The Flames of Betrayal

Unable to hold themselves back any longer, despite knowing the figure before them was extraordinary, the Adventurers leaped forward with their weapons raised high into the air, ready to unleash their strongest attacks without hesitation—especially after witnessing his ability to stop time.

They were convinced that such a power would require a long cooldown before being used again, making this their best chance to fight back.

However, all he had to do was stomp his foot on the ground, and they were sent flying, crashing into buildings with bodies now aching in unbearable pain.

Their consciousness wavered, their vision blurred, and darkness crept in at the edges of their sight.

Many lost consciousness immediately.

Those who could still stand, albeit shakily, gathered more mana to reinforce their bodies. As one, they leaped from the ruined structures, filling the night sky with dazzling, radiant lights of various elements.

Had this been an ordinary night, it would have been a breathtaking sight, a spectacle rarely seen twice in a lifetime.

Unfortunately, every one of those brilliant lights was doomed to vanish.

"Give it everything you've got! We can't let him escape!" roared the older Adventurer at the front, gripping a massive hammer ready to strike.

His body was enveloped in golden-brown mana, a mark of the earth element at an advanced stage. He was only one step away from reaching the final tier.

A young mage completed his chant, extending his palm forward. From it, several magic circles formed, glowing a bright yellow with crackling lightning.

Gathering more mana, he shouted, "I'll distract him! Use that chance to attack!"

A surge of lightning burst forth, illuminating the dark night with a dazzling yet terrifying glow, accompanied by the crackling of electricity that seemed to pierce the soul itself.

The attack struck its target, engulfing the area in blinding golden light, its sheer intensity nearly rivaling that of the heroes.

But he knew this wouldn't be enough to defeat him.

His only goal was to blind him for a brief moment—just enough time for the other Adventurers to launch their own devastating attacks.

Inside the blinding light, Orange Hair tensed momentarily before turning to him. "You're not going to do anything?" he asked curiously.

"Let them use their strongest attacks. I want to see how far apart they are from the heroes."

With that, Orange Hair could only hope he was under his protection—otherwise, he would be torn apart by the overwhelming barrage of attacks.

And so, he acted.

He moved behind him and said, "Let's see if you can withstand this."

Orange Hair's eyes widened in shock as countless ultimate attacks from the Adventurers closed in on him, leaving no room to dodge—only to face them head-on.

"YOU BASTARD!" he bellowed.

Then, an explosion erupted, filling the area with an array of elemental lights, as if a natural disaster had struck a single location all at once.

A disaster of such magnitude that the entire capital trembled violently from the impact. Shockwaves obliterated the surrounding buildings, reducing them to dust.

Stone pillars emerged from the ground, lightning rained down in hundreds of bolts, water flooded the battlefield, and a massive eruption of magma burst forth at the very center, painting the night sky in a fiery red.

And within it stood Orange Hair—completely transformed, no longer resembling a human.

The Adventurers gasped in shock, never expecting Burning Star to have reached this level.

A level that was nothing more than a dream for most Adventurers.

His skin had turned into scorching rock, with magma flowing through its cracks. His once-normal eyes were now black, with burning orange irises resembling molten lava. Even his hair had become a blazing torch.

"Ah, so he can turn into a living flame," the man behind him mused, eager to see him in action.

Truthfully, Orange Hair never wanted to use this power—he still hadn't fully mastered it. He had intended to save it for his battle against the so-called strongest warriors of humanity—the Heroes.

Yet, here he was, forced to use it against mere Adventurers.

"Burning Star has reached the Unity Stage? How is that possible?" one of them asked in disbelief. "Only the Heroes can achieve that!"

His brow twitched in irritation. "You think only they can reach this stage!? I can do it too!"

He swung his sword, now transformed into a weapon of pure magma.

The crimson steel had shattered into fragments, held together by the flowing magma like molten glue.

A massive crescent wave of molten rock formed, surging toward the Adventurers, who were already drained of mana after their previous attacks.

Desperate, they conjured defensive spells, hoping to endure the oncoming strike.

The moment it landed, another massive explosion erupted, magma raining down, scorching the battlefield into a deep red inferno.

The Adventurers were thrown backward, unable to withstand the attack after expending all their strength earlier, their bodies crashing into the ground at high speed.

Hovering in the air, Burning Star looked down at them, grinning as they struggled to rise despite their battered bodies.

But his grin quickly faded.

Because he knew—deep down—their power was stolen from other races, not earned through their own efforts.

If only he could forget that fact.

No. He couldn't allow himself to think that way.

Thinking like that would make him no different from that old bastard. And he refused to be like him.

Yes, this was stolen power—but the fact that he had reached this stage through his own willpower could not be denied. And he would use this strength to fulfill his ambitions—then discard it completely.

That way, he wouldn't be burdened by it.

"Why are you siding with him, Burning Star!?" one of them shouted, barely holding himself up with his sword. Hatred burned in his eyes. "You were one of us! A legend who gave us so much hope! You inspired me! Why are you fighting alongside that monster!?"

Orange Hair stared at him coldly.

"Because you still don't understand. When we're done, only then will you see."

"By committing genocide!?"

"Aren't they the ones who deserve to die? Besides, we're letting the rest live so they can continue their plans. I told you—you still don't understand, and you never will. Why? Because to do what we're doing, you don't just need overwhelming power… you also need the resolve to be hated by the world."

His eyes flared like molten rock, swirling with an intense glow. Flames surged around his body, blazing wildly as he raised his sword.

"So, you either stay silent and watch—or die a miserable death!"

As his sword swung down, another massive wave of searing magma formed, racing toward the Adventurers, who could only watch in horror as death closed in.

The last thing seen before the capital fell silent was a tremendous explosion—its fiery glow illuminating the night, sending a scorching wind that incinerated every plant within five hundred meters of the capital, reducing what was once lush and thriving into a barren, lifeless wasteland.