leonardwarren Chapter 483 - 480 – A Bitter Victory
Chapter 483 - 480 – A Bitter Victory
The thick dust from the devastating combined attack slowly settled, leaving a fog of holy white ash mixed with thick black smoke that drifted slowly throughout the ruined cavern. The dim light from the remaining mana crystals on the walls illuminated a horrifying yet heartbreaking scene. The once-solid cavern floor was now covered in deep cracks, gaping corrosive holes, and pools of thick black blood that still bubbled gently, releasing poisonous bubbles. Holy white ash from Sylvia’s flames mixed with corrosive blood, creating a strange layer of smoking sludge that smelled of burnt flesh, rotten blood, and the sharp ozone of lingering lightning. Every breath was painful, as if the lungs were being burned from within.Mušmaḫḫū was still alive, but only by a thread.
Its mountain-sized body was now covered in horrific gaping wounds, like a volcano that had just erupted from the inside. Its black-reddish scales were cracked and scorched in hundreds of places, with some sections even melted by the heat of the holy white flames. Corrosive blood flowed like small rivers from dozens of deep, gaping wounds, still trying to form small blood monsters that immediately evaporated upon touching Sylvia’s holy white chains. Five of its giant dragon heads hung limply and powerlessly, their once-furious red eyes now dim like dying embers. Holy white smoke still rose slowly from the deep burn holes, carrying the strange yet fragrant scent of purified burnt flesh.
Only one head remained standing, though with great difficulty. Its neck trembled violently, its red eyes blazing with pure hatred as they stared directly at Sylvia. That gaze was filled with primordial rage, as if it wanted to tear apart the souls of every creature that dared oppose it. To others, the gaze felt like death itself cold, ancient, inevitable, and filled with eternal curses. But to Sylvia, it was merely the look of a monster already on the brink of destruction. She returned the gaze with her calm red eyes, showing not the slightest fear.
"It’s... still alive," Elara Silverwind muttered in a hoarse, nearly inaudible voice. Her body trembled from extreme mana exhaustion. She leaned on her badly cracked crystal staff, breathing raggedly as if she had just run dozens of kilometers. Thin tears flowed down her face, which was dirty with dust and dried blood.
All the remaining team members had reached the absolute limit of human endurance. Party Wild Bear was down to just three people. Their burly bodies were covered in gaping wounds and dried blood, their shields half-melted with iron edges dripping like wax. Gorn Thunderfist stood with violently trembling knees, his war axe planted deep into the floor to support his large, heavily wounded body. His usually fierce face was now etched with deep lines of sorrow over the loss of Thrain and the others.
Party Eternal had also nearly completely collapsed. Only Elara and two other members were still standing, but their faces were as pale as living corpses, their eyes hollow from mana depletion. Alicia and Stacia leaned against each other, breathing heavily and irregularly. Their beautiful faces were deathly pale, with cold sweat covering their foreheads. Sol and Qilin also looked extremely exhausted; their usually bright holy auras now dim like candles about to go out.
Sylvia stood in the middle of the battlefield. Her undead body remained upright, though she felt an overwhelming heavy burden on her shoulders and chest. Her mana was also nearly completely depleted, and her body’s regeneration worked hard to repair the small wounds that kept appearing due to the side effects of the holy chains. There was no other choice, she thought coldly and firmly.
She extended both hands with slow but determined movements. From the living dark shadows around her, the Chains of Abyss emerged once again. This time, she did not hesitate. With burning willpower, she merged dozens of chains into one giant, thick, and long chain. The holy white chain grew larger, its light becoming brighter and pulsing with divine purifying power.
"With this... it ends," Sylvia said in a flat voice that echoed through the ruined cavern, filled with cold authority. "Final Form: UNIFICATION."
The system in her mind rang loudly.
[Final Form: UNIFICATION has been activated.
All stats increased by 500% for 60 seconds.]
The giant white chain trembled violently. Its light exploded brightly, nearly blinding everyone in the cavern. An extraordinary power flowed through Sylvia’s entire body, making her aura expand like a holy angel of death descending from the heavens. Faint wings of light briefly appeared on her back. The chain shot forward at the speed of light.
SCHWOOOOOOSSSSHHHHH!!!
In one smooth, beautiful yet deadly motion, the giant chain pierced directly through the remaining head of Mušmaḫḫū, penetrating its entire massive body all the way to its tail with perfect precision. CRRRRRAAACCCKKKK!!! The horrifying sound of penetration echoed loudly, followed by the ancient monster’s final roar of agony that shattered the remaining stones.
GRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!
Mušmaḫḫū’s body jerked violently multiple times. The holy white chains burned it from the inside. The purifying flames spread throughout its organs, blood, and dark essence like a holy virus. The once-boiling corrosive blood now evaporated en masse into fragrant holy white smoke that cleansed the air. All seven heads roared in final agony before going completely limp. Their red eyes dimmed forever. The massive body collapsed with a thunderous DUUUUUMMMMM!!!, causing the entire cavern to shake violently. Dust and stones flew like a storm, and the walls cracked even worse, but the monster finally lay motionless forever.
Sylvia sat weakly on the scorched floor, her breathing (even as an undead) heavy and irregular. The Unification buff ended right on time, and extreme exhaustion flooded her entire body like a tidal wave. The holy white chains slowly disappeared back into the shadows, leaving faint trails of light that gradually faded.
All the surviving members let out long, deep sighs of relief. Some Wild Bear members fell to their knees, crying silently over the loss of their comrades who had fought side by side with them for many years. Gorn Thunderfist lowered his head, his shoulders shaking quietly. Elara Silverwind leaned against the cracked cavern wall, tears flowing freely down her pale cheeks, her lips trembling as she held back sobs.
Stacia hurriedly stepped forward despite her violently trembling body. She took out her grimoire and activated high-level spatial magic with her last remaining mana. "Spatial Storage: Grand Containment!" The giant corpse of Mušmaḫḫū disappeared into her magical storage space with a soft glowing light, leaving behind an empty space full of blood pools and ash.
Gorn Thunderfist and the remaining Wild Bear members lifted Thrain’s body with deep respect and sorrow. They wrapped it in torn spare cloaks. Elara and the surviving Eternal members did the same with Lirael’s half-melted body. They didn’t have storage space like Stacia, so they had to carry their comrades’ remains by hand, their steps heavy and filled with grief.
"Let’s get out of here," Sylvia said softly, her voice weak but firm. "This place is no longer stable. The cavern could collapse at any moment."
They all walked out of the dimensional rift with heavy, staggering steps. Right after the last person exited, the dark purple rift shook violently before closing completely with a thunderous CRRRRRRRRRRRRRACKKK!!! sound, as if the world itself were sealing an old wound. The purple light vanished entirely, and the surrounding mountains returned to calm as if the terrifying epic battle had never occurred.
The journey back to the capital was carried out in heavy, painful silence. Party Unhuman’s horse carriage moved slowly along the damaged path, followed by the badly damaged Wild Bear vehicle with screeching wheels and a dented body. Eternal’s Roc flew low overhead, its shadow covering the group. The atmosphere was thick with grief. No one spoke much. Only the cold evening wind blew, carrying the bitter scent of victory mixed with the smell of dried blood, ash, and sweat.
Occasionally, Gorn would mutter Thrain’s name in a hoarse voice. Elara stared blankly at Lirael’s corpse, her hands gripping her cracked staff tightly. Alicia and Stacia sat beside Sylvia, resting their heads on her shoulders with their eyes closed from physical and emotional exhaustion.
As the sun set on the western horizon in beautiful golden-orange hues, they finally entered the gates of the Helios Empire’s capital. The residents who saw their battered, wounded group carrying corpses fell silent instantly. Whispers spread like wildfire through dry grass. "They succeeded... but look... some have fallen." News of the victory over Mušmaḫḫū would spread quickly throughout the city, but tonight, the city would mourn alongside its fallen heroes.
Sylvia sat in the coachman’s seat with her eyes closed, her body completely drained. Alicia and Stacia leaned closely against her shoulders, seeking a little warmth. Sol and Qilin slept soundly from exhaustion on the back bench. Behind the group, the bodies were carried with respect toward the guild, accompanied by grim-faced guild staff who came to greet them.
The emergency mission was complete. Mušmaḫḫū had been defeated. But the price paid was extremely high: two heroic lives, deep physical and mental wounds, and a victory that tasted bitterly on the tongue.