Oliver glided through the air while relentlessly chasing the swarm of cicadas flying all across the boss hall.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each shot destroyed three or four cicadas at once, causing them to fall dead onto the floor. Gradually, the swarm’s numbers began thinning out.

’Argh! This boy is so annoying! Who exactly is he? I need to deal with him first, or my entire plan will be ruined!’ Helton cursed inwardly.

He had spent nearly five years preparing this project. His grand ambition was to create the ultimate monster of pure destruction.

At first, Helton believed it would take decades to complete. However, everything changed after he encountered a mysterious duo. They had given him a strange lantern capable of easily taming wild monsters while also stealing monsters directly from other tamers.

Thanks to that forbidden artifact, Helton had secretly gathered numerous exotic and rare monsters from across the entire duchy.

The cooperation of several nobles, including the mayor of Hazelbrow City, had further accelerated his plans. Their greed for wealth made it incredibly easy for Helton to drag them into the illegal trade.

With that kind of monster, Helton believed he could easily rule the entire duchy through fear and obtain all the titles, prestige, and authority he desired. The Chimera he had created was already incredibly powerful. However, it still lacked one final ingredient.

Frostrix.

Helton had been eyeing that majestic bird monster for years ever since he first witnessed it long ago when it was owned by previous owner before Aria. Its elegance and destructive power had completely mesmerized him.

If he could obtain Frostrix and fuse it into the Chimera, then his ultimate creation would finally be complete.

But now, a teenage boy had suddenly appeared and started interfering with everything. Most importantly, that boy possessed a monster carrying a terrifying presence comparable to a true boss monster. And even more shocking, the lantern’s spell had absolutely no effect on it.

"Dark Swarm!"

The swarm of cicadas suddenly became far more aggressive. They rapidly accelerated and charged directly toward Oliver from every direction. The moment the cicadas touched him, the aura of the Carapace Blaster class automatically blocked the attacks.

However, there were simply too many of them. Hundreds of cicadas continuously surrounded him, making it difficult for Oliver to keep track of the battlefield and help the others if needed. Left with no choice, Oliver flew away from the area while the swarm relentlessly chased after him throughout the boss room. At the same time, he continuously fired at the cicadas without stopping.

Meanwhile, on the other side, a fierce battle had erupted between Aria and Verner.

However, it was obvious that Verner was the one struggling. He was currently in Full Form transformation. His left arm had transformed into a gigantic claw while black scorpion-like chitin armor covered his body. A long poisonous tail extended from behind him, swaying dangerously through the air.

Parts of Verner’s body were already covered in ice. Yet despite that, he still stood his ground without giving up. Because he knew very well that giving up here only meant one thing.

Death.

Unlike her brother, Aria was known for being far more composed in battle. But at the same time, she was also colder and far more merciless.

"Ice Cleave!"

Aria swung her sword downward. Immediately, a massive sharp spike of ice surged across the ground toward Verner at high speed. Verner had no choice but to block it using his crescent blade.

Boom!

The impact blasted him backward violently. He quickly forced himself back onto his feet just as Aria closed the distance and unleashed another series of sword strikes infused with freezing aura.

Verner immediately swung his poisonous tail toward her, attempting to inject poison into her body. However, Frostrix suddenly swooped down from above and froze the tip of the tail solid before it could reach Aria.

"Damn bird!" Verner cursed loudly. The poisonous stinger had been only a few centimeters away from hitting Aria. Now that the tail’s tip was frozen solid, one of his deadliest weapons had become useless.

Aria did not waste the opportunity. She immediately unleashed a relentless combo of freezing slashes toward Verner. Her eyes were so cold and emotionless that even Verner felt fear creeping into his heart.

Slash!

Slash!

Slash!

Frost rapidly spread across Verner’s body with every strike. Soon, his movements became slower and slower as more of his body gradually froze solid.

Aria stopped her assault before turning away from Verner. At the same moment, Frostrix swooped down from above and smashed into Verner’s frozen body.

BOOM!!

His entire body shattered into thousands of icy fragments. Because of the extreme cold, even his blood had frozen solid, making the scene far less gruesome than it should have been.

Aria then walked toward the corner of the boss hall where Ingram was tied up. She quickly untied him before removing the cloth stuffed inside his mouth.

"Lady Aria! Thank you! Thank you so much for saving me! I thought I was going to die!"Ingram immediately knelt down in gratitude.

"Save your thanks for later. Can you still fight?"

Ingram suddenly fell silent.

"I can’t...my monster was already used to create that horrible thing."

"The masked man used your monster too?" Aria’s eyes widened slightly.

"Yes...he also used Waine’s monster, and even the boss monster of this dungeon. "Speaking of Waine... he..." his expression darkened.

"I already know. If you can’t fight, then stay somewhere safe. Reinforcements will arrive soon." After saying that, Aria stood up once more before heading back toward the ongoing battle.

Oliver, on the other side, was currently using Wings Aegis to shield himself from the hundreds of cicadas swarming around him. The insects completely obstructed his movement.

Suddenly, Aria arrived beside him before unleashing a massive burst of freezing aura toward the concentrated swarm.

"Cryo Burst!"

A gigantic wave of ice blasted forward and instantly froze nearly half of the cicadas. The frozen insects then fell from the air before shattering apart upon impact with the ground.

Moments later, Helton materialized several meters away from them. Behind the mask, his eyes were filled with fury.

"You two have interrupted me for far too long!" he shouted angrily.

"Just give up already!" Oliver said.

"Never!" Helton shouted. At the same time, Frostrix flew above the battlefield while attempting to assist Nyx against the Chimera on the other side.

Suddenly, a grin slowly appeared beneath Helton’s mask. He slowly raised the forbidden lantern upward. Inside it, crimson-black mist swirled violently without end.

"Finally... you will become mine! Forbidden Taming: Unholy Prayer of Corruption!"

The dark mist instantly surged upward and wrapped around Frostrix. Aria’s face immediately turned pale.

"FROSTRIX!"