NOVEL NEXT Chapter 202: The Archmages
It was a perfect chance for Van to escape, and he couldn't miss it!
Hu~
Van took a deep breath as he continued analyzing the situation.
After some calculation, he dared to try how the five-horned Magic Beast would respond…
As he got closer to one of the warbeasts. It just sniffed the air, paused for a moment near him, then turned away.
Perhaps, even if the beast found him, it didn't bother doing much since he was probably not at the level of threat compared to the Magicians around.
His presence was nulled, and it boosted his confidence… He was exactly as the Aura Void Method had trained him to be.
Still, every breath counts…
His bones throbbed with the ache of overuse.
His muscles, already taxed from the collar disruption, were beginning to strain against his will.
[ Core Pressure: Rising. Temporary Rebalance Required Soon. ]
'Just hold… just get to the tunnel…'
He spotted a narrow service door behind a shattered food storage unit, partially hidden by charred crates.
[ Access Verified. Tunnel Entry Confirmed. Estimated Length: 340 meters. Door Location: Tower Outer Wall – Southern Forest Sector. ]
Needless to say, he bolted toward it and, after confirming that no one was following him, he didn't do any unnecessary cover-up of the entrance as it might just attract more attention.
He decided to just leave the place as quickly as possible.
This tunnel smelled really bad, and it was narrow… It was as if this was a slightly bigger sewage for food waste or trash from the kitchen.
Suddenly, he heard screams from the outside. Even with the Lens' analysis, he confirmed that some of them came from Sarah and Xiel, who were being herded with a few others by a wounded Second Circle Mage trying to cast a mass shield spell.
Van hesitated.
However, his Lens pulsed again.
[ Warning: Core Stress at 86%. Risk of collapse. ]
He whispered… "Survive first…"
Then, without another word, he moved through the tunnel and vanished from the battlefield.
***
Aboveground, the Rukh Tower was beginning to fall.
Its defenses, though vast, were slowly being crippled as more and more First Circle die…
The Mana-Sapping Bugs had torn through the primary formations. The Rebel Mages advanced in coordinated groups, each one led by at least a Three-Circle Mage…
Furthermore, there were Aura Knights supporting their flanks!
The Aura Knights may not be that strong if they were alone, but a group of them using shields with Aura could help the Magicians save some of their Mana that they were supposed to use for their Mana Barrier.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several lightning spells lit the sky…
The Earth-Shaping Spells of the high circle Mages then tore chunks from the tower's base. Even the floating defensive platforms of the Tower began to wobble…
"Hmm…"
From a distance, Leon watched the siege calmly… The Archmages hadn't appeared yet. From their latest reports, they believed that there should be more than five Archmages within this Tower…
However, for some reason, they weren't willing to come out even after so much disturbance had been made. It was as if they were waiting for something.
'Are they aware of our plans?' Leon mused. However, seeing the damage they dealt to the Tower, he could no longer hesitate. They must proceed with the plan.
"Begin Phase Two…" he said.
Lume, the Seer, nodded silently.
From the rear, a massive totem was erected.
It created a wave of red mana!
Even from afar, Van's Ocularis Lens noticed the fluctuation of energy and deduced that it was a forbidden ritual being activated…
It seemed that the siege had only just begun.
But to Van, deep in the tunnels, it no longer mattered…
He was about to get a new life!
***
The sky above the crumbling Rukh Tower turned red as the Rebel Mages started getting serious…
A wave of heat blanketed the battlefield as the forbidden ritual of their Mages started…
From the center of the rebel army, the colossal totem they had created over the past few days emitted a pulse of red mana that surged toward the sky…
And then, something descended.
The summoned figure was goat-like in form, with a towering body that was still seething with fire.
It was a bipedal goat with seven horns! However, its body was a bit translucent, showing that this creature wasn't in its perfect form!
At this time, the Archmages of the Rebel Mages stood before it—nine of them in total. They were all satisfied with the appearance of the creature that could surely assist them in the battle against the Archamages of the Tower.
'Good…' Leon thought to himself as he saw the creature's appearance. It had a strong aura and felt like it was a complete Seven-Horned Demon Beast.
To those watching from afar, it seemed as if they had drained a massive source of energy to bring out their strongest to the field.
However, there was actually no sign of fatigue from them…
Suddenly, from the central spire of the Tower, seven figures emerged.
"They're finally here…" Leon finally smiled as he sensed the presence of the Archmages. As expected, they truly lured out the Mages with the appearance of the Seven-Horned Beast!
They descended like comets and created a force that disrupted all the Rebel Mages and stopped the Five-Horned Beasts…
As a matter of fact, just a wave of their hands destroyed the Beasts in the process.
The Seven Archmages of Rukh Tower had finally arrived.
"It took us quite some time handling those traitors… Let's stop this now…" Archmage Farrell said as he looked at his Tower.
Indeed, he was one of the seven men who had just arrived. He was cloaked in black and silver robes adorned with golden emblems representing the Tower's authority.
Archmage Farrel, the Tower Master.
"Tsk…" He couldn't help but frown as the Tower was in a terrible condition, but thankfully, all the important items of the Tower had already been evacuated… It took him some time because of the traitors, but it should be fine now.
Although the slaves and mages didn't matter to him, even if most of them died, he still didn't like having all the sources of his wealth get taken in front of him.
"They summoned a Seven-Horned Demon Beast… They should be exhausted." Farrel muttered.
The mana density in the air thickened as the Archmages prepared…
Suddenly, the defensive barriers of the Tower activated and protected the lives of many people from the tower.
Furthermore, the disruptions of the enemy's Formation Arts disappeared. This time, the spells that had been misfiring now snapped into perfect formation…
At this time, Van, who had just come out, confirmed the situation with his Lens.
[ Archmage Detection: Signature Stabilized. Identity: Farrel of Rukh Tower. ]
[ Magic Circle Classification: Above Fifth Circle. ]
"Oh… So he's indeed above the Fifth Circle…" Van muttered. It was already impressive that his Lens could tell that much.
Van didn't want to stay here for long, so he quickly entered deep in the southern forest…
Then, his Ocularis Lens flared with multiple warning threads.
[ Source Mana Spike Detected. Classification: High Threat. Origin: 600 meters North-East. ]
[ Caution: Do not approach. ]
Hidden beneath layers of brush and twisted roots, Van blinked.
His body was still trembling from his earlier exertion and sweat had already clung to his skin.
His Aura Cloaking was already deactivated, so he had to stay still for now… He couldn't be hasty at this point.
Since he was worried that he could be sensed if he moved, he immediately commanded the Lens to work…
"Analyze all unique spell structures. Focus on mana frequency, casting rhythm, and even their spell positioning."
[ Understood. Initiating observational protocol. Spellframe Mapping in progress. ]
He couldn't fight. Not yet.
But he could learn.
And so he watched through the cover of the forest, using the extended scrying capability of his Lens and his own elevated senses…
***
Back at the Tower, the battle between the Archmages had truly begun.
Farrel raised his hand and cast a single wordless spell—and the Tower itself.
A tsunami of mirror-like mana surged upward, clashing against the goat-demon's infernal breath!
All of this was witnessed by Van!
Boom!
The two forces exploded midair, sending shockwaves through both armies. Hundreds of combatants were flung like dolls from the resulting impact.
The other six Archmages of the Tower spread out.
Each of them released their forces, confirming their Magic Circle from 4 to 5!
Soon, they started using flame, lightning, frost, and even some unique gravity-based magics through the battlefield.
But the Rebel Archmages weren't idle; they weren't weakened at all from that Summoning as they used a medium!
This was something that the seven Archmages failed to calculate!
"Hahaha!"
"You come to embrace death!"
"Die!"
Despite having conducted a forbidden summoning, they stood tall…
However, the Archmages of the Tower had no other choice but to fight!
"Don't underestimate us!"
"You will all die!"
Then, like the true overlords, the Archmages began to fight.