Too late. The beast erupted, jagged molten rocks from its back blasting into the air like a hail of missiles. The deafening roar of each shard tearing through the chamber was enough to make our blood run cold.
"Scatter! Don't even think about blocking it!" I commanded—and I was right.
Every shard detonated on impact, cracking the floor, igniting flames, and reducing anyone caught in the blast to nothing more than ash.
Even those with defensive skills weren't safe—too slow, and they died on the spot.
One fool tried to summon a flood of water, thinking it would protect him, only for it to instantly vaporize in the searing heat, scalding him to death in a cloud of superheated steam.
By the time the first wave of explosions ended, more than half our team had fallen.
Not even me would've survived an attack like that if it had been aimed straight at my face. No amount of Qi, shadow tricks, could block such a force.
