Chapter 1480
Just as Dekrise was basking in his triumph, a sharp, grating scream pierced the darkness behind him—a darkness that was collapsing and shrinking. The sound was so jarring, as if a throat had been slashed by countless knives, that anyone hearing it would want nothing more than to strangle its owner.
"Leon, damn you, Leon! This isn’t over between us…!"
Anderson's terrified scream carried through the collapsing darkness, unstoppable.
At the heart of the darkness, where space itself was collapsing inward, there was the Arcane Wheel, embedded with dazzling gems, so dark it seemed to swallow all light.
A slender hand gripped the Arcane Wheel, holding back the rapidly collapsing darkness. No matter how much the darkness collapsed, it could not fully close.
The wheel spun madly. Anderson—now three-faced and crowned with a unicorn horn—crawled out from the Arcane Wheel, screaming in terror while frantically spinning the Arcane Wheel.
When the Gate of Space was halfway open, it suddenly collapsed. Leon and the others were trapped between the Undead Plane and the Realm of Nightmares; the portal behind them was severed completely. If the portal ahead were to break as well…
Though the Realm of Nightmares had already merged with the Undead Plane, making it unlikely they’d be crushed to death, only two outcomes remained.
Either they would be trapped here forever, or lost endlessly…
Leon, who had anticipated possible trouble, was already prepared for the crisis he would face upon leaving the Realm of Nightmares.
But Leon wasn’t overly concerned about these crises. Agalon already had one foot in the ranks of Pyro Mages—though he hadn’t yet ignited divine fire, he could already alter some rules.
As long as there was enough time, igniting divine fire was inevitable.
Alonzo, as Agalon's lifelong rival and peer, along with his bizarre magical artifacts, was nearly as powerful as Agalon. In a real fight, he was even more terrifying than his rank suggested.
With these two present, even if the Undead King himself appeared, there was still a good chance of escape.
But Leon hadn’t expected that those lying in wait outside seemed to have studied the Nightmare Gate deeply. They altered its structure, and just as their retreat was cut off, shattered the gate—trapping them here.
It’s important to realize the Realm of Nightmares is completely different from ordinary planes—time, space, everything is different. Being stuck here is a real problem.
To plan this far ahead would take Leon quite a bit of time, especially since this Nightmare Gate was crafted with future research—no one expected someone in this era could break it so easily…
The front gate collapsed, and the terrible destructive force combined with the collapse, nearly extinguishing all hope.
At the critical moment, Leon wedged the Arcane Wheel into the last remaining fissure, keeping it open. Once the destruction storm passed, he could force the crack open again.
If the Arcane Wheel hadn’t already advanced to a Mythic Artifact, daring to use its true form to resist such forces would have destroyed it instantly. Even so, the gems embedded in its surface dimmed, some even threatening to shatter.
Anderson was nearly scared out of his wits. Those gems weren’t ordinary—they were condensed from rules and elements, the very foundation of the Arcane Wheel’s power. If they shattered, the Arcane Wheel would lose its Mythic status.
And once it lost its Mythic status, that meant destruction—for Anderson, now completely bound to the Arcane Wheel, it would be the end as well.
Because of everything happening in the Realm of Nightmares, Anderson hadn’t known anything until now. Suddenly being brought out and seeing this scene—he was lucky not to be scared to death.
“Leon, damn it—where’s your Death Tome? Use the Death Tome! Or the Spellbook of Ages! And Hubert—summon Hubert! Get Hubert to hold the line…”
Where’s Hubert’s cheap daughter? Pull out Marianne—get her to help…
Why is it always me…?
Hubert’s three-faced form howled in terror, desperate to drag others into the mess with him…
Leon did want to use the Death Tome—after all, it was the strongest artifact right now. But the tome had just suppressed the Blood Chapter, and there was a complex soul trapped inside. Using the Death Tome now would definitely stir up trouble from that soul.
The Spellbook of Ages was even less convenient. That last move was pure reflex—at a critical moment, there’s no time to think so much…
At least the Arcane Wheel looked much sturdier than the Spellbook of Ages...
If you force this rift open before the destructive power outside has dissipated enough, the entire space collapses. Now that most of the destruction has faded, Agalon finally makes his move.
No incantation was needed. With a mere gesture, Agalon forced the destructive power around the rift to retreat.
It wasn't mana, nor was it any supernatural force. Instead, Agalon simply altered the rules of that space—forcing a change to the spatial laws just at the rift, pushing the destructive force impossibly far away. It looked as if he had simply brushed it aside.
Alonzo, face dark, pulled out a silver mirror covered in intricate, cryptic engravings.
He spoke rapidly to one side of the Silver Twin Mirror.
"Move everyone here to the other side."
With that single command, a surge of terrifying magic flared from Alonzo—only to be instantly swallowed by the Silver Twin Mirror before it could erupt.
As the Silver Twin Mirror spun once, Leon felt himself standing on the opposite side of the rift. Yet the Arcane Wheel still held the rift open, preventing it from closing.
The moment the Arcane Wheel was removed from the rift, it snapped shut with a bang.
Anderson ignored his own endless grumbling and dove into the Arcane Wheel to inspect its damage.
Leon glanced at the Silver Twin Mirror in Alonzo's hand. A crack had appeared on its surface, a sign that the magic just used had exceeded the artifact's limits.
The Shifting Twin Mirror—discovered over ten thousand years ago, but its true owner remains a mystery. It's an incredibly practical magical artifact.
With two mirrored faces, it can transfer people from one side to the other simply by speaking your desired outcome in the style of the Grand Prophecy.
It might seem like a trivial ability, but it’s the bane of all barrier spells. No need to break the barrier—just travel through it, even through spatial walls. Anywhere the mirror can shine, you can cross.
That’s an incredibly powerful ability.
The group left that perilous place behind. The lingering destructive energy outside was nothing but child’s play, not worth anyone’s concern.
Off in the distance, Dekrise the Blood Lich was shocked—his carefully laid trap hadn’t destroyed a single person who emerged from within.
Especially when he saw Agalon and Alonzo step out, Dekrise suddenly sensed things had gone awry.
Two peak Sky Rank human mages—both at the pinnacle of Sky Rank Nine—plus three Sky Rank Eight Saint Alchemists, and another Sky Rank Seven mage...
Even with his formidable power and utter disregard for death, Dekrise found this situation tricky. When he saw Leon, his needle-like eyes suddenly gleamed.
Nobody had entered the Realm of Nightmares before—except a level forty-seven Skeleton King. That Sky Rank Seven human mage was the Skeleton King!
Chapter of the Fallen—damn it, this guy has the Chapter of the Fallen and can wield all its powers. This human mage has the Death Tome, and the Death Tome is in his hands!
Dekrise instantly deduced what this meant. His whole body trembled—a human mage with the Death Tome had entered the Realm of Nightmares, survived, and rescued everyone. That led to a terrifying possibility...
There’s a strong chance the Blood Chapter is also in his possession—which means Dekrise’s soul might be, too...
Though a lich’s core soul no longer resides in its body, its soul power is immense. Dekrise instantly deduced every possibility.
The moment Leon and the others were shifted out of the rift, Dekrise seized his last opportunity and cast a curse...
Not a devastating spell, and not a last-ditch attempt to kill someone—instead, he sacrificed one of his own legs to instantly cast a curse.
A level ten curse...
It held no destructive power, but in an instant, it enveloped Leon and the others. No one could dodge it, and because of its peculiar nature, no defense or spatial barrier could block it.
Once the curse settled on everyone, they finally escaped the previous crisis, and the real battle could begin.
With enough protection, and Agalon’s endless space holding firm, the group only sensed the faint presence of a curse—no one noticed any actual power taking hold.
No black smoke, no elements—nothing at all.
Alonzo’s face was still dark, his anger barely contained. He’d been tricked into the Realm of Nightmares, even forced into the deeper layers, where his mindscape had taken the form of his days at Astral Academy.
Those days, always overshadowed by Agalon, came flooding back. The memory alone made Alonzo furious. Even knowing it was all fake, he used his current knowledge and power to ruthlessly suppress the Agalon of that world.