Chapter 136: The Second Mana Harness
This was a true battle of attrition...
Leon possessed one of the strongest arcane runes—the Mana Harness. He wielded the Soulbound Staff and the Lava Dominator, two legendary Soulbound Relics, and was empowered by the terrifying boost of the Angel Elixir. His combat strength had reached a level that left most Archmages utterly speechless.
But never forget, Leon was still only a First Circle Archmage...
That's right—Leon could instantly annihilate opponents of his own rank, and even against Fifth Circle foes, he could maintain an almost crushing advantage. But once the enemy surpassed Fifth Circle, things became increasingly difficult. Just like in the Dark Arena before, ten spectral warriors put Leon under immense pressure; in the end, it was only by relying on the death power stored within the Sage's Chapter that he barely escaped.
Now, Leon was facing three beings akin to Ninth Circle Swordmasters...
Ninth Circle signified the pinnacle of Swordmaster rank—standing right at the threshold of advancement.
The gap in power between them was already as vast as it could possibly be. And with three opponents at once, under normal circumstances, Leon wouldn't have the slightest chance of victory.
Fortunately, before those three alchemical golems emerged, Leon had already reached out and touched the Eye of Reincarnation...
In that instant, after touching it, the Mana Harness began to transform.
Right now, Leon had no idea what this transformation would bring, but he could vaguely sense that the flow of mana within him was much smoother than before. The Mana Harness was operating at a noticeably faster pace, and some spell combinations that previously required the Sage's Chapter now felt far less difficult after touching the Eye of Reincarnation...
Most importantly...
Leon sensed that a second Mana Harness was already taking shape within him...
Leon thought, if he managed to win this battle, the first thing he'd have to thank would be the Eye of Reincarnation.
The instant the three Alchemical Golems charged into the sanctuary, the battle erupted—no probing, just a relentless onslaught like a raging storm. Even Leon, with all his combat experience, found himself momentarily flustered. He barely managed to raise an ice wall before him; just as he tried to carve out space to chant a spell, an Enchanted Greatsword, wreathed in roaring flames, shattered the heavy ice wall with a single, resounding blow...
"Impressive..." Leon's face paled. The combat power of these Alchemical Golems was even greater than he'd imagined.
Leon found himself admiring the creator of these Alchemical Golems...
Not only did their strength and speed rival that of Ninth Circle Swordmasters, but they had also overcome the typical flaw of Alchemical Golems—the inability to wield battle aura.
The blazing flames on that Enchanted Greatsword were as powerful as any Ninth Circle Swordmaster's battle aura. That thick ice wall was cleaved apart in a single strike; if that blow landed on him, it would take at least three Frostfire Shields to withstand it.
And Leon quickly realized that these three Alchemical Golems even coordinated with one another.
This was downright uncanny...
What kind of Control Sigil could enable Alchemical Golems to coordinate like this? At minimum, this was the work of a true Creator.
All three Alchemical Golems were on par with Ninth Circle Swordmasters. Once they started working together, their combined combat power was nothing short of terrifying.
A single miscalculation from Leon slowed his Flame Barrier by half a second, and one of the Alchemical Golems rushed in, its Enchanted Greatsword blazing with fire, nearly severing Leon in two with a single sweep...
Luckily, Leon reacted quickly. The moment the Flame Barrier was cast, he realized his error and immediately activated the Sage's Chapter. A perfected Limit Spell—Frost Armor—materialized less than a meter in front of him.
A crisp crack rang out as the Enchanted Greatsword, wreathed in flames, crashed down onto the Frost Armor...
This Frost Armor was a perfected Limit Spell, instantly displaying the power of a Fourth Circle spell. Yet under the force of that blow, it still shattered with a single crack. At the same time, a tremendous force slammed into Leon, sending him flying like a broken kite—he soared over ten meters before crashing heavily to the ground...
"Bloody hell, that was close..." Leon rolled to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and downed a recovery potion before finally regaining his composure after that brutal hit.
Leon knew—this was the power of a Ninth Circle Swordmaster.
That Frost Armor was a perfected Limit Spell, nearly capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a Spectral Knight. Yet under the sweep of that sword, it shattered with a single crack, and the residual force sent Leon flying more than ten meters.
If that sword had struck him directly, not even ten Leons could have survived...
After taking that hit, Leon didn't dare face the three Alchemical Golems head-on anymore. He began using every control spell he could muster—Slow, Vinebind, Frost Trap, Shadow Cage—casting them one after another. Occasionally, he'd use the Lava Dominator's short-range flight ability, and with Haste integrated into his Mana Harness, he barely managed to survive the golems' ferocious assault.
The pressure of this battle was overwhelming. The Alchemical Golems attacked like a raging storm, and all Leon could do was keep controlling and dodging—he didn't even have time to catch his breath.
As for counterattacking, Leon simply didn't have the strength anymore...
Right now, all Leon could do was delay. He could clearly feel that with every spell cast and every moment of battle, the second Mana Harness was forming faster and faster. What was once just a cluster of mana was now beginning to take the shape of a Mana Harness.
Even though the second Mana Harness was still incredibly weak...
No, it couldn't even be called a Mana Harness yet—just a cluster of mana inscribed with arcane runes. But at this moment, even this cluster was Leon's last hope.
Once he had two Mana Harnesses, his combat power would soar. Even if the second Mana Harness wasn't ready to integrate spells or arcane abilities, it could still coordinate with the first, allowing Leon to form a simple array.
A Mana Harness—one of the strongest arcane runes in Northend's history. Even the simplest array of them could unleash terrifying power.
Leon was gambling now—betting he could finish the second Mana Harness before his mana ran dry.
Thankfully, Leon's stake in this gamble wasn't small.
On his left hand, a ring set with Elemental Amber; in his right, the Soulbound Staff, also inlaid with Elemental Amber. The mana Leon could draw on far surpassed any Archmage, almost rivaling a Fifth Circle Magister.
As the minutes ticked by, at the twenty-minute mark, Leon replenished his mana for the first time, draining the Elemental Amber on his ring. As its glow faded, the second Mana Harness within him had a third of its arcane runes inscribed.
At forty minutes, Leon replenished his mana a second time, and by then, half of the Mana Harness was complete.
It looked like the dawn of victory was about to break...
But for Leon, this was the hardest part.
The intensity of this battle even surpassed the Dark Arena from before. Leon's mind hadn't stopped calculating for a moment; every nerve was stretched tight, and both his spirit and body were pushed far past their limits.
Most Archmages couldn't last twenty minutes in a fight like this, but Leon had endured for forty—and it looked like he'd need to hold out for another forty to have any hope of victory. At this point, it was no longer a contest of strength, but of will.
It was the superhuman will forged over twenty years in the apocalypse that let Leon survive this battle...
Time slipped by unnoticed. Leon's forehead was drenched in cold sweat, his face pale as paper, and even his hands gripping the Soulbound Staff trembled slightly. Yet his mind remained astonishingly clear—every spell cast with precision, every response perfectly timed. He had become a machine, surviving in the eye of the storm.
"Ten minutes left!" At the one-hour mark, Leon's consciousness was already beginning to blur. At that point, only the nearly completed second Mana Harness kept him going.
The final arcane rune had been inscribed—a brand new Mana Harness was now formed within Leon. All that remained was to set it in motion.
Leon gripped his Soulbound Staff tightly, channeling a flood of mana into his body. The surge was so intense it caused a minor backlash, but Leon's extraordinary control suppressed it. At last, the second Mana Harness slowly began to operate within him...
*******
Not in a good state—sat at the computer for four hours before writing the first word, and it was a struggle all the way through. Only just finished the chapter. Bowing, apologies, off to sleep...