The shockwave kept going, smashing into civilian areas outside the city. Buildings crumbled like wet cardboard, roofs tore away, and even the city walls, proud and mighty just moments ago, were reduced to ruins. Nothing remained standing as the devastating wave washed everything away.
Slowly, the blinding light faded.
A scorched trail remained, narrow at first, then widening to hundreds of meters, a deep trench carved through the land filled with melted rock and crystal fragments. Houses were tossed aside like toys, and the ground was flattened as though a hurricane had passed through.
As for the fortress of flesh that took a direct hit? Gone, totally vaporized without leaving even a single cell behind.
Belial slowly closed his mouth, steam escaping between his teeth. The power of this beam was much greater than his freezing breath, but it drained him heavily. After all, ice energy was abundant here in the north, basically free to use. This Atomic breath, though, came directly from his own energy stores.
It wasn't something he could use freely.
This single attack left a huge crater in front of him, the snow and ice completely gone. If he aimed it across the entire city, he'd have to redraw the entire map.
"Haven't used this move in a long time... definitely the atomic beam."
Even for Belial, who stood over fifty meters tall, fueled by G energy, and had eaten countless magical beasts, this move took a toll. He figured he could only fire it three or four more times before needing a break. Then, he'd be ready to go again.
In truth, his current form was perfect for siege warfare. If he spread enough crystal spines around, he could absorb energy from the environment, effectively becoming a living artillery battery.
The rewards from this battle were huge. Dozens of standard and elite experience packs, and even one large pack, shot his progress forward significantly. A few more fights like this, and he might unlock something powerful like an "The Ghost Godzill DNA."
"Next time, bring me something more challenging," he muttered.
Because he knew the enemies weren't gone for good.
Belial had already marked their locations on his map. With all those rewards popping up earlier, there was no way he'd let them get away.
If this were a typical web novel, he might get careless here, letting enemies escape to set up future drama. But he wasn't interested in letting enemies run, especially since they kept showing up with valuable loot.
Even if they came back stronger just to annoy him, he'd welcome it. They were walking treasure chests, after all.
Still, the fight had raised his caution. "This world isn't simple… they deliberately targeted my freezing breath."
He clearly remembered his enemy blocking his ice attack with some weird power. Normally, even that massive lump of flesh should've been easy prey, but something changed. It resisted and even absorbed his attack.
This meant the enemy could adapt. This time, they neutralized his ice breath. Next time, who knew, maybe an anti-space weapon or a bacteria that devoured magic?
The possibility alone was enough to make him wary. After all, logic didn't always apply here. Even random background characters could suddenly have dangerous trump cards because the story demanded it.
Sure, stumbling onto some powerful treasure would be nice. But this battle made him realize something important, he wasn't at the top just yet.
"So right now, my main goal is still getting the Ghost Godzilla Dna"
Even though he didn't know exactly what it will do, it obviously boosted his strength and survivability. But there was one small issue.
"I'm running out of experience packs."
He glanced at the map. Most red dots had vanished after his rampage. A few small targets remained scattered, but hunting them wouldn't yield enough experience for another upgrade. This put Belial in a tough spot.
He wanted more XP, but with no enemies, there was nothing to farm. Once he cleaned up the stragglers, what was left?
Why did this happen? It was simple, his fault.
Trevor had invested too heavily in that giant flesh dragon. Once it was destroyed, the rest of his monsters weren't enough for another assault. Besides, he still had to deal with the Ice Spirit's forces. Belial's rampage had wiped out most of Trevor's elites, ruining the massive ritual completely.
Still, the core ritual had to go on. Trevor redirected his resources and canceled smaller rituals. Like a player who gave up chasing rare pulls and now just aimed to finish a basic deck, his new plan was straightforward, survive.
Everyone now understood that the terrifying dragon was targeting their rituals specifically. Nobody knew why, but their plans were falling apart fast.
If this kept up, they'd have nothing left.
So Trevor decided to hide. To stall.
Honestly? He was terrified.
Suddenly, a flaming hole ripped open in the air, and a bloodied corpse flew out. Malrik hit the ground, leaving a bloody smear behind. A giant foot stomped down on him.
"I warned you… that dragon isn't simple," Trevor hissed through clenched teeth, his face pale beneath his hood.
"Hah… it was even more beautiful than I imagined," Malrik groaned, losing his insane grin. Black sludge flowed from his severed arm, rapidly regrowing a new limb. He reached for his cracked skull, pried it open, and rearranged his brain until his memories returned.
"First time I've ever seen a creature like that… a dragon, huh? So dragons can look like that..."
"Enough!" Trevor snapped. "You knew the risk of using the Ice Spirit's magic soul!"
Trevor's anger burned around him, but he still controlled himself. Malrik's failure wasn't surprising. Trevor had expected it, even knowing Malrik had done everything possible. They simply couldn't harm the dragon.
Besides, killing the dragon wasn't the real objective. Their goal was completing the ritual, to unlock the small platform sealing something beyond this world.
If they succeeded, what did it matter if the dragon exploded later?
Truthfully, they didn't even know the dragon's real strength yet, it had ended the battle too quickly. They got no useful data.
"I know your concern," Malrik said tiredly. "Using the Ice Spirit's power attracts attention, maybe the real Ice Elemental already noticed."
Fully healed, Malrik relaxed in his chair. "Sure, the dragon's an issue, but remember, our enemies might not see it as an ally."
"Good plan, let them fight each other," Trevor responded. "But the dragon hasn't attacked humans yet. What if they team up instead?"
"Simple," Malrik smiled, sipping his coffee. "Give them a reason. Tell them the dragon is after forbidden power, or that the Ice Spirit wants its core back..."
He glanced toward the hidden chamber holding the magic soul, their ritual's heart. His smile turned sly. "Easy. Just return what's theirs. Send the soul back."