Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Grat-ra’zun had tried to hold back. There was no reason for him to go all out against a group of S-ranks— especially not in his lair. His horde held a multitude of priceless artifacts and timeless relics mixed amongst the piles of gold coins. Grand weapons that could arm entire cities. Necklaces, rings, and other glittering jewelry that could fill any nation’s coffers.

And so, the Elder Dragon refused to unleash his full might, out of fear of destroying his treasures.

But these S-ranks had been Void-blessed. They had been gifted powers that made them as strong as an SSS-rank threat. They used skills that were not granted to them by the World System— wielding magic that had been tainted. It was through this power did they destroy the dragon’s horde.

Grat-ra’zun had been forced to the brink of defeat, watching as his treasures were reduced to nothing. Millennia of hard work, gone. Just like that. And now he had nothing holding him back anymore.

So he was left with no other choice but to show them the glorious terror of the highest-leveled being in all of Vacuos.

—--

Ammon the Arcane Archsorcerer watched as the crimson flames poured forth. They billowed down towards him in an endless deluge, destroying everything in their path. He barely moved out of the way in time, shooting up into the air with a burst of magic. And beneath him, the flames continued to ravage the forests around Mount Arkais.

He looked down at the burning landscape. Just mere moments ago, the mountainous region had been at peace. Birds soared high in the sky, and animals roamed below the canopy of green. Monsters slumbered or hunted, although that was the natural order of the world.

But now, the top of Mount Arkais had been destroyed— like it had undergone a violent eruption as a caldera now scarred where the peak of the mountain had once been. Molten stone drizzled down to the forests below, and ash rained from the sky. A raging wildfire spread far and wide, only growing as Grat-ra’zun’s flaming breath tore through the earth.

This was Mount Arkais. It was one of the most dangerous regions in all of Vacuos. And yet, the Elder Dragon’s fury had completely devastated the terrain. Monsters and animals alike fled the destruction, hearing the furious roar shaking the earth.

But they weren’t the ones caught in the dragon’s ire. It was the six intruders who had invaded Grat-ra’zun’s lair and disturbed his slumber. He looked up at Ammon who pointed down and cried out.

“Explosion.” The Arcane Archsorcerer levitated there and watched as the world twisted around the dragon.

Grat-ra’zun reeled in pain as a blast engulfed him, interrupting his flaming breath. It wasn’t an ordinary blast— it seemed to be a reverse explosion, tearing its way into the Elder Dragon’s scales. He covered his body with his wings, letting their glistening scales take the brunt of the attack, before raising a clawed hand.

He carried a burnt figure in his claws. It was Rakash the Tormentor of Alius. The only one who had been caught in the initial explosion. And with a swing, the dragon tossed the crisp body of the troll at Ammon.

The Archsorcerer’s eyes grew wide. He couldn’t dive out of the way in time. He was struck out of the air, barely catching his companion as four other figures encroached on the Elder Dragon.

Ivory, Delmer, Usil, and Si-Vus flanked Grat-ra’zun with a barrage of attacks. Whether it was magic or a flurry of strikes. They battled in the air, zipping around the dragon like mere flies. And as Ammon looked on, he felt the burnt body of Rakash twitching.

The troll began to regenerate from his wounds. Despite being nearly reduced to ash, he could still move and recover. Ammon quickly cast a [Flight] spell on his companion, before hearing the Elder Dragon’s roar in the distance.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via Ñøv€l-B!n.

Grat-ra’zun raised a clawed hand and bellowed as his four assailants backed up.

“[Omnidirectional Acid Hail]!”

And thousands of spell circles formed in the air. They circled around all six of the intruders. They appeared everywhere Ammon could see. He clicked his tongue, flying back as he held onto Rakash’s healing body.

All at once, a barrage of green spikes shot out. Like rain that poured forth from every direction. The Archsorcerer waved a hand, sending his own explosive projectiles against the hail of acid— the explosions protecting him from the dragon’s spell.

Usil swung out with her dual blades, and Ivory just fluttered in between the falling acid. Meanwhile, Delmer created a purple barrier that shielded him and Si-Vus from the [Omnidirectional Acid Hail].

The volley of projectiles swerved around the Elder Dragon, giving him a wide berth so they wouldn’t hit him. Ivory must have noticed this as she zipped straight at him. A few of the acid spikes grazed her, but she quickly recovered from those wounds by the time she reached her target. The fairy sent a blast of Void magic into his side, and he recoiled.

“You cannot kill us!” the Exiled Queen laughed. “We are immortal!”

She continued unleashing her attacks at him as she flew up the length of his body. He reeled in pain until she reached his face. Ivory waved her wand, and a falling star crashed down from the sky. But the Elder Dragon vanished.

And when the dark curtain peeled away, Delmer was gone. Reduced to atoms.

Ammon tried to work his jaw. “H-how are we supposed to defeat such a monster?”

Both Rakash and Si-Vus picked themselves up from the ground. They stood at the broken mountaintop, burning from the pouring lava. But they were still alive. Grat-ra’zun glanced down at them and shook his head.

“You are a bunch of resilient pests, aren’t you? But I will make you envy the dead!” He clasped his claws together as broken bits of rock and rubble flew up into the sky. The Elder Dragon chanted as Ammon’s blood ran cold. “[Keeper Of Antiquity, Born From Dust. Lend Me Your Strength—]”

Rakash and Si-Vus charged into the air once more, still as tenacious as ever. But the Arcane Archsorcerer began to get second thoughts. He looked on as a figure was partially formed in the air from the flying boulders, and his breathing quickened.

“We... can’t win,” Ammon whispered. “We’re not strong enough...”

Thanks to the Void’s blessings, the six of them had become as powerful as any SSS-rank threat. Or so Ammon had thought. But in the face of an Elder Dragon— a true SSS-rank being— the Arcane Archsorcerer realized the folly of his delusions.

They stood absolutely no chance of defeating Grat-ra’zun.

Ammon backed away, watching as the Greater Earth Elemental’s form was almost completed. The Elder Dragon kept both Rakash and Si-Vus back with a breath of crimson flames. His chanting nearly came to an end, and the Arcane Archsorcerer was about to flee.

“[Crush My Enemies...]” the dragon started.

And a blast of radiant light struck him from above, cutting him off. The Greater Earth Elemental froze mid-air, its parts trapped in stasis as Ammon blinked. Grat-ra’zun roared in pain, crashing down into the side of the burning mountain.

The attack flashed like lightning, but it left behind an empurpling trail. It carried a twisted hallowed aura— the magic both belonging to the Void and the World System. Ammon recognized that power. He looked up with round eyes as his breath caught in his throat.

“That’s...”

An armored figure descended from the sky. One that wore a golden crown as a crimson cape whipped behind his back. He raised a glinting longsword, and Ammon exclaimed.

“My King!”

Rakash and Si-Vus raised their heads towards the skies as well. Even where they hovered, they dropped to their knees, eyeing the descending figure reverently. Grat-ra’zun raised his head as he emerged from the smoking crater. He opened his mouth in a rage— then paused.

The Elder Dragon stared at the approaching figure with wide eyes. “What...? Why—”

But he didn’t get a response. Ammon just looked on as the figure floated down next to him and their gazes locked. The Arcane Archsorcerer wanted to hang his head in shame, only to receive a kind smile from his King.

The Savior of Sibylla; the Destroyer of Deveral; one of the three otherworlders in all of Vacuos; and the [Hero King] Kallistus Kal spoke softly.

“You did a good job, Ammon.” Kallistus nodded, and a gold and purple aura enveloped his glinting armor. He raised his sword. “But now I’ll take over from here.”

And Kallistus slashed down at the Elder Dragon, cutting across a thousand feet.

MelasD

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