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Chapter 512: Loren Remains Unfazed by His Opponent's Tactics
Chapter 512: Loren Remains Unfazed by His Opponent's Tactics
At the southern border of the Namantina territory, a blood moon hung high, casting an ominous light over the chaotic summer night. The dense forests and winding rivers that surrounded the city-state seemed to stir restlessly amidst the violence, trembling with each impact.
"On my command, provide support to Grand Priest Loren!"
The border troops along the southern frontier displayed their determination to hold their ground, unfazed by the terror of the invading forces. They lent their full strength to assist Grand Priest Loren.
After ensuring the evacuation of civilians, the elite troops provided support from the rear, careful not to interfere with Loren's battle. The magi-tech artillery of the Namantina city-state, the Voidbreaker Cannons, gathered astral power akin to the stars, reaching their pinnacle. They fired ultra-long-range energy beams capable of rending the sky, precisely striking at Marquess Somerset.
Although the reduced frequency of firing, due to the lack of an operational power station and the need for elite mages to fill the gap, was a hindrance, the septima-tier control intensity of the magi-tech weapons still posed a minor threat to Somerset.
The heavily armored knight legion formed the Azure Shield Formation, a defensive array maintained by both arcane barriers and martial techniques, creating an impenetrable barrier akin to the heavens themselves, deflecting layer after layer of physical shockwaves.
Behind them, the priestly order of the Church of the Goddess of Fate cast divine arts, linking together to form a massive protective screen. The starlit veil that covered the city absorbed and reflected the battle's aftermath, reducing the pressure on Loren's rear.
Even if Marquess Somerset wanted to break through forcefully, it would take him some time.
"Grand Priest, give it your all!"
"Mr. Loren, don't lose!"
The shouts of the people seemed to empower Loren. From the angry guards up close to the trembling civilians in the evacuation zone, everyone chanted his name.
The southern district of the city-state reverberated with the deafening cheers, causing Marquess Somerset to sneer.
Not only was he unable to threaten Loren with the lives of civilians anymore, but he also had to contend with the attacks from Namantina's defensive magi-tech weaponry.
"Grand Priest, do you have the guts to face me in a fair battle between strong individuals? Or will you continue to rely on the strength of these ants?"
Marquess Somerset dodged a pillar of light that pierced the heavens, paying no heed to the distant magi-tech weapons. His scarlet eyes, like those of a predator, locked onto his prey—Loren.
The kingdom's senior magi-tech engineers controlled the phantom-shaking towers, city-defense structures that used magi-tech precision machinery to generate strong magical interference, causing phased impacts on Marquess Somerset.
"... "
Loren ignored his opponent.
Once again, thunder and lightning illuminated the dusty sky and land. Behind the magical barriers, Loren spread his palms, and a golden and green vortex formed, drawing infinite divine power towards him. He compressed this power, gradually extinguishing all light around him.
Should this octa-tier damaging wind-attributed spell connect, even the most massive army would likely be annihilated.
But Loren's attack was reserved solely for the destruction of Marquess Somerset.
"In that case, I shall kill you first and then proceed to annihilate this city-state that you tried to protect!"
Marquess Somerset was undaunted by the might of the octa-tier spell. He lunged forward with a punch.
His opponent, Loren, who he had expected to be easily provoked in battle, displayed a combat will stronger than that of most humans Somerset had encountered. When faced with an enemy, Loren was the type of calm and collected powerhouse who would strike his opponent dead without uttering a word.
The battle intensified, and the entire city-state was enveloped in thick smoke and dust.
Beams of light, explosions, and collisions in the sky intertwined.
Tempestuous clouds gathered and swirled in the heavens, and even the mountains and oceans seemed shaken by the sudden outburst of combat, intensifying the air pressure under the blood moon's dark clouds.
Each clash illuminated the dark night sky from the ground up.
Far in the rear, the evacuated civilians could not catch a glimpse of the deadly duel between these two octa-tier powerhouses, even if they dared to raise their heads.
In the heart of the battlefield, neither Loren nor Somerset was in their peak condition anymore.
Loren, who had sustained severe injuries at the battle's outset, gradually fell into a disadvantageous position as Somerset showed no intention of giving him time to recover.
With each successful strike, the Eighth Patriarch, Marquess Somerset, sought to end the battle decisively.
However, he was not obsessed with killing Loren at all costs.
He was well aware of the priority of his mission today.
"...If you can, give it a try."
Grand Priest Loren once again used air pressure to deflect Marquess Somerset's attack. His surroundings were empty, but the airflow could transform into any weapon. With each wave of his hand, gusts of wind formed air pressure akin to the protection of a wind god.
Marquess Somerset's scarlet magic power spread, and the blood-red sea rising from the ground resembled a violent waterfall as it sought to crush Loren. But Loren, like an agile dancer, grew more relaxed as he shed his concerns about his surroundings, fighting with newfound ease.
Loren's eyes shone with cruel radiance, and he was single-mindedly focused on forcing the immortal Somerset back.
He took a step forward, and the entire earth was inscribed with runes, forming a magical barrier zone. He confronted Marquess Somerset in the space before him.
The distance between the two powerhouses narrowed once more, as if two apocalyptic disasters were clashing.
While Loren's delaying tactics had not significantly slowed Somerset's approach, his more intricate rituals were now ready. The space began to distort, and golden flames rose from the ground, along with descending radiant rainfall, about to engulf Marquess Somerset in an instant.
It was at this moment that Marquess Somerset's figure emitted a semi-transparent red mist, entering a trance-like state as he threw an unprecedented punch. In the air, the red glow clashed with Loren's vast magical power, creating a clearly divided explosion of energy that ran vertically along the border of the city-state.
After a long while, the Marquess, who had been knocked flying and skidded across the ground for quite a distance, had obviously come out worse off in this exchange.
"..."
Marquess Somerset frowned slightly.
He could sense that something was amiss.
They had been fighting for several tens of minutes now.
It wasn't just the combined might of the Namantina forces that had eased the pressure on Loren.
Why was he getting stronger the longer they fought?
This human's magical power seemed bottomless.
His offense, defense, speed, healing, control, and spell structure were all top-notch.
Aside from Loren's unwavering determination to protect the weak, Somerset's combat experience told him that this human had no apparent weaknesses.
Somerset even began to wonder if continuing the fight would only make Loren stronger, forcing him to achieve a breakthrough in the middle of the battle.
What was terrifying about this man was not just his strength as a peak Eighth-Tier powerhouse.
It was the fact that before he reached the Ninth Tier, there seemed to be no limit to his growth.
Even during the era when Somerset was sealed away tens of thousands of years ago, he had never encountered a human with such monstrous magical talent.
"I never expected that in this era, there would be a human like you who makes even me feel like a monster..."
A smile still played at the corners of the Eighth Patriarch Somerset's mouth, as if he were merely toying with Loren.
"Loren, you are indeed strong..."
Marquess Somerset's smile was unnerving,
"But have you ever considered that there is someone who has almost reached the rear of those city defense forces?"
"!"
Finally, a hint of emotion flashed across Loren's calm face.
A long time ago, he had indeed sensed the cessation of magical fluctuations on the northwestern side of the battlefield.
But ever since then, neither the Seventh-Tier source of magic nor the mysterious Eighth-Tier powerhouse had shown any signs of combat, and even the Eighth-Tier alchemical beast seemed to have lost its instructions, remaining stationary.
If the Holy Son of Destruction had won, by this time, he should be approaching the southern part of the city based on the elapsed time!
Assuming that at this moment, the Holy Son of Destruction launches an attack from within the city-state, with the Eighth-Tier vampire both front and back, the city defense forces would suffer unimaginable casualties!
As expected, Loren felt the rear guard forces beginning to stir, and the magical fluctuations of the Holy Son of Destruction, Salomon, became clear once more.
Although Salomon's magic seemed incredibly weak, he was doing his best to break through, disrupting the rear guard while attempting to charge into the battlefield where Loren and Somerset were fighting!
"..."
Loren held his ground against Somerset, unable to spare any attention for what was happening behind him.
The raging magical storm at the southern border wreaked havoc, as the clash of the gale and the blood-red light bent and twisted the surrounding air, exuding a fearsome aura.
"Loren, get ready to welcome the surprise from behind!"
Marquess Somerset laughed loudly, his fighting stance becoming even more relaxed.
Like a reenactment of the Primordial War, wind and blood clashed in the teetering defenses of Namantina, an apocalyptic collision of Eighth-Tier powerhouses!
The shocks and vibrations constantly battered every structure, causing the once sturdy buildings and towers to crumble under the onslaught of smoke and dust, turning them into ruins.
"..."
Loren's expression grew solemn as he grit his teeth, determined to hold his ground at the city gate.
He knew that he would soon be facing an attack from both front and back.
In a short while, he would lose the support of the rear guard!
He had to react swiftly to overcome this crisis and turn the tide back in their favor.
If they could withstand this assault, the city-state's barrier would soon be restored, and the scales of victory would tip heavily in their favor.
But if they were routed, the outcome of today's battle would be uncertain!
Or perhaps, the victor would be decided in the next bout of maneuvers and clashes!
Just as Marquess Somerset's maniacal laugh became unbearably grating, and Loren's heartbeat quickened like the beating of a war drum, he sensed the magical source of the Holy Son of Destruction, Salomon, approaching from behind.
Salomon's attack had finally arrived.
Loren couldn't predict how Salomon would disrupt this crucial moment that would decide the outcome, nor could he foresee the consequences of each decision he made, but he had to remain calm and respond to any situation!
However.
As Loren slowly turned his gaze to the side while hovering in mid-air.
On the other side.
Below the city gate.
The Holy Son of Destruction, upon catching sight of Loren's figure, froze.
The excitement on Salomon's face, born from surviving a calamity, suddenly stiffened.
He stood there, motionless, for a moment.
Then, he began to back away, his steps filled with terror.
It was as if he had thought he was reaching the exit of hope, only to find that what lay before him was the true beginning of a despairing abyss!
"Lo... Loren!!!"
Only the shrill screams of the Holy Son of Destruction echoed across the southern border battlefield.
Marquess Somerset's movements halted, and his brows furrowed deeply.
Loren was bewildered.
Was he that terrifying?
(End of Chapter)
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