instant. The Rule Rune Shield's mechanism concentrated all its runes there, ramping up the defense at that single point.
But just as the Rule Rune Shield's runes gathered behind Leon, the Heartpiercer Golem—who hadn't attacked again until now—appeared in front of him, dagger in hand. Violent, suppressed power converged at the dagger's tip, and it stabbed fiercely toward Leon's chest.
In the distance, Raymond's expression changed slightly. He struggled to his feet, the faint glow of Undying Aura flickering around him.
"Prepare yourselves. The Archmage has fought like a true warrior to the very last moment. Now, it's our turn to shine with the light of life—let these foolish Alchemical Golems witness the brilliance of Hidden Mountain Monastery's battle aura!"
Raymond's face was calm, his eyes filled with resolve for death. Marianne and the others, whether unwilling, desperate, or resentful, could only grip their weapons and prepare for a final, life-or-death struggle.
At the center of the battlefield, the Heartpiercer Golem stabbed at the weakest point of the Rule Rune Shield. The shield, already at its limit, burst like a bubble the moment the dagger touched it...
It was a full-force blow from a Sky Rank Level 2 entity, landing squarely on Leon's chest.
All the suppressive forces pressing against the Rule Rune Shield now crashed down together...
Boom...
A violent explosion erupted, filling the sky with light and furious power. The Heartpiercer Golem, dagger raised, emerged through the blast zone.
The force on the dagger had dissipated; clearly, that strike had blown Leon's body apart—there wouldn't even be bone fragments left to find...
In the distance, Theo and Anderson emerged from their magical relics, both avatars nearly crazed. Grief was etched across all three faces of Anderson's Threefold Relic Spirit.
"Merlin! Damn it! How could you die like this!"
As sentient relic avatars, in that instant, they felt their connection to Leon completely severed—no trace of him remained. There was only one explanation: the master of the relics had fallen...
The eight Alchemical Golems halted their assault, turning to look quietly at Raymond and the others. Seven deactivated their combat state, while one Swiftblade Golem raised its weapon at Raymond's group.