Chapter 464: How Is That Possible
Faced with Barris, once a Heavenly Mage, everyone felt a surge of fear rising from the depths of their souls...
Back in Skyline Gorge, they had already witnessed Barris's power. Several terrifying magical beasts above level thirty-seven lasted only seconds in his hands.
So what chance did they have?
"Wait... he hasn't fully come through yet!" Dean stared in horror at the massive door, which seemed wrapped in a mysterious force, locking it tight. No matter how Barris struggled, the other half of his body simply couldn't get in.
It wasn't just Dean—everyone else noticed something was wrong too. Instantly, their gazes turned to the door, eyes wide with shock. Barris, possessing the power of the Wasteland Lord's avatar, was already close to Sky Rank, even if not quite a Heavenly Mage. Any ordinary ninth-level Title Archmage would be killed by him.
Yet the mysterious force on that door suppressed Barris completely, keeping him out. The shock was inevitable—who could've left such power behind?
There was no doubt—the owner of that power had to be at least Sky Rank...
"Thank goodness that force is blocking Barris, otherwise we'd be..." Rolf was already pale as a sheet, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
But before he could finish, a heavy aura of death spread through every corner of the hall. The moment they sensed it, everyone turned ashen with shock.
A massive Necrotic Essence, glowing faintly and trailing long black smoke, shot toward Barris at a terrifying speed...
This was the Necrotic Essence from the skeleton in the second layer of the Necrorealm!
"If Barris fuses with that Necrotic Essence, he'll gain Sky Rank power, break through the door, and we'll all be dead..." Councilor Weiss gripped his staff tightly, eyes filled with terror and despair as he watched Barris and the Soul Fire.
It wasn't just Weiss—everyone else felt the same. Back in the second layer, they'd tried to intercept that Necrotic Essence together, but failed...
In just another second, the Necrotic Essence would fall into Barris's hands, and then it'd all be over.
They thought defeating the skeleton and claiming the Royal Crown meant they'd safely leave the tower. No one expected this outcome.
In the end, death was inevitable.
But at that moment, a surge of astonishing magical energy rose silently, its terrifying aura spreading everywhere. For an instant, it was as if the entire hall trembled.
It was a power that made one's heart tremble...
It felt as though a mighty presence was awakening, the dreadful aura almost tangible, suffocating everyone. Yet what stunned them most was how strangely familiar that magical surge felt...
Matthew Merlin!
In that instant, every gaze shifted to Leon, for the astonishing magical surge was coming from him...
Leon ignored their stunned looks. He held the Death Tome in both hands, thick necrotic power coiling around it, radiating a pitch-black glow. The Doombringer Staff, Arcane Wheel, and Wraithwalker floated around him, their magic dimmed—he'd just drained them of all power.
"Rumble..."
A terrifying magical surge erupted from him, shaking the ceiling above with thunderous noise. The sheer power could instantly reduce even a mage to ashes. Even Title Archmages like Dalson and Weiss turned pale, barely able to move.
Only Leon knew the truth—his sudden surge in power came from draining all three True Spirit Magic Relics, forcibly pushing himself to Title Archmage level.
At this point, he had no choice.
If Barris got his hands on the Necrotic Essence and fused with it, he'd soon have Sky Rank power. He'd break through the door's mysterious force and charge into the hall—everyone, Leon included, would die.
Right now, Leon could clearly feel he'd reached Title Archmage level... but it was only temporary, bought at the cost of draining all three True Spirit Magic Relics.
It was the only way he could stand against Barris.
He was about to unleash the true power of the Death Tome...
Ever since he acquired the Death Tome, he'd never truly wielded its power—the minimum requirement was Title Archmage, a rank that had always seemed impossibly far away...
Back in Seaview City and the Bone Plane, he only used the Sage's Chapter, a mere module of the Death Tome. Even that single component had helped him countless times.
All this time, he'd never been able to truly wield the Death Tome's power.
But now, forced by desperation, he'd drained the power of three True Spirit Magic Relics and pushed himself to Title Archmage level—finally able to activate the Death Tome...
He poured a surge of magic into the Death Tome. Instantly, the black tome floated before him, erupting with dazzling black light as endless necrotic power poured forth.
At that moment, demonic power thick with the stench of sulfur wrapped around the Necrotic Essence, brushing past him and shooting toward Barris.
But...
Leon slowly stretched out his hand at a strange angle. With a quiet snap, he caught the Necrotic Essence perfectly. Demonic power exploded, slamming into his body—enough to send even a seventh or eighth-level Title Archmage flying.
Yet Leon's hand, gripping the Necrotic Essence, didn't budge. Strands of demonic power leaked from his palm, and even the residual force was enough to obliterate a Title Archmage.
Barris’s power was utterly terrifying, nearly limitless and almost reaching the level of a Heavenly Mage. Even a ninth-rank Title Archmage would struggle to survive against him. Yet, despite pouring all his strength into seizing the Necrotic Essence, he was intercepted by Leon—an outcome that was simply unfathomable...
"Roar..."
Wedged in the doorway, unable to enter, Barris’s demonic eyes brimmed with endless murderous intent. He glared at the young mage inside the hall, while the avatar of the Wasteland Lord’s power struggled violently. But, not yet at the Heavenly Mage level, he couldn’t break through the mysterious force sealing the door. For a moment, his furious howls echoed, deafening all within.
"You’ll never get it..."
Leon looked at Barris with a blank expression, gripping the Necrotic Essence tightly in his hand. He had to admit, Barris’s strength was overwhelming. In just a few seconds, suppressing the Necrotic Essence had drained an entire Alchemical Mana Core’s worth of magic from him. If this went on much longer, he’d be in real danger...
Without hesitation, Leon raised his hand and pressed the Necrotic Essence onto the Death Tome. Instantly, a muffled boom resounded—countless demonic energies were vaporized the moment they touched the Death Tome. Yet, the Necrotic Essence itself, upon entering the book, did not vanish immediately.
"Roar! Roar..." Barris howled madly, recklessly channeling his power. In an instant, the thick stench of sulfur flooded the entire hall.
But by then, it was already too late...
On the Death Tome, the marks of the Death Knight and the Lich flared violently as Leon infused his mana, erupting with a thunderous display. For a moment, everyone could hear the shrieks of the Death Knight and Lich. Then, with a soft snap, the Necrotic Essence was completely absorbed into the Death Tome, leaving only a faint imprint behind.
The aura of the Necrotic Essence vanished completely...
For an instant, it was as if the whole world had gone silent. Barris, wedged in the doorway, was frozen in shock, while Leon stood pale-faced, gasping for breath.
"Th-this... How is this possible?"
Everyone was utterly stunned, staring in disbelief at what had just happened. Their faces were a mix of shock, joy, and bewilderment...
In truth, the moment the Necrotic Essence shot skyward, they had all fallen into despair. They believed that Barris, whose power was nearly at the Heavenly Mage level, would merge with the Necrotic Essence, ascend, and slaughter them all.
But now, something had clearly gone awry. The Necrotic Essence had vanished as if by magic in the young mage’s hands...
Having lost his chance to fuse with the Necrotic Essence, Barris would likely never touch transcendent power. His existence was unique—his soul inhabited the avatar of the Wasteland Lord’s power. Unlike human powerhouses such as Joy the Star Sage, he couldn’t break through to the Heavenly Mage tier.
Without the Necrotic Essence, Barris had lost everything. His strength, though nearly reaching the Heavenly Mage level, was still not enough to enter the Wizard’s Spire.
Realizing this, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. For now, it seemed they were safe...
Still, the young mage’s methods at the fifth-rank Archmage realm were downright terrifying. Even Barris, whose power was nearly at the Heavenly Mage level, had failed to seize the Necrotic Essence from him. If word of this reached Auckland, it would scare half the city to death...
"How did he do it?" Viss in the party couldn’t help but wipe the cold sweat from his brow. The deeper his dealings with the young mage, the more terrifying Leon seemed. He still remembered the events in the Sky Rift Canyon—back then, he truly hadn’t known the meaning of death, provoking the wrong person, especially someone like Leon Merlin!
Now, fear of the young mage had taken root in his heart. Before this, he’d only felt awe. As a Black Tower councilor, backed by one of Andalusia’s two great mage factions, he’d thought that no matter how strong Leon Merlin was—even if he could defeat level thirty-six or thirty-seven undead—it wouldn’t matter. Against the Black Tower, he’d still be powerless.