Chapter 2335: Making an Appearance

The moment the peak god-level experts joined the raid, the atmosphere within the battlefield changed dramatically.

ROOOOOAR!

Having suffered devastating damage from its own attack, the Heavenly Dominator grew even more enraged. It threw its head back and unleashed a furious roar that shook the surrounding desert.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The colossal gorilla hammered its broad chest with its massive fists, each strike producing a thunderous impact that reverberated across the battlefield.

BOOM!

An invisible force suddenly erupted from its body.

In an instant, everyone felt as though their bodies had grown several times heavier. Their movements became sluggish, their limbs weighed down by an oppressive force that seemed to pull them toward the ground.

Even standing still became increasingly difficult. The longer they remained within the affected area, the more their bodies struggled against the overwhelming pressure.

"What is this?!"

"What’s happening to my body?!"

"Why am I getting tired just from standing here?!"

"Wait! The durability of my equipment is decreasing! Did I take damage without realizing it?!"

Commotion erupted among the weaker players as they struggled to understand what was happening. However, the elite experts quickly recognized the nature of the attack.

"A combination of aura pressure and gravitational manipulation?" Isabella raised an eyebrow.

Without wasting a moment, she adjusted the positions of her totem poles, altering the flow of magic within her formation.

Swoosh!

An invisible dome of energy spread throughout the formation, shielding everyone within its boundaries from the oppressive force that had engulfed the battlefield.

The protection had initially been intended to safeguard Isabella herself, but by modifying her formation at the right moment, she had extended its benefits to every player standing within its range.

Meanwhile, the other god-level experts employed their own methods to resist the terrifying pressure.

At the center of the battlefield, Emperor Dream took the most straightforward approach. He released his own aura, allowing it to collide with the invisible force pressing down on him.

Bang!

The two opposing powers neutralized each other, leaving him standing as calmly as before.

"Gravity manipulation, huh?" he murmured, studying the Heavenly Dominator with interest. "If I’d known about this beforehand, I would’ve brought Heartless Dream along."

With the Legendary Hammer in Heartless Dream’s possession, the latter could manipulate gravity through the weapon’s special ability. An environment like this would have been far less troublesome for him to handle.

Beside Emperor Dream, Divine Soul was surrounded by dark runes that floated through the air. They revolved around his body, resisting the crushing pressure and gravitational pull that threatened to hinder his movements.

"It seems this Semi-World Boss can unleash a new ability every time its Health Bar drops by another five percent," he remarked with a slight frown.

Rather than being distracted by the immediate danger, Divine Soul was focused on analyzing the Heavenly Dominator’s abilities and deciphering the mechanics governing the encounter.

The more he learned about the boss, the better their chances of surviving its subsequent attacks.

And judging by what they had seen so far, there would be plenty more to uncover.

...

Swoosh!

Caroline had just returned to Isabella’s side when she noticed the changes sweeping across the battlefield. Her brows furrowed as she struggled against the oppressive force.

"A Monster Boss that keeps revealing new abilities every time its Health Bar drops by five percent?" she complained, her expression souring. "Isn’t that a bit too much?"

"Considering the battle phases that most monster bosses possess, this big guy will probably become downright invincible once its Health Bar reaches the critical stages," she added, already anticipating the nightmare awaiting them in the later stages of the raid.

Isabella offered no response. Her attention remained fixed on the Heavenly Dominator, her expression unusually serious as though she had sensed something that the others had yet to notice.

...

Given the nature of his class, Thunderlord always maintained a considerable distance from the main battlefield whenever he participated in a raid.

After all, his exceptionally long attack range was one of his greatest advantages over other combatants. There was little reason to put himself in unnecessary danger when he could unleash devastating attacks from a safe position.

Standing atop a distant dune, he observed the changes unfolding across the battlefield. Even he couldn’t help feeling surprised by the Heavenly Dominator’s latest display of power.

"First, there’s its overwhelming strength and formidable defense. Then come the large-scale elemental spells, followed by its summoning ability."

"Now, it has a large-scale suppression ability..." Thunderlord paused as his expression grew more serious while watching the colossal gorilla.

He then clicked his tongue, realizing that this Semi-World Boss was far more troublesome than they had initially anticipated.

Even Valtherion, who stood beside him, nodded solemnly in agreement.

Thunderlord casually swung his massive mana cannon over his shoulder before allowing a confident smirk to spread across his face.

"Fortunately, we’re outside the effective range of its abilities. We can focus on dealing damage and leave the troublesome work to those four—"

Thunderlord hadn’t even finished speaking when something entirely unexpected happened.

BOOM!

At the center of the battlefield, the Heavenly Dominator suddenly kicked off the desert floor.

The colossal gorilla launched itself into the sky, sending sand flying in every direction as the sheer force of its leap generated a devastating shockwave.

The impact threw nearby players off their feet. Some were sent stumbling backward, while others tumbled across the desert, struggling to regain their balance.

Meanwhile, the players stationed outside the main battlefield could only stare in disbelief as the enormous gorilla soared overhead, crossing a tremendous distance in a single leap.

WHOOSH!

The sky suddenly darkened.

The Heavenly Dominator’s colossal body blocked out the sun, casting an enormous shadow over the desert as it passed above the battlefield.

Only then did the players realize where the monster was heading.

"THAT GORILLA CAN JUMP THAT FAR?!"

Following its trajectory, they quickly spotted two figures standing on a distant dune.

Thunderlord and Valtherion.

"It’s heading straight for the Calamity Cannon and the Arcane Conductor!"

"They must have attracted a massive amount of aggro with their previous attack!"

"Given the absurd damage they dealt, it’s no wonder the boss has targeted them!"

Realizing what was happening, Thunderlord’s expression immediately darkened.

"Shit!" He cursed as he swiftly stowed his mana cannon away.

At the same time, a magical jetpack materialized on his back, its propulsion runes lighting up in rapid succession.

SWOOSH!

He grabbed Valtherion by the arm and immediately took flight, retreating as fast as he could from their current position.

WHOOSH!

Several seconds later, the Heavenly Dominator finally descended upon the very spot where the two players had been standing.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire region shook violently as the colossal gorilla crashed into the desert floor. The ground beneath its feet sank under the tremendous impact, sending countless fissures racing through the surrounding terrain.

Sand erupted into the air, and the shockwave generated by its landing expanded into a massive sandstorm that swept across the surrounding dunes.

Although relatively few players were stationed in this part of the desert, several unlucky individuals were caught within the devastating impact zone.

They never had a chance to escape.

Their bodies were instantly swallowed by the explosion, and their life bars vanished before they could even react.

At that very moment, everyone noticed something horrifying.

The Heavenly Dominator’s already depleted Health Bar flickered several times. The numbers displayed above its colossal body shifted rapidly, and its health began climbing at an alarming rate.

Its health surged from around 80% back to 90%!

The boss had regenerated its lost health immediately after killing the players caught in the explosion!

"SHIT!"

A chorus of furious curses erupted across the battlefield as the players finally understood what had happened.

Their worst suspicion had been confirmed. The Heavenly Dominator could recover a portion of its health by killing players!

"Hu-hu! Ha-ha!"

Before anyone could recover from the shock, a familiar series of shrill, almost mocking screeches rang out from behind the curtain of swirling sand.

The sound sent chills down the spines of countless players.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Immediately afterward, the army of stone monkeys emerged from the sandstorm, leaping toward every player unfortunate enough to be within their reach.

The players’ eyes widened as they finally snapped out of their daze.

"This is bad!"

"Stop those monkeys! Don’t let them reach the weaker players!"

"Forget the monkeys! Kill those players first if you have to! We can’t let the boss recover any more health!"

The leaders of the major forces immediately issued their orders, directing their subordinates toward the vulnerable players who were struggling to escape the incoming stone monkeys.

Their commands were ruthless, but the reasoning behind them was clear.

If those players were destined to die anyway, it was better to eliminate them before the stone monkeys could get to them. That way, the Heavenly Dominator wouldn’t be able to replenish its health through their deaths.

They had already witnessed the consequences of allowing the boss to claim more victims. They weren’t about to let the same mistake happen again.

After all, none of them had come all this way just to watch their hard-earned progress disappear because of a bunch of weaker players.

Unfortunately for them, their forces were already engaged with the Heavenly Dominator on the main battlefield.

They had no one available to spare for dealing with the stone monkeys threatening the players outside their formation.

By the time their subordinates could reach that area, the stone monkeys would likely have killed a considerable number of players, allowing the Heavenly Dominator to recover even more of its lost health.

Even major powerhouses like Emperor Dream, Divine Soul, Isabella, and Caroline couldn’t help but frown at the predicament.

Sigh~!

Amid the panicked shouts of the leaders urging their forces to move, a quiet sigh suddenly pierced through the commotion.

For a brief moment, the battlefield seemed to fall silent.

The major powerhouses and other top god-level experts turned their attention toward the source of the sound. Several of them furrowed their brows, particularly those who were already familiar with that distinctive sigh.

SHING!

Immediately afterward, a blinding light erupted from a section of the chaotic battlefield, illuminating the surroundings as though the sun itself had descended upon the desert.

SHING!

A second flash followed.

A razor-sharp arc of light swept across the battlefield, cutting through the receding sandstorm and everything caught in its path.

Stone monkeys and helpless players alike were sliced apart before they could defend themselves. Before the victims could even cry out, scorching flames erupted from their wounds, consuming their bodies in an instant.

The unfortunate players could only stare blankly as their vision faded into darkness.

Meanwhile, the stone monkeys were burned to nothing but charred ashes, their bodies disintegrating beneath the intense flames.

And amid the scorched landscape, a Wolfkin Berserker casually strolled across the battlefield, a massive saber resting over his shoulder as though he had merely taken a leisurely walk.

"Celestial Sun Solfang... So he’s finally made his move," one of the players murmured, watching the imposing figure advance without a care in the world.

"But it’s not over yet! There are still more stone monkeys on the other side!" shouted another, pointing out that the current disaster had yet to pass.

Solfang might have dealt with the threat in his immediate vicinity, but a considerable number of stone monkeys were still rampaging across the opposite side of the battlefield.

WHOOSH!

Before any of them could reach the nearby players, however, a frigid breeze swept across the area.

The already humid desert air turned bitterly cold. The temperature plummeted so abruptly that the surrounding players could feel the chill seeping into their bodies.

Even the desert floor began to freeze as a layer of frost spread rapidly beneath their feet, while pale mist rolled across the battlefield.

WHOOSH!

In the blink of an eye, every stone monkey in the affected area was frozen solid, their bodies transformed into lifelike ice statues.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

One after another, the frozen statues shattered into countless fragments, exploding into showers of ice.

The players who had been desperately struggling to survive moments earlier could only stare in bewilderment as the sudden cold wiped out the entire group of stone monkeys.

"What just happened?!"

"Another powerhouse has entered the battle?"

"But who could possibly freeze an entire stretch of the desert like this?!"

The surviving players exchanged bewildered glances, each trying to guess the identity of the mysterious expert capable of such an astonishing feat.

Among the gathered powerhouses, however, a few had already arrived at the same conclusion.

"So, he’s here too," Emperor Dream murmured, his gaze fixed on the icy mist slowly spreading across the battlefield.

Divine Soul nodded faintly. "It must be him."

At the same time, Solfang’s eyes blazed with excitement as he stared intently in the same direction. The casual expression he had worn moments earlier was gradually replaced by an unmistakable look of anticipation.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

A series of measured footsteps echoed across the now-quiet battlefield.

Through the lingering icy mist, a hazy silhouette slowly emerged.

The newcomer wore a cloak that concealed his appearance, leaving the surrounding players unable to identify him.

Then he slightly raised his head, revealing a familiar mask beneath his hood.

For a fleeting moment, it felt as though everyone’s heart had stopped beating.

The battlefield fell in eerie silence.

Several seconds passed before someone finally managed to voice the name that had surfaced in everyone’s mind.

"Ba-... Battle God Sickarius!"

...