Chapter 304: Stone Basilisk and Minotaur
Adam hovered above the heavily wounded Sand Worm. Without giving it any chance to recover, he raised his hand and fired one final Prismatic Beam straight into its head.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The massive Sand Worm’s body exploded violently, sending chunks of flesh and sand flying in all directions. The ground trembled from the impact, and after a few seconds of violent twitching, the colossal monster finally stopped moving.
It was dead.
However, Adam didn’t have time to rest.
From the rocky canyons and sand dunes in the distance, more monsters began to emerge. This time, they were large, lizard-like creatures whose bodies were covered in thick, stone-like armor. Their glowing yellow eyes scanned the battlefield hungrily as they charged toward the village.
[ Stone Basilisk Lv. 78 ]
A desert-dwelling monster with a body covered in durable stone armor. Possesses petrifying gaze and powerful physical attacks.
Adam glanced at the incoming monsters, then turned his head toward Ignis, who was still fighting nearby.
"Ignis," he called out. "Those are yours."
Ignis, who had just burned through a group of smaller monsters with her golden flames, immediately perked up. Her golden eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at the incoming Stone Basilisks.
"Really?!" she said with a wide grin.
She cracked her knuckles and flared her Solar Aura, golden flames bursting around her body.
"Don’t worry, Adam! I’ll destroy them all!"
Without waiting for a reply, Ignis shot forward like a golden comet, heading straight toward the group of Level 78 Stone Basilisks with an eager expression on her face.
Adam watched her go for a moment, then turned his attention back to the battlefield. There were still many monsters left, and the Dark Elves were starting to struggle against the increasing numbers.
He spread his void-starlight wings and prepared to rejoin the fight.
On the other side of the battlefield, Isolde moved with elegant grace. She raised her hand, and the blood of the monsters she had already wounded floated into the air. With a flick of her wrist, the blood transformed into hundreds of sharp crimson needles.
"Blood Rain."
The needles rained down mercilessly, piercing through dozens of monsters and turning the ground red. Any creature caught in the rain was quickly shredded.
Not far from her, Lilith danced across the battlefield with deadly beauty. Soulreaver sang as it cut through the air, each swing claiming multiple lives. Her threads moved in perfect coordination with the sword, binding monsters in place before she finished them off with precise strikes. Her silver hair and black dress fluttered as she moved, looking almost like she was performing on a stage rather than fighting for survival.
However, just as the group was starting to gain control of the battlefield—
ROOOOOOOAR!!!
A deep, thunderous roar echoed across the entire village.
From the rocky canyons in the distance, a large group of massive, buffalo-like creatures with the upper bodies of muscular men charged forward. Their eyes glowed red with bloodlust, and each one carried a crude but heavy weapon. There were at least twenty of them.
[ Minotaur Lv. 75 ]
A powerful bull-headed monster known for its immense strength and berserk state. When gathered in large numbers, they become extremely dangerous.
Azrynn’s yellow eyes widened in horror as she saw the horde approaching.
"S-So many...!" she muttered, her voice filled with disbelief. "Where did they all come from...?!"
The arrival of the Minotaur horde instantly shifted the momentum of the battle. The smaller monsters that had been attacking the village began to retreat, as if making way for the stronger ones.
Adam’s crimson eyes narrowed as he looked at the incoming horde.
The moment he saw the horde of Minotaurs charging toward the village, he spread his arms wide. A powerful surge of mana exploded from his body as he began to transform.
His body rapidly grew larger and larger. Scales covered his skin, wings made of void and starlight extended from his back, and his head morphed into that of a majestic dragon. In just a few seconds, Adam had fully transformed into his Ouroboros Dragon form— a massive, imposing dragon with black and silver scales that shimmered under the sunlight.
The Dark Elves who witnessed the transformation were completely stunned.
"W-What is that...?!"
"A dragon?! He can turn into a dragon?!"
Even the Dark Elf warriors who had been fighting alongside him stopped for a moment, staring in awe and disbelief at Adam’s gigantic form.
Adam let out a deep, powerful roar that echoed across the battlefield. In his full dragon form, his presence alone was overwhelming. His power had clearly increased significantly.
Without wasting any time, Adam flapped his massive wings and took to the sky. He flew directly above the charging Minotaur horde, then opened his jaws wide.
"ROOOOOOOOOAR!!"
A devastating Fire Breath mixed with void energy erupted from his mouth, raining down upon the Minotaurs like a storm of destruction. The intense flames, combined with the power of the void, burned and disintegrated everything in its path. Dozens of Minotaurs were caught directly in the blast and were instantly reduced to ashes.
The surviving Minotaurs roared in anger and panic, some of them trying to throw their weapons at Adam, but most of their attacks couldn’t even reach him in the sky.
Instead of retreating, they became even more aggressive. With bloodshot eyes and berserk strength, the remaining Minotaurs charged forward with terrifying speed and brutality, smashing through anything in their path including rocks, broken structures, and even their own fallen comrades.
"THEY’RE CHARGING!!" one of the Dark Elf warriors shouted.
"Everyone, get ready! Don’t let them reach the village!!"
The Dark Elves reacted quickly. Archers on higher ground fired volleys of arrows, while those who could use earth magic summoned more stone golems to intercept the charging Minotaurs. Several warriors also rushed forward with spears and swords, engaging the monsters in close combat despite the overwhelming difference in size and strength.
Meanwhile, high above in the sky, Adam’s massive dragon form turned sharply. His crimson eyes glowed as he gathered energy once again.
"Void Prism!!"
A massive, concentrated beam of rainbow-colored void energy mixed with starlight shot down from his mouth, piercing straight through the center of the Minotaur horde. The beam was so powerful that it created a long trench in the ground, vaporizing everything in its path. More than ten Minotaurs were instantly killed, their bodies disintegrating before they could even scream.
The combination of Adam’s overwhelming aerial attacks and the Dark Elves’ coordinated ground defense was starting to turn the tide of the battle.
However, the Minotaurs were not ordinary monsters. Even while being slaughtered, the survivors continued charging with pure rage, smashing through the stone golems and forcing the Dark Elf warriors to retreat step by step.
One particularly large Minotaur managed to break through the defensive line and was heading straight toward a group of injured Dark Elf civilians who hadn’t evacuated in time.
"Watch out!!" a Dark Elf warrior shouted.
Just as the large Minotaur was about to crush the group of injured Dark Elf civilians, a crimson figure flashed past at incredible speed.
Isolde.
She appeared right in front of the Minotaur and thrust her hand forward. A massive spear made of solidified blood formed instantly and pierced straight through the monster’s chest. The Minotaur let out a pained roar before collapsing to the ground, dead.
The Dark Elf civilians stared at Isolde in shock and gratitude.
"T-Thank you...!" one of them managed to say.
Isolde didn’t have time to reply. At that moment, the Crown of Thorns on her head suddenly pulsed and twitched violently. A strange, warm sensation spread throughout her entire body.
’This feeling... My power is increasing...?’
The Crown of Thorns, the imitation of the Crown of Gluttony that her father had created was reacting to something. Whether it was the intense battle, the blood she had been manipulating, or something else entirely, Isolde could feel her strength rising rapidly.
Without wasting the opportunity, she raised both hands. Her crimson eyes glowed brightly as she activated her power at full force.
"Blood Dominion – Crimson Judgment."
Hundreds of blood spears materialized in the air around her, spinning rapidly before shooting toward the remaining Minotaurs like a storm of crimson lightning. The spears pierced through multiple monsters at once, impaling them and causing massive explosions of blood upon impact.
Several Minotaurs that had been charging toward the village were instantly wiped out by Isolde’s enhanced attack.
The Dark Elves who witnessed her power could only stare in awe.
"...She’s also on another level," one of the warriors muttered.
Isolde landed gracefully on the ground, breathing slightly heavier than usual. The Crown of Thorns on her head was still faintly glowing, as if it hadn’t fully calmed down yet.
She glanced at her own hands, feeling the lingering power coursing through her veins.
"...What was that just now?" she muttered to herself.
