The moment the scroll shattered in Old Wang's hand, a violent surge of power exploded from his body. His aura climbed rapidly, but so did something darker—his eyes turned crimson red, and in their depths, a ghostly face flickered, twisting in agony.
Only moments ago, Old Wang had nearly been cut down by his deputy, yet he hadn't shown pain then. Now, however, his expression warped with ferocity, and his body trembled uncontrollably. It was as though he was burning away what little life he had left.
Without hesitation, he snatched up his staff and poured every last drop of his magic power into it. The pale blue gem embedded in the top burst into dazzling light.
Before him, a massive cyan wind blade materialized, spinning with tremendous force. Crimson streaks spiraled around it like liquid fire, fusing chaos and control into one terrifying weapon.
The temple mages standing behind Old Wang realized what he was doing and immediately pressed their palms to his back. Without needing to speak or cast, their mana was drawn out of them—sucked into Old Wang's body and then into his staff.
With every surge of energy, the enormous wind blade grew larger. In the blink of an eye, it expanded to more than a hundred meters long, howling like a storm given form.
Still not enough.
Gritting his teeth, Old Wang pulled a small pill from his robe, and with shaking hands, swallowed it.
Gulp.
Instantly, the change began. His once-gray hair turned pitch black, his wrinkled face smoothed, and his frail posture straightened into the proud stance of a warrior in his prime.
The female mage beside him gasped. "No way… when I examined him earlier, I thought his life force was deteriorating too fast. So this was why… he was saving his strength for now!"
Indeed—Old Wang had been faking weakness all along, waiting for the right moment to unleash the full power of his youth.
As he roared, the wind blade before him grew once more, stretching toward the sky until it spanned nearly a kilometer in length.
Even the hardened "Dragon Cave" veteran with only one arm looked up, eyes wide with disbelief at the monstrous weapon hovering above them.
Old Wang raised his staff and pointed forward.
"Cut them down!"
The wind blade shot forth with blinding speed, slicing through the air with an ear-piercing shriek. The sound arrived after the blade had already passed—it moved that fast.
Shhhk!
Like harvesting wheat, the giant wind blade carved through the charging mammoths ahead. Their thick hides, strong enough to deflect arrows, didn't even slow the blade.
The colossal beasts ran a few more steps before splitting in two, collapsing into the dirt and crushing smaller monsters under their falling weight.
Without stopping, the blade turned downward and slashed across the ranks of wild monsters further behind. Nothing could withstand it—its destructive power was nearly equal to that of a legendary artifact.
Thousands of monsters were wiped out in seconds, leaving only silence and the stench of blood thick in the air. The earth ran red for miles around.
For a heartbeat, everyone stood frozen. Then, realizing what had happened, the temple guards cheered wildly.
Their morale skyrocketed. What could be more inspiring than witnessing such overwhelming power?
But before they could celebrate further, a beam of golden light fell from the sky. It struck the entrance to the secret realm behind them, and the shimmering portal closed itself with a gentle hum.
The surviving students—those lucky enough to escape—stumbled out, followed by the two temple priests who had been maintaining the portal. Both wore relieved smiles.
They had made it.
The connection to the secret realm was gone; the danger was over. All that was left was to clear the remaining monsters and go home alive.
"Home…" someone whispered, thinking of the warm light of their house, of wives, children, and safety.
That thought alone ignited the hearts of the soldiers. With renewed strength, they fought even harder.
Old Wang turned his gaze and spotted Ethan leading a group of students back. Most were wounded, but they were alive—and that was all that mattered.
A faint smile touched his lips.
I was right to trust him… Thank you, Ethan.
As if his purpose had finally been fulfilled, the glow in Old Wang's eyes dimmed. His once-youthful face withered in moments, turning pale and frail. His strength faded like smoke.
Memories of his long life flashed before his eyes—his first spell, his comrades, the students he had mentored, and above all, a picture he had always carried with him.
With trembling hands, he pulled the photo out once more. This time, he didn't frown or hide his sorrow. Instead, like the smiling girl in the photo, he smiled brightly—at peace at last.
"This time," he whispered weakly, "I finally did something… worthy of my conscience."
Then, he was still.
When Ethan turned back, he caught sight of the fallen mage. Old Wang—who had saved them all—was gone.
The female professional who had fought beside him burst into tears. She gently pried the photograph from his cold fingers and placed it inside a small notebook.
Only she knew the truth. That notebook had been a gift from Old Wang when she first joined the temple. He gave one to every new recruit. Most had used theirs—but she had kept hers safe, untouched.
Now it held his final memory.
Ethan looked at her silently, then at Old Wang's lifeless body. He shook his head.
"It's always like this," he murmured. "People never cherish what's right in front of them… until it's gone."
Fate is cruel like that. Sometimes, it only leaves pain to remind you how precious something was.
But the battle wasn't finished. As the reality of Old Wang's death settled in, the surviving students suddenly noticed what lay beyond the ridge.
The battlefield stretched out endlessly, littered with the corpses of beasts. Smoke, fire, and blood filled the air.
The sight was too much for many of them—several began vomiting from shock and nausea.
"What is that smell? Oh god—how many monsters are there?"
"Didn't we just escape the secret realm? Why are there still so many?"
"I just want to go home… why is it always so hard?"
Their voices cracked under exhaustion and fear.
Ethan looked at the chaos ahead. Thousands of beasts still remained. But to him, these weren't obstacles—they were opportunities. Each monster meant experience, each kill meant growth.
With a steady breath, he stepped forward.
Fairwind and Lily Winters, standing close behind him, exchanged excited looks. "He's finally going to fight," Lily whispered. "We'll get to see his real power!"
Even the guards tried to hold him back. "Hey, kid! Don't go charging in. Stay behind, it's still dangerous!"
"Yeah, we're not dead yet—you don't need to play hero!"
"It's just a bunch of beasts, we've got this! You just cheer us on!"
But Ethan didn't stop.
Under their startled gazes, he raised his hand, and the air around him shimmered. From the ground erupted crystal wall worker ants—each five meters long, their metallic bodies glinting in the sunlight.
Dozens… then hundreds of them appeared, pushing the guards aside as they poured forward like a river of steel.
The ground shook as the army of ants surged into the battlefield.
Even the wild monsters—beasts that moments ago had been fighting to the death—froze at the sight of the swarm.
The world went still. The noise of battle, the screams, even the clash of weapons—all vanished into silence.
Every guard, every student, stared in awe. The crossbows they held and the spells they were preparing hung uselessly in the air.
They had just witnessed the birth of a new power—and with it, the turning of the tide.
Old Wang had given his life for this victory, and now, Ethan would finish what the old man started.
The war was not yet over—but hope, at last, had returned.
-----------------------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
----------------------------------------------------- .