Chapter 259 The Zone, Destruction Incarnate

Name:Online In Another World Author:
["The Zone"]

–Once more, the state of utmost instinct, maximized reflexes, and ultimate freedom had been reached. The young man's brain went into overdrive, connecting disconnected threads, unlocking like seals on a boundless reservoir of thought, freed from the shackles of inhibition.

The Dread looked towards the newly-emerged warrior, though didn't waste any further time before warping forward with monstrous speed, attempting to spear his hand through the Dragonheart before–

FWOOSH

An emergence of condensed, azure flames shot forward, spiraling and combining into a destructive breath that swept through the land, forcing the Dread to evade it by levitating upward. The blast of fire shaped itself into the heads of ethereal dragons, roaring through the air.

It was a split-second release; a reflex by the young Dragonheart that in its short time to create, carved a large chunk of land in front of the swirling mass of flames.

Asher was surprised by this power, but as he looked upon the back of Emilio, he noticed the black-and-azure scales that began to armor his body, though kept stabilized to his arms, torso, and legs.

There were naturally-forming tattoos running across Emilio's body, bringing upon scale-like patterns that originated from a bright-blue glow beneath his chest.

This sight, along with the familiar sensation of power spurred a revelation from the Devilheart:

...He's controlling it. That monstrous state I had to stop him in–he's using it right now, without transforming? Asher realized.

Perhaps most different of all were his eyes; Emilio looked forward with the emerald glow gone from his eyes, now holding a sapphire shine as he looked at the Dread silently.

[Level Up?!//@%]

[Level Twenty-Six Achieved.]

[New Skill(s) Acquired: Dragon Burst]

[Dragonheart System Awakened | Alternate]

[Current Stage: 7/??? | Draconis Monster | CONDENSED]

With a single step, he was already multiple meters forward in an instant, prompting the Dread to wave its hand in response, conjuring a wave of invisible slashes towards the Dragonheart.

How will he dodge that?! He's as good as dead with that much coming towards him! Asher thought.

Though the potency and freedom of creativity of the 'Zone' was witnessed as a seamless usage of magecraft was used, with Emilio hollowing the ground out from beneath him and burrowing beneath the surface as the unseen cleaving swept past.

"Oh?" Dread reacted.

After the invisible blades passed by, the ground rumbled momentarily before Dread looked down just as a hole opened in the soil, revealing the young Dragonheart as he jumped up.

"--!"

A vicious uppercut landed against Dread's chin, cracking against the body that once belonged to Amon with an echoing impact.

"He landed a blow...!?" Asher called out.

Though Dread wasn't hurt, simply surprised at the unconventional nature of the young man's attack as he fixed himself with an instantaneous readjustment of his next before summoning an ungodly storm around himself.

Once shrouded in darkness, the dimmed atmosphere created by the Dread's unwanted presence was brightened by the azure glow.

The instantaneous summoning of the flame-born dragon swallowed the long-since dead warriors of the demon continent in its burning wrath, returning them to the afterlife as Emilio faced down the Dread.

"You're a one-man army, it seems," Dread commented, spectating the battle without a worry.

With a single kick, Emilio dashed in with incredible speed, swinging his sword rapidly with strength and precision that repeatedly caused the air pressure to hiss sharply, though Dread simply weaved through each blow.

Emilio subconsciously enhanced himself with reinforcement and the aspect of wind, bolstering his swiftness and allowing him to redirect his own movements without any need to position himself. Each swing began emitting slices of wind, though Dread remained unscathed and unmoving from the spot he stood, using a single finger to deflect each attack.

Dread's dark eyes laid on Emilio before stopping the swift assault by slamming his palm against the Dragonheart's chest, "Die."

A single touch arrived, feeling like an eternity as Emilio could feel the eerie spirit of Dread reaching out into his body, caressing his still-beating heart before gripping it tightly, crushing down as it exploded within the young man's chest.

"Blergh–!"

Emilio vomited up black blood from the internal attack, falling to a knee as his inner fluid poured from his mouth, hacking up.

"Emilio!" Melisande yelled out.

As the silver-haired girl attempted to rush to the young man's aid, she was impeded by an astral warrior, forced back as she tossed a blast of wind at it.

"Get out of my way...!" Melisande angrily shouted.



[The Valley of Parmesus | Away From The Dread's Seal]

Sitting on a tree branch, a young man with spiky, dark-blue hair had a spear resting against his arm with a straw between his lips, boredly watching over the forest.

It's the final day...I wouldn't call it a cake walk, but those quests I tagged along with pops for came in handy, he thought, I'll pass this trial and mark my name across the land: "Joseph, the Cobalt Hero"! That's a nice ring to it, I think.

The young man got carried away in his own dreams, smiling to himself as he swayed side-to-side, imagining his name being chanted in the streets of illustrious cities, wearing lavish armor and being praised as a hero.

RUMBLE.

"W-woah–!"

Joseph snapped into focus as he began falling back from a sudden quake that echoed throughout the land, catching himself at the last moment as he flipped back, landing on the ground below with a slight stumble.

"...What was that?" Joseph mumbled.

It sounded as if a war had suddenly spurred as trees groaned and trembled before he ducked down just as the air around him shifted.

"--Huh?!"

As soon as he ducked, he witnessed what looked to be blades of darkness sweep through the sea of trees, bisecting them and casting branches aside.

"What the, what the, what the!" Joseph repeated, watching the ethereal whips of darkness lash out from unknown origin, ripping through the land.

The youthful recruit stumbled a bit from the rumbling, accidentally kicking against a tree log as he fell over with his chin smacking against the ground below.

"Ngh–!" Joseph winced.

["To the recruits just trying to survive in the already cruel trial, the unleashed Dread was a natural disaster unlike any other."]