Chapter 914: One Thing Subdues Another
This journal contained only Bill George's personal insights, with very little about alchemical golems—mostly scattered thoughts on spells and mana, things only relevant to a mage's magical comprehension.
Yet for Leon, these scattered insights were the most precious of all. He knew a lot, but some epiphanies could never be gained without firsthand experience and deep reflection.
This was exactly what Leon needed now. At the Title Archmage stage, mana was no longer a bottleneck—runes, magical runes, core meditation laws, true spirit magic artifacts, none of these could limit his advancement anymore.
The only thing limiting Leon's advancement was his understanding of rules and accumulation of insights about rank—things that could never be rushed.
So now, whenever Leon gained new insights, his rank would naturally rise. Back when those illusory soul flames burned him, he’d already gained many new realizations and inspirations, reaching the peak of Fourth-Rank Title Archmage.
Now, reading this journal—something Bill George probably didn’t care much about, perhaps just tossed aside—Leon immediately felt his rank smoothly break through to Fifth-Rank Title Archmage.
A completely different sensation surged in Leon’s heart. It felt as if his power had suddenly leapt forward—where before he could only use fifty or sixty percent of his strength, now he could wield seventy or eighty percent.
Flipping through the journal, Leon understood—this wasn’t an illusion. It was real.
Fifth-Rank Title Archmage was a major threshold. When Leon first arrived in the Blazeforge Realm, he’d heard it said: Anyone below Fifth-Rank Title Archmage here was little more than cannon fodder.
Only those above Fifth-Rank Title Archmage could truly sway the course of battle.
Back in Northend, there was a saying: the real journey for Title Archmages begins at Fifth Rank.
Before Fifth Rank, it’s all about accumulation—strength and rank grow, but it’s not much different from the Archmage or even Grandmage stages.
But once you reach Fifth-Rank Title Archmage, you begin to glimpse the shadow of rules—vague, indistinct, yet visible. You observe, reflect, hoping to grasp something meaningful from that shadow.
From Fifth Rank onward, each new rank brings an ever-greater change in power. Even if your raw strength doesn’t rise much, you feel your true potential growing—this is the transformation from glimpsing the shadow of rules.
Silently, Leon advanced to Fifth-Rank Title Archmage—a faint smile crept onto his lips.
At this stage, his power would leap again. Ordinary Ninth-Rank Title Archmages were no longer his match; only the very best, like Heron or Joey—those with a foot already in the Sky Rank—could stand against him.
While Leon studied Bill George’s journal, gaining magical insights, Radiance Fortress was bustling with activity.
With Radiance Fortress as the center, nearby tribes had all been subdued, and plans for further expansion were underway. As the underground alchemical golem base ramped up operations, vast numbers of golems were being produced.
The golems weren’t especially high-ranked, but their sheer numbers were staggering. Some toiled in the fortress, others mined nearby resource points—there was a golem for every task.
After returning from the underground base, Reina went into seclusion for intense training. Her soul had been purified and tempered, and her dragon crystal transformation was accelerating—her power growing faster than any Frost Dragon in history.
Dragons live long lives—especially the strongest breeds. Under a thousand years old, they’re not even considered adults. Born powerful, but their growth in strength and rank is painfully slow compared to humans.
But Reina had advanced to Level 39 in just over a year, her power rising dozens of times faster than a normal Frost Dragon.
Hubert’s advancement hadn’t slowed either—in fact, the older he got, the faster he improved. He was about to reach Seventh-Rank Sword Saint, his strength and resilience growing absurdly. Even after being struck by a Level 36 alchemical golem, he only gritted his teeth and cursed.
Leon’s patched-up alchemical golem had also been upgraded with rare parts scavenged from the underground base, replacing some of its lower-tier components. If Leon could find a few Sky Rank golem parts, restoring its full power wouldn’t be impossible.
Of the fifty legion mages under Leon’s command, more and more were advancing to Title Archmage. Kurum, the legion mage leader, progressed fastest—still only Second-Rank Title Archmage, but his mastery over flame elementals had already surpassed the limits of ordinary spells.
Radiance Fortress was thriving—everyone’s spirits were high. Well, everyone except Wagner...
"Lord Shaun, I was wrong! I didn’t mean to curse you in my heart..."
Wagner clutched his head, rolling on the ground in pain and terror.
A few seconds later, Lord Shaun slipped out of Wagner’s head, looking disdainful as he returned to the ring.
"You damned fool! How dare you slander the great Lord Shaun in your heart? Are you trying to amuse me?"
Wagner frantically shook his head, his face drained of all color, terror written across every feature.
Only after Lord Shaun returned to the ring did Wagner finally resign himself in despair.
When Wagner first returned from the underground base, he thought, 'Now that I've got this massive alchemical golem base under my control, why bother sticking with Leon?'
At first, he even considered resisting. But Lord Shaun had left a backdoor in Wagner’s soul—no defenses at all. Every stray thought was laid bare to Lord Shaun.
Every time Wagner entertained such thoughts, Lord Shaun would punish him.
In those first few days, he was punished several times a day. By the end, his soul was damaged—he could barely stand, like a dead dog. Now he’d learned his lesson: resistance was futile.
But even when he stopped resisting, he still felt resentful—and got punished again...
He even considered cutting off the finger with the ring using magic. But the moment he had that thought, Lord Shaun violently tore into his soul, giving him a taste of a fate worse than death...
Now Wagner stared at the ring on his finger, wearing a look of utter resignation.
Whatever. This is my life now. No escape, no resistance—what can I do? My soul’s controlled; I have no choice but to accept it...
Might as well stick with Archmage Leon. He’s terrifying, and Shaun says he’s just broken through to Fifth-Rank Title Archmage...
Fifth-Rank Title Archmage...
Damn, how can a Fifth-Rank Title Archmage be this powerful? If he ever reaches Ninth Rank, could he have Sky Rank combat power?
And it only took him a few years to go from apprentice to this monster. There’s no shame in following someone like that.
Controlling an alchemical golem base is already better than what I had with the George Family. Even if I’d become family head, breaking through to Sky Rank would’ve been unlikely. But with Leon, maybe there’s a chance...
Whatever. It is what it is. I’ll just go with the flow...
Wagner finally accepted his role—running Radiance Fortress honestly, keeping the underground base working at full tilt.
Half a month flashed by. Radiance Fortress was now built up like an iron fortress—unless the Blazeforge Orc army came sweeping through, there was no chance anyone could take it back.
Even the lands surrounding Radiance Fortress have been fully brought under control. Radiance Fortress may be considered a desolate outpost in the Blazeforge Realm, but that's only because the climate and environment here are inhospitable to most plant life.
The orcs can hardly grow any of their staple crops here, and game is pitifully scarce, but the mineral deposits are abundant.
Yet these mineral veins mean little to the Blazeforge Orcs, so this place is seen as largely insignificant.
Bill George had his reasons for establishing the base here—mineral resources, but little to draw attention.
Alchemical golems poured endlessly from the production lines, leaving everyone with unexpected leisure. Leon spent his days engrossed in books, Reina and the others found themselves idle, and the fifty legion mages had ample time to study magic.
A day or two of this was fine—after all, they'd just come through fierce battles—but as time dragged on, impatience began to set in.
Normally, after capturing a fortress, you'd focus on consolidation and development, but now isn't the time to be idle.
This is the greatest battle in the history of the Blazeforge Realm—the Grand Offensive. The fate of the realm hangs in the balance, and who will rule in the future is yet to be decided.
The struggle between the Kingdom of Andalusia and the Kingdom of Odin has reached its most intense phase. Every day, the score shifts dramatically, and everyone is fighting desperately for more points.
Yet Leon, the commander, shows no sign of urgency. He spends his days with his nose buried in a book or dismantling and reassembling alchemical golems.
"Merlin, Radiance Fortress is basically under control now. Everything that needed developing or securing has been handled. Why aren't you anxious at all? If we keep dragging our feet, we're going to fall too far behind. Even if Andalusia wins this war, there won't be much territory left for us."