Run for your life

"Ahhhhhh!"

"What is happening?"

"I cannot breathe!"

The Pyramid guild members who were in the vicinity started to panic, some even unable to move their limbs, slumping down on the ground in fear.

"Run…" The draconian princess saw the chaos and absentmindedly warned those around her. "Run for your life."

Seeing the three monstrous creatures in the distance and the one human being standing up against them, her eyes narrowed and a golden aura glimmered in her slit-like pupils.

"Dark times are ahead. If you still haven't set up your safety zone. Do it now."

Her gaze lingered on Liam, worry etched on her face. "Will you survive or not?" She did not even consider thinking about him winning this fight.

Unlike the isons, these creatures were not something that evolved in the blink of an eye. Their souls were not weak and their bodies were not riddled with weaknesses.

They were guardians of the world that evolved with the guidance and blessing of the world spirit. Even the world spirit of a lower-tier world couldn't be ignored as they possess a tremendous amount of power.

The draconian princess did not know how the human beings had angered the world spirit because if the world spirit had favored the humans who were the majority of the living beings in this world, then everything would have been different.

However, that did not happen. It looked like the world spirit absolutely abhorred the human beings who thrived in this world. Judging from the destruction that had been unleashed on the planet before the integration began, the draconian princess could understand why too.

However, what happened now was beyond her understanding. It was because this time the world itself was being destroyed and corrupted and yet the guardians were standing around and wasting time instead of destroying the array.

If they indeed behaved like this… then that could mean only one thing. That they were also somehow corrupted.

This was why she hadn't mentioned the array to Liam to begin with. He was in no position to stand against the guardians that too in his current condition. He was fighting a losing battle. He was only going to perish along with everyone else.

If it was like this… then she would have preferred that the entire world indeed became corrupted. The fall of the world would result in the rise of a monster and that monster was what she needed to achieve her goals.

Even though it was cruel that was the only logical way in which Liam could possibly survive this calamity. But now… She watched silently as everything was already beyond her control. Perhaps it was the fate of this world to be doomed.

Meanwhile….

BOOOOOM!

Both the serpentine beast and the human being were pushed back from the clash. Liam's body shuddered from the impact, but he already expected this. He was after all facing a beast that was a whole hundred and fifty levels above him.

However, levels did not mean much. The countless efforts he had taken to gain extra stats whenever possible finally paid off. He found himself only marginally weaker than the guardian beast in front of him.

As the giant serpent that was about twenty times his size pulled its head back to launch an attack, he immediately sucked in a breath of air and started commanding the mana in the air.

Shing!

A huge barrier appeared around him just in time. A torrent of poisonous spines shot out from the serpent's maw, but they collided with the shimmering barrier, unable to breach its protective shell. The spines fell harmlessly to the ground, dissipating into noxious vapor upon impact.

Liam knew that he had to act swiftly. He couldn't afford to let the serpent regain its momentum. With a quick movement, he sliced the air with the black dragon sword, his mana core churning violently.

Crackling with energy, the sword beams imbued with elemental power rippled through the air. The sword beams crashed into the serpent, knocking it off balance and forcing it to retreat momentarily.

Seizing the opportunity, Liam charged forward, closing the distance between himself and the serpent in a matter of seconds. With lightning-fast strikes, he targeted the serpent's vulnerable spots, aiming for its eyes, throat, and underbelly.

However, not giving him the opportunity, the giant-sized frog took action. The beast suddenly gurgled loudly and became twice the size it previously was. All of its features disappeared and currently, it just looked like a massive ball.

The next second, this giant ball without any warning deflated with a loud bursting sound.

BOOOM! Liam felt his eardrums bleed. But the attack did not end there. Numerous greenish-black spheres appeared in the air around him, each of them thick and viscous with something dripping out but at the same time floating in the air.

One appeared right in front of the serpentine beast too. As Liam dashed forward, he barely stopped himself from colliding with this sphere but it was still too late. The black sphere reacted anyways.

Just like the frog, the sphere quickly expanded twice its size and then… exploded!

Liam already side-stepped and dashed forward to strike the serpent with his sword but he had underestimated the area of effect of the attack.

However, realizing what had happened, he quickly adapted himself and adjusted his position in such a manner that the blast only added to his momentum.

The explosion propelled Liam forward, his body hit by the force of the blast. He used the opportunity to his advantage, closing the distance between himself and the serpent with incredible speed.

With a series of fluid movements, Liam unleashed a flurry of strikes upon the serpent's scaled body. His sword danced through the air, each swing delivering precise and powerful blows, imbued with the power of fire.

The serpent writhed in pain, its enormous form quivering under the assault. But the guardian beast did not plan on taking this lying down. Its vicious crimson eyes gleamed brightly and suddenly the

dark, strong scales on its body dislodged.