Chapter 344: Laying on the Pressure!

Jax caught Astra before she could fall.

The last fragments of the hidden dimension drifted around them like countless stars dissolving into the ocean.

Entire districts of the abandoned city were breaking apart into streams of silver mana, their foundations no longer supported now that the dimensional core had been destroyed.

Astra’s breathing was uneven while she was in Jax’s arms, blood stained portions of her white and sapphire clothing where wounds from her dragon form had carried over after transforming back.

Even so, she looked up at him with a tired smile as she saw all the chaos going on around the, "You really... destroyed it."

Jax smiled as he heard that, a confident tone lacing his voice as he spoke, "I said I would. The Demon King always fulfills his promises, what use is my word if I don’t?"

Hearing that, Astra laughed softly before wincing, "Ow, "

"Try not to do that again, stay still and recover," Jax muttered as he saw her in pain.

"I’m trying," Astra responded.

Jax carefully lowered her onto what remained of an enormous marble platform drifting through the collapsing sea.

The platform itself was unstable, hairline fractures spread across its surface as pieces slowly dissolved into glowing particles.

"This won’t last long," Jax said, golden mana gathered around his fingertips. Unlike the destructive force he’d used moments earlier, this mana was astonishingly gentle.

It flowed around Astra in slow circles before weaving itself into countless intricate geometric patterns.

One ring, then another, then dozens.The symbols rotated around her body before expanding outward into an immense translucent sphere.

The barrier shimmered with soft gold. Its surface looked almost liquid, tiny runes drifting continuously beneath it like fish beneath calm water.

Astra blinked. "Pretty."

Jax chuckled, "I’ll take that as approval."

She reached toward the inside of the barrier. Her fingers brushed the surface. Instead of resisting her, the barrier recognized its occupant, gentle warmth spread through her hand.

"It’s warm."

"It only stops things trying to hurt you." Jax explained.

Golden threads extended from the barrier into the surrounding ocean. Rather than drawing mana from Astra herself, they gathered ambient mana released by the collapsing dimension.

Every fragment of dissolving reality became fuel, the barrier steadily brightened andAstra immediately noticed the effect, "My wounds,"

The cuts along her arms were already closing, her bruises faded and the soreness throughout her body eased as restorative mana quietly circulated through the barrier.

"It heals too?"

Jax nodded, "If I’m busy fighting, I’d rather not split my attention."

He examined the structure one final time. Multiple defensive layers, spatial stabilization, automatic healing, adaptive reinforcement, mana recycling, threat recognition and much more.

Satisfied, he placed a palm against its surface, the runes accelerated, "There."

A faint chime echoed and he barrier locked itself into place.

"I don’t think anything short of another Primordial Goddess is breaking through that while I’m gone." Jax said.

Astra smiled, "You’re showing off."

"Maybe a little." Jax responded.

Astra leaned back against a fragment of marble, "I’ll allow it."

For several moments neither of them spoke. The collapsing dimension continued disintegrating around them.

Floating islands dissolved, ancient towers unraveled into ribbons of mana. The black tower that had once dominated the hidden realm had already collapsed completely, leaving only drifting fragments of obsidian stone.

Beyond the destruction, the true ocean had become visible. The false dimension had concealed an unimaginably vast trench beneath the Western Varoza Ocean.

Now its camouflage was gone.

Ancient cliffs stretched into darkness, colossal crystal formations reflected faint sunlight filtering down from the distant surface.

The sea itself almost seemed relieved, as though something oppressive had finally been removed.

Almost, because one source of pressure still remained.

Jax slowly turned towards the creature. It floated several kilometers away. Its enormous body no longer looked invincible.

Cracks spread throughout its obsidian armor. Blue light leaked through those fractures uncontrollably. Entire sections of its body flickered as though reality itself could no longer decide exactly where it existed.

Its thousands of eyes stared directly at Jax, not with confidence anymore, but with caution.

"Interesting."

Jax folded his hands behind his back, "So that’s your real body, "

Without its domain feeding endless mana into it...

Without reality rewriting every injury and the dimension network supporting its entire existence, the creature had now become tangible, meaning it could finally take large amounts of sustained damage and die.

It released another roar and the sound still shook the surrounding water. Still made distant sea life scatter. Still possessed enough force to fracture nearby cliffs.

Yet, it was weaker, Jax could feel it.

"Much better."

The monster lunged at Jax. It crossed several kilometers almost instantly. Six limbs tore through the ocean while its rotating jaws opened.

Blue light condensed deep within its throat, but Jax didn’t move.

The beam fired. It was thinner than before, but denser in power. The ocean split apart beneath its passage.

Jax merely raised one finger, "Reflect."

A tiny golden circle appeared, barely larger than a dinner plate. The beam struck it and for half a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then the circle rotated, and the attack bent. Instead of continuing toward Jax, it reversed. The creature’s own beam slammed directly back into its face.

~BOOOOOOOOOM!~

Blue light erupted and the enormous body recoiled violently. Several armor plates exploded outward while one rotating jaw shattered completely.

Jax tilted his head, "Neat."

The creature roared again, this time in genuine pain.

"So," Golden mana flowed lazily around Jax’s shoulders, "You can feel that now."

The vicious monster answered with another charge. This time all six limbs attacked together. The surrounding ocean distorted beneath their combined momentum.

Jax stepped forward and the world blurred as his fist suddenly met the first claw of the attacking creature.

~BOOOOOM!~

The impact generated a shockwave that flattened nearby coral mountains. The claw stopped and the creature’s entire charge halted.

Then Jax twisted, the enormous limb followed his motion. Instead of striking him, the creature’s own body lost balance.

Its momentum carried it sideways and it crashed through an underwater mountain range. Ancient cliffs hundreds of meters thick collapsed beneath its weight.

Jax appeared above it before the debris had finished falling, golden circles unfolded behind him.

Hundreds of them, and each circle contained a different spell. Different elements and different principles.

The surrounding mana began vibrating, "Let’s test a few things, you’re quite the useful test dummy,"

The first array activated and thousands of compressed golden lances appeared. Each one no thicker than a spear.

Every single one accelerated simultaneously.

The creature raised a claw. Spatial distortions attempted to redirect them but nothing happened. Its domain was gone, meaning the creature’s spatial manipulation faltered.

The lances struck and thousands of impacts echoed almost simultaneously.

~BOOM~BOOM~BOOM!~

Armor shattered viciously and blue blood burst into the ocean. Several limbs were pinned directly into the seabed and the monster screamed.

Jax watched all of this carefully, "No regeneration."

Another array rotated. This one glowed crimson. The surrounding water abruptly heated.

Immense spheres of compressed flame appeared beneath the ocean, not ordinary fire, demonic fire.

Each burned without consuming oxygen, without producing smoke and without caring they existed underwater.

"Go,"

The spheres launched and they detonated across the creature’s torso. Entire armor sections melted.Blue fluid flashed into steam.

The monster retaliated as its countless eyes illuminated. Thousands of blue beams erupted toward Jax.

Jax snapped his fingers and all around them, gravity inverted. Every beam curved upward, causing them to miss him entirely.

Instead they disappeared into the dark ocean above. Moments later, far overhead, massive explosions illuminated the distant water.

"Gravity works fine now," Jax muttered another note with a smile, "I’ve always wanted to test that."

The creature finally adapted. Instead of ranged attacks, it attempted to close the distance. This time its enormous tail swept toward him.

Jax extended his hand and golden threads shot outward. They wrapped around the tail.

The monster kept moving but its tail did not. The sudden contradiction tore enormous wounds through its own body, and blue blood flooded the ocean.

"Interesting," Jax watched the reaction, "You don’t like conceptual restraints."

Jax dismissed the threads and the creature staggered backward. Its breathing had become noticeably heavier.

Its movements slower, one entire forelimb hung awkwardly, likely broken.

Jax remained completely composed as he analyzed everything going on.

"You’re not a dragon," He said, "Not a leviathan or a divine beast either,"

His realization slowly formed as ach new observation only deepened the mystery, "It doesn’t make sense..."

The creature attacked again. Jax casually sidestepped before driving a golden mana-enhanced punch into its chest. The impact sent the colossal body hurtling backward through three underwater mountains.

Yet even as the monster disappeared into the collapsing clouds of debris, Jax remained standing exactly where he was, his golden eyes thoughtful.

He stared at the creature, waving his hand as massive amounts of mana clung to him for him to begin planning his future spells.

"Then what species are you?"