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[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 333
Ssssshhk!
Nine heads flicked their tongues, each targeting Zeon from a different angle.
Now that Zeon had completely sealed the passage to the outside, the only ones left in this space were the two of them.
Even if Zeon had solidified the cave’s entrance, a creature like the Bone Hydra could easily break through it at any time.
And yet, it hadn’t.
That was because of Zeon.
The presence of this tiny human, not even one-hundredth its size, was enough to stop the Bone Hydra from moving.
The Bone Hydra had no will of its own.
It was already a dead being.
A creature that obeyed only the will of its master—the necromancer.
The order it had received was to annihilate the humans who had dared trespass into the necromancer’s domain. And to gather all their blood into one place.
Zeon was the obstacle preventing that command from being carried out.
As long as he couldn’t kill Zeon, the Bone Hydra couldn’t fulfill its master’s orders.
KRAAAHHH!
The nine heads simultaneously unleashed their breath.
It was Poison Breath.
The same terrifying venom the Hydra had possessed in life now spewed forth in breath form.
Ssssslurp—
The poison was so potent, it made the walls and ceiling bubble and melt.
A mere touch would cause flesh and muscle to dissolve, and a single breath would set your entire body on fire with excruciating pain.
Had the Hydra unleashed this Poison Breath in the chamber where the Awakeneds were, many would have died instantly—without even a chance to resist.
That’s why Zeon had sealed the entrance.
Before any major damage could be done.
Thanks to that, Zeon ended up taking the breath head-on.
But he remained completely unharmed within the storm of poison.
FWOOSH!
It was all thanks to the Fire Shield that surrounded him.
As the name suggested, it was a barrier made of flame.
Thanks to the power of his Inferno Gauntlet, Zeon could freely maintain the Fire Shield.
Fire was the natural counter to poison.
No matter how toxic the breath was, it didn’t matter.
The searing heat of his flames incinerated the poison on contact.
That’s why Zeon was able to withstand the Poison Breath.
Unfortunately for the Bone Hydra, Zeon was its natural enemy.
FWASH!
Zeon kicked off the ground and soared into the air.
The sand beneath him lifted him up, allowing him to meet the Hydra eye to eye.
Nine pairs of massive eyes glared at him—but Zeon didn’t flinch in the slightest.
KRAAAH!
When its breath failed to work, the Bone Hydra opened its jaws wide and lunged at Zeon.
It was trying to devour him whole.
Zeon twisted through the air, dodging the attack mid-flight.
Like homing missiles, the nine heads chased him from every direction.
Zeon dodged quickly—but soon, his options vanished.
The heads had coordinated to block off every escape route.
It was surprisingly clever for an undead.
It was likely acting on the instincts ingrained in it from life.
With all paths cut off, the nine heads lunged at him simultaneously.
Just as Zeon’s tiny body was about to be torn apart by nine massive jaws—
BOOOOM!
A massive subspace opened behind his back, and an enormous volume of sand poured out.
The sand, combined with what was already in the underground chamber, formed nine towering pillars.
Each one eerily resembled the Hydra’s own heads.
This was Sand Hydra—crafted by Zeon himself.
“Go.”
At Zeon’s command, the Sand Hydra launched itself at the real Bone Hydra.
KWAANG!
KRRRAAAH!
With a deafening blast, the real Hydra’s heads were slammed backward.
In that brief opening, one of the Sand Hydra’s jaws clamped down on the Hydra’s neck.
If it had been a living creature or magical beast, the blow would’ve been devastating.
But the Bone Hydra couldn’t feel pain, and even if wounded, it would quickly regenerate.
Its counterattack came almost immediately.
BOOM!
KWAANG!
The massive heads of the Bone Hydra struck the Sand Hydra’s heads head-on.
Unable to withstand the crushing mass, the Sand Hydra’s heads exploded apart.
Zeon wasn’t surprised.
The Sand Hydra was merely a massive sand puppet modeled after the real Hydra.
It moved according to Zeon’s will.
Its actual power didn’t come close to the Bone Hydra’s.
Of course it would break under a direct attack.
But even a sand puppet had its advantages.
It could regenerate.
The shattered heads regenerated instantly, taking on the same form as before.
As long as Zeon’s mana and sand held out, the Sand Hydra could recover endlessly.
KRRRAAAH!
SSSHHH!
Eighteen heads, in total, tangled and clashed like serpents.
While the Sand Hydra held its ground, Zeon closely studied the Bone Hydra.
He noticed a sinister teal aura rising from behind the enraged Hydra’s back.
It was the telltale sign of the tentacle attacks—like those used by the Bone Drakes.
BOOM! BOOM! KWAANG!
Now, in addition to nine heads, dozens of teal aura tentacles joined the fray, hammering away at the Sand Hydra.
Its body shattered and regenerated repeatedly—but over time, its regeneration noticeably slowed.
To prevent it from recovering, the Bone Hydra unleashed its Poison Breath and melted the sand entirely.
The Sand Hydra—meticulously created—was rendered nearly useless.
Just then—
“I’ve found it.”
Zeon’s eyes lit up.
He had locked onto the Bone Hydra’s seventh head.
Unlike the other eight, that one moved timidly.
It attacked from the rear and only emerged when it was safe.
“That’s the leader.”
It might look like the nine heads were acting independently, but one was clearly in control.
The seventh head.
It was commanding the rest.
It had to be taken out first.
Then, he would find and destroy the core.
If not, the remaining heads would simply regenerate forever.
Thanks to the time the Sand Hydra had bought, Zeon had identified the leader and the location of the core.
Now, it was time to act.
Zeon launched himself at the Bone Hydra.
The nine heads sensed the attack and raised themselves.
They spewed Poison Breath or opened their jaws wide to intercept.
At that moment, Zeon unleashed Fire Rain.
FWOOSH!
A shower of flames rained down over the entire chamber.
The rain of fire struck the Hydra’s heads and tentacles directly.
It was a skill that utilized white phosphorus flames—once lit, they never extinguished.
If the target were a living magical beast, it would be writhing in agony.
But the Bone Hydra was already dead.
Its body made of bone, the flames had no real effect.
However, the teal tentacles were a different story.
FWOOOOSH!
The white phosphorus burned through them ferociously.
Even if undead felt no pain, it was impossible to ignore the damage.
The Hydra’s attention was divided.
And Zeon reached the seventh head.
Their eyes locked in midair for a split second.
Then the seventh head opened its mouth wide and swallowed Zeon whole.
Zeon offered no resistance.
He dove into its mouth.
Just before the Hydra’s teeth shredded his body—
Black particles burst from Zeon.
It was Exion—a power he always kept sealed in his pores.
It had been a long time since Zeon had used Exion.
BOOM!
The Exion around Zeon deflected the Hydra’s fangs with ease.
But it didn’t stop there.
Exion drew in the sand from the collapsed Sand Hydra.
In an instant, Exion’s mass multiplied hundreds of times.
GRAAAANG!
Then it spun at lightning speed.
Inside the seventh head, the Sand Mixer activated.
With Exion added to the mix, the Sand Mixer’s destructive power was in a league of its own.
Dense bone shattered like tofu, crumbling into dust.
The other heads rushed in, trying to save the seventh—but it was too late.
A Hydra’s heads typically regenerate quickly, even when severed.
The Bone Hydra should have been no different.
Even if shredded by the Sand Mixer, it should’ve revived.
But it didn’t have the chance.
The speed of destruction was too fast.
In a flash, Zeon obliterated the seventh head.
Then, he burned the neck stump with intense flames, sealing off any chance of regeneration.
The remaining eight heads faltered for a moment.
They were in disarray—unable to agree on what to do next.
Given time, they might elect a new leader among themselves.
But Zeon had no intention of giving them that time.
While they floundered, he reached the center of the mass where all the heads extended from.
CRACK!
He spun Exion like a drill, boring a hole into the dense bone.
It was so thick, he could barely make an opening large enough for one person.
But that was all Zeon needed.
Without hesitation, he leapt into the Bone Hydra’s body.
From deep within the darkness, a flickering teal glow emerged.
It was the core—the heart of the Bone Hydra—where its teal aura was most concentrated.
FWOOSH!
Sensing danger, tentacles lashed out from the core.
BOOM! BOOM! KWAANG!
Using Exion and tendrils of sand, Zeon countered them one by one and reached the core.
THUMP THUMP!
The core throbbed rapidly, as if gripped by fear.
Even a beast resurrected from death feared dying again.
And if it died this time, it wouldn’t return.
A destroyed core meant no resurrection.
BOOM!
Zeon’s fist slammed into the core.
For an ordinary human, shattering such a massive core should’ve been impossible.
But Zeon didn’t believe in “impossible.”
Not with the Inferno Gauntlet.
The gauntlet, embedded with a dragon’s eye, was the bane of all wicked energy.
BOOM!
On the second punch, a crack formed.
KRRRAAAAH!
This time, the eight remaining heads howled in agony, thrashing wildly.
BOOM!
With the third strike, a gaping hole was punched through the core.
Zeon thrust his fist into it and muttered:
“Blossom—White Phosphorus Flame that consumes all.”
In that instant, pure white fire bloomed within the core.
FWOOSH!
Like a blossoming flower, the flames erupted from within.
The White Phosphorus Flame burned away every trace of the teal aura.
Like a gluttonous beast, the flame devoured the Hydra’s source from the inside out.
The eight remaining heads went berserk, desperately trying to extinguish the fire.
But it was futile.
There was no way for them to put out flames that burned from within.
KRRRAAAHHH!
At last, the eight heads let out one final shriek before collapsing.
They never rose again.
That was the end of the Bone Hydra.
For an S-rank magical beast, it was an anticlimactic demise.
But that was only because it had faced Zeon.
Zeon stared at the Hydra’s massive corpse for a moment, then turned away.
His destination—the deepest part of the underground passage.
Where the necromancer surely waited.
At last, Zeon arrived before a massive door.
Beyond it, he could sense a stench of death unlike any other.
He took a moment to steady his breath, then pushed the door open.
Creeeaaak—
The enormous door opened silently, offering no resistance.
And from within, a voice called out, sounding slightly surprised.
“…Hmm?”
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[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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