Fire Mage-Chapter 675: Explosion

Chapter 675: Explosion

Unfazed, the Lord of Chaos summoned more skeletal hands—an army of death clawing up from beneath the earth, all attempting to ensnare her.

But she moved like a specter through them. Her black dress fluttered with each motion, and every swing of her scythe sent waves of chaotic energy through the air. The skeletal limbs shattered like dry twigs.

Eventually, she cut down the last of them and turned her gaze toward the Tree of Bone and Flesh.

"Playtime’s over, Tree," she said with a cold smile.

Though her tone was casual, the Lord of Chaos felt death hovering overhead. It tried to pull away.

Too late.

She raised her scythe again and slashed. This time, a massive arc of dark light erupted from the blade—twenty meters long and pulsing with destructive power.

The arc sliced through the Lord of Chaos like a blade through silk. Its skeletal structure cracked and tore apart. A shockwave of chaotic force burst forth, splitting the very fabric of the dimension.

The tree convulsed violently. Its towering body crumbled, the dark energy cleaving it in two. The glowing eyes dimmed. The frigid aura dissipated.

Vespera stood untouched amid the aftermath, the remnants of her power swirling around her like a storm’s echo.

From the distant Baston Fortress, silence spread. Humans, demons, and other races alike watched in stunned awe and horror.

The once-dreaded Lord of Chaos now lay scattered across the battlefield—defeated.

Vespera turned her gaze toward the fortress. Her crimson eyes glowed like burning embers, locking on the survivors.

Though most had already retreated behind the walls, a few still lingered near the gate.

"They’re saving me the trouble."

With those words, she vanished into a streak of dark light.

Moments later, heads began flying into the air—demon, human, and beast alike—blood splattering in every direction.

But just before she reached the fortress walls, a protective force-field flared into existence and enveloped the entire structure.

Even with all her power, not even Vespera’s scythe could pierce it.

"Let’s see how long your little shield holds," she muttered coldly and began striking the barrier again and again.

For several minutes, not a single crack appeared.

But gradually, a thin fracture formed at the gate and began to widen.

"As I suspected... the fortress is protected by a powerful Rune Mage. Tsk. I didn’t want to use divine power yet, but I suppose I have no choice."

She gathered her divine energy at the tip of her scythe, the weapon beginning to glow ominously.

...

Meanwhile, a massive bird with pitch-black feathers flew frantically toward the south.

Suddenly, a towering woman—three meters tall—appeared before it and punched it square in the face.

A shockwave thundered across the sky. The Devil Crow reeled, momentarily dazed.

"Oh? Still not used to my body," Thera muttered. She reached into her pendant, pulled out an eerie black coffin, and opened it before the stunned crow.

Before the creature could react or even register her face, an invisible force ripped its consciousness from its body.

In the next moment, the Devil Crow found itself in a realm of total darkness.

"Where am I?" it tried to activate its wisdom powers—but nothing. Even its bloodline spells were sealed.

Panic twisted its face.

Thera calmly shut the coffin and sealed it with chains of pure flame.

She returned it to her spatial pendant and looked in the direction of the War Castle.

"I hope everything’s still on track," she said solemnly and flew toward the Devil Crow’s lair.

...

At the same time, a goat-horned, winged demon was flying toward the War Castle when he noticed a figure in a black robe appear mid-air.

"Who are you?" Azgan demanded. But then his eyes widened. "Charles!"

"Relax, Azgan. Didn’t you want to overthrow the Devil Crow and take his place? Thanks to the anomaly, things have gotten easier," Charles said, his voice calm as he released a wave of wisdom power.

"Now, as per our deal—shouldn’t you hand over the egg?"

Azgan’s face tensed.

He’s this strong?! Even his own power felt suppressed by the pressure. Gritting his teeth, he released his own wisdom power to resist the suffocation.

"You didn’t even help!" he protested. "Because of you, the whole layer’s ruined! Even the Lord of Chaos couldn’t stop that being!"

Charles frowned. "Your Lord will be resurrected in six months, won’t he? So why the fuss? Our deal wasn’t about saving anyone. It was to kill or seal the Devil Crow."

Grumbling, Azgan took an eerie black egg from his space ring and threw it at Charles.

Charles caught the egg, examined it carefully, and stored it in his ring.

Without another word, he cloaked himself in crimson flame and vanished.

Azgan floated in stunned silence.

...

A few seconds later, Charles reappeared at the site where Thera had battled the Devil Crow. A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Looks like she succeeded, too," he muttered.

Just as he prepared to teleport, a massive explosion rocked the skies to the north.

His eyes snapped open in surprise.

A gigantic mushroom cloud rose over Baston Fortress—its dark stem nearly reaching the black heavens.

"Damn it... That looks like a nuclear explosion," he said, drawing a sharp breath. He flared his wisdom power southward and vanished in an instant.

The skies above Baston Fortress churned under a vast mushroom cloud, casting an eerie shadow over what had once been a thriving battlefield. The explosion’s shockwave rippled outward, its echo carrying the weight of annihilation across the realm.

Evil Goddess Vespera stood at the edge of the smoldering pit, her gaze fixed on the abyss below. A wicked smirk curled on her lips.

Her attack had not only obliterated the entire Baston Fortress but also reduced the surrounding pocket dimension to dust.

Every being—demon, human, or otherwise—caught within had been reduced to ash.

After a moment of silent satisfaction, she retrieved a black, marble-like crystal and tossed it into the air. The orb floated swiftly to a height of five meters before unleashing a strange divine power. It pulsed with eerie energy and began drawing in souls from the shattered battlefield.

Some souls tried to flee, swimming frantically through the astral realm, but escape proved impossible.

One by one, the spirits of legendary warriors and ancient beings were pulled into the marble, vanishing from existence.

When the final soul was consumed, the marble drifted back down, settling softly into Vespera’s waiting palm.

"Hmm. Still not enough," she muttered, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the far corners of the Fourth Dimension.

"Oh? The human with the Shepherd’s sword is leaving already? Should I nip the bud before it blooms?" Her gaze lingered for a second. "No... I shouldn’t interfere with Shepherd’s creations."

She turned her attention toward another direction.

"The Guardian is trapped in the core room? That means some humans made it inside. Interesting." A cruel smile spread across her face.

"Things are falling into place."

"Time to hunt every soul here and return them to the Abyss." As her voice faded, her body melted into shadow and vanished.

...

Far to the south, a man in a black robe soared through treacherous mountains and shadowed valleys, his eerie flame-like wings slicing through the air. He soon arrived before a colossal mountain.

At the mountain’s base stood a tall, familiar woman facing the mouth of a dark cavern.

Slowing his descent with a few quick wingbeats, Charles circled in the air once before landing softly behind Thera. A thick, suffocating aura pressed down around them.

"Did you get what you came for?" Thera asked, her eyes fixed on the distant mushroom cloud. She retrieved a black coffin from her spatial pendant.

"I did. But we need to leave before she starts looking for us," Charles replied, taking the coffin from her and sealing it inside his space ring. Without delay, he stepped into the cavern’s dark maw.

Inside, they made their way through winding corridors filled with dense, chaotic energy. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the air became.

"Thera, do you know anything about the next Layer? I heard the boss is a Demi-God," Charles asked as he scanned the jagged tunnel walls.

"The Fifth Layer is a land of the undead," Thera replied. Then, as if recalling something, she asked, "You have a Star Monarch’s Key, right?"

Charles turned to her, surprised. "How do you know that?"

"I have one too," she said with a smirk. "Whenever someone enters this Dungeon, the guardians of the First Layer sometimes reward a promising explorer with a Star Monarch’s Key. It’s proof that you’re strong enough to reach the Fifth Layer. That’s where the true Dungeon begins."

"What exactly is the Hall of Stars? What does the key do? And who is this Star Monarch?"

"The Hall of Stars is a reward chamber within the Dungeon. Only those with a Star Monarch’s Key can enter it. Unlike others, you can visit the Hall after clearing every five layers—and more importantly, you can choose to leave the dimension whenever you wish. The key allows you to claim one special reward, like a beginner’s gift."

She paused, then added, "As for the Star Monarch, it’s not one person but several. I don’t know much about them, but I’ve heard their legacies are scattered throughout the Star Tombs."

Charles nodded slowly. "So I can leave after getting the reward?"

"Yes. And I advise you to do just that. Come back later to face the Fifth Layer’s boss."

"Oh? Is it really that strong?"

"Its current strength is on par with the weakened Evil Goddess we encountered. And that’s not even its full power."