Episode 624 I Will Escape 1

Boom!

The earth trembled under the impact of Arterion's landing. In an instant, its massive tail lashed out, hurtling toward Parniel and Piote.

Gritting her teeth, Parniel raised a prayer. A radiant shield of light manifested before them, while Piote poured all his power into supporting her.

There was no time to breathe. Arterion's tail struck the ground again, sweeping toward them with unrelenting force.

Crash!

Parniel was flung backward, but the shield created by their combined divine power barely managed to deflect the blow, preventing a fatal injury.

In that fleeting moment, all the superhumans leaped onto the colossal dragon's body, launching a coordinated assault.

Slash!

Hundreds of Belinda's daggers rained down like a meteor shower. Now that Arterion had descended to the ground, even Belinda could join the attack.

The countless daggers scraped against its scales, leaving deep wounds.

Yet Arterion ignored the attacks from others, focusing solely on Parniel and Piote, relentlessly pressing them.

The two were forced to retreat step by step, unable to spare the strength to protect their allies.

Fortunately, Parniel's defensive capabilities were among the highest in the group. With Piote bolstering her power, they managed to withstand Arterion's ferocious onslaught.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Parniel and Piote held their ground as best they could, but as they endured, the injuries inflicted on Arterion's body steadily multiplied.

Ghislain narrowed his eyes as he watched the brutal fight unfold.

"Trying to disable the healers first, huh?"

If Parniel and Piote were taken out, the outcome of a prolonged battle would become uncertain. Their side could be rendered incapacitated by a single direct hit.

It was a sound strategy on Arterion's part. However, if Parniel and Piote focused solely on defense, the dragon would continue to sustain significant injuries.

"Something feels off."

Even amidst the chaos, faint spells flickered into existence around Arterion before dissipating.

"What is it planning?"

By now, Arterion should have realized its magic was ineffective. Attacking the hidden mages in their fortresses would have been a better move.

If it targeted the fortresses one by one, the suppression would eventually weaken, allowing it to cast spells freely.

Of course, they wouldn't let that happen. The mages were prepared to defend themselves, and by the time Arterion overcame them, it would likely be nothing more than a corpse.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Arterion's body was soon covered in wounds as it disregarded all other attacks.

Then, suddenly, its elongated neck twisted, and it lunged toward Belinda.

Roar!

Its massive jaws opened wide, attempting to swallow her whole.

If it succeeded, even divine power wouldn't save her. It was arguably the most effective move Arterion could make.

Poof!

In an instant, Belinda dissolved into shadows, scattering in all directions.

But Arterion's keen senses detected her location immediately. It swiftly turned its head, chasing her down with unnerving precision.

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Belinda had to transform into shadows multiple times to evade. Arterion pursued her relentlessly, intent on catching its target.

If the others hadn't continued attacking, she might have been caught and devoured.

Slash!

Julien's sword slashed across the dragon's heart area, forcing Arterion to retreat momentarily.

However, the dragon didn't let Julien escape unscathed. It swung its claws in retaliation.

Crash!

Julien was sent flying, but divine power enveloped his body, protecting him from serious harm.

Before Arterion could pursue Julien, he had already recovered, launching another attack. The others seized the opportunity to strike relentlessly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The battle between the superhumans and Arterion raged on. The fight on the ground was no less intense than it had been in the air.

In fact, the situation was now more unfavorable for Arterion. Even Belinda had joined the fray.

Arterion once again turned its focus to Parniel and Piote, though spells continued to manifest and dissipate around it.

Fwoosh!

Even when a spell succeeded, it was little more than a small fireball—insufficient to threaten anyone present.

Arterion's erratic actions deepened Ghislain's suspicions.

"What exactly is it trying to do?"

Parniel and Piote, Belinda, and the mages—these were the pillars supporting their group. Ghislain had anticipated that Arterion would target one of them.

Yet its behavior was puzzling. It fought haphazardly, seemingly without a clear plan.

Dismissing it as madness wasn't an option. This was the same dragon that had triumphed in the Great War a millennium ago. It was undoubtedly more experienced in battle than any of them.

Even in its apparent frenzy, Arterion delivered devastating counterattacks to anyone who approached.

If its strength were just slightly greater, or if they lacked the divine blessings protecting them, the battle would have ended long ago.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Both sides fought fiercely, disregarding their own safety. Each of the superhumans had been struck by Arterion multiple times, sent sprawling across the battlefield.

All they focused on was avoiding instant death. Broken bones and shattered bodies didn't matter.

Parniel and Piote were pouring divine power into them with reckless abandon, ensuring they could continue fighting.

This battle would persist until the two healers ran out of divine energy.

Growl...

Arterion emitted a continuous, guttural snarl.

Its body bore countless wounds, and without its magic, it couldn't heal itself properly.

Though Arterion remained the stronger and more intimidating force, the tide of battle was gradually shifting in Ghislain's favor.

If things continued this way, Arterion would eventually succumb to exhaustion.

However, Ghislain's side wasn't in an ideal state either. No matter how powerful their divine power was, it wasn't infinite.

Ghislain clenched his teeth.

"We have to bring it down before the divine power runs out."

Meanwhile, Arterion continued futilely attempting spells, expending its energy.

That was all the better for them. The more it wasted its power, the weaker it would become.

Ghislain shouted decisively.

"Push harder!"

While Parniel and Piote still had divine power, they needed to take more risks, delivering greater injuries to incapacitate the dragon as quickly as possible.

Only then could they claim a decisive victory.

Boom! Thud! Boom!

As if burdened by its mounting wounds, Arterion began retreating.

Unable to find a solution on the ground, it spread its wings, gradually lifting off into the air.

For a creature of its size, flying without the aid of magic drained its stamina significantly.

But remaining on the ground only left it vulnerable to more injuries. The humans' movements were too unrestricted.

Thus, Arterion had no choice but to take to the skies once more.

Whoosh!

Belinda scattered daggers into the air, forming a shining staircase. The superhumans immediately leaped onto it, chasing the dragon.

Roar!

At that moment, Arterion unleashed an enormous surge of magic. It poured nearly half of its remaining mana into forming a spell.

Jerome's eyes widened in shock.

"Insane!"

Unable to cast magic properly, Arterion was attempting to overpower their suppression with sheer force.

Jerome quickly drew upon his own mana to counter it.

This might have been advantageous. If Arterion exhausted its mana at this rate, it would weaken even faster. All Jerome had to do was hold out and break the spell.

Rumble!

An unprecedented clash of magic erupted, filling the battlefield with overwhelming energy.

The massive fireball that had formed began to disintegrate under the intense opposition. Yet Arterion continued pouring mana into it, determined to complete the spell.

"Damn it!"

Jerome gritted his teeth, gathering every ounce of his power to resist.

Arterion was burning through more than half its remaining mana in this gamble. As Jerome held firm, the dragon's mana reserves rapidly diminished.

Though it was clearly losing ground, Arterion clung stubbornly to its faith in its own strength.

The warriors could sense it—the dragon's arrogance and desperate resolve.

Hope surged among them. If Jerome could just hold out a little longer, victory was within reach.

But as Ghislain pressed his attack, he suddenly noticed something strange.

Arterion's bloodshot eyes still burned with lethal intent.

Yet...

'Is it smiling?'

Despite the overwhelming situation, the dragon—covered in wounds and increasingly cornered—seemed to be smiling.

Arterion spoke in a low voice, "I've found it."

"What?"

Before anyone could react, Arterion abruptly turned its head.

ROAR!

As it opened its maw, the surrounding air was sucked in, creating a massive pressure wave.

Ghislain turned in the same direction, his face contorted in urgency.

"Block it!" he shouted.

Without hesitation, everyone launched themselves at Arterion, pouring all their strength into the attack.

Their strikes landed with unprecedented force. Blood erupted from Arterion's body as its wings were shredded, its chest slashed, and its body pierced.

But the dragon endured it all. It was strong enough to withstand such attacks.

Without any further delay, Arterion unleashed its breath. Gathering more energy wasn't necessary—it was enough to destroy its enemies as they stood.

BOOOOOOM!

Jerome's eyes widened in realization.

"So that's it..."

Arterion had been using its magical exertion as a decoy, intentionally exhausting mana to trace the flow of opposing magic. Despite their efforts to hide it, the faint fluctuations in mana concentration gave away its source.

As expected of a dragon.

Moreover, this move was cunning. While they had been fully focused on nullifying its magic, Arterion had unleashed a non-magical breath attack, bypassing their defenses.

This wily dragon had willingly sacrificed a portion of its mana to find a way to win.

"Vanessa!" Jerome roared, summoning all the mana he could muster to deploy a 9th-circle barrier.

ZIIING!

The enormous barrier enveloped the fortress. Mages in the vicinity collapsed as their mana was drained instantly.

The urgency was palpable. Even mages stationed in nearby fortresses felt their energy being siphoned to strengthen the barrier.

Realizing the dire situation, Vanessa recklessly pushed her own depleted mana reserves into Jerome's, amplifying the barrier.

BOOOOOOM!

The dragon's breath collided with the barrier, creating a massive shockwave that rippled across the battlefield.

CRACK! CRACK!

The barrier trembled as it absorbed the relentless onslaught, continuously consuming mana. One by one, distant mages fainted from exhaustion.

Though Arterion's breath weakened over time, the barrier had also grown fragile. They had expended vast amounts of energy nullifying the dragon's earlier magic, leaving little for further defense.

Simultaneously defending against both the breath and suppressing the dragon's magic had severely strained Jerome and Vanessa's focus.

SHATTER!

In the end, the barrier couldn't hold and shattered under the pressure. Desperately, Jerome and Vanessa gathered what little mana they had left to cast a new shield.

BOOM!

The walls of the fortress bore the brunt of the dragon's breath, crumbling despite their powerful enchantments. The shields, though significantly weakened, managed to dampen the attack's force.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

The breath obliterated the shields one after another but eventually dissipated, unable to completely break through the final layers.

Arterion had consumed an extraordinary amount of its remaining energy. Its breath attack had reached its limit.

Shards of ice fell from the sky like glimmering crystals, while frost covered the ground around the fortress.

The aftermath of the breath attack hung in the air, the frozen landscape a stark reminder of the battle's intensity.

Thud.

Jerome, having expended all of his mana, collapsed unconscious.

"Cough!"

Vanessa fell to her knees, blood dripping from her lips.

Throughout the fortress, mages lay unconscious, drained of their energy.

Though Arterion had also depleted a significant portion of its mana, it still possessed enough to overwhelm them.

The remaining mages were insufficient to mount a coordinated resistance. Without someone to control and consolidate their efforts, the situation seemed dire.

"This is where it truly begins," Arterion declared arrogantly, spreading its wings as it took a step back.

Unlike ordinary beings, Arterion wasn't a typical dragon. Now that the magic suppression had weakened, it was confident it could force its way through and cast spells.

"Grrr..."

Vanessa, clutching her staff, gasped for air. She had also reached her limit, her mana utterly drained.

A bone-chilling cold settled over the battlefield. Even though they had repelled the breath attack, it felt as though her entire body was frozen solid.

In her current state, controlling another's mana was impossible. Either she needed time to recover or someone else had to step in.

"No... I can't... We have to hold on..."

The battle had been in their favor until now. Arterion was exhausted and had used up tremendous amounts of mana.

If they could just hold out a little longer and continue suppressing its magic, victory was within reach.

Jerome's fortress housed highly skilled mages, prepared for emergencies. If they could temporarily take over the mana control or transfer energy to her, they might still stand a chance.

But as she turned her head—

"No..."

Every mage lay unconscious, drained of mana.

The combined efforts to counter the dragon's breath and its magic had required an unimaginable amount of energy.

Yet, one figure remained standing. Someone who had no business still being on their feet.

"Alfoy?"

Vanessa's voice trembled as she looked toward the man at the back of the group, shaking uncontrollably.