Chapter 516: Wait a Moment
Unable to stop Councilor Suville, Leon didn’t say anything more. He stood where he was, brows furrowed, watching Suville’s figure recede into the distance. A faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
Standing off to the side, Councilor Weiss looked more than a little awkward. He’d already cursed Suville a hundred times in his heart—damn it, even if those things were true, could you not be a bit more tactful? Or maybe just keep your mouth shut…
For the past half month, hadn’t I always been obedient in front of Matthew Merlin? Just recently, I even handed over all the tents made from Forgefire Clan’s fire beasts to Matthew Merlin. That was a massive fortune! All those sacrifices—wasn’t it just to build a friendship with Matthew Merlin?
Finally managed to build a decent friendship with Matthew Merlin, and then you go and run your mouth, even threatening him…
Even if Matthew Merlin learns the truth, the Black Tower could always make amends later to salvage what little trust remains. But after you said all that, isn’t it obvious to Matthew Merlin that we’re just using him?
Now we’re in real trouble…
What Councilor Heron fears most is the mysterious Sky Rank mage backing Matthew Merlin. If that Sky Rank gets angry and comes knocking, the Black Tower is screwed…
But Councilor Weiss’s worries were lost on Suville, who was happily striding toward the Altar. He glanced at the chieftain on the Altar with undisguised contempt, shaking his head and sneering, "Heh, I really don’t get where you find the nerve. Things have come to this, and you still act so tough—is it for some so-called dignity? Ridiculous…"
"Roar!"
Suddenly, the chieftain—who’d been calm until now—let out a furious roar. Dark red runes flashed across his body, radiating searing heat. In an instant, the Totem shuddered violently; at its peak, the terrifying blaze shattered and exploded, sending a wave of power surging through the air. For a moment, everyone present saw a translucent figure appear overhead…
Even Leon felt his heart skip a beat in the presence of that translucent figure.
The force radiating from that apparition was simply overwhelming…
It made everyone feel utterly powerless…
Just then, the translucent figure suddenly dimmed, then descended rapidly—merging into the chieftain’s body. Instantly, the chieftain’s power transformed; runes blazed across his skin, nearly burning, and the terrifying heat spread to every corner…
His eyes, once pale red, now burned a deep crimson—hollow, lifeless. The chieftain’s rough hand gripped the Totem Pillar, while the other wielded the Blazeforge Battle Axe, dark red flames swirling around it, pulsing and devouring.
"Die!"
With a roar, the chieftain unleashed a torrent of power, leaping from the Altar. His feet slammed into the earth with a thunderous crash, carving a massive crater and sending chunks of stone flying—his presence utterly overwhelming.
And this was just the beginning…
With a deafening boom, the Blazeforge Battle Axe—wreathed in flames—was hurled through the air. It flew faster than lightning, tearing at the air with sharp cracks as firelight streaked toward Councilor Suville dozens of meters away!
"Just my luck…"
The barrage of sudden changes left Councilor Suville’s mind a blank. Feeling the power of that Blazeforge Battle Axe, he was scared out of his wits—the chieftain’s strength was beyond anything he could have imagined. Too strong, too terrifying. His scalp tingled as he wondered how he could possibly withstand such an attack.
But he didn’t have time to think. With a near-scream, he raised his ancient staff, which instantly blazed with light. Instinctively, he cast Elemental Shield—the strongest defense spell known to Title Archmages—but it still felt unsafe. Runes surged up, forming a Rune Shield in a flash.
And then—a thunderous crash…
The flame-wreathed Blazeforge Battle Axe, like a blazing sun, pierced straight through the Elemental Shield. Countless runes rose up to block its impact, but it was no use. In less than a second, the Rune Shield dimmed and was shattered—the axe slammed into Suville’s chest.
In that instant, more than a dozen protective spells Suville had layered on himself were instantly destroyed.
No struggle, no scream—Suville’s whole body flew back like a severed kite, crashing to the ground dozens of meters away in a cloud of dust. Lying on his back, face twisted in terror, Suville coughed up mouthfuls of blood…
For a moment, aside from Suville’s coughing, the world seemed to fall silent. Every gaze turned toward the chieftain, filled with deep fear.
Far too terrifying…
Just one strike, and Suville—a Seventh Rank Title Archmage—was gravely wounded!
What does that even mean…
It means the chieftain’s strength has utterly transformed—he’s far beyond the Seventh Rank Title Archmage level now. The power he just unleashed was likely at the Peak Title Archmage tier!
Peak Title Archmage…
Mages of this rank are rare even in the Andalusia Kingdom. Just look at the Merlin Family’s ancestral grounds: among the council members, only Orren Merlin and Ryan Merlin are Peak Title Archmages or above. The rest are mostly Sixth or Seventh Rank.
This is bad…
Leon’s expression grew grave, brow furrowed and sweat beading on his forehead. Even from his perspective, this situation was trouble.
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He could see clearly—the chieftain had used the Totem Pillar to commune with a mysterious being, causing his power to surge. That being was most likely an ancestor of the Forgefire Clan!
The ancestor’s power descended into the chieftain’s body through the Totem Pillar. At this point, the chieftain was no longer the same…
Orc clans generally follow shamanic teachings, which focus on two aspects. First, the elements—this is easy to understand. It refers to their innate elemental powers. For example, orc mages from the Blazeforge Plane have exceptional control over fire, and a natural advantage in summoning fire elementals.
On the other hand, things get a bit more complicated. Every clan worships their ancestors, generating a kind of faith-based power. Over thousands of years, the lingering souls of the ancestors—or the ancestors themselves—are constantly bathed in this power, growing ever stronger. When the clan faces danger, the ancestors can descend through special means.
Clearly, the chieftain used the Totem Pillar to summon an ancestor just now. The price for summoning an ancestor is death…
That explains everything. In yesterday’s battle, the chieftain knew the Forgefire Clan had no chance, so he hid in the Sanctuary, waiting for this group to arrive—and paid with his life to bring down the ancestor’s power and avenge his fallen kin.
It was a long-planned secret…
"Damn it…"
Suville fished out a small vial from his robes. The pale blue liquid inside spilled out, radiating a burst of magical energy. Suville, weak and badly wounded, drank the potion and soon regained some color.
He cursed again, and when he looked at the chieftain, his face paled. That kind of terrifying power still haunted him. If he’d only cast an Elemental Shield, he’d probably be dead by now.
Only now did he finally understand what the young mage meant by "wait a moment."
Thinking of this, Suville shot Leon a resentful glare. Damn it, if you knew something was up, why not explain? Just saying "wait a moment"—how was I supposed to know what you meant?
Suville’s resentment toward Leon grew even deeper…
Boom…
A fiery tornado swept up the Blazeforge Battle Axe, landing it in the chieftain’s hand. Instantly, he swung the axe, becoming a blur of red—sweeping forward with terrifying heat, charging the group. Each strike was overwhelming; even though the team included more than a dozen Title Archmages, they struggled to hold off the ferocious chieftain…
After all, the chieftain’s power was truly at the Peak Title Archmage tier. The strongest in the group, Suville, was only Seventh Rank—and badly wounded, barely recovering some strength with a rare potion. Now, he was fighting at about the Sixth Rank Title Archmage level.
Besides Suville, there was Sixth Rank Title Archmage Weiss, Fifth Rank Sword Saint Thorne Merlin, and Leon…
The rest were all lower-ranked Title Archmages. They might be famous elsewhere, but against the chieftain’s terrifying power, they were like cannon fodder—one misstep, and they could lose their lives.
All around, the blazing fire magic elements boiled, radiating a destructive aura. Thorne Merlin, known as the Crimson Flame Sword Saint, raised his greatsword, flames roaring along its blade. With a surge of sword aura and scorching heat, he slashed at the chieftain.
With a thunderous crash, even under such a fierce attack, the chieftain only stiffened for a moment—runes flashing wildly across his body, but otherwise unfazed. His flame-wreathed Blazeforge Battle Axe clashed with Thorne Merlin’s Crimson Flame Sword, and under the violent impact, Thorne Merlin was sent stumbling back dozens of steps before he could steady himself.