Chapter 645: Death Verdict
Leon, Reina, Anderson, and the Alchemical Golem surrounded the Dark Knight, but could barely maintain a fragile balance.
Their mana was already severely depleted, and everyone's combat effectiveness had dropped sharply. Even with Reina transformed into her Frost Dragon form, she could only muster the strength of a Level 37 combatant. Anderson and the Alchemical Golem's spells served mainly to suppress, not to seriously wound the Dark Knight—a near impossibility at this point.
“Leon, you need to think of something—this can’t go on…”
Anderson was growing anxious. He knew perfectly well that the Dark Knight’s fighting prowess was unmatched among undead of the same rank—and the higher the rank, the greater the gulf. So far, the Dark Knight had only demonstrated his formidable battle instincts and a single Death Verdict slash…
No one believed the Dark Knight had only mastered one Death Verdict slash in his previous life…
Leon’s expression darkened as he unleashed a barrage of spells, continuously suppressing the Dark Knight. In less than a minute, Ragulin and his group had already slain the Skeleton King.
Without hesitation, the skeleton warriors were thrown at the Dark Knight like cannon fodder. Ragulin retreated to the rear, his sole role now to amplify the evil aura. At Level 37, Ragulin stood no chance against the Level 38 Dark Knight—if he got close, he’d learn firsthand what ‘rank suppression’ meant. At that point, a single strike from the Dark Knight could shatter Ragulin’s body.
Honestly, even Leon had to admit the situation was dire. A Level 38 Dark Knight was a force to rival even Auraxis elsewhere…
And that’s not even considering they were on a ghost ship teeming with undead, saturated with death energy. Here, the Dark Knight was nearly unstoppable…
Unless Leon could summon Barris…
Yes, this was Leon’s final trump card. If Barris—nearly transcendent—were to appear, the Level 38 Dark Knight would be nothing but an insect. Whether Level 38 or 39, against such power, resistance was futile.
But summoning Barris was easier said than done…
The only reason Leon managed to seal Barris into the Death Tome back then was pure luck—a convergence of timing, place, and people. Sealing was one thing; actually summoning Barris now was another, and Leon no longer had fortune on his side…
Even if Leon succeeded in summoning Barris, the outcome might be worse than he imagined. Barris’s arrival would mean certain death for the Dark Knight—but after that, Leon and his allies might not fare much better…
As a nearly transcendent being, if Barris broke free from the Death Tome, there was no way Leon would get a second chance to seal him again.
At that point, things would truly spiral out of control…
That worry kept Leon’s hand hovering over the Death Tome, unable to commit—finally, he withdrew it, hesitating…
Yet…
Just as Leon wavered, the Death Tome suddenly trembled.
"Hm?" Leon’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly opened the Death Tome.
When Leon flipped to the Elemental Chapter, he was surprised and delighted to find that, after all this time, it had finally begun to merge with the Death Tome!
The crystal sphere emblem seemed to slowly melt, and four-colored lights gradually began to glow.
The merging had started—while not a complete fusion, it meant Leon could finally use it!
Without hesitation, Leon activated the Elemental Chapter. Flames converged behind him, and the shadow of a mighty Inferno Dragon appeared.
As the Inferno Dragon’s shadow formed, Leon raised the Doombringer Staff—all his spells switched to fire magic.
Lower-tier spells were discarded; even the weakest he cast now were fifth-level spells!
Spears of Flame, Detonation, Inferno Dragon Dance, Hand of Flame…
A barrage of fire spells surged forth, each drastically different from usual—Spears of Flame now bore runes, Detonation erupted in deep blue flames, and Hand of Flame manifested as a lifelike giant hand.
The power of every fire spell was greatly amplified, yet Leon’s face suddenly went pale.
The Elemental Chapter could greatly amplify elemental spells—the stronger the spell, the greater the boost. But the mana cost also increased exponentially.
With the Elemental Chapter’s power, Leon’s spells finally began to wound the Dark Knight. The black smoke billowing from his armor slowly dissipated, replaced by scorched marks from the flames.
Leon suddenly surged with power, forcing the Dark Knight onto the defensive.
The skeleton warriors, though trembling in fear as they neared the Dark Knight, managed to pin down his movements with their bodies.
Roar!
A suppressed, furious howl echoed from the Dark Knight’s helmet as he raised his greatsword high. The black mist swirling around the blade grew so dense it resembled a massive vortex. In that instant, overwhelming death energy gathered on the sword, and everyone felt a suffocating pressure…
“Damn, that’s Death Verdict!” Anderson cried out in alarm.
But it was already too late…
Anderson’s warning had barely left his lips when the Dark Knight unleashed Death Verdict. The thirty skeleton warriors used as cannon fodder didn’t even have time to react before they were reduced to ashes. Waves of death energy surged madly, the evil and putrid stench filling the world…
Hubert, the only close-combat fighter in the party, was hit nearly as hard as the skeleton warriors. Swept up by Death Verdict, he couldn’t even dodge—he was sent flying, warhammer and all, blood pouring from his mouth…