Chapter 277: The Final Emperor-Level Magic!

Though Wood's final Hyakki Yagyō Sword Style ultimate technique had sliced the Nine-Headed Dragon into pieces, its fallen flesh continued to writhe, indicating that the beast wasn't completely dead yet.

"Even if I have to go down... I'll drag you... down with me!"

"Emperor-Level Fire Magic: Scarlet Purgatory—Finale!"

With his tongue bitten to keep himself awake, Wood let out a furious, slurred roar. With great effort, he raised his right hand, gripping the air in front of him as if clutching at something.

The last vestiges of his magical power were completely drained, leaving nothing behind.

The red magic circle that had been glowing on the ground since the battle's start now radiated with brilliant light as Wood's hand closed. The circle began to shrink rapidly.

As the red magic circle beneath the Nine-Headed Dragon shrunk to just a tenth of its original size, the fire elements contained within it were compressed to their most concentrated form.

"Boom!"

The resulting explosion from the Emperor-level magic sent shockwaves through the entire moving labyrinth, shaking the very foundation of the massive structure. Half of the vast chamber turned into a sea of crimson fire—Scarlet Purgatory.

The intense heat instantly transformed the surrounding ground into molten lava, and the writhing remains of the Nine-Headed Dragon were swiftly consumed by the overwhelming heat.

Having cast this final spell, Wood's body had been pushed to its absolute limit. He collapsed into unconsciousness.

Although the magic circle's final explosion had been focused on the Nine-Headed Dragon, Wood wasn't far from the impact zone. The violent burst of heatwaves from the Emperor-level spell swept him up in its wake.

The flames obliterated his red coat, which had been made from the Demon Wolf's fire-resistant fur. His body was left covered in fresh burns.

As his body was thrown through the air like a rag doll, sliding across the ground for nearly a hundred meters, the only two who remained unscathed—Norn and Aisha—rushed over, their faces full of panic.

When Zenith and the Demon Wolf King were knocked unconscious earlier, the two young girls had wanted to rush in and help.

However, they had clung tightly to the instructions Wood had given them: no matter what happened, they were not to enter the battle zone. They remembered that they wouldn't be able to help and would only make things worse.

But when they saw Wood's scorched and battered body hurled from the explosion's center, the two little girls could no longer stand idly by.

When they saw Wood, lying in a heap on the ground, his skin burned and his once-shiny golden hair scorched away, Norn and Aisha were both overwhelmed with emotion. This disheveled and broken figure was barely recognizable as their once-strong and handsome Wood.

To Norn and Aisha, Wood had always been the most powerful person in the world.

He was gentle, knowledgeable, handsome, and incredibly strong. Even though he shared the same face as Rudy, their older brother, Rudy often gave them a mischievous or awkward vibe, while Wood was always the reliable hero.

"This can't be... Wood can't look like this! I'm going to punish that monster!"

Seeing Wood in such a state, both Norn and Aisha began crying uncontrollably. Filled with rage, Norn grabbed her staff, ready to charge into the lava field to avenge her injured brother and mother.

But before she could take another step, Aisha grabbed her arm.

"Why are you stopping me?! Don't you want revenge for Wood?! Don't you care about him?!"

Norn's voice was filled with anger. Being just a few years old, she wasn't considering whether she could actually fight the enemy—she just knew that someone had hurt her family, and she wanted to make them pay.

"Norn, before we think about revenge, we need to help Wood! Do you really want to watch him die right in front of us?"

Though Aisha was only a little older than Norn, her strict upbringing under Lilia had made her much more mature for her age.

Seeing Wood in such a terrible state made Aisha both furious and heartbroken, but she knew what had to be done.

Although she had a natural talent for swordsmanship, she wasn't skilled in magic like Wood or Rudy. As a result, she hadn't been able to learn any magic.

Norn, though not particularly talented in magic, had at least learned a few beginner-level spells during their time in the labyrinth, where magic was abundant.

Even if beginner-level healing spells weren't powerful, they were better than nothing right now.

After hearing Aisha's words, Norn finally snapped back to reality. Clutching her staff, she began to chant a healing spell, her small hands glowing with a faint green light.

When Wood eventually woke up, it was three days later.

At first, upon waking, he saw the wooden ceiling above him and thought that his life as Wood Greyrat had ended, and he had returned to the world of pirates.

However, when two small, eager faces appeared before him, he quickly realized that he had survived the fight with the Nine-Headed Dragon after all.

"Mom! Wood's awake!"

Norn's excited shout was followed by the sounds of hurried footsteps from outside the wagon. Soon, Zenith rushed inside, full of relief.

Yes, they had left the moving labyrinth behind, and now they were on their way to the capital of the Millis Holy Kingdom.

Three days ago, after Wood defeated the Nine-Headed Dragon in the labyrinth's final chamber, his life had been hanging by a thread.

While Norn's beginner-level healing magic had been able to keep Wood alive, it was nowhere near enough to fully treat his worsening injuries.

But thanks to her determination and refusal to give up, Norn had managed to keep Wood alive long enough for Zenith to regain consciousness.

Compared to Norn's beginner-level magic, Zenith's Saint-level healing magic had been far more effective.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a