Chapter 310 307: Squashed like an ant!

Chapter 310 307: Squashed like an ant!

"There's no end to these damn bastards!" Rowan bellowed, his voice a mix of fury and exhaustion as he swung his weapon with endless vigor, destroying the form of four more sand soldiers. He only destroyed their physical forms, not killed them as physical attacks alone weren't enough for they were creatures whose very existence was centered around the will of their creator. Unless the will imbued in their physical form was destroyed, they could just keep on reviving by using the sand of the desert. But of course, Rowan's efforts weren't totally in vain as the sand soldiers needed some time to recover their forms. To be exact, it was a couple of minutes.

"I believe they aim to wear us down, to exhaust our strength and resolve," Oliver analyzed, his gaze sharp as he surveyed the relentless waves of enemies

Val, his mind working rapidly, nodded in agreement, his voice steady as he spoke. "Oliver's right. The only way to put a stop to this is to go after the source, the Dimensional Master himself. We need to cut the head off the snake."

He had inspected the sand soldiers earlier. So he knew they were unique entities born from the will of the Dimensional Master. He knew that as long as the will imbued in them remained intact, they would continue to rise even if their form was destroyed.

In their party, only he and Oliver had the power to kill them, and just the two of them against an endless number of them was an unwinnable fight, and even if they somehow won it, they would be left exhausted by the end of it and the dimension master would take advantage of that situation to take them out.

In his mind, the only way to ensure their victory in this ferocious battle was to destroy the Dimensional Master. With his death, the sand soldiers of the desert would also die.

Oliver, sensing the urgency of the situation, turned to Val, and said, "Bro, you need to go now and deal with the Dimensional Master. We'll hold them off here as long as we can."

Val hesitated. His concern for his comrades evident in his voice as he spoke, "Are you sure? You'll be facing an entire army on your own."

Rowan, while blocking the attack of two sand soldier with his sword, managed a grin, his voice filled with a wild excitement as he spoke, "Just go and kick that bastard's ass, Val! We've got this. We'll hold them off and make sure you have your shot."

Alfred chimed in, "Don't worry about us, Val. We can handle this. You just focus on taking down the Dimensional Master and putting an end to this madness."

Val felt encouraged to do what was necessary even though it meant leaving Oliver with two weaklings to face the danger alone. Of course, he wasn't looking down on Alfred and Rowan for in his eyes although they were weak, their courage and loyalty was admirable, and these traits were enough to earn his respect.

"Let's clear the way and get on with it."

Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, Val focused his energy inward, tapping into the depths of his power as he prepared to unleash a cataclysmic attack.

His body became a conduit for the abyssal fire, a dark and ominous force that surged forth, steaming out of him and gathering into a concentrated point just above his right palm. Simultaneously, a maelstrom of blood units began to converge and condense above his left palm, swirling and twirling in a dance of power.

Crimson Inferno Vortex!

These two forces, one black as the darkest night and one red as the most vibrant sunset, were hurled forward by Val, growing in size and intensity as they transformed into massive, destructive vortices.

Everything that lay in their path was annihilated, obliterated, erased from existence leaving nothing but the open road toward the castle.

"Good luck, guys!"

With one last, lingering look at his comrades, Val solidified his resolve. He seized the moment, surging forward with unwavering determination along the cleared path, his eyes locked onto the castle that stood majestically in the distance.

A sbout came from behind. "Good luck to you too!"

Val didn't need to look behind to see who it was. He had already grown so familiar with the voice that he recongnized it was Oliver.

Sand soldiers, relentless in their pursuit, emerged from the sides, attempting to swarm Val and halt his progress. However, Oliver, with his impeccable timing and formidable power, unleashed powerful blasts of soul power. These blasts exploded upon contact with the sand soldiers, disintegrating them into nothingness and ensuring Val could continue his advance, unhindered.

Val raised his hands and gave him a thumbs up while moving forward.

Soom after, Val was about to reacj the castle.

The castle was big and its entrance was also clossal, framed by towering stone archways that seemed to be designed for beings of a size and scale beyond human comprehension.

The castle itself exuded an air of ancient mystery and dormant power, standing as a silent guardian over secrets untold.

Suddenly, the ground next to Val shifted, and from the sands arose a giant guardian. It was an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight, with a head resembling a ferocious dog and a body made from densely packed sand, brown and solid. In its massive hand, it wielded a spear, which it swung with deadly precision at Val.

"Die, intruder." it barked.

"No thanks," Val retorted.

Quick as a flash, Val leapt into the air, effortlessly avoiding the giant's lethal strike.

While in mid-air, he drew his hand back, his fingers curling into a fist as an overwhelming amount of black fire burst from his knuckles.

This dark inferno enveloped his hand, transforming it into a weapon of apocalyptic destruction.

"World Shattering Fist!"

With a fierce roar, Val thrust his fist forward, sending waves of black flames surging outwards. The flames engulfed the dog-headed giant, its sandy form dissolving under the onslaught. Val's attack didn't stop there; it continued forward, obliterating the gigantic castle doors and laying open the path ahead.

Immediately, Val received a notification from his his system.

[Congratulations, Host! You have vanquished the Guardian of the Castle, a formidable mini-boss. Reward: 15,000 EXP, Sand Guardian's Heart (Rare Item)].

[The Sand Guardian's Heart is a mystical item with the power to enhance sand-related bloodline of sand-type wizards or upgrade the bloodline of sand type bloodline users. It can also be used in specific environments, such as deserts or sandy terrains, to grant the user control over the sand in their surrounding, allowing them to manipulate it to their advantage.]

Going through the notification, Val decided that unless the need to utilize this rare item became absolutely necessary, he would opt to sell it once he returned to the frontier. He wanted to put it up for auction because only then would he benefit the most, as its true value would be elevated in the biddin war by the demand of potential buyers.

With this decision made and the item securely stashed away in the system screen, Val redirected his focus to the task at hand.

Thud!

With a thud, he landed firmly on the ground, his body poised and ready for action like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey. Without a moment's hesitation, he charged ahead, crossing the threshold and entering the castle, prepared for whatever awaited him within its ancient and mysterious walls.

As Val penetrated deeper into the castle, he was immediately struck by the oppressive atmosphere within. The air was heavy, laden with a force of corruption so dense that it seemed almost tangible.

Only a person with immense willpower be able to move around in this place and fight. Val didn't know how good his will power was, but his mental fortitude remained unshaken despite the oppressive and chaotic atmosphere; however, his physical body bore the brunt of the corruption's weight. He felt as if he was shouldering a mountain. It suddenly become more challenging to take a step forward than before.

A system notification popped up, [Your speed has been halved due to the corruption's force. Current speed: 40].

This notification served as a confirmation. It wasn't just his imagination, the corruption was indeed hindering his movements, slashing his speed in half.

"Got to get it back."n.)o-.v-)ε()l-)B/-I((n

Without a second thought, Val activated his Blood Rush ability, countering the corruption's effect and bringing his speed back up to 80.

Suddenly, Val sensed an impending attack.

Whoosh!

Cutting through the thick corruption, a mysterious force hurtled towards him. The dense corruption amplified the sound it made as it traveled through the air, allowing Val to pinpoint its location and trajectory. The force aimed straight for his head, a conclusion further confirmed by the throbbing sensation emitted by his sixth sense.

'Have to dodge it,' Val thought as his sixth sense was telling him he would die if that thing hit him.