The sudden attack caught everyone completely off guard.
Following the dragon's claw, a hideous dragon face emerged from the stone gate.
The stone gate seemed to be linked to a special space that connected directly to this stone pillar.
The dragon head, protruding from the gate out of thin air, reared up high. Red scales on its exposed neck began to light up one by one.
"It's a breath attack!" Eomer, the most knowledgeable member of the group, shouted at the top of his lungs.
Based on information obtained from the purple-skinned blacksmith, everyone knew that while the Sub-dragon Wyvern was a wyvern species, it had once swallowed the magic sword Lava Dragon.
Because of that, it was capable of breathing dragon flame.
At Eomer's shout, everyone scattered to dodge.
The Sub-dragon Wyvern did not disappoint; its high-reared head lowered, and its maw snapped open.
Scorching dragon flame spewed forth!
Waves of fire surged as the dragon's head swept across, nearly engulfing the entire platform.
Then, the Sub-dragon Wyvern's entire body began to squeeze out of the stone gate bit by bit.
Its massive, twenty-meter-long body, covered in scales, filled nearly the entire platform instantly, drawing curses from the group.
The platform atop the stone pillar was simply too small, with a diameter of only thirty meters.
With the Sub-dragon Wyvern out, they were practically fighting pressed right against it.
A simple swipe of its claws, a flap of its wings, or a whip of its tail could easily send them flying.
If they weren't careful, they could be swatted right off the platform, plummeting into the bottomless abyss and the lava sea below.
However, they soon didn't have to worry about the crowded platform.
The Well of Eternal Imprisonment, ever so considerate and inherently kind, loved nothing more than to see things from others' perspectives.
At this moment, it had already prepared a solution for the adventurers' predicament.
After sweeping the area with its breath, the Sub-dragon Wyvern flapped its wings and pushed off with its four claws.
In an instant, its entire body leaped into the air, vanishing into the thick smoke above.
The circular platform was suddenly empty.
Then...
Roar!
The Sub-dragon Wyvern dove, spewing scorching dragon flame that swept across the entire platform from the sky!
"Holy crap!" even the elegant elf couldn't help but curse.
Regardless, they had to face it now!
"Defense!"
"Immovable Fortress!"
As the command for defense was issued, two shields slammed onto the ground. Two barriers unfolded at different spots on the platform, meeting the oncoming cloud of fire!
The thirty-meter platform was completely swallowed by the scorching waves of fire descending from above.
The two heavy warriors gripped their shields, struggling to hold the line.
The shields in their hands had been heated to a scalding temperature by the dragon flame, searing the warriors' arms.
"Second-rank magic, Wind Tornado!"
The three mages from the two teams performed the same magic in perfect unison.
In an instant, three green magic circles unfolded within the scorching waves of fire.
Three tornadoes rose from three directions on the circular platform.
The three Wind Tornadoes formed a triangle, spinning rapidly. Using the power of the gale, they sucked up all the scorching dragon flame and released it into the sky.
The temperature on the platform plummeted.
But the Sub-dragon Wyvern did not continue its fire breath. Instead, it descended from the sky, its dragon scales flashing with a dazzling red light as its claws slammed down heavily.
"Thieves who enter the Lava Domain shall not defile the purity of the lava!"
The Sub-dragon Wyvern uttered its first words since appearing!
The descending dragon claw slammed heavily against the defensive barrier deployed on Serafina's side!
In an instant, the defensive barrier flickered violently. Under such a heavy blow, Isolde couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
On the other side, Eomer did not miss the opportunity.
Third-rank holy art, Secret Garden!
In an instant, countless illusory flowers bloomed in the air. From within the flower beds, illusory vines extended toward the sky, wrapping around the Sub-dragon Wyvern from all directions.
Beneath the dragon's claw, Serafina had already gripped her blade, gathering her strength.
Sword technique, Ice Rose.
This was the first time Serafina had performed a sword technique since entering the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
Furthermore, it was a new form created by combining her skill with her newly acquired magical artifact, the Frozen Flame Ice.
In an instant, a rose formed from sword qi infused with frost power bloomed beneath the Sub-dragon Wyvern's claw.
The Sub-dragon Wyvern tried to retract its claw, but it was already too late.
"Close!"
With a light flick of Serafina's blade, the blooming Ice Rose snapped shut in an instant, turning into a bud that swallowed the Sub-dragon Wyvern's claw.
The cold seeped through the scales, soaking into the wyvern's flesh.
At the same time, countless vines took the opportunity to entwine the wyvern's wings and body.
The illusory flowers bloomed one after another, releasing green toxic smoke.
The Sub-dragon Wyvern struggled violently.
However, the three mages' attacks followed immediately.
Second-rank magic, Wind Pressure!
Three layers of green magic circles unfolded above the Sub-dragon Wyvern's head.
Whump!
At the first layer of Wind Pressure, the Sub-dragon Wyvern's head jerked down, its limbs hitting the ground.
Whump! Whump!
At the second layer, the wyvern's wings could no longer hold out and were pressed flat against the ground.
Whump! Whump! Whump!
At the third layer, the Sub-dragon Wyvern's massive body was pinned firmly to the ground with a resounding boom.
Under the heavy pressure, the rock beneath the wyvern began to spiderweb with fine cracks.
Intelligent species were called such because they fought using their intellect.
This sequence of attacks was precisely the combat plan and coordination that the elven team and the Red Rose team had established long ago.
Though the Sub-dragon Wyvern had initially caught them off guard...
As long as they could seize a single opening and execute this combo, the Sub-dragon Wyvern could be subdued in an instant.
From beneath the barrier of Immovable Fortress, two figures lunged out.
They were the swordsmen Serafina and Nephalian.
One held a longsword and the other a rapier as they slashed toward the Sub-dragon Wyvern's head from two directions.
A finishing blow!
The Sub-dragon Wyvern let out a roar as dragon flame continuously built up within it.
However, the well-prepared Serafina and Nephalian nimbly circled to the sides.
The Wind Pressure and vines bound the dragon's head, preventing it from controlling the direction of its breath.
Yet, the Sub-dragon Wyvern did not breathe fire this time.
The dragon flame continued to build up power within its body.
After the energy reached its peak, the red scales on its neck actually ignited!
Then, as if triggering a chain reaction, the Sub-dragon Wyvern's entire body was set ablaze by dragon flame. Every single scale was covered in fire!
What? How is that possible!
"Roar!!"
With another roar, the Sub-dragon Wyvern, now wreathed in dragon flame, violently flapped its wings. It stood up against the powerful Wind Pressure, and the vines binding it were instantly incinerated by the flames.
The dragon flame erupting from its entire body formed a wave of fire that swept toward the surroundings.
Serafina and Nephalian, who were mid-assault, were about to be engulfed by the scorching wave of fire.
Serafina, the third-rank swordsman, was the first to react. Her red eyes narrowed, and her body turned into an afterimage. Her blade was sheathed with precision as the Frozen Flame Ice flashed with light.
"Burst."
The Ice Rose enveloping the Sub-dragon Wyvern's claw shattered instantly. The wyvern's body, which had just stood up, wavered as a result.
Serafina seized the opportunity, lunging toward Nephalian and grabbing her by the waist. At the same time, her sheathed sword was drawn again for a backhand slash.
An ice wall rose with the slash of sword qi, blocking the oncoming fire wave just in the nick of time, though it evaporated almost instantly.
Serafina used the moment to hold Nephalian and pull away at high speed.
By now, the Sub-dragon Wyvern had broken through the Wind Pressure. Covered in burning dragon flame, it looked like a fire dragon descended upon the world.
Rate on N.U.
