Chapter 30: Hunger Zero (3)

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Hunger Zero (3)

WOOOSH!

​One of the tentacles struck a one-horned demon directly on the skull. From it, an illusory energy started drinking his very life essence.

​"AAARGH! MY MIASMA! IT IS DRINKING MY SOU..."

​Before the demon could even finish his scream, his entire body withered into a dried husk and dissolved into red light, absorbed directly into the sphere.

​Instantly, panic erupted.

​"RUN! IT IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!"

​The prisoners turned and fled in a wild stampede, but the tendrils were too fast. They branched across the entire floor, swallowing cages, spells, and prisoners alike.

​Demon Lord Beltos, a figure of absolute dread in both the human and dragon realms, stood up to protect his kind.

​About a century ago, every king pissed themselves when they heard his name. His power was far beyond normal demons. He was one of the ninety-nine Demon Lords in Nozax, the Demon Partition.

​He extended his six fingers, unleashing six dark red beams at the crimson sun.

​Buzz! Buzz!

​Normally, a single beam could destroy a kingdom with ease.

​However...

​When they were about to strike the crimson sun, several black holes erupted on the spots where the red beams would have struck.

​They devoured the highly destructive energy beams like they were nothing.

​Demon Lord Beltos watched this in absolute horror.

​"This... this is impossible!"

​Never in his 150-year lifespan had he seen anything like this. He began to fear for his life for the first time.

​"I must run!"

​Saying this, he turned to flee.

​But he did not even make it a single step.

​

Squelch!

​A massive crimson tendril shot through the darkness and impaled the Demon Lord directly through his chest, locking him firmly in place.

​"Blurgh!"

​Beltos spat a mouthful of blood, feeling the exploding pain inside his chest. But the worst was yet to happen.

​The tendril uprooted him from the ground, then began pulling him toward one of those black holes. Those black holes frightened Beltos so much that he began screaming for help like a kid.

​"Someone help me! I don’t want to die in that devil’s stomach!"

​His underlings watched their own lord in such a pathetic state, and their legs started shaking uncontrollably. How were they going to help against such a monstrosity?

​The humans turned their heads away too. So what if a demon lord dies? In their opinion, they were better off dead.

​The dragons were busy saving themselves. Why would they risk their lives for a demon?

​So, in the end, Beltos died in the most tragic way possible.

​"NOOOOOOO!"

​No one saved him. In the end, a bitter smile appeared on his face. Maybe karma was like this. In the past, he used to torment and kill people like this, and now he was experiencing it himself.

​Meanwhile, high above the rim of the Obsidian Caldera, a grand dragon carriage pulled up to the observation platform.

​Lord Ignis stepped out, flanked by little Xylin and Drakos. He had come to personally oversee the execution of the arrogant human child.

​But as Ignis looked down into the caldera, his regal, handsome face completely froze.

​The entire dark prison was gone. The freezing cold was gone. The ancient runic barriers were gone.

​In their place was a colossal sphere of red tendrils that was actively devouring the mountain from the inside out.

"What in the world is this? It is destroying the entire prison," Lord Ignis growled through gritted teeth, his eyes reflecting the bloody light of the sphere.

​Sensing their absolute ruler’s mounting fury, the heavily armed attendants behind him shivered in fear.

​"My Lord, we truly do not know! Everything was completely normal just moments ago," one guard stammered.

​"Yes, we have absolutely no idea where this monstrosity came from!" another added, his voice trembling.

​"Oh Lord! Look down there! It just devoured Demon Lord Beltos alive!"

​Then, a wise silver-haired dragon elder slowly stepped up beside Lord Ignis and whispered into his ear.

​"My Lord, let us not waste time wondering where this entity came from or why it has appeared. We must act now. It would be best if we destroy it as quickly as possible, before it consumes our entire territory."

Lord Ignis nodded slowly. As he did, the air around him instantly grew blisteringly hot, carrying the scent of burning air.

​"You are absolutely right, Elder. Whatever this ravenous parasite is, it threatens the very foundation of our territory. I will erase it completely."

​He then turned his head slightly, glaring at the heavily armored guards standing nearby.

"Take Drakos and Xylin back to the Inner Estate immediately. They do not need to witness what happens next."

​As the guards rushed forward to escort the wide-eyed children away from the cliff edge, Lord Ignis took a step forward.

Without a shred of hesitation, he walked directly off the edge of the observation platform.

​He did not fall. On the contrary, the mana in the air violently combusted beneath his boots, forming invisible floating steps of pure heat.

​He did not bother transforming back into his massive draconic body. For a highly precise execution, his humanoid form was actually much more efficient.

He raised his right hand toward the dark ruined sky.

​"Filthy anomaly. Be reduced to absolute ash."

​Instantly, the temperature across the entire Nephilis Caldera instantly skyrocketed. And the remaining dark soil began to melt into glowing, bubbling slag.

High above the prison, a terrifying sphere of emerald-green fire began to rapidly condense above his outstretched palm.

​It was not a simple fireball. It was a miniature, highly pressurized sun composed entirely of the purest draconic fire. The raw heat alone radiating from it was so intense that the surrounding space literally began to warp and fracture like shattered glass.

​"Galena Supernova!"

​With a ruthless downward swing of his arm, Lord Ignis threw the apocalyptic mass of fire directly into the center of the dark abyss, aiming right at the writhing crimson anomaly.

BOOOOOOOOOM!

​The emerald sun descended like a falling star.

The immense atmospheric pressure vaporized the remaining iron cages and instantly incinerated the weaker prisoners who were still desperately trying to flee.

​However, the Red Sun did not even attempt to dodge.

​Instead, the thousands of those red tendrils suddenly stopped devouring the terrain. Like a swarm of highly coordinated, bloodthirsty snakes, they rushed upward, rapidly twisting and braiding themselves together.

​And within a fraction of a second, the countless tendrils formed a colossal, grotesque maw of crimson energy pointing directly at the falling sun.

Then, an amused voice echoed,

​"Finally... a hot meal."