Chapter 927: Omen
That last strike was terrifying. Flaming Meteor was supposed to be just a sixth-rank spell, but that meteor was clearly beyond sixth rank. Even more frightening, Leon could distinctly feel that the power wrapped around that Flaming Meteor was easily equal to a full-force blow from a ninth-rank Sword Saint!
And it was a terrifying, brute-force attack, much like one of Hubert's strikes!
The purer the strength, the more troublesome it is—especially when that strength reaches a certain level, it becomes an unreasonable, overwhelming force in battle.
Take Hubert, for example. Previously, he could rely on his formidable body to fight across one or two ranks, which was already impressive.
Back then, the gap between each rank wasn’t so vast. But now, as Hubert has advanced to seventh-rank Sword Saint, other Sword Saints of the same rank can’t even withstand a single blow from him.
Only ninth-rank Sword Saints can rely on their immense battle aura to fight Hubert—and even then, they can’t go head-to-head. When it comes to raw strength, below Heaven-rank, almost no Sword Saint can match Hubert.
This is the change that comes when pure strength reaches a certain threshold—the gap between ranks widens, and Hubert can leap across more and more ranks in battle.
The power wrapped around that Flaming Meteor was exactly this kind of pure strength!
That Forgefire Ancestor may not have battle aura, but with its massive body comes terrifying, unreasonable raw power. That kind of strength simply defies logic.
And when this kind of strength merges with the Flaming Meteor spell, it’s not just a simple addition.
Below Heaven-rank, you could count on one hand the people who could withstand that attack head-on. And the price for resisting it—well, just look at Leon...
He had to unleash half of all the mana within his body at once. And Leon’s reserves of mana are absolutely stronger than those of a ninth-rank Title Archmage!
With the Elemental Chapter amplifying his spells and the Mana Harness running at full power, all he could do was slow the Flaming Meteor down. In the end, he had to use two Limit Spells stored in the Sage's Chapter, and finally, the Rune Shield he’d been saving all this time.
Only then did he truly block the attack. The price paid to withstand a single spell was just too steep...
Leon took a slow breath, glancing at the approaching Forgefire Ancestor in the distance, and then at Difo, whose face wore a cold smirk tinged with regret.
With the Mana Harness whirring, Leon instantly calculated the trajectory and all the details of that last strike.
Then, seeing Difo’s sly and regretful expression, everything became clear...
Why did the Forgefire Ancestor, who was fighting in the distance, suddenly approach and attack him? It was all thanks to that damned Difo. Just looking at him, Leon knew Difo had deliberately lured the Forgefire Ancestor over.
Mana surged through Leon as he stared coldly at Difo. With a casual wave, he unleashed dozens of spells, instantly killing the Orc Warlord who’d survived by sheer luck a moment ago.
"Difo Oliver, this is a battlefield. I’m giving you one chance to explain yourself."
Murderous intent surged in Leon’s heart. If this weren’t the battlefield, with the orc army not yet repelled and the Forgefire Ancestor still looming, Leon would have killed Difo right then and there.
Difo looked utterly miserable, his robes in tatters. Facing Leon’s accusation, he just sneered coldly.
"Leon Merlin, do I owe you an explanation? Explain what? I was being hunted by the Forgefire Ancestor, and you didn’t even help me. Now you want me to explain myself?
Has your brain turned to magma and muscle like these stupid orcs?
Is that damned Forgefire Ancestor listening to me? Did I tell it to attack you? If I could, that monster would slaughter everyone here. Why don’t you fight back?
You got attacked, and you want to blame me for it?
We’re supposed to be allies. I was in danger, and you should’ve helped. You didn’t, but I put the bigger picture first and didn’t hold it against you—yet you want to blame me?
You got attacked, so you deserved it. Maybe that Forgefire Ancestor just didn’t like the look of you. What’s that got to do with me?"
Leon stared coldly at Difo.
"Did you lure the Forgefire Ancestor over here to attack me?"
Difo sneered.
"Leon Merlin, you think I could beat the Forgefire Ancestor? It suddenly targeted me alone—if I didn’t retreat, what was I supposed to do, just wait to die? It chased me here, so what? Hmph, you weren’t killed, so consider yourself lucky. This time you got lucky, next time you won’t be so fortunate.
Let’s see how you survive this time. As an ally, you’re here blaming me—why aren’t you fighting the Forgefire Ancestor? Honestly, you’re just a coward, tagging along for points."
This whole scene was clearly witnessed by Heron, who was fighting in the distance. When Difo got entangled with the Forgefire Ancestor, Heron saw it all. He couldn’t just watch Difo get killed, but he was too occupied to help.
He also saw Difo repeatedly luring the Forgefire Ancestor toward Leon, and how Difo schemed to make it attack Leon. He saw Difo’s smug, self-righteous face...
In that instant, two words popped into Heron's mind.
Trouble...
That bastard Difo has stirred up real trouble...
That damned fool—I told him, never provoke Leon Merlin. Leon is far more terrifying than he thinks. He’s not just a low-profile Worldshaper, now he’s a true powerhouse...
He’s already so powerful that people forget he’s a Worldshaper. Otherwise, why would we choose him as a collaborator among the Seven Powers instead of Joey or anyone else?
Damn fools—do people in the Sanctuary really think the Black Tower is invincible now?
(This chapter isn’t over yet~.~ Click next page to continue reading!)
Leon Merlin can’t be judged like an ordinary mage anymore. In just a few years, he’s gone from a minor mage to this terrifying powerhouse. His growth rate is beyond frightening.
Especially now, Leon Merlin can’t be seen as just a genius—he’s a true powerhouse. Even those barbaric Caucasus Battlemages treat him with respect.
Especially that old fox Droy—when has he ever truly respected a mage from Auckland? Even with Joey and me, he’s only ever shown basic courtesy, but with Leon Merlin, there’s a hint of genuine respect.
Is this something just any powerhouse could achieve?
Difo, that fool, trying to mess with Leon Merlin—he’s got the brains of a Giant Transparent Orc. No, that’s an insult to the orc! You didn’t believe Leon could be this strong, but now, right here on the battlefield, can’t you see it?
That damned Orc Warlord, who looked like just an Eight-Rank Sword Saint, killed three Title Archmages in half a minute. Didn’t you see how strong he was? The greatsword he wielded was clearly extraordinary—didn’t that idiot even sense it?
If Leon Merlin hadn’t dealt with that Orc Warlord himself, there might already be a fallen ninth-rank Title Archmage. The threat that Orc Warlord posed was greater than a ninth-rank Sword Saint. Can’t that fool see?
Such a powerful foe was completely suppressed under Leon Merlin’s hand, unable to even lift his head, and was finally crushed to death. Can’t you see Leon’s strength yet?
And you still want to mess with Leon Merlin? Damn fool, you think you can bring him down like this?
Too naive. All you’ll do is enrage Leon Merlin. Damn it, I warned Difo, but that idiot still dared to do this.
This is war, and he still dares to sabotage his own ally...
Damn it, this isn’t good. Merlin’s definitely furious this time, and that damned fool Difo still dares to test Merlin’s patience.
I have to go talk Merlin down. Difo’s an idiot, but he can’t die here...
Heron’s face twisted in anger. He wished he could beat Difo to a pulp, but he had to intervene.
But right now, Heron was holding off three Orc Warlords alone. Before, he was blocking them, but now those three had become a real headache.
Two Orc Sword Saints and one Orc Warlock saw Heron trying to break away from the fight and immediately counterattacked, pinning him in place so he couldn’t leave.
Scarlet battle energy slashes swept across the field like blades. The Orc Warlock finally freed up to attack with full force, unleashing fire and meteors in a wild torrent toward Heron.
Heron's Dark Canopy was torn apart, exposing him to the battlefield. Facing two Eight-Rank Sword Saints and a ninth-rank Title Archmage-level Orc Warlock, Heron dared not be careless.
He knew things had taken a turn for the worse, and there was no way to break free from the fight. He could only spare a sliver of attention for Leon and Difo, while most of his focus stayed on the battle.
As for Leon, the anger in his eyes faded, replaced by a calm indifference as he glanced at Difo—like he was looking at a dead man.
Difo, oblivious, kept sneering at Leon, continuing to criticize him without a care.
Suddenly, a warning surged in Leon’s heart—a crisis so intense that his hair stood on end, erupting like a volcano inside him.
He didn’t need to think—he knew the massive Forgefire Ancestor had seen him block the last attack and was striking again.
This time, it wasn’t as passive. Earlier, the Flaming Meteor had been aimed at Difo, but Difo dodged early, and halfway through its flight, Leon became the target.
Leon gripped the Doombringer Staff, mana surging around him. In an instant, the battlefield became a sea of fire, and crimson elemental flames erupted from his body, making him look like a seven- or eight-meter-tall fire elemental rising from the inferno.