Chapter 769: Fireflies
"For glory! The blood of the orcs will never stop burning!"
The heart-rending roars rang out, relentless and wild, undampened even by the thunderous barrage of spells...
The Ashen Orcs fought with growing ferocity, while the Dark Elves grew weaker with each clash. Their overall strength had fallen, and every spell they cast was at least a notch below their usual power—a difference that, in this kind of legion warfare, was more than just a little...
At this moment, Leon Merlin had already slipped away unnoticed. When he went to the Life Sigil Sanctuary earlier, he only brought Anderson; Reina, the Frost Dragon, Elsa, the Dark Elf princess, and the others were resting in the Dark Elf Enclave. Who could have guessed that all this would erupt right after he returned?
Leon worried for their safety, but he knew the Third Elder's temperament—if he caught Reina, the Frost Dragon, Elsa, the Dark Elf princess, and the others, he'd use them as leverage. So Leon didn't even ask; to ask would be to admit he had no idea where they were, and that would only tip off the Third Elder.
Through the link with his Alchemical Golem, Leon found Reina, the Frost Dragon, Elsa, the Dark Elf princess, and the others had already escaped the enclave. Elsa was still unconscious, but Reina and the rest were unharmed. When the Third Elder summoned all the Dark Elves, they slipped away unnoticed.
From a distance, Leon watched the clash between the Ashen Orcs and the Dark Elves in silence.
Anderson popped out of the Arcane Wheel, cursing viciously, "Merlin, let's get out of here. Let them tear each other apart! Those Ashen Orcs are scum, and those Dark Elves aren't any better. The sooner they're all dead, the better!"
Seth looked worried. "Merlin, we should really get out of here. It's much too dangerous. Even if we joined the fight, it wouldn't change anything. Let's just avoid this mess for now..."
Reina kept quiet, while Hubert grinned and slapped Beta hard on the shoulder. "Beta, the moment I saw you, I knew the Ashen Orcs were nothing but trouble."
Leon glanced at Anderson and shook his head. "No, we can't leave now. I went through hell to help them recover the Life Sigil Crystal's relic spirit—I'm not about to watch them get wiped out. If the Dark Elves are destroyed, we'll lose the only path forward, and our whole mission in the God-Demon Dominion will be a failure. We can't give up until the very end."
Anderson's three faces twisted in annoyance as he shot Leon a glare. "You're not seriously thinking of helping those ungrateful Dark Elves, are you? Just let them die already! We can go look for the Forgefire Dwarves—same result, right? Besides, you're good at tricking people. Those red-skinned bumpkins won't even notice, and after we've swindled them, we can just leave!"
Leon said nothing. Of the three great races in the God-Demon Dominion, each must have a path to the summit of the Tree of Wisdom. But with the Ashen Orcs' temperament, that's out. The Forgefire Dwarves I met last time were too twisted, nothing like normal dwarves—so they're out too. That leaves the Dark Elves as our best hope.
"I'm not planning to help the Third Elder—just as long as the Dark Elves aren't wiped out."
With that, Leon left with Anderson, sending Reina and the others to hide somewhere safe outside with the unconscious Elsa.
When Leon returned to the Dark Elf Enclave, he found the Dark Elves utterly defeated, retreating to the Life Sigil Sanctuary as the Ashen Orc Warhost occupied the enclave.
Countless orc slaves stormed the Dark Elves' homes like wolves in a flock of sheep, grabbing anything valuable and piling it onto themselves. Buildings were set ablaze, and more Ashen Orcs surrounded the Life Sigil Sanctuary.
The Dread Dragon Warlord rode his Kodo Beast to the edge of the Life Sigil Sanctuary, grinning as he watched the battered Dark Elves—and burst into triumphant laughter.
"You fools! You're nothing but rejects cast out by the Pureblood Elves, always bragging about your cleverness while calling us Ashen Orcs brainless. Now look—who's the real fool? You're the biggest idiots in the whole God-Demon Dominion!"
Who's powerless now? Look at your enclave—starting today, it's ours. The Ashen Orcs claim it, and the Dark Elves will vanish from the God-Demon Dominion. No, not vanish—be annihilated. By me!
Struggle all you want. This is the last resistance of you pathetic little ants. Cry if you must, because after today, you'll never get another chance!
Now, feel the power of the Ashen Orcs! Tremble in hatred and fear!
The Dread Dragon Warlord stood atop his Kodo Beast, laughing maniacally. To wipe out the Dark Elves—a feat that eluded countless ancestors—would finally be his. Just the thought made him ecstatic.
Inside the Life Sigil Sanctuary, the Dark Elves wore exhaustion and despair on their faces. This was their final retreat—there was nowhere left to go, and no way to escape.
Whether they died in battle or the Life Sigil Crystal was destroyed, the end would be the same...
A mournful atmosphere spread. Wounded Dark Elves rose again, ready to fight on. Some, pale-faced and nearly drained of magic, had their Spellmarks glowing once more—preparing for one last desperate stand...
The orc warhost charged again, but no one noticed Leon had already used the power of the Life Sigil Crystal to appear inside the Life Sigil Sanctuary...
Not even the Dark Elves realized Leon had been gone for a while, nor did anyone notice the silent alchemical arrays he'd set up...
As the Ashen Orcs charged again, a sudden, massive change swept through the Life Sigil Sanctuary.
From the moment the first orc slave set foot on the edge of the Life Sigil Sanctuary, the dense vegetation seemed to go mad.
Countless vines entwined around the trees, writhing like giant green serpents, swiftly coiling around the orc slaves. Thorns sprouted along their surfaces, stabbing deep and drawing blood, greedily absorbing it. As the vines feasted, more erupted from the earth, endlessly devouring the invaders.
A tangled mass of roots burst from the ground, grabbing orc slaves and dragging them below. Towering trees swung thick branches, sending the invaders flying backward with brutal force...
In an instant, the Ashen Orcs' assault was halted. Every plant along the sanctuary's edge seemed to come alive, and even more vicious flora erupted from below.
"Burn these damned plants!"
A furious shout rang out from the rear of the Ashen Orc army. The Demon Warlocks began their assault, filling the air with acrid sulfur as black-yellow flames transformed into meteors, raining down upon the vegetation.
Wildfire swept through the sanctuary. Vines shriveled and charred, mighty trees were set ablaze. Yet as the plants burned, new growth surged up from the earth to take their place.
For a moment, the orcs could not break this living barricade. In the sky, bipedal dragons tried to soar overhead, hoping to bypass the writhing defenses below.
But the fastest of the three-headed bipedal dragons shrieked and plummeted from the sky. In that instant, dozens of Dark Elf Wraiths appeared, drifting in the air.
The wraiths hovered above, endlessly casting spells against the Ashen Orc host, tireless and undaunted by life or death.
More and more Dark Elf Wraiths were summoned—some newly fallen in battle, their spirits called forth. In an instant, two or three thousand wraiths filled the skies, a dense, spectral legion.
A torrent of spells rained down on the Ashen Orc army, joined by the surviving Dark Elves' magic. At last, the orcs' advance began to falter.
But the respite was brief. Demon Warlocks kept summoning meteoric fire, burning swathes of vegetation, and the orc slaves pressed forward relentlessly.
The Dark Elf Wraiths could still cast spells as they had in life, but without bodies, their defenses were pitifully weak.
Under the relentless barrage, spells blanketed the battlefield like a storm. One by one, the wraiths were consumed by fire, black ice, and falling meteors...
The battle lines kept shifting. Despair shadowed every Dark Elf's face, their resistance weakening as their magic drained away...
Even the wraiths could no longer hold the line. Forced to act, Leon began weaving illusions—vast phantasms appeared, making the entire sanctuary seem to vanish, replaced by endless forest.
Dense mist rose swiftly through the forest, blocking the Ashen Orcs' sight. Within the fog, waves of magic surged, hinting at unspeakable danger. The attackers slowed, wary, and with the help of wraiths and plants, the defenders held fast...
Seizing the moment, Leon hurried to the altar of the Life Sigil Crystal and activated the alchemical array he had prepared.
At once, radiant light surged from the Life Sigil Crystal, transforming into a shimmering shield.
The shield rose and spread, sweeping across the entire sanctuary in a single, brilliant wave.
In an instant, the whole Life Sigil Sanctuary was enveloped in a vast protective dome. Every plant began to emit faint, shimmering lights, as if countless fireflies had taken flight into the night.
Countless motes of light merged into the shield, sustaining and strengthening it.