nownovels Chapter 257 Power Above Titans
Chapter 257 Power Above Titans
Chapter 257 Power Above Titans
Li Ang looked at the remaining scepter on the ground and took a deep breath.
"Then let's begin."
He reached out and picked up the eighth Divine Scepter. Inside the stone chamber, only the subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy flowed. Outside the door, five bear-man warriors stood like the most loyal guards, protecting this silence and the new hope that was about to arrive in the Lost Nest.
Li Ang put down the fiftieth scepter he had just completed binding, then let out a soft breath and said in a deep voice to the door, "Next batch."
The door was pushed open, and two bear-man guards carefully carried in fifty brand-new spear-shaped divine scepters, which were neatly stacked in a corner of the stone chamber.
The other guard carefully gathered the fifty unlocked scepters on the ground, put them into a wooden box, and carried them out on his shoulder.
The door was closed again, and silence returned to the stone chamber. Li Ang picked up a scepter and bound it, and the work continued in this cyclical manner.
Time slipped away quietly in this monotonous yet crucial task; the bear-man guards would enter and exit according to instructions every so often—
:
In one trip, the bound scepter is transported away, and then a new scepter is moved in.
Li Ang could occasionally overhear the bear-man guards outside changing shifts, their voices hushed as they spoke: "—The Rockclaw Nest to the east was discovered by the elves the day before yesterday, and I heard it's mostly destroyed."
The Shadow Nest in the west wasn't spared either—though most of the tribe was rescued and has now moved to the main nest.
"That long-eared search party is getting closer and closer. Yesterday, our patrol team discovered traces of elf activity near the third fork in the road—at this rate, this place will be exposed in ten days to two weeks at most."
"What are you afraid of? We're not unarmed anymore. This morning I saw the Third Squad of the Self-Defense Force go out for training with the scepter that Lord Li Ang had treated, and a lightning bolt pierced through the training stone target!"
"Yes, according to Lieutenant Sherry, we've already equipped a team of six hundred! Although it's still not as many as the elves, we're familiar with the terrain and have these treasures—we don't need to be afraid of those long-eared elves at all. And I heard that yesterday a group of clueless elf search parties sneaked into the middle passage and were ambushed by us. None of the thirteen long-eared elves escaped!"
"real?"
"Of course it's true! My cousin was in that team. He said those long-eared guys were completely stunned. They probably never dreamed we could pull off a miracle!"
The bears' tone gradually shifted from initial worry to excitement and confidence. Li Ang listened silently, his hands continuing their binding motions without pause.
It seems the situation outside is changing rapidly. August is acting very efficiently, having already equipped the first batch of unlocked scepters to elite troops, and they have begun to see results in actual combat.
That's good. Armed orcs can not only better protect themselves, but also buy Leon more time.
In Avalon, deep within the divine court, in the private meditation chamber of the Elf King Phoenix Starseeker.
Phoenix sat upright in a chair carved from the trunk of a tree of life, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were dozing off.
The golden trident in his hand leaned against the side, its light subdued, yet it still exuded a chilling aura.
"His Majesty!"
A hurried announcement, tinged with barely concealed panic, shattered the silence in the room. An elven officer in golden armor rushed in, his face as pale as paper, without even having time to salute.
Phoenix slowly opened his eyes, a hint of displeasure at being disturbed flashing in his aged yet still sharp eyes.
"Garros, what's the matter that you're so alarmed?" His voice was calm, carrying the authority of someone long accustomed to a high position.
"Your Majesty!" The officer named Garros's voice trembled as he knelt on one knee and said, his voice shaking, "It's—the search party has reported back that the stolen scepters have been found! They weren't embezzled by the nobles, but stolen by the orcs!"
Phoenix frowned slightly: "Orcs? It's them? What use would they have for those divine scepters?"
Upon hearing this, Garros continued, his voice trembling, "—The orcs, using some unknown method, can now also wield the Divine Might Scepter. According to a member of the search party who escaped, the orcs were wielding our standard Divine Might Scepter and activated the 'Lightning Arrow' and 'Fireball' spells within it. Our squad was caught completely off guard; thirteen out of fourteen were killed, and only one member, seriously wounded, fell into the water and fell unconscious. After waking up, he risked his life to bring back this news."
"They're using the Divine Scepter?" Phoenix repeated in a low voice, his voice showing a noticeable fluctuation for the first time—an extreme mix of doubt and fear.
After all, the secret of the Divine Scepter's lock lies in its deepest dual lock on bloodline and spirit.
That technology originated from the theft of Titan power and was developed from it. Its locking mechanism is not a simple magical code, but rather an ability that incorporates the level of rules.
Only those elven bloodlines imbued with the power of the Titans can activate the spell pattern inscribed within the scepter and draw upon the magic stored within.
But now, this "truth" has been shattered.
Moreover, it was broken by the lowly orcs he regarded as beasts, servants, and playthings; how could he not be terrified?
"Breaking through—the bloodline lock?" Phoenix muttered to himself, his voice terrifyingly low.
His thoughts raced. To achieve this, only power surpassing that of a Titan could fundamentally overwrite or bypass the imprint of the rules.
He instantly remembered that the human who had transformed into a silver giant before had indeed been surging with Titan's Grace power, which was beyond conventional understanding.
Could it be that he not only possesses a gift, but also wields some kind of authority that transcends that of the Titans?
"That human—." Phoenix uttered these words slowly, each syllable seemingly enveloped in ice.
"August—my good son, the ally you've found—has truly given us a wonderful surprise!"
After the initial shock came a rapidly igniting fury and an unprecedented sense of crisis. The breaking of the technological monopoly meant a fatal crack had appeared in the elves' absolute rule over Avalon. Once the orcs were equipped with and proficient in using the Divine Scepter, the rats underground would no longer be insignificant creatures, but a real threat to the very foundation of the kingdom.
The cause of all this was actually his own son. He thought that August was just playing house with a bunch of abandoned animals and wouldn't cause any trouble, but he never expected that he would actually grow up to the point of threatening him and the kingdom.
"Pass on my orders!" Phoenix suddenly stood up, slamming his scepter heavily onto the ground with a dull thud that seemed to shake the entire meditation room.