Chapter 920: The Loss Is Too Great
You have to understand, a Blazeforge Orc army with priests among their ranks is a completely different beast from one without.
If the enemy is accompanied by a high priest, the fighting strength of this ten-thousand-strong army increases by at least thirty percent!
Don’t underestimate that thirty percent—it’s a fundamental shift. If every Blazeforge Orc gets a thirty percent boost, then the human coalition will have to exert at least fifty percent more effort just to achieve the same results!
Just as everyone was at a loss, news arrived from outside: the Blazeforge Orc army had already reached Sunset Fortress. They’ve begun to surround it, and it won’t be long before the fortress is completely besieged.
Leon furrowed his brow, saying nothing as he silently calculated the timing.
Difo, who had been silent and stone-faced the whole time, changed expression dramatically when he heard the Blazeforge Orc army had arrived. He couldn’t help but glance at Leon.
“Hmph, damn it! Look at this mess—it’s all your fault! Leon Merlin, aren’t you going to say something?”
Leon gave Difo a cool, indifferent glance and said nothing.
Difo slammed his fist on the table, shot to his feet, and glared at Leon, teeth clenched.
"Haven’t got anything to say? Ha! Damn bastard, if it weren’t for you, would any of us be in this mess? Damn it, you set up the teleportation gate to your precious Radiance Fortress, brought your people here, and now you want to cooperate? Look at your so-called strength—just a pitiful fifty mages. Oh wait, you do have a Second-Rank Title Archmage, how impressive…"
"With this tiny force, you still want to work with us? You’re going to get everyone killed—every last one of us!"
"Idiot! Don’t you know what happens if Sunset Fortress falls? We finally gained a bit of advantage in our gamble with the Odin Kingdom, and now you’ve ruined everything!"
"Our Black Tower and Cloudspire Tower have lost so much power here, the entire Andalusia Kingdom is finished! Forget about winning the Blazeforge Realm’s grand offensive—even if we conquer the Blazeforge Orcs, the realm will have nothing to do with us!"
"It’s all because of you, you disgraceful bastard! How dare you show up with so little strength? If you’re weak, why not just admit it? You’re getting people killed—killing all of us!"
"If the teleportation gate had connected to the Black Tower Sanctuary, we’d have reinforcements right now to resolve this crisis, not to mention our offensive would be much stronger. We could’ve swept those idiotic Blazeforge Orcs aside."
"But now? Look at your pathetic force—is it even enough to get stuck between the teeth of those brainless orcs with magma and muscle for brains?"
"All our chances wasted on you useless trash. You’ve killed everyone!"
"The fate of the entire Andalusia Kingdom is in your worthless hands. Why haven’t you killed yourself in shame already? How do you even have the nerve to sit here?"
Difo, face flushed with rage, slammed the table repeatedly, panting and berating Leon—he looked like he wanted to kill Leon right then and there.
Difo slammed the table in anger, while the others kept their faces grim and said nothing. Difo might have exaggerated, but he wasn’t entirely wrong.
Joey and Heron both knew Leon’s personal combat strength was formidable, but in the current situation, individual power below the Heaven Rank was useless. What mattered now was numbers—a true mage legion, a force large enough and coordinated enough to withstand the crisis.
Combined, Cloudspire Tower and Black Tower could muster four or five hundred fighters, with several dozen Title Archmages apiece. Even if most were low-ranking, their combat strength was nothing to scoff at.
Leon’s side, on the other hand, only had fifty subordinates. The strongest among them was merely a Second-Rank Title Archmage, and some were just Ninth-Rank Archmages…
The gap in strength was a bit too much.
If the teleportation gate had really linked to Cloudspire Tower or Black Tower Sanctuary, even though cross-realm teleportation consumed enormous power, in a situation like this, it might truly have saved everyone.
But previously, neither Joey nor Heron had chosen to link the gate to their own sanctuaries.
The hatred between Cloudspire Tower Sanctuary and Black Tower Sanctuary ran far deeper than the rivalry between the two factions. When Joey and Heron met, there was friction but still a chance for cooperation. But between the sanctuaries, it was nearly at the point where seeing someone from the other side meant striking first without hesitation.
Given the chance, people from either Cloudspire Tower Sanctuary or Black Tower Sanctuary would never pass up an opportunity to stab the other in the back.
Under these circumstances, there was no way the gate could be linked to either sanctuary. A third party was the best choice, and Leon was the best candidate. After all, among the Seven Great Powers of Andalusia Kingdom, both Joey and Heron considered Leon the strongest.
But neither of them had expected things to turn out like this…
Seeing that no one supported Leon, Difo grew even more brazen, pointing at Leon’s nose and preparing to launch into another tirade.
Leon did a quick calculation of the time, then spoke calmly.
"Who told you I only have fifty legion mages under my command?"
Difo’s face froze; the words on the tip of his tongue stalled. He glanced at Leon in surprise, then let out a cold laugh.
"Leon Merlin, calling you useless is giving you too much credit. You’re a liar. At a time like this, you still want to deceive everyone? If you ask me, you’re a traitor, stalling us so our entire army gets wiped out!"
Leon slowly stood up. Instantly, magical energy rippled around Difo, who sneered at Leon.
"What? Did I hit a nerve? You’re about to lose your temper? Hmph, let’s see how you talk your way out of this, damn bastard. This time, no one can save you. Not just you—your Merlin Family will have to face our wrath too!"
Leon snorted, sweeping a glance at Difo as if he were looking at an idiot.
“Most of my forces will be here soon. The ones who came with me are just a fraction. In ten minutes, the main army will arrive.”
Difo’s expression faltered, a trace of doubt flashing across his face.
Could Leon Merlin really be telling the truth? Did he actually have more forces on the way—and a lot more?
Impossible, absolutely impossible. If he had so much power, why not bring it earlier? Why only now? He must be stalling for time.
No, that doesn’t add up either. If he wanted to stall, ten minutes wouldn’t make a difference. Could there really be a main force yet to arrive? How could the Merlin Family possibly have such strength?
Fifty legion mages—just his retinue? The real main force would have to be several hundred strong, wouldn’t it?
Hundreds of Title Archmages? Impossible, absolutely impossible…
If Leon Merlin wasn’t lying, then the power he commanded would surpass even the combined might of Black Tower and Cloudspire Tower.
Difo’s face showed disbelief, but worry gnawed at him inside. What if it was true?
Leon walked out of the meeting room and into the central square of Sunset Fortress, standing before the massive teleportation gate to wait. Joey and Heron followed him out.
Time passed slowly as the glowing vortex at the center of the teleportation gate began to spin, widening gradually, the hollow at its core expanding.
This was a sign that someone was about to teleport over.
At the very least, it proved Leon was telling the truth—he still had forces yet to arrive.
At this point, Difo fell silent, and everyone waited quietly.
Ten minutes flew by. The magical fluctuations from the gate grew stronger, but not by much.
Difo watched the gate, a cold smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Leon Merlin, looks like you really think we’re all fools. Ten minutes—where’s your main army? Are you trying to provoke Black Tower and Cloudspire Tower? You’ll pay dearly for this! Even if you survive this time, you’re finished. You and your Merlin Family will pay a heavy price!"
Leon watched the gate, silently calculating. The teleportation was going smoothly—after all, sending alchemical golems required even more energy, and with large numbers, the energy needed was astronomical. The teleportation gate at Radiance Fortress could send these golems only because dozens of soul magic crystals had been expended.
Extending the teleportation time drastically reduced the energy needed and eased the burden on the gate. Even so, it had taken some of the Abyssal power drawn from Radiance Fortress to make it happen.
"They’ll be here any moment now."