NOVEL WEB Chapter 1101: Unexpected
Berger's figure descended from the black skies, like an omen of destruction. The amount of mana gathered in his fist had caused the very space around it to visibly distort.
A blinding light swept out from it, radiating heat and fury. The gnome's face had twisted into a dark scowl, and he looked no different than a vengeful, wrathful deity of war.
Beneath him, his target, Daggett, instantly grew pale. The mana gathered around Berger's fist was enough to decimate large swathes of land, let alone him.
He had to act! And he had to do it quickly!
But the serpents Adam had summoned before teleporting away held him back. These serpents were weaker than him—far weaker than him—but they proved to be a massive hindrance at this critical juncture.
Too late… it was too late to evade!
Daggett's expression turned ruthless. He conjured a skull etched with mysterious runes all over it, an artifact given by the Cult Leader himself, then poured his mana into it. This was his final trump card.
And by then…
The Tyrant had already descended.
BOOOOOM!!!
The moment Berger struck with all his might, the world itself seemed to detonate. Stones erupted, steel twisted, and the very ground caved in to form a massive crater.
It was a fortunate thing that the Magi of Acadia were standing far away from the point of impact. Otherwise… nothing would have remained of them.
After the thundering impact came the violent shockwaves. Buildings along the shockwave's path crumbled to dust, their remains swept away by the force of the devastating strike.
The air itself had become a weapon, turning into a roaring tempest that swept the nearby Magi off their feet. The force of the shockwave hurled men and debris alike high into the sky before scattering them like fragile leaves in a hurricane.
In an instant, a large section of the Northern Quarter was obliterated by a single man's punch.
Total and complete annihilation!
Even the mighty Mana Core Magi fighting in the vicinity of Ravenfell paused their battle for a moment, turning in the direction of the massive cloud of dust and light that had erupted from deep within the city.
Just a quick, simple glance was enough to tell them that the battle was going to shift drastically… now that a new Mana Core Magus had emerged.
Back inside the city, as the dust began to settle… a vast blackened crater came into view, swallowing most of the Northern Quarter. Roads, buildings, every structure in its reach, had been reduced to rubble. From beneath the debris, battered Magi slowly crawled their way out, dazed and broken.
The cultists had faced the brunt of the powerful shockwaves. After all, before the Divine Meteor had landed, they had been the ones forming a perimeter around the death zone Adam had created. In a cruel twist of fate, most of these cultists had now become part of the new death zone.
Whereas, at the center of the crater… a macabre scene unfolded.
The colossal torso of behemoth from the Underworld became visible. The once-terrifying creature was now reduced to ruin. A great section of its ribcage had shattered, its charred muscles were hanging in tatters, and much of its flesh had been scorched away entirely.
Within its hollowed chest cavity, Daggett knelt amidst the wreckage, bloodied and bruised, and barely clinging to consciousness. Needless to say, Berger's attack had dealt great damage to him despite his precautions.
It was unknown whether the colossal creature he was inside was a summons or a defensive artifact. Whatever it was… it had been annihilated by Berger's wrathful strike.
Inside the abomination, Daggett slowly rose to his feet and wiped the blood off his mouth. If he hadn't activated the artifact earlier, he would have surely died. He was already quite weakened from the battle with Mathilda, then the kraken earlier. And now, he was a step closer to death.
He had never expected another expert to suddenly arrive. Whoever this person was, he had hidden his presence very meticulously. Daggett wasn't able to sense him until the enemy had spoken. And by the time he could react, it was already too late.
The cultist gnashed his teeth and looked upwards. Through the jagged gaps in the titanic ribcage, his gaze locked onto a gnome in dark grey robes. The figure's head was shaven, but a thick, imposing beard framed his face.
He floated above the shattered remains of the Underworld creature, arms crossed, his white cape fluttering in the wind behind him like the banner of a tyrannical conqueror. The gnome coldly stared at Daggett, then muttered in a tone that was dripping with dark hostility:
"Why do you want to capture the boy?"
Daggett spat a mouthful of blood to the side. Then, he stood straight and arrogantly replied, "And why should I tell you?"
"Then, you can die for laying a hand on him," Berger muttered coldly.
Then, just as he was about to attack the cultist, his eyes narrowed. He quickly turned to his left, facing the mountain ranges towards the north of the city. Right at that moment, two figures donned in black armor tore through the sky. An instant later, they landed beside Daggett with a thunderous impact.
Two Rank 4 undead knights!
It would appear that the Mana Core-level cultists fighting in the north had grasped the gravity of Berger's sudden arrival, and the effect it would have in this battle. In response, they had sent reinforcements to aid Daggett—who had lost his own Rank 4 undead knights back in Saratoga.
The cultist swapped his hand, causing the carcass of the Underworld creature to dissipate into motes of black light and return to the land of the dead. His lips then curled into a confident smirk as he said:
"Don't get too cocky, gnome. You thought you alone could defeat me, eh? How about now?"
Berger remained silent, scanning the newcomers. These Rank 4 knights lacked the overwhelming power of Mana Core Magi, but in exchange, they were far more difficult to kill than their masters. It was a fact that made them no less dangerous.
"Heh." Berger scoffed, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. "Who said I'm alone?"
As if answering his question, a giant black wolf emerged from the darkness, his tenebrous eyes flashing with murderous intent. He silently circled the three enemies, his lips curling back to reveal sharp fangs that promised nothing but death and pain.
His sudden arrival caused Daggett to become extremely tense. For some reason, the giant beast gave off a much more dangerous aura than the gnome before him did!
"Berger," said the wolf as he shifted his predatory gaze to the two knights. "I shall hold down these foul creatures."
"Very well." Berger flexed his shoulders as he prepared for battle.
But before their battle could even begin, once again, something unexpected happened… something no one had expected...
Another presence had appeared within the vast crater!