Before Narkus's stunned eyes,
Raine actually tanked his Thunder Serpent head-on—without suffering so much as a scratch!
Not only that, Raine's speed never slowed. Like a bone-clinging curse, he latched straight onto Krug!
"It's over."
A cold voice rang out by Krug's ear.
Raine's right hand came together, fingers forming a blade. With the combat art Riftpierce Thrust, he stabbed directly into the crack in Krug's stone skin!
Pshhk!
His fingertips pierced through, driving straight into Krug's heart!
Violent blood energy mixed with crackling lightning detonated inside Krug's body!
Krug's massive frame shuddered violently. The ferocious light in his eyes scattered in an instant as he lowered his head in disbelief, staring at Raine.
He tried to speak, but only great mouthfuls of blood poured out.
[Ding! Killed Elite-rank Boulder Beetle. Bloodstone +2590]
Raine casually plucked Krug's ring from his hand, then kicked his corpse toward the city wall.
"Krug!"
Narkus's eyes split wide with fury.
The lightning runes in his pupils flared to life. Arcs of electricity surged around him, shifting from white to deep violet as his aura forcefully touched the threshold of Expert rank!
This was his trump-card secret technique—one that inflicted massive damage on his own body. But at this moment, he no longer cared!
"Ant! Die for me!"
A shrieking Soul-Annihilating Thunder, carrying utterly destructive power, blasted toward Raine!
This strike had already surpassed the Elite tier!
Raine did not dare to be careless. He fully activated the Obsidian Golem Body, bringing the Blackglow War Spear across his chest to block.
But at that critical instant—
"Impudent!"
The Bonecrusher Quin, watching from above, could no longer restrain himself.
His terrifying Master-9 power merged with shadow energy, forming a heaven-covering giant palm that came crashing down, intent on erasing Raine completely!
How could Aaron possibly let that succeed?
"You old bastard, you've really got no shame left, huh?!"
Aaron roared.
His body shot skyward like a cannonball. The long blade at his waist leapt from its sheath.
A cyan blade aura, compressed to the absolute extreme, slashed upward in defiance—splitting that giant palm apart by force!
BOOOOM!!!
The collision of two cataclysmic forces shook the heavens themselves!
Meanwhile, on the battlefield below, Narkus's Soul-Annihilating Thunder had already reached Raine!
At that moment, a sharp, piercing cry rang out as a griffin phantom suddenly let out a scream.
Its enormous form charged straight into the dark thunder, rushing toward Narkus at a terrifying speed!
BANG—!!!
The Soul-Annihilating Thunder and the griffin phantom vanished simultaneously!
The horrifying shockwave of the explosion completely shredded Narkus—who hadn't even had time to retreat—into fragments!
[Ding! Killed Elite-rank Soul Devourer. Bloodstone +2750!]
Raine reacted instantly, lunging forward to grab the ring that flew from Narkus's body.
At the same time, he himself was blasted backward, blood spraying from his mouth.
Yet he used the momentum to shoot backward toward Aaron's direction.
"What genius my ass! Just a bunch of trash chickens and dogs!"
"Alien-race scum—utterly worthless!"
Without even looking back, he fled at full speed toward Iron Dragon Fortress.
"Chase him! Grind him to dust!"
Quin trembled with rage, roaring furiously.
Several terrifying Master-rank auras surged up from Crimson City, preparing to pursue.
Aaron snorted coldly and pointed his long blade forward.
The full might of a peak Master-rank erupted without restraint. Though alone, he stood like ten thousand soldiers blocking the path of pursuit.
"If you want to pass—ask my blade first."
He cast a cold glance at Quin, who was shaking with rage, then looked at the corpses of the so-called geniuses on the ground, a faint curve lifting at the corner of his mouth.
Immediately after, he slashed several streaks of cyan light toward Crimson City, disrupting any possible pursuit.
His figure flickered, turning into a streak of green light as he chased after Raine.
Before Crimson City, silence reigned.
Those corpses—once hailed as the city's pride—wordlessly testified to the shocking massacre that had just occurred.
On the city walls, countless alien-race warriors stood pale-faced and stunned.
The geniuses they had pinned all their hopes on… were slaughtered like chopping vegetables by that human youth?
Quin stood in place, his expression dark enough to drip water.
"Raine! Aaron! I will make you pay in blood!"
Outside Crimson City, on the barren wasteland.
Raine sprinted at full speed toward Iron Dragon Fortress.
"Move fast! Those old monsters won't let this go!"
Aaron said gravely.
Sure enough, from the direction of Crimson City, several overwhelmingly powerful auras were rapidly closing in!
A group of Master- and Expert-rank powerhouses swept toward them.
At that moment, several figures appeared on the horizon ahead, flying straight toward them!
They were none other than Highland Commander Tetra, Antonio, Dennis, and three more Expert-rank officers with imposing auras!
Seeing them, Aaron immediately joined up with the six, positioning Raine firmly behind them.
From behind, led by the violently raging Soul Devourer Quin, six alien-race powerhouses arrived as well. The two sides confronted each other in midair above the wasteland.
The clash of their terrifying pressures caused frost to form even on the sand below.
Tetra and the others noticed the thick scent of blood clinging to Raine.
They exchanged glances, each seeing the same shock in the others' eyes.
"Aaron… this kid really killed the alien-race geniuses?"
Dennis's booming voice carried disbelief and excitement.
Aaron slowly nodded.
"Crimson City's four strongest geniuses—all dead in front of the city gates."
"Hiss…"
Even veterans who had weathered countless storms couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
Tetra looked at Raine as if gazing upon a priceless treasure.
Antonio and the others burst into laughter, openly expressing their admiration.
At Aaron's signal, Black Falcon turned and walked over to Raine.
"Kid, well done. We'll withdraw first—leave this to them."
"Alright."
Raine nodded.
Right now, the priority was to digest the gains, stabilize his rank, and raise his strength.
He nodded respectfully to the captains, then turned and sped off toward Iron Dragon Fortress.
"Trying to leave?!"
Across from them, Skullcrusher Quin's eyes were bloodshot.
He had valued Narkus immensely—his faction's future hope!
Now, slain publicly like this—such humiliation was unbearable!
With a furious roar, he prepared to charge forward regardless of cost!
"Quin! Your opponent is us!"
Aaron shouted coldly, cyan blade aura tearing through the sky.
Tetra and the others roared in unison as multicolored Nex radiance surged skyward!
Some heavy as mountains, others violent as raging flames—the five stood fearless, firmly blocking the six opposing powerhouses!
"Aaron! Is your Seventh Division, Scarlet Wall Patrol, trying to start a full-scale war?!"
Quin roared, launching a mental assault.
"War?"
Antonio snorted. "Your geniuses were the ones shouting about hunting our soldiers first. We didn't stop them."
"They got counter-killed, and now you can't handle losing and start barking like dogs—aren't you afraid the alien races of the Evernight Mountains and the Abyss will laugh themselves to death?"
Those words struck directly at Quin's weak spot, darkening the faces of the alien-race powerhouses even further.
Aaron said nothing—but the mockery in his eyes drove Quin even closer to madness.
"Courting death!"
A heaven-covering giant claw slammed down toward Aaron!
Aaron's gaze sharpened, his blade humming.
A cyan blade line, compressed to the extreme, slashed upward—seemingly splitting heaven and earth apart!
BOOOOM!!!
The collision of peak Master-rank powers was like two meteors crashing together!
A terrifying shockwave swept across the wasteland, the ground splitting open as dust and smoke billowed skyward!
Above the barren plains, a high-level melee erupted in an instant!
Nex energy raged wildly, turning the heavens and earth upside down!
…