Fire Mage-Chapter 672: Gathering of Magical Beasts

Chapter 672: Gathering of Magical Beasts

As they neared the camp, Nick, Heath, and the others wore expressions of confusion and worry. Charles’s sudden appearance and the heavy aura around him left them uneasy.

He landed gracefully at the camp’s center, and the group instinctively backed away, sensing his overwhelming presence.

Thera landed beside him, her tall figure casting long shadows, causing more suspicion.

"Sir Charles! Why did you release your wisdom power and provoke the magical beasts? If we don’t leave now, a swarm of them might come after us!" Nick said, tension cracking his voice. He glanced warily at Thera, mistaking her for a demon due to her imposing height.

"You don’t need to fear her," Charles said, turning to Nick. "Our goal is accomplished. Tell your commander the Fortress of Soul Graves is conquered. We’re returning to Baston Fortress."

"You conquered it? That fast?" Nick’s shock was clear.

He quickly collected himself, approached Charles, and handed over the Nebulous Dreamkeeper Pendant.

Charles accepted the pendant with a nod.

"You did well. You all should pack up and move out immediately."

"What about you, sir?" Nick asked, puzzled.

"I have one more task. But don’t worry. Tell Commander Erwin I’ll be leaving this layer soon as well."

Charles’s gaze swept toward the forest’s depths where countless enraged magical beasts surged toward the fortress from all sides.

Nick and Heath understood the danger and quickly gathered their group to retreat.

Watching their hurried departure, Thera asked,

"Won’t they be attacked by the beasts coming from the other side? Wouldn’t it be safer to hide until the beasts focus on the Evil God?"

"Nothing will change," Charles said with a mysterious grin. "Even if they survive now, most won’t make it much longer."

He handed Thera the pendant.

"Find somewhere safer. This pendant holds a friend of mine—be careful with it."

"Where are you going?" Thera asked, noticing his transformation into his fire elemental form. Her eyes widened with sudden realization.

"Be careful not to draw the Evil God’s attention when stealing the coffin."

"I will," Charles nodded. Enveloping himself in flickering reddish flames, he vanished, slipping into the Astral Plane.

He didn’t linger there—he returned swiftly to the Soul Graves Fortress.

As Charles stepped into the city, he froze, stunned by the breathtaking scene unfolding near the ruined walls.

More than a dozen humans exchanged confused glances, then cautiously resumed their stealthy exploration of the devastated city. Unaware, they had been trapped inside the Time Space Seal for countless years.

Ignoring their presence, Charles moved slowly toward the Temple of Death. He glanced upward and noticed only a vast, jagged spatial crack stretched across the sky.

So when I shattered the Time Space Seal, both Thera and the Evil God returned to their original forms, he thought deeply, choosing to keep his distance. After all, the Evil God could traverse the astral plane and might sense him.

Minutes dragged by until a piercing roar shattered the silence from above. A massive, seven-meter-tall magical beast with the head of an eagle soared in from the east. It landed at the ruined Temple’s entrance with powerful wingbeats, releasing another ear-splitting roar. Its lion’s body was cloaked in shimmering golden feathers, radiating an imposing presence.

"Griffin," Charles whispered, eyes narrowing. It was stronger than the mutated rainbow wolf beast he had fought earlier.

Suddenly, another magical beast crashed through the Temple’s ruins, smashing everything in its path. It stopped about a hundred meters from the Griffin—a serpent-bodied creature with the face of a young woman. Her eyes gleamed with a strange purplish hue, and her hair writhed like tiny snakes.

"Medusa?" Charles barely dared meet her gaze, quickly shifting his attention back to the sky.

One by one, more titanic beasts arrived: a twelve-meter-tall crimson dragon, a divine horse crowned with a radiant rainbow horn, a massive black panther, a nine-headed hydra, and a Minotaur with steel-like skin.

Each exuded terrifying power, far surpassing the mutated wolf. Yet surprisingly, none showed aggression toward the others. Instead, they silently fixed their gaze on the Temple’s Sanctum Sanctorum. Charles realized these were the true Kings of the Jungle, bound by a mutual understanding.

What startled him most was the Divine Unicorn’s gaze locking onto him, eyes filled with curious intelligence. After a long moment, it shifted its focus back to the Temple and let out a high, resonant neigh.

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

No—the sun itself was swallowed by a growing shadow.

Charles looked up, mouth falling open. Countless winged Griffins and dragons now circled the sky, blotting out the sunlight.

From all directions, magical beasts poured in, demolishing buildings and slaughtering anything in their path as they converged on the ruined town’s center.

Soon, thousands of legendary magical beasts assembled before the Temple’s entrance, standing behind the seven Kings of the Jungle.

It was a mythical spectacle to behold.

Suddenly, the ground trembled. A wave of wicked, malevolent energy burst from the Temple’s deepest depths, rippling outward like a dark tide.

In an instant, the wicked power surged through the entire fourth layer, alerting every creature.

Even the Devil Crow and the Lord of Chaos halted their battle, eyes turning toward the origin of the dark energy.

Though only a wave of malevolence, it sent shivers of fear through all who sensed it.

"Demon Lord?!" Panic flickered across Azgan’s face.

"Devil Crow," a chilling voice rumbled from the towering bone tree. "We will settle our score later. I know you made a deal with the Guardian of this layer to bring me down. But for now, set aside your grudges and join me against this higher being—with the Guardian’s aid."

"Humph," Devil Crow scoffed. "I don’t need your help or that damned elf’s. Watch and learn—I’ll handle this new trouble in minutes." With a mighty flap of its wings, it soared toward the source of the wicked wave.

Simultaneously, it cast the Sacred Oath spell, summoning demons, devils, humans, and other races to gather near Baston Fort.

Though puzzled by the incomplete response to its summons, Devil Crow ignored it and pressed forward.

"Tch, dumb bird. We’ll follow and see what this threat is!" The bone tree growled, lifting into the sky after Devil Crow.

Underground Basement, Mansion House, Baston Fortress

In the dark underground chamber, six black-robed mages stood around a crimson-glowing, reddish hexagonal magic circle inscribed on the floor.

Their hoods shadowed their faces, revealing only the eye tattoos etched on their arms and chests.

Around the circle’s edges rested six bluish crystals, pulsing with dense spatial energy, all drawn toward the circle’s center.

Outside the circle, Commander Erwin and another robed mage observed carefully.

Suddenly, a vibration buzzed in the ring on Erwin’s right hand. He frowned and muttered, "My curse ring is blocking the telepathic messages sent through the Sacred Oath. Has it already begun?"

Though unaware of the exact situation outside, he sensed the main battle was underway.

"That’s good," he said solemnly. "Proceed with the plan. Open the portal to the Guardian’s Sanctuary and start the invasion."

The six mages opened their mouths and began chanting in an unfamiliar language.

The spatial energy intensified, swirling toward the magic circle’s center as a small spatial crack formed and began to widen.

"Coordination to the Guardian’s Sanctuary is set," one mage announced, maintaining the magic array.

The crack expanded rapidly into a large bluish portal.

Erwin hesitated but then pulled a spear from his spatial ring. Aiming carefully, he hurled it through the portal.

The spear whistled through the void and vanished.

Moments later, a clang followed by a splash echoed from the other side. Erwin smiled grimly.

"Looks safe enough. Let’s go."

Without hesitation, Erwin and the six mages rose and shot forward, vanishing into the portal and leaving the chamber in eerie silence.

Core Room, Fourth Layer, Star Tombs Dungeon

A golden orb floated in the middle of a water pool, rippling gently with every movement.

Suddenly, a spatial crack opened above the orb and rapidly expanded.

A strange black spear shot from the portal, striking the golden orb with a loud clang.

The spear stabbed through the orb, then crashed onto the rocky floor.

A massive boulder tumbled into the pool with a heavy splash.

Silence settled.

Then, Erwin and the robed mages emerged from the portal, standing knee-deep in water.

But this was no ordinary pool—it sat inside an isolated cavern. Blue crystals sparkled from the ceiling, casting an eerie light over the rocky walls and sparse green plants edging the water.

Erwin frowned. "Where are we? Did the coordinates fail?"

One mage pulled back his hood and pointed toward the far side of the pool.

There, on a small island, stood a simple wooden house.

At the entrance, an elf appeared. Tall and lean, with long blonde hair, olive skin, and sharp amber eyes, he wore plain white clothes and held a wooden bow, his gaze sharp and wary.

He was the Guardian of the Fourth Layer.

"How did you enter here?" the elf demanded in his native tongue, nocking an arrow and aiming directly at Erwin.

Before he could draw the string, a sudden wave of wicked power swept the cavern, suffocating and oppressive.

A mighty bang echoed, shaking the entire cavern violently.

Rocks and glowing blue crystals fell into the pool one after another.

Silence fell once again.