Chapter 103: Chapter103-The Dragon of Destruction and Despair

"Up there... it seems quiet?"

Below the abyss, Exiled Immortal held everyone up, hiding along the cliff, waiting for the situation to change.

But after a long wait, there was no sign of John jumping down, and the sound of flapping wings gradually faded away.

"Is it... over?"

"Could it be that Johnny..."

Lily's face was pale, her voice trembling with a hint of tears.

"Don't think like that. John is still alive. Let's go up and check."

Exiled Immortal checked the status of the team members and, confirming that John was not in mortal danger, breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he didn't know how John managed it, escaping from the dragon was no small feat.

Returning to the mountain peak, they saw John's silhouette sitting slumped on the ground.

Exiled Immortal hurried over and asked anxiously, "John, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"That's good... But John, how did you escape from that dragon? It was a monster!"

"To be precise, I didn't escape. It didn't harm me."

John struggled to stand up. After a quick headcount, he asked, puzzled, "Where's Helena? Wasn't she with you, Exiled Immortal?"

"We encountered the dragon and expected to fight it, but it suddenly turned and rushed towards you. I was worried the battle would endanger big sis, so I left her in a safe place. Don't worry, I remember the location. I'll go get her back now."

"Good, go bring Helena back. Once everyone's here, I'll explain what happened."

With John saying this much, no one pressed further, even though they were curious.

Exiled Immortal turned to leave, and Elaria and the others, relieved to be safe, took a deep breath.

"However... that creature was unbelievably strong. Just looking at it made me freeze up. I couldn't muster any will to fight."

Old Mac took a swig of his drink, exhaling a breath laced with alcohol, and said helplessly, "I really thought we were done for."

"The aura of destruction from that dragon is a thousand, no, ten thousand times stronger than any creature I've ever seen! It's like destruction and despair incarnate..."

Elaria, still shaken, added, "For us elves who revere nature, the aura that dragon exuded is the most terrifying disaster imaginable."

"Wait, destruction and despair incarnate? No, that can't be..."

John knew of a dragon that embodied destruction and despair.

But that creature didn't live on Mount Olympus.

How could it have left the World Tree and come here?

And then, the dragon said it was sent by someone.

Only by doing this could they lift some of the restrictions on Elaria.

After all, as an NPC from the second map, Elaria's potential was nearly capped. Level 60 was her limit, and she couldn't progress further.

As the game progressed to mid and late stages, with monsters reaching levels 80, 90, and even beyond 100 becoming common, Elaria's current importance might still hold, but later on, her combat power would be insufficient as the overall strength of the group increased.

John and the others might not mind this, but clearly, this wasn't Elaria's way.

She didn't want to be a burden, which was evident from the moment the monsters invaded.

Even in such an uncomfortable state, Elaria still forced herself to be present.

If her strength couldn't keep up with the progress, would Elaria be willing to be a useless decoration?

The answer was obviously no.

Luckily, for now, Elaria was still at her peak combat power, giving John some time to consider the situation.

"In any case, my plan remains the same: eliminate S., become the top team in this event, and obtain the second dragon egg. That's our priority right now. However, we've just been through a tumultuous event and need to rest and relieve some mental stress. After a short break, Exiled Immortal, you and Helena continue searching for S. or any signs of a plain."

"No problem."

Exiled Immortal readily agreed.

To him, setting out immediately wasn't an issue.

Ever since his talent evolved, his control over the wind had become increasingly proficient, with minimal energy consumption, causing little discomfort.

Still, taking a break wasn't a bad idea.

Currently, John and his team's names were no longer in the top ten of the event leaderboard, having spent so much time without gaining points.

Meanwhile, other teams' points were steadily increasing, with S.'s team already surpassing 200 points.

However, no matter how many points they accumulated, it wouldn't matter.

Once they found S., all their efforts would turn into benefits for John's team.

...

"What... what was that monster earlier?"

When Nidhogg appeared, S. was on a nearby mountain peak, witnessing the entire process.

The immense pressure from the dragon was overwhelming, even from a distance, making it hard for S. and his team to breathe.

"Just a glance, and I felt the presence of death..."

Abbot swallowed hard, not realizing his body was trembling like a leaf.

"I... I need to get out of here! I can't stay here anymore. That kind of monster is beyond human capability! I'm quitting, I'm leaving the event!"

Finally, under Nidhogg's immense pressure, someone's resolve wavered, and they decided to give up.

"I don't want to die, I can't die! If I had known such monsters existed, I would never have joined!"