Chapter Six: Primordial Black Dragon, God Remains
Meanwhile, on the Great Plane, disaster struck once more. Just as Aka Zema was pulled into the abyss, his forced awakening triggered something terrible: a giant Miasma Giant Snake descended from the fractured sky, unleashing chaos.
Wherever its massive coils touched the ground, a dark, suffocating mist, a miasma, spread, corrupting the land. From the bodies of every creature and being it killed, new, horrifying miasma creatures clawed their way out, adding to the serpent's monstrous legion. Even though the System notified everyone of the threat, there was no matching its power.
Powerful individuals from across the Great Plane—the strongest Awakened and the world's heroes—came together. They knew they had to face this creature before it could destroy everything.
The air vibrated with raw power as the gathered heroes confronted the Miasma Giant Snake. It was a beast of impossible scale, its scales shimmering with a sickly green-black aura that seemed to devour light. Its eyes glowed with ancient malice, and its mere presence made the ground tremble.
From the front lines, Edwin Golswan, the Star Thirteen Magician and founder of the Golswan Kingdom, unleashed blasts of pure energy, each spell shaking the very air, trying to find a weakness in the serpent's hide. Beside him, Dragonfolk warriors, their wings blazing with elemental fire, soared into the sky, attempting to draw the serpent's attention away from the ground, their roars echoing with courage and fury.
The Horned Tribe's most formidable berserkers charged with primal screams, their weapons glowing with infused power, aiming for the serpent's massive head despite its terrifying size. Elven archers, perched on crumbling ruins, fired volleys of enchanted arrows that whistled through the miasma, seeking weak points in its armor-like skin.
But for every hit, the Miasma Giant Snake retaliated with crushing force. Its tail swept across the landscape, leveling ancient structures and sending heroes flying. Its fangs dripped with corrosive miasma that dissolved stone and flesh alike, and from its slithering body, more corrupted creatures rose, forcing the heroes to split their attention between the colossal beast and its endless, horrifying offspring.
"This thing is relentless!" shouted a Monk Tribal leader, deflecting a miasma tentacle with a glowing, open palm. "It just keeps making more!"
"We have to stop its miasma generation!" yelled a Dwarven artillery master, as his cannon thundered, sending a burst of enchanted shrapnel into the snake's side, which merely shrugged it off.
The battle raged, a desperate struggle of courage and might against a primal, corrupting force. Each hero fought with fierce determination, their unique powers shining brightly against the overwhelming darkness of the Miasma Giant Snake.
Slowly, painfully, the tide began to turn. The combined might of the Great Plane's heroes was immense. Edwin Golswan gathered his deepest mana, unleashing a spell of pure light that temporarily pushed back the miasma itself, revealing a faint, glowing spot on the serpent's neck. Seeing the opening, a group of Dragonfolk launched a coordinated dive, their flames merging into a single, piercing beam that struck the exposed area.
The Miasma Giant Snake shrieked, a sound that tore through the very fabric of reality, and its monstrous body thrashed, causing earthquakes across the land. The Horned Tribe berserkers, ignoring their own wounds, pressed the attack, their axes biting deep into the softened scales. The Monk Tribes moved in a blur, striking vital points with precise, spirit-infused blows.
Finally, with a thunderous roar from a Titan warrior who slammed his elemental fist into its head, the Miasma Giant Snake buckled. Its body, miles long, crashed to the earth, kicking up a dust cloud that mixed with the dissipating miasma. The flow of corrupted creatures stopped. The silence that followed was heavy, filled only with the ragged breaths of the exhausted heroes.
They had done it. Against all odds, the Miasma Giant Snake was defeated.
In the aftermath, amidst the ruins and fading miasma, Jaren Foonel, the Chairman of the World Awakeners Bureau, stood tall. He was a Star 22 Warlord and known as the successor of the Messenger of End, his presence radiating calm authority even after such a grueling fight.
He surveyed the tired but victorious faces of the warriors. "Outstanding fighters!" his voice boomed, clear and strong, reaching every ear. "Your courage and power saved countless lives today. The Great Plane owes you its gratitude." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the most prominent heroes. "We ask for your continued support. Lend your strength, your wisdom, to the Awakeners Bureau. Together, we will continue to protect our world from any foreign threat that dares to challenge us." His words ignited a spark of renewed resolve in the hearts of those present, a sense of unity forged in the heat of battle.
Return to the Forbidden Red Sky Tomb
Back in the Forbidden Red Sky Tomb, far from the cheers and rallying cries of the Great Plane, Aka Zema's new existence was far more precarious. The brief moments of overwhelming joy at his system's awakening had passed, replaced by the stark reality of his situation. He was a mere consciousness, a tiny, fragile spark in a place designed to erase all life. The countdown for his sub-mission had begun, ticking away precious moments as his essence threatened to vanish completely. He had to act. He had to absorb. And he had to do it now.
I looked around. There were many strange creatures, ancient beings I didn't recognize, but what really caught my attention was an overwhelming surge of energy, coming from deep down in the tomb. It was a pull I couldn't ignore, a promise of something immense.
With a surge of curiosity, I decided to check it out. I didn't know if my tiny, fading existence would survive the corrosive environment of the Forbidden Red Sky Tomb on the way there, but I didn't hesitate. I didn't flinch. I just moved.
"Flash!" A sudden system notification flared in my mind. "Host has adapted to red air."
Almost instantly, another message appeared: "Host gained passive skill: Immunity to Corrosion of the Red Air."
I was stunned. My Adaptability skill had kicked in, just like that. It was incredible.
"System," I thought, "where does the red air come from?"
"It is a secretion of the Forbidden Red Sky Tomb," the system replied, its voice devoid of emotion. "After absorbing chaos and abyss energy to maintain its existence."
"So how long has this Tomb existed?" I pondered, the implications of its words sinking in. "And by your explanation, it does feel like a living being." The thought was chilling, yet strangely fascinating. I was in a living prison, and it was trying to consume me. My brief moments of being a dying speck had clearly triggered something deep within my new powers. This place, this Forbidden Red Sky Tomb, felt like a colossal, ancient entity, almost as if it breathed in the very chaos that tore worlds apart. It wasn't just a location; it was a hungry, endless void, constantly maintaining its terrible form. I needed to understand it, quickly. I needed to understand everything.
The system's flat voice broke into my thoughts once more. "Host does not have the authority to know this for now. But just know it serves as isolation and banishment for hostile entities towards universal existence. However, it has weakened, and its gates have been breached, so anyone can be drifted here, and only the powerful ones can escape here with not much effort."
"Why was I brought here?" I demanded, the thought burning in my consciousness.
"It has to do with the mysterious interference after you regain yourself, but I urge you to continue. Your time limit is expiring." The system's reminder was blunt, a cold splash of reality. I couldn't waste precious moments on questions.
After a while, my tiny self reached the source of the immense energy. To my surprise, it was a massive dragon body, completely without flesh, only bones. Its skeletal frame stretched for what felt like miles, glowing faintly with the raw power that had drawn me here. But I couldn't get near it. An invisible barrier, a force field of pure energy, kept me at a distance, shimmering like heat haze. This was it. This was the Primordial Black Dragon God, or what was left of it. The source of my potential salvation, and perhaps, my greatest challenge yet.