Chapter 2343 The Next Phase (Part 4)

Upon seeing Shin deal meaningful damage to the Heavenly Dominator first, Solfang, Emperor Dream, and Caroline all felt provoked. Their auras surged as they unleashed even more of their power.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Almost simultaneously, the three experts executed their respective techniques, rapidly retreating from the Heavenly Dominator to create enough distance for their next powerful attacks.

However—

SHING!

Before any of them could unleash their moves, Shin took the initiative and dove straight toward the Heavenly Dominator, which was also preparing to unleash a devastating attack against the monstrous individuals surrounding it.

The moment Shin came within several meters of the Semi-World Boss, the Heavenly Dominator immediately sensed his approach.

It opened its enormous mouth and unleashed a terrifying roar, generating a powerful sonic wave that swept across the battlefield and forcibly halted Shin’s advance.

ROAR!

Before the sonic wave could even dissipate, the Heavenly Dominator raised both arms and slammed them violently into the ground.

BOOOOM!

A deafening explosion reverberated across the battlefield as enormous stone spikes erupted from the desert floor.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Within seconds, everything across a hundred-meter radius transformed into a sprawling forest of stone. Countless jagged spikes surged upward and intertwined with one another, forming a deadly labyrinth that threatened to impale, trap, or crush anything caught within its reach.

Amid the expanding stone forest, three silhouettes flashed rapidly from one place to another.

Solfang continuously leaped between the rising stone formations, evading the spikes that erupted around him and threatened to either trap him or pierce his body.

Raging flames enveloped his entire figure as he maneuvered through the deadly terrain. With his enormous saber blazing in his hands, he swung it left and right, destroying anything that obstructed his path.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Everywhere Solfang passed, the battlefield seemed to transform into a raging inferno as violent flames spread in all directions.

Yet these were no ordinary flames.

Rather than simply burning everything they touched, the fire greedily consumed the rich elemental mana permeating the surroundings, using it as fuel to grow even more ferocious.

This was Solfang’s unique form of mana: Devouring Flame.

As its name suggested, these extraordinary flames could consume other forms of mana to sustain themselves and grow stronger. The more suitable mana they devoured, the more destructive they became.

Of course, even this unusual power had its limitations. Devouring Flame could not consume higher forms of mana of equal or superior rank.

High above the battlefield, Shin had ascended to escape the deadly forest of stone spikes. Watching the raging inferno spreading across the desert, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

"I didn’t get a good look at it earlier, but it turns out this guy possesses some pretty rare elemental powers, too," he muttered, his interest piqued by the flames Solfang commanded.

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he continued observing the fiery spectacle. "I wonder how it compares to my Eternal Flame and Powers of the Brilliant Sun."

While contemplating Solfang’s abilities, Shin shifted his attention toward another section of the expanding stone forest.

There, another figure was weaving her way through the rising and intertwining stone spikes.

It was Caroline.

Unlike Solfang, who forcefully carved a path through the deadly terrain, Caroline moved with remarkable grace, her figure gliding between the jagged formations as though she were dancing through the stone forest.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Gorgeous flames surrounded her body, flickering softly with every movement.

Each time Caroline changed direction, the flames scattered into the air, leaving behind tiny, flickering embers that clung to the surfaces they touched.

These embers were far more than remnants of her fiery aura.

Caroline could teleport to any one of them at will, allowing her to instantly reposition herself across the battlefield. With the embers serving as scattered teleportation points, the ever-expanding stone forest posed far less of a threat to her than it did to most other combatants.

Watching her graceful movements, Shin scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Her flames are pretty special, too," he remarked. "I wonder what kind of flame that is."

However, compared to Solfang, who possessed a unique elemental form of mana, Shin could tell that Caroline’s flames were more likely a special ability than a personal Mana Manipulation Method.

SHING! SHING!

While Shin was observing the two, flashes of light suddenly appeared in another section of the stone forest, cutting through the jagged formations that obstructed the path.

Turning his gaze toward the source, Shin immediately spotted Emperor Dream casually making his way through the expanding stone forest toward the Heavenly Dominator at its center.

Shin raised an eyebrow as he noticed something unusual about Emperor Dream compared to the other two.

Both Solfang and Caroline possessed special powers and unique abilities derived from their respective races.

Based on what he had observed, both had acquired Ascended Classes associated with the Beastman and Human races, respectively, allowing them to evolve into Ascended Beings.

Emperor Dream, however, wielded an entirely different kind of power.

"So, that guy is also a Transcendent Being, huh?" Shin murmured with interest.

As a Transcendent Being himself, Shin was particularly sensitive to the presence of others who shared the same status. This was especially true for those whose races commonly formed contracts with Elemental Spirit Companions.

Elemental Spirits typically concealed themselves within tiny motes of light that orbited their contractors. These motes were generally invisible to ordinary players, but Transcendent Beings who had formed contracts with Elemental Spirits could perceive them.

Unless they possessed an independent dimension in which their companions could reside, such as Shin’s Reaper’s Realm, Elemental Spirits generally remained in this mote-like form when accompanying their contractors.

At that moment, Shin could sense that both Emperor Dream’s armor and sword were under the effects of his unique version of Elemental Spirit Possession.

That alone was a strong indication that Emperor Dream was a Transcendent Being as well.

After all, Transcendent Beings were the only ones capable of forming contracts with Elemental Spirits—at least until the Secret Realms inhabited by these spirits were opened and connected to Atlas World, as indicated in the latest patch notes.

"Strange..." Shin paused, narrowing his eyes. "Why couldn’t I sense his Elemental Spirits earlier? Don’t tell me he also possesses an independent dimension where he can house them?"

The more Shin observed Emperor Dream, the more curious he became. "I wonder which race he belongs to."

Judging by his appearance alone, Emperor Dream seemed to possess a Human lineage, much like the High Humans and Chaos Observers.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Shin opened a virtual panel displaying the known Transcendent races recorded in the system’s database.

This panel was accessible only to players who possessed a Transcendent Race and Class.

However, after examining the entries under the Human category, Shin couldn’t find any Transcendent Race that matched Emperor Dream’s appearance or abilities.

"Unless..." Shin’s gaze sharpened as he continued watching Emperor Dream. "He’s not a Transcendent Being of Human lineage at all."

For some reason, Shin found himself wanting to exchange blows with Emperor Dream, almost forgetting the real reason he had joined this raid in the first place.

ROOOAR!

Just as Shin was becoming absorbed in his curiosity about Emperor Dream, a thunderous roar suddenly snapped him back to his senses.

Turning his gaze toward the battlefield, he saw that Solfang, Caroline, and Emperor Dream had resumed their assault on the Heavenly Dominator.

"I guess I’ll have to set that thought aside for now," he muttered, clicking his tongue before diving back into the battle.

Below, the Heavenly Dominator was facing a coordinated three-pronged assault from the trio, who were now showcasing their true combat capabilities.

Solfang transformed into a blazing phantom, constantly circling the Heavenly Dominator as he unleashed a relentless series of saber strikes. His straightforward techniques carried overwhelming destructive power, each swing threatening to tear through the monster’s defenses.

Meanwhile, his Devouring Flames continuously consumed the elemental mana sustaining the Heavenly Dominator’s protective armor, gradually weakening its defenses.

Caroline, on the other hand, repeatedly hurled her chakrams at the monster boss, each throw delivering a powerful blow against its earthen armor.

What made her attacks particularly troublesome was their unpredictable trajectories. Her chakrams would abruptly disappear and reappear in different locations, making it extremely difficult for the Heavenly Dominator to anticipate where the next strike would come from.

Caroline was making full use of the fiery embers she had scattered across the battlefield, allowing her chakrams to pass through these teleportation points and emerge from unexpected directions.

At the same time, Emperor Dream repeatedly swung his sword, unleashing slashes that seemed capable of cutting through space itself.

Every swing left a spatial fracture in its wake, allowing his attacks to wound the Heavenly Dominator despite its terrifying defenses.

His swordsmanship was both swift and mysterious. Whenever his blade cut through space, his attacks seemed to flicker in and out of existence, making them difficult to track and even harder to defend against.

Despite their vastly different fighting styles, the three experts worked together with remarkable coordination.

Without exchanging a single word or even glancing at one another, they instinctively linked their attacks, seamlessly covering each other’s openings and maintaining relentless pressure on their opponent.

Even the Heavenly Dominator was struggling to cope with their continuous assault, despite its overwhelming strength and formidable defenses.

ROOOAR!

Nevertheless, the Heavenly Dominator remained a domineering presence unlike any other monster they had encountered.

SWOOSH!

As the battle continued, its movements gradually improved. Its attacks became increasingly agile and precise, allowing it to respond more effectively to the three peak god-level experts surrounding it.

Its initial burst of speed had already been terrifying enough to shock Shin and the others, especially considering its enormous size.

Yet the monster continued to grow more mobile with every exchange, steadily adapting until it could keep pace with the trio’s movements.

The moment they recognized this change, all three experts realized that their situation would only grow more dangerous the longer the battle dragged on.

The Heavenly Dominator was not merely becoming more dangerous as its Health Bar decreased. It was also continuously refining its combat prowess throughout the fight.

It was as though the monster were greedily absorbing every bit of combat experience it gained from its opponents, learning from their movements and adjusting its own techniques accordingly.

Observing the battle from above, Shin couldn’t help but click his tongue.

"Heavenly Dominator..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the monstrous figure below. "I guess I’m starting to understand how it earned that name."

......