The valley trembled.
The Golden Heaven Dragon spread its enormous wings, covering the sky with a golden shadow.
Its terrifying aura pressed down on everything within several kilometers.
Ancient trees snapped in half.
The ground cracked.
Even the air became difficult to breathe.
Standing opposite each other, Lin Chen and the mysterious Rank Two survivor silently observed the guardian.
Neither of them moved first.
Both understood the same thing.
A careless attack against an Ancient Guardian meant death.
The dragon slowly lowered its head.
Its golden eyes swept across both players.
Then it spoke.
"...Humans..."
Its deep voice echoed throughout the valley.
Lin Chen's expression changed.
The monster could speak.
That was the first intelligent monster he had encountered besides system projections.
"...Thousands of years..."
"...Finally..."
"...Another inheritance candidate..."
The dragon's gaze shifted toward Lin Chen.
Then toward the masked survivor.
A notification appeared before both players.
Ancient Guardian's Trial
Defeat the Golden Heaven Dragon.
Only then will the Mythic Treasure Chest become available.
Failure means death.
The notification disappeared.
The dragon roared.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Golden flames erupted from its mouth.
The flames swept across the valley like a tsunami.
Lin Chen reacted instantly.
The Ocean Emperor's Trident glowed brilliantly.
A massive wall of seawater rose before him.
Boom!
Steam exploded everywhere.
The collision shook the valley.
At the same moment, the masked survivor disappeared.
Lin Chen's pupils contracted.
"So fast..."
The next instant—
Bang!
The silver spear struck the dragon's neck.
A shower of sparks erupted.
Although the attack failed to pierce the scales, it successfully forced the dragon backward.
The mysterious survivor retreated without hesitation.
Their movements were smooth.
Almost impossible to follow.
Lin Chen finally understood why this person ranked second.
They possessed terrifying combat skills.
The dragon growled angrily.
It swung one enormous claw.
The mountain beneath the masked survivor exploded.
Yet before the attack landed—
The figure vanished again.
"Movement Skill..."
Lin Chen muttered quietly.
This person's Talent probably focused on speed.
Meanwhile, the dragon turned toward him.
Its enormous tail swept across the battlefield.
Lin Chen jumped into the air.
The trident glowed.
"My turn."
A gigantic whirlpool suddenly formed beneath the dragon.
The surrounding rivers flew into the sky.
Even moisture in the air gathered together.
The Ocean Emperor's Trident truly deserved its name.
The sea itself obeyed its master.
"Ocean Sovereign's Command!"
A giant water dragon rose from the whirlpool.
Roaring loudly, it crashed directly into the Golden Heaven Dragon.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact shook the entire valley.
For the first time—
The dragon took a step backward.
Its golden scales cracked slightly.
The masked survivor looked toward Lin Chen.
Although the face remained hidden, surprise was obvious.
Another communication request appeared.
Lin Chen accepted while continuing to fight.
[Unknown Survivor] : Nice attack.
[Lin Chen] : Yours isn't bad either.
[Unknown Survivor] : We actually have a chance.
[Lin Chen] : If we survive first.
The communication ended.
Both players immediately launched another attack.
The dragon spread its wings.
Golden feathers filled the sky.
Each feather transformed into a blade of light.
Thousands of attacks rained downward.
Lin Chen swung the trident.
A giant tidal shield appeared.
The masked survivor spun the silver spear.
Countless afterimages blocked the remaining attacks.
Explosions echoed continuously.
The battlefield became complete chaos.
Hours passed.
The battle grew increasingly fierce.
The dragon possessed overwhelming strength.
Yet the cooperation between the two strongest survivors gradually pushed it into a disadvantage.
Another roar shook the valley.
The dragon flew into the sky.
Golden flames gathered inside its mouth.
The surrounding temperature increased dramatically.
Lin Chen immediately sensed danger.
"Move!"
The masked survivor had clearly realized the same thing.
Both players escaped in opposite directions.
The next second—
A pillar of golden fire descended from heaven.
Everything within hundreds of meters disappeared.
Mountains melted.
Forests vanished.
Even solid stone turned into lava.
Lin Chen felt cold sweat running down his back.
If that attack had landed directly...
Even his Mythic armor probably wouldn't have saved him.
The dragon laughed.
"...Weak..."
"...Still too weak..."
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes.
"Not yet."
He reached into his inventory.
An item appeared in his hand.
The Abyss Crystal.
He had never fully used its power.
Perhaps...
Now was the right time.
Without hesitation, he crushed it.
Black energy surrounded his body.
His Abyss Sight activated automatically.
The entire battlefield changed.
For the first time—
He saw the dragon's energy flow.
A glowing core.
Hidden beneath its chest.
A weak point.
Lin Chen smiled.
"So that's it."
He immediately sent a communication request.
The masked survivor accepted.
[Lin Chen] : I found its weak point.
Several seconds passed.
[Unknown Survivor] : Where?
[Lin Chen] : Chest.
[Unknown Survivor] : I can't see it.
[Lin Chen] : Leave that to me.
The plan formed instantly.
Lin Chen would create an opening.
The masked survivor would strike.
Whether it succeeded depended entirely on timing.
The dragon attacked again.
Golden flames erupted.
Lin Chen charged directly toward it.
The trident released countless waves.
The dragon focused entirely on him.
Exactly as planned.
The masked survivor disappeared.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Then—
A silver streak flashed across the battlefield.
The spear pierced directly toward the glowing core.
CRACK!!
The dragon screamed.
Golden blood erupted into the sky.
Its enormous body staggered backward.
The attack had worked.
The core wasn't destroyed.
But it had been damaged.
For the first time since the battle began, the Ancient Guardian showed genuine pain.
Lin Chen smiled.
Victory was no longer impossible.
Yet before either player could continue their attack...
The entire Ancient Abyss Beast suddenly shook violently.
A deafening roar echoed across the world.
The ground beneath their feet trembled.
Even the Golden Heaven Dragon stopped moving.
A world announcement appeared before every survivor.
World Announcement
The Monster Tide Final Boss has awakened.
All surviving players should prepare immediately.
The countdown has begun.
Five minutes until arrival.
Silence filled the valley.
Even the dragon looked toward the distant sky.
Something far more terrifying was approaching.
The battle for the Mythic Treasure Chest had just become far more complicated.