Chapter 27: Return the Sky to Me!

"That Tauren warrior is actually even taller than the Tauren King Sauter!"

Hiat was unfamiliar with the Beast King Utara; she was simply shocked by his overly robust physique and the terrifying spiked war hammer in his hands. Since the creature was summoned by Grakka, did that mean this giant was already dead? How had he died?

"Mar's auxiliary magic circle..."

Between several giant trees, there should have been a set of bright, pure magic circles. However, at this moment, only the outermost edges retained a glimmer of light; the rest was swallowed by a thick, dark haze. In the center of the magic circle, an ice-blue zombie held a mysterious staff. With every wave, two or three more zombies crawled out from within the circle.

"It has corrupted the auxiliary magic circle left behind by the Great Mage Mar into a tool for summoning zombies. To desecrate such nobility—it is intolerable."

Klahe could no longer hold back. Several ice needles shot straight at Grakka, and at the same time, she summoned a massive chunk of ice in the sky to plummet toward the center of the magic circle. Grakka’s actions—summoning the remains of spirits and damaging Mar’s great magic circle—had thoroughly enraged her.

"We will kill this despicable zombie; you go and repair the magic circle."

Hiat hesitated slightly but did not leave Seria’s side. Klahe went to deal with Grakka, while Tana kept her eyes on the Beast King Utara.

"Pardon me..."

The heirloom longsword slashed across a zombie's neck, its withered head falling to the ground and rolling several times. The ice shards summoned by Klahe were dodged, and while the impact of several ice needles made Grakka stumble, the thick armor of ice covering its body limited the damage. The zombies controlled by Grakka swarmed them frantically, having lost all reason, driven only by an instinctive desire for blood.

"If you had been two days later, I would have completely taken over this magic circle, and then collapsed the forest’s main magic circle, spreading the aura of death to the entire world!"

Grakka spoke with a human voice, its arrogance unbridled. Within those hollow eye sockets, ghostly blue flames suddenly ignited, flickering incessantly.

"Then, before those two days are up, go to hell."

Klahe and Hiat rapidly shifted their offense and defense, with Hiat taking the lead to attack while Klahe protected Seria.

"Thunder-Breaking Thousand-Army Smash!"

Hiat, having signed the Master's Contract, summoned a massive crystal greatsword between her hands and swung it down at Grakka.

*Boom!*

The greatsword struck the ground. Grakka narrowly avoided the lethal physical impact, but the earth cracked, and shockwaves erupted violently around the giant blade. The turbulent energy completely engulfed Grakka, shattering it into a pile of fragments. The surrounding zombies were also wiped out by the force of that single strike.

"Refreshing..."

Hiat leaned on her Hidden Dragon Greatsword, wiping her forehead with satisfaction. This was her first time using the Thunder-Breaking Thousand-Army Smash, and the results were surprisingly good. As for the Master's Contract, she had opened it just last night.

On the other side, Tana and the Beast King Utara were locked in battle. Compared to Hiat’s flashy swordsmanship, the two of them practiced a violent, flesh-and-blood aesthetic. Tana kicked away the Beast King’s wooden hammer, pressed in close, grabbed one of the Beast King’s massive hands, and executed a shoulder throw in mid-air.

*Crash!*
*Crack!*

The Beast King’s body slammed into the trunk of a giant tree, the immense force easily destroying the tree, its scattered branches covering Utara’s face.

"Regardless, you are already dead; you are merely a walking corpse."

Tana clapped her hands. If Utara had been in his living prime, he truly would have been a formidable opponent.

"Hey, little one, my shoes are ruined. Get me a pair of long boots!"

The shoes on her feet could not withstand the force of her previous attack, and the soles had split open.

"I gave you a set of Celestial Light Cloud Shadow, didn't I? Wear those!"

"Less talk, bring them here quickly. The Celestial Light Cloud Shadow is a gift from you; I don't want to step on this slimy ground with them."

Handing a pair of cosmetic shoes to Tana, Yelin stood before the great magic circle, signaling Hiat to keep a close watch on Seria while he repaired it. He focused his mind and closed his eyes, pressing his hands against a corner of the great magic circle. Faint strands of fluorescent light flowed from his arms directly into the circle. The lines of the magic circle, previously eroded, slowly began to light up, and the dark energy was stripped away. Everything was moving in a positive direction.

*Hum~*
*Shoo~*

Suddenly, a sharp ice spike shot out from the center of the great magic circle, aimed directly at Yelin’s heart. The distance was too close; even someone as powerful as Tana could not stop it, and she could only watch in horror as the ice spike pierced through his chest. He moved his throat a few times before collapsing powerlessly to the ground. It was too fast; there was no time at all!

"What happened?"

Seria wanted to run over and use healing magic, but Hiat grabbed her and pulled her back repeatedly. Even the Hidden Dragon Greatsword offered no sense of security now.

"Heh heh, so you were the one who could repair the magic circle. But it’s better that you’re dead."

Grakka, which had been reduced to a pile of fragments, had actually re-assembled its body from the center of the magic circle, fully restored.

*Roar~*

The Beast King, who had been knocked unconscious by Tana, stood up as well. Every step he took caused violent tremors as he slowly closed in on them.

"The Dragon race? Under the suppression of the great magic circle, the Dragon race is no more than a Goblin. After you die, I will let you be reborn as a magnificent being like the Evil Dragon Spitz!"

"Cursed!"

A blizzard erupted from Grakka as the center. The temperature in the entire space plummeted, and the dark magic circle began to emit extremely evil energy. Thick, dark filaments wrapped around the arms of Tana and the others. Hiat tried to slash at the filaments with her Hidden Dragon Greatsword, but to her surprise, the filaments were a form of energy that could be seen but not touched. The moment they touched her, a sense of weakness spread through her entire body.

*Roar~*

The Beast King Utara raised his war hammer and swung it at Tana, who leaped high and kicked toward the hammer. But the unexpected happened: Tana, who had been suppressing the undead Beast King, suddenly lost her balance and stumbled back upon landing.

"It’s using the magic circle to weaken our strength. As long as the magic circle exists, Grakka cannot die, and as long as Grakka lives, the magic circle cannot be repaired."

For the first time, Tana felt a sense of difficulty. She didn't care about Grakka, and the dead Beast King Utara was nothing special, but no one could ignore Mar’s great magic circle.

"I will hold off the Beast King. Hiat, Klahe, you protect Seria. No matter what, you must ensure she repairs the magic circle!"

Klahe was stunned, then said anxiously, "But what about Yelin?"

"He has been pierced through the heart; he is dead! If we don't act now, we will all die here."

Tana wiped the corner of her eye. No one had expected Grakka’s surprise attack. This person, who had wanted to become a Dragon Knight, had died on the path, dying in place of Seria. If it had been Seria repairing the magic circle, the result would have been the same. The ice spike had been so sudden that no one had been able to react in time.

"You tried to challenge fate, only to have fate play a joke on you. It is still Seria who has to repair the magic circle."

A heavy sense of absurdity left them all silent. The mysteriously resurrected Beast King, the surprise ice spike, and Hiat and Klahe barely keeping Grakka at bay—even Klahe, who had only recently awakened, sensed that something was off. It was all simply too coincidental.

"So, is it really impossible to change the outcome, just like repeating the same mistakes? Time-End Memet."

Tana stared at the Beast King Utara, a layer of fine dragon scales suddenly appearing on her arm. Her aura surged—she couldn't wait any longer. She would return to her true form and finish the Beast King.

"Can you stop playing dead? Seria is already panicking, and besides, isn't it cold lying on the ground?"

Hiat covered her eyes and threw a rock at him. How could he possibly continue acting out such a clumsy melodrama? Whose sympathy and tears was he trying to trick?

"Cough, cough. I’ve always been curious: if Tana turns into a dragon and then turns back into a human, are her clothes still there? You shape-shifting races seem to have always had this issue."

Yelin jumped up and shivered; the ground really was freezing.

"Huh? How are you not dead?"

Tana was stunned. She had seen that ice spike clearly—it had gone straight through his heart. No one present could have survived such a blow.

"How could I die when I haven't even pressed the 'F' key for you yet? By the way, I just heard you mention Time-End Memet. Is that the big lion-headed guy who controls time and space?"

He scratched his head. It had been too cold lying on the ground, so he hadn't heard clearly, but the name sounded familiar.

"Tell me, how did you survive? You should have been dead!"

Tana, now half-dragon, kicked the Beast King away again, grabbing Yelin’s collar with both hands and shaking him incessantly.

Yelin cleared his throat, lifted Tana’s delicate chin, and looked at her with deep affection. "It was you who gave me great strength. Just as I was about to die, your voices and smiles flashed through my mind, and thus, a powerful force erupted within my body..."

"Speak like a human!"

"The European Emperor opened the Master's Contract for me last night, and I got an item in one shot. Plus, I knew Grakka was faking its death..."

Yelin held up an empty bottle. This was an item he had previously disdained, even complaining that it took up space in his inventory and throwing it away—but it had saved his life.

[Divine Protection]: After use, the body becomes ethereal for 10 seconds. All attacks directed at the user become invalid, but the user cannot attack either.

"How did you know Grakka was faking its death?"

"Oh, its body was shattered, yet both eyes were still burning with those eerie, cold ghost flames..."

"By the way, you still haven't answered my question. If you transform, do your clothes..."

"They disappear."

"They really disappear?"

"Duh!"

"I don't believe you. Transform and show me."

And so, Tana really did transform. A beautiful blue dragon appeared in the Dark Thunder Ruins, elegant in posture with clean scales and large, somewhat cute eyes. Tana then unleashed a dragon's breath that completely annihilated the Beast King’s body, and amidst a flash of brilliant light, she slowly reverted to human form.

Yelin stared with wide, expectant eyes. Tana’s original clothes had indeed shattered. Now she was completely... wait? A full set of Celestial Light armor?

Huh???

"Does it look good? You gave it to me."

Tana winked playfully, her face full of triumphant laughter.

"I regret it! Give me back the Celestial Light set! Right now!"

"Shameless! Don't embarrass yourself. Hurry up and repair the magic circle."