Unlimited Power - The Arcane Path

"What are the chances of things going well if I help them?" Leon asked. "You know those demi-minotaurs, right?"

"Yes, as you can imagine, they are physically stronger than humans, and they also have enough to use buffs and increase their status even further," Ilyana explained. "Annihilating them in order to prevent other attacks is impossible, but if you find a way to restore your mana in the middle of the battle, I think you can stop them before humans suffer any casualties."

Leon didn't know if that was good or bad news. Although he got stronger in the previous months, he still was far from having enough power to stop an entire civilization.

"If you want to, I can send my elementals to give a hand," Ilyana explained. "I could also go, but that would make it more complicated for humans."

"Why?" Leon frowned.

"I'm not the only one who is hunting," Ilyana explained. "Some harvesters are hunting me too. I cast a spell on this world that prevents my presence from being noticed, but the same thing won't happen on that planet. In the end, my actions will make your friends become targets of even more harvesters."

"If you sent the elementals, won't be the same thing as revealing that?" Leon asked. "No, I learned that skill when I came to this planet. You are the only one who knows that I can create them."

That would be disastrous, but Leon didn't want to ask for Ilyana's help, anyway. He didn't even want to rely on her elementals. In the end, that was also an opportunity to make everyone change their ways. Although the humans of that hidden city lived a peaceful life, they would never have true peace unless they obtain the power to protect themselves even from harvesters.

In the end, Leon felt quite troubled. He wanted to make his family and friends recover their fighting spirit, but he didn't want to risk their lives. Saving them would only prevent his own feeling of loss... it wouldn't solve the problem.

"What is the demi-minotaurs goal?" Leon asked.

"They probably noticed that things would only get harder from now on, so they decided to fight another species that probably won't survive the next stage of assimilation," Ilyana explained. "All in all, they are hunting sentient races that had big numbers but aren't a real threat for them. They will use them to grow stronger and increase the chances of survival."

Although that was quite a selfish way to act since it would cause the doom of at least one-third of the human race, Leon couldn't complain. He decimated two alien races, after all.

"How many demi-minotaurs appeared on that planet?" Leon asked.

"I'm not sure... I just heard them, after all." Ilyana shrugged. "But they have around two hundred thousand soldiers... the people living that in that city equals four hundred thousand, but only fifty thousand of them can face a demi-minotaur and survive."

Leon sighed. The situation wasn't really good. Amanda, Maya, Hector, Sasha, Betty, and Sarah probably could kill a few dozens of those without running out of mana or stamina, but that wouldn't change things all that much. The demi-minotaurs were physically stronger and also lived as much as humans.

"I can see that you are anxious and thinking about many things," Ilyana said. "I can give you a few magic items and tomes that will help with that."

"Sorry, but I'm going to refuse," Leon shook his head. "I decided that I won't rely on external help again. Although you gave me information about the spirits, that only saved me some time."

"Are you sure?" Ilyana frowned. "Your decision might cause the death of many, and even the death of those dear to you."

"I will do my best in order to avoid that, but even it happens, it will only prove that was my limit and that they chose the wrong path at some point," Leon said. "Anyway, I'm going. I will return as soon as I can."

There wasn't a purple crystal that would lead to the hippogryph's world, so Leon had to return to Earth. Although time passed ten times slowly on that planet, Leon didn't waste time buying potions or collecting blue angel leaves. He headed toward Earth, and once he arrived, he summoned Sylph.

"Sylph!" Leon said.

"You got it," Sylph said and then enveloped Leon in the wind and then made him fly toward the hippogryph's dungeon while Leon was using Zen to recover his mana.

However, after just a few minutes, Leon ran out of mana and was forced to run and drain monsters' mana on the land. It took Leon a few hours to arrive in the world where his family and part of his friends were. Fortunately, he arrived on time and didn't see the demi-minotaurs in the distance.

"They are a sentient race... so they won't attack without strategy like usual monsters attack. I guess I have a few hours. It shouldn't be enough for Hector and Amanda to prepare their forces, but it is better than nothing."

Once again, Leon killed the hippogryphs in the region, and then he dug a hole until he found the glass that protected the city, and once Leon used Transfer, he found the people moving around nervously.

"I guess they also noticed the enemies' approach. Although they lost their fighting spirit, they didn't become stupid or lax regarding the security of their city."

Since they were already aware of the demi-minotaurs arrival and were preparing for it, Leon decided to spend the time before the battle buying mana potions. In the end, it was better for him to do his own things when necessary instead of helping the survivors of that place and don't let them suffer the result of their actions.