Chapter 32 – Collapse

KRA-KOOOOOM!

The sound of rapidly compressing and decompressing air was deafening. Despite his immense resistance, Windor's descent accelerated exponentially. The friction between his barrier and the air heated to the point of generating large sparks of fire.

At this velocity, Windor had effectively turned himself into a kinetic energy bomb, capable of instantly killing any level 4 beast upon impact. Even so, the serpent lurking 20 meters deep beneath the desert sand wouldn't feel a thing.

However, by using Collapse, the kinetic energy would amplify his explosion magic, creating a detonation powerful enough to obliterate everything within nearly 200 meters of dense forest. In a desert like this, the explosion would ignite the sands in a fiery radius of at least 500 meters, frying everything above ground and boiling alive any creatures hidden beneath.

"Foolish bird…," muttered Mahara as Windor drew closer to the ground, seconds before impact.

It was humiliating enough to face death while barely injured, having been caught in an ambush and left aside as a non-threat. She sank slowly into the sand, helpless, watching her friends endure brutal attacks.

Adding to her shame, the bird in which they had placed a flicker of hope would be the one to deliver them a painful end. She couldn't even be sure there'd be remains of their bodies when it was all over.

Vrruouummmm SwoshhOOOMMMMMMM!

As death approached, time seemed to slow for Mahara. From her sinking vantage point, she witnessed everything in excruciating detail…

She saw Windor maintain his staggering velocity until he reached an altitude of 20 meters.

She saw him fold his wings tightly, expanding his barrier to nearly 10 meters in diameter and flattening it to eliminate all aerodynamics.

She heard a thunderous roar and saw sparks ignite the air between the barrier and the sand, turning it a glowing red.

At 10 meters, the barrier morphed into the shape of a shell, forcing the air inside to compress and heat even further…

PHSSSSSSST!

Finally, at just 3 meters above ground, Mahara saw a fireball ignite within the barrier, accompanied by the hissing release of compressed air.

BOOOOMMMM!

The explosion was brutal. Mahara felt the shockwave as a massive wall of fire swept across the desert, engulfing everything in sight. Her instincts told her to close her eyes and pray for a swift end.

Whooooosh…

But when the fiery wave passed, she felt… nothing.

"What?" She opened her eyes, realizing she was encased in a protective aura. The barrier shielded her from harm, even from the scorching heat of the sand beneath her.

Yet, as she surveyed her surroundings, the devastation left her speechless.

At the center of the blast, the heat had melted the sand into a sinister lake of molten glass. A crater, nearly 15 meters deep and with a radius of 100 meters, stretched outward. Everything within its grasp had been hurled away, except for the molten sand that pooled to form the lake.

Meanwhile, the bodies of Anya and Sonia hung suspended mid-air, enveloped in the same protective aura as Mahara. They remained frozen in place, untouched by the chaos.

A black cloud of smoke blotted out the sun, amplifying the eerie glow of the molten lake below. The scene was both hypnotic and horrifying. Yet, the dense smoke obscured Mahara's view, leaving her uncertain about Hendrina's fate.

And then… another surprise.

Recent rains had left the Desert of Turt with unusually high moisture levels. When the sand was rapidly heated by the explosion, all the water up to a depth of 4 meters vaporized almost instantly.

Shhhwwooohhhh

The steam, mixed with dust particles, dispersed into the scorching air. The combination of a massive dust cloud, lingering smoke, extreme heat, and a pool of glowing lava could only lead to one outcome…

BOOMMMMMMMM!

A secondary explosion rocked the desert, transforming the already desolate scene into one of utter devastation.

While the catastrophic events unfolded below, two figures hovered above the desert, concealed within an isolating aura barrier. Floating 1200 meters in the air, the barrier rendered their presence undetectable to any being on this planet.

The number of beings capable of sensing such a barrier was limited to a few dozen. Those capable of breaking it could be counted on one hand.

Inside, Edgar stood beside a striking woman. Her dark skin contrasted with her long, braided white hair, which cascaded down in two thick plaits. Her full lips and hypnotic light-brown eyes adorned a face that was both bold and extraordinarily beautiful.

Her physique was equally remarkable. Tall and imposing, her thick, toned legs and prominent, sculpted posterior were barely contained by her training pants. Her sports bra revealed an impeccably trained abdomen, with eight defined muscles clearly visible, as well perfectly proportioned breasts.

"So, what's your opinion of this fight?" Edgar asked, curiosity evident in his tone. The woman, her gaze cold and unyielding, observed the scene below.

"Hmph… Disappointing," she replied curtly, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply.

"That's all?"

"And that's generous," she said, turning her attention to Windor, who was now circling above in search of his prey.

"You're being too harsh, Nala. They were up against a level 4 beast—and not just any beast, a Crotalus Desertignis," Edgar argued, his eyes following Windor's movements.

"They failed miserably to meet my expectations. I thought they could perform better and buy more time. Hendrina could barely defeat the rock scorpion. If this were a real scenario, none of them would have survived."

"Is that why you let them suffer so much?" Edgar jabbed, poking Nala's thick thigh repeatedly.

"Stop that," she said, grabbing his hand. "Compared to the real consequences they'd face in such a situation, this was just a painful lesson. Call it a warning."

"Hmph, sounds more like you were entertaining yourself," Edgar teased, using his other hand to poke her again.

"Think what you want. Remember, I'm the one known for my strength, not you. And stop that…" she warned, ending the conversation by grabbing Edgar's arm and locking him in a headscissor hold.

"Mnhhh," Edgar groaned, half-heartedly attempting to escape. His efforts were feeble, almost as if he wasn't trying at all.

"You're such a pervert. You don't even try to hide how much you're enjoying this," Nala remarked with a sly grin. Her predatory smile grew as she felt Edgar's aura radiating ecstasy and euphoria within the barrier.

"Mnhhh… Hhhhkk…"

Edgar's resistance remained weak, and Nala barely applied any pressure. If he truly wanted, he could break free at any moment, but for some reason, he didn't. The dense aura filled the barrier, affecting Nala as well. Her instincts dulled her sense of restraint, and her grin became even more feral.

But it didn't last.

"Enough," she said, releasing Edgar and dispersing his aura with a wave of her hand.

"…" Edgar stood, adjusting his clothes, his expression deeply embarrassed. He avoided her gaze, choosing silence.

"…" Nala said nothing either, and an awkward tension settled between them. Neither seemed to know what to say.

Fortunately, Windor's ongoing battle with the Crotalus Desertignis provided a much-needed distraction.

The serpent had narrowly escaped Windor's devastating attack but suffered severe burns and injuries. Its scales were scorched, and it retaliated by hurling acidic projectiles at its aerial assailant.

Unfortunately for the serpent, it was clearly at a disadvantage. Windor's superior speed and control of the skies allowed him to evade her attacks effortlessly. With each dive, he struck her with his claws, further weakening her defenses.

The serpent was resilient, but it was slowly losing the battle as the damage accumulated. Even when it intended to burrow into the sand and flee, Windor used his excellent wing strength to grab and lift the serpent into the air.

It was clear to Edgar that the battle's conclusion was only a matter of time.