Chapter 542: Cataclysm
“Boom—”
With a thunderous crash, the mountain hundreds of meters tall began to tilt, then collapsed in a slow, crushing fall, vanishing into a storm of dust and debris. The Red Dragon’s body was swallowed whole beneath the avalanche—buried under shifting stone and smoke-choked air, its exact location now utterly obscured.
Yet as the Seize-possessed Abyssal Lord, Jelrazaks, could pierce any veil. He saw through all illusions, perceiving the very essence of all things.
“Roar—!”
“Kai Xiusu! Face the Final Judgment!”
Jelrazaks roared, spreading his wings—vast enough to blot out the sky—and stretching his serpentine tail like a mountain range. From a height of tens of thousands of meters, the colossal Abyssal Dragon plummeted toward the earth like a collapsing peak, descending with the weight of a collapsing world.
As it fell, friction with the air ignited the dragon’s body, generating temperatures of thousands of degrees. Its wings blazed like sheets of burning sky, tearing through the heavens as they plunged downward.
The sky and earth were torn apart by a chaotic hurricane—space itself was ripped open, screaming in agony as the world trembled.
In an instant, every living being across Anzeta felt the crushing pressure of wind. Trees snapped. Cliffs crumbled. Even the Silver Dragon was forced down, its head unable to lift, its massive claws sinking deep into the ground. Some fragile creatures were crushed instantly—bones shattered, flesh torn to ribbons.
Pablicheko flapped his wings wildly, staring up at the sky in horror. “By Bahamut, get away! This is beyond anything we can withstand!”
The ancient Silver Dragon unleashed a spherical beam of light, instantly breaking free from dozens of demons that had ensnared him. Without hesitation, he cast a Teleportation Spell, tearing open a massive spatial rift.
Gold Dragons, Silver Dragons, Copper Dragons—flocks of them—flew into the portal, fleeing the battlefield. Celestial Beings shimmered with starlight, their forms flickering as they desperately fled, pushing themselves to the limit to escape the Abyssal Dragon’s presence.
The Stellar Envoy tore off a long scroll from his robes, scribbling frantically as he whispered in desperation:
“My Lord… I beg you—send forth an Envoy. Our strength as your faithful is no longer enough. This… this is a Divine Abomination!”
“His Majesty,” Lanpu murmured, gazing upward at the oncoming shadow. His expression was grave—unusually so, even for one who had unwavering faith in the Emperor. Doubt flickered in his heart.
Could such a monster—such a Divine Abomination—really be defeated?
But the Cannibal Magician quickly snapped back into action. He raised his Scepter, and the Skeleton Necklace at his chest flared with radiant aura.
“Run! Get out of here—do not come near this battlefield!”
A group Teleportation spell.
With a shower of arcane light, the Empire’s Dragon Holy Knights, Dragonfly Legion, and Dragon Oath Mages—its core forces—vanished in an instant, retreating dozens of miles away.
As for the Players? They weren’t a priority. After all, they were all “Undead.”
The tens of thousands of elite Players still locked in battle with demons suddenly felt the ground tremble. They looked up—and froze.
“Holy crap?”
“What the hell is that?!”
“Meteorite’s hitting the planet!”
Players with Teleportation Scrolls tore them open without hesitation. Those without scrambled desperately—flying, sprinting, fleeing for their lives.
“Hummm—”
Closer and closer, the Abyssal Dragon descended. The wind pressure grew unbearable. Kai Xiusu remained buried beneath the ruins.
The sky darkened. The earth cracked. The world itself seemed to shudder.
It was the end of all things.
And at last, the people understood why that crimson dragon called itself the World-Destroying Dragon.
Then, with a deafening roar, the Abyssal Dragon slammed into the ruins—its obsidian shadow colliding with the earth.
“Boom—!”
The ground erupted. A colossal explosion surged skyward, swallowing everything in a wall of black smoke and fire. Sunlight vanished beneath the storm.
Chaos surged outward in a devastating shockwave, spreading across miles in an instant. Trees were ripped from their roots. Mountains collapsed outward. Debris flew like shrapnel. The earth cracked open, lava geysered upward, and massive rocks shot into the sky—then fell back down as burning meteors.
The entire Anstica Mountains, indeed all of Anzeta, trembled beneath the force. Jelrazaks’ dive had already left irreversible scars on the land. Even the Metal Dragons and Celestial Legions, who had fled earlier, felt the tremors deep in their bones.
All life within the blast radius was erased—reduced to ash. No trace remained of the Players, soldiers, or demons caught in the maelstrom.
A crater, several miles wide, opened on the earth, filled with shattered rock and rivers of molten magma.
“Gods above…”
“By Bahamut…”
“A Divine Abomination—this is its true power! No mortal can withstand it!”
“Lord of the Northern Wind… am I still in the Third Era?”
Metal Dragons, Celestial Beings, Empire followers, and the few surviving elite Players stared in stunned horror at the devastation. In the face of such a monster—such a Divine Abomination—every mortal effort felt meaningless.
At the Empire’s temporary frontline position, Olivia stared at the rising dust cloud. Her blue-gray eyes widened, her expression filled with dread.
Even the Red Dragon—always victorious—could not survive such a cataclysmic strike, could it?
“Kai Xiusu…” she thought, despair and fear spreading through her soul. She felt utterly lost.
Then—
“Roar—!”
A familiar, piercing dragon cry rang out from within the dust cloud, echoing across Anstica.
“That’s—” Olivia’s face lit up with shock and joy. Tears welled in her eyes.
Even the Metal Dragons, Celestial Beings, Empire followers, and the surviving Players turned to the sky, shouting in disbelief.
“Look!”
“It’s King Kai Xiusu!”
“The Red Dragon’s still alive!”
From the cloud, the Red Dragon burst forth, wings unfurling as it soared upward.
Kai Xiusu’s body pulsed with fragments of Spatial Spirit Light. His scales shimmered with golden luster, wreathed in endless flame.
At the moment Jelrazaks struck the ground, Kai Xiusu had used his Divine Power to resist the tide of Chaos, unleashing the Egg of Protection and fleeing into an alternate dimension. Within that realm, he cast Immortal Scales, Flame Spirit Shield, and other protective spells before returning to the Material Plane.
But now, from the dust, a monstrous shadow emerged—Jelrazaks’ head, looming and grotesque, rising like a nightmare from the ruins.
“Roar—!”
The Abyssal Dragon opened its maw—ten meters wide, dripping with blood—and exhaled thick, black smoke in a furious roar.
“Cowardly undead! I will break your wings, crush your head, and tear you apart with my own claws!”
Its head alone was nearly thirty meters long—almost as large as Kai Xiusu’s entire body. Within that stench-filled maw, a vortex of Chaos Black Smoke spun, pulling in everything around it.
The Red Dragon snapped its wings, accelerating with a burst of dazzling flame jets from its limbs and wings.
“Crack!”
The Abyssal Dragon’s jaws snapped shut—empty. But instantly, its massive claw slashed sideways through the air, trailing smoke and fire, aimed at Kai Xiusu.
“Hummm—!”
The air split with sound. Kai Xiusu extended his wings laterally, slicing through the sky in a crimson arc—just barely dodging the claw.
The Red Dragon twisted mid-air, its chest glowing fiercely as the Dragon Crystal flared. With a roar, it opened its maw and unleashed a blinding column of white fire.
“Boom—!”
The explosion tore through the Abyssal Dragon’s shoulder, flipping back its dark red scales and scorching vast patches of purple-black flesh black.
Jelrazaks roared again, wings flaring wide. A violent gale swept through the sky, lashing at Kai Xiusu.
But the Red Dragon tucked its wings close, tightened its body, and extended its tail—its front pulsing with silver-white radiance.
It pierced the storm like a spear, resisting the Chaos energy. Then, with a second dive, it struck back.
“Boom!”
A red streak shot across the sky. Another wound appeared on the Abyssal Dragon’s massive body.
Yet as the battle raged, the Abyssal Power grew denser—so thick it began to destabilize the very edicts of the Material Plane. Kai Xiusu felt his breath grow short. His strength was being crushed.
He let out a low growl, then slammed his wings, rocketing backward tens of meters.
He dodged another tail strike—but the tail’s tip still slashed across his body with terrifying speed.
“Shhh—!”
Golden-red scales and intense heat burst into the air as crimson blood sprayed. A deep gash, several meters long, tore across the Red Dragon’s chest.
Dragon’s Resurgence!
Kai Xiusu reared back, letting out a long, triumphant roar. Golden light poured down from above, sealing the wound and purging the Abyssal Black Smoke.
But the dark red claw came again—fueled by Chaos currents—followed by sharp, blade-like ripples of black energy. Kai Xiusu leapt upward once more, barely escaping.
Behind him, the mountain was completely sheared off, collapsing in a clean, brutal cut.
Kai Xiusu was clearly on the defensive. He could only flee, unable to counterattack, constantly brushing against death.
Jelrazaks sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
“Hahaha! Red Dragon! Stop fighting—your fate is sealed!”
Kai Xiusu dodged another claw strike, his voice cold.
“Is that so, Jelrazaks?”
Then—
From the distant sky, an aura of terrifying presence erupted. Space rippled. Stellar radiance flooded the heavens. Phantom images began to form, solidifying in the air.
Jelrazaks and Kai Xiusu both turned toward the sky.
Kai Xiusu whispered:
“Of course… they couldn’t ignore this. The Abyss has invaded. And I warned them in advance. They’re even more numerous than I thought.”
A deep, echoing gong rang through the air. A silent, jubilant chorus rose.
A human male phantom appeared at the edge of the sky—wearing chainmail, missing his right hand, wielding a gleaming silver warhammer with his remaining arm. A radiant white light shone above his brow.
It was the manifestation of God of Justice, Tyr, the Just.
Then came a soft, mournful cry. A frail man, clad only in a loincloth, emerged from the scorched ruins below. His face was etched with compassion, his body a map of scars, open wounds, burns, and the marks of endless torment.
The manifestation of God of Weeping, The Sufferer—Ilmat, the One on the Gallows.
Finally, a cold northern wind swept through the sky, scattering storm clouds. From the horizon, a long, serpentine White Gold Dragon emerged—its wings vast, its eyes glowing like the summer sky in cerulean light.
The manifestation of White Gold Dragon God Bahamut.
Tyr, Ilmat, and Bahamut—the Holy Trinity.
They appeared in times of world-ending disasters, saving mortals from fire and flood. To mortals, they were the ultimate hope.
Now, all three had descended—united to face this monstrous Divine Abomination.
“It’s our Lord!”
“King Bahamut!”
“The Holy Trinity! The world is saved!”
Metal Dragons and celestial warriors roared in joy. To their faithful hearts, the arrival of the Deity meant salvation—meaning the end of all darkness.
Jelrazaks’ eyes burned with hatred. Crimson-black vengeance flames erupted from his pupils. The ground beneath him split open, glowing fiercely.
“Justice Three Gods…”
He ground his teeth so hard it seemed they might shatter. Black smoke poured from his nostrils and mouth, his voice a ragged whisper from deep in his throat.
Jelrazaks roared upward, unleashing a Chaos Gale that swept across the earth, forming a dragon-shaped shadow thousands of meters tall.
His gaze flicked toward Kai Xiusu—like a predator watching prey caught in a net.
But his eyes burned with pure fury when they fell upon the Divine Manifestations.
“Again… you! Ten thousand years ago, it was you—the inconvenient obstacles! Arrogant, self-proclaimed gods! When the Great Abyssal Will destroys all things, you will not escape. You will become nourishment for the new world!”
The Abyssal Dragon heaved a heavy breath, turning its head toward the Red Dragon.
With a claw, Jelrazaks pointed at the solidifying phantom images, his face twisted in cruel, vile hatred.
“Kai Xiusu… is this your salvation? You think summoning Divine Manifestations can stop me? You don’t understand—Deities are not omnipotent. That’s just the fantasy of ignorant mortals. Only the Abyss is the All-Powerful. The Inevitable Fate!”
The Abyssal Dragon raised its head, wings flaring. Its 300-meter-long body surged into the air, tearing through the sky with a storm of devastation.
“Revenge—”
“Destruction—”
“Finality!”
A chorus of maniacal roars erupted from its throat—layered, endless, like the howling winds of the abyss itself.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
