Chapter 365 – The Battle That Is About to End

Ovakain Acidmaw, having taken a direct hit from the Dragon Breath, appeared severely wounded. The flesh and bones around his wounds had corroded into a murky red acidic fluid, his remaining dragon claw instantly turning to dust. Through the terrifying wound that occupied nearly one-fifth of the black dragon’s body, those present could even see the massive internal organs continuously seeping blood. The left dragon wing, caught within the Dragon Breath’s range, was now reduced to half its original size.

“Cowardly lunatics, perhaps we shall stop here for today. But I swear by the name of Acid Throat, soon I will—”

“No need for ‘soon,’ Ovakain Acidmaw. Today is the day you meet your end.”

As the gravely wounded black dragon arrogantly glared at Punk with his largely exposed skeletal head, Jiaoni, who had been sent flying, suddenly let out a roar no less fierce than that of a dragon.

“Ahhhhh, Ovakain! I stake my honor as a Holy Warrior! You… shall now feel the fury of my vengeance! Right here, you will die!”

Logically, the situation on the Battlefield was still in an awkward “halftime” phase. Both Punk and Ben Lajie were quickly recovering their mana to prepare for the next assault—or retreat—while Ovakain seemed ready to make a temporary escape. Under normal circumstances, the exhausted and wounded combatants would exchange some meaningless threats before pausing the fight. But… how could Jiaoni let such a perfect opportunity for revenge slip away?

This utterly deranged Holy Warrior paid no heed to his shattered bones. Seemingly on the verge of collapse, Jiaoni actually returned to peak condition the moment he crawled out of the Rubble Pile! Not only that, the Battle Aura around him continuously surged to new heights! The overwhelming amount of Battle Aura even tore through his flesh.

In the next second, Jiaoni, unleashing all his Battle Aura, Charged toward Ovakain once more—this time directly targeting the black dragon’s wound. Now, Ovakain could no longer rely on his magical defenses to block the attack, as most of his dragon scales had been destroyed by the previous breath.

“You madman! Holy Warrior secret arts? Jiaoni, you will pay the price! You will regret this!”

Seeing the Holy Warrior, glowing almost like a miniature sun, Charging toward him, Ovakain could only roar loudly while using his dwindling mana to attempt evasion. The black dragon’s condition was now dire in the extreme: the highly mana-consuming Dragon Breath and Rapid Shift were no longer usable. Moreover, due to having made a tremendous sacrifice over the past month to create the “Well of Goodness” for the Dragon Roar Kingdom, Ovakain’s terrifying draconic regenerative abilities had nearly failed.

For the first time, the shadow of death loomed over his head. Aside from beings like Punk, who knew no fear, who could remain utterly unshaken? Ovakain felt the immense terror of death erupt from the depths of his soul. Driven by the instinct to survive, the black dragon once again mustered his mana, preparing to take flight and escape, but…Punk and Ben Lajie would not allow their enemy to escape.

Especially Punk, who immediately recognized this as his final opportunity to eliminate Ovakain upon witnessing Jiaoni’s sudden arcane surge and renewed death charge. Without hesitation, Punk exhausted his last remnants of mana to prepare a spell. His remaining energy was scarce, but the thought of enduring covert retaliation from a Level 19 Peak Spellcaster made Ovakain’s immediate demise imperative!

Meanwhile, Ben Lajie’s fireballs shot toward the black dragon at an unprecedented pace. Amid this brutal conflict, Ben Lajie alone had preserved the most mana among the four Master-Level combatants. As a violent evocation specialist, his destructive potential was formidable.

As searing flames lit up the sky, Ben Lajie’s relentless bombardment shattered Ovakain’s layered defense strategy. Each time the enraged dragon attempted to cast spells or use scrolls for magical protection, increasingly intense and rapid fireballs shattered the defenses instantly.

With the radiant Jiaoni closing in once more, Ovakain found his defensive spellcasting utterly outpaced by Ben Lajie’s destruction.

As for swift escape… Ovakain’s sole “Rapid Shift” technique was completely countered by Punk’s “Kinetic Stripping.” No sooner would Ovakain complete a “Rapid Shift” than five or six “Kinetic Stripping” projectiles would strike—without protective magic, successful spellcasting before Punk was pure delusion!

The Level 19 Ovakain could swear this was the most humiliating experience of his life, bar none! He could see Punk’s mana was nearly depleted, Ben Lajie’s furious casting couldn’t last much longer, and the Holy Warrior before him had only one final strike left. Had he not suffered that “Reflected Dragon Breath,” Ovakain was confident he could outlast five sub-Level 18 spellcasters in endurance, offense, and defense.

But… battles offer no second chances.

Technically, Ovakain’s defeat hinged solely on Punk’s “Walker’s Improved Ruby Shield.” The reflected Dragon Breath inflicted more damage than a thousand of Ben Lajie’s fireballs combined, trapping the dragon in an inescapable, undefendable checkmate.

Only then did the furious black dragon realize: the moment he’d targeted Punk as his primary foe, hunter and prey had silently swapped roles.

“Shhhk”!!

Finally, under Ovakain’s horrified gaze, Jiaoni—his body transformed into a blade—pierced the dragon’s wound. Simultaneously, the Holy Warrior’s soul, perpetually accumulating Battle Aura, shattered into fragments.

“So… Ovakain, are you… afraid to die?”

In these final moments, Jiaoni’s suddenly serene voice drifted through the air.

The question was destined for himself… and could only be for himself.Watching the dazzling golden light burst forth from every inch of his body, his entire being and Greatsword torn to shreds, Jiaoni couldn’t help but recall the most indelible scene from his memory…

In the height of summer, the elderly Holy Warrior clad in heavy armor rested a Greatsword larger than a door panel against the young man’s neck.

“Answer me, my finest apprentice, are you willing to defend your honor with your life?”

“I am willing!”

“Then… are you afraid of death?”

As the old Holy Warrior’s stern, merciless words rang out, the cold gleam of the blade instantly dispelled the summer heat.

“…I am not afraid.”

The young man resolutely lifted his head to meet the old Holy Warrior’s gaze, a shadow from leaves stirred by the breeze momentarily veiling his pupils.

“As a Holy Warrior, I… face death unflinchingly!”

“Sorry… Master, I lied back then. I was actually quite afraid of death at that time… But now! I have defended my honor! And I truly face death unflinchingly…”

(End of Chapter)