Chapter 397: Nihilistic Calamity, Evil Enemy Descending

The flying alchemical golem collided head-on with a modified dragon. The sheer force of the impact twisted and deformed the golem’s sturdy metal frame, while the dragon, thrown off balance, stumbled and spiraled downward, its flight path shattered.

The next alchemical golem, a spider-shaped melee unit, arrived swiftly, scaling the dragon’s body. Its eight metallic limbs drove a percussion drill deep into the creature’s flesh, detonating a warhead packed with alchemical fuel directly inside.

Boom!

The explosion erupted within the dragon’s torso. One could clearly see the creature’s skin bulge violently before tearing apart at the limit of its elasticity, sending a spray of mangled flesh and gore scattering into the air.

It was a devastating blow. Even with the enhanced vitality granted by Melos’s modifications, the dragon could not withstand such a massive cavity opening within its own body. Under the relentless assault of the golems, it plummeted from the sky, crashing into the earth with a final, lifeless thud.

The battle is going well. With the aid of the alchemical mechanical legion, we, these temporary allies from the hellish planes, are fully capable of suppressing these modified dragons. We must continue the advance; once the Iron King enters the fray, the cleanup of these beasts should be complete.

High above in the Sky Mechanical City, Icarus, acting as a commander for a portion of the alchemical legion, watched the real-time battlefield feed. He analyzed the situation with swift, grave precision. Every front was favorable; the destructive power of the mechanical legion was staggering, and with the demons providing cover, they could cripple these dragons whenever an opening appeared.

Understood. These grotesque dragons are simplistic in their movements. While their physical toughness has improved, they possess no tactical sense. They abandon all magic once within a certain range, acting with rigid, mechanical predictability. A true dragon would never be this easy to handle.

The response came from the other garrison personnel of the Sky Mechanical City, all of whom were legendary mages.

The Sky Mechanical City, the pinnacle of the continent’s advanced technology, was itself a formidable fortress of war. Among its residents, the number of individuals with power exceeding the legendary rank reached into the double digits. These powerhouses were the main force guarding the city, for even a legend faced grave peril on the front lines.

Understood. The Iron King has entered the combat zone. Have the nearby golems withdraw temporarily; prepare for a total purge of the sector. Once this batch is cleared, we should be able to push toward the target point of the abyssal creatures.

Icarus stared intently at the transmitted images. The situation was under control, yet he remained deeply cautious. Their true target had yet to show itself.

How is the armament progress for Mr. Sieg? His compatibility with alchemical magitech equipment is unprecedented. It is hard to imagine the power he will unleash once he is fully prepared and deployed. He must be factored into the coming confrontation with the main force of the abyssal creatures.

Switching to the internal magitech communication channel of the Truth Monitoring Society, Icarus inquired about the task being rushed to completion: the arming of Sieg.

Preparation complete. Ready for deployment at any time.

Sieg’s response echoed back.

Very well. That moment should arrive soon. Our enemy will not be so easily defeated.

...

On the battlefield, the slaughter between the modified dragons, the demons, and the alchemical legion continued. The situation was a stalemate of suppression, with neither side claiming victory. A titan, whose footsteps shook the earth, now entered the fray with the sole purpose of ending this deadlock.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The alchemical mechanical legion seemed to sense something. After sustaining losses to complete one final assault, they retreated without hesitation, flying away from the main battlefield surrounding the hellish warship Ishupanto. Under the coordinated communication between Aeryrian and the Sky Mechanical City, the demons surged forward to fill the gap, clashing with the mutated dragons.

Hum! Hum!! Hum!!!

A deafening roar grew louder after the heavy footsteps ceased. The Iron King, Bogul, came to a halt. Its humanoid frame knelt, its mechanical legs driving deep into the ground to anchor itself.

The heavy armor plates on its chest retracted in the intense heat, exposing the reaction core and allowing the Iron King’s magitech array to project its power without restraint.

The reactor’s hum rose to a piercing pitch. Above the center of the battlefield, a gravity ring composed of purple arcs of electricity suddenly manifested. Gravity several times stronger than normal was exerted within the ring’s radius. The hellfire bats were the first to succumb, unable to resist the pull as they plummeted to the ground, colliding with such acceleration that they were reduced to smears of pulp.

A second, even louder roar echoed. A larger gravity ring with a wider range was projected. The effects of the gravity magic began to stack, multiplying exponentially. Everything within the radius was plunged into a catastrophe of crushing pressure.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Creak, creak, creak...

All the modified dragons and the demons locked in combat with them within the range could not withstand the absurd pressure. They crashed to the ground, the massive force driving them into the earth as their flesh, bones, and the very ground beneath them groaned in agony.

This was gravity magic, a profound and esoteric power mastered by the continent’s sentient beings over the last century. If two ordinary mages were to duel, there would be countermeasures, but these modified dragons, relying on innate magic circuits and instinct, had never been taught how to counter gravity magic.

A third high-pitched hum resonated. The Iron King’s power—the same used in the elven capital of Liahim to combat the World Eater—reached its final stage: The Extinction Finale.

A third gravity ring manifested, but this time, rather than stacking on the previous two, it appeared on the ground, encircling the area and fully trapping the enemies within.

Clack, clack, clack, clack!

Under the influence of the Iron King’s gravity field, the earth shattered. Winding, branching fissures appeared across the surface. The third ring exerted an upward force, interlocking with the previous two to seal the enemies within a prison of gravity.

Broken rocks were ripped from the ground by the reversed gravity and drifted upward. The two opposing gravity rings formed a convergence layer in the center, the exact point where the captured dragons and the torn earth were destined to meet.

It was a surreal sight: the shattered earth rising into the sky, carrying the trapped dragons and the unfortunate demons with it, pushing them toward the point where the two forces converged.

Bang!

Though they struck nothing solid, the massive "mountain" of earth and flesh emitted a thunderous sound upon reaching the convergence layer—the result of two invisible, opposing forces colliding.

Within the "mountain," the modified dragons struggled, but lacking any counter to gravity magic, they could not break free from the full output of the Iron King’s massive magitech furnace. They were pressed tighter and tighter along with the earth, their bones and flesh twisting and snapping inch by inch.

Energy converged. Having controlled the large-scale enemy force with gravity, the Iron King prepared to annihilate them with an attack far swifter and more destructive than mere crushing.

On the outer chest, the glowing magic array channeled energy from the auxiliary furnace to the center point. The high-energy red sun that had once shone over the elven capital reappeared, even more formidable, and slammed into the gravity-trapped "mountain."

Boom! Bang!

The red sun detonated before even touching the mountain. The intense heat and shockwave engulfed everything in a vast radius. Tearing, melting, and destroying—the explosions did not come from the red sun alone; the hellish warship Ishupanto fired in perfect synchronization.

The warship’s main battery unleashed its maximum firepower, pouring endless energy into the strike. Combined with the Iron King’s attack, it struck the target, obliterating the enemies inside along with the entire mountain of earth and stone.

The thunderous echo lingered in the air for a long time before finally fading. It took a while for the turbulent air to settle. Fragments of the "mountain" rained down like fine debris, leaving the sky temporarily clear. Some modified dragons had not been caught in the blast, but they no longer posed a significant threat.

Very well. Though I am loath to admit it, in your home plane where you are not suppressed, the help these temporary allies provide is not to be ignored.

The Hell Lord’s projection watched the cleared sky, his tone tinged with satisfaction. Not having to waste his own forces was, in his view, a good thing.

Aeryrian narrowed her eyes. The assistance provided by the Sky Mechanical City was truly staggering. Few powers on the continent could command such strength today. However...

Why had Melos still not made a move? Could it be that these modified dragons were meaningless to it—mere pawns to be discarded at will?

Fire!

The Hell Lord’s command rang out in the moment Aeryrian was lost in thought. Having confirmed that the threatening dragons were wiped out in one stroke, he was ready to eliminate the target and fulfill his contract with Aeryrian.

This decisiveness, leaving the enemy no room to breathe, was indeed commendable. With no enemies to interfere, the hellish warship Ishupanto began to accumulate power, the energy levels within the Titan demon climbing to their limit.

The giant ballista fired. A crimson beam, thicker than before, tore through the sky and struck the large crater where the dragons had emerged. The solid energy clusters embedded within the beam triggered a continuous, long-lasting chain of explosions upon impact.

The crust of the earth collapsed entirely, and vast swathes of soil and rock fell inward, burying the crater and everything within it.

Is it over? Absolutely not. It cannot be that simple.

Staring fixedly at the target point, Aeryrian wanted to deceive herself into believing Melos had been destroyed. After all, this abyssal creature, which had parasitized the body of a dragon god for centuries, relied on a dominance over the dragon race that might not be as effective against other species.

But she knew better. She stood here prepared to sacrifice everything to end Melos. Yet, the reality seemed even worse than her worst-case scenario.

Beep, beep, beep!

Sharp, piercing alarms sounded in every corner of the Sky Mechanical City. The concentration of void energy in the space was skyrocketing, reaching a level that required the city to go on high alert in a matter of seconds.

Void energy exceeding the threshold! What is happening? Report from the detection instruments!

Icarus frowned and demanded an answer. This abnormal state was clearly no accident.

The void energy within the island's perimeter is surging! It’s the abyssal creatures—they have a unique control over the void!

The response came from a member of the Truth Monitoring Society. With their knowledge of abyssal creatures, they quickly grasped what was happening.

This concentration of void energy... it’s approaching the level of a Void Evil God’s descent. How can this be? Even after the Morning Star detonated, this abyssal creature can still trigger such a massive void riot? What exactly is our enemy...

Ikaros’s face tightened as she studied the incoming data; the Abyss and the Void were innately harmonious, and this environmental shift signaled that the entire battlefield was becoming the enemy’s domain.

"!"

A look of sudden shock flashed across Ikaros’s features, and the voices of the commanders debating over the magical communication channel fell into an abrupt silence.

On this island, where the concentration of Void energy was steadily climbing, the modified dragons previously obliterated by the combined bombardment of the Iron King and Ishubanto were crawling back out from small, black vortices.

Void energy converged upon the spots where the dragons had perished, twisting the material world to reshape and resurrect the slaughtered beasts.

Mellos’s influence over these modified dragons was not limited to the physical realm; the connection between Abyssal entities and the Void had been partially inherited by these creatures, suggesting they might be truly unkillable.

"Boom! Squelch!"

The ground beneath the hell-ship Ishubanto erupted violently as a bizarre, pitch-black "dragon" surged upward, lunging at the vessel’s underbelly before anyone could react, effortlessly tearing through the armor to burrow into the Titan demon within and unleash frantic destruction.

Before the Titan demon could even cry out, its body was pierced through; Mellos burst from the massive creature’s spine, shattered the deck, and soared above the plummeting hell-ship.

"Clang!"

A blade of silver radiance materialized, clashing with Mellos as he banked sharply in mid-air to dive, only for the sword to be pulverized by the sheer force of his impact.

"Oh, it seems you have found the source of the power I bestowed upon you? And tell me, do you like the gift I gave these dragons? In this Void-saturated environment, they will display power beyond your wildest imagination—far greater than you could ever conceive."

Mellos did not rush to attack, but instead spoke with a mocking lilt, looking down at Aerilian, who had assumed her silver dragon form, while he stretched his own newborn frame.

"I never wish to touch that body of your King again, the one that imprisoned me for so long. The feeling of escaping a cage is truly exquisite, wouldn't you agree?"

Below, the hell-ship Ishubanto crashed into the earth, and all around, the resurrected dragons began to mutate, their forms twisting into even more terrifying shapes under the influence of the Void.

Is this, truly, an enemy that can be defeated?