Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2399: Minutes

The elderly Grand Magus Archie Valaryn stood as a pillar of strength, his form blazing with the power of his two-cosmos strength. White lightning-infused sword slashes ripped through the ranks of the elven first responder unit, cutting down several magus in swift, merciless strokes. Yet, the elves were not easily broken. These were no ordinary troops—they were the fortressʼs elite magus defenders, trained to respond under fire and adapt with speed. With rapid coordination, they weaved through the deadly lightning and cast layered a combined defensive spell in unison. For a moment, they held, managing to block Archieʼs relentless assault.

But then, the princess joined the battle. Quick and elegant, every swing of her weapon breached the elvesʼ collective defense. Under the weight of their combined attack, the elvesʼ formation crumbled. One by one, the princess and Archie struck down the defenders, leaving only a few full-moon-level warriors staggering back, barely able to hold their ground.

Just as the two Valaryn Grand Magus were about to deliver the finishing blow, the sound of pounding footsteps echoed down the fortress halls. The second wave of reinforcements stormed in, this time with twice the numbers, and at their lead was a tall, imposing figure: a grand magus dark elf with long white hair flowing like a mane.

His eyes burned with fury as he raised his saber high and shouted, ”Laiʼmariel ornenai!!”

The words seemed to reinvigorate the wounded elves around him, filling their eyes with renewed determination. The morale of the defenders surged, and those who had been staggering just moments before fell back into a hardened line behind their grand magus leader. With his commanding presence, he coordinated their efforts, and in seconds, they had formed an attack formation, ready to strike back.

Archie Valaryn, held his ground, his sword flashing as he sent wave after wave of white lightning slashes toward the oncoming elven forces. This time, however, the elf grand magus intercepted a portion of Archieʼs attacks with calculated defenses, allowing only a few of his soldiers to fall under the deadly lightning strikes.

Sensing the elvesʼ determination to press past them, Archie drew upon his two-cosmos strength, his aura swelling as he unleashed his battlefield domain. The hall exploded with raw energy, becoming a storm of blinding white lightning. Vortexes of lightning whipped through the air, their electric tendrils striking out at anything in range.

”ARRGHH!!!”

The elven warriors screamed in agony as each bolt tore through them, searing flesh and leaving some of the weaker magus writhing before they burst into pools of blood, their bodies unable to withstand the overwhelming power. Even the stronger elves found themselves struggling to evade, the relentless strikes pushing them to the edge of their abilities.

Amid the chaos, the elven grand magus surged forward, undeterred by the storm raging around him. He closed in on Archie, slipping through the elderʼs defenses with unnerving ease. In one swift, fluid motion, he unleashed an explosive kick, his leg snapping out like a whip. The impact hit Archieʼs chest with brutal force, hurling him backward. His body collided against the stone wall with a thunderous crack.

”Archie!” The princess cried out, stepping forward with her weapon at the ready. The elite elven grand magus fought with unmatched ferocity and skill, evading or deflecting each attack the princess threw his way. It was a stark reminder of the difference in strength between humans and elven grand magus.

Even with Archie joining the fight, it still proved difficult to overpower the dark elves.

Meanwhile, the coordinated efforts of the elven magus allowed a handful of their warriors to break free from Archieʼs domain. Five dark elf magus sprinted through the hall toward the command chamber, their determined eyes fixed ahead—until they spotted a lone figure blocking their path.

”Only one human magus!” one of them sneered. ”Kill him quickly!”

They charged, weapons raised, but as they closed in, a ripple of distortion flickered in the air where Emery had been. In an instant, he vanished, only to reappear [Blink] right in their midst, blade already in motion.

SPLATTT!

Two of the elves dropped before they even registered the blur of his attack, their headless bodies slumping to the floor in silence. Blood spattered across the stone floor as the remaining three scrambled to evade. Quick instincts saved them from the immediate swing of Emeryʼs blade, but as they tried to regain their footing, they found their legs tangled by thick, twisting vines that had erupted from the ground.

”Arrgghh!” The magus struggled, but the vines coiled tighter, pulling them down until they were immobilized on the stone floor.

One of the trapped magus managed to free himself, a seasoned captain with full-moon rank. He stumbled back, terror creeping into his expression as he locked eyes with Emery, who seemed to radiate power far beyond that of an ordinary magus.

Emery stood motionless, his cold gaze fixed on the remaining captives as his summoned vines tightened, creeping steadily up the struggling elves. With a subtle wave of his hand, the vines coiled with crushing force, breaking bones and silencing their muffled cries in an instant.

”You!! What are you?!” the last remaining full-moon elf gasped, his voice trembling with fear.

In a frantic attempt to retaliate, the elf unleashed a volley of tier 6 greater fireballs, each one blazing with intense heat. Emery sidestepped with supernatural speed, vanishing and reappearing [Blink] behind his panicked foe, his [Void Blade] gleaming in the dim light. Before the elf could turn, Emeryʼs blade sliced effortlessly through his defenses, striking deep and true, killing its target.

With Emery holding the last line, the two Valaryn Grand Magus focused fully on their elusive target, the long-haired elven grand magus.

Five minutes passed, and despite their overwhelming power, they were unable to land a decisive blow. The dark elf grand magus proved to be a formidable adversary, skillfully using his own magus warriors as sacrificial pawns to absorb attacks and create openings for counterstrikes. ꞦáNο𝔟Εṥ

Meanwhile, a fresh wave of half a dozen dark elf magus broke free from Archieʼs domain and charged directly at Emery, determined to reach their commander.

Not one to underestimate the strength of multiple magus attackers, Emery immediately activated his [Twilight Transformation] and [Elysian Armor]. The two abilities combined to form a nearly impenetrable armor that deflected any magus-level attacks, turning Emery into an unstoppable force. His Void Blade cleaved through the advancing dark elves, each strike swift and merciless.

Ten minutes mark had passed and the Valaryn princess called out to Emery for an update.

However, even without the use of his divine sense, Emery could hear the battle raging within the commanderʼs chamber. The sounds of explosions and clashes filled the air, and though the Ghostblades were skilled, they had yet to bring down the elven commander.

The princess, clearly frustrated, grunted in response, her voice sharp. ”What about the third group?! Where are they?!”

Just seconds after the princess voiced her frustration, a powerful energy ripple surged from the south, followed by a deafening explosion.

The ground shook as the shockwave reached them, and the remaining elven forces in the stronghold turned in surprise and alarm. The third group, Dopa and Helga of the Magus military forces had successfully demolished the watch tower holding the key to the elven fortressʼs defensive barrier. This success not only cleared up an escape route for them but also created a critical diversion, causing chaos among the elves.

”Theyʼre attacking from the south wall!” came the panicked cries of the elven soldiers.

”Human forces have breached the defenses!” shouted another, confirming the confusion spreading through the fortress. As anticipated, the diversion left many elves scrambling to reinforce the southern front.

Emery was satisfied with the result, unfortunately, the brief relief was shattered as he sensed a powerful surge of energy—a second elven grand magus had arrived. But instead of heading toward the wall, the grand magus made a direct line toward them.

The fifteen-minute mark was nearing, and the weight of the deadline began to press on his mind. The plan had been meticulously timed; they needed to eliminate the target and escape before reinforcements from the other two nearby fortresses arrived.

Each would bring not only battalions of warriors but grand magus figures as well, ensuring theyʼd be surrounded. Time was slipping away, and the stakes had just become dangerously high.