NOVEL NEXT Chapter 422: Deaths
Even Magi, who was sprawled flat upon the cold stone floor, barely managed to stay conscious, his life-saving inner armor shimmering faintly as it strained to keep him alive.
His breath came in shallow gasps as he muttered weakly, "Damn it… this… can't be… how I go…"
Orion, however, did not have the luxury of despair. He painfully forced himself up from the cracked stone wall where he had crashed, coughing blood onto the ground as he grasped the Offensive Scroll.
His eyes focused upon the monster, holding deathly killing intent as if someone had tarnished the majesty of an emperor. His mana surged frantically, rapidly flooding the intricate runes etched upon the scroll.
"Please let this be enough…" Orion whispered through gritted teeth, channeling his mana without hesitation.
Instantly, the scroll ignited brilliantly, illuminating the cavern with a dazzling, almost divine radiance.
The runes burst into golden brilliance, summoning a massive, ethereal sword high above Orion's battered figure.
The radiant sword grew swiftly, its enormous form stretching tens of meters in length, emitting an incomparably sharp and domineering aura that seemed capable of cleaving the heavens themselves.
All eyes widened in awe, desperation, and hope, fixated entirely upon the majestic sword hanging ominously in mid-air.
Even the terrifying serpent paused momentarily, its massive body rearing up, glaring hatefully at the sword that threatened its very existence.
Then, without warning, the sword began its devastating descent, slashing down with unstoppable momentum, a thunderous roar echoing throughout the cavern.
The serpent, sensing a mortal threat, reared back its head and emitted a ferocious, hissing roar.
It opened its enormous maw, unleashing an immense torrent of greenish-black gas, clearly imbued with the terrifying essence of the Law it had partially comprehended, be it Decay or Poison, attempting to corrode or nullify the descending attack.
Everyone's breath caught painfully in their chests, hearts pounding wildly, their gazes fixated upon the clash unfolding before them.
This was their final chance, their single hope for survival. If Orion's attack failed, all that awaited them was certain death.
Yet, the descending sword seemed utterly indifferent to the monstrous beast's attempt at defense.
With unstoppable force and divine might, it sliced cleanly through the gas, splitting the toxic torrent apart like paper.
The serpent's eyes widened in terror, hissing frantically, twisting its enormous form desperately, yet utterly incapable of evading, as if the descending sword had locked onto it.
The sword continued its descent mercilessly, slicing directly through the beast's massive body. A final, deafening roar reverberated throughout the cavern before abruptly cutting off, replaced by an eerie, deathly silence.
The enormous serpentine body fell slowly, splitting cleanly into multiple parts that crashed thunderously onto the ground, sending tremors through the cavern floor.
Thick blood pooled rapidly beneath its lifeless corpse, seeping into the ancient stone. The oppressive aura instantly vanished, replaced by stunned silence.
Everyone, humans, Beastkin, and Orion's group alike, stood frozen in shock, their eyes wide, mouths agape, breaths paused.
No one dared move, afraid that any sudden motion might revive the beast.
Orion stared at the lifeless corpse of the Exalted-grade serpent, his heartbeat thundering in his ears.
His breath came out in ragged, heavy pants, his body wracked with pain from the broken bones. But a wave of relief washed over him, which only subsided when he looked at the state of his club members.
Sylvia was the first to break the silence, her voice shaking slightly, disbelief and awe mingled in her tone as she struggled to stand up straight, "We… survived?"
Elias, still kneeling from exhaustion, laughed weakly, relief flooding his expression, "Looks like his scroll really saved us this time."
Rina and Fiora exchanged glances filled with lingering fear. Fiora was the least affected among them due to her Draconian Bloodline. She was more closely related to True Dragons than the serpentine monster.
Arya's shoulders slumped as a wave of relief washed over her, "Brother Orion… thank goodness."
The feeling that was coming out from Nyss's body slowly faded, while her mind seemed to be struck with lightning as she forgot about this unspeakable power all of a sudden. She turned to look at Orion as she also slumped to the ground and smiled in relief.
At the far side, Rokar gritted his teeth in frustration. Though humiliated by being saved by Orion, even he couldn't help but secretly admit that he would have faced certain death had Orion not killed the beast.
Kazran just silently stared at Orion, his hair standing on end as he imagined what would have happened if he had forced Orion into a dead end before. 'I'm afraid he…might have wiped out my entire group.'
Myra, on the other hand, had the most different reaction from the entire group; she was the only one who had managed to raise her head and see Orion transforming into his Draconian form, and she also felt that it wasn't a normal Draconian as well.
She had seen her fair share of Draconians and also fought with a few of them. Even if she couldn't defeat them on the same level, she wasn't far behind them. But Orion…he was in a league of his own.
Even against the others in Orion's group, she had the confidence in fighting and even winning against them on the same level. But Orion, she couldn't fathom how strong he would be once he reached the same level as her.
Only two words could describe what she felt looking at Orion: Fascination and Fear.
In the silence that lingered, Orion finally allowed his body to relax, looking directly at the fallen beast; his voice was filled with exhaustion and a sense of triumph, "It's dead. Finally…"
Orion's breathing gradually calmed down as he slowly forced his battered body upright, ignoring the searing agony radiating from his cracked bones.
The surrounding chamber remained eerily quiet, broken only by the heavy panting and relieved sighs from everyone.
They began tending to their injuries, swiftly retrieving healing treasures and potions, each member of Orion's group carefully supporting the other.
Nyss and Sylvia were sat down on the spot to recover their strength, while Arya, Rina, and Fiora regrouped to check each other's wounds, relief evident in their expressions.
Shaking his head slightly to clear the lingering dizziness, Orion's gaze inadvertently landed upon the pile of treasures beside him.
His eyes widened slightly in realization. Fate seemed to have thrown him here purposefully, placing him directly beside the mysterious treasures the serpent had guarded so fiercely.
Without hesitation, he staggered forward, quickly seizing the large, mysterious egg, carefully storing it within his inventory.
His gaze then settled upon the dust-covered book. Curiosity stirred within him; it radiated an ancient and mystical aura, clearly significant.
Orion brushed away layers of accumulated dust, revealing faded, elegant script upon its leather cover. His eyes narrowed as he tried to read the text.
However, the moment Orion opened the mysterious tome, a terrifyingly sinister chill ran violently from the soles of everyone's feet, rushing up their spines.
The cavern suddenly trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake. A haunting, echoing voice resonated throughout the chamber, causing everyone's blood to run cold.
"Hissss… Mortalsssss…" The voice was melodious yet chilling, laced with a captivating yet malevolent charm.
Abruptly, the stone floor cracked violently apart. From within the fissure, an exquisite yet horrifying figure emerged.