Vol 6. Chapter 149.1: You Should Have Proposed Sooner, Leon (NEW)

Just as Safina had predicted, the chaos at Saint Heath Academy was nothing more than a signal — a declaration of war from Atos against Samael.

Not long after the incident, spatial rifts connecting to the Void Realm began appearing all over Samael.

The Dragon Clan, the Human Empire, the Far North, the Devil’s Moon Forest...

Countless Void creatures and their minions poured forth from these rifts.

Weaker tribes with little combat strength had no choice but to abandon their territories and flee.

Yet even then, many still couldn’t escape the clutches of the Void.

The once peaceful continent of Samael quickly descended into chaos and fear once more.

To ensure the safety of its students, Saint Heath Academy had to deploy elite guards and several Leviathans to escort them back to their respective tribes.

After the academy entered a full state of alert, Principal Olette departed for Sky City to attend the Dragon Kings’ emergency meeting convened by the Tower Lord.

“How did this happen? Why has the Void’s seal suddenly weakened so drastically? Weren’t Poseidon «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» and the others close to finding the Five-Spirit Crown? Did something go wrong? Until now, we only heard about the Void Gate as a mere legend. I thought it was just... a rumor. But now it seems that the so-called ‘Gate’ actually refers to a power that separates Samael and the Void.”

“That’s right. Now that Void rifts are appearing all over the continent, and countless otherworldly enemies are pouring in, it’s clear that the power separating the two worlds is weakening rapidly.”

Odin glanced at Sowel the Snow Dragon King, who was sitting on one side of the conference table with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.

While the other Dragon Kings were fiercely debating the topic, Sowel remained completely unresponsive.

Odin, however, didn’t have much to say either.

“Leon and his wife haven’t returned yet?”

“No. The two of them joined Poseidon’s search party for the Five-Spirit Crown months ago. The only one who returned was Principal Olette.”

“Any news about them?”

Olette shook his head.

Seeing this, Odin turned to the Tower Lord beside him.

“They should still have the Teleportation Crystal you gave them. Try locating them and bring them here immediately. War is about to begin. Without Leon and Rosvisser, we won’t stand a chance against the enemy this time.”

The Tower Lord’s expression darkened, and he shook his head slightly.

“From the moment the Void Rifts started appearing, I tried using the crystal to locate them. But... there was no response. Before we lost contact, all I knew was that they were about to arrive at the Far North.”

Odin’s face grew even grimmer.

“If the Teleportation Crystal can’t pinpoint them and they’re in the Far North... then it’s clear the Void Realm was well-prepared for this.”

Leon narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the dozens of Void Rifts in front of him.

Thousands of grotesque creatures were pouring out of them like a black tide.

“Atos’s plan is to use the Energy Cores to buy time, allowing Carl to obtain the crown before us. He also used Carl to lure us to the Far North. Once Carl self-destructs and destroys the crown, even if we survive, we’ll still be trapped here and unable to get back in time to provide reinforcements.”

Leon pulled the now useless Teleportation Crystal from his pocket.

Still inactive.

He remembered the time during the Wind Spirit Core battle when Kaiser and the others used a crystal embedded with teleportation magic to escape after their hostage exchange.

“That means the Void Realm has also mastered some form of spatial teleportation magic.”

And given how Atos is targeting Leon, he must be doing everything he can to disable Leon’s Teleportation Crystal — either by using special suppression magic or some other method.

“But regardless, given the current dire situation, it’s clear Atos’s plan has worked.”

“Leon,” Rosvisser said, her Sacred Spear raised defensively in front of her. “Everyone’s strength and magic power haven’t recovered yet. We can’t hold out for much longer like this.”

She eyed the endless swarm of Void creatures charging at them.

“We need to find a way to get out of here quickly. If they can open rifts anywhere, then the Silver Dragon Sanctuary and the academy aren’t safe either. What if they—”

“I know, Rosvisser. I’m worried about the girls and the two elders too.”

Leon put away the deactivated Teleportation Crystal and gripped the Thundercloud Blade tightly, adjusting his stance.

“But the Primordial Dragon King, is there. I trust they can hold out until we get back. For now, stay focused. We need to deal with the enemies in front of us.”

His words were calm, but his tone was as tense as the air before a lightning strike.

Despite his attempt to reassure Rosvisser, his urgency was evident, mirroring the anxiety etched on her own face.

After all they had been through, no matter how many battles they fought, they could never set their children’s safety aside.

“Understood,” Rosvisser replied, taking a deep breath.

Across the snowy plains, the Void army had encircled them.

Within the swarm, there were humanoid soldiers, insectoid monsters, and countless bizarre creatures, each embodying the chaos and disorder of the Void.

Their combat style was equally chaotic, almost suicidal.

They charged without fear of death or injury, crashing forward wave after wave.

Leon could see it clearly — Atos’s strategy was simple but effective: overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

“Atos is trying to wear us down with a war of attrition,” Leon muttered.

“Lux! Watch out!!”

Poseidon’s voice echoed through the battlefield.

The next moment, a dragon’s anguished howl tore through the air.

The cry was gut-wrenching, filled with agony.

Leon snapped his head in the direction of the sound.

Just as Leon and the others turned to look, they saw Lux, the Dragon King, being swarmed by several gigantic Void creatures.

He stumbled and fell, his massive dragon form crashing into the swarm of insectoids.

Within moments, the monstrous creatures tore into him, gnawing and tearing his flesh apart.

His enormous wings drooped, and his anguished roars were swallowed up by the horde of insectoids.

“This isn’t just a simple swarm tactic,” Rosvisser said grimly. “These Void creatures are ridiculously powerful. Even just half of them are enough to take down a Dragon King.”

“Kaiser told me before,” Leon said, his voice tight. “The Void Realm’s combat power is extremely polarized — the strong are exceptionally strong, and the weak are incredibly weak.”

“Don’t underestimate these things.”

“That’s not all,” Poseidon added, his gaze fixed on the still-open Void Rift in the distance. “That rift over there hasn’t closed. That means they have an endless supply of reinforcements.”

“At this rate, we’ll either end up like Lux, devoured by those bugs, or be worn down until we drop dead. Prince, do you have a plan?”

Leon’s eyes swept over the Void creatures swarming toward them.

Poseidon was right.

Against a strategy like this, where high-level combat power was being deployed en masse, they would either be killed or exhausted to death.

But breaking through the encirclement wasn’t entirely impossible.

Leon lowered his gaze to the Thundercloud Blade in his hand. During the pursuit of Carl, everyone had already expended most of their strength and magic power.

Leon was no exception.

But he still had the Dragon Marks as a last resort.

The remaining power stored in the Dragon Marks might be just enough for him to use Dragon Extinction one last time.

But Leon didn’t dare to use it recklessly.

The last time he depleted all his magic power, he had passed out cold.

And in the current situation, if he were to collapse, they would be overwhelmed before they could even blink.

No, he couldn’t take that risk.

If he gambled and lost, they would all die here.

But then... what could he do?

“They’re coming again! Get ready!” Poseidon shouted.

Leon, Rosvisser, and the remaining Dragon Kings stood back-to-back, facing the surging tide of Void creatures.

From a distance, it was a desperate, tragic scene.

Anyone witnessing the vast disparity in numbers would immediately conclude that the outcome was already decided —

Leon and the Dragon Kings fought desperately, their blood staining the icy plains and the sky.

Limbs and bodies flew everywhere.

This was no battlefield — it was a gigantic meat grinder.

And the most despairing phase of the swarm tactic was finally upon them.

No matter how many they killed, more Void creatures would continue to surge forward. There was no end to them.

Rosvisser leaped away from a Void Armored Beast, but her strength was at its limit. She dropped to one knee, gasping heavily.

Leon rushed over and knelt beside her, gripping her shoulder.

“Can you still hold on, Rosvisser?”

Rosvisser tightened her grip on the Sacred Spear, her teeth clenched.

“Of course... of course, I can still hold on... I won’t go down before you do, Leon.”

Leon froze for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. “At a time like this, you’re still trying to act tough?”

The truth was, they both knew each other’s condition all too well.

Including Poseidon and the other Dragon Kings, none of them could last much longer.

They didn’t even have enough power to transform into their dragon forms and escape by air.

In half an hour, at most, the Void army would completely engulf them.

“Prince, Silver Dragon Queen... I know this isn’t the right time, but I have a request.”

Poseidon staggered over, his steps heavy. He was clearly injured.

“What is it, Senior?”

“Claudia and Charlotte...” Poseidon said, his voice hoarse. “I’ve been away all these years, always fighting, always running. I never got the chance to see them. So, if any of you make it out of here alive, please tell them something for me. Tell them that I love them and that I’m sorry... for not being a better father.”

Rosvisser and Leon both fell silent, their pupils trembling slightly.

Another father, burdened with guilt.

Leon wanted to say something encouraging, like, “You should tell them yourself,” but in the face of such overwhelming odds, even he couldn’t maintain a hopeful outlook.

Before he could respond, they heard another anguished shout from a distance.

“Lokiah! Lokiah, you bastard! Answer me! Don’t die!!”

...Damn it!!

Another Dragon King had fallen.

Another shadow of despair loomed over the battlefield.

Now, including Leon, Rosvisser, and Poseidon, only five of them remained.

Five utterly exhausted fighters against a huge army Void creatures...

How could they possibly win?

But before they could come up with a plan, the Void army surged forward again.

Leon and the others braced themselves, adjusting their stances, ready to fight to the death.

But they were already running on empty. They were no match for the relentless tide of enemies.

Leon and Rosvisser stood shoulder to shoulder, feeling each other’s body heat.

But then, Rosvisser’s tense expression suddenly softened.

She closed her eyes and let out a resigned, helpless laugh.

“You should have proposed to me sooner, Leon.”

Leon’s chest tightened.

“...Sorry. I wanted to wait for a more meaningful day...”

“What’s more meaningful? A birthday? An anniversary? Or... this moment of life and death?”

She said it half-jokingly, but the bitterness in her voice was unmistakable.

Leon silently repeated her words to himself.

A moment of life and death, huh...

Well, it was certainly... meaningful.

“In that case... Rosvisser.”

“Hm?”

The Void creatures surged around them, their shadows casting a pall over the battlefield. There was nowhere to run.

But they didn’t intend to run anymore.

If they could survive this final attack, then good.

If not, then... this was the end.

Leon gripped Rosvisser’s wrist with one hand, raising his blade in the other.

“Will you...”

“Leon...”

The roar of the monsters echoed in their ears as the tide of insectoids surged forward, swallowing them whole.

“...marry me...?”

But just as the swarm was about to engulf them, a piercing eagle’s cry echoed through the sky.

Six massive wings blotted out the sun, diving fearlessly into the heart of the monstrous tide.