Chapter 261: Total Annihilation
Logan sped through the air toward the southern plains, but a sudden, unbearable pain wracked his body. He lost his balance as Zephyr felt him begin to convulse, a seizure overtaking the boy and causing him to slip from the bird's back.
[Logan, what happened?] Silvia called out urgently, sensing something unusual through their shared link. The connection felt distorted, as if something was deeply wrong.
Without hesitation, she urged Wyver to dive, guiding the drake to intercept Logan as Zephyr used his wind abilities to stabilize the falling boy.
As Silvia reached Logan, she pulled him onto Wyver's back and embraced him tightly. Logan clutched his chest, his face contorted with pain while his body shook, leaving Silvia deeply worried.
Logan's cries of anguish pierced the air as an unknown torment wracked his body. The mark he had placed on Alma burned as if it were on fire, and he trembled violently, gripping his shoulder in desperation.
Elsewhere, across the world, an ominous scene unfolded. All eyes were on the massive dragon, whose enormous dark grey tail had descended with unimaginable speed, crushing everything in its path. It struck behind the heroes with devastating force, leaving them in stunned horror.
Alma had been caught in the attack. Her body was crushed, and the battlefield was frozen in shock. All focus shifted toward the large dragon, rage and sorrow fueling a frenzied counterattack.
Scorch, sensing Logan's pain and the profound loss of Alma, felt the resonance reverberate through his very being. Every one of Logan's tames shared the boy's agony, the connection between them amplifying the collective grief.
Lisa, however, wasted no time. Her eyes locked on the dragon, she unleashed her strongest skill. Flying downward at tremendous speed, Holy Nova ready on hand, she aimed directly for the beast.
She didn't falter, refusing to stop until she was over the dragon. Then, with precision, she released the sphere. The Holy Nova exploded at point-blank range, the force launching the dragon backward. It collided with several shields before crashing to the ground near the battlefield, roaring in defiance.
One of Dravor's wings had been torn off, and the scales where the Holy Nova sphere struck were shredded, blood spurting in a gruesome fountain.
Scorch, consumed by fury, activated all his buffs and charged forward. This was his moment to strike down the demon who had harmed one of his master's mates. With jaws wide open, Scorch lunged in fury. Dravor barely managed to shift his neck before the dinosaur's teeth severed it completely, tearing through his shoulder in the process.
"How dare you!" the demon bellowed, his voice filled with rage and desperation. Losing himself in blinding anger, he crushed his berserk crystal, unleashing a surge of raw power to keep himself alive while his body struggled to recover.
Lisa, on the other hand, had blocked out everything around her. Her focus was solely on saving her friend. She had one skill in her arsenal that could help Alma, but before she could use it, she needed to mend her own body. The thought of reviving Alma only to watch her die again filled her with dread, but she knew she had no time to waste.
Kryst the slime understood what needed to be done and jumped down from Orus. She used her slime form to cushion the landing and then enveloped the girl's mutilated body, casting every healing spell in her arsenal. Her magic extended to the scattered remains, gently pulling each piece together with long tendrils until they formed what appeared to be Alma in a peaceful slumber.
Lisa, doing all she could to hold everything together, cried out in desperation.
[Hurry, Kryst! Hurry!]
She ignored the searing pain in her core, pouring every ounce of energy into rapidly mending Alma's shattered form. As the healing neared completion, Lisa prepared to use her ultimate skill, Seraphic Resurrection.
[Will you use this one-time skill on: Pamela Alma Ortiz]
A prompt flashed before her, reminding her that this skill had only one use.
[Yes! YES!]
She screamed mentally, confirming without hesitation. Immediately, the battlefield erupted in radiant white light as mana condensed around Alma. The brilliance consumed the area, dispelling all spells and shields, while Alma's soul began its journey back to her body.
Kryst, relentless in her healing, refused to pause even as her strength waned. She pushed herself to the limit until exhaustion forced her to revert to her small slime form.
Meanwhile, Victor received an urgent call. Silvia's voice came through, instructing him to prepare some crystals. Without delay, the shadow master retrieved every remaining stone from his dimensional storage and began constructing the array.
Moments later, six figures emerged from the portal he had created. One of them was coughing up blood, their fury evident in their expression. Victor, sensing their simmering rage, chose not to ask why they had arrived in such a state.
"Silvia, open a gate with Marie—bring me my army!" Logan commanded, spitting the blood lingering in his mouth before taking a sip of mana water. His eyes swept across the battlefield, locking onto the girl who had been harmed.
Alma was still lying on the ground, unconscious but breathing. Kryst and Lisa stayed close, tending to her with unwavering focus.
Logan's gaze shifted to Rubina and Scorch in the distance, where a dragonoid figure clashed fiercely with them.
"Zephyr, let's go!" Logan called out, channeling wind magic as he leaped onto the bird's back. Zephyr didn't hesitate and soared into action, speeding toward the battlefield. The two flew forward at breakneck speed, narrowly avoiding a collision with the dragon.
Logan didn't have the luxury to consider what element or skill to use. His thoughts centered on a technique he had only used once before—harnessing all the elements into a single, devastating point. The anguish in his heart fueled him, making even the searing pain of overloading his core feel insignificant, like the sting of a small needle.
He had no words, no questions. Only vengeance filled his mind. The demons had gone too far, and Logan was determined to make them understand the cost of harming one of his own. He was done playing their game.
Dravor, preoccupied with the dinosaur, failed to notice the boy rushing toward him until the very last moment. Zephyr, the eagle, flew so swiftly that a small tornado spiraled in its wake. The bird abruptly stopped upon reaching the dragon, soaring upward to avoid direct impact, but the boy pressed forward.
Propelled by sheer force, Logan surged ahead, a small but incredibly powerful sphere of condensed energy glowing over his hand.
"Scorch, get back! NOW!" Logan's voice rang out across the battlefield just before he collided with Dravor's back.
Using the remnants of his mana, Logan cast his wings, pushing himself high enough to avoid the imminent explosion. Zephyr swiftly circled around, rushing to catch him as his energy-drained wings dissolved mere moments after being summoned.
Behind him, the dragon let out a chilling yelp of horror. The sphere wasn't merely light magic as before—it tore through his body with ease, carving through his flesh like butter before detonating inside him.
The dragon could only lift his gaze to the sky and unleash one final, anguished roar before his body erupted in a devastating explosion.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, a new tide of chaos surged behind the weary soldiers and heroes. Hundreds of wolves and hogs thundered forward, accompanied by warks and goblins riding atop them. Armed with lances and spears, the monstrous allies leaped over casters and charged headlong into the demons, who stood in stunned awe at the relentless assault.
A mighty thunderbird and wyvern struck down those who dared to flee, their swift and deadly precision leaving no room for escape. Meanwhile, a colossal serpent—angered at being summoned while tending to her newborns—charged onto the battlefield with unbridled fury.
Her sixty-meter frame tore through the fortress with astonishing ease. Brick by brick, the massive structure crumbled under her assault, sinking into the ocean depths as waves consumed it.
Logan, however, was oblivious to the chaos around him. His senses were overwhelmed by the rush of euphoria that came with leveling up so dramatically. He stared at the message that had appeared before his eyes, its words bringing both astonishment and pride:
[Congratulations! You are the first hero to reach Level 80! As a reward for your incredible effort, you have been gifted a dragon egg...]