Chapter 363 355: Change Is Coming



A flash of light spread.

Following it was a booming wave of sound that shot straight through the air. The clouds and the skies trembled as the atmosphere not just above the hill, but over the entire east of the continent changed into one of torrential rain.

Just as fleeting was its entrance, so was its exit.

In the blink of an eye, the rain drenched the leaves and mud, the scent of the petrichor permeating through the entire East.

In the land that was previously turned into a dungeon, a flash of light spread as everyone was placed out of the dungeon.

On the ground, the five members of the expedition and Irina slowly raised their heads, brushing away the dirt that had stuck to them.

On the dog pile of people, they all slowly turned their heads.

Where was the cave that acted as the entrance to the dungeon, now only existed a tree. Leaves fell from its top and slowly fluttered over to the ground around a small tombstone. Next to it, sat a skeleton in full armor.

Standing tall in front of the skeleton was a demon with hair waving white and horns of black. In his hands lay an orb.

"Eugene…?"

Before turning, the demon, Eugene chuckled and leaned ahead. He slowly grabbed the skeleton's hand and placed it atop the tombstone.

"Rest well, Goemon," he said.

***

I turned around and grinned at the idiot dog pile behind me.

"Lo. Sers."

"What the fuck happened?"

"Did the dungeon… just disappear?"

Luka and Noa couldn't keep their shock in as they figured what must have happened. The figuring part definitely happened with everyone, but the people who had been working with dungeons till the world's end were definitely shocked more.

"I ended it. The dungeon's existence."

It was a tricky thing to do. Thanks to the demonic energy in the mix, everything became grandly cataclysmic. The sheer destructive force itself was beyond anything I had ever experienced, let alone controlled.

In that state, I had gone beyond just end. Instead of leading things to a state, my end had become openly malicious.

But ending Goemon didn't suit me, I also wanted to know what this dungeon was which was the entire point of this trip. That's where my authority came into play.

At the very last moment, I sealed the 'cataclysm's' ability to end things. I had thought it would be very convenient, but unfortunately, the cataclysm was stronger than an authority. I never got a chance to unseal it and reap benefits since the cataclysm ended my authority as well.

Well, I did manage to preserve Goemon and the tomb, but not much else. The dungeon itself completely collapsed and a wave of energy had shot out right after.

The problem was…

"Hey hey hey, Eugy!" Titania screamed once. "Why are you trying that thing AGAIN!? And right away!? Didn't you see what it did!?"

Catene hummed behind her. Her hair was messy and her face ashy.

"I used Alfheim to make seventy barriers and all of them still broke."

Oh.

Titania had not covered herself from my attack, but the entire world.

"I had been thinking the destruction was too little."

"So you'll destroy more asshole!?"

"W-what is he doing! Whatever you're doing, stop!"

Albert joined in on the fun, but my grinning didn't end. All the three energies gathered once again and a wave spread through the skies, but the orb in my hand… was unaffected. It sucked everything up as if it were nothing more than a meal.

A cataclysm that should end everything was being taken in with wide arms, unbothered, unfettered.

I stopped using the three energies and juggled the orb in my hand.

"We've found our first clue."

***

"Wait wait wait, kids, back away."

Rio's voice echoed as the enormous snake formed of the amalgamation of a thousand of them flittered in the air.

Deep into the dungeon of the Sneaky Snake Shrine, the group had finally reached the final stance of the place and were facing off against the boss. Their goal the centermost part.

But much to their dismay…

"This is much stronger than we were told…"

Lily's hands moved quick in attempts to buff and heal her side while trying a debuff on the enemy as well.

The sneaky snakes in the shrine had all shimmied up and stuck themselves into a stupendously large snake skank.

It was the very worst.

If things couldn't go worse…

"Oh that beam is coming! Zachy~"

"ZZZ!"

The armored Zachariah swung his blade and a flash of lighting spread. At the same time, a red light emerged from the mouth of the snake.

The white flash of lightning swallowed up most of the light, but a few strands still fell on trees.

In the blink of an eye, they started to be covered by a stony crust.

"Damn it."

They hummed. A counter was needed against this thing that could make things into stone.

Marissa snapped her fingers then.

A freezing mist took over the grounds of the dungeon as the snakes at bottom began to freeze over.

"Nice cover!" Asahi hummed and slapped his hands together. The gesture was enough to start his own 'stamp.'

A gust of wind like a bullet, nay, like a cannon shot through the air and slammed into the head of the snake before it could spew out a bunch of acidic spit.

"Ok Mohawk! Now!"

Mohawk nodded, grabbed Sharky in his hands, and dashed away.

"Let's go, Sharky."

"It's Megalodon!"

The two of them were held together as Sophia started moving her hands and lifted them up in the sky with telekinesis.

Mohawk straddled his arms and legs around Sharky.

"Fine. Let's just do it this once."

"Your special ability sure is out of this world."

"Blah blah," Sharky answered and slowly leaned back. His body slowly started swelling as his hands wrapped around Mohawk's back, on his chest, emerged a small nozzle. "Let's end this."

The nozzle clicked.

"FIRE!" Mohawk screamed.

A beam of pure flames shot out of the nozzle and bashed straight into the snake.

"GYAAAAAAH!"

"HAAAH! IT'S MEGALODON! REMEMBER IT!"

The snake melted away.

And all of them fell back down.

Leaving the dead body behind was another small orb.

Rio slowly walked up to it and poked it with her sword. "Is this the artifact?"

Change.

Was coming.