Chapter 529: A Solution
In fact, everyone else had realized the problem too—including Larn Merlin. Otherwise, Larn Merlin wouldn't have been so desperate to escape...
Unfortunately, after Leon and Thorne Merlin’s exchange, Larn Merlin knew there was no way out...
"What do we do, what do we do, what are we supposed to do..." With his last hope shattered, Larn Merlin unraveled completely. The dignified Fourth Level Title Archmage now resembled nothing more than a helpless child, clutching his head, his pale face contorted with anguish: "I don’t want to die here..."
"Enough, shut up!" Thorne Merlin’s face was just as grim. Even this seasoned commander, hardened by countless planar wars, couldn’t keep his composure when Larn Merlin broke down. As he spoke, he shot Larn Merlin a vicious glare.
Truth be told, even he had no idea what to do...
The situation now was worse than anything they’d ever faced...
Even someone as battle-hardened as Thorne Merlin felt a deep sense of powerlessness rising within.
"Nobody wants to die here!" Thorne Merlin fixed Larn Merlin with a cold, frustrated stare—his eyes full of that old 'why can’t you do better' disappointment. "We may not have a solution yet, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of chances. The more dangerous things get, the less we can afford to panic. If you keep running around like a headless chicken, you might as well bash your own head in before the Frost Mammoths get to you..."
After Thorne Merlin’s harsh scolding, Larn Merlin finally quieted down. Still, the Fourth Level Title Archmage looked utterly defeated, his face carved with despair.
"What we need to do now is stick together—no splitting up. It’s our only chance to survive..." Thorne Merlin stared into the swirling white mist, the thunderous rumble growing louder. By the time he finished, his face was ashen, drained of all color.
Even though their six-person team was made up entirely of Title Archmages and Sword Saints—an elite force by Auckland’s standards—facing thousands of Frost Mammoths, he felt no confidence at all...
He might be a Sword Saint now, but memories of that nightmare still haunted him. The Frost Mammoths—known as the Death Gods of the Icefield—filled him with nothing but terror...
Rumble...
The icefield beneath their feet shook violently, cracks widening in the solid ice. That thunderous noise rolled in from afar, sounding to them like the most terrifying thing in the world. Every face twisted in fear.
As the white mist rose all around, the Frost Mammoths finally appeared in their sight—towering, tusked monsters, charging across the icefield. Huge slabs of ice shattered, and shards flew everywhere in the violent tremors...
This ancient ice never melts and is incredibly tough. Even newly minted Title Archmages have to expend considerable effort and powerful spells just to shatter it. But the Frost Mammoths only needed to run—the ice cracked beneath their steps. That’s how terrifying their physical strength truly was...
Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Frost Mammoths charged from every direction, their massive limbs pounding the ice as they ran at full speed. The noise was deafening.
"They’re coming, they’re coming... They’re already here! Haven’t you thought of anything yet?" Larn Merlin screamed in panic, despair etched even deeper into his face.
The rest of the team responded with silence, their eyes glued to the scene. Those tusked, mountain-like beasts looked even more menacing in their eyes.
It had to be said—the sight of thousands of Frost Mammoths was enough to terrify anyone. For a moment, most of them felt their will to resist collapse completely.
At that moment, perhaps no one noticed that Leon, who had been silent all this time, was frowning deeply and staring off into the distance, seemingly unconcerned by the rampaging Frost Mammoths.
"Archmage Leon, Leon..." Thorne Merlin called out twice, but realized Leon didn’t respond at all. At such a critical moment, the young mage was still distracted—didn’t he understand how dire things were?
But he didn’t have time to get angry. Thorne Merlin quickly stepped over to Leon’s side, throat working as he was about to speak—only to see the young mage turn calmly toward him.
"Sir Thorne, I know what you’re about to say..."
"You..." Thorne Merlin was stunned. He couldn’t fathom how, in such a dangerous situation, the young mage could remain so calm. What was going on...?
Had the young mage come up with a plan?
Uneasy, he forced a smile—one so twisted it looked more like a grimace—and waited, tense and silent, for the young mage to speak again.
He didn’t have to wait long. A few seconds later, Leon’s voice sounded: "I have an idea..."
Leon’s voice was soft, but every word was clear. Instantly, all eyes turned to him, tension rising in the group. His brief statement was like a stone thrown into a still lake, sending shockwaves through everyone’s heart.
"What... what idea?" Thorne Merlin’s face flushed red, his voice rising with barely contained excitement—and a hint of trembling.
"This plan might not guarantee everyone’s safety, but it’s the only option we have right now..." Leon remained calm, pointing north. "We need to get two kilometers away, and we have to draw all the Frost Mammoths over there. As for why, I don’t have time to explain."
Hearing this, everyone’s face turned a shade uglier.
Because the young mage’s plan sounded incredibly risky...
Thousands of Frost Mammoths were closing in from all directions, each one at least Level 30. To run two kilometers through that kind of onslaught—it was obviously suicidal.
Most importantly, none of them felt confident at all...
Let’s be honest...
Even if they burned through all their mana and fought their way out, could the young mage really resolve the crisis once they reached the spot two kilometers away?
We’re talking about thousands of Frost Mammoths here...
Forget this little squad—even a powerful Planar Legion would risk total annihilation against so many icefield overlords.
The Merlin Family’s defeat in the Glacier Prison Plane was a grim lesson for everyone.
For a moment, the atmosphere froze—everyone fell silent...
"Enough..."
The silence was broken by Larn Merlin, whose face twisted in a cold sneer. He shot Leon a sideways glance: "Matthew Merlin, stop pretending you’re clever. You’re just a Fifth Level Archmage—what ideas could you possibly have at a time like this? This is nonsense..."
A young man in his twenties, not to mention just a Fifth Level Archmage—even if he were a Title Archmage, he’d still be junior among this team.
Everyone here was a seasoned Title Archmage, each with decades of experience. Why should a junior have any say...?
To Larn Merlin, the young mage’s actions were almost pitifully naive...
Besides...
What kind of plan was that, anyway?
Luring thousands of Frost Mammoths two kilometers away? They’d still have to come up with another plan after that. He didn’t believe for a second that the young mage could wipe out thousands of Frost Mammoths in one go.
Because that was simply impossible...
Unless a Sky Rank stepped in, even Auckland’s top factions couldn’t destroy all these Frost Mammoths, no matter how much power they threw at them.
But after saying all that, Larn Merlin suddenly realized everyone was staring at him with a strange look.
"Huh?" Larn Merlin froze. He had nothing. If he did, he wouldn’t have lost control and humiliated himself earlier. He forced a smile onto his aged face: "Sir Thorne, you’re the only one qualified to decide here..."
"Huh?" Larn Merlin froze. He didn’t have a clue. If he did, he wouldn’t have lost control and embarrassed himself earlier. He forced a smile onto his aged face: "Sir Thorne, you’re the only one qualified to make decisions here..."
But Thorne Merlin didn’t even spare him a glance. He walked straight over to Leon, a struggle flickering in his eyes, and managed a bitter smile: "Archmage Leon, let’s do as you said..."
This decision was the result of Thorne Merlin’s careful consideration. Even though the young mage hadn’t explained everything, given the circumstances, all they could do was gamble.
Yes, he was gambling...
Gambling that the young mage was right...
Cautious by nature, he would never have taken such a reckless risk before. Luring thousands of Frost Mammoths two kilometers away sounded absurd—what could possibly change by doing that...?
Could it really solve this crisis?
If anyone else had suggested this, Thorne Merlin wouldn’t have even considered it.
But this wasn’t just anyone—it was the young mage who’d surprised him time and again.
During those three months in the Blazeforge Realm, Thorne Merlin hadn’t spent much time with the young mage, but he’d learned a few things. Every time Leon did something that seemed absurd, it always turned out—after a while—that he’d been right all along.