Ashen Dragon

"I will never lose! Waaaaagh——"

Hints of eerie light flickered in Giant Mountain's eyes as he swung his Warhammer against the Pillar of Fire, his whole body radiating a tangible, dark green Beastman Force Field, resembling a toxic fog composed of countless spores.

The Beastman Force Field spread rapidly, plunging the Magic Web and the world's Laws into chaos within a radius of hundreds of meters. The Imperial Soldiers' weapons malfunctioned in their hands.

Yet, in the face of this terrifying Force Field, the energy within George's body not only didn't weaken but grew even hotter, thicker—as if his lungs were brewing a miniature Sun, its light surging through his very flesh.

Interwoven with that brilliance was an intensely sacred hue of silver, akin to Heaven's divine radiance.

Just as the Beastman was about to crush his skull, the pillar of fire slammed into Giant Mountain's chest, instantly burning through the dense skin and melting away the thick flesh.

Though Giant Mountain's body continued absorbing spores from surrounding Beastman corpses at a visibly rapid pace, its regeneration could not keep up with the fire column's rate of destruction to his tissues.

Beneath the surface battle, Dragon's Might clashed relentlessly with the Beastman Force Field, compressing and colliding, creating chaotic currents in the upper sky.

In an instant, even Giant Mountain's fiercely beating heart was consumed by the fire column, which pierced through the Beastman's body entirely—George had burned Giant Mountain straight through!

"Boom!"

Something peculiar within the Beastman's heart—a unique spore—burst apart, swallowed by the flames.

As Giant Mountain roared and lunged at George, aiming for the kill, he suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness wash over him—though no longer feeling pain, the weakness terrified him far more.

Without strength, his very existence was meaningless.

"How could this be…"

Giant Mountain lowered his head in bewilderment, discovering his once-powerful body had become mutilated, with a charred, gaping hole through his chest, cleanly penetrating him front to back.

As his heart ruptured, the surrounding Beastman Force Field dissipated in an instant, entirely displaced by George's Dragon's Might.

The Beastman's coarse, massive hand could no longer grip his Warhammer. He plummeted straight down from mid-air, his rage-filled, deranged face showing the emotion known as "despair" for the first time.

A Beastman bereft of strength is less than a dog.

George showed no signs of relaxation. Seizing the moment, he tucked his wings tightly and dived straight downward, gripping his Longsword with both hands and thrusting fiercely as he descended.

"Slash——"

The blade sliced sharp, his wings tearing through surrounding airflow, as George's figure descended like a blazing flame from the heavens.

"Boom!"

A deep thud resonated through the sky as the ground erupted into a crater, debris spraying everywhere amid dust clouds. Giant Mountain lay motionless within it, breathing faintly yet rasping: "I…haven't…lost…yet…"

The next moment, George also plummeted down, crashing like a falling meteor, his Longsword bearing heat and kinetic force generated by sheer descent velocity, aimed straight for the Beastman's forehead.

"Crunch!"

The Longsword plunged cleanly through the Beastman's skull, shattering the bone, releasing a mist of blood, and splattering gray brain matter across the surroundings.

George knelt on the ground, clutching his Longsword, while Giant Mountain's immense head lay impaled, the blade's tip buried deep in the earth. On the Beastman's grotesque face lingered defiance and an unwilling rage, even in death.

"It's finally over…"

George murmured as he stood shakily, only to feel his body utterly drained. No matter how he tried, he couldn't pull the sword embedded in the ground free.

"Huff…"

After surviving this battle, he felt like he'd emerged from an overwhelming nightmare, the recollection still stirring fear in him.

Staring at Giant Mountain's enormous, grotesque corpse, George could hardly believe he'd been the one responsible for this.

As an Empire officer, his training at the Army Academy predominantly focused on strategies and command techniques—combat wasn't his strong suit. Most of his achievements came from leading troops to kill enemy generals.

And prior to joining the Empire, he was nothing more than a lowly serf, bullied by anyone, with no mention of combat skills whatsoever.

Yet now, George had slain this Beastman leader single-handedly?

No, there was no way he'd managed it purely through his own strength!

Recalling the sensation of a Sun seemingly contained within him moments ago, a plausible thought dawned on George—one that made him tremble with excitement.

"Your Majesty…"

George gave up standing and knelt long on the ground, gazing through the smoke-obscured sky at the Sun looming above.

Around him lay not only Giant Mountain but also tens of thousands of Beastman corpses, either burned to death, decapitated by shrapnel, riddled into sieves by machine gun bullets, or crushed into fragments by the stampeding bodies of their own kind...

These Beastman bodies piled high across the wilderness, forming massive mounds that seemed to swallow the Earth, emitting charred odors mixed with a certain stench.

...

Atop Dragon Blood Mountain in the Anzeta Great Wilderness.

Cassius gazed across the battlefield through the Heaven's Calamity Dragon Eye, his eyes fixed on Giant Mountain's corpse, his fingers stroking his chin: "How amusing. The Beastman Boss has appeared at this time—seems they're giving me special acknowledgment."

"The essence of that strength feels familiar too. Tsk tsk…of course, it's a collaboration between the Beastman God and The Abyss. Truly vexing enemies."

George's suspicion was correct.

Just moments ago, Cassius had intervened directly, lending him a spark of Flame imbued with the Laws of Order via the Bloodline Gift link, enabling him to kill Giant Mountain successfully.

This process might sound straightforward, yet behind the battle, Cassius had simultaneously contended against the powers of Gush and the Fungus Lady, eradicating their remnants of Chaotic Power and Evil Divine Power within Giant Mountain.

The Beastman Boss, who in previous ages wreaked havoc as part of the Beastman Scourge in Fianso Continent's North, was a terrifying War Machine capable of evolving to Legendary Level.

When the concentration of Beastmen reached critical mass and countless Beastmen perished, the spores of the fallen would aggregate onto the Beastman with the strongest Force Field, triggering a mutation to create this immensely powerful leader Beastman.

Giant Mountain—such a recognizable name.

In past lives, Cassius had heard of this Beastman Boss's notorious reputation, not just as Giant Mountain but as Bone Breaker Giant Mountain.

This Beastman leader stood on equal footing with Big Teeth, collectively known as the "Four Great Calamities."

On the battlefield, gunpowder smoke hung heavy, firelight revealing the tainted air laden with gunpowder and blood. Distant artillery roared, deafening explosions erupting. The ground quaked amidst bomb blasts, churning dust, an apocalyptic landscape unfolding. The clouds overhead grew thick and ominous, lightning flashing sporadically, thunderous artillery mingling with gunfire—Hell's symphony incarnate.

Soldiers hurried within trenches, their burdens heavy, their expressions tense as they kept sharp eyes trained on the enemy's positions ahead. Each step measured carefully, fearing any misstep might lead to sudden attack. Gunshots rang unexpectedly close, sending soldiers diving, their weapons aimed forward. Shards of metal sliced through trench edges, embedding into soil and sending dust flying.

The air at the front was stifling; soldiers' faces gleamed with sweat and mud, their eyes often glazed over with despair as they endured relentless agony. Retreat wasn't an option—only advancing onward. Even knowing every charge might yield their death, they stepped forward still. Many collapsed mid-charge, their blood staining the ground, cries of torment and anguish reverberating endlessly.

Fire consumed the night sky; tanks rumbled ever forward, their iron treads crushing all barriers in their path. Projectiles streaked through the heavens, landing precisely within enemy formations, their explosions erasing everything in seconds. Structures afar crumbled spectacularly, vast fires blazing from ruin heaps, casting a sorrowful yet defiant glow.

In the nearby civilian zones, countless people had been left homeless. Amid the ruins echoed cries and pleas for salvation. Fleeing crowds carried whatever belongings they could, dragging exhausted bodies away. Mothers clutched their children tightly to their chests, faces pale, their frightened eyes wide with terror.