The shaft of Mason's spear was searing hot after coming into contact with the Black flames and the skin on Vasari's hands was frying.
Mason and his team looked at Vasari with wide eyes. 'Where did this hunk come from?!' Similar thoughts ran through their minds, but when they saw his familiar black martial robes and the short petite girl standing behind him they quickly put the pieces together and realised he was the same man from the cavern.
Allison, Dawn and Yera's thoughts were especially animated when they saw the appearance of the man who looked too handsome to be real.
Adrian's urge to kill this woman stealer was further strengthened after seeing his appearance free from dirt.
Mason, however, seemed to be the most surprised of them all.
'How is it possible! How is he able to hold my spear!' Mason's mind was left reeling at the sight of Vasari swinging his spear around like he was testing it in a store.
*ROAR!*
The drake roared to get the attention of the cultivators. Did they forget they were in the middle of a life-or-death battle?! Its life was on the line, yet they were surprised at the appearance of a weak human!
"Oh, haha, sorry to interrupt. Here you can have this back, I'm not really a spear type of guy." Vasari threw the pink spear back to Mason who caught it with a dumbfounded expression.
Refocusing his thoughts, Mason turned to the drake and continued their battle. Whenever the Black Firedrake used its fire breath, Mason would intercept it with his spear and when the Firedrake tried to use its powerful body, the 8 cultivators would work together to subdue it.
Ten minutes later and the drake was getting into desperate mode. If it couldn't kill these pesky humans in the next few minutes, it would be forced to take extreme measures.
As if sensing its thoughts, Mason ordered his squad to go all out. Attacks rained down on the Black Firedrake, its scales couldn't handle the onslaught, and soon its bloody skin was exposed to the world.
"AUUUGGHHH!!"
The Black Firedrake had enough of the humans it made its decision. If I'm going down, then you're going down with me. Was the mentality that it had at the moment.
Suddenly everybody in the Draynora Mountain Range felt an abrupt rise in the temperature. Those currently on the peak of the 16th mountain had pale faces when they witnessed the Black Firedrake expand like a balloon until it was perfectly circular.
"EVERYBODY RUN!!!!!"
Nobody knew who shouted, but their words brought everyone back to their senses and using their fastest movement technique, they frantically made their way down the mountain. Unfortunately, the Firedrake didn't give them much time to retreat.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Hiromi heard the loudest explosion she's ever heard. It was so loud that her eardrums popped and blood leaked from her ears. However, the pain was nothing compared to the awe she felt from the explosion. She saw a huge black cloud of smoke rise to the heavens forming the shape of a mushroom. The cloud reached a height that was impossible for her to see the peak. She then glanced down and panic took over her body. A massive shockwave visible to the naked eye was heading her way. She saw how the shockwave destroyed anything and everything it came into contact with. Rocks, plants and even beasts were not spared from the deadly shockwave.
While nestled in Vasari's arms, she watched how the shockwave came into contact with those from the Church of Prasufis. The first to be hit was a good-looking man with dirty blonde hair; Hiromi remembered the others calling him Harold. His body barely lasted a second; he couldn't even release a final scream before his body exploded into a bloody mist.
The next victim of the shockwave was a man with a mohawk and a Viking-like beard. He didn't do much better than Harold, dying in a flash.
Hiromi wanted to smile when the shockwave hit Adrian, but unfortunately, he barely managed to survive after using 3 of the 6 Moulds of Prasufis to protect himself. Her smile froze and she clicked her tongue in disappointment.
Dawn and Trent were next to be hit, and they both managed to somehow survive the shockwave. Yera, Allison and Mason also survived the shockwave using a special disk they took out from their spatial rings which covered their entire body in some sort of bubble that she had never seen before.
She smiled bitterly when she realised that she and Vasari would be hit next. She wished that she could've helped Vasari more instead of slowing him down. She regretted that she couldn't say goodbye to her little sister and mother. She regretted that she couldn't spend more time with Vasari and go on more adventures with him. She wouldn't admit it, but she was excited to meet this girlfriend he spoke so much about and his friends that were apparently troublemakers.
Wanting to see his handsome face one more time before she died, Hiromi turned her head to view his side profile. She didn't know what kind of expression she thought he would have in this kind of situation, but seeing that he still had that confident smile and relaxed brows, she couldn't help but giggle.
'Of course, he's still smiling…'
"Why so gloomy? I like you better when you're happy."
"Huh…?"
Vasari's unexpected words caught Hiromi off guard, but her train of thought came to an abrupt halt when she saw small majestic white scales slowly form on his neck. She got lost in its beauty and charm. Even though the smoke as black as night covered the sky and blocked the sun, the scales still shone brightly like the stars in the night sky. She watched as hundreds of small white scales overlapped each other to cover the entirety of his neck only stopping before his head. Hiromi forcefully peeled her vision away from the enamouring sight and looked at his face which was just as, maybe even more enrapturing than the pure white scales.
"Vasari, your face!"
Hiromi shouted in fright when she saw two small golden horns poke out from Vasari's forehead. It was no longer than a centimetre and it looked so cute.
To avoid the shockwave, Vasari had to unlock 50% of his bloodline. Despite not showing it on his face, the two tiny horns on his forehead hurt like hell. It was one of the most painful experiences he's experienced, and he could also feel a tingly sensation on his sacrum.
Vasari's speed increased by 300%, but it still wasn't fast enough to outrun the shockwave.
"Close your eyes and tuck your head in!"
Hiromi did as he said and felt his grip around her body tighten. A wave of nervousness flooded her body and she braced herself for impact.
Vasari stopped running and bent his knees slightly. He tightly held Hiromi in his embrace and used his body to shield her from the approaching shockwave.
*goof*
Hiromi heard a muffled sound and her body shook in Vasari's arms but nothing else happened. When she opened her eyes she saw blood leaking from Vasari's lips and immediately started to panic.
"Vasari, Vasari! Are you ok!?" She reached up with her trembling arms to hold his head, and tears threatened to fall down her eyes.
"I'm fine. Don't worry." Vasari smiled to calm her nerves, but seeing his blood-stained teeth only aggravated her worries further. She jumped out of his arms and inspected his body for any injuries. His black martial robes were in tatters leaving him basically nude. Seeing the majestic white scales covering every inch of his body amazed her. She expected to see some wounds, but all she saw were smooth white scales that were perfectly moulded to his body. The scales did nothing but enhance his already well-built body and made him taller. After inspecting his back, she moved to his front when something immediately caught her attention.
Vasari's little brother was different than before. It was longer, thicker and it was now a dark pink colour. The shape was also different than before, it looked more aggressive and domineering.
"Don't worry, my insides are just shaken a little bit. After some rest, I'll be good to go." Vasari explained, but Hiromi was too lost in her own world to hear what he said.
Vasari slowly returned to his normal appearance much to the disappointment of Hiromi. He then put on another set of plain black martial robes, again, much to the disappointment of Hiromi.
"What happened to your body just now? Are you actually a lizard wearing human skin?" Hiromi asked as she poked his skin and pulled his cheeks. It was the first time she had seen a bloodline transformation and was curious about it.
"No silly, I have a special bloodline that I can 'activate' to make me stronger and change my appearance slightly." He explained in the simplest way he could to her. Vasari then touched the part of his forehead where his two tiny horns once protruded and prayed the pain was only a one-time thing.
"Wow, so bloodlines are real after all. Most thought it was just hogwash, but seeing it with my own eyes has really changed my perspective. What type of bloodline do you have and is it possible for me to also have a bloodline?" Vasari could hear the excitement in her voice. He liked it when she was happy, she kinda reminded him of an energetic bunny.
"It's possible to get you a bloodline that you're compatible with, but it's hard to find one that is pure and undiluted. The bloodline I have is of the Imperial Dragon family."
"Ooh, sounds fancy~"
"Haha, somebody's looking for a spanking."
"Eek!"
While Vasari and Hiromi teased each other and forgot all about their surroundings, Mason and what remained of his team gathered together.
"So Julian and Harold are dead?" Mason asked Trent who had lost his left arm and the fingers on his right hand were blown off.
"Yes, they, unfortunately, couldn't survive the shockwave." Mason gritted his teeth in frustration and anger hearing this. He lost not just his teammates but also close friends and he blamed himself for it.
"Mason, it's not your fault, so don't beat yourself up for something you couldn't control."
"Dawn's right, Mason. We all knew the risk that came with fighting that drake, so don't put all the blame on yourself."
Yera and Dawn tried their best to comfort Mason. Laying on the ground beside them, Adrian was unconscious and on the verge of death. After shielding himself from the shockwave and surviving with heavy injuries, he couldn't protect himself from the heatwave that followed which worsened his injuries.
If not for Mason giving him an expensive healing pill, he would've already died.
Meanwhile, Allison, who was standing beside them, looked at the mountain peak they were just fighting with bewilderment and wonder.
"G-guys…I think I found the tomb…"
Mason, Dawn, Yera and Trent all turned their attention to Allison and then to the direction she was pointing at.
Where the tall and mighty 16th mountain of the Draynora Mountain Range once stood, was now replaced by the grandest castle these young cultivators have ever seen.
9 massive, round towers dominate the skyline of this massive castle and are connected by huge, heavy walls made of light red stone.
Small windows are scattered generously around the walls in seemingly perfect symmetry, along with holes of various sizes for what one would guess is for archers and artillery.
It was a mixture of elegance and simplicity along with the essentials you would expect from a supreme stronghold. The castle itself exuded an aura unknown to these young cultivators, but those older and more experienced would instantly know.
"It's beautiful…" Dawn struggled to keep her emotions at bay, nearly crying not from the sight of the castle but from what this castle represented.
A chance to go from nobodies to potential geniuses. This was the start of a new journey for them and they were excited to get it underway.