But, as Elizabeth soon realized, things could always get worse. From the tunnel that the monster made, an ominous red glow appeared followed by an enormous plume of white hot flames! These flames were like a volcanic eruption as they incinerated and melted everything they touched. They quickly blossomed out, covered the Rank 2 Beast Lord, and extended beyond. It was a sea of flame! Fortunately, Elizabeth and Freon were at the very edges of the firestorm, so they avoided facing the brunt of it. Still, that fearsome heatwave blasted them like an inferno, scorching their skin, burning their hair, igniting their clothes. The sudden burst of light also blinded them. They fought through the pain, dropped to the hot ground, and smothered the flames on their bodies. When their burnt skin touched the jagged rocks, it was like a sharp blade running down. It was extremely painful! After rolling around several times, the fires were replaced by a pungent smoky smell coming from their burnt clothes and flesh. Their vision did not return either and that worried them.
Elizabeth forced one of her eyes open to, at least, see what was happening. She did not want to die to something she could not see. Tears ran down her cheek, or it could have been blood. It was almost unbearable how much her eye stung. Through her bloodshot and swollen eye, she could see very faint shapes and colors. The white hot flames were still burning throughout the tunnel, giving light. The fact they could still burn without any sign of stopping showed they were not ordinary flames. It was probably the product of Magic or Martial Energy. The monster that she and everyone fought so hard against was currently writhing and howling, as the flames stuck to her like a coat of death. The flames were actually vaguely melting through that tough turtle shell-like armor on her back! Unbelievably, the mysterious flames were hotter than Freon's Bloodline Ability enhanced Infernal Dragon! The Beast Lord roared at the tunnel or more specifically at what was coming out.
Boom! Elizabeth and Freon, who was on the ground, were startled by the powerful aura. They felt the intense urge to run away or cower in fear. Although they knew many powerful people, everyone's aura felt different. The Sword King's aura was sharp and lethal like a sheathed sword. Protector Avin's aura was vast and heavy like an ocean. Sir Winstin was restrained, Cardinal Hui was piercing, the Conquestian was aged, and so on. Elizabeth, Freon, Benedict, and Shirley too. In a way, their aura was a representation of their inner self. The same went for the Beast Lords. The Silk Snapping Turtle Insect's aura was creepy and sinister, while this latest aura was oppressive and fierce! Even though the 'weight' of the two auras were approximately equal, meaning their strengths were comparable, how the auras felt was like night and day. The latter was far more intimidating and scarier!
She strained her eye to see the newcomer. A large salamander, the size of a carriage, stepped out of the tunnel. Its red skin radiated a bright crimson, reminiscent of lava. The air distorted around it, showing how much heat it produced. It could probably kill someone in the vicinity alone! The odd thing was the 'markings' on the salamander's body that looked like veins. It covered the body from head to toe and pulsed from time to time. At the moment, two-thirds of the veins were lit up. Although it was tiny compared to the gargantuan Silk Snapping Turtle Insect, it felt dominant.
A volley of silk projectiles shot at it, each possessing enough power to penetrate through rock with ease, yet when they got close enough to the salamander, they spontaneously combusted and turned to ash. The attack was completely negated! Infuriated, the insect whipped her tail at the salamander, the same attack that turned the Grand Knights to mush. However, her opponent responded by breathing out a massive jet of flames. The tail and flames met in the center, sending superheated air in every direction. Elizabeth felt her skin burning, even at this distance. Flames continued to pour out of the salamander's mouth like a bottomless pit. Their combined momentum blocked the insect's tail! The battle between monsters left Elizabeth breathless. It was truly unthinkable that something like this could happen, especially in the human world.
Freon grabbed her and shouted, "Why are you watching? Let's run! We won't survive staying here!" Even as he said that, the rocks around the salamander were visibly melting, and the insect became more frenzied. Their attacks intensified!
Elizabeth snapped out of her reverie and nodded. Their muscles were tired, their skins were burnt, and their eyes were bloodshot, yet they pushed on. Most of the light trail they were following was gone, likely a result of the sharp rise in interference strength, but that was not a problem. They knew they had to go up and away from the battle. No longer did they walk on two feet. They were so badly hurt that they climbed on all fours like wounded animals. Elizabeth hissed with every movement. That backlash from earlier was still affecting her, adding onto her long list of problems. Whenever the two beasts clashed, the explosions, the shockwaves, and the flames battered her body more. Even breathing became complicated. Death seemed to grace her presence.
She had to admit she never expected to be in this sort of situation again. After everything she experienced in the Xingyuu Empire, she thought she became strong, strong enough to stand on her own two feet. And that was technically true. As a Half-Condensed Drop Arcanist, she ranked near the apex of magical prowess. She was an exceptionally powerful Arcanist… in the human world, that is. Outside, a Half-Rank 2 Lord was not that impressive. Only a Rank 2 Lord would command some level of respect. Rank 3 Kings were the true bigshots. It was also why the minimum requirement to traverse the wilderness was Rank 3 King! So, Elizabeth was wrong to be arrogant. Elder Unvo was right. She and everyone else had severely overestimated themselves, and now they were paying the price.
Boom! Another violent explosion sent boiling air through the tunnels, making the temperatures soar even higher. The air was almost choking hot! Elizabeth barely crawled forward another step. Her consciousness drifted in and out. The end of the tunnel looked infinitely far away. It became clear she was not going to make it, unless she did something desperate… but what? There was no Magic Energy in her Core. Martial Energy was out of the question. Rena was absent again. And Protector Avin was still nowhere to be seen. That left her with one final option: World Energy. Playing with World Energy was equivalent to playing with her life. One wrong move and she would die. The risks were extreme, but in this situation, she would die either way. Then the choice was obvious. She had to risk it!
Freon was silent, because he was focused on escaping, when he flinched. His Magic Perception sensed an incredibly powerful spell brewing behind him! He reflexively turned around to look, even though his vision did not return yet. Through the fuzzy shapes, he spotted the salamander glowing a burning bright red, like the coming dawn. The veins that covered two-thirds of its body now covered its entire body. That seemed to be the trigger for something. The light and heat intensity coming from the salamander kept growing, forcing Freon to close his eyes. It became too painful to look at. Whatever the monster was planning, that amount of Magic Energy was bad news! They would die if they let it continue! Freon's mind turned quickly for a solution. By the time Elizabeth noticed, he was already grabbing his wand. Like Elizabeth, he had no Magic Energy. There was nothing more he could give, except for World Energy.
Multiple Magic Circles materialized around the salamander. Faint crackles of energy streaked through the air. The heat was reaching a tipping point! The large insect hissed and backed off, having sensed the danger. She then began to curl her body like a ball to cover herself in layers of thick armor. At the same time, Freon gritted his teeth, braced himself, and tapped into his World Energy. The floodgates opened and a chaotic surge of energy stormed through his Channels and body! Blood dripped from his eyes, nose, and mouth as the pain distorted his face. He could not even breathe. However, he roared and mustered all his willpower. His Magic Perception burst out to contain and control the World Energy. A Magic Circle flickered before his wand. Although the process sounded slow, it occurred in seconds. The instant his spell completed, the world turned white. The salamander made its move!