Chapter 358: Ovakin – Acid Throat

Amidst the rising brilliance of the morning sun, a shadow bathed in dawn light instantly broke through the veil of daybreak. On the colossal, hill-like frame of this dark figure, every pitch-black dragon scale possessed the sturdiness of a steel shield, and every gleaming dragon claw held the sharpness of an enchanted sword. Its crimson pupils seemed to flow with perpetually molten lava, while its outstretched wings resembled dark clouds eclipsing the sun.

With a Dragon’s Roar that shook the very fabric of space, Ovakain Acidmaw… had descended.

“Insignificant ants, foolish trash, weak scum—you have finally enraged me! Now, all you worthless dregs shall go to Hell and repent!”

Following this roar saturated with fury and resolve, a terrifying draconic aura was unleashed at full force. The horrifying pressure, so intense it seemed to solidify the air, poured forth from Ovakain Acidmaw and enveloped the entire battlefield in a shroud of dread. As the wave of draconic might surged forth like a tsunami, both the half-dragon soldiers fighting to protect their homeland and the starving refugees of the Maple Leaf Kingdom, twisted by hunger into demons, were forced to collapse trembling to the ground—this was absolute mental suppression, a soul-crushing impact that rendered even the strongest and bravest immobile!

Ovakain’s arrival signaled the end of the war for ordinary beings. Under the pervasive crush of this draconic aura, only a handful of Formal-Level professionals could barely muster their Battle Aura, while everyone else was compelled to prostrate themselves in prayer before this unstoppable force.

Now, one war had effectively concluded, and simultaneously, another war was officially declared.

Faced with the arrival of Ovakain Acidmaw, who carried an overbearing and terrifying aura, Punk and Ben Lajie reacted quite unnaturally.

As he gazed into the black dragon’s pupils, hotter than molten rock, felt its overwhelming pressure more shocking than mountains, and analyzed its… appalling strength, Punk’s expression grew unprecedentedly grim.

As for Ben Lajie… after merely sensing Ovakain’s soul level for a moment, he swiftly turned his head with unbelievable speed and launched into a hysterical tirade against Joni:

“Bastard, damn you, Joni! You reckless fool! If you want to die, why drag us into it? You’re finished! Your Zordas Family is finished! The Thought of Truth will extract your entire family’s souls and burn them in Hell’s flames for ten thousand years, you damned…”

Unlike Ben Lajie’s hysteria, Punk’s expression grew even darker and colder. He did not turn to curse Joni, but his fury was no less intense:

“Joni Zordas, care to explain this black dragon’s level? A peak nineteenth-level Archmage, half-step into the Legendary realm… Mr. Zordas, do you realize you’re seeking death?”However, in the face of Ben Lajie’s roar and Punk’s threat, Joni’s expression was unexpectedly calm.” He merely gently brushed the hilt of his sword with his remaining left hand and spoke with a low, resolute tone, declaring his determination:”Looking for death? Perhaps! But even if it weren’t a Legendary, even if a true Legendary were here, it couldn’t tarnish my honor! I don’t want to say more now. Ovakain is right before us—we have no choice but to fight. Of course, if either of you try to flee like deserters…”

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Joni’s eyes. He yanked the Greatsword from the ground and pointed its blade directly at Punk, who radiated danger from head to toe:

“Don’t be deserters. I can’t allow any more honor to be abandoned. So… if either of you try to run, don’t blame me for stopping you!”

“You madman! You’re insane! You’re a damned lunatic!”

Ben Lajie pointed at Joni, cursing furiously.

“Enough, Nokani.”

Seeing Ben Lajie on the verge of losing control, Punk had to intervene and stop the increasingly hysterical old man. But in truth, the raging fury in Punk’s eyes was no less intense than Ben Lajie’s.

“Joni Zordas!”

Taking a deep breath, Punk nimbly dodged Joni’s blade and stepped aside. His gaze at Joni was like looking at a dead man.

“Fine… you’re just fine! I, Cyan, have always been the one scheming against others—this is the first time I’ve been trapped by someone else! I have to admit, regardless of the reason, we now have no choice but to join forces against Ovakain Acidmaw… But this isn’t over, Mr. Zordas. If this battle ends in failure, then as Mr. Nokani said, the Thought of Truth won’t spare a fool who murdered two Senior Mentors! But if we win… Zordas, I swear you’ll regret your damned honor.”

The icy killing intent in Punk’s pupils was now completely unconcealed. The azure glow of his magic resembled a deep Lake—beneath its seemingly calm surface lurked a bloodthirsty Volcano of surging magma.

“Heretic mage, whether I’ll regret it is none of your concern. Right now, you should be thinking about how to deal with the enemy before us!”

Joni didn’t argue further with Punk because Ovakain had already turned its massive dragon head toward the hill, and its deafening roar reached the three of them:

“…Joni Zordas, I’ve nothing to say to those destined to die! But… let me see. Punk Cyan—excellent! Overestimating your abilities, mage. We meet again at last…”

“Enough with the pointless chatter!”

Having no interest in exchanging words with the enemy, Punk paid no attention to what Ovakain was saying. The moment the dragon’s mouth aimed at the hill, he had already used the Anywhere Door to leave his spot.

No matter how powerful the enemy, no matter how infuriating this encounter was, Punk understood: the battle… had already begun. All thoughts of revenge and accountability had to be postponed. The fight now demanded absolute focus!

Against such a large opponent, hit-and-run tactics were always reliable. After all, at equivalent power levels, massive size generally meant less agility than smaller forms. Even though Ovakain was a mage, that didn’t mean enhancement spells designed for human-scale bodies would be equally effective on a dragon’s mountain-sized frame.In fact, Punk could confirm that spells like “Anywhere Door” and “Super Swiftness,” which had restrictions on the target’s volume, were definitely unusable by Ovakain—unless… this guy had the ability to modify those extremely complex spell models.

Well, one really shouldn’t jinx things—sometimes, the bad omens come true while the good ones don’t. It turned out that a level 19 peak spellcaster, already charging toward the Legendary rank, always had the ability to pull out unexpected trump cards.

“Run? Where do you think you’re running? No one’s getting away today!”

Just as Punk leaped out of the Anywhere Door’s exit, the deafening roar once again sent ripples through space!

(End of Chapter)