Chapter 542: Calamity
"Boom—"
With a deafening rumble, the mountain peak hundreds of meters tall slowly tilted, then collapsed, raising a sky-high cloud of dust.
The red dragon's body was buried beneath, shrouded by dust and rubble, making his exact location unclear.
But as a lord of the Abyss possessing a divine body, Jezal Slak could pierce all fog and perceive the essence of all things.
"Roar—"
"Cassius! Face the judgment of the End!"
Jezal Slak roared, spreading his sky-darkening wings and stretching his mountain-sized tail.
From tens of thousands of meters high, this majestic abyssal dragon dove like a mountain crashing toward the ruins below.
As he fell, friction with the air caused his body to ignite with temperatures of thousands of degrees. His wings, like burning curtains, fell toward the earth.
Chaotic hurricanes swept across sky and land, space tore apart with shrill cries.
In an instant, all life near Anzeta felt immense pressure. Trees snapped, cliffs crumbled.
Even silver dragons were forced to the ground, unable to lift their heads, their claws driven deep into the earth.
Weaker creatures had their bones crushed, flesh mangled under the weight.
Pabliceko beat his wings desperately, shouting in horror, "Bahamut above, flee! We cannot withstand this attack!"
The ancient silver dragon released a sphere of light, instantly breaking free from dozens of demons, and without hesitation cast a teleportation spell, opening a massive portal.
Golden, silver, and brass dragons flew into the portal in groups, retreating from the battlefield.
Celestial beings flickered with starlight, using all their strength to escape the abyssal dragon.
Astral envoys tore scrolls and chanted, "My Lord, send your messengers! We followers cannot resolve this crisis. That—that is a true god-abomination!"
"Your Majesty..."
Langpu looked up at the falling black sky, his expression grave. Even with his faith in the Emperor, doubt crept in.
Could such a creature—a god-abomination—truly be defeated?
But the ogre mage knew his duty. He raised his staff, the skull necklace on his chest emitting radiant light.
"Quick! Get out of here! Stay away from this battlefield!"
Mass Teleportation!
In an instant, the Empire's Dragon-Oath Paladins, Wyvern Legion, and Dragon-Warlocks vanished in motes of light, reappearing miles away.
As for the players, they weren't prioritized—they were, after all, the "Undying."
Tens of thousands of elite players still clashed with demons, but they too noticed the falling abyssal dragon, stunned by the sight.
"Holy shit?"
"What the hell is that?"
"Run! It's like a meteor hitting the earth!"
Those with teleportation scrolls used them without hesitation. Others fled by any means—flying, sprinting, running for their lives.
"Vmmm—"
The abyssal dragon neared the ground, the pressure mounting. Cassius had yet to emerge from the rubble.
The black sky pressed downward. The earth sank, a doomsday scene unfolding, the world itself seemed to tremble.
Now all understood why this crimson dragon was called the "World-Destroyer."
Finally, under countless terrified gazes, the abyssal dragon crashed into the ruins with unstoppable force, dark sky meeting the ground.
"Boom—"
Earth and mountains quaked, a massive explosion erupted skyward, smoke swallowing everything and blotting out the sun.
Chaotic shockwaves radiated from the abyssal dragon, spreading miles in seconds, uprooting trees, collapsing mountains, sending stones flying.
The ground cracked, lava burst, stones launched into the sky, then rained down as flaming meteors.
The entire Anstica range—even Anzeta—shook under the impact. Jezal Slak's dive had irreversibly altered the mountains.
Even the evacuated metallic dragons and celestial legions trembled.
All life within the blast radius had perished. Players, soldiers, and demons who failed to escape were annihilated, not even ashes remained.
A crater miles wide opened in the earth, filled with fractured rock and flowing magma.
"Oh gods..."
"Bahamut above."
"A god-abomination—this is divine wrath! Mortals can never stand against it!"
"Lord of the Northwind, am I truly still in the Third Era?"
Metallic dragons, celestials, Empire loyalists, and lucky elite players all stared in awe at the scene.
They trembled, overwhelmed—in front of such a monster, mortal struggle seemed utterly meaningless.
At the Empire's makeshift camp, Olivia stared into the smoke. Her blue-gray eyes widened, brimming with worry.
Even that invincible red dragon likely couldn't survive such destruction.
"Cassius..."
Olivia thought, fear and despair flooding her heart.
"Roar—"
Just then, a familiar roar echoed through the dust, resounding across Anstica.
"That sound—"
Olivia looked up in joy, tears welling in her eyes.
Metallic dragons, celestials, Empire loyalists, and even players looked to the sky, cheering.
"Look!"
"His Majesty Cassius!"
"The red dragon lives!"
Cassius burst from the smoke, wings spread, soaring upward.
Spatial motes shimmered across his body, his scales gleamed gold, wrapped in endless flame.
As Jezal Slak struck, Cassius used divine order to resist chaos, summoned a Shelter Egg, and slipped into a pocket dimension.
Inside, he cast layers of defenses—Undying Reverse Scale, Flame Spirit Shield—then returned to the material plane.
But from the smoke, a hulking dark silhouette emerged—the abyssal dragon's head lunged forward.
"Roar—"
He opened his massive maw, black smoke pouring out as he roared in rage.
"You cowardly wretch! I will break your wings, crush your skull, and rip you to shreds with my own claws!"
Just the dragon's head was nearly thirty meters long, rivaling Cassius's entire size.
Within that fetid maw, swirling black chaos formed a deadly vortex.
Cassius surged upward, his limbs and wings flaring with radiant fire.
"Crack!"
The abyssal dragon snapped at nothing, but his massive claws swept from the side, cloaked in smoke, toward the red dragon.
"Vmmm—"
With a sonic blast, Cassius twisted midair, wings arcing in a red streak, narrowly dodging.
He turned, the dragon crystal in his chest glowing. He roared and unleashed a blazing white fire pillar.
"Boom—"
The blast struck the abyssal dragon's shoulder, tearing scales, burning violet-black flesh.
Jezal Slak roared, flapping his vast wings again. A violent gale surged toward Cassius.
But Cassius pressed his wings tight, curled in, tail extended, wrapped in silver-white light.
Like a drill, he pierced the storm, resisted the chaos, and dove toward the abyssal dragon.
"Boom!"
A red blur slashed past, leaving a fresh wound on the abyssal dragon's huge frame.
But the abyss's presence thickened, warping reality, choking even Cassius.
His strength was being suppressed!
Cassius growled, beat his wings, and retreated dozens of meters.
He narrowly dodged the sweeping tail, but the vengeful spear at its tip sliced across him.
"Shhh—"
Golden-red scales and searing blood splattered. A gash meters long appeared on his chest.
Dragon's Vitality!
Cassius roared. Golden light fell, healing the wound, dispelling the abyssal smoke.
But the crimson claw swept again, chaos swirling. Black shockwaves flew like blades. Cassius ascended rapidly, barely dodging.
The mountain behind him was cleaved flat, rocks collapsing in a straight cut.
Cassius was clearly on the back foot, dodging desperately, unable to counterattack, teetering on the brink of death.
Jezal Slak sneered, "Hahaha! Red dragon! Stop your futile resistance! You cannot defy fate!"
Cassius evaded another blow and smirked. "Is that so, Jezal Slak?"
Suddenly, oppressive power spread from the sky. Space rippled, starlight surged, and shadowy figures began to take form.
Both dragons turned to the heavens.
Cassius murmured, "So they came. The gods could not ignore the Abyss's invasion, especially after my warning. And more came than I expected."
With echoing drums and voiceless songs, a male human figure appeared.
He wore chainmail, had no right hand, and carried a silver warhammer with his remaining arm. Divine white light shone from his forehead.
It was Tyr, God of Justice and the Even-Handed One!
Next, sobbing filled the air. A frail man wearing only a loincloth appeared among the ruins.
His compassionate face was marred by scars, burns, and wounds.
It was Ilmater, God of Suffering, the One on the Rack!
Then a cold northern wind blew, scattering clouds.
A slender platinum dragon appeared on the horizon, wings wide, eyes shining with the azure of midsummer skies.
It was Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon God!
Tyr, Ilmater, and Bahamut—often called the "Three Saints of Justice"—always descend in times of worldly crisis, saving mortals from ruin.
Now, their avatars descended together to face this divine abomination.
"My Lord!"
"Bahamut!"
"The Three Saints of Justice! The world is saved!"
Cheers rose from metallic dragons, celestials, and Empire warriors. In their eyes, godly descent marked the end of all evil.
But Jezal Slak's eyes blazed with hate. Black-red flames flared, the ground beneath him split and burned.
"The Three Gods of Justice..."
He clenched his fangs, black smoke pouring from his nose and jaws, a hoarse growl deep from his throat.
Jezal Slak roared, releasing a storm of chaos, abyssal mist spreading in a vast draconic shadow.
His gaze toward Cassius became that of a hunter cornering prey. His gaze toward the gods—pure, eternal hatred.
"You again! Ten thousand years ago, you meddling pests stood in my way!
High and mighty gods—when the Abyssal Will destroys all, you won't escape either! You'll become fodder for the new world!"
The abyssal dragon panted, turned, and glared at the nearby red dragon.
Jezal Slak pointed a claw at the solidifying godly avatars, his face twisted with cruel, venomous glee.
"Cassius, this is your last hope? You think summoning godly avatars will stop me?
Fools! Gods are not omnipotent—only ignorant mortals think so!
Only the Abyss is limitless. Only it can decide the end!"
The abyssal dragon raised his head, flapped his wings, and roared to the heavens. His 300-meter body lifted again, winds howling wildly.
"Vengeance—"
"Destruction—"
"The End!"
One by one, frenzied screams erupted from Jezal Slak's throat, layered like howling storms through the Abyss.