Chapter 483: How Could This Happen
Leon’s sudden appearance left more than a dozen Blazeforge Orc Shamans momentarily stunned. Their disbelief was palpable as they stared at Leon, taking a good two or three seconds to process what they were seeing—this human mage was anything but ordinary.
On such a chaotic battlefield, finding them—let alone even noticing them—was no easy feat.
"Roar..."
A low, menacing growl echoed. The group of Blazeforge Orc Shamans instantly realized this might be a troublesome opponent. For a moment, more than a dozen powerful shamans gripped their warhammers tightly, crimson runes flickering on their muscular arms. Magic surged in the air, and in a flash, dark red flames erupted from their hammers.
The Darkflame Orcs are true masters of both magic and martial prowess, their bodies astonishingly resilient. Typically, even an adult Darkflame Orc’s raw strength rivals that of a seasoned greatsword warrior—while the exceptional ones are born with power enough to contend with swordmasters...
And that’s just their brute strength...
Among the Blazeforge Orcs, the shamans’ bloodline grants them terrifying magical abilities—innate mastery over fire and the power to summon elemental creatures. The endless elemental army before me is their handiwork. Good thing Leon noticed in time; given a few more minutes, they might have overrun the Inferno Fortress entirely.
Just then, Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin rushed onto the scene, catching sight of the dozen Blazeforge Orc Shamans surrounding Leon. Their hearts tightened with anxiety.
They were already close—just a few seconds and their spells could reach the area. But it was too late...
To them, the young mage did seem reckless. After spotting the Blazeforge Orc Shamans, he should have at least brought them along—the odds would be much better that way. With the keen eyes of Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin, it was clear that any one of those dozen Blazeforge Orcs was far beyond what a Fifth Rank Magus could handle.
Among those Blazeforge Orc Shamans, even the weakest matched a top-tier Magus, and three of them were nearly as strong as Edgar and Uriel themselves!
Under circumstances like these, how could they not be worried...
"Is that...?"
But in the next moment, Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin both witnessed something extraordinary. The young mage was nowhere near as fragile as they'd imagined—he weaved through a barrage of flames, narrowly dodging the attacks of a dozen Blazeforge Orc Shamans. At the level of a Fifth Rank Magus, such feats were astonishing; even a Ninth Rank Magus might not possess such terrifying spellcasting ability.
Yet what truly shocked them was not his evasion, but a surging ray of flame that twisted in an unnatural arc, striking one of the Blazeforge Orc Shamans. A shrill, agonized scream followed, and before their eyes, the orc shaman was reduced to ashes in an instant.
"H-how... How did he do that?"
Edgar Merlin couldn't help but swallow hard. It was almost unbelievable—the young mage was only a Fifth Rank Magus, and even the weakest of those Blazeforge Orc Shamans were top-tier within their tribe.
A Fifth Rank Magus, slaying a Blazeforge Orc Shaman whose strength matched that of a top-tier Magus, all in an instant—it felt unreal to Edgar Merlin, like something out of a dream.
And yet...