Chapter 399: Release the Mountain Dragon!
Chapter 399: Release the Mountain Dragon!
"Gerald!"
Even as she realized she might have been deceived, Elusa's first instinct was to worry about Gerald's safety.
But just as she took a few steps, she suddenly stopped, "What... is this?"
A dark red incantation, like a spiritual snake or a chain, wrapped around Elusa's body.
"My body... I can't move!"
It wasn't just that she couldn't move; the ground beneath Elusa's feet suddenly cracked, revealing a magic crystal hidden within the floor.
The dark red chain was dragging Elusa towards the magic crystal, and her toes had already merged into it! Elusa couldn't even move a finger, completely unable to struggle or resist.
"Elusa?" Mila took a few steps closer, "It's an incantation, a restraining one! When was this written?"
Elusa's mind flashed back to Gerald's subtle movements during their conversation, which she had assumed were involuntary spasms caused by his wound. She never imagined he was actually setting up an incantation.
She had been deceived.
Whether it was 'opening her heart' or 'twin brothers', it was all lies; he had been deceiving her until the very end!
"Wuu..." Elusa bit her lip as a tear rolled down her left eye.
The process of merging with the magic crystal seemed painful, but it was nothing compared to the agony in her heart.
Mila grabbed Elusa's hand and pulled her forcefully out of the magic crystal.
She didn't know how to undo the incantation, so she picked Elusa up in a princess carry and decided to figure it out after they left.
"Mila..." Elusa called out softly, then bit her lip again. The usually strong Fairy Queen now appeared especially vulnerable.
A mix of grievance and helplessness flowed out with her tears.
Not only had she failed to save Gerald, but she had also put her companions in danger. If Rod had been just a little slower, allowing Gerald's thought form to return and regain his magic power...
They would have faced a formidable opponent, no weaker than Joseph, and this time without the entire guild working together.
Why had the gentle Gerald become like this?
Mila might have sensed Elusa's reluctance to show her tears to others, so she adjusted her hold, burying Elusa's face in her neck.
She patted Elusa's shoulder gently and said softly, "It's okay, it's over. We're here for you. Everyone's waiting outside; let's go home."
First Happy, then Elusa, Rod realized that today was not his day, as someone kept taking his position.
But he forgave them, understanding their emotional state.
Just then, the three of them received a 'call'.
To be precise, it was a Thought Message, but this magic seemed more polite than Volen's.
They could choose to ignore it or even 'block' the caller, preventing them from calling again.
Perhaps this person's Thought Message skill was not as good as Volen's.
All three of them decided to answer, and Simon's voice rang out, "Can you hear me? It's Simon!"
"Simon?" Elusa was still unaware that Simon had been on their side from the start, so she was a little surprised.
"Elusa, are you okay? That's great!"
Rod urged him to get to the point, "What's the situation there?"
"The guards are taken care of. Varis and Milanna... they've joined us. Xiu has been carried out, and those larvae have started eating away at the Paradise Tower. We can leave anytime."
In truth, none of them knew the real situation yet; they had all voluntarily joined this side while unconscious.
They hadn't objected, so it was considered voluntary. They could explain everything once they woke up.
"Alright, retreat immediately. We don't know the full extent of Archmage Spirit Energy yet, so run as far as you can. Let Juvia use her magic to push the ship, and if all else fails, have Lucy call for Akinya's help!"
"We'll die!" Lucy's voice chimed in with a sarcastic comment.
"We understand. What about you?"
"We'll fly out immediately and leave right away!"
"You're not going anywhere!" Gerald managed to stand, but his steps were unsteady.
Blood streamed down his forehead, covering the dark red markings on his face. One eye was tightly shut, unable to open. The wound on his neck continued to bleed, staining half of his body.
With his hideous and frenzied expression, he looked like a demon freshly crawled out of hell.
Elusa shouted, "Give up, Gerald! It's over!"
But Gerald wasn't listening. He raised his hands high:
"It's not over! My dream has just begun! Great Jelf, I will offer this woman's flesh to you!"
Terrifying magic surged from Gerald's body, not used for self-preservation, but instead gathering on his hands.
"You will die!"
"In the Paradise Tower, everyone will merge into one! There's nothing to fear in death!"
Gerald struck a pose as if setting the sky ablaze, and a black sphere with a diameter of over a meter appeared above his head.
The black sphere slowly rotated, like a black hole, attracting all the light from the wall lamps and chandeliers around it.
A calm floor suddenly stirred up a fierce wind.
Rod and Mila had to brace themselves to stand firm, and their shadows stretched not along the light but in the opposite direction.
Mila tightly hugged Elusa and tried to back away. She warned, "Be careful! If you get sucked in, you'll be crushed!"
"Let him suck!" Rod held a pendant and stood in front of Mila. "Summon, Mountain Dragon!"
Hum~
A heart-pounding, earthy yellow magic spread out from the pendant.
A massive creature descended, maintaining a pose with its wings folded and lying on the ground. The once spacious room suddenly felt cramped.
The magic power on Rod and the others instantly vanished, and Gerald's remaining eye widened in shock, "This is... a dragon?"
As if awakened, the Mountain Dragon opened its eyes, its brown vertical pupils staring at Gerald.
The proud and cold gaze made Gerald shiver, and the speed at which his magic gathered seemed to slow down.
"Roar~" The Mountain Dragon exhaled lightly, propping up its body and flapping its wings twice.
For it, this might have been a simple yawn or stretch, but it caused the floor to tremble.
Its wings shattered the walls on both sides, and its head pierced through the ceiling. Countless fragments of stone and magic crystals fell, some rolling down its broad spine.
Rod dodged backwards a few steps and looked up to meet the gaze of the Mountain Dragon as it turned its head.
Its puzzled expression seemed to ask, 'Why did you summon me in such a narrow place?'
Unbeknownst to it, this simple action was incredibly powerful.
The outer wall of the Paradise Tower was already shattered by its wings, and now, with this turn, the entire tower spire was lifted by the Mountain Dragon.
Accompanied by violent tremors and the crackling sound of breaking structures, the spire seemed like a broken toy, flipping over and falling downward.
Rod's first reaction was to shout through Simon's communication line, "Run! Get away! The spire is falling!"
After shouting, Rod turned to the Mountain Dragon and said,
"That blue-feathered one is the enemy! Destroy this tower! There's an extremely powerful attack coming, let's retreat for now!"
Finally, with a legitimate reason for summoning it, the Mountain Dragon turned its head back. Without the obstruction above, its movements were smooth.
"You dare destroy the tower I built over eight years..." Gerald's anger surged, for Jelf, for creating an absolutely free world...
"Even a dragon cannot be forgiven!"
"Dark Paradise!"
Gerald forcefully pushed out the black sphere, which had expanded to a diameter of two meters. The sphere continued to expand, revealing countless stars and crescent moons within.
It was as if he had thrown out not magic but a miniature universe.
The Mountain Dragon didn't dodge or evade, allowing the 'mini universe' to collide with its body, causing a violent explosion.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
