### Chapter: 249
Confrontation with the World Erosion Creatures
Kraush found himself facing three World Erosion creatures, their expressions solidifying as they felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from him.
The first to react was none other than the Armed Princess.
“Damn it, who do you think you are, talking big like that!”
Her fury boiled over at the thought of being disregarded.
“Armed Princess!”
At that moment, the Demon Exorcist intervened, deflating her rage.
She lowered her sword at an angle, glaring at Kraush.
“Our goal is to capture Kraush Balheim alive. They know that too, which is why they’re ramping up the pressure.”
“So?”
“It means we can do whatever we want as long as we don’t take his life.”
At that moment, vines shot up from beneath the feet of the Demon Exorcist.
“I have healing abilities. So, feel free to go wild.”
Even if they pushed Kraush to the brink of death, she could simply heal him.
The constraint of not killing Kraush was forcibly lifted.
Because he wasn’t an opponent who could be treated with kid gloves.
“I’ll block the strange powers he’s using.”
Just then, the spirit of wisdom, Heixing, thumped his staff on the ground once more.
The sound resonated as it collided with Kraush’s White Dragon aura, creating a ruckus.
“Both sides can go all out.”
“I planned to do just that from the start!”
Instantly, the Armed Princess kicked off the ground again, charging at Kraush, as the pressure from the White Dragon aura surged toward her.
Ka-gaga-gang!
But the current that heated from Heixing’s staff clashed with the White Dragon aura and opened a path for the Armed Princess to advance.
Boom!
Meanwhile, the trees and plants of the Forest of Giants began to rise around them.
They stretched their roots, quickly lunging towards Kraush.
This was the ability of the Florian tribe, wielded by the Demon Exorcist.
In an instant, the tight situation closed in around Kraush.
But he quietly exhaled.
The three still hadn’t realized what he was focusing on.
And they wouldn’t comprehend how that would turn into a massive error.
Kraush housed the supreme curse: Four Seasons.
Currently, the Four Seasons had absorbed three powers in total.
One was World Erosion.
One was the power to defend the world, the Aura.
And the last was the power of the Dragon King, the White Dragon King.
What did this mean?
The answer was simple.
The Aura was the most dangerous power against the World Erosion creatures.
They were intruders eroding the world, while the Aura was a force created by the world to defeat such intruders.
Now, what if the power of the White Dragon King was substituted along with the existing World Erosion?
Flare—
Inside Kraush, the situation was extremely calm compared to the chaos outside.
The flames that ignited inside him flickered gently like silk in the wind.
These flames were fueled by various elements within Kraush’s body.
As a result, the color of the flames gradually turned black.
This was due to the power of World Erosion being consumed as fuel.
And one more peculiar power began to join the mix.
The chilling energy of the White Dragon King.
The frigid aura of the White Dragon King seemed capable of freezing everything.
But against the flames, the White Dragon King’s chill turned out to be meaningless.
Before long, the flames swallowed up even the chill of the White Dragon King, burning even more fiercely as they consumed its coldness.
Moreover, every second the chill was burned away, Kraush’s body and vessel grew even more solid.
This was the process where the egg of the White Dragon King transformed into a Dragon King body.
Kraush forcibly expedited this process, awakening the White Dragon King.
During this process, though not complete, Kraush’s body transformed into that of a Dragon King.
As evidence of this, scales had begun to sprout on the skin inside Kraush’s clothing.
Now transformed into a Dragon King body.
The Aura within him would typically clash violently against a body closer to the World Erosion creatures.
However, the Aura was consumed by the Four Seasons.
Despite altering his entire body, the Four Seasons’ power ensured that the cursed target would not die.
As a result, miraculously—
Kraush was synthesizing a dual existence: the honing of the elements based on the Aura, and a Dragon King body.
This remarkable fact transformed Kraush into an exceedingly sturdy vessel.
He could contain the most powerful flames, which meant he could unleash even more power just before breaking.
Thus, Kraush, while engulfed by the energies of World Erosion and the chill of the White Dragon King, conjured a massive flame overhead resembling the seven stars of the celestial killer.
The moment the crimson light of the celestial killer ignited, amplifying the curse and the energies of World Erosion,
The flames roared ferociously, consuming everything in its wake.
The blazing flames soon engulfed the night sky itself.
The moment the Aura displaced by the World Erosion was fed as fuel,
The flames filling Kraush’s body began to incinerate everything.
Kraush’s eyes turned blood red.
It felt like everything illuminated before him froze in place.
The blazing flames accelerated his physical thoughts.
Kraush, observing the Whirlwind of the White Dragon aura attempting to suppress him,
He saw the Demon Exorcist sneaking through gaps in the moving trees, and the Armed Princess barreling directly at him.
Smoke began to escape from Kraush’s lips.
But Kraush wasn’t just an ordinary lunatic.
He did not stop there; he propelled even more blazing energy into the flames enveloping his body.
The speed of the flames rotating around his body intensified further.
As a result, Kraush’s body was continuously tempered, pushing towards its limits.
The searing heat, even the Dragon King’s body and the body trained in the burn-forging method, could not withstand.
The moment that heat pounded fiercely against Kraush’s stretched form.
Crrrrack—
A sound echoed from deep within Kraush’s mouth, as if something was shattering.
“Listen up. This time I’ve focused solely on firepower, which means there’s a high probability my body won’t handle it. I tried to push it higher since my boyfriend keeps wanting more, but it’s best to avoid using it if you can.”
This was a momentary enhancement elixir, a collaborative masterpiece of Darling and Dorma.
As it melted and enhanced the flames, the flames met new fuel and began to break free from Kraush’s body.
Whoosh!
The fierce black flames consumed the area in an instant.
The fiery conflagration engulfed the tree monsters, igniting them all at once.
Moreover, the rain pouring from the sky disappeared in an instant, consumed by the roaring flames.
Chill!
At the sight of this spectacle, both the Demon Exorcist and Heixing felt chills run down their spines.
Something was off.
As danger flooded their minds,
The Armed Princess, breaking through the black flames, raised her sword, aiming it down at Kraush.
A bizarre, knife-like sword filled with the black energy of the Underworld plummeted toward Kraush’s neck.
Just before it made contact,
Kraush’s eyes met with those of the Armed Princess.
“Yikes!”
At that moment, a warning signal sounded ominously deep within the Armed Princess.
Suddenly, the black flames that had escaped Kraush’s body surged back toward him.
In an instant, it felt as if the world paused, a silent realm surrounding them.
And atop this still world,
Flare—
A white flame ignited.
“Armed Princess!”
Heixing shouted just as Kraush’s figure scattered into fragments.
Then, Heixing found himself face-to-face with Kraush, who had arrived right in front of him.
Flustered, Heixing tried to extend his staff reflexively; however, Kraush pressed down on it with his hand.
Just like that, Heixing was left unable to move his staff at all.
At the same time, Heixing caught sight of Kraush’s blade pressing against him.
Zing!
“Gahhh!”
In the distance, the Armed Princess’s Hell Flower was obliterated as it soared into the sky.
In that split second, Kraush had incapacitated the Armed Princess and reached Heixing.
Heixing could do nothing but watch as Kraush’s sword converged on his neck.
But just then—
Ka-gaga-gaga!
A sword from the Demon Exorcist appeared at Heixing’s side, narrowly blocking Kraush’s blade trajectory, just like it had for the Armed Princess.
Yet, the power contained within it was different this time.
“Ugh!”
The Demon Exorcist felt her arm twist in a painful manner, unable to significantly alter the trajectory of her sword.
As a result, both Heixing and the Demon Exorcist were sent flying backward by Kraush’s might.
KABOOOM!
With a thunderous noise, they tumbled across the ground.
Fortunately, the Demon Exorcist managed to dodge a direct hit, scrambling to her feet in a hurry.
“Heixing!”
Her cry echoed, and in her sight was Heixing.
His neck was nearly torn apart, blood pouring from the wound.
“Gah, extreme!”
Drip drip!
A torrent of blood gushed out, pooling on the ground.
In an instant, Heixing was incapacitated.
The moment the Demon Exorcist’s furious eyes widened in horror, they slowly turned away.
The more pressing matter wasn’t Heixing’s imminent death but the malicious intent directed at her from Kraush.
As the raindrops washed over him, they transformed into steam as they met his skin.
The white heat radiating from Kraush was hot enough to make even the Demon Exorcist wince.
Scales had begun to sprout on Kraush’s face.
Unlike before, Kraush’s eyes had transformed into reptilian slits as he quietly lowered his blade.
He had reached a new plane.
A level transcending hell and death.
Devastation Flame Dragon
This was an absurd result born from the merging of Kraush’s level and the power of the White Dragon King.
With all power now converted to Aura, Kraush had become the worst possible adversary for the World Erosion creatures.
‘But this transformation won’t last long.’
Kraush, aware he couldn’t maintain this state for long, was fully cognizant of the stakes.
‘So now—’
He’d finish them all in one go.
With a thud!
Kraush appeared in front of the Demon Exorcist considering the scattered fragments of him.
The moment he vanished, the Demon Exorcist reflexively wielded her sword at the spot Kraush had stood.
Clang!
As Kraush’s blade sparked with Aura flames against the Demon Exorcist’s sword,
the flames burned away a part of her being.
She forgot to scream and instead focused on clashing with Kraush’s sword again and again.
It felt heavy.
What kind of force was this? Kraush’s sword was simply way too heavy.
The sword of the Thunderstorm was forged through Kraush’s might.
A legendary blade that shone the brightest when facing the greatest swordsman.
However, when faced with Kraush, it became the king of swords unmatched by any other.
The Demon Exorcist fought desperately to push Kraush away.
‘He can’t hold this form for much longer!’
She sensed that Kraush couldn’t maintain his current state indefinitely.
Determined to prolong the duel, she battled fiercely against his sword.
But the white flames, surging from every direction, relentlessly seared her.
Yet, she stubbornly endured, continuing to clash with Kraush’s blade.
That time felt like an eternity of suffering.
At some point, it felt as if the surroundings had turned stark white, as if the Demon Exorcist trapped in a blindness of Kraush’s swordplay.
Kraush’s blade existed everywhere.
It felt as if it knew every intention behind her movements.
His blade relentlessly bore down upon her.
A sigh escaped the Demon Exorcist’s lips.
While her swordsmanship was surely on par with anyone, the sheer raw power difference was overwhelming.
It’s tiring.
She’s exhausted.
It felt as if she could drop dead any moment.
As those thoughts filled her mind.
‘How much time has passed?’
The Demon Exorcist began to wonder how long she had been trading blows with Kraush.
Surely, by now, he must be running out of energy, right?
The moment those thoughts crossed her mind, she glanced past the white flames and beheld Kraush.
He looked just as fiery and vigorous as before, showing no sign of exhaustion.
Crack—
Suddenly, her arms melted and crumbled.
Her body could no longer withstand the heat emanating from Kraush right before her eyes.
The moment she saw her arms, she realized,
‘Was it only about 10 seconds?’
The time she had spent exchanging strikes with Kraush was at most a mere ten seconds.
The thought that she had endured for eons was merely her state of delirium, lost in the heat of combat.
“Gahhh!”
With determination, the suddenly wide-eyed Demon Exorcist began to make desperate last attempts.
She sensed her imminent demise.
From the melted remains of her arms, flower buds began to sprout.
In an instant, the buds spread across her body, filling the air with a rich floral scent.
This was the Full Bloom—
A deadly trump card of self-detonation possessed by the Demon Exorcist.
As all the flower buds blossomed simultaneously, they emitted a fierce light.
This was essentially a self-detonation in action.
“Guess, I’m going to die.”
As the Demon Exorcist smiled weakly before her end,
The raging furnace of Kraush in a flash shifted from heat to cold.
What poured out from Kraush was not warmth, but a chilling frost.
In an instant, the sudden chill froze all the blossoming flowers, stifling the explosion.
This was the result of the Four Seasons converting the heat of the Aura into the chill of the White Dragon King.
Before spring flowers, a harsh winter had arrived.
With the realization that her final gambit had been thwarted, the Demon Exorcist’s eyes dimmed.
“Monsters!”
She muttered softly as she slowly closed her eyes, watching Kraush’s sword edge closer to her neck.
Just when she had fought tooth and nail to survive in a hellish world, and finally reached this new one,
She met a fatal end after all.
For those fleeing, paradise did not exist.
She etched those words into her mind as she surrendered to the darkness.
Swish!
This was Kraush’s first victory against a World Erosion creature!
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