OP Sister Chapter 517: The Explosive Forest

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“Hm…” Jack nodded. “I am more concerned about what critters could live there. It’s vast and spans several kilometers.”

The forest consisted entirely of blazing, tree-shaped crystals in shades of red and orange. They overflowed with Fire Elemental Spiritual Energy and abundant Draconic Mana.

A quick analysis using my Eyes revealed their true nature… 

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[Dynamite Dragon Trees (B+ Rank)]

A pure crystallization of Draconic Mana and Fire Elemental Spirit Energy, highly valuable as a material for cultivating fire elemental martial arts and ki, and for crafting specialized fire-proof armor and weapons.

However, they are highly explosive. Once the trees sustain enough damage, they combust, potentially triggering a chain reaction that explodes over a large area and causes immense harm to nearby life.

These crystals can regrow in days due to the high concentration of energies that crystallize through overaccumulation. 

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“They’re highly explosive. I wouldn’t recommend walking through them at all!” I said, quickly alerting the group to the danger. “We should travel through the skies.”

“I agree. If we can fly, it’s far better than walking through that blazing forest,” my brother nodded.

“Violet, to the skies!” I called.

“KRIEEEH!”

Violet let out a mighty roar and began floating in midair before soaring into the skies. His Golden Aura enabled him to fly effortlessly without difficulty.

“Woow! We’re so high! I guess this is way more convenient, hehe!” Annabelle giggled.

“Yeah,” Kevin said. “This way, we can avoid all the dangers and—”

BOOOM!

“Woah?!”

Out of nowhere, a massive fireball struck Violet from below. His hard, golden exoskeleton shielded him from the damage, leaving him largely unscathed.

The impact was still startling.

We looked down and… there they were.

“ROOAAR!”

A group of draconic beasts emerged, their bodies encrusted with highly explosive crystals. They spread their wings and flew toward us.

They resembled larger, more muscular wyverns, for lack of a better term, with black and red scales and fierce, menacing faces, the crystals sprouting across their bodies.

I also noticed smaller ones, surging toward us cloaked in flames.

“Ah! Watch out! Release your Auras!”

I quickly alerted everyone. They reacted swiftly, shielding themselves with magic or their auras as the smaller creatures collided with us, detonating on impact multiple times.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

“W-What the hell?!” Hilda exclaimed. “They blew up?!”

“What sort of monster is this? They’re just sacrificing themselves?!” Kevin asked.

Indeed, these strange creatures hurled themselves at us, using the explosive crystals on their bodies to detonate instantly in an attempt to inflict damage.

“They’re weaponizing the dynamite crystals!” Annabelle said. “Oh wow, that’s genius!”

“Genius, you say~? Hah, a mere primate grasps the brilliance of my work?”

Then, Vulcanus’s voice echoed through the skies, dripping with smug condescension. The forest’s flames coalesced into a gigantic blazing dragon, his vicious grin radiating superiority as he spread his arms.

“Welcome to my Explosion Forest! A masterpiece crafted by my unparalleled intellect! I sought to revolutionize explosive alchemy, and then it struck me… why not engineer the beasts of this domain to absorb my dynamite crystals as living weapons? A stroke of divine ingenuity, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Bastard! You think this is fucking funny or something?!” Hilda barked angrily.

Vulcanus chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting with disdain as he licked his lips.

“Silence, you yapping infant. Do not dare interrupt a genius at work.”

“Infant?! Who are you calling infant you stupid lizard…!”

“Enough! Feast your feeble minds on my Kamikaze Beasts! Exquisite, are they not?! Thousands of them, breeding at an astonishing rate under my meticulous design. I cultivated them here to unleash upon your pathetic world. Picture it! Cities reduced to rubble as my creations cascade from the heavens and erupt in glorious chaos. You primates will be utterly obliterated before you comprehend my brilliance! Hahaha!”

“So you were planning to use them to invade Earth?!” Henrietta gasped. “This entire place… I see now, you’ve been preparing! You monster…!”

“You’re an intelligent being like us, and you’d rather use your genius to create such wicked creatures to kill people?! What’s wrong with you?” Baihe asked angrily.

“Intelligent? Like you? Hah! Your flattery is laughable, primate. I am a singular genius, an dragon god far beyond your primitive comprehension. Never dare equate my kind with your inferior species. Oh, how I’ve yearned to witness my creations tested! Your presence here is a delightful opportunity to showcase their perfection. Test them well but do try not to perish too soon. I require you to endure and marvel at my many masterpieces! Farewell, for now!”

FLUOSH!

Vulcanus vanished, and the monsters, which had paused during his grandiose speech, resumed their onslaught. Dozens of flying critters surged toward us, aiming to explode on impact.

They were brimming with Fire Spirit Energy and Draconic Mana. If too many struck us, these energies would destabilize our Auras, weakening them enough to inflict real damage.

We had to act quickly.

“Don’t let them explode. The damage will accumulate with Draconic Mana, stacking over time and becoming toxic to us!” my brother said, as if reading my mind.

He figured it out fast. That’s why he’s my brother.

“We have to destroy them quickly!” I said. “Fire magic at them!”

I pointed my hands at the incoming beasts, resembling motorcycle-sized wyverns covered in glowing dynamite crystals.

Might as well use this new Skill from my Class Change…

{Celestial Legion of Souls and Machines}!

FLAAASH!

My Aura erupted, splitting as ethereal nanomachines emerged from within it. They swiftly fused into golden, semi-transparent spheres of spiritual steel, imbued with radiant holy light.

“{Celestial Rain}!”

I raised my hands, and the nanomachines rained down, striking the “Kamikaze Beasts” before they could reach us, causing them to explode in midair instead.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

“Wow! What was that?!” Baihe asked. “Was that some new magic? It was incredible… it was as if you merged Spirit Magic with Metal Magic and Light Magic…”

“A-Ah! Yeah, yeah, I have been trying new stuff with my magic,” I smiled. “It can do pretty crazy stuff!”

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