The moment Caesar's voice fell, he moved.
Without the slightest hesitation, his body in Gabite form turned into a deep blue afterimage, actively charging back toward the giant sinkhole that had just formed.
"Earth Dragon! Are you crazy?!"
Cecilia was startled by this sudden reverse charge. Although she couldn't understand why he would go back to his death... since this guy had started the engagement, she would follow.
"Waaagh—!"
With a background roar, Caesar's right foot stomped heavily on the edge of the sinkhole once more!
[Bulldoze]!
The earth groaned under the burden as the already precarious ruins completely collapsed, more rubble and soil tumbling into the Sand Tomb below.
At the same time, a violent cloud of dust was kicked up by this force, turning into a massive wave of yellow sand that instantly swallowed the entire sinkhole.
[Sandstorm]!
Caesar's figure plunged headlong into this murky curtain of sand, vanishing in an instant.
Ability [Sand Veil] activated!
At the bottom of the sinkhole, wails echoed everywhere.
Those Plasma Cult members who were lucky enough not to be buried alive immediately were struggling to crawl out of the quicksand and ruins. Before they could even feel relieved, they were hit in the face by the overwhelming Sandstorm.
"Cough, cough! What is this?!"
"Where is the Bishop? Where is the Bishop!"
In the Confusion, a figure suddenly lunged out from the quicksand beside them—an extremely fast, deep blue shadow.
Pfft!
A Cultist who had just crawled halfway out felt a chill in his chest. Looking down, a blade-like claw flashing with cold light had already pierced through his chest!
The Cultist didn't even see the enemy's appearance clearly before he lost all strength and fell back into the quicksand.
Having succeeded in one strike, Caesar didn't linger and immediately dove back into the sand curtain, vanishing without a trace.
Strategically despising his opponents while tactically respecting them, Caesar knew well that these Cultists could pull out wonderful gadgets at any time... but in this Sand Tomb and Sandstorm Underworld he had created himself, he was the only predator! Every time he appeared, it was inevitably accompanied by the death of a Cultist!
The scales covering his body like a thicket of blades grew even sharper as the ability [Rough Skin] activated. Even a mere brush against the enemy would leave a wound deep enough to see bone!
For a time, the bottom of the sinkhole turned into a one-sided slaughterhouse.
The fear of the unknown was more terrifying than death itself. The surviving Cultists brandished their weapons wildly in the Sandstorm, attacking the air around them and even accidentally injuring their own companions.
"You... deserve to die—!"
Just then, a roar filled with boundless rage exploded from the center of the sinkhole.
Boom!
A powerful surge of magic power soared into the sky, forcibly pushing away the surrounding quicksand and dust to create a vacuum zone ten meters in diameter.
Bishop Andorn floated in mid-air, his robes tattered and himself in a wretched state, his gold-rimmed glasses long gone.
A pair of bloodshot eyes, scorched by [Luster Purge] and suffering from Burn, stared fixedly at a certain direction in the Sandstorm.
"Killing you a thousand times wouldn't be enough!!"
He was completely enraged.
As a regional Bishop of the Plasma Cult and a Gold Rank LV.39 powerhouse, being toyed with to such an extent by a Dragon that appeared out of nowhere was an absolute humiliation!
Although Andorn was temporarily blind, the perception of a Gold Rank powerhouse remained.
He could clearly capture that domineering and ferocious aura belonging to the Dragon Clan moving at high speed within the Sandstorm. By now, he had judged that his opponent was also at the Gold Rank, but since he was at the Gold Rank Peak, the advantage was his!
"Found you!"
Andorn locked onto Caesar's position and began chanting an incantation.
The space behind him distorted slightly as several pitch-black whips made of condensed shadow energy formed out of thin air, letting out ear-piercing whistles as they lunged straight for Caesar's hidden location!
"...!"
Caesar sensed the danger.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, bursting out from the sandy ground and charging toward those shadow whips. At the same time, his claws lit up; his left claw was covered in deep shadows, while three purple energy blades extended from his right.
[Shadow Claw] vs [Dragon Claw]!
"Zzzzt—!"
The claws and energy whips collided violently in mid-air, producing a bone-chilling tearing sound.
Caesar's figure maneuvered through the Sandstorm, continuously shredding the incoming attacks while secretly observing Andorn.
After several exchanges, he discovered something strange:
Andorn's attacks were indeed sharp, each strike containing the destructive power of a Gold Rank powerhouse.
But... they lacked staying power.
His magic power fluctuations were very unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, giving the impression of an engine-overloaded machine that could stall at any moment.
This guy has a problem!
This thought flashed through Caesar's mind.
Recalling the previous ritual that absorbed Soul power, a bold guess formed in his heart.
Perhaps... he could give it a try.
Caesar deliberately slowed down by half a beat, revealing a small opening while dodging a shadow whip.
"Die!"
Andorn indeed took the bait. He seized the opportunity to merge all the remaining shadow whips into one, condensing them into a massive shadow spear that lunged fiercely toward Caesar's chest!
This strike was immensely powerful, blocking all of Caesar's paths of retreat.
Seeing that the attack was about to hit.
Caesar didn't dodge or evade, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
[Protect]!
Buzz!
A translucent blue energy shield instantly expanded in front of him.
Boom—!!!
The massive shadow spear slammed heavily against the shield, triggering a deafening roar. The dissipated energy sent the quicksand on the ground flying several meters high.
Caesar's figure remained steady behind the shield. Meanwhile, Andorn, who had launched the full-strength strike, clearly experienced a moment of exhaustion, his body floating in mid-air wobbling slightly.
The time has come!
Caesar withdrew [Protect], and his dragons maw opened once again.
[Dragon Pulse]!
A purple fan-shaped shockwave erupted from his mouth, hitting the exhausted Andorn dead center.
Andorn's movements paused for a split second, and his body tumbled backward uncontrollably.
Caesar's figure had already turned into an afterimage, appearing before him in an instant. That long-charged [Dragon Claw], carrying an aura that could tear through anything, clawed fiercely at his chest!
Andorn reacted quickly as well, instantly propping up a Bone Shield in front of him.
Crack!
The shield shattered. Caesar's claw continued with undiminished momentum, tearing fiercely into Andorn's chest and drawing a spray of blood! "...Cough!" Andorn let out a muffled groan, his entire body flying backward and slamming heavily into the pit wall.
Caesar landed and shook the blood off his claws, but his pursuit paused.
He stared at the System panel, his expression turning strange.
[Target: Andorn]
[Rank: LV.38 (↓)]
He was just Rank 39; how did he actually drop a Rank after this one claw strike?