The cavern's temperature hadn't changed much after that breath attack.
It wasn't just because the blast lasted a mere two seconds; the bigger reason was that the Death Dragon's breath had managed to excavate the already seventy to eighty-meter-deep underground nest another hundred meters downward.
Crimson and pitch-black flames, even without their source, still smoldered in embers on the ground.
The Japanese hunters, locked in combat with the plague-enhanced Ant Queen, were shaken by the aftershock of the breath, their footing nearly lost due to the suddenly altered terrain.
Fortunately, the Ant Queen was equally disoriented, preventing any immediate disaster.
'How terrifying... Is this the monster even Guild Master Goto has to tread carefully around?'
Fear inevitably crept into the hearts of the Japanese hunters.
Truth be told, attacks of this scale weren't exactly rare. S-rank hunters all possessed the power to level mountains, and magic-based hunters handled such feats with particular ease.
Take Choi Jong-In, for instance—his magic could easily carve out craters a hundred meters wide and forty or fifty meters deep.
But for Castorice to unleash such an attack with zero start-up frames and no apparent preparation from the caster herself? That was simply unheard of.
This was a blind, long-range strike from a Death Dragon standing firmly on the ground.
"Don't lose focus! Our fight isn't over yet!"
Goto Ryuji barked the order before charging the Ant Queen once more.
The A-rank hunter responsible for filming remained steadfast behind Castorice.
He, and the Korean citizens watching through him, witnessed firsthand how her casual words had wrought such immense destruction. It was impossible not to be awestruck.
S-rankers making a move was a rarity.
Even if Castorice's attack didn't exceed the conventional understanding of an S-ranker's power, its visual impact was overwhelming for 99% of observers.
Cha Hae-in, however, remained expressionless.
To her current self, this wasn't much of a spectacle. Besides, she still had the Monarch of Plagues and the Ant King Beru to deal with.
As for the victim who took the blow head-on, the Monarch of Iron Body now only had half a body left.
His lower half was completely charred to cinders.
Not a single drop of blood oozed from the wounds; the flesh and skin were simply seared shut by the intense heat.
His face was a twisted mask of terror. He'd dodged the attack at the first moment, only getting grazed on the tip of his foot.
That fleeting contact was enough to cost him his lower body. If he hadn't reacted in time and used magic to defend, he'd be dead already.
Castorice hadn't gone for the kill. The Death Dragon's breath had been red, not purple.
Had it been the death-imbued purple flames, even a touch would have been enough to send the Monarch of Iron Body straight to the Underworld.
The reason for holding back was simple: Beru had already shaken off his fear and gone to harass Cha Hae-in.
If she finished off the Monarch of Iron Body right then, Sung Jinwoo would truly be left with nothing.
Slicing off the charred, grotesquely fused mass of flesh, the Monarch of Iron Body immediately regenerated his lower half.
He gritted his teeth internally, but outwardly maintained a respectful demeanor.
"It is an honor to bear your wrath. I have other pressing matters and regret that I cannot continue to keep you company."
He had no desire to stay. If she didn't seem intent on killing him, then leaving should be fine, right?
Just as this thought crossed his mind and he prepared to open a portal to escape, he saw the young girl across from him lift her scythe, leap into the crater, and begin walking toward him.
"My apologies, sir, but you cannot leave this place."
Castorice's words were polite, but the steely resolve behind them caused the Monarch of Iron Body's expression to shift.
"If my previous remarks were in any way inappropriate, I beg for a chance to explain myself."
The Monarch of Iron Body was struggling to keep his composure.
He had already sent a distress signal to the Monarch of Transfiguration, whose mastery of spatial magic surpassed all other Monarchs.
Rescuing him from here and erasing all traces shouldn't have been a problem.
So why hadn't he come to extract him yet?
"You are an enemy of humanity. Therefore, I cannot allow you to leave."
The girl's expression remained placid. In fact, from beginning to end, her emotions showed no fluctuation because of him.
"I must ask you to refrain from any unnecessary actions. This way, your death can still serve its greatest purpose."
Then, as if pronouncing his sentence: "I have already set up measures in the surrounding area. Gates cannot reach this place."
These words made the Monarch of Iron Body's pupils contract sharply. He realized the Monarch of Transfiguration hadn't failed to come for him—he couldn't.
And this unknown entity had made it perfectly clear she intended to finish him off.
Damn it all. The Fragments of Brilliant Light, or the Rulers as they called themselves, were already peculiar in their eyes, fighting so desperately for humanity's survival and constantly resetting time.
But this unknown being before him was even more bizarre.
With such a thick aura of death around her, why wasn't she bloodthirsty and warlike like the Monarch of Shadows? Why did she carry herself like some protector of life?
The Monarch of Iron Body was beginning to wonder if this was some absurd scenario where the Monarch of Shadows had been possessed first, only to be taken over by a Ruler who then inherited the Monarch of Shadows's power.
What good did protecting humans do her?
"Our power is not as simple as you think!"
Knowing soft tactics were useless, the Monarch of Iron Body resorted to bluster.
"You may or may not be aware, but when the Monarch of Destruction and his Legion descend upon this world, not a single life will survive!"
"The Monarch of Destruction's strength far surpasses your imagination!"
Taking a deep breath, and seeing that Castorice had stopped right in front of him without making a move, the Monarch of Iron Body knew he had piqued her interest with the topic of the Monarch of Destruction.
This was normal. After all, she was likely the one responsible for the loss of contact with Frost and Fang.
She had probably already heard about the Monarch of Destruction from them.
Now, having just been utterly crushed by a massive power gap, he could still use the Monarch of Destruction as his backing.
She would inevitably grow suspicious and wary of the Monarch's true strength.
"He is born for annihilation. He will spare no life outside his own subordinates. Humanity is naturally his target... but, if you join us, things will be different."
The Monarch of Iron Body gave up trying to understand why someone reeking of the Monarch of Shadows would want to defend life.
As he spoke, he slowly closed the distance to the dangerous purple-haired girl, seemingly trying to appear harmless and sincere.
"If you take humanity as your vassals, the Monarch of Destruction will not move against them. Even if you are powerful, there's no need to force a fight, is there?"
Seeing Castorice show little reaction, he pressed on.
"It's a simple choice, really. Either you formally make an enemy of all the Monarchs, fight to a mutually destructive stalemate, and bathe the world in blood... or you join us, co-rule this world, and effortlessly preserve humanity."
He was lying, of course. Even if she joined, humanity would inevitably suffer countless casualties. But that didn't matter.
"As for my suggestion..."
Watching the contemplative Castorice, a dark glint flashed in the Monarch of Iron Body's eyes. "...Let's wait a little longer!"
With that, his magic power exploded throughout his body. His human form vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by a massive, demonic figure clad entirely in black bony structures.
One of his transformed hands swung toward the girl's head, only to stop less than three centimeters from her.
No, it hadn't stopped. He couldn't move at all!?
Feeling the magic power within him draining away uncontrollably and his vitality dying at an inconceivable rate, the Monarch of Iron Body's now monstrous visage twisted into utter terror and confusion.
Why? What did she do? Why am I suddenly dying?
Castorice, who had been wondering when Sung Jinwoo would show up, genuinely felt like sighing.
It wasn't that she didn't want to give Sung Jinwoo a well-deserved reward for his recent hard work... It was just that he really couldn't make it in time for this meal.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.