Chapter 303: A Display of Power
The Dark Elves were clearly divided. Some of them looked shaken after hearing Adam and Isolde’s words, while others still stubbornly refused to believe them. Angry whispers and heated arguments began to break out among the villagers.
However, before the argument could escalate further, a loud, rumbling sound echoed from outside the village.
Rumble... Rumble...
Several Dark Elf warriors who had been standing guard outside suddenly rushed in with panicked expressions.
"Monsters! Monsters are coming! The sand worm is getting closer, and there are more of them appearing from the ground!"
The moment those words were spoken, the entire village fell into chaos.
Lilith clicked her tongue. Soulreaver stepped through a tear in the air at her side, the legendary sword humming low and hungry as it fed on the surrounding mana.
"...It’s already time to fight," she said coldly. "We don’t have time to keep arguing."
Adam stepped forward and raised his voice so that everyone could hear him clearly.
"Listen up! Right now, protecting the village is our top priority. Everyone who can fight, spread out and eliminate every monster that gets close! Don’t let them reach the village!"
The Dark Elf warriors looked at each other for a moment, then turned to their Elder. The old man gave a small nod.
"...Do as he says," the Elder ordered. "Protect our home."
The Dark Elves quickly scattered, grabbing their weapons and rushing toward the village perimeter. Even those who had been arguing earlier understood that survival came first.
Azrynn, who had been left standing near Adam’s group, clenched her fists and stepped forward.
"I... I will help too!" she said with determination.
Adam glanced at her for a second, then gave a small nod.
"...Fine. But don’t get in our way. If you become a burden, I’ll leave you behind."
Azrynn’s yellow eyes flashed with resolve.
"I won’t."
Monsters of various shapes and sizes were pouring in from the surrounding canyons and sand dunes. The giant sand worm was still approaching from a distance, but smaller monsters had already reached the village perimeter.
Adam took the lead.
"Void Prism!"
A powerful beam of rainbow-colored void energy shot forward, tearing through a group of shadow hounds that were leaping toward the village. The monsters disintegrated instantly.
Lilith moved with elegant lethality. Her threads shot out like living whips, slicing through multiple monsters at once, while Soulreaver in her hand drank the life force of anything it cut.
Isolde fought with graceful precision. Using Blood Dominion, she manipulated the blood of the monsters she wounded, turning it into sharp crimson blades that pierced through their bodies.
Ignis, now back on her own feet, grinned fiercely as golden flames erupted around her.
"Solar Flare!"
A wave of golden dragonfire swept across the battlefield, burning several monsters to ash. Her flames were especially effective against the shadow-type creatures.
Amidst the chaos, Azrynn showed her true skills.
She moved with incredible agility, leaping between rocks and ruined structures. With her bow, she fired arrow after arrow with deadly accuracy, each shot piercing the weak points of the monsters. When enemies got too close, she switched to her daggers, dual-wielding them with surprising skill as she danced between attacks, cutting down monsters with precise strikes.
She was clearly an experienced fighter.
Not far from her, the other Dark Elf warriors were also fighting fiercely. Many of them used bows to provide support from higher ground, while others slammed their hands into the ground and chanted spells. From the earth, several stone golems rose up, moving to intercept the incoming monsters with heavy fists and bodies made of solid rock.
"Protect the village! Don’t let them through!" one of the Dark Elf warriors shouted.
The battle was intense, but the combined forces of Adam’s group and the Dark Elves were holding the line for now.
However, in the distance, the massive sand worm was getting closer with every passing second. Its enormous body burst out from the sand repeatedly, each time getting nearer to the village.
Adam glanced at it while cutting down another monster with Prismatic Beam.
"...That thing is going to be a problem," he muttered.
Without hesitation, he spread his void-starlight wings and shot into the sky.
"Ignis, Lilith, Isolde! Hold the line here! I’ll take care of that thing!"
Before anyone could reply, Adam had already flown straight toward the giant Sand Worm.
The colossal creature burst out from the sand with a thunderous roar, its massive body easily over fifty meters long. Its gaping maw lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth opened wide as it sensed Adam approaching.
But Adam didn’t slow down.
"Void Prism!"
A devastating beam of swirling void energy mixed with rainbow light exploded from his hand and slammed directly into the Sand Worm’s head. The impact was so powerful that the entire upper half of the worm’s body was blasted apart in a massive explosion of sand and dark flesh.
The Dark Elves who were fighting nearby stopped for a moment, their yellow eyes widening in shock.
"W-What kind of power is that...?!"
"He destroyed that thing in one hit...?!"
Even though the Sand Worm was still alive and thrashing wildly, Adam didn’t give it any chance to recover. He dove down at high speed and unleashed another attack.
"Cataclysm Tempest!"
A violent storm of void energy and destructive wind erupted around the Sand Worm’s body. The powerful vortex tore through its thick, armored skin, ripping apart large chunks of its flesh and sending pieces of the monster flying in every direction.
The ground shook violently from the force of the attack.
The Dark Elf warriors who witnessed Adam’s overwhelming display of power couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. Some of them even lowered their weapons slightly as they stared at the scene in amazement.
"...He’s on a completely different level," one of the Dark Elf archers muttered.
Adam hovered in the air above the heavily wounded Sand Worm, his void-starlight wings glowing brightly against the chaotic battlefield. His crimson eyes were cold and focused as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow.
Below him, the massive Sand Worm let out a distorted roar of pain and rage, but it was clear that it was already on the verge of death.
