The corpses of three Frost Wyverns lay quietly in the mine tunnel, their remaining Soul fragments supposed to follow a mysterious link back to their master's hands.
However, Viola's will had awakened.
With the activation of the [sharp claw], those Soul fragments about to dissipate were forcibly stripped from the flesh, bone, and even the congealed dragon blood by a domineering force, converging into three tiny streams of blue light that continuously poured into the floating bone claw.
The temperature in the mine tunnel seemed to drop by several degrees.
Caesar could clearly feel that Viola's remnant Soul showed great interest in these three "of the same origin" dragon Souls; the suction force was several times stronger than when it devoured the Giant Crystal Crab King!
...Thousands of miles away, in the Capital City of Lorderon.
Ilena's face instantly turned ashen.
"Impudent!"
She let out a sharp cry as the terrifying pressure of the Legendary rank erupted. Crimson magic power was injected into the formation beneath her feet, attempting to forcibly stabilize those three dragon Souls that were on the verge of collapsing in the distant Earth.
But no matter how much she increased her magic output, the suction from afar held onto the dragon Souls firmly, growing even stronger!
The two sides were like they were in an invisible tug-of-war, and the center of this struggle was those three poor Sub-dragon Souls!
"Ah!!"
As their Souls were pulled back and forth by two terrifying forces, the Soul phantoms of Gan, Will, and Cure let out cries of anguish. Their forms were continuously torn and crushed in the struggle, turning into the purest Soul energy to be frantically absorbed by both ends!
In the abandoned mine, Caesar watched as the soul fire atop the [sharp claw] grew brighter and brighter.
From the three Sub-dragon corpses, specks of blue light continuously rose, swallowed greedily by the bone claw.
[Current Status: Slumbering (2265/10000)]
[Current Status: Slumbering (2290/10000)]
[Current Status: Slumbering (2330/10000)]
It's rising! It's really rising!
Although the speed wasn't fast, like snatching food from someone else's bowl, it was indeed effective!
Caesar was overjoyed and frantically cheered for the bone claw floating in the air.
"Give it some more effort, Viola!"
"Get them! Pull their internet plug!!"
Inside the capital palace, Fafnir watched with a racing heart; he had never seen his teacher so enraged.
What on earth dared to snatch Souls from a Legendary Red Dragon?
"Hmph! Such a death-seeking thing!"
Ilena was completely infuriated. She no longer held back, pouring the vast power of her Draconic Magic into the formation without reservation.
"Come back to me!"
Boom—!
The clouds over the capital shifted as an invisible giant force yanked hard toward the mine!
In the mine, Caesar immediately felt the pressure.
The soul fire on the [sharp claw] began to flicker, clearly indicating that the opponent had increased their strength.
"Hold on, Viola! With the two of us, big and small dragons working together, how could there be any enemy we can't defeat?! Ahhhh!!"
Caesar gritted his teeth, squeezing out the last bit of magic in his body and pouring it all into the [sharp claw].
His head began to buzz, a precursor to magic exhaustion.
The soul fire on the floating [sharp claw] grew visibly dimmer. Clearly, the "internet cable" on the other side was of better quality and was reclaiming the signal—
"Dammit..." Dizziness hit him, and Caesar stumbled.
Just as he was about to give in, the [sharp claw] suddenly jolted violently!
Viola's will seemed to be completely enraged as a more tyrannical suction force erupted, beginning to suck frantically.
This put immense pressure on Ilena, far away in the capital.
Her brow furrowed as she sent a majestic thought through the Soul link.
"I am Ilena of the True Dragon Imperial Court. I do not know which sacred being Your Excellency is, but for the sake of the Imperial Court, please stay your hand."
Ilena was certain that the opponent was a True Dragon in its prime with extremely high attainments in necromancy, likely hailing from a Dragons Nest with deep heritage.
She tried to communicate, wanting to probe the other party's background.
However, what was transmitted back through the link was not words, but a purer, more domineering Dragon Might!
This was nothing short of a provocation!
...!
Ilena's gaze turned completely cold.
The Red Dragon lady looked at the three Soul phantoms in the center of the formation struggling to maintain their forms, her anger boiling over.
If she let the other party snatch away her dependents' Souls right in front of her today, where would she put her face as a Legendary Red Dragon?!
"Very well... you have successfully enraged me."
Ilena no longer held back, her vast Soul Power flowing upstream along the Soul link... she intended to use her own strength to forcibly stabilize her dependents' Soul forms!
The dignity of a Red Dragon is not to be violated!
Of course, she wasn't simply feeding a wisp of her own Soul to the opponent; instead, while in a Soul state, she quietly constructed a vicious curse, preparing to give the target on the other end a lesson they would never forget.
However, the moment the curse was transmitted, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, vanishing without a trace.
...?
An ominous premonition rose in Ilena's heart.
Meanwhile, in the mine, Caesar's talent [Dragon Might: Rebel I] made him immune to the Soul-piercing Dragon Might, but the depletion of magic was real.
He was about to reach his limit.
"Damn it, I'm going all in!"
Caesar no longer hesitated; with a thought!
Terastalization, activate!
In an instant, a crimson crystalline shell covered his entire body, and a burning Flame Crown Crystal appeared above his head!
His depleted magic was instantly filled and converted by a massive amount of Terastal energy! The soul fire on the [sharp claw] that was about to go out blazed once more, and even the edges of the flames began to shimmer with crystalline light!
Caesar was still not satisfied; he grabbed Cecilia, who was already dumbfounded beside him.
"Don't just stand there! Quick! Give me some power! Even a mosquito's leg is meat; everyone, get in there!"
Cecilia hadn't yet reacted from her shock when she was held by the head by Caesar, who forcibly extracted the tiny bit of magic she had just recovered and poured it into the bone claw!
Unparalleled: Taking the General's Head!
"Roar—!!!"
A dragon roar filled with endless majesty and the aura of death exploded directly in the depths of Caesar and Ilena's Souls!
That voice did not belong to any known dragon species; it was filled with the sense of withering and ending!
The Capital City of Lorderon.
Ilena was struck as if by lightning, her face turning pale instantly as she stumbled back a step.
The Soul link... had been forcibly severed!
"Pfft—"
She could no longer hold it back; a mouthful of scalding dragon blood sprayed out, splattering onto the ornate carpet.
A small wisp of her Soul had been torn away. Although it seemed insignificant, it caused the Realm she had painstakingly cultivated to drop on the spot!
LV.72 dropped directly to LV.71!
"Teacher!"
Fafnir, who was acting as the Protector, turned pale with fright and hurried forward to support her.
"I'm fine."
Ilena waved her hand, forcing herself to stand steady, but her eyes were frighteningly dark.
Damn it! Just what kind of dragon is the other party?
That restless ghost element, and that roar filled with the aura of death... could it be a despicable Dracolich? Or an even rarer Bone Dragon?
Fortunately, the consciousness of her three dependents was barely preserved.