Skyler frowned when he saw that their attacks were having no effect.
Riruru helped him attack the dragon with powerful water and ice spells. The silver patterns and gems on both sides of her head glowed as she poured a massive amount of Evol into her next spell.
A colossal ice lance formed in front of them, its razor-sharp tip spinning rapidly. With a powerful burst of energy, it shot toward the dragon, striking its defenses head-on.
The tip of the ice lance actually managed to create a slight distortion in the first layer of defense surrounding the dragon’s body.
Skyler’s eyes lit up. However, before he could attack the same place, the distortion quickly disappeared, and the defense recovered with lightning speed.
He clicked his tongue, unaware that the dragon’s golden eyes, which had been filled with amusement moments ago, subtly shifted toward Riruru with a trace of displeasure.
Skyler studied the dragon’s pattern of attacks carefully. Then, after avoiding another powerful attack, Skyler’s voice echoed inside everyone’s minds.
’Attack the same place! After me!’
Upon hearing him, Riruru left his side to attack from another direction while Skyler attracted the dragon’s attention.
Just as the dragon opened its jaws and fired a powerful water cannon toward him, Skyler disappeared from his position at the last possible moment. His movement was so fast that he left behind only a blur.
The next instant, he appeared behind the dragon with the familiar dark scythe in his grip, which pulsed with dangerous energy. The blade descended with lightning speed.
As Skyler’s attack landed and shattered the first layer of defense surrounding the dragon’s body, he shouted and vanished.
"Now!"
Austin attacked instantly after him.
Powerful Light Evol surged out from his body, condensing into a sharp blade that struck the exact same spot the moment Skyler’s figure disappeared.
Zack and Charles followed.
They unleashed their lightning attacks simultaneously, striking the weakened area with precise timing.
Everyone’s eyes lit up when they saw the second layer of defense surrounding the dragon’s body begin to crack and collapse.
It was clear that with Isaac, Yuris, and Riruru’s attacks following next, the final layer would be broken as well.
Perhaps, after that, another quick attack would finally leave an injury on the dragon.
However, before Yuris, Isaac, and Riruru’s attacks could land, something unexpected happened. A violent burst of blue energy suddenly erupted from the dragon’s body, instantly destroying the incoming attacks before they could even reach their target.
The shockwave spread through the ocean, forcing everyone nearby to retreat.
Then, the dragon unleashed another powerful attack. However, unlike before, it targeted only a single direction.
Skyler’s eyes turned cold when he saw the direction of the attack.
"Riruru!"
It all happened in an instant.
No one present was able to see Skyler’s movement. He moved so fast that even the attack released by the dragon appeared to slow down in comparison. It was as if he had surpassed the limits of his own body—the air cracked loudly and distorted behind him as he moved forward.
When the attack finally reached its target, it wasn’t Riruru who was struck, nor was it Skyler’s figure standing protectively in front of her.
Instead, the massive water cannon was cleaved in half from the center, along with the space above it and the ocean below. For a brief moment, everything in the path of the slash was left completely empty, as if the attack itself had been erased.
Skyler’s strike was terrifying. The slash continued forward and even reached the dragon itself.
All three layers of defense surrounding its body shattered in an instant, leaving behind a thin, straight, and ghastly bloody scar that cut across the middle of its stomach like a drawn line. The dragon’s eyes, which had always carried arrogance and amusement, trembled slightly for the first time in its life.
A single thought echoed through its mind.
’Just a little more... and I would have died.’
Even it, a powerful half-divine creature, would have been killed by that attack.
But... fortunately, the range of the strike stopped just far enough away, leaving only a bloody injury instead of cutting it in half.
Just like the dragon, everyone watching from the surroundings was left shocked and chilled. What even was that attack?
It was so powerful... so fast that if they were attacked by it, no one was sure they could avoid it and survive. It was enough to make goosebumps rise across their bodies.
The water that had been parted by the force of the attack finally merged together once again. In the aftermath, all eyes were drawn toward the tall figure floating in front of the white snake, who looked equally shocked.
Skyler’s hands trembled slightly.
His usually carefree blue eyes were now filled with a dark intensity as he stared at the dragon. The scythe in his hand crackled with a satisfied gleam, as if it had finally been able to unleash a fraction of its true power after being restrained for so long.
Then, Skyler opened his mouth and spoke in a chilling voice.
"You want to die so badly?"
The dragon trembled as the voice reached its ears. Without even realizing it, its body reacted instinctively.
"You pass!"
With those words, the dragon raised its head toward the sky, and amidst a burst of light, a massive gate appeared in mid-air.
The gate opened, telling everyone that those fighting the dragon had cleared the challenge and could proceed to the next level. With that, the dragon vanished beneath the water without looking back.
For a moment, the whole place was eerily silent. No one dared to speak.
It was not until the white snake transformed into a beautiful woman and wrapped her hands around Skyler’s waist from behind that his tense body finally relaxed. The dark aura surrounding him disappeared as he patted her hands and looked back.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine."
"That’s good."
Seeing the deadly silence, Zack cleared his throat and pointed toward the opened gate.
"Let’s go to the next level."