Chapter 336: Sea of Flames
What is happening?
The instant the Rune Shield appeared, both Ross Merlin and Hanson Charlotte were stunned. This defied all logic—how could a Rune Shield manifest here? Both men were Archmage-level, and calculating the spell exhaustion cycle was second nature to them. For any mage, this was a basic skill, but for Ross Merlin and Hanson Charlotte, it was practically instinct, woven into their blood and bones.
There are some laws in the world of magic that can never be changed, like the spell exhaustion cycle. Even if you reach the Heavenly Tier, or surpass it, as long as you haven't completely transcended the magical world, you cannot break these laws.
Perhaps, those who are unimaginably powerful can compress the spell exhaustion cycle to an extreme, but to ignore it entirely—absolutely impossible.
What's more, the young Archmage before them was still far from reaching that kind of absolute power...
But then, how do you explain this Rune Shield?
Consider this: it's only been two or three seconds since the last Rune Shield faded. How could anyone possibly cast a second Rune Shield so soon?
This is terrifying...
If a mage could wield this ability, it would mean they were always protected by the Rune Shield. That’s no joke—a mage who is perpetually shielded is practically invincible. Imagine it: a mage who can shrug off nearly all damage, who doesn’t even have to fear spell interruption. Such a mage is truly terrifying...
This is a force that completely breaks the balance...
Wait a second...
Ross Merlin was still dumbstruck, but then he suddenly noticed something: this Rune Shield seemed a little different from the last one.
How is that possible?
Ross Merlin rubbed his eyes in disbelief...
It really is different!
This time, Ross Merlin was sure he wasn't seeing things. Yes, this Rune Shield was truly different from the one before. The most obvious change was its brilliance—a dazzling curtain of light formed by countless runes swirling together, mysterious and unfathomable. The magical fluctuations it radiated gave an impression of absolute, unshakable strength.
Yes, that's exactly how this Rune Shield made Ross Merlin feel...
Unbreakable. Unmovable...
Staring at this Rune Shield, Ross Merlin finally understood just how astonishing his distant cousin's achievements in magic really were.
Everyone knows the power of a Rune Shield is determined directly by the runes a mage has accumulated—the more runes, the stronger the shield.
The runes swirling within this Rune Shield are simply beyond imagination. Ross Merlin even thought that many Title Archmages' Rune Shields weren't nearly as terrifying as his distant cousin's...
By comparison, the Rune Shield cast earlier was nothing but a joke.
"Could it be..." As this thought struck, Ross Merlin’s heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that what his distant cousin cast earlier wasn't a Rune Shield at all?
That's it, that's it...
Only that explanation could account for how his cousin ignored the spell exhaustion cycle, and why the power of the two Rune Shields was so drastically different.
It was simply because what his cousin cast before wasn't a Rune Shield at all...
But if it wasn't a Rune Shield, then what was it?
Could it be that his cousin used another protective spell to forcibly imitate a Rune Shield?
This idea that suddenly popped into Ross Merlin’s head startled even himself...
If that were true, it would be utterly unbelievable...
How could that be...
Mana Shield, Elemental Shield, Rune Shield—these are the defensive spells Archmages can cast, each with very distinct characteristics. How could anyone forcibly imitate a Rune Shield?
Wait...
Wasn't there also the Frostfire Shield?
This legendary defensive spell, with its limitless potential for manipulation, is mostly forgotten. Its flaws are too obvious: it demands nearly impossible control from the mage. The Frost Shield blocks physical damage, the Flame Shield resists magical attacks, and the minuscule area it covers means it’s nowhere near as practical as the other three major defensive spells.
But Ross Merlin knew...
Once a mage’s control reached a certain level, the power of the Frostfire Shield could rival any of the other three major defensive spells.
Of course, to manipulate the Frostfire Shield to the level of a Rune Shield...
That could only be described as monstrous...
Thinking all this, Ross Merlin's gaze toward his distant cousin grew impossibly complex.
At this moment, Hanson Charlotte's gaze was just as complicated as Ross Merlin's...
The appearance of the Rune Shield had truly shocked Hanson Charlotte. He was so stunned that, even though an ice spear had already formed in his hand, he couldn’t bring himself to throw it...
But now, Hanson Charlotte didn’t have time to be stunned...
Because, after Leon activated the Rune Shield, he was nearly invulnerable. The frost tornadoes roaring from all directions were like dozens of meat grinders running wild, their terrifying power could destroy anything—the whole street seemed to have been turned upside down...
But now, to Leon, those frost tornadoes might as well not exist.
Wreathed in flames, Leon charged through the blockade of frost tornadoes with brute force. The Rune Shield, formed by countless runes, was unaffected by the destructive power of the storms. A surge of runes would swirl, then recondense, never showing a single sign of disorder.
"Impossible!" Leon’s reckless advance finally snapped Hanson Charlotte out of his stupor. The Frost Giant roared in panic, hurling his ice spear at the Rune Shield with a blinding flash...
But this time, the ice spear seemed to have lost its power. One, two, three, four—seven or eight spears in a row, but none could so much as slow Leon's advance.
"I told you, about ten seconds..." With a casual swipe, Leon deflected the last ice spear. Through the blazing firelight, a faint smile appeared on his face...
"What do you mean?" Hanson Charlotte was suddenly alarmed. Even though he still had the upper hand, relentlessly attacking with ice spears while the young Archmage could only defend with his Rune Shield, something about that faint smile sent a chill down his spine, as if danger was looming.
But what exactly was the danger?
No matter how Hanson Charlotte thought about it, he couldn't figure it out. He was safe—able to attack or retreat at will. Even if the young Archmage managed to summon another Rune Shield, so what? Rune Shields can't kill. Besides, as time passed, the shield would eventually fade. Hanson Charlotte simply refused to believe the young mage could conjure up yet another Rune Shield...
Right, the fight had gone this far—why did he still feel threatened?
"Because this spell does take a bit longer to cast..."
"Huh?"
Hanson Charlotte froze...
Then, a wall of fire erupted skyward. Dozens, maybe hundreds of scattered flames suddenly merged into a single inferno. Within a radius of several hundred meters, everything was instantly engulfed in a Sea of Flames...
Before Hanson Charlotte could even figure out what was happening, that overwhelming wall of fire rolled toward him like a tidal wave...
At first, Hanson Charlotte let out a cold laugh. After all, he believed that as a high-tier Frost Elemental Avatar, his defenses were nearly immune to any fire—unless the flames were powerful enough to overwhelm him.
But his current power came from the Soul Requiem—a top-tier True Spirit artifact. How could a mere twenty-year-old Archmage possibly possess enough strength to overpower him?
But soon enough, Hanson Charlotte couldn’t laugh anymore...
He suddenly realized that the fire rushing toward him was impossibly hot. The very first wave melted most of the ice armor on his arm, revealing dense black scales underneath.
"Impossible!" Hanson Charlotte could hardly believe it—a twenty-year-old Archmage could summon such terrifying flames.
Leon just smiled, holding the Soulbound Staff across his chest. The moment the Elemental Amber activated, a torrent of mana surged into him.
At the same time, two Alchemical Vortexes began to spin...
Three streams of mana poured into Leon at once. The sheer volume would make any Archmage despair—even Leon himself showed a flash of pain. There was simply too much mana to endure, and even with his Mana Harness, he struggled to withstand it.
But after weathering the initial discomfort, the effects of the immense mana infusion became clear. The newly unified Mana Harness spun wildly...
Under the power of the Mana Harness, the flames that had already engulfed the sky surged another ten meters higher, instantly swallowing Hanson Charlotte...
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First chapter updated. I have some things to do during the day, so the next chapter may be posted a bit later than usual. But don’t worry, I promise I won’t miss an update! I’m an author with integrity!