...

Meanwhile, in the sky above the outpost...

​​

Izroth hovered in the air using Sky Steps. In his eyes, purple lightning that matched that in the clouds above could be seen flowing freely.

The disorder below inside of the outpost was caused by the skill attached to Izroth's Sword of The Storm, Great Storm.

By pouring in 100 points of his Essence, Izroth not only enhanced the overall damage of his Great Storm but also increased the skill's range of 30 meters to 60 meters! While it was not enough to cover every corner of the outpost, since Izroth positioned himself at its center, the damage he inflicted was sizable.

In just a few moments, 40% of the population within the outpost had been eliminated by Izroth's Great Storm, and as time passed, the death rate continued to grow. But, Izroth did not stop there.

The reason behind the mass hysteria in the outpost was not solely due to his Great Storm. Amidst the confusion, Izroth activated his Soul Pressure, and thanks to Great Storm already causing a great deal of panic, it further amplified the effects of his Soul Pressure.

Therefore, all enemies within 60 meters underwent a willpower check. As a result, the vast majority were affected with a Weakened or Frenzied status, which added to the disorder. However, for those who were less fortunate, they were instantly killed from the Soul Pressure's Instant Death effect!

With Izroth's Great Storm and Soul Pressure acting together, the 40% mortality rate in the outpost rapidly doubled to 80%—the outpost forces had been decimated!

Izroth observed the situation down below. There was not much time remaining on his Sky Steps, and so he started his descent. But, as he did so, Izroth could not help but feel a bit disappointed.

'He's not here. But, just in case, I should be thorough. After I finish up here, I'll head to the other two outposts.'

Naturally, Izroth scanned the outpost with his Energy Vision Sense, but there were no signs of Vault. However, there was always the possibility of their position being protected by a high-grade magic item. Although the chances were low, Izroth knew it was best not to take any chances with someone like Menerva pulling strings behind the scenes.

'Hm?'

Suddenly, Izroth's Soul Sense went off as he sensed a significant build-up of energy coming from below near the center of the outpost.

The next moment, a burst of energy erupted from the ground and shot straight towards Izroth!

ROOOOOOAR!

An earth-shattering roar exploded just as the burst of energy fully manifested and traveled at frightening speeds. At the same time, the energy began to undergo rapid changes. From formless energy to a steady stream, and finally a wingless cerulean dragon!

'How troublesome.'

Izroth knew that the cerulean dragon was merely a physical manifestation of the energy released by someone below; however, the pressure it gave off resembled that of a creature that contained the blood of a genuine dragon.

If Izroth had to make a comparison, the energy being released towards him was just one or two steps lower than the ruler of the Hollow Soul Grove! It was not an attack he could afford to take head-on by just relying on his natural defenses.

As the cerulean dragon closed in on his position, Izroth waited until it was less than five meters away before activating his Primed Instantaneous Movement.

Zeuuut!

Izroth disappeared and instantly reappeared closer to the ground. He moved nearly fifteen meters away from the cerulean dragon and successfully evaded the attack. But, something strange occurred as Izroth continued his descent. The cerulean dragon, with whom he had just created a fifteen-meter gap, was now directly above him within arms reach—it was as if it had teleported right next to him!

'?!'

ROOOAR!

The light around the cerulean dragon's body turned bright as it roared and opened its mouth before chomping down and exploding mid-air!

BOOOOM!

The explosion released a massive shockwave that was powerful enough to forcibly dispersed the thunderclouds formed by Izroth's Great Storm—despite the skill having a few seconds remaining.

For a brief moment, the sky lit up as if another sun had risen over the outpost.

The intense light was fleeting and quickly died down.

By the time the light dispersed, the cerulean dragon nor Izroth was anywhere to be found.

...

At the same time as Izroth and the cerulean dragon's disappearance...

On the ground, located at the heart of the outpost, Tigran relaxed his grip on the broadsword in his hands as the aura around it vanished.

"Hmph, they couldn't even survive a single blow. So it was just an unfortunate bug after all. Daring to challenge me with such insignificant strength, you deserved a fool's death. Be grateful you had the privilege of perishing under my Dragon's Mark." Tigran said calmly.

Tigran looked around and released an irritated grunt. The outpost was already in bad condition when Tempest seized control of it due to Rosentarus' scorched earth tactics. With this latest attack, it would take them even longer than planned to restore this outpost to a feasibly functional state.

As for the loss of life, Tigran was unconcerned. In the end, the troops stationed in this area were not under his direct jurisdiction. Plus, this outpost was manned mainly by players, who were just disposable goods in Tigran's eyes.

"Where is Guard Commander Vasso?!" Tigran shouted as he stabbed his broadsword into the ground in front of him. His voice was powerful enough to carry dozens of meters away from him.

Not too long after Tigran spoke, one of the NPC soldiers ran up to him in a panic. When the soldier approached Tigran, he did not dare look him in the eyes and kept his head down. But, even without making eye contact, the soldier could feel Tigran's fierce gaze, which caused him to shiver and swallow his words instinctively.

"Do you have something to report, soldier? If so, don't waste my time and speak." Tigran stated with an aura of authority about him.

"R-reporting, sir! Guard Commander Vasso has been severely wounded and is currently unconscious, receiving treatment. H-he protected all of us when-" The soldier immediately ceased his words when the pressure around him grew.

"Enough. I do not require any excuses. Relay this message to Guard Commander Vasso when he regains his consciousness—he is hereby relieved of his command of this outpost. When I return to Tempest, I will send one of my men to take over." Tigran stated solemnly.

"But, sir, with all due respect, Guard Commander Vasso is a great leader! If he didn't protect us, we would all be-"

Woosh! Thump!

Tigran cleanly separated the soldier's head from his body using pure brute strength with one swing of his hand! This caused the nearby onlookers to tremble. The soldier had tried to defend Guard Commander Vasso but had not even gotten to finish his sentence before being beheaded! They knew Centurion Tigran was strict, but to be so ruthless to a soldier of his own kingdom—it was too much!

Nevertheless, no one dared speak up on the soldier's behalf, lest they follow in his footsteps.

Tigran called one of the players over and said, "You, relay my message to Guard Commander Vasso. Or, would you like to speak freely as well?"

"How could I, Centurion Tigran? It's my honor to relay your message! I will depart immediately!" The player said with a nervous smile as he swiftly left to carry out Tigran's command. He did not want to stay around and risk losing one of his lives; after all, each life in the event was a precious resource!

"I've delayed my departure from this wasteland long enough." Tigran removed his broadsword from the ground. But, as he did so, Tigran realized something was off as the shadow of his broadsword moved in an unnatural manner. Though the moment he perceived this, the tip of a blade came flying out from the broadsword's shadow!

This blade contained an overbearing destructive force, accompanied by a piercing air that encompassed its tip.

Tigran did not have time to react as the blade had already reached the narrow opening between his helmet and body armor!

What followed after the blade was a figure that also emerged from within the shadows. This figure was none other than Izroth!

The surrounding onlookers were shocked! Where had this person come from? But, more importantly, did they know who they had just attacked?!