Chapter 530: Courting Death
At that moment, it was as if the entire icefield trembled. Countless sheets of solid ice shattered, forming deep, jagged cracks. As the Frost Mammoths thundered across the plain, the cracks widened. White mist filled the air, rising like dust clouds kicked up by a charging army.
That was why Thorne Merlin gritted his teeth and decided to gamble one more time.
Otherwise, he really couldn’t think of any other way to get this squad out of danger.
"Get ready to move..." Leon stared intently to the north, his face unusually serious. At that moment, flames erupted around him, wrapping his entire body. In a blur of red light, he rushed northward at incredible speed.
As the voice rang out, Larn Merlin realized a red, flame-wreathed figure had appeared beside him. The young voice was all too familiar—almost certainly that damned Matthew Merlin. Instantly, his expression turned dark.
Soon, the group had a close encounter with the first wave of Frost Mammoths just a few hundred meters ahead. Even Leon broke out in a cold sweat—terrifying. Within a few hundred meters, there were at least two or three hundred Frost Mammoths. That was the equivalent of a mage legion made up of over two hundred newly minted Title Archmages. At first contact, countless frost spells came crashing down on them like a tidal wave.
It was enough to scare someone witless...
If a mage with poor nerves ran into this, forget attacking—they probably wouldn’t even have the guts to run...
Leon’s squad was in relatively good shape. Edgar Merlin, Uriel Merlin, Thorne Merlin—they’d all fought in at least a hundred planar wars over the decades. The scene was overwhelming, but not enough to leave them frozen in fear. As for Leon himself, there was no need to worry. He’d survived the destruction of Northend itself...
How did it end up sounding so outrageous when Matthew Merlin said it?
Thinking this, Larn Merlin let out an uncontrollable cold laugh, his eyes full of mockery. "Matthew Merlin, you think I’ve stolen your thunder, so now you call me excessive? Honestly, that’s pretty childish—but what can you do? You’re only a fifth-level mage, after all..."
Six blazing figures darted among those mountain-sized beasts, weaving through the chaos. The group was now completely surrounded by Frost Mammoths, their situation perilous.
...
At that point, even the protective spells cast on their bodies would be as fragile as paper...
The worst part was the Frost Mammoths' innate magic. Especially in an environment like the Frostbound Realm, their frost spells were greatly enhanced—almost as powerful as the strongest spells a newly minted Title Archmage could cast.
Larn Merlin, wreathed in flames, hovered low in the air with levitation magic. His staff blazed with light as he chanted a long, complex incantation. Suddenly, a roaring sound filled the air and scorching heat swept out. The Level Five Fire Dragon spell, in Larn Merlin’s hands, seemed almost alive—its blazing tail streaked through the Frost Mammoth herd with a thunderous crash.
Crossing two kilometers would normally be effortless for warriors of their caliber.
"Ridiculous, Matthew Merlin—who do you think you are, a Heavenly Mage? No, you’re just a fifth-level mage. And yet you dare to point fingers at me? The younger generation in the family is getting more arrogant by the day..." Larn Merlin jabbed a finger at Leon, his eyes nearly blazing with fury.
More and more Frost Mammoths closed in from all directions, their numbers growing by the second and creating a massive obstacle for the squad.
That damned Matthew Merlin—provoking him again and again, clearly showing no respect for a Title Archmage like himself.
In just a few minutes, Edgar Merlin was grazed by a frost spell while weaving through the chaos, suffering a minor injury.
It was practically asking for death...
After all, the enemy was a thousand Frost Mammoths...
After more than ten minutes, six blazing figures were still weaving among the Frost Mammoths. They’d advanced over five hundred meters—about a quarter of the way. Everyone except Leon had picked up minor injuries, but thankfully, nothing too serious.
But just as the squad had gotten used to dodging the Mammoths’ charges in an orderly fashion, a surge of magical energy erupted. Instantly, everyone looked toward the source in shock...
Larn Merlin, wreathed in flames, hovered low in the air with levitation magic. His staff blazed with light as he chanted long, complex incantations. Suddenly, a roaring sound filled the air and scorching heat swept out. The fifth-level Fire Dragon spell, in Larn Merlin’s hands, seemed almost alive—its blazing tail streaked through the Frost Mammoth herd with a thunderous crash.
Larn Merlin had no idea. The fourth-rank Title Archmage, hearing Leon’s words, felt his simmering anger flare up again. His expression grew even darker. "Matthew Merlin, you’re so naive. Do you really think that just because you’re a Planar Legion commander, I wouldn’t dare touch you? Let me tell you—don’t kid yourself. Whether any of us make it out of this plane alive is still up in the air. If we were in the Blazeforge Realm or back with the Merlin Family, maybe I’d hold back. But here? Heh..."
A deafening explosion shook the icefield, shattering ancient ice and sending shards flying everywhere. It was as if the whole plain trembled. Blinding fire shot skyward, and waves of heat washed over them. Within a hundred meters, there was nothing but a sea of flames...
Even after causing such destruction, Larn Merlin didn’t stop. He raised his staff high, unleashing powerful fire spells one after another.
For a moment, the whole area was ablaze. After the deafening roar, everyone clearly heard the screams—the Frost Mammoths. In just half a minute of Larn Merlin’s frenzied assault, at least a dozen Frost Mammoths were killed, and dozens more wounded.
Such a feat could only be accomplished by someone like Larn Merlin, a seasoned Title Archmage nearing the high ranks. But this outburst had drained a huge amount of his mana.
His face was pale, almost bloodless...
He’d slaughtered a dozen Frost Mammoths in one go, and felt a rush of satisfaction—as if all his pent-up emotions had exploded out. But just then, a cold voice sounded in his ear.
"Master Larn, don’t you think you’ve gone a bit too far?"
As the voice rang out, Larn Merlin realized a red, flame-wreathed figure had appeared beside him. The young voice was all too familiar—almost certainly that damned Mafa Merlin. Instantly, his expression turned dark.
Too far?
In what way, exactly?
He’d just burned through a massive amount of mana, displaying the full power of a fourth-rank Title Archmage, slaughtering a dozen Frost Mammoths and easing the squad’s burden.
That was a huge contribution...
How did it end up sounding so outrageous when Mafa Merlin said it?
Thinking this, Larn Merlin let out an uncontrollable cold laugh, his eyes full of mockery. "Mafa Merlin, you think I’ve stolen your thunder, so now you call me excessive? Honestly, that’s pretty childish—but what can you do? You’re only a fifth-level mage, after all..."
Unconsciously, his dislike for the young mage grew even stronger.
...
Leon was left speechless, rubbing his nose with a helpless, half-amused look. "Master Larn, let me put it this way—our primary goal isn’t to kill Frost Mammoths, but to reach a spot two kilometers away. Only by luring the Mammoths there will we have any hope of survival. Besides, what you just did was actually pointless, just a waste of mana. There aren’t just a hundred or so Mammoths out there, but hundreds, maybe thousands..."
"What did you say!" Larn Merlin’s voice suddenly shot up.
"I said what you did was pointless and will only make things harder for us. If you don’t care about surviving, fine—but don’t drag us down with you, okay? I hope you’ll calm down and stop attacking the Frost Mammoths for now..." Leon shot Larn Merlin a cool glance.
If Larn’s actions hadn’t interfered with the plan, Leon wouldn’t have bothered with his nonsense. Even if the guy wanted to get himself killed, as long as it didn’t mess up the strategy, Leon wouldn’t lift a finger to stop him.
"Ridiculous, Mafa Merlin—who do you think you are, a Heavenly Mage? No, you’re just a fifth-level mage. And yet you dare to point fingers at me? The younger generation in the family is getting more arrogant by the day..." Larn Merlin jabbed a finger at Leon, his eyes nearly blazing with fury.
He couldn’t help but be furious...
That damned Mafa Merlin—provoking him again and again, clearly showing no respect for a Title Archmage like himself.
The worst part was, a mere fifth-level mage actually dared to boss him around...
It was practically asking for death...
"I don’t have time to deal with you right now..." Larn Merlin barely restrained himself from attacking, shooting Leon a long, dark look. If not for the circumstances, he really wouldn’t mind teaching this arrogant youngster a lesson—just to show what a Title Archmage was truly capable of.
"Oh? So when will you have time...?"
At this, Leon’s smile vanished. His brows furrowed, eyes narrowing at Larn Merlin. If the dragon-blooded orc Xiu Ban were here, he’d be running for his life—he knew that when Master Merlin looked like this, things were about to get terrifying...
Too bad...
Larn Merlin had no idea. The fourth-rank Title Archmage, hearing Leon’s words, felt his simmering anger flare up again. His expression grew even darker. "Mafa Merlin, you’re so naive. Do you really think that just because you’re a Planar Legion commander, I wouldn’t dare touch you? Let me tell you—don’t kid yourself. Whether any of us make it out of this plane alive is still up in the air. If we were in the Blazeforge Realm or back with the Merlin Family, maybe I’d hold back. But here? Heh..."