The avatar was instantly annihilated, and the surrounding corrupted ecosystem was wiped out by extreme heat. Nothing remained, as matter and flesh were erased by the temperature and impact, and perception from that area was completely cut off.
"Hmph. A great undertaking does not worry about small details," Ludwig thought, stopping the erosion in that region. It was pointless anyway, and better to shift the power elsewhere. He would consume everything first, then defeat that dragon head-on.
"Sir, run!" In a massive Magic crater, a Gold Rank expert helped a blond young man in ornate armor to his feet. The man was filthy and bloodied, but forced himself upright as his guard panicked, praying nothing would happen to him.
Louis smiled bitterly. "Run? Where could we even run?" This was supposed to be an easy campaign to boost the reputation of the second prince, but instead the ecosystem turned hostile and his troops slaughtered each other.
Now, only with two Ascendant Hall-level bodyguards did they barely hold on. Even then, they were torn apart by a stronger spider monster. Space teleportation protections failed as well, with the space itself sealed.
"I won't get to see my sister again," Louis said quietly. Ignoring his guard's support, he the Lord moved forward, wiped his blade clean, and adjusted his appearance by its reflection. A round, earless raccoon cat was still drawn on his armor by his mischievous sister.
The giant spider monster had broken the line completely, devouring the two Ascendant Hall experts. Under its pressure, Louis's hand trembled, but he gripped his sword tighter. "I never believed in luck."
He mounted his white horse, still sane but trembling. "Believing in luck only makes you crave it again next time. But if it truly exists, then let a miracle come and wipe out the enemy. Otherwise, I would rather die charging forward."
He roared and led the last followers in a desperate charge, seeing the spider's mocking gaze. "Sorry, Sister. I broke my word this time… huh?" He paused as his guard yanked him and the horse back.
Behind them surged something unbelievable. A godlike torrent of orange-red, blazing white energy flooded down, engulfing the spider and turning it to charcoal amid its screams. A massive explosion followed, a kilometer-wide mushroom cloud rising as barriers barely held back the shockwave.
Heat and radiation expanded outward, and the gray-white monsters caught within were destroyed without regenerating. When the smoke cleared, Louis climbed a ring-shaped mound like a meteor crater. Looking down at where the spider had been, he found nothing left at all.
His lips moved slightly. "Huh? So it really exists?"
"We are close to the point where that attack originated, sir." "Good. Halt the march for now, reorganize on the spot, and send out scouts to check for any abnormalities like before."
A remnant force barely over a thousand entered a forest, and Louis had no other choice. The road they came from had long been cut off by that strange gray-white corrosion and the giant spider monsters. After some preparation, they realized the only direction without those dangers was the source of the powerful attack, which was easy to follow because it had left a massive trail.
They were shocked to discover that a mountain range marked on the map had been cut straight through, leaving a huge hollow. Judging from the distance and power of the attack, a Gold Rank expert could destroy a mountain with some effort, but to pierce through it instantly and extend for over a hundred miles, while killing a monster at least at the rank of Glory Crown, was another matter entirely. Among the powerful figures known to Louis, only a handful could accomplish such a feat.
No matter who or what that the Lord was, they had no other option left and could only grit their teeth and move forward. After advancing further, they noticed most vegetation was withered, the ground bare, and the temperature clearly higher than elsewhere. "Sir, besides the heat, we found explosive high-energy crystal minerals nearby." "…Anything else?" "No, but those earlier strange phenomena are gone."
Louis finally let out a breath, because as long as that earlier horror was absent, there was hope. The way back was likely sealed, so the only plan was to detour, circle around, and send word for help. There was also the matter of Ludwig, whose displayed power was terrifying, as he had not even acted personally yet still crushed two experts from Ascendant Hall, a situation that could affect the survival of the empire itself.
"Sir, one more thing. We found traces of spells nearby." "What?" Louis looked up, his heart skipping a beat. "Yes. Based on scout findings, there are people within twenty kilometers, and we found this, which we thought you should see."
A crystal appeared directly in his hand, and when Louis took it, he sensed Magic information inside. After carefully injecting Magic into it, the crystal shattered into a Shard, releasing the stored Magic. Delicate text formed in the air along with map coordinates, making the meaning clear.
"The the Lord here is inviting us to talk." "Sir, should we go, and if we do, should we bring…" Louis thought for a moment and waved his hand. "Just you and me. Two people are enough."
To show sincerity, they could not bring many, but they also could not go unguarded. This personal guard was a trusted aide and the strongest among those remaining. Louis himself was only at Silver, a level achieved through talent and heavy resources, which was clearly not enough now.
"If that the Lord is the one who launched the attack, then we should thank them first, no matter what."
He turned serious. "You, yes you, hide yourself and do not act rashly."
Several invisibility Magic were cast on Belial, who immediately understood and vanished before heading high into the air to observe. Lilith planned to take Bella to meet these uninvited guests. Detecting several thousand troops suddenly appearing near her domain had unsettled her, but sensing something wrong, she decided to ask directly.
Seeing the banners and decorations, Lilith could tell many of them were high-ranking officers or nobles of the Paraten Empire. There were capable individuals among them, so how they ended up like this needed explanation. Belial could not appear openly, and Bella's strong support abilities were useful, as she claimed she could judge lies through facial expressions and heart rate, which Lilith chose to accept for now.
As the most outwardly normal of the three, Lilith became the spokesperson. She sent a message via spatial magic and waited, while Bella formed an ornate table, chairs, and pavilion from metal to set the tone. Judging by their status, appearances still mattered.
A blond young man and a guard approached, with the guard stopping at a distance. The youth stepped forward and spoke, nearly breaking Lilith's composure. "Greetings. Thank you for your earlier help, I owe you a favor. Forgive my earlier lack of courtesy, I am the second prince of Paraten Empire, Louis Friffis."
He bowed respectfully and did not sit. "Please, have a seat." Lilith lifted her teacup to hide the twitch at the corner of her mouth.
There were only three royal children, two princes and one princess, and the second prince was essentially the heir. To someone of Lilith's level, the intelligence suggested the throne was practically decided. Faced with a likely future emperor, she still maintained her calm, as recent events had already stretched her nerves thin.
"Just call me Lilith." She nodded lightly in return. "Help? I do not recall helping you, and I do not acknowledge unfounded debts." "I can explain."
Louis remained polite and cautious toward someone who might have launched that attack. He explained how they came to purge the traitor Ludwig, only to encounter countless accidents, including being hunted by a monster above Glory Crown rank. At the moment of crisis, a massive orange-red attack destroyed the monster, and they followed its trail here.
"The environment is too strange. We suspect the third army commander used some blasphemous ritual or Magic, causing gray-white pollution of land and life. Only this area is safe."
Lilith lowered her head as if thinking, but those keywords already let her piece things together. That dragon's earlier stray breath had caused this much destruction, which was absurd. More alarming was that if it had deviated slightly, the second prince of Paraten Empire might have vanished entirely.
"There is one more thing," she said. "That third army commander, Ludwig, what else did he do?"
Louis caught the word "else" but calmly described the gray-white mutations, the warped ecology, and the powerful spider monsters. Lilith frowned, while Bella suddenly slammed the table and leaned forward. "Describe it in more detail. This is very important."
"When did you appear?" Louis was stunned, as this woman who resembled Lilith and carried no Magic aura seemed to have emerged from the metal floor itself. Bella tried to rush closer, only to be pulled back by Lilith with the Magic Staff.
"My apologies. This is a blood relative of mine, Bella. Please ignore her, let us continue." "Sit there and listen. Understood?" "…Sorry. Please continue."