High in the sky, black-and-gold dragon scales draped its body. Two pairs of hundred-meter wings—upper jet-black, lower pure-gold—stirred a colossal storm with every beat; the massive tail swayed in time.
"Roar!" Its two heads, one black, one gold, threw back their necks and bellowed at the heavens, as if announcing their arrival.
Crackle! Bolts of golden lightning danced over Malgoth's body; a faint cyclone appeared around it, swelling at terrifying speed.
Below, people stared at the black-and-gold twin-headed dragon visible even ten-thousand meters up, disbelief written across their faces.
They whipped out phones, zooming in to record Malgoth.
"What is that? How can dragons exist in this world!" On the street, a Fourth-level Awakener who had been fleeing froze mid-step at the sight of the skyborne twin-headed dragon.
From ancient times, humanity has dreamed of dragons; faced with one, the urge to run evaporated.
They only wanted to watch, to gaze upon a miraculous creature that shouldn't exist.
Of course, some recognized the dragon.
On another street, a pajama-clad middle-aged man stared in horror at the magnified image on his phone, face contorted. "It's the calamitous wyrm of legend—Malgoth! Records say it razes entire kingdoms wherever it goes!"
"Malgoth? That's just a myth—how can it be real?" Hearing the man's scream, a youth's face drained of color.
Its appearance was an ill omen; it brought disaster.
Rumble!
As if answering his fear, a breeze swept the city, quickening into a gale that surpassed Force 15 within seconds, yellow lightning crackling inside it.
A bolt struck a thirty-storey building a few hundred meters away; the tower shredded like paper into dust and rubble that scattered everywhere.
"Run!" The man bolted for the underground garage behind his complex, terror on his face.
Everyone nearby followed.
Whoosh! But the city-wide wind had matured into a hurricane; everything outdoors was swept up.
"Aah—help!" A man clung to a lamppost, screaming in panic.
Boom! The post tore free, slamming him at a hundred meters per second into a building behind.
Splat! Blood burst; before it could fall, the wind carried it away.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Yellow lightning rained upon the city; skyscrapers crumbled into ruins under the inhuman catastrophe.
A Fourth-level Awakener still in the streets paled; white energy flared around him, fending off the hurricane.
"This world's gone mad—mythic Malgoth actually appeared." He knew the twin-headed dragon; he'd grown up on its tales.
Bracing against the storm, he dashed outward—then the sky above him flashed yellow, and a bolt struck.
Boom! The road exploded into a ten-meter crater; the Awakener vaporized with the concrete.
Ten thousand meters up, on the Cloud Ray, the group watched the storm and lightning blanket the city below.
Han Qi's face showed shock: "Even if it's not Level Six, it's very close."
"So this is the might of Level Six?" Li Yong's eyes glinted as he stared at the apocalyptic scene.
Without turning, Jiang Yan said, "Malgoth's power comes straight from the mythical authority of heaven and earth. Who knows whether this legendary being or a modern Level Six is stronger?"
Malgoth had been manifested by the yang-fallen evil seal; Jiang Yan could only control it through that seal, unable to inspect stats like with other summoned Monsters.
Behind him, the others gazed with shining eyes at the titanic form flickering amid lightning and storm.
"Han Qi, notify An Conghao—all Monsters can move." Jiang Yan looked at Han Qi, eyes deep.
"Yes!" Han Qi whipped out his phone and contacted An Conghao at once.
Wei Gaocheng grinned in excitement. "It begins at last—conquering Anna Country so every power on Earth learns the terror of the Monster Association!"
Jiang Yan stared coldly at the capital now reduced to rubble, voice calm. "Blood Master, come down with me. The rest are free; tell Cloud Ray where you want to go."
Whoosh! The moment he finished, Wei Gaocheng grabbed Li Yong and Han Qi and leapt. "Haha, President, we're off!"
With a flap of wings behind him, he shot toward the neighboring city.
"Haha, time for a feast again. Tyrant, this king will take you carousing!" The King of the Deep Sea drooled fetid saliva.
After evolving, its appearance hadn't changed; all upgrades had gone to its abilities.
Oceanfront (Advanced): Summons a three-kilometer radius of sea; within it, the King of the Deep Sea instantly reaches peak condition!
The boost allowed a massive leap in power, letting it fight on its home turf.
Ignoring them, Jiang Yan dove toward the outskirts of the ruined capital.
Whoosh! His body plummeted; fierce wind screamed past his ears.
Swoosh! Huge bat wings unfurled behind him; Blood Master seized Jiang Yan's shoulder and flew downward.
Jiang Yan pointed at a distant hill faintly visible. "Head there."
"Got it." Blood Master nodded and sped that way.
Soon the two landed amid the mountains; Jiang Yan sank his consciousness inward.
The pearl of the abyss was full; he had to summon before the second Monster wave began, or it would be wasted.
pearl of the abyss: 204800/204800
"Negative emotions full. Summon?"
'Summon!' Jiang Yan willed.
Buzz! An invisible ripple spread; a purple-black cloud appeared out of thin air.
Rumble!
The cloud expanded to two meters and stopped; thunder rumbled from within.