Solar Flame Explosion, an eighth-circle spell, from the School of Evocation.
Element: Light, Element: Fire, with powerful explosive force.
Archbishop Telamo was startled but remained calm. He spread his arms wide, pushing forward and upward while continuously praying:
"My Lord, I praise You, You are almighty, You are all-encompassing... We are under Your protection, safe from all dangers..."
Solar Flame Explosion is a pure mage technique. The person who cast it must be at least a 15th-level grand mage, or even higher. But no matter what, as an 18th-level Golden Robe Archbishop, he was not afraid of this spell:
Fire attacks can be isolated if the barrier is strong enough; light attacks? Would the servant of the Radiant Lord fear any light-based attack?
The Six-Winged Angel raised the Light Sword, slashing at the fireball. In his left hand, a radiant shield appeared, expanding and deforming to shield everyone around him—from himself to the bishops and even Deputy Governor Alfonso, they were all securely protected.
"Boom!"
The fireball exploded above their heads.
Unprecedented pressure poured down, and the light shield wobbled but held steady.
Archbishop Telamo sighed in relief and was about to continue praying when he felt his eyes and hands, all exposed skin, burning painfully. He looked down to see blisters forming on the back of his hand...
He moved his fingers slightly, and a white light swept over, causing the blisters to disappear quietly. Clenching and unclenching his fist, he still felt a burning sensation within. However, others did not have his strong healing abilities, and cries of pain echoed around him:
"It hurts!"
"It hurts so much..."
"Hiss..."
"My eyes, my eyes—"
The collective prayer-supported light shield began to disintegrate after this single attack. Archbishop Telamo looked up sharply; the shield's edges were dotted with stars, and a large portion had already drifted away.
Below, people were screaming, collapsing to their knees, or rolling on the ground...
Something is wrong!
There is something different in this Solar Flame Explosion, it’s not just a standard spell!
Who is the person who cast it—
His thoughts raced, recalling the experts on the church's wanted list, going through each one below the legendary level, while he continued to pray. If he couldn't withstand the attack, there was no need to worry about the others; just prevent the next wave of attacks!
The Eagle God was still watching from above!
"Senior Brother, what did you add to this Solar Flame Explosion?"
Garrett peeked from behind Archmage Byerbo, curious. This time, his senior brother had specifically brought him along, saying it was for him to "gain some experience." Of course, gaining experience came with conditions; he had to write a thesis afterward...
"Hehe, you discovered ultraviolet light before, so I thought to add it to the Solar Flame Explosion." Archmage Byerbo smiled proudly, brushing off the sunstone powder on his hand and pulling out a new gem:
"Later, when Cirilla was helping at the Star Dome, she discovered new rays, didn't she? Thanks to Cirilla—" he nodded to the silver dragon girl behind Garrett:
"I added these rays one by one into the Solar Flame Explosion, strengthening and amplifying it. The new spell I created consumes no additional energy but has significantly increased damage and is very stealthy! The Radiant Church's light shields can't block my new rays..."
This is the power of technology. Garrett smiled along, knowing that his senior brother had added something like super-concentrated ultraviolet rays, possibly gamma rays, or even more troublesome rays?
In short, they were all invisible and intangible. The Radiant Church's spells to defend against them would either require an in-depth understanding of the various kinds of "light" and the development of corresponding spells or sheer luck.
"So, Senior Brother, are you going down?"
"What's the hurry?" Archmage Byerbo raised his chin, pointing to the formation below:
"I said I'd break their defense; the killing relies on the Eagle God. Do you really expect me to work for free?"
As they spoke, a mass of golden light exploded within the light shield. Through the cracks torn open by the Solar Flame Explosion, dots of golden feathers drifted into the shield, shooting in all directions.
Some transformed into small golden eagles, clawing and pecking at people's faces, causing blood to flow;
Some elongated and transformed into blades, cutting across necks and arms, spraying blood fountains;
Some failed to penetrate the defense, exploding with a bang, sending thousands of golden thorns in all directions...
"The attack power is still a bit weak." Archmage Byerbo murmured:
"Those golden feathers are nice, though. I'll pluck a handful next time. I have a feeling that using these golden feathers to release Solar Flame Explosion would be stronger than using sunstones..."
Garrett looked at him helplessly. The sunstone in Archmage Byerbo's hand was orange-red, with specks of golden light inside, looking like a piece of condensed sunlight.
From a magical perspective, using such gems as spell materials involves extracting the concept of "sunlight" from the gems and amplifying and releasing it. The Eagle God's power, currently leaning towards solar properties, could indeed be harnessed.
But... if that's the case, why not just use lasers... The destructive power of lasers is much stronger than sunlight... Speaking of which, how are ruby laser generators made?
How could he make it so his senior brother understood the concept of "laser" and used rubies to create lasers?
Lost in thought, Archmage Byerbo pointed downward, sending another Solar Flame Explosion.
This time, the damage was even greater. The Six-Winged Angel dived, spread its wings, and enveloped the grand mage. With a loud bang, the six white wings turned ragged, floating upwards in shreds.
"Ah, the sunstones from the Eagle Nation are of much better quality than those from the council's stock." Archmage Byerbo commented joyfully:
"Is it because they're located on the plateau and absorb more sunlight, or because they're under the divine power of the Eagle God? This needs more research... But they can be designated as a procurement material, and they will sell well!"
With the Six-Winged Angel heavily wounded, the Eagle God had no more reservations, letting out a long cry and descending. Despite its enormous size, it moved like a streak of light, reaching Archbishop Telamo in the blink of an eye—
Two high-ranking knights drew their swords simultaneously. A white light and a golden light crossed in an X to block the attack. The invisible golden light clashed with the flame-wrapped long swords, producing a loud explosion. Both knights fell back, their knees deeply embedded in the ground.
"Hmph, obviously only 15th level." High on the cliff, Archmage Byerbo scoffed:
"No prayer, no preparation, rushing into battle, and still dare to challenge a deity? Look, they're done for."
Indeed, they were done for. In such awkward positions, the tibias and fibulas might have suffered comminuted fractures, and the knees could be wrecked. As for the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, whether they had suffered compression fractures, the speed of the explosion was too fast for Garrett to see clearly...
Fortunately, the knights' attack effectively stalled the Eagle God. During this pause, Archbishop Telamo prayed briefly, and a white light enveloped him and his personal guards, lifting them off the ground.
The two consecutive Solar Flame Explosions had been cast in a very short interval with ease. The caster must be above 15th level, very likely 17th level or higher!
A high-level mage of 17th level or above appearing here indicated a major flaw in their plan. The combined attack from the Magic Council and the Eagle Nation was too much to handle—they had to escape!
Flee quickly!
Forget the knights, forget the soldiers, and definitely forget the pirates! The priority now was to save their lives; escaping the battlefield would be a victory!
Escape to the coast, board the ships, and return to the Storm Islands...
"Oh, they're escaping." Archmage Byerbo clicked his tongue, stepping into the air. Without visibly casting a spell, he moved at an extraordinary speed. Garrett hurriedly activated Dragon Flight, chasing closely behind.
After a frantic chase, they landed on a mountaintop ahead of the archbishop. Archmage Byerbo looked down, raised his hand, and made a pressing motion.
A semi-transparent force field hand flew out from his palm, slamming down on the archbishop and his group—
"Bang!"
Dust and smoke rose. Garrett reflexively closed his eyes:
This is too brutal, like swatting flies. A single slap and a whole group was flattened...
The subsequent battle was almost uneventful. The Eagle God personally led the charge, accompanied by six Golden Eagle Warriors and dozens of White Eagle Warriors, surrounding and attacking the archbishop.
Amidst screams, the archbishop's guards, bishops, and attendants were quickly driven out of the group by wings or claws. Then, the Golden Eagle Warriors and White Eagle Warriors swarmed them, taking on several opponents at once...
"Hey, what about the leader? That leader can't escape either!"
Garrett watched until the Eagle God pinned Archbishop Telamo to the ground, ripping off an arm, and turned back—this side was already secure. He stood on tiptoe, using an enhanced Eagle Eye spell to scan the battlefield:
Where's the other one?
Where's the leader of this group?
Earlier beside the archbishop, there seemed to be a nobleman in a deep red cloak who looked like the leader—where did he go?
Deputy Governor Alfonso
fled desperately under the protection of his guards, cursing Archbishop Telamo furiously:
Running without me!
Running without me!
Serves you right for being caught, flying in the sky with such a big group, what perfect targets! And the enemy is a flying deity, have you ever seen an eagle in the sky with bad eyesight, unable to spot prey?
"Over there! Over there!"
Hoofbeats clattered, and shouts filled the valley: "The one being protected by a group! Must be someone important! Catch him!"
Damn it! Not the local language! How many people did the Magic Council send—how did they find this godforsaken place—
Deputy Governor Alfonso gave quick orders to his guards, who immediately split into three groups and fled in different directions. Luckily, this valley had several passages... Let’s see you chase us now!
He felt the pursuers thinning out, wiped his sweat, but then the earlier shouts rang out again:
"The one in the red cloak! Chase him!"
Deputy Governor Alfonso hurriedly tried to untie the cloak's strings. The first attempt failed, the second attempt also failed... In frustration, he drew his sword and slashed—
The horse jolted, nearly causing him to cut his own shoulder.
The red cloak fell to the ground, quickly trampled beyond recognition. However, soon the shouts from above changed again:
"Catch the one in full steel armor!"
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