Chapter 173 - 27 - King’s Game, Part 3 (3)

Leon's POV

As we made our way back to base, a deafening explosion shattered the air.

"Leon..." Hertrude's voice trailed off as she looked up, her gaze drawn to the source of the disturbance. Following her line of sight, I beheld a massive mushroom-shaped flame rising into the sky, illuminating the area with a brilliant flash. A wave of searing heat and blinding light swept across the ground. It felt like a nuke had just been detonated.

The devastation of the inferno reached us, engulfing the surrounding area and incinerating everything in its path. Trees crumbled into charred remnants before my eyes, consumed by the relentless power of the magic. I quickly activated Guardian to shield us from the onslaught. The protective barrier endured the intense heat and the force of the shockwave without faltering.

Once the wave of destruction had passed, I glanced back at the epicenter of the explosion, where a colossal mushroom cloud now loomed overhead.

"What the heck...?"

The sheer power of that blast could've wiped out all the contestants in this game. As I ventured inside the cave, I stumbled upon... a person.

"Ahhhh!" Hertrude's scream echoed through the cavern as she too witnessed the scene. Horror painted across her widened eyes.

One of our supposed allies, who had been uncooperative from the start and remained holed up in the cave, had fallen victim to the explosion. And now, thanks to that catastrophic explosion, he'd met a grim fate. The scorching heat wave from the nuke-like blast had seeped into the cave, burning everything in its path.

Harold lay before us, his skin blackened and his body burnt to a crisp.

"He's dead..." I murmured to myself, the evidence of his demise painfully clear.

"Does that mean... that everyone else is dead, Leon?" Hertrude's voice quivered with fear.

"I'm not sure. The Princess and her knight might still be alive thanks to her protective skill. The Knight could be shielded by the Princess's barrier too. As for Shredica, she's been on the brink of death before, so maybe she's somehow managed to survive. I hope," I replied honestly.

Truth be told, I wasn't confident that Shredica had made it out of that devastating explosion unscathed, if she even made it out at all. If she did, I could only imagine the extent of her injuries, likely severe enough to eliminate her from the game. I couldn't help but feel concerned for her...

"Let's go find the Princess, Leon!" Hertrude urged, her voice trembling.

"Alright," I agreed.

Hertrude and I rushed to the location of the massive mushroom cloud of fire, only to be met with a scene of utter devastation. A colossal crater marked the epicenter of destruction, surrounded by the charred remains of what used to be a lush forest.

In the midst of the scorched wasteland stood a young man, flanked by two figures—Johanne and Princess Myrcella. Both of them were badly injured, kneeling on the ground. Despite the protection of her Holy Barrier, they hadn't been able to withstand the full force of the inferno.

Julius had a sister too, and she was trying to help him. But it seemed her efforts were in vain. Perhaps it was already too late to pull Julius back from the edge. Moriarty had inflicted such deep wounds that Julius seemed beyond repair. That man might just be the most formidable enemy I've ever faced. If I wasn't careful, I could end up being stabbed in the back without even realizing it.

I needed to start taking everything seriously from now on.

"Heh. You sure are full of yourself," Julius sneered. "From the look on your face, it seems you don't realize what's about to go down. Do you honestly think you'll make it out of this alive?" He hissed, a trail of drool escaping from the corner of his mouth. He appeared ready to go berserk.

With a sudden surge of mana, he gathered energy in his palm. The mana transformed into a swirling vortex of red, drawing in heat until it coalesced into a fiery ball.

"Die!" he spat, hurling the fireball at me.

Reacting swiftly, I dashed toward him, channeling mana to form a sword. As the fireball hurtled toward me, I swung my blade, cleaving the fiery projectile in half. The split halves continued on their trajectory, exploding in two separate areas as they passed me by.

"What?!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What the fuck did you just do?! How the hell is that even possible?!" he babbled, his expression akin to someone who had just seen a ghost.

Undeterred, Julius began to form another fireball in his palm, this one visibly more powerful than the last due to the sheer amount of mana gathered. discover-MVLeMpYr-novels

"There's no way you can survive this!" he declared as he hurled the fireball at me once again.

It was clear this was trouble. If I split this fireball and it exploded, it would endanger everyone in the vicinity. I couldn't take that risk. My only option was to absorb the mana from the fireball and make it vanish. Enveloping my hand with Guardian to protect myself from the flames, I dashed forward and caught the fireball in my bare hand. Then, I absorbed the mana until it disappeared completely.

"Huh?" Julius was utterly gobsmacked, his eyes widening in disbelief. It was only natural; I had just absorbed a powerful fireball, an act that defied all logic. Even Johanne stood nearby, his jaw hanging agape in shock as he beheld the impossible feat.

"You know," I began, my voice tinged with pity, "I can't help but feel sorry for you, Prince Julius. If circumstances had been different, perhaps we could have been friends. I regret that our first encounter had to unfold in this manner."

My words seemed to penetrate Julius's stunned demeanor, dawning comprehension slowly etching across his features. The realization dawned not only upon him but also upon Johanne, who gazed at me with newfound respect. They understood now that I wasn't just another insignificant figure. I was a force to be reckoned with, far beyond their initial assumptions.

"How dare you!" Julius's voice trembled with indignation, his eyes ablaze with fury. "I am a prince! I am Prince Julius Milham! You are supposed to bow before me, you insolent wretch! How dare you regard me with such disdain! You will pay dearly for your insolence!"

He then began conjuring another fireball, pouring every ounce of mana and energy into its formation. The fiery orb seemed to draw in the heat from the atmosphere and even the oxygen itself, swirling with such intensity that it took on a vibrant purple hue. This wasn't just any ordinary fireball; it had transformed into something akin to a plasma ball, crackling with volatile energy.

"I'll kill you!" he roared, hurling the blazing sphere at me with ferocious intent.

But just like before...

"Huh...? N-No way..."

I absorbed it.