Chapter 423: Storm Giant Shield

Upon reaching a swampy area, Helag spotted a young man with glasses tending a campfire under a tree.

As Helag appeared, the man looked up.

Helag recognized him immediately; he had seen this man when he was surrounded by members of the Eye of the Storm in the polluted zone. This bespectacled young man had blocked his escape route.

Helag remembered the encounter vividly and was surprised to see him here.

Sean, resting by the fire, noticed Helag’s arrival and recognized him as the wizard who had escaped during the Great Demon’s appearance.

Though three years had passed, Helag’s formidable form was unforgettable.

Helag regarded Sean, saying, “You’re quite lucky.”

He had recognized Sean while waiting for teleportation but couldn’t act then.

Sean hadn’t recognized Helag at the Dusk Temple, having only seen him in his Power of the titan’s form.

Now, seeing him again, Sean realized who he was.

Sean, surprised, said, “I didn’t expect you to be alive.”

“I should be saying that. How did you escape the Great Demon?” Helag asked, curious.

To Helag, it was expected that the second-level wizard escaped, but he hadn’t thought the others would survive.

Helag had noticed no one else jumped into the gorge to escape.

On the plateau, survival against the Great Demon seemed unlikely.

“The Great Demon is strong but lacks intelligence. With Lord Bawei, we couldn’t defeat it, but escaping was manageable,” Sean explained.

Helag nodded, “Oh…”

Before finishing, Helag sprang into action, a flash of lightning marking his path as he appeared before Sean.

Helag’s right fist crackled with electricity.

Sean’s expression remained unchanged, unable to react.

By the time he realized, the fist was upon him.

In an instant, blood sprayed, and a headless body collapsed.

Sean had no time to activate his teleportation ring, no chance to react, killed instantly.

He had been prepared, ready to act.

But Helag’s speed was beyond his expectations.

Helag removed Sean’s two rings, having decided not to let him live upon recognition.

Sean and his group hadn’t intended for Helag to survive, even destroying his communication stone.

Had the Great Demon not appeared, Helag might have perished in the polluted zone.

Helag had remembered this debt and seized the chance for retribution.

He had delayed his attack to ensure a single, lethal strike.

With teleportation rings, failing to kill instantly would allow escape.

If Sean escaped, the opportunity would be lost.

Checking Sean’s spatial ring, Helag found many valuable items.

Potions, potion materials, and numerous books and notes on potion-making suggested Sean was a potion master.

There were also food and water supplies, though less than Helag’s stock.

Helag discovered a shield in the spatial ring, identifying it as a second-tier magical tool.

He strapped the shield to his left arm, finding it small for his size.

With a thought, Helag channeled magic into the shield, which expanded to suit his proportions.

The shield boasted formidable physical defense, nearly indestructible, with high spell resistance, capable of blocking most first-level spells from first-level wizards.

Spells from second-level or stronger wizards were another matter.

The shield’s name, Storm Giant Shield, was inscribed below.

Besides defense, the Storm Giant Shield had self-repair capabilities.

Surface damage like scratches or dents would gradually heal over time.

The shield mounted on Helag’s left arm didn’t hinder its use.

Helag discovered the shield could shrink to a badge size, resembling an arm decoration.

When needed, it expanded instantly.

Though not infinitely large, it fit Helag’s current size.

If Helag’s size increased further, the shield might become inadequate.

Helag admired the shield, pleased with the enhanced defense.

With the shield, his defenses were significantly bolstered.

Wearing dark gold armor, paired with the Storm Giant Shield and Absolute Defense shield, his defenses were maximized.

…

Sean had underestimated Helag’s speed and strength, failing to deploy the shield for defense.

With the Storm Giant Shield, Helag might not have killed him instantly.

Sean likely assumed both were crystallized wizards, believing he wouldn’t be killed instantly.

For ordinary wizards, this was true, but Helag relied on physical strength and speed.

The spatial ring also contained a World Scepter and minor items of little value.

Helag stored the World Scepter in his spatial ring.

He considered that upon returning to the wizard plane, regardless of world control, the World Scepter would be reclaimed, not gifted as a second-tier tool.

Helag pondered keeping the extra World Scepter, assuming it went unnoticed.

Unless monitored, no one would know he had an extra.

Helag decided to keep silent unless questioned.

It was found, and the expedition team hadn’t outlined such rules.

After thoroughly searching the body and finding nothing else valuable, Helag incinerated it with a fireball.

After tidying the scene, Helag vanished in a flash of electricity.