Chapter 42: Annihilation (Part 5)


    What a massive battle axe!


    Pratty was astonished by the strength of the young man before him. Among all the people he knew, no one could wield such a colossal weapon with such ease. It seemed this young man had some real skill.


    "You''re no match for him. Let me handle this," Pratty stopped Kelwin, who was about to attack again. He knew Kelwin stood no chance against Han Ming. Despite being a second-tier mage, Kelwin lacked combat experience.


    "Make your move," Han Ming said coldly, staring at Pratty.


    "Today, you''ll learn why fire mages are so renowned. Watch closely, young man. You are no match for a fire mage."


    Pratty drew an ancient wooden staff and waved it gently in the air. A fiery serpent materialized out of thin air.


    The massive serpent writhed and surged toward Han Ming, creating a terrifying shockwave in its wake.


    Seeing the enormous serpent, Han Ming realized there was no way to dodge it. He quickly used his battle axe as a shield, bracing for impact. The collision between the serpent and the axe produced a deafening explosion.


    From a distance, it looked like a small figure was launched into the air by a massive fiery serpent, exploding like a firework.


    The shockwave from the explosion flattened buildings within a radius of several hundred meters, sending debris flying in all directions.


    Han Ming landed heavily, his feet leaving deep imprints in the ground. The explosion had nearly knocked him unconscious. He had never seen such a terrifying attack before. And this was just from a second-tier fire mage!


    "Ha!"


    Without a moment''s pause, Han Ming dashed toward Pratty, his massive battle axe slicing through the air with a whooshing sound.


    Pratty was slightly surprised that Han Ming hadn''t been blown to pieces by the fiery serpent. He casually launched another massive fireball, far larger and hotter than Kelwin''s pitiful attempts.


    Han Ming had no choice but to block again with his axe. The fireball was too fast, reaching him almost instantly.


    Damn it! This is like a missile! Han Ming cursed as he collided with the fireball. Another deafening explosion followed.


    Han Ming was sent flying like a cannonball, skidding to a halt and leaving deep grooves in the ground. Civilians screamed and fled, while those caught in the earlier shockwave had already been reduced to dust.


    Pratty didn''t stop. One after another, massive fireballs flew toward Han Ming.


    Han Ming, barely steadying himself, saw the incoming fireballs. With a roar, he removed all his weighted accessories, and his body vanished from sight.


    Such speed! Pratty''s pupils contracted. This speed surpassed even that of a newly advanced berserker. Where did this kid get such power?


    "So he''s been holding back all this time," Bardel muttered, watching the battle from afar. Han Ming''s displayed strength had already shocked him, but now it seemed the young man had been hiding even more power. Just how terrifying was he?


    "Fire Shield!" Pratty, unable to locate Han Ming, panicked and quickly chanted a spell, summoning a circular fire shield. He had only chanted briefly for the fiery serpent, but this shield required a full incantation, showing its power.


    "Got you!" Han Ming suddenly appeared beside Pratty, his massive battle axe smashing into the fire shield.


    Boom!


    The shield shattered instantly, and Pratty was sent flying by the impact.


    "Dance of Flames!" To everyone''s shock, even while mid-air, Pratty managed to cast a high-tier fire spell. Four fiery serpents emerged, intertwining as they flew toward Han Ming.


    What!?


    Han Ming was horrified. One serpent had nearly overwhelmed him earlier. Now, four were coming at him. There was no way he could block this.


    Run!


    Han Ming pushed his speed to the limit, darting to the side just as the serpents exploded where he had been standing.


    A massive black mushroom cloud rose into the sky. The shockwave obliterated everything within a mile radius, sending debris flying in all directions.


    Kelwin, unable to dodge in time, hastily conjured a crude fire shield, but it was pierced by flying debris, leaving him with several bloody wounds.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Fire magic is this terrifying!?" Li Zhan exclaimed from a distant tower. The shockwave had reached them, overturning tables.


    "Is he dead?" Pratty spat blood, his ribs broken from the strain of casting a fifth-tier spell. The fire crystal atop his staff cracked. He was severely injured and would need at least half a year to recover.


    "Disappointed?" Han Ming suddenly appeared beside Pratty, covered in blood, his ears ringing and blood trickling from his seven orifices.


    "Impossible! How did you dodge the Dance of Flames!?" Pratty was in despair. He couldn''t believe Han Ming had survived such a massive explosion and now stood before him. With no magic left, he was defenseless.


    "Go," Han Ming said softly, bringing his axe down and burying Pratty deep into the ground.


    Han Ming''s legs gave out, and he knelt, gasping for breath. Battling a mage was incredibly dangerous. One misstep, and he would have been obliterated. He now fully understood the might of a fire mage. The fight had been brief, but every moment was a struggle on the brink of death. The final Dance of Flames would have reduced him to nothing if he hadn''t pushed his speed to the limit.


    "Your turn," Han Ming turned to Kelwin, who was groaning on the ground.


    "No, don''t come near me. I apologize, don''t kill me. I''ll do anything. I''ll be your dog, lick your shoes, eat shit, just don''t kill me!" Kelwin begged, terrified for the first time in his life.


    "You''re not worthy," Han Ming looked down at the groveling Kelwin. He crouched, grabbed one of Kelwin''s fingers, and snapped it.


    "Ah!!! Spare me! Please, I''ll never do it again!" Kelwin screamed.


    "Did you ever think this day would come?" Han Ming smiled, snapping another finger. The screams grew louder.


    "When you slaughtered innocent people, did you think this day would come?" Another finger broke.


    "How could you harm such an innocent, pure little girl?" Han Ming stomped on Kelwin''s hand, turning it into a bloody pulp.


    "Behind your arrogance, did you ever see others as living beings?"


    "Even your own father wasn''t spared. Have you ever reflected on your humanity?"


    "Did you think you were superior, a dragon among men? That everyone else was beneath you?"


    "Let me tell you, you''re wrong. You''re trash, utterly worthless. Even with your noble birth and talent, you''re nothing but a beast, not even human."


    Under Han Ming''s torment, every finger, every toe, every bone in Kelwin''s body was broken. Even his scalp was torn off, revealing the bloody skull beneath. He could no longer scream.


    "When you hunted me, I swore revenge. Do you remember? Today, I collect. Do you hate me? Come bite me," Han Ming extended his arm to Kelwin''s mouth.


    Kelwin bit down hard, his bloody eyes glaring madly at Han Ming, his nose flaring with rage. He looked monstrous.


    "Hahaha, feels good, doesn''t it? Satisfying, right? You killed my friend, and I slaughtered your entire family. This bite is my repayment. You took pride in being a fire mage. Today, I''ll grant you a fiery death," Han Ming laughed, pulling his arm back, blood gushing, a few of Kelwin''s broken teeth embedded in the wound.


    Han Ming stood, dragging Kelwin''s mangled body, and threw him into the burning wreckage nearby. Kelwin''s charred figure twisted and writhed in the flames until he was reduced to ash.


    "Wei''er, I''ve avenged you," Han Ming stood amidst the ruins, drenched in blood. He looked up at the stars, tears streaming down his face.


    "Well done! Killing two of our fire mages! Truly impressive!" A furious voice roared.


    A massive beast flew through the air, and a figure leaped from its back. Dressed in red robes, the man glared at Han Ming, flames dancing in his palms, the intense heat distorting the air.


    "A fifth-tier fire mage!" Bardel exclaimed from afar.


    "What!? Fifth-tier!? The Pratty Han Ming just killed was only second-tier. Where did this fifth-tier mage come from!? Han Ming is exhausted from fighting a second-tier mage. There''s no way he can fight again. We have to help him!" Li Chengfeng shouted.


    Li Zhan pressed his son back into his seat, saying gravely, "It''s useless. Even if we all went, we''d just be throwing our lives away. The Dance of Flames that second-tier mage used was a fifth-tier spell. Now a true fifth-tier mage is here. It''s over. You saw how terrifying the Dance of Flames was."


    "No! Han Ming is my brother. I can''t watch him die. Let me go! Even if I die with him, I have to go!" Li Chengfeng struggled, trying to break free from his father''s grip. Bardel, seeing the situation, also restrained Li Chengfeng, refusing to let go despite his frantic protests.


    "Die!" The fifth-tier fire mage glared at Han Ming, casting the Dance of Flames with a wave of his hand. Four fiery serpents rose into the air.


    It''s over. There''s no escape this time. Han Ming looked at the red-robed mage, knowing he couldn''t survive this.


    The four massive serpents twisted and surged toward Han Ming.


    "ROAR!!!" A deafening roar shook the earth.


    The ground nearby exploded as a massive, flaming creature burst forth, swallowing all four serpents in one gulp. The creature was enormous, its limbs wreathed in flames, its mane made entirely of fire. It was majestic and awe-inspiring!


    The red-robed mage screamed, collapsing to the ground. "A magical beast! A sixth-tier Flame Qilin! How could such a thing be in Wild City!? This is madness!"


    "What is that!?" Li Chengfeng and the others were stunned by the appearance of the flaming beast. For a moment, they were speechless. What was happening in Wild City? What kind of monster was this? The oppressive aura it emitted was suffocating, even from this distance. Even the experienced Bardel was shocked into silence. He had never felt such pressure before. Not even the fourth-tier Ironhide Bear he had encountered in the Beast Mountains had been this terrifying. That bear had single-handedly annihilated an army of tens of thousands, leaving fewer than a hundred survivors. It had been a catastrophic disaster he would never forget. This flaming beast was far more powerful than the Ironhide Bear. They were not even in the same league! What was this beast doing in Wild City? If it had malicious intentions, not just Wild City, but the entire Monte Empire would be doomed!


    After devouring the four serpents, the flaming beast descended, pinning the red-robed mage to the ground with a massive paw. Its enormous head loomed over the mage, hot breath streaming from its nostrils. The ground around them began to crystallize from the intense heat. How terrifying was this temperature?


    As for the poor red-robed mage, he was reduced to ash in an instant, leaving nothing behind.


    Han Ming, though farther away, couldn''t withstand the heat either. The blood on his body evaporated instantly, and his clothes caught fire. His skin burned painfully.


    As everyone watched in terror, the flaming beast''s fire suddenly dissipated. Its body shrank, transforming into a young man with fiery red hair and eyes. His handsome features, combined with his striking hair and eyes, gave him an otherworldly, almost demonic appearance.


    "Han Ming, hello," the red-haired man smiled and greeted Han Ming.


    "You... you''re... Big Head!?" Han Ming stared in disbelief at the young man before him.