Drip! Drip!
Droplets of fire-red lava the size of a human head plummeted earthward, trailing the searing burning force of fire-elemental energy.
Beneath that dazzling beauty lurked a terrifying power more than capable of killing a man!
BOOM!
The earth shuddered ceaselessly. Each time the lava struck the ground, it blasted craters into the surface in an instant, and the surrounding forest ignited, forming a horrifying sea of flame.
The Beastkin caught within that inferno looked all the more insignificant — even a mere brush with the residual wake of the fire rain could sear their greasy skin clean off, turning them into human torches in the blink of an eye.
In moments, the screams and wails of the Beastkin, along with the thick stench of charring flesh, rose ceaselessly. Set against the vast expanse of the inferno, everything looked like the arrival of the end of the world.
"The destructive power of a Legendary spell really is terrifying — no wonder the Continental Legendary Council banned them..."
The Paladin Paithrick was visibly shaken as well. Though he could easily cut down a Legendary hunter, his own attack range was nowhere near this devastating.
Under Lin Lei's single strike, at least several thousand Beastkin had been incinerated into charred cinders, and several times that number suffered severe burns. When even wound infections could prove fatal, without timely healing from a priest, those victims could practically be written off as dead.
"Now's not the time for sightseeing!"
Lin Lei flicked a finger, and several pitch-black figures that had broken through the wall of fire were already upon them.
Charging at the forefront was that Legendary-class hunter — though at this point, it too had drawn the brunt of Lin Lei's attention. With the fire rain's power concentrated in its direction, the scales and fur on its body had been completely burned away, and in places white bone was already showing through, making for a truly horrifying sight.
Behind it trailed several more Beastkin who looked equally wretched, the fur and whiskers on their faces and bodies scorched away by more than half. All of them watched Lin Lei and the Paladin with guarded, wary eyes.
"Mighty Legendary mage from beyond our borders — our Black Blood Tribe does not appear to have any history with you. Why did you suddenly intervene to obstruct our sacred rite, and even slaughter our kinsmen..."
An elderly Beastkin who was clearly a Legendary cleric stepped forward, his eyes locked on Lin Lei with bone-deep hatred.
As for Paithrick the Paladin — he was thoroughly ignored. After all, Paladins and Beastkin were natural-born enemies on opposing alignments; what was there left to say?
"I previously served Silvermoon City!"
Lin Lei smiled faintly and stated it plainly, privately feeling a twinge of regret. Even with his bonuses as an arcanist and his other magical talents, the damage inflicted by this kind of wide-area Legendary spell against truly powerful beings was still rather limited.
"After all, it was only an area-of-effect spell. If it had been a single-target spell instead, one of them would probably already be permanently down…"
A faint blue light flickered through Lin Lei's eyes.
"So you're one of
The Black Blood Tribe had already been on poor terms with Silvermoon City, and having allied with the Orc Empire, they had become its sworn enemy.
The Beastkin had heard vague rumors about the queen's plans to restore her kingdom, and the moment those words sank in, any desire for further conversation died on their lips.
"So this is why you stand against us! An irreconcilable conflict indeed!"
The old priest murmured, his eyes gradually filling with a bloodthirsty gleam. "But still — though you have disrupted a sacred ritual, you have also brought us far better offerings! The living sacrifice of two Legendary powerhouses… should be enough to quell my Lord's wrath… Seize them!!!"
"ROAR!!!"
At the priest's command, the Legendary Hunter — long since straining at the leash — struck first. It launched itself upward, leaving a deep crater in the ground, with countless spider-web cracks radiating outward from the impact point.
Carrying tremendous momentum, the Legendary Hunter materialized above Paithrick's head like a cannonball in an instant, its massive claws dripping with terrifying toxins tearing straight down.
"We need to show overwhelming force! Otherwise they'll just keep sending Beastkin powerhouses one after another…"
At that moment, Lillianne's voice reached Lin Lei's ear.
Clearly, she and that Legendary Druid were still lying in wait. Patient as the most calculating predator, waiting for the ultimate prey to reveal itself.
"Couldn't have said it better myself!"
Lin Lei lowered his gaze, and a terrifying killing aura erupted from his body.
—[Wail of the Banshee]!
A scream that seemed to originate from the soul itself detonated in an instant, its sonic waves rippling outward. Every other powerful being in the vicinity froze, their thoughts momentarily paralyzed.
"Now — [Greater Binding]!"
Lin Lei's hands moved like those of the most consummate maestro, plucking the strings of the elemental and arcane networks. Blinding spell-light radiates ceaselessly from his body.
"ROAR!" The Legendary Hunter, still suspended in midair, suddenly froze as though seized by an invisible force, hanging motionless in the air.
"Die! Evil shall face divine judgment — [Sacred Judgment]!!!"
The paladin's eyes turned platinum-white the instant he spotted the opening, as if sacred flames had ignited within them. He appeared above the Legendary Hunter in the blink of an eye. The crystal greatsword imbued with holy attributes was now enveloped in blinding white radiance.
— [One Stroke, Two Halves]!
The Legendary Hunter's scales and energy barrier split apart before the paladin's descending blade as if they were solid butter meeting a hot knife. Foul, reeking blood sprayed in all directions, and then the massive head tumbled free and crashed to the ground.
Rapid spellcasting and seamless coordination allowed Lin Lei and Patrick to dispatch a Legendary-tier monster in the blink of an eye.
This level of strength clearly far exceeded what the Beastkin commanders on the opposing side had imagined. The Legendary priest among them had already thrust his hand into his robes with a look of iron determination, apparently reaching for something.
[Ding! Based on energy fluctuations and physical form analysis, the probability that the target is retrieving the Sacrificial Dagger is 99.99%. A divine power sacrifice will be performed in 0.27 seconds…]
The Chip's mechanical voice rang out, and the instant prediction spurred Lin Lei into action.
A beam of arcane luminescence shot directly from his hand, bypassing all defenses and evasions alike, and struck the old priest dead-on.
The old man stared blankly at his own palm. The ornate dagger that had been there just a moment ago was disintegrating inch by inch, not even a hilt or fragment remaining.
Legendary Arcane Art — [Greater Disjunction]!
Even divine artifacts could be damaged before this spell; mortal-world items stood no chance whatsoever.
It didn't stop there. The necklace around the old priest's neck, the divine-power-infused scepter, and several magical items such as beast fangs — anything remotely connected to extraordinary power — crumbled away inch by inch, dissolving into nothing.
"As expected of the
Although Lin Lei had very few Legendary-tier spell templates at his disposal, it didn't matter when he had directly inherited the Arcanist's legacy and ultimately even obtained a
The Arcanist's secrets, along with a vast number of other arcane spell templates, were available to him in whatever quantity he desired.
"That kind of power…"
Not only the Beastkin on the opposing side, but even Patrick — who was fighting alongside him — and Lilian and Ali Gu, who had been secretly watching from the sidelines, were all somewhat shaken by what they had witnessed.
"How could he possibly have that many high-tier and Legendary spell slots? Is he the Goddess of the
Lilian's eyes blazed with sudden fervor. "His achievements in the arcane arts have probably far surpassed anything I could have imagined, reaching a realm beyond all reckoning…"
As a Legendary Mage herself, she naturally had some knowledge of arcane magic. She had even mastered a few lower-tier arcane templates, and she knew full well that once a mage abandoned spell slots, they could cast far more spells.
Unfortunately, those who could directly obtain Legendary arcane templates and wield them with such fluidity — she had only ever encountered a handful, and every single one had been an ancient monster who had lived for thousands of years. Someone as young as Raylin was absolutely unheard of!
"No wonder he advanced so quickly — could it be that he's already uncovered certain secrets of the ancient Arcanists?"
Lilian privately entertained this thought, believing she had pieced together some of his secrets.
As for these matters, Raylin had anticipated them but couldn't be bothered to care — in fact, the information had been deliberately leaked by him.
After all, for Legendary Mages, researching matters related to Arcanists was hardly taboo. What he had done was merely skirt the edges of propriety.
Moreover, greater strength naturally brought greater say.
"What are you standing there for? Attack!"
For instance, the somewhat dazed Paladin instinctively obeyed Raylin's command without a second thought, charging straight at the remaining few Beastkin leaders who had been thrown into complete disarray.
—Meteor Swarm!!
—Bigby's Crushing Hand!
With the Paladin entangled with the enemy, Raylin once again unleashed a mage's terrifying battlefield control, seizing command of the situation almost in an instant.
By the end, when the Paladin watched the last remaining Beastkin dissolve into powder under Raylin's spells, Patrick's mind had nearly short-circuited.
"This brutal yet exquisite fighting style, and that final assault — he's more berserker than a Berserker… Is he really a mage?"
"Get ready! The real test is about to arrive!"
Raylin's expression had turned grave as he issued the warning.
The Paladin's face hardened, and he turned to look in the direction of the former Black Blood Tribe. From there, a terrifying roar suddenly echoed forth, carrying with it a wave of overwhelming fury.
Having watched so many of his followers perish,