Veilbreaker! Oops I Bleed Again
Chapter 57: Massacre Attack

Chapter 57: Massacre Attack

"He really deserves to be a true kingdom commander."

Draven smirked as he felt the heaviness of Commander Dex’s aura settle in.

It wasn’t just inherent power.

It was from years of experience, as he got stronger in every fight.

It was the aura of a warrior who had encountered countless battles and come out victorious.

Dex raised his functioning hand at the level of his head.

With a dull thud, he let his battle axe drop to the ground.

And then his body changed.

His torso, arms, and even his functioning hand began to swell and turn molten.

His flesh became living lava, burning and shifting like liquid fire.

The heat around him grew unbearable, warping the air itself.

"I only wanted to keep the Verdants alive for more experiments," Dex’s voice rumbled.

He clenched his molten fist, heat distorting the air around him.

"But I have no choice. All of you need to die here."

However, Draven’s sharp gaze never wavered.

’Another massacre attack?’

Gorvex’s chain whirlwind.

Lord Azure’s beam.

And now this?

"Tch."

He glanced behind him where all the Verdants stood.

The Verdants who witnessed Dex’s transformation and heard his threat recoiled, their eyes widening in fear.

Draven shook his head.

’That’s why I need Deka for this type of attack. I can’t protect them all on my own.’

His mind raced.

’Bella can’t go near him. She’ll burn before she even gets close. Last time, this bastard escaped her scent.’

Bella nodded at him as if reaching the same understanding.

Draven turned his attention back to Dex.

’What is he planning?’

’A meteor-sized lava strike?’

’Or was he about to turn the battlefield into an eruption zone?’

’How the hell do I defend against this?!’

Before he could act, Dex slammed his molten fist into the ground.

The earth shuddered, and a violent tremor ripped through the battlefield.

Then a deep, glowing crack split across the ground, stretching from Dex’s left to his right.

From that fracture, a volcanic explosion erupted.

[Lava Surge!]

A massive, raging tidal wave of molten lava surged forward, devouring everything in its path.

Draven quickly turned to the Verdants.

They clung to each other in fear.

Sweat poured from their faces, the heat intensifying to an unbearable degree.

Even the battlefield itself warped under the pressure.

’Wait, is this his final offensive attack?’

Draven exhaled slowly. Then he smirked.

He inhaled deeply. And as he exhaled, a cold mist escaped his lips.

His body began to steam.

But it wasn’t from heat.

It was from the cold.

Frost.

His skin crackled with chilling energy, steam rolling off his form like an ice-forged phantom.

"Let’s try this."

Draven stomped his foot on the ground.

[Frozen Step!]

The temperature of the battlefield shifted. In mere seconds, the entire ground turned to ice.

Even the lava froze solid, crystallizing into jagged formations of blackened frost.

Commander Dex stood completely encased, his molten form sealed beneath layers of ice.

A thick mist of cold steam rolled over the battlefield, chilling the air.

Bryan’s eyes widened in shock.

"Don’t tell me he can do Ice Manipulation too?!"

He clenched his fists, trying to comprehend what he was witnessing.

"How is a Verdant evolving to this level? It’s not just his abilities, his speed and his strength."

His breath hitched.

"Is he... a god?"

But then a sharp crack echoed. From within the frozen prison, Dex’s mouth moved.

Cracks splintered through the ice around his lips.

"You truly intrigue me."

Suddenly, the ice shattered.

The frozen lava melted instantly, turning back into an uncontrollable eruption of raging magma.

The heat returned with twice the intensity.

Lava spilled over the battlefield, consuming the frozen wasteland as if the cold had never existed.

Dex’s body burned even hotter, glowing brighter than before.

"You may have many unknown skills, but..." Dex smirked. "I’ve just powered up my Lava Surge to Rank S."

His molten arm pulsed with raw, destructive energy.

"You have no chance of blocking it anymore. And I doubt you have anything left. You’re still inexperienced."

Draven gritted his teeth as Dex laughed mockingly.

’He’s right.’

’All the abilities that I acquired depend on the rank of their original users.’

’Kael’s [Frozen Step] is still Rank C. It was enough to block the lava for a moment, but only for a moment.’

’And now, Dex’s [Lava Surge] was even stronger.’

’I can’t use it again. It drains too much stamina. And with the battlefield this wide...’

His mind raced. He didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly, a voice cut through his thoughts.

"Let me help this time."

Draven turned.

It was Bryan.

With a steady gaze, he stepped forward.

"Maybe this skill can buy time. I’m not strong enough to stop him completely. But I can hold him back."

Bryan clenched his fists, determination flickering in his eyes.

"Defeat him while I hold his attack."

Draven smiled in relief.

"Leave that to me, Verdant lover."

Bryan’s face instantly reddened.

"Shut up." He scowled, turning away.

But the slight blush on his cheeks betrayed him.

Still, he didn’t hesitate.

Bryan ran back to the Verdants, dropping to his knees.

He pressed both hands against the ground.

And then something began to shift.

[Stone Sculptor!]

Massive stone blocks began rising, encircling the Verdants.

A second layer followed.

Then a third.

A fourth.

A fifth.

Each layer stacked higher and higher, forming a fortified barrier.

[Cement Infusion!]

Bryan pressed his hands against the structure.

The cracks and gaps between the giant bricks sealed instantly, fusing together like a seamless slab, forming a solid ceiling above them.

Draven whistled, impressed.

"Wow." He crossed his arms, smiling. "This would be a great help in developing Akhabara."

Then, his gaze shifted.

Commander Dex.

He was standing arrogantly, unaffected by Brian’s skills.

The battlefield still burned.

Lava continued to surge around them, creeping closer to the stone wall Bryan had built.

Draven cracked his neck.

"Time to do my job."

Without hesitation, he launched into the air, flying straight toward Dex.

"It’s useless!" Dex roared with an intimidating smile on his face.

[Erupting Circle!]

Multiple rings of molten fire erupted around him, blazing toward Draven.

Draven gritted his teeth, dodging midair.

But his movements were still unsteady.

Flying was new. And he wasn’t good at it yet.

"Tch."

The barrage of Erupting Circles forced him off balance.

But he pushed through.

Struggling but advancing.

And in the end, he closed the distance.

With full force, he swung his Morphos straight at Dex.

"CLANG!"

Dex blocked it.

His right hand caught the Morphos, stopping it mid-strike. Then, he a surge of molten heat erupted from his palm.

The air warped. The temperature soared.

Draven’s weapon should have melted instantly.

But it didn’t.

Dex’s eyes widened in shock.

"Impossible. It should’ve melted by now."

The Morphos remained intact.

Draven smirked.

"What are you doing?"

With a sudden spin, he ripped the Morphos from Dex’s grip—

And with a swift motion—

Drove it straight into Dex’s ribs!

BAM!

Dex staggered sideward, skidding across the battlefield.

He barely managed to land—one knee crashing into the ground.

Draven’s gaze snapped toward the lava.

Was it disappearing?

...No.

A deep, menacing laugh echoed.

Dex slowly looked up, grinning through the pain.

"What are you planning?" he mocked. "Did you think that if I lifted my hands, the lava would stop?"

He tapped his own head.

"The skill comes from here. Once activated, it doesn’t need me anymore. It won’t stop unless you kill me."

Draven’s eyes flicked toward the stone wall Bryan had built.

The lava was already reaching it.

Dex chuckled.

"And you won’t kill me in time. That wall will break under the heat before you can even touch me."

His smirk deepened.

"It’s impossi—"

Draven was already in his face.

Dex barely managed to evade as Draven’s Morphos came crashing down.

Draven didn’t stop.

Strike.

Strike.

Strike.

A relentless storm of attacks rained down on Dex, each one faster and heavier than the last.

But Dex dodged.

Blocked.

Deflected.

He grinned, mocking him even in the middle of battle.

"Hahaha!"

The battlefield continued to burn.

And then—

Crack.

A deep, sharp splitting noise.

Draven’s breath hitched.

His eyes flicked toward Bryan’s wall.

The bricks were cracking.