Chapter 456 – The Sudden Awakening of Ovak

“Punk Cyan, it’s time to end this.”

Ovakain’s arrival was utterly unexpected. Judging by his speed, the black dragon had instantly activated the “Legendary Conjuration Spell—Blink” fixed on his Legendary Necklace the moment he laid eyes on Punk.

What was most terrifying was that before using “Blink,” Ovakain hadn’t forgotten to unleash an overwhelmingly powerful corrosive Dragon Breath. This made it clear just how desperately the enraged black dragon wanted Punk dead.

The black dragon’s attack achieved some effect. To defend against the suddenly descending Dragon Breath from the sky, Punk had to immediately activate the “Walker-Improved Ruby Barrier” solidified on the Haitzita Magic Box. But that alone wasn’t enough to fully withstand Ovakain’s all-out frenzied assault. To counter the black dragon who had “Blinked” right beside him with jaws wide open, Punk had no choice but to abandon his chance to kill Sorsend and redirect his spell.

It was an unavoidable decision—Punk had no desire to test the consequences of being bitten by Ovakain’s enchanted dragon teeth. In desperation, he could only hurl a “Kinetic Blast” directly into the black dragon’s gaping maw.

“BOOM!”

Deafening thunder erupted once more. The opening at the top of the cave further widened under the shockwave’s force, and Punk successfully used the blast’s momentum to evade the black dragon’s sharp teeth.

It must be mentioned that after repeated magical bombardment, the small oasis had long vanished without a trace. In its place now stood a massive crater the size of the former oasis, and the entire cave had been exposed to sunlight after its ceiling collapsed.

“Ovakain, you fool! Are you in league with Sorsend?”

Punk, blasted back by his own spell while temporarily escaping the black dragon, couldn’t contain his fury. Just one second earlier—if Ovakain had arrived a moment later—he would have been confident in eliminating the troublesome Sorsend on the spot. But by the narrowest margin, this seemingly insane black dragon had indirectly saved Sorsend. How could such an absurd situation not infuriate Punk?

But… Ovakain completely ignored Punk.

It had to be admitted—not even Ovakain himself had anticipated the sheer depth of his rage upon seeing Punk again. Every time he glimpsed those icy azure pupils, the black dragon’s heart would uncontrollably recall his Dragon Roar Kingdom buried under volcanic ash, remember the countless innocent half-dragon commoners who had perished, and envision… the deeply disappointed face of the elderly half-dragon shaman from his dreams.

Hatred, fury, grief, venom… these emotions came crashing down in Ovakain’s heart like a tsunami. With bloody tears streaming from his eyes, the black dragon had completely abandoned rational thought. Only one consciousness remained in Ovakain’s mind now—to kill Punk, even… at the cost of his own life.

“ROOOOOAR! Punk Cyan! I will tear your soul apart! You must pay for your crimes!”

“Master-Level Enchantment Magic—Verdant Ravaging Claws!”Furious crimson flames ignited within the black dragon’s pupils, while dark-flame-infused enchantments crawled along the tips of each of its massive claws. Seizing the advantage of the cave’s narrow terrain, Ovakain fully unleashed his draconic physical superiority. His enchanted claws, spanning several meters in length, forced Punk to rapidly change directions just to evade their wild, sweeping attacks.

“Damn you, you mad dragon!”

Punk hurled two or three “Velocity Kinetic Cones,” but these spatial-rending projectiles couldn’t even make a ripple against Ovakain’s fifteen layers of terrifying defenses. No matter how enraged he was, Ovakain remained a dragon mage who had completed “Cage Escape”—the defensive spells he cast before battle were utterly uncompromising.

With Ovakain’s sudden entry, the entire cave descended into chaos.

The spell exchange between Punk and Ovakain had officially begun. Without wasting words, Ovakain relied entirely on his fifteen layers of magical protection to frantically assault Punk, his suicidal aggression unmistakably genuine.

Punk, meanwhile, found himself forced into a desperate defense. Thanks to the black dragon’s reckless, injury-for-injury tactics, Punk managed to shred two of Ovakain’s protective spells but took a claw strike in return. As the highly corrosive black flames clung to his outermost “Energy Shield,” this layer of protection quickly burned away.

As for Kane… With Vector’s “Directional Interference” magic fixated on him, the knight had become the most idle person on the battlefield. Knowing any further attacks would be pointless, he simply maintained his Battle Aura shield and watched the spectacle unfold.

Shifting focus to Sorsend, who had narrowly escaped death…

“Caw caw! Ovakain really did save your life, Boss. You’re truly brilliant—was this all part of your plan? Caw caw!”

Seizing the moment while both Ovakain and Punk were temporarily occupied, Vector swiftly injected an Alchemical Potion into Sorsend’s neck. Only when the bloody glow in Sorsend’s pupils gradually faded did Vector finally let out a relieved sigh.

But while Vector could relax, Sorsend dared not lower his guard.

He knew his own limits better than anyone. Despite his arrogant demeanor, with his rationality restored, Sorsend clearly understood his predicament.

Just as Punk had guessed, Abyssal energy had completely saturated his soul. In his current state, Sorsend would descend into madness within ten minutes without another injection. He was acutely aware that sustained combat was impossible for him in this condition.

“Damn it! How did that wretched mage learn so much about me?”

Gasping for breath, Sorsend leaned heavily on his staff as he stood. The grim-faced mage used Mage Hand to deflect stray combat energies while snarling viciously under his breath.Anyone could tell that Sorsend’s actual strength surpassed Punk’s. Had Punk not known all his moves in advance and prepared countermeasures, Sorsend would never have been reduced to such a pathetic state of being beaten down in their fight.

But such is combat. Regardless of whether Sorsend could comprehend it, the leak of his information was an indisputable reality. Now, with his soul weakened from the recent outburst, Sorsend had only one final resort left…

“Activate the trap! This thing was meant to be used anyway. It’s rare for all three of my prey to gather in one place—this is a perfect chance to eliminate them all.”

After shooting a resentful glance at Punk, who was locked in fierce combat with Ovakain, Sorsend swiftly turned and dashed toward a pile of rubble.

That was the location of the pre-arranged Abyssal Altar, currently concealed beneath a heap of broken stones.

“Caw caw, Boss… Punk might already know about your plan… I’ve got a bad feeling about this. And the Sub-Lord is too dangerous! How about… we make a ‘strategic retreat’? As long as we live, there’ll be chances later, caw caw!”

“Shut up, Vector! I don’t have enough lifespan left to wait for three more Master-Level powerhouses. All three of them must die here today!”

(End of Chapter)