Chapter 17: The Devil's Power, Flames from Hell!

Chapter 17: The Devil's Power, Flames from Hell!

Could it be that all our efforts have been in vain?

Under the watchful gaze of Buck, a shower of starfire soon rained down upon them all!

[Sacred Word - Shield]

After breaking free from the effects of the [Soul Shriek], Aaron immediately cast a protective divine spell.

A pure white shield materialized in the void, and the scattered starfire dots began corroding it, leaving behind small craters.

Is this the power a weakened magical residue possesses, even reducing its strength by a hundredfold?

If the giant fireball had hit him directly earlier, Aaron was sure he wouldn't have been able to stop it!

Just as he marveled, a series of shrill and agonizing screams echoed through the castle. Aaron turned to look, and he was left dumbfounded in place.

Compared to the priests who practiced divine magic, the guards had yet to recover from the shock of the [Soul Shriek], and tiny starfire dots were already sticking to their armor, shields, crossbows, and exposed limbs and faces.

The horror of white phosphorus fire was soon revealed in the next moment. The faint flames, upon contact with the material, rapidly spread. Leather shoulder pads and gloves were burned through with gaping holes. The yellowish-white flames, as if attracted to flesh and blood, directly penetrated the skin beneath.

"Ah!" A shieldbearer frantically beat at his chest, trying to extinguish the spreading white phosphorus flames. However, the result of his actions was that his arm also ignited, and in a matter of a few breaths, half of his body had turned into a torch...

His companions fared even worse. Tiny flames fell directly into the gaps in their armor. The thousand-degree heat caused them to scream in agony, and they forcibly tore off their armor, then thrust their hands into their bodies, only to pull out a bloody, flaming chunk of meat...

Flesh and corpses were the best nourishment for white phosphorus flames, and the fire quickly spread.

A burning sea of fire, billowing white smoke, and grotesque, terrifying soldiers; this scene was as if hell had descended to the mortal world...

"Devils, this must be the power of devils, flames from hell!"

Suddenly, a melodious hymn resounded within the castle, and an invisible power gradually enveloped the whole area, causing a light rain to fall even within the enclosed indoors.

This was the Third-Circle Divine Magic - [Song of Life]! The green raindrops contained an incredibly potent divine power, gradually suppressing the hellish flames.

The unrelenting and nearly all-consuming white phosphorus fire rapidly subsided, and Archbishop Anluke, dressed in a white and gilded robe, walked in at a leisurely pace.

"Your Grace!"

Aaron, who had escaped the starfire's coverage by luck, shouted excitedly, though his words concealed a hint of resentment and hatred.

The timing of Anluke's appearance was so clever that Aaron couldn't help but suspect that this Archbishop had been watching them all along.

Clearly, he and the elite guards of Nordan Land were nothing more than tools for testing the opponent's strength and trump cards!

Aaron's heart grew ice-cold halfway through, understanding that after this incident concluded, he, as the on-site commander, would undoubtedly face severe punishment.

Anluke paid no attention to Aaron, surveyed the ground strewn with casualties, and the guards whose wills had been completely shattered. Then, his pupils contracted. Because the flames that had been extinguished once were showing signs of reigniting immediately after the Divine Magic [Song of Life] had ended.

This was white phosphorus fire; as long as there was still oxygen in the air and something to burn, it would not stop!

"Do not linger, retreat!"

After Lynn's feigned Magic Missile attack failed, he made a choice without hesitation.

The giant fireball he had prepared, with a casting time exceeding five seconds, had consumed most of the white phosphorus he had created. The remaining amount was insufficient to defeat the Archbishop, who was now unleashing powerful divine magic.

Jonny and Dove also understood the terror of Anluke. Despite their deep sorrow for Barton's death, they knew that at this moment, the only chance for survival was to escape.

But Buck, who had lost his younger brother, had gone mad. He roared with anger, picking up a relatively intact guard's corpse from the ground as a shield and charged towards Anluke.

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