Chapter 143: Chapter 143 : The might of a Dragon

In a deep and vast forest surrounded by towering trees and dense undergrowth, silence reigned—disturbed only by the occasional groan of pain and rustle of leaves.

The air was thick with humidity and confusion. All around, several figures lay sprawled on the ground—some unconscious, others clutching their limbs, crying out as though they’d never known such agony.

Among them, a figure stirred.

Ethan Williams groaned, rubbing his aching head as he slowly sat up. His vision blurred for a second, then sharpened—and what he saw made his stomach twist.

People.

All around him.

Some groaning in pain, others motionless.

His golden eyes widened as memories came crashing down like a hammer.

’The warp gate… the scarred man… the axe strike…’

He clenched his fists.

’That space-warping slash. It tore through everything like paper. That bastard…!’

Frantically, Ethan scanned the surroundings.

“Alex? Charlotte? Alden? Where are you guys?” he muttered under his breath.

Then he paused—remembering something vital.

’Draven… He activated a shielding artifact the moment that guy swung his axe. That’s probably why most of us are still alive…’

The thought sent a wave of gratitude through his heart. That artifact had absorbed the brunt of the dimensional impact, shielding them from instant death. But still… the damage was severe.

Just then, a voice rang out in the forest.

“ETHAN!”

Ethan whipped his head around and saw a familiar brown-haired boy sprinting toward him through the trees, his outfit slightly torn and dust clinging to his boots.

“Alden!” Ethan called back, relief flooding his voice.

Alden skidded to a stop beside him, panting heavily. “What the hell happened?! One moment we were heading to the academy—and the next—BOOM!”

Ethan’s jaw clenched. “That scar-faced lunatic. He cracked the damn space itself… and now we’re in some random forest.”

Alden pulled out his EtherPad, tapping it frantically.

“…No signal. No GPS. No network. Shit.”

Ethan looked over his shoulder, gaze scanning the dense foliage and broken bodies around them.

“Do you recognize this place?”

Alden shook his head. “Not even a little. We could be halfway across the continent for all I know.”

’…Or in a whole different dimension,’ Ethan thought grimly.

Ethan stood up fully, brushing off debris from his clothes, and muttered, “Where are the others?”

Alden’s expression darkened. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen anyone else. It’s like we got scattered by that damn explosion.”

As the two scanned their surroundings again, their eyes fell on something that made them freeze.

People. Ordinary civilians.

Lying on the ground with battered limbs, many of them groaning in pain. Some looked like young teens, others like adults shielding their children.

“…They weren’t with us in the car, were they?” Alden asked, his voice low.

Ethan shook his head. “No. They must’ve gotten caught in the blast radius.”

Alden’s fists tightened. “So that bastard’s attack wasn’t just meant for us.”

’He didn’t care who got hurt…’

The guilt weighed heavily on both of them.

Then, Alden looked up, determination in his voice. “Let’s find the others. They could be in worse shape than us.”

Ethan nodded. “Agreed. Move fast.”

—

As the two searched the forest, they soon spotted a figure slumped beneath a tall oak tree, her body partially hidden by the thick brush.

“Ava!” Alden shouted, breaking into a sprint.

He dropped to his knees beside her and gently shook her shoulder.

“Ava… Ava, can you hear me?”

She didn’t respond.

His heart pounded.

Alden lightly patted her cheek, trying to stir her. “Come on, wake up…”

He instinctively reached for his storage ring to pull out a water flask—but nothing happened.

“What the—?!” Alden froze.

He looked up at Ethan, panic in his eyes. “I can’t access my storage ring.”

Ethan’s expression hardened instantly. “Neither can I.”

’Artifacts… EtherPads… Storage rings… All blocked.’

A single conclusion rang clear in both their minds.

’Someone doesn’t want us using our tools.’

Suddenly—

“…Stop shouting, my head hurts…” came a faint voice.

Ava stirred, her eyelids fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes.

Alden exhaled in relief. “Thank the stars… you’re okay.”

“Define okay you idiot,” Ava muttered weakly, trying to sit up. “My back feels like it kissed a tree trunk at full speed.”

Meanwhile, by the side of a gently flowing river, a different scene unfolded.

A soft groan escaped a girl’s lips as she stirred awake, brushing her long blue hair out of her face.

Seraphina winced and rubbed her forehead. “Urgh… what hit me?”

“Finally awake, huh,” said a voice nearby.

Seraphina turned sharply toward the sound.

Two figures stood close—one leaning against a rock with a smirk, the other sitting upright, gaze focused.

Draven and Charlotte.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Draven said casually.

Seraphina stood up slowly, stretching her limbs and groaning. “What happened…?”

Charlotte’s expression was grim. “We were attacked. That scar-faced bastard from before. He warped the space and flung us all across who-knows-where.”

She glanced at Draven, her tone softer. “If it weren’t for Draven activating that shielding artifact in the nick of time… we’d all be ashes right now.”

Seraphina looked over at Draven, a bit surprised. “Seriously? You saved us?”

Draven shrugged, clearly in pain but trying to act cool. “Don’t get too emotional. I just didn’t want to die ugly.”

Seraphina rolled her eyes—but smiled faintly. “Well… thanks.”

Charlotte stepped closer, her brow furrowed. “Something’s blocking our equipment. No EtherPads, no storage rings, no artifact function. This isn’t normal.”

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed.

“…Then that means someone is deliberately suppressing our tech and tools. And judging by the intensity of that attack… whoever’s behind this isn’t just playing around.”

Draven let out a low whistle. “Yay. We’ve officially been dumped into a death zone with no GPS, no gear, and no clue where we are.”

Charlotte crossed her arms.

The sound of the river gently lapping against stones was the only comfort Seraphina felt as she rubbed her temples, still dizzy from impact. But then a sudden thought dawned on her—a jolt straight to her heart.

“Where’s Alex?” she whispered, turning abruptly.

Charlotte and Draven followed her gaze.

Beneath the wide shadow of a towering tree, partially hidden in overgrowth, lay Alex—unmoving, unconscious, his body twitching slightly as though caught in a nightmare.

“There!” Draven pointed, already moving toward him.

Seraphina exhaled in relief, but her face remained pale. “He’s still in pain… His body… it’s reacting to the corruption.”

Charlotte knelt beside him, checking his pulse and breathing. “Still stable. But we can’t keep him exposed like this—not now.”

Seraphina frowned. “Where are we, anyway?”

Both Charlotte and Draven shook their heads.

“No idea,” Draven muttered. “Wherever we are… someone doesn’t want us using EtherPads, rings, or artifacts. It’s all jammed.”

Then it happened.

A low hum vibrated the very air itself.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

From the gray sky above the forest canopy, the sound of a massive ship descending echoed like thunder. Its hull shimmered with ominous black markings and eerie glowing lights.

“That’s not a rescue ship,” Charlotte said darkly.

Draven’s expression twisted. “No. Whoever that is… they’re not friendly.”

Figures began descending from the ship in droves—clad in armor and oozing killing intent. Most of them radiated Advance (low)-rank auras… but three figures stood at the front, masked and still, their very presence making the air itself bend.

Master (peak)-rank.

Seraphina’s eyes widened in panic. “What about Alex?! We can’t leave him like this!”

Charlotte gritted her teeth. “If we take him, and they detect him… he’ll die before we can even blink.”

“I’ve got it,” Draven said quickly.

He pulled off one of the two silver rings on his hand and slid it onto Alex’s index finger. With a flash of light, the artifact activated. Alex’s body shimmered once—then vanished.

Even his aura vanished, suppressed completely.

“Impressive, right?” Draven smirked. “One of my best inventions.”

Seraphina shot him a glare. “Not the time for flexing.”

Still, her expression softened slightly.

’At least now… he’ll be safe from detection. Even the beasts here won’t sense him.’

Charlotte nodded. “Let’s go.”

But before they could take a step—

A blood-curdling scream echoed from deep within the forest.

Then another.

And another.

Draven froze. “…They’re attacking .”

Charlotte’s eyes flared. “Ethan. Alden. Ava. They might be surrounded!”

“Then let’s move!” Seraphina snapped, already darting toward the source.

Meanwhile—

Ethan, Alden, and Ava stood frozen.

They had just barely helped Ava sit up when they too noticed the descending ship.

From it, dozens of Advance-ranked figures dropped like rain onto the forest floor.

And with them… came three masked figures, walking side by side with a terrifying calm.

Their presence was unnatural.

Even the forest animals had gone dead silent.

The civilians around them began to panic. Children screamed. Parents clutched them tightly, shielding their bodies with their own. A small boy tugged at his mother’s sleeve.

“Mommy… who are those people?”

The mother’s eyes were wet. She pulled him close. “Shh… don’t look everything will be alright.”

Ethan felt his heart crack.

’They were just in the wrong place… wrong time.’

Alden cursed. “We’re almost surrounded. What’s the plan?”

Ethan stepped forward. “We don’t abandon them.”

“I knew you’d say that,” Alden hissed. “We’re outnumbered! You, me, and Ava can fight—but that’s it.”

Ethan clenched his fists. “We’re the only thing standing between these people and death.”

A heavy silence.

Then the masked trio stepped forward.

The one in the middle—a tall woman with maroon hair and sharp, crazed eyes—smiled behind her mask.

“Looks like we struck gold,” she chuckled, removing the mask.

Her face was beautiful—marred only by the unsettling excitement in her maroon eyes.

“The chosen one himself… Mr. Ethan Williams,” she said sweetly. “Sephira, at your service.”

She turned to the masked man beside her. “James, we found him. What do we do about the… extras?”

The gray-haired man beside her removed his mask as well, revealing sharp amber eyes and an expression as cold as winter.

“What else?” James said lazily. “Kill them all.”

Sephira’s face twisted into a manic grin.

“Ooooh, finally!” she squealed. “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear!”

She turned to the panicked civilians, licking her lips.

“I wonder what kind of scream a child makes when you crush their father in front of them?”

Her laughter rang through the air like a demon’s chorus.

Ava gasped. Alden’s eyes burned with fury.

Ethan took a step forward.

’…They’re too strong. But if I stall them—Alden and Ava can protect the civilians.’

“Let them go,” Ethan said calmly, stepping toward Sephira and James.

“I’ll go with you. Just leave the others alone.”

They paused.

Then the third masked figure—finally removing his helmet—revealed a man in his mid-twenties, eyes filled with disdain.

“Sorry,” the man, Daniel, sneered. “They’ve seen our faces.”

He drew a sword. “No survivors. That’s the rule.”

Ethan’s expression darkened.

“…Then I guess we’re done talking.”

BOOM.

The three Master-ranked auras surged outward like a tidal wave.

The air cracked.

Reality groaned.

The trees shook violently under the pressure.

Sephira cackled. “Do you feel that? That’s despair~”

“You’re nothing but a glorified noble brat,” Daniel mocked. “Go run back to mommy.”

James snorted. “Let’s finish this.”

But just as they moved—

The earth itself shifted.

With a roar, a massive stone wall erupted from the ground, encasing the civilians in a thick dome of rock and mana, shielding them from the battlefield.

“Now!” Ethan barked. “Ava, Alden—take the Advance-ranks!”

“On it!” Ava shouted, activating her nature affinity.

“Don’t die, idiot!” Alden added as he dashed to the left.

Ethan turned to face the Masters.

“You’re going to regret this.”

Sephira moved first.

With a screeching laugh, she vanished—appearing before Ethan in a blink—and slammed her fist into his face.

BOOOOOM!

Dust and wind exploded outward in a wave of force.

But when it cleared…

Her eyes widened in horror.

Black scales shimmered across Ethan’s cheek.

Only a tiny bead of blood trickled down.

“…What,” she whispered.

Ethan grinned.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

His hand shot forward—grabbed her wrist still pressed against his cheek—and with a monstrous twist—

RIIIIIP—

Her arm was torn clean from her shoulder.

Sephira screamed—a high, raw screech of pain that split the air.

Blood gushed from her wound like a fountain as she stumbled back, eyes wide, disbelief frozen on her face.

“MY ARM! MY—”

Even James and Daniel froze in shock, their expressions pale.

’He tore it off… like paper…!’

From Ethan’s back, thin, black draconic wings began to emerge.

His golden hair fluttered as mana roared around him like a storm.

A voice echoed in his mind.

[My heir… show them the might of a dragon.]

Ethan’s eyes glowed gold.

His power surged.

And the forest itself trembled.

——-

———-

A/N:

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