"———!"
At the edge of the battlefield, the resentful roar of a dragon echoed.
At the center of the battlefield was a deep crater. A powerful black dragon struggled to rise, but its tattered wings could no longer support an escape.
A well-trained order of knights stood outside the crater, watching the scene with tense apprehension.
Finally, the dragon's massive form crashed heavily back into the pit, sending dust flying. Its body gradually disintegrated into particles, leaving behind only a glistening black orb.
"Amazing! We did it!!"
A girl's voice, brimming with elation, broke the long-held tension. Her name was Lily, the team's mage. Despite being the youngest 11th-circle Archsage in the world, she was the soul of their party. She had registered as a mage at the age of thirteen, like her peers, yet earned her world-class title in just three years.
Rael felt his own breathing ease. He still couldn't quite believe it was real.
Rael was a transmigrator to this world. Possessing little skill but considerable luck, he had joined this elite team. By handling simple support tasks, he enjoyed the same rewards, a fact that made him feel both fortunate and somewhat ashamed.
And today… they had actually taken down the most notoriously difficult boss?!
"Phew…" Not far ahead of Lily, Yueya began removing her heavy armor, her beautiful hair soaked with sweat. "Jinx, if you would," she said to the party's priestess.
The woman nodded, raising her splendid, ornate staff. After a soft chant, a milky-white light slowly enveloped Yueya's body, immersing her in a hazy halo that washed away the fatigue of battle.
"Hey, Lily, stop running around!" Jinx warned the distant girl while maintaining her spell. "Rael, go clean up the battlefield."
Rael snapped to attention and nodded. "Right. Leave it to me."
A Supporter was widely regarded as the "most useless" profession, typically taken up by unlucky individuals who could only master low-tier skills but still wanted to earn extra through adventuring. Supporters could hardly participate in combat, serving more as human backpacks—or, to put it plainly, like a newbie follower tagging along with max-level veterans.
Although his teammates were somewhat aloof towards him, Rael understood in his heart that he could never stand as an equal among these geniuses.
"Heh heh…"
As Rael crouched down, he faintly heard playful giggles from behind.
Turning his head, he saw the three outstanding female adventurers share an almost imperceptible glance, followed by knowing winks and happy smiles, which dispelled the lingering doubts in his heart.
The Black Dragon Goliath, the fourth-ranked boss on the continent, elusive and untraceable, was the strongest foe this party had ever defeated. The spoils were immense; a single dragon crystal alone could buy ten cities.
Strangely, the boss hadn't seemed as powerful as legends suggested. The three of them had essentially whittled it down through sheer resource attrition, which didn't seem fitting for a world-level boss.
We must just be that strong!Rael mused, deciding to simply bask in the joy of victory as he smiled and descended into the crater.
Scorching dragon breath had coated the large, cracked rocks. Without his protective boots, it would have been impossible to tread.
"The dragon crystal, the dragon crystal…" He scanned the area, eager to see what the legendary treasure looked like.
"There it is!"
In the depression formed by the dragon's impact, a spherical crystal emitted gentle yet bright waves, pulsing with violet-black energy.
"So this is it…"
Rael observed the core, deftly slipping on his stone-spider silk gloves before reaching out to scoop it up with both hands.
As if lifting something from water, he cradled the dragon crystal, as large as a human head, in his palms.
It's practically weightless.
Noting the sensation, Rael peered closer into the crystal's depths.
It was a substance of pure essence. What swirled within seemed like the most pristine matter, sublimated and refined. A single glance was enough to know the magical fluctuations contained were absurdly immense.
"?!"
Suddenly, a violent turbulence erupted deep within the crystal. An immense power coalesced in an instant, like a storm playing at impossible speed, whipping all the matter inside into a frantic vortex. Before Rael could react, the crystal rapidly fissured!
"What? It's breaking—"
Too late. The dragon crystal exploded.
A visible wave of violet-black energy burst outwards. Rael, caught off guard, was blasted to the ground by the overwhelming force at the epicenter. The intense heat rapidly scorched and tore his clothes.
"!" It was like a nightmare. He could only watch as a draconic shadow converged in the sky, blotting out the sun. Violet-black energy poured into it. The intangible dragon let out a mighty roar that physically shoved Rael back, slamming him against the crater's edge. His organs compressed violently from the impact, and he couldn't help but cough up several mouthfuls of blood.
Weakly lifting his head, he saw an unimaginable energy blast, now large enough to engulf the entire crater. Blazing flames churned within it; he could already feel the searing heat.
What…? Am I going to die?
So unfair… Can anyone save me?
But… in this state, even they might not be able to handle it.
"BOOM!" The violet-black energy shot towards him, tearing through the air with a sharp, explosive shriek.
Rael drew a feeble breath and shut his eyes.
"No!!" Outside the crater, several frantic, high-pitched cries were drowned out by the deafening roar of the approaching blast. Rael's senses were already numbed by impending death; he heard nothing.
Death.
Only death awaited him.