Chapter 340: The Crimson Blade (Part 3)
"I'll chop off your head!"
"Waaaaah—!"
Lano roared, his eyes bloodshot and veins bulging all over his body.
The barbarian suddenly grew to nearly ten meters tall, his muscles sculpted like marble, exuding a raw, primal beauty.
The tattoos on his back—a bear, a lion on his chest, and a leopard on his legs—seemed to come alive, all roaring in unison.
This was the legendary berserker form, [Primordial Warrior], a manifestation of the wilderness's raw power.
Lano had lost his family as a child. His parents were slaughtered by an enemy tribe, and he exacted revenge, annihilating their clan. He wandered the wilds until he met Dexus Flaregold.
To Lano, every member of the "Crimson Blade" was as close as family.
But now, Grom was dead, and he once again felt the sting of loss.
[Primordial Path: Vengeance]
Lano hefted his massive battle axe and leaped high into the air, his body emitting steam as he soared hundreds of meters.
The long-standing coordination among the "Crimson Blade" members shone through. As Lano ascended, he was imbued with multiple spells: Advanced Haste, Adamantine Body, Sanctuary, Dragon Strength, and Breath Shield.
His immense and perfect physique shimmered with layers of magical shields, glowing with a myriad of magical lights.
"Die!"
Lano put all his strength into swinging his massive axe downward, pouring the wilderness's power into the strike.
The roars of bears, tigers, and howls of wolves echoed in unison. The phantasms of wild beasts charged ahead, following the descending axe, representing the essence of Lano's Primordial Path.
"So many random beasts—"
"Are you trying to open a zoo?"
Cassius growled, spreading his enormous wings.
The overwhelming aura of the progenitor dragon was no longer suppressed, and the nearly tangible dragon's might surged outward.
In an instant, fear filled the eyes of all the wilderness spirits. They whimpered and vanished without a trace.
"Clang—"
The clash of metal echoed thunderously.
Cassius' claws struck out, swatting away the massive axe and sending the barbarian flying several hundred meters.
The axe, engraved with wilderness runes, cracked and shattered into fragments, scattering like broken metal shards—a weapon Lano had acquired from the Feywild.
As a legendary berserker on the Primordial Path, Lano's strength was at the pinnacle of mortal limits, equating to a stat of 27—truly immense.
But Cassius' strength was 34.
Combined with the disparity in size, the difference in power was monumental.
This was the pure, unadulterated strength of a regressive red dragon, untainted by any additional techniques.
The legendary berserker who had fought hill giants and strangled a green dragon was nothing more than a helpless chick before Cassius, utterly overwhelmed.
"Lano!"
Dexus flapped his wings, aiming to launch a sneak attack from behind, intending to protect his teammate.
But a scorching gust sent him reeling, and a massive shadow streaked past.
In the blink of an eye, the red dragon vanished from sight, replaced by a series of sonic booms as it ascended rapidly, positioning itself directly above Lano.
"No—"
Dexus stretched out his hand helplessly, crying out in despair.
Lano plummeted face-up, rapidly descending, but he felt no fear, only frustration at his earlier failure.
The body of a Primordial Warrior was exceptionally resilient. Even a fall from hundreds of meters would only break a few bones, especially with magical protections in place.
"Damn it, next time, I'll definitely chop off his head."
Lano gritted his teeth, steeling himself.
Suddenly, darkness loomed before him, and his expression changed drastically.
Above him, the red dragon's massive form appeared, its vast wings blotting out the sun.
Cassius looked down, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
"Human."
"You know nothing of power."
The red dragon effortlessly grabbed Lano's body, ascending ever higher.
"Damn you!"
"Red dragon! Let me go! I'll kill you!"
The nearly ten-meter-tall Primordial Warrior, eyes red with rage, struggled futilely in the dragon's grip, rising thousands of meters into the air.
But against the dragon's immense strength, his efforts were utterly useless.
Cassius tightened his wings and began a steep dive, gripping Lano's muscular form as his tail left a blazing trail.
Man and dragon accelerated downward, gaining speed.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Piercing screams and the sound of air tearing filled the sky.
At the terrifying velocity, Lano's back began to burn from the friction, his tough skin charring and glowing before gradually disintegrating.
Ultimately, they crashed into the ground like a meteor.
"Boom—"
The deafening explosion echoed.
Dust surged skyward as a fierce wind radiated outward, sweeping across the wasteland.
When the dust cleared, a massive crater, a hundred meters wide, stretched across the ground, riddled with cracks like a spider's web.
"Roar—"
At the crater's center stood the imposing red dragon, spreading its wings and letting out a long roar.
Beneath its massive right claw was a blackened, mangled mass of flesh, smoldering and emitting crackling sounds—the remains of Lano, the Primordial Warrior and legendary berserker.
He was dead.
Even with a constitution as high as 24, Lano could not survive this apocalyptic display of power.
Cassius, seemingly unsatisfied, turned his gaze toward the remaining "dragon slayers." He nodded politely, extending three claws and wiggling them slightly.
The remaining three members of the "Crimson Blade" felt their hair stand on end.
This was no longer a battle between a dragon and slayers but a predator playing with its helpless prey.
They all understood the red dragon's message: "Three more to go."
"How could this happen…"
"We were supposed to be heroes…"
Dexus stared at Lano's charred and broken body, his eyes filled with despair.
He never imagined that the red dragon, even after a titanic battle with "Silver Wing" Ostzedor, could still possess such overwhelming power.
This "Dragon Prince" had not only tracked their hiding place but was systematically capturing, toying with, and killing them one by one.
Dexus had never encountered a dragon like this.