Published at 9th of May 2026 6:57 am

Chapter 1721 Lands Beyond

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In the depths of the royal palace, King Maximilian's face turned visibly pale.

He lay seated cross-legged in an underground room, hand clasped together in a seal. All around him, the walls, the ground, and the ceiling were inscribed in densely packed runes.

The runes were complex and centered around an hourglass-shaped artifact that lay before him. This was the heart of the barrier that protected the city. The node chambers located at strategic points throughout the city acted as ancillary points that held the structural integrity of the barrier. But the one to truly fuel the barrier had always been Maximilian. Without him, the barrier would cease to function.

Now that three out of the four nodes had been destroyed, he was instantly overwhelmed. Now, he not only had to fuel the barrier, but also prevent it from collapsing.

Mana poured out of him in large quantities as he directed it into the artifact. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. His figure trembled, and blood spilled from the corner of his lips.

It was no easy task to single-handedly prevent the barrier from coming down. Given the vast size of the barrier, it was shocking that the old king had even managed to hold on for so long in the first place.

But he had to. For the safety of his loved ones, for the safety of his subjects, he had to persevere. If the final node chamber fell, it wouldn't be long before the entire barrier came crumbling down.

And then...

He didn't even dare to think what would happen then. He could not afford to fail.

Maximilian gritted his teeth and infused the artifact with an even greater volume of mana. Blood spurted out of his facial orifices, but he still held on. He had to.

No matter what. He wouldn't give in.

***

Above ground.

Blood had already spilled on the cobbled street.

The men following Marlow had thrown themselves at the orcs in a suicidal charge. They knew what was at stake here. If they fell, there was nothing stopping the orcs from destroying the final node chamber.

And once, the node chamber fell... so too would the city.

The Amberfall men fought desperately. For every grievous wound they took, they dealt an equally devastating injury to their enemies. One after another, the orcs fell to their deaths. But so did the Magi shortly after.

Until only Marlow and the Mana Vortex-level orc remained.

The prince brought down his flaming sword in a sweeping arc, his attack carrying the strength and desperation of a man who was ready to sacrifice his own life for the safety of his loved ones. But the orc deflected the blow with

ease.

Man and ore exchanged several blows.

However, no matter how fierce Marlow's attacks were, the orc simply continued to endure with a fiendish grin on its face.

Orcs were resilient to begin with. They might not have a natural inclination toward the arcane arts, but their bodies were sturdy and they carried great strength in their bones.

After exchanging several more attacks, Marlow rapidly retreated. He plunged his sword into the ground, then quickly weaved hand seals. Then he pointed his palm toward the menacing orc, and a stream of raging hot flames spewed forward.

The orc's eyes gleamed with delight. Instead of retreating, it rushed toward the flame. Just before the fiery stream touched its skin, the orc leaped off the

ground, its grip around the battle axe tightening.

With a surge of strength, the orc flung its weapon straight toward the human.

Alarm bells thundered in Marlow's mind as he saw the giant spinning axe enlarging in his vision. Left with no other choice, he quickly cancelled the spell and rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the attack.

Thud!

The battle axe embedded itself into the cobbled ground, exactly at the spot Marlow had just been. He didn't even have the time to breathe a sigh of relief when the ground shook before him.

A shadow loomed over the prince. He raised his head just in time to see a green fist surging toward him like a weapon of doom. Marlow quickly coated his arms with mana and guarded his face.

Bam!

The orc's fist struck Marlow with terrifying force. The prince was lifted off the ground and hurled toward the wall of the building behind. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he spat a mouthful of blood.

Before he even hit the ground, the orc was already upon him. The towering monster's hand shot forward and violently clasped Marlow's neck, pinning him to the wall.

Marlow's eyes turned bloodshot, and his face pale. His ruby eyes flashed with a cold light, and he covertly retrieved a dagger from his storage artifact. He gripped the dagger tightly, and his right hand turned into a shadowy blur. However, the orc simply grinned menacingly and easily caught Marlow's dagger-wielding hand with its free hand.

The orc's grin widened now that it had completely pinned the enemy. All it needed to do was snap the little human's neck.

But before it could do that, Marlow released his grip on the dagger. In one swift motion, he caught the dagger with his left hand and thrust it straight into the

orc's heart.

The orc's smile froze, and it released the grip on Marlow. It retreated a few steps in shock. It lowered its gaze and saw the dagger embedded deep into its chest, piercing straight through its heart. Soon, its knees buckled, and it

collapsed liflessly to the ground.

Marlow was on his knees, coughing violently as he tried to suck in air. The orcs were dead, and so were his men. But he had managed to protect the final node

chamber.

The feeling of victory did not last long. He heard the sound of footsteps rushing toward his location. He turned toward the source of the sound, desperately

hoping to see allies.

But all he saw was another group of orcs...

Marlow's lips curled into a bitter smile. He cralwed toward his sword artifact and gripped it with trembling hands. Then he stood back up, his feet swaying. He faced the new group of orcs, his eyes blazing with resolve. If it came to it, he was prepared to self-detonate and take them down with him.

But suddenly, something changed.

An overwhelming pressure descended on the city. Not only Marlow, but even the orcs rushing toward him stopped and turned to the sky.

There, a lone figure hovered just beyond the barrier, radiating the unmistakable aura of a Mana Core Magus. He wore tattered robes, and his face was hidden in a cowl. In one hand, he held a staff, and in the other... he gripped a lantern.

At the same time, on the battlefield beyond the northern wall, a new variable

arose.

Osbert, who was just getting ready to send in the orc army, suddenly sensed a shift in the atmosphere. The air felt heavy for some reason.

He turned eastward, his gaze landing on another lone figure standing on the far edge of the battlefield. First, his eyes narrowed. And then they widened. The newcomer was a towering hulk of a man, broad and imposing. He wore

sleeveless robes, his presence alone carrying a sense of strength and danger. The man took a step forward and reached for his collar. With an easy pull, he tore open his robe, his muscular upper body exposed as his voice thundered across the battlefield.

He spoke in a voice unfamiliar to the people of this land.

"I come from lands beyond your sight, to stand with you in this great fight;

"Where armies clash and heroes fall, my poison alone shall decide it all."

From the distant lands of the cast...

The Venom Dragon of the Tsuitsui Clan had arrived!!

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