Chapter 507: Let Him Show Himself
Still, Leon was keenly aware that the true combat potential of these Archmages was only just beginning to show. Most of them had only recently broken through to the Archmage realm, and their mastery of the Firestorm combat runes was far from perfect—their teamwork, too, was nowhere near seamless.
Of course, this isn't a problem. With enough real combat and the accumulation of time, mastery will follow.
And during this period, those fifty Archmages had not disappointed Leon—they displayed extraordinary strength.
In the extraordinary environment of Specter Valley, where mana hung in the air like mist, countless powerful magical beasts roamed. High-level beasts—those above level twenty—were everywhere. The most terrifying moment came on their second day in Specter Valley, when more than twenty beasts, all above level twenty, charged out of the dense forest. Yet even then, not a single beast managed to get within thirty meters of the group before being utterly destroyed by the fifty Archmages.
With each successive battle, those Archmages grew increasingly adept at wielding their own power and the Firestorm runes. In nearly every major fight, they made obvious progress. After all, during their time in the natural demi-plane, they meditated beneath the sun and moon, absorbed mana from the demi-plane itself, and each had awakened the aura of ancient gods and demons within their bodies. Their talent had undergone a complete transformation—now, their capacity for insight far surpassed ordinary people. Even compared to so-called young prodigies, they were hardly lacking.
As they neared the heart of Specter Valley, a truly nerve-wracking battle erupted—a magical beast of level thirty-five appeared. The fight lasted over twenty minutes, and only under the relentless assault of all fifty Archmages did the beast finally fall, unwilling and defiant to the end. Though it took some time, the Archmages fought with composure, and not a single one was injured.
The prowess of those fifty Archmages stunned everyone present—Edgar Merlin, Uriel Merlin, and the rest. But only Leon knew: level thirty-five was nowhere near their true limit...
As night fell, the Mage Legion halted their advance and set up camp in a clearing. At this moment, Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin, both wearing expressions of deep concern, approached Leon's tent.
"Archmage Leon, forgive us for disturbing your rest..."
Leon chuckled, unfazed. "No worries. What brings you both here so late?" he asked, glancing at Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin.
"Yes..."
Edgar Merlin took a deep breath, hesitating for a couple of minutes before finally speaking: "Archmage Leon, with everything that's happened lately, the Forgefire Clan must have already noticed. Reinforcements could be on their way, arriving in Specter Valley soon. We've already gained so much—devastated an orc unit, seized control of most of Specter Valley. Shouldn't we stop advancing and prepare our defenses, ready to repel their reinforcements?"
From his perspective, it was absolutely necessary. If he were the commander, he would do exactly that.
Right now, the Mage Legion had only three fighters above the rank of Title Archmage: himself, Uriel Merlin, and the young mage. There were only about sixty Archmages; the rest were High Mages. While this force was strong, against the Forgefire Clan, it still felt woefully inadequate.
Edgar Merlin had fought in several battles for the Blazeforge Realm and knew well how terrifying the Forgefire Clan's true strength was. Beyond their six Grand Seers and mysterious chieftain, the clan boasted countless elite warriors and crack troops. Even though this battle in Specter Valley had cost them dearly, the Forgefire Clan would never simply stand by and watch the valley fall into enemy hands.
The dispatch of reinforcements was all but certain—only a matter of time...
At this point, the Mage Legion had already shattered an orc unit and claimed most of Specter Valley—a windfall, the greatest victory the Merlin Family had seen in decades of fighting for the Blazeforge Realm. If they switched to defense now and received support from Thorne Merlin's Planar Legion, they could secure most of the valley for good.
But if they grew greedy and pressed further, they might run straight into the Forgefire Clan's reinforcements. Then, the entire Mage Legion could be trapped—or even wiped out.
That was why Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin had spent the whole day in a state of worry. Only after the camp was set up did they come to try and persuade the young mage.
If the Mage Legion kept advancing like this, the consequences could be disastrous...
"Archmage Leon, you know as well as anyone—the Merlin Family and the Forgefire Clan have been locked in a stalemate over Specter Valley for nearly a century. The Forgefire Clan has never given up the fight. Their garrison here has suffered heavy losses and can't stop us, but their reinforcements will arrive sooner or later. I think caution is best..." Uriel Merlin urged, his tone earnest and pleading.
Leon waved a hand, his expression calm and unconcerned. "No need to defend—for now, keep pushing deeper. The farther we go, the better."
"What? That's impossible!"
Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin were left speechless by the young mage's words, faces pale as they exchanged worried glances. What now?
In the end, all they could do was offer advice. The final decision still rested with the young mage.
But if the young mage insisted on his course, disaster was sure to follow.
All the gains they'd made would be lost—a terrible price to pay.
Just as Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin were about to continue persuading him, they saw the young mage frown. Instantly, the words they'd prepared died in their throats, and neither dared utter a sound.
After months working with the young mage, they knew well: despite his easy-going manner and faint smile, upsetting him could spell disaster.
"Gentlemen, do you hear something?"
Seeing their anxious faces, Leon rubbed his nose and gave a wry smile. He knew exactly what the two were worried about.
"A sound? What... what is that?"
Prompted by Leon, Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin listened closely. Sure enough, they detected faint noises several hundred meters from camp, followed by a surge of magical energy. Cold sweat broke out as they looked at Leon in panic.
"Forgefire Clan reinforcements..." Leon said, still wearing his faint smile. In truth, as soon as he'd sensed the disturbance, he'd pushed his mana array to its limit, scanning everything within several kilometers. He'd discovered a force approaching, just beyond the camp.
The strength of this force was nothing short of terrifying.
Thousands of Blazeforge Orcs, mounted on Ashen Direwolves, glared at the camp, ready to charge at any moment. The spectacle was overwhelming. Above them floated nearly a hundred massive wyverns. The wyverns of the Blazeforge Realm differed from those of Northend—these were entirely crimson, radiating intense heat.
Leon had studied these wyverns before—their dragon blood was far purer than those found in Northend, and their flames carried a deadly fire poison, almost like a diluted dragon's breath. Even the weakest of these beasts were close to level twenty.
In the Blazeforge Realm, encountering so many wyverns without a Title Archmage or Sword Saint meant certain death.
And now, nearly a hundred had appeared at once...
On the backs of those wyverns sat burly Blazeforge Orcs, each wielding a spear that gleamed coldly. Leon could tell at a glance—they possessed immense strength, their raw power rivaling Sword Saints. A spear thrown from such heights would pierce anyone without the defenses of an Archmage.
At the front of the force stood forty or fifty Blazeforge Orcs—not as physically imposing, but their bodies glowed with dark red runes and radiated intense magical heat. Leon, having faced Blazeforge Orc Shamans before, recognized them instantly: powerful orc mages capable of summoning all manner of fire elementals. If they got entangled with you, trouble would be endless.
Leon had seen their power firsthand upon arriving at Inferno Fortress. Just a dozen Blazeforge Orc Shamans working in secret nearly brought the Merlin Family's Planar Legion to its knees. If not for Leon pinpointing their location, Inferno Fortress might have fallen long ago.
Leon was secretly alarmed. He hadn't expected the Forgefire Clan's reserves to run so deep. Nearly fifty orc mages, all above Archmage level. A dozen stood at the pinnacle of their rank, and three radiated power on par with Title Archmages...
This force was almost luxurious—fully capable of storming Inferno Fortress. If Leon weren't present, the fortress would likely fall.
By contrast, the Mage Legion's strength was painfully lacking...
Without hesitation, Leon led Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin out of the tent and sounded the alarm. One by one, mages poured out and assembled—within three minutes, the entire force was ready.
Just as the Mage Legion finished assembling, a loud and arrogant voice rang out from the orc ranks across the field: "Where is your commander? Let him come out and face me!"