Chapter 78: So this what you want?
The six giant arms still resting on the ruined floor rapidly dried up after releasing that intense burst of magma, their thick stone surfaces cracking and crumbling into dust before dispersing into ash.
The golden flames and lightning they had absorbed from Leon’s attack completely burned through their stability, causing the giant constructs to disintegrate into dark gray clouds that floated aimlessly through the ruined reception hall.
Teon gnashed his teeth in absolute, bitter frustration, staring at the ash remains of his six ’arms’ floating in the air before him.
His jaw clamped tight, and his blood ran cold as he realized the sheer magnitude of the attack he had just tried to suppress with his signature technique.
He hadn’t expected them to turn to ash so suddenly after absorbing the tornado, which meant the tornado was a lot more powerful than he had initially calculated.
The divine fire of Excalibur possessed a destructive property that had completely incinerated the dense volcanic stone of his Asura arms from the inside out.
Even though he had tried his best to absorb the tempest, the devastating damage to his precious guild had already been done.
The entire ground floor of the headquarters was now a apocalyptic wasteland of charred concrete, melted steel, and glowing embers, completely destroying decades of investment and prestige in a single instant.
There was now a massive, gaping hole blasted wide open in the heavy ceiling, exposing the upper levels of the skyscraper to the smoky air above.
Golden flames continued to burn ferociously all around the guild, stubbornly consuming the walls, furniture, and structural frames despite the total lack of normal fuel.
He was sure a few lower-ranking players and support staff members had also lost their lives to the golden tornado during the short time it was spreading across the room.
The sheer kinetic and thermal force of the divine tempest was far too intense for low-rank hunters to survive, turning them to dust before they could even scream for help.
Leon, on the other hand, smirked slightly as he stood amidst the burning wreckage, entirely unbothered by the growing destruction around him.
His sharp black eyes locked onto his father’s trembling figure, enjoying every single second of the patriarch’s mounting horror and panic.
Since his shoes had been completely melted off in that unexpected pool of magma earlier, he was now entirely barefoot on the cracked, soot-covered ground.
Yet, despite standing in the hot ash with bare feet, he was still far happier than Teon, feeling a profound sense of satisfaction as he watched his father’s precious empire crumble to pieces.
He briefly glanced at the translucent notifications flashing rapidly across his vision, watching the system messages scroll down line after line in front of his eyes.
[Level 30 player killed!] [+500 EXP]
[Level 37 player killed!] [+530 EXP]
[Level 23 player killed!] [+460 EXP]
[...]
[...]
A total of five players had lost their lives to the sudden tornado that had swept through the reception hall.
Their bodies had turned into fine ash before they could even attempt to activate any defensive skills or flee toward the exit.
It would have been far more if not for the fact that the majority of the lower-ranking players and support guards had already been flung completely out of the building during the initial clash between the father and son.
Furthermore, the golden tornado wasn’t able to spread very far through the rest of the fortress before it was absorbed by Teon’s giant arms, preventing the flames from reaching the outer corridors and upper levels where even more players were sheltering in panic.
Leon’s eyes turned to the side, his sharp, cold vision slicing through the thick, gray haze of dust and soot that hung heavily over the destroyed reception hall.
His dark gaze suddenly locked with Yeon, who was now standing beside their mother near the crumbling edge of a support pillar, coughing violently in the thick, suffocating smoke while trying to keep her steady on her feet.
Yeon subconsciously shivered as their gaze met, a sharp surge of instinctual fear running straight down his spine.
He swallowed a hard gulp, his throat feeling completely dry as he stared into his brother’s unforgiving, cold eyes through the floating ash and burning embers, feeling completely outclassed by the sheer pressure radiating from Leon’s posture.
He quickly grabbed their mother though, slinging her battered arm over his shoulder and pulling her firmly onto his dark surfboard to protect her from any further shockwaves.
Without waiting for Leon to make a move or taking his eyes off his brother for another second, he turned around and went speeding out of the ruined guild on his Void surfboard, racing toward the safety of the outer courtyard.
Teon chuckled darkly at the sight, a bitter, menacing sound that echoed off the scorched metallic pillars of the ruined room.
He glared at his Leon with pure contempt, his chest heaving with heavy breaths as he muttered under his breath, "So this is what you want... to stand in the way of your own family! Huh?!"
His voice carried a mocking tone, trying to place the moral blame for the chaos squarely on Leon’s shoulders.
Leon’s brows twitched with sudden annoyance at the absurd, hypocritical statement spouted by the patriarch who had discarded him without a second thought.
He gripped the hilt of Excalibur tightly in his right hand, his posture remaining rigid and unwavering as his voice laced with absolute disgust, saying, "Family? What a dumb joke."
Teon bit his lips in rage, his jaw locking so hard his teeth nearly cracked from the mounting pressure of his blood boiling.
In an instant, the six reddish-brown arms that had disintegrated into ash reappeared by his sides, materializing out of raw elemental mana to stand beside the other two hovering constructs, making them eight in total once again.
The massive volcanic limbs hovered around his body like a terrifying wheel of stone and fire, their jagged fissures pulsing with newly summoned power.
He raised his right hand high into the air, channeling every single ounce of his S-rank authority and elemental control into the burning atmosphere directly above them.
A giant, terrifying hammer made of boiling, dense magma started forming above his head.