Chapter 173: Volcanic Colossus

Inside a rocky crevice not far from the Magic Array, Laira watched the golden gel covering the Flame Bone Dragon being corroded away piece by piece. The smile that had originally lingered on her face gradually disappeared.

She tightened her grip on the Boundless Fishing Rod, while Thunderfire had already begun flickering around her fingertips. As long as Ethan gave the signal, she could rush out and use pure strength to destroy at least one corner of the Magic Array.

"I can try smashing it apart," Laira said quietly. "That horned guy is standing southeast. As long as I break that point, the Magic Array will weaken."

Ruo Yan also stared at the Flame Bone Dragon trapped inside the cage, her hand tightening slightly.

The Soul Threads connecting her to the Bone Dragon allowed her to clearly sense its skeleton being gradually corroded.

It did not feel pain like a living creature, but the lava core inside its chest was being suppressed by the Magic Array, and even the materials Ethan had just used to reinforce it were beginning to weaken.

Ethan did not answer immediately.

He swept the cage once with the Eye of Truth and quickly confirmed that this Magic Array was not something that could be destroyed with only a few simple attacks.

Four array nodes were connected by extremely expensive Energy Crystals, while power from multiple nonhumans was being used to maintain them.

If Ethan truly wanted to deal with it, Realm Breaker could shoot through the array nodes one by one, while the Cataclysmic Thunder Gate could also forcibly damage the structure of the Magic Array.

But doing that would mean exposing themselves and consuming even more strength.

After the battle against the Void Eye, Realm Breaker had only just been upgraded, Mumu had not fully recovered, and the gate to the third layer was right behind them.

Ethan had no reason to remain here and fight these nonhumans until he was forced to use every card he had.

"No need," he finally said. "The Bone Dragon has already bought us enough time."

Laira froze slightly.

Ruo Yan also looked at him, then immediately understood.

The Flame Bone Dragon was a puppet that belonged to her, not a fixed creature of the Ember Battlefield.

As long as Ethan’s team entered the teleportation gate, it would be counted as an accompanying unit and could completely leave this place with them.

"What about the Magic Array?" Ruo Yan asked.

Ethan looked at the nonhumans pouring all their strength into maintaining the cage, then smiled.

"Let them keep it."

He reached out and touched the interface in front of him.

The teleportation gate in the distance immediately lit up.

Laira withdrew her Thunderfire and pulled Ruo Yan and Mumu backward.

The Undead Mage inside the Flame Bone Dragon’s chest cavity also transformed into a stream of deathly energy and returned to Ruo Yan’s side before the gate fully activated.

[Trial participant Ethan Ashford confirmed to enter the third layer.]

[Partners and owned puppets are permitted to accompany him.]

The moment the teleportation light covered Ethan’s group, the Flame Bone Dragon inside the cage suddenly dissolved into countless particles of light.

Before the nonhumans maintaining the Magic Array could react, the enormous skeleton vanished completely before their eyes.

Only the black-red cage remained glowing in the middle of the battlefield, completely empty.

The horned nonhuman standing outside the Magic Array froze.

He had just been preparing to pour more energy into it, only for the target to suddenly disappear.

The entire power of the Magic Array no longer had anywhere to go.

A Dark Elf nearby failed to react in time and was struck by the backlash of energy. He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the ground.

"Where did the dragon go?" a Harpy asked in panic.

No one could answer her.

The nonhumans stared at the empty cage, expressions of shock and disbelief appearing across their faces one after another.

They had just used nearly all the array crystals they carried to trap the Bone Dragon and had even been preparing to continue corroding it until it lost the ability to fight.

Yet in the blink of an eye, that enormous monster had vanished as though it had never existed.

The horned nonhuman ground his teeth, his face turning livid.

He understood exactly what had happened.

The Bone Dragon’s owner had been hiding nearby the entire time.

They had simply been so distracted by the Bone Dragon’s enormous body that they had failed to notice.

Ethan had never intended to fight them to the end.

He had only used the Bone Dragon to drain their resources, then calmly left before the Magic Array could become a genuine threat.

"Ethan Ashford..."

He forced Ethan’s name through clenched teeth, the killing intent in his eyes nearly spilling out.

"I will definitely kill you."

The moment he finished speaking, the ground suddenly shook harder than ever before.

Before the nonhumans could scatter, a volcano near the Magic Array exploded.

Dark red lava shot straight into the sky, carrying countless enormous burning rocks that rained down in every direction.

Those who still had strength immediately raised barriers, while the injured desperately rolled backward to avoid the falling debris.

When the ash and lava gradually settled, the entire battlefield became terrifyingly silent.

An enormous hand slowly reached out from the mouth of the volcano.

It was not a hand made of flesh and blood.

It was formed from black-red volcanic rock, fragments of ancient armor, and massive chunks of solidified lava.

Even a single finger was larger than the body of an adult Beastkin.

The hand pressed against the ground.

Then a figure more than a hundred meters tall slowly rose from inside the volcano.

The Volcanic Colossus.

Its body resembled a mountain that had learned to move.

Molten rock formed its muscles, shattered pieces of armor were embedded in its shoulders and chest, while two deep eye sockets filled with lava occupied its head.

As it stepped out of the volcano, the surrounding ground immediately split into hundreds of deep fissures, while the upper section of the volcano behind it transformed into an enormous layer of armor covering its back.

A System notification appeared in the sky.

[The fourth pursuit area has lost its original target. Compensation mechanism activated.]

[New Pursuit Target: Volcanic Colossus.]

[Trial participants must survive for six hours to clear the second challenge round.]

The nonhumans collectively fell silent.

The horned nonhuman stared at the Volcanic Colossus towering more than a hundred meters high, then at the six-hour timer displayed in the notification.

His expression completely froze.

Several people who had just been seriously injured by the Flame Bone Dragon had not even managed to stand back up.

Now, after seeing the enormous creature before them, their faces turned completely pale, as though all the blood had been drained away.

A silver-haired Dark Elf was the first to regain his composure.

He turned toward the cage that was still active, his gaze quickly locking onto the undamaged array nodes.

"We still have the Magic Array. Redirect the array nodes toward that Golem. At the very least, we need to injure it first."

The horned nonhuman gritted his teeth.

He knew that was their only choice.

If they left the Magic Array empty, it would simply continue consuming energy before eventually collapsing on its own.

But if they redirected it toward the Volcanic Colossus, perhaps they would still have a chance to slow it down, buy enough time to find somewhere to hide, or wait for the others to arrive.

"Redirect the array!" he roared.

The nonhumans who could still stand immediately rushed toward the array nodes.

They forced the last of their energy into the crystals and shifted the entire black-red cage from its original position toward the Volcanic Colossus.

Four pillars of light rose into the sky once again, surrounding the Golem’s body that towered over a hundred meters tall.

The corrosive energy touched the volcanic rock covering the Volcanic Colossus and produced a piercing sizzling sound.

Part of the lava on its arm was eroded away by the Magic Array, while several chunks of burning stone fell to the ground.

Seeing that, a trace of hope finally appeared in the hearts of the nonhumans.

Then the Volcanic Colossus lowered its head and looked at the cage covering its arm.

It remained silent for two seconds.

Then it raised its other hand and lightly tapped the Magic Array with one finger.

BOOM!

A deep impact rang out.

The entire cage shook violently, while the glowing lines across the ground flickered repeatedly.

The nonhumans maintaining the array nodes trembled at the same time.

Several were even forced to their knees by the shock, fresh blood spilling from the corners of their mouths.

The Volcanic Colossus raised one foot and took a step forward.

The cage had not broken, but it was stretched so tightly that it visibly deformed.

Meanwhile, high above them, the six-hour countdown slowly began to tick down.

The horned nonhuman watched the first number decrease, his lips trembling slightly.

He looked at his companions desperately pouring energy into the Magic Array, then at the enormous Golem that had nearly brought everyone to their knees with only one finger.

His killing intent toward Ethan still remained.

But at that moment, only despair was left in his heart.

A Harpy with half her wing scorched stood beside him and finally could not hold back any longer.

Her voice sounded as though she was about to cry.

"I just wanted to enter the ruins and look for Fortuitous Encounters..."

No one answered.

Because every single one of them truly wanted to cry.