BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Jerome’s magic continued to pierce through the suppressive mana field dominating the battlefield, but his brows furrowed deeply. ‘This isn’t as easy as I thought.’ The resistance from the enemy mages was stronger than expected. A significant number of them were squeezing every ounce of mana they had to maintain the suppression. While Jerome’s overwhelming power shattered their efforts, the limitations on his magic were clear. The reduced attack range and weakened impact couldn’t be ignored. To make matters worse, the enemy numbers were staggering. Despite his initial barrage, many rebels had already scaled the fortress walls. "Hold them back!" "Climb over, quickly!" "Knights, create a path!" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Enemy knights swiftly leaped onto the walls, clashing with the defenders. The battle quickly devolved into chaos, with screams echoing and bodies piling up on all sides. Jerome extended his arms outward. “Haaaa!” As he exhaled deeply, an extraordinary event unfolded. WHOOOOOSH! “What? What’s happening?!” The enemy soldiers scaling the walls and clinging to the fortress were suddenly flung backward, as if an invisible force had swept them away. It was as if a giant hand had shaken the walls, dislodging the attackers like insects from a tree. “AAAAAHHHH! What is this?!” Cries of terror filled the air as the rebels flailed helplessly, crashing to the ground below and suffering «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» severe injuries. “What the...?” “Is that magic?” “Can that even be real?” Both the attackers and defenders were stunned into a temporary ceasefire, staring in disbelief at the sight. Only those who had been on the walls were affected, making the phenomenon all the more bizarre. Even the fortress mages momentarily faltered, their concentration on maintaining the mana field wavering. Yet, for the defenders who had witnessed the miracle, confidence began to surge. With a mage like Jerome on their side, victory seemed possible. But Jerome didn’t share their optimism. ‘Ugh, this is exhausting.’ He internally lamented his predicament. The defenders were so outnumbered that it felt like he was singlehandedly battling 200,000 enemies. Frankly, the allied forces weren’t much help. If anything, they were a hindrance. Despite the relentless enemy onslaught, Jerome’s spells continued to wreak havoc. Firestorms and cyclones erupted across the battlefield. The mana suppression field limited his spells to the level of a 6th-circle mage, but even that was enough to decimate swathes of unprepared enemies. However, the sheer number of attackers was overwhelming. Soon, more rebels began scaling the fortress walls. ‘This is getting out of hand.’ Jerome could feel his mana reserves dwindling. Protecting the fortress and fighting simultaneously was taking its toll. The balance of the battle shifted when two priests of the Salvation Order entered the fray. WHOOOOOSH! Dark energy rained from above, a torrent of destructive force unleashed with no restraint. The priests aimed to cause maximum damage from the start. “Damn it!” Thousands of tendrils of dark energy descended upon the fortress. The allied mages were already occupied maintaining the mana barrier and lacked the skill to counter such an attack. Jerome was forced to withdraw his offensive spells to create a massive shield. CRASH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The dark energy struck Jerome’s shield and dissipated. Despite the mana limitations, Jerome successfully blocked the priests’ coordinated assault. The two priests exchanged looks of disbelief. “What is he?” “A mage unaffected by the mana suppression field?” In truth, Jerome wasn’t immune to the suppression. He was simply powerful enough to brute-force his way through it—a feat incomprehensible to the priests. Although many of the rebel mages were of middling skill, even a 7th-circle mage wouldn’t have been able to fight like Jerome. Before the priests could regroup, Jerome extended a hand. “Ice Spear.” CRACKLE! Moisture in the air rapidly crystallized, forming two massive spears of ice. Without hesitation, the spears shot forward like lightning toward the priests, who barely had time to react. BOOM! “Urgh!” The priests managed to block the attack by channeling their own energy. They had no choice but to defend first, abandoning any thought of an immediate counterattack. When they regained their composure, Jerome was nowhere to be seen. “Wha—?!” “Where did he—?” Sensing danger, they turned just in time to see Jerome behind them. SLASH! A massive blade of condensed mana swept through the air, decapitating both priests in a single, clean strike. They collapsed without a sound. Jerome’s expression remained grim. The Salvation Order’s so-called "transcendents" were widely known to be flawed creations. Exploiting those flaws, Jerome had dispatched them with relative ease. His mastery, honed over countless years in the disjointed mental plane, far outstripped theirs. But even flawed transcendents were formidable. Defeating them had consumed a significant amount of mana. ‘Only half of my mana remains.’ Jerome bit his lip as he glanced back at the fortress. ‘There are too many.’ While he had been occupied with the priests, more rebels had swarmed the walls like ants. The ongoing skirmishes were taking a heavy toll on the defenders. “Haaaa!” Jerome unleashed another wave of mana, sweeping enemy soldiers off the fortress walls. He followed up by creating massive pits in the ground outside the fortress, trapping advancing enemies. Even as he fought, Jerome couldn’t understand the enemy’s tactics. ‘Why...?’ Any competent commander would have pulled back by now. Regrouping and devising a more efficient strategy would have been the logical course of action. With Jerome on the battlefield, reckless charges would only result in catastrophic losses, even if they eventually captured the fortress. But the enemy showed no signs of retreat. They continued to charge, driven by fear and desperation. ‘Their commander must be insane.’ It was clear that the person leading this assault cared nothing for strategy or glory. They were either grossly incompetent or utterly deranged. The rebels roared, trying to suppress their fear as they charged with unrelenting fervor. Their madness only served to escalate the casualties on both sides. Jerome made a decision. To minimize further losses, he would take a gamble. ‘I’ll kill the commander.’ Leaving the defenders to fend for themselves, Jerome slowly floated into the air. ZIIIIING— A golden magic circle appeared in his eyes as his field of vision expanded. It was as if he were looking through a telescope, allowing him to survey the enemy lines in detail. Deep within the rebel formation, someone sat leisurely, resting their chin on one hand. The figure was cloaked in a tattered gray robe, their face obscured by shifting shadows. Surrounded by guards, it was clear this was the mastermind behind the madness. The figure raised their head, meeting Jerome’s gaze. Jerome’s lips curled into a smirk. ‘He sensed my mana?’ This commander wasn’t just insane—they were also remarkably skilled. “Fine, let’s do this.” Jerome locked onto the coordinates and activated a teleportation spell. The mana cost would be steep, but he had no choice. The space behind him warped, pulling him in. WHOOOSH! In an instant, Jerome appeared directly in front of Helgenique, crossing an impossible distance. The sudden arrival created a shockwave that obliterated nearby aides. They didn’t even have time to scream. But Helgenique had already evaded, retreating to a safe distance. “Well, well... To think you’d be this capable. Fascinating. Which mage tower do you hail from?” Helgenique asked, his voice laced with amusement. Jerome’s teleportation was unlike the short-distance blinks used by most mages. His spell, which combined a wide-area vision technique with spatial magic, was a lost art known only in legends. It rivaled the spells of ancient dragons. Jerome didn’t bother responding. With his mana running low, he needed to act quickly. BOOM! A condensed energy bolt shot toward Helgenique, who deflected it with a shield. At the same time, dozens of dark portals opened around him. From the portals emerged black-armored knights on shadowy steeds, their forms radiating malice. “Death Knights?” Jerome’s eyes widened as the Death Knights charged at him, swords raised. BOOM! Jerome retaliated, unleashing a surge of mana that tore through the Death Knights and their phantom steeds. But... CRACKLE! With a single wave of his hand, Helgenique restored the mangled Death Knights to their full strength in an instant. “Tch. This guy’s tougher than I thought,” Jerome muttered, a wry smile playing on his lips. Each Death Knight possessed the strength of a high-ranking knight. Even with wide-area magic, they wouldn’t be easily eliminated. And even if he did destroy them, it was obvious that the necromancer would just bring them back again. Helgenique wasn’t just any ordinary transcendent. Even fighting with all his strength, Jerome estimated it would take a significant amount of time to defeat him. But Jerome didn’t have the luxury of time. His mana reserves were already heavily depleted, leaving him without the means to deliver a decisive blow. He sighed inwardly, knowing that Helgenique wouldn’t engage in a straightforward fight. A necromancer of his caliber would never be that reckless. GRRRROOAAAARRR! The shredded corpses scattered across the battlefield began to reassemble grotesquely, forming a shambling army of undead. “Kill them all!” Helgenique commanded. Reinforcements from the rear—knights and soldiers alike—surged forward, joining the wave of undead. Even Jerome couldn’t handle this alone. ‘This is a failure.’ Killing the enemy commander here was impossible. But he had learned something important: Helgenique didn’t care about his troops. Whether they lived or died was irrelevant. Every fallen soldier was simply reborn as part of his immortal army. While no human could reanimate an entire army of 200,000 corpses, the fact that Helgenique was even attempting it meant he had some kind of plan. ‘He’s prepared for something bigger.’ This necromancer was one of the most troublesome types to face in war. Jerome glanced at Helgenique before retreating. “What’s your name?” “Helgenique. And yours?” “Jerome. We’ll meet again. As annoying as this is, you’re someone I’ll have to kill.” “I’ll look forward to it.” Both men knew they couldn’t finish each other here. Neither pressed further, understanding the futility of pushing beyond their limits. In Ghislain’s original timeline, it had been Parniel who stopped Helgenique. But with Ghislain’s interference altering the future, Jerome had encountered the necromancer earlier than fate intended. WHOOSH! Jerome’s body was swallowed by the void as he teleported away. Helgenique chuckled as he watched the space warp and swallow his foe. “The world is full of fascinating people.” Jerome shared the sentiment. Meeting such a formidable foe so soon after stepping into the outside world was unexpected. But unlike Helgenique, Jerome’s thoughts weren’t tinged with amusement. He was here to save people, not to revel in death. That was the fundamental difference between the two. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! By the time Jerome returned, the fortress was already engulfed in chaos. He quickly sought out the fortress commander. “Retreat,” he said, his tone firm. “What? What are you talking about? We must hold this position!” the commander protested. “You can’t hold it. There’s a madman on their side, and we won’t last even half a day.” “But if you help us like before, we could hold out for days—or even win!” Jerome cut him off, pointing outside the fortress walls. GRRRROOOAAARRR! The corpses of fallen rebels were rising again, stumbling to their feet. Even those who had died atop the fortress walls were now clawing their way back to life. Terrified voices echoed across the walls. “The dead are rising!” “Black magic! It’s black magic!” “They’re coming back to life!” GRRRROOOAAARRR! With Helgenique now fully unleashing his power, the tide of undead swarmed the living defenders. Soldiers panicked as they fought not just the living, but now the unkillable dead. The fortress commander, pale-faced, listened as Jerome spoke again. “You have to flee. This force isn’t enough to hold them back. You’ll need a much larger army, along with priests, to stand a chance.” “But we must buy time for the kingdom’s forces to gather near the capital!” the commander insisted. Jerome shook his head. “It’s meaningless! Better to retreat now and ensure that even one soldier makes it back to the main army.” The commander remained frozen, his mind unable to process the chaos. He wasn’t just hesitant—he was paralyzed by the sheer absurdity of the situation. Jerome’s voice rose sharply. “Move! I’ll hold them off as long as I can, but you need to get out of here now!” At last, the commander nodded, his face stiff with dread. BOOOOOO! The retreat horn blared, and the soldiers began withdrawing from the fortress in a hurried, chaotic manner. GRRRROOOAAARRR! The undead surged, spreading out in all directions, relentless in their pursuit of the living. Jerome, now alone, let out a deep sigh. “I should’ve stayed home. The world outside is a dangerous place.” He couldn’t help but reminisce about the peaceful days spent lounging in his tower, eating good food and reading interesting books. Those days now seemed like a distant dream. But there was no use dwelling on it. With great power came great responsibility. That was the lesson he had been raised to follow. “Well, I’m going to run too, but not before having a little more fun.” Jerome’s eyes glowed with golden light as he gritted his teeth. BOOOOOOM! An overwhelming surge of mana exploded from Jerome’s body, sweeping across the battlefield like a tidal wave. The undead army trembled under the sheer force of his power, their grotesque forms disintegrating in the radiant blast. The battle wasn’t over yet—but Jerome was determined to make sure that every moment he spent delaying the enemy would count.