Every Mage Has a Melee Dream

As a trusted confidant of Charlton II, Hawkins knew the emperor had long sought to crush their sworn enemy, the Kingdom of Norsgul. If the true master of the Church before them were to die in Saint Callen, the hostile nation would lose even half its remaining threat! The emperor could finally realize his ambition—to unleash the imperial army across the continent, waging a war to end all wars!!

Meanwhile, Luo Wei stepped forward, gazing at the bewildered Eleya.

"I... I can barely sense the faith of my followers anymore. Their voices are fading..."

"How fascinating!" Tilis looked up at the sky, attempting to perceive the so-called "anti-magic field."

"It’s just as Luo Wei described. The mana in this domain is thinning, diluting. The fundamental laws of the world are subtly shifting, until it’ll be as though magic never existed. Absolutely thrilling..."

She strained to gather mana, trying to send one final command through magical communication. "Elder Margaret, Elder Rones, the time has come. Take your positions."

"Oh, and remember to record the mana density and related data. This ability could establish an entirely new school of study in the Arcane Society. We’ll have to analyze it thoroughly later..."

As the fragmented magical transmission ended, the voices of the elders abruptly cut off.

Eleya stared at Tilis, surprised. As a mage, she showed no distress over the disappearance of magic—instead, she calmly pulled out an ancient staff she’d carried all along.

The staff looked heavy, its top adorned with a gnarled wooden knob and jagged spikes. A blow to the face from this would surely be gruesome...

Tilis clenched a mana crystal in her left hand while hefting the staff with her right. The crystal flared to life as she swung with brutal force toward Hawkins’ head.

"Come on! Even without magic, I’m not afraid of you!"

"Hmph! We’re on equal footing now. You think I can’t take you?"

Watching the mages engage in close-quarters combat with their staves left Eleya stunned.

"Mana crystals are Charlton’s backdoor. He thought they’d make his magitek troops invincible, but little did he know the Arcane Society excels at manipulating them too," Luo Wei explained to her.

"Well... the spells engraved in mana crystals are simplistic, limited to single casts. It might look a bit clumsy—forgive the spectacle."

Luo Wei glanced upward as the witch, adorned with countless mana crystals, activated one mid-swing. The resulting strike sent violent tremors through the ground, rivaling the power of high-tier magic.

But mana crystals were still external tools. With dimensional pouches disabled, carrying enough of them posed a challenge. Luo Wei’s gaze turned distant—he could already hear the approaching city guard. In an anti-magic field, conventional armies remained the deadliest force.

Eleya sensed the encroaching troops as well. She seized Luo Wei’s arm, enveloping them both in a faint white glow, still intent on escape.

"You can still use divine magic?" Luo Wei was astonished. Though the light had dimmed, supernatural power persisted. Even Tilis had resorted to melee combat—proof of Eleya’s overwhelming strength.

So Charlton’s domain had limits. It couldn’t suppress beings at the "demi-god" tier because he himself hadn’t reached such heights. His power... likely ranked among the peak of mortal transcendents.

Luo Wei studied the fading divine glow. They were in Whitechapel District, barely any distance from Charlton. If she could still wield power here, what chaos might she unleash farther away?

He couldn’t let Eleya leave—it would ruin his plan to redirect conflict. "You won’t get far," he urged. "Charlton’s domain covers half the nation, and it’s growing stronger. You’ll fall within Wegnar’s borders."

"Really...?" Eleya eyed him skeptically.

"It’s true." Luo Wei poured every ounce of sincerity into this lie, meeting her pale golden gaze with feigned honesty.

"We’re in this together now. Why not cooperate temporarily? Join me to eliminate the emperor first."

"If we don’t stop him, we’ll all be trapped here. Both you and Tilis are his prime targets—he won’t spare either of you."

"Eleya, you’ve been deceived. Everyone, including me, was fooled. Charlton has wanted war all along. This domain is his secret weapon. Go verify it yourself—check if troops are mobilizing in these locations! The frontline forces are rearming too. At his command, twelve legions will strike the border at full speed."

"So," Luo Wei held her gaze, "Eleya, you wouldn’t want Weston Holy City destroyed, would you? You know the disparity in strength. That’s why you’ve only pretended to unite the surrounding nations, provoking skirmishes but never all-out war. You understand the terror of modern magitek industry—Wegnar can’t be defeated."

"Luo Wei... did you foresee all this?" Eleya hesitated, the strain of channeling divine power evident, as though someone had severed her connection to the faithful. Saint Callen now felt like a black hole—a "dead zone" draining her strength.

Without the fervent prayers of countless followers, without that spiritual sustenance, Eleya grew increasingly agitated. When her eyes met Luo Wei’s intense stare, she briefly looked away.

In the past, he’d always found solutions amidst impossible odds.

And in the past, she—the timid priestess—had instinctively trusted him, leaned on him. She’d spent her life searching for "light," and back then, Luo Wei had been that light.

"Made your choice, Eleya?" Luo Wei tightened his grip on her wrist. "I won’t force you, but time’s running out."

His eyes darted to the end of the street, where city guards emerged in the distance. His voice grew urgent:

"If you don’t trust me, if you fear betrayal—then let’s form a temporary alliance. Deal with the emperor first. We’ll face the future when it comes!"

"Alright, alright..." Eleya sighed. "It's not that I trust you, but I simply have no choice now. I've long suspected something was off about Charlton II. None of the assassins sent after his subordinates ever returned. Since you're confident you can kill Charlton II, this could still turn out favorably for our Holy Light Church."

"Good. I'll explain the next steps of the plan to you," Luo Wei replied, his expression calm, though inwardly he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Eleya's gaze shifted toward the city guards, her demeanor growing icy. At last, she drew out an old companion from her days as a priest—a signature weapon Luo Wei recognized all too well.

A spiked mace capable of crushing skulls with ease.