Dark clouds gathered overhead as rumbling thunder shook the sky. Heavy rain poured down, mixing with the chaotic blare of traffic. Stoplights had gone dark, and the relentless honking of trapped cars filled the streets. Suddenly, in the heart of the storm, two massive crimson eyes flashed open—glowing fiercely with every crack of thunder. The creature behind them was enormous.
People began stepping out of their vehicles, some staring up at the clouds in wide-eyed curiosity, others frozen in terror, and a few simply confused.
"What's that…?"
"Is it another Rank S portal?"
A strange, deafening noise erupted from the clouds—far more unnatural than thunder. Everyone instinctively covered their ears.
"Aghhh! My ears!"
But amid the agonizing sound, a soft, clear voice cut through the chaos. A young woman raised her arms gracefully.
"**Melody of the Siren Lord.**"
A massive wave of water surged into the sky, engulfing the entire city. Yet instead of destroying everything, it formed a shimmering, translucent barrier of pure water. The horrible noise vanished instantly, replaced by an eerie silence. People looked around in shock as the water shield hovered protectively above them.
Some recognized the phenomenon immediately.
"Celira! It's Celira—the strongest Rank S!"
"Celira!"
"You saved us, Celira!"
Cheers erupted across the crowd. Behind Celira stood a familiar figure, and more members of her guild appeared.
"Clove! The Rank 5 Awakener, Rank S!"
"It's the Siren Guild! We're safe now!"
The people's relief was short-lived. Small cracks began spiderwebbing across the water barrier. Both Celira and Clove noticed at once.
"My barrier… it's cracking?" Celira whispered, disbelief in her voice. "Even an SS-rank couldn't break this…"
"The barrier is cracking!? This can't be real, right, Celira!?"
Anxiety flashed across Celira's face. She suddenly shouted, her usual soft voice replaced by raw urgency:
"Siren Guild! Evacuate the civilians immediately! We can't risk any casualties!"
The guild members were momentarily stunned. Celira rarely raised her voice like this. They knew it was serious.
"Yes, Guild Master!"
Celira turned sharply to Clove, her eyes locked on the fracturing barrier.
"This isn't the time to hesitate, Clove. Use your support skills—now!"
"I-I know… **Fourth Clove Flower!**"
A warm glow enveloped Celira and the rest of the Siren Guild as Clove's buff took hold. Celira's expression turned deadly serious. She raised both arms high and declared with powerful resonance:
"**Authority of the Siren Lord: Atlantic Domain!**"
Six additional layers of reinforced water barriers instantly stacked over the city. Clove watched with concern—he knew how much mana this technique consumed. Moments later, Celira's body swayed. She nearly collapsed, but Clove caught her swiftly in his arms.
"Well done, Guild Leader."
Using his flight ability, Clove gently carried her to the rooftop of a nearby building and laid her down carefully.
"Huff… That's all I can do to buy us time and protect the people…" Celira breathed weakly.
The Siren Guild and civilians watched the scene, believing they were safe for now. But then—a violent crack echoed through the sky. The barriers began shattering at an alarming speed.
Celira's eyes widened in fear. "Cl-Clove! We… we need to retreat!"
"What—?"
Before Clove could react, a massive, unnatural portal tore open in the dark clouds. Two enormous, grotesque hands stretched the rift wider. A colossal head emerged, followed by a body covered in jagged scales and massive wings. The creature plummeted toward a distant mountain, shaking the earth on impact. It was a titan-like dragon, far larger and more terrifying than any monster they had ever faced.
Celira and Clove had a clear view from the rooftop. The rest of the guild and civilians below still hadn't noticed.
"T-That monster… It's nothing like anything we've fought before," Celira whispered.
"Y-Yeah…" Clove replied, voice shaking. "Celira, this isn't a raid. This is… the destruction of Earth. I'm using my mass teleport now—"
He tried to activate his trump card, but nothing happened.
"I-I can't use teleport!?"
Celira, exhausted as she was, shot him a frustrated glare. She knew Clove had many secrets, but now wasn't the time.
"Clove, this isn't the moment for secrets…"
Clove's face turned pale with genuine panic. "I'm serious, Celira! I really can't use it!" He slammed his staff into the ground, forming a glowing magic circle beneath them. A bright light flared—then shattered instantly with a harsh, dissonant ringing sound.
Celira forced herself to grab her phone as it rang. It was one of her guild members, voice trembling with fear.
"Guild Master Celira… We can't use any magic! Even the buffs… they've all been removed!"
Celira's gaze shifted toward the towering dragon in the distance. Clove was having a full mental breakdown, staring at the broken magic circle.
"Clove! Snap out of it! This is reality! The monster is moving!"
"This can't be happening… We're all going to die!"
Every step the titan dragon took caused another layer of Celira's barrier to shatter. She closed her eyes for a moment, accepting that this might be the end—yet a small part of her still desperately hoped for a miracle.
"I still remember… when I was weak, just like this. Please… let a miracle come."
**Meanwhile, near the mountain where the titan dragon had landed…**
A lone figure stood in worn, tattered armor, staring up at the colossal beast. A system notification suddenly appeared before his eyes:
**Debuff Applied: Dimensional Truth Aura**
- Cannot be removed.
- All passives, skills, and buffs are disabled.
- All stats reduced to 1.
"Hmm? A titan dragon… and a debuff?"
He was about to turn and run when his sword began vibrating violently in its sheath.
"My sword is reacting… That means…"
His casual demeanor vanished. His voice dropped into a deadly serious tone.
"You're my enemy."
The moment he drew his blade, two powerful passives activated:
**Passive: Fighting Neutral Enemy**
- Weapons can now be used.
- Damage against neutral enemies increased by 30%.
- Can only damage neutral enemies.
**Passive: Resist Against Enemy**
- All enemy skills, passives, buffs, and debuffs are nullified when facing a neutral enemy.
**Counter Debuff Applied to Enemy:**
**Facing Mighty Opponent**
- Target lock engaged on the greatest threat. Cannot be removed until one of you is slain.
"Now then… you and I will face each other."
He dashed forward, leaping high into the air. The dragon unleashed a devastating fire breath, but the man emerged completely unharmed. With a powerful swing, he struck the dragon's massive body.
The dragon smirked, clearly amused by the tiny human's audacity—until pain exploded across its scales.
**Passive: True Damage Against Neutral Enemy**
- Deals permanent wounds.
- Completely ignores physical and magical defense.
The dragon roared in agony and shot into the sky, its intelligence adapting rapidly. It attempted to heal itself, but the wound refused to close. Enraged, it swung its massive wings, scattering storm clouds, and bellowed in a distorted, almost human voice:
"You dare toy with me, insignificant human!? If I cannot kill you… then I will reduce this pathetic planet to ashes!"
A gigantic portal began forming in the clouds above, growing to the size of the Earth itself.
"Humans… prepare for the end!"
The dragon roared an ancient incantation:
"**Desipre grioem des fure God!**"
The spell completed—and nothing happened. The dragon looked utterly confused as the man now had only a tiny scratch on his cheek.
"You went through all that… just to give me a scratch on the face? My turn."
He slashed his sword through the air. An invisible blade of energy shot forward. The dragon tried to defend itself, but its defenses were instantly nullified. The slash tore across its body, sending the colossal beast crashing into the mountain below, obliterating it.
"Hmm. That dragon was as weak as I thought."
His sword slid back into its scabbard on its own, as if magnetized. Suddenly, a slime appeared and latched onto him, dealing 100 damage with each attack. He couldn't draw his sword. The slime quickly engulfed his face.
"Woaaaaah—! What the—!? Oh… it was just a dream."
He woke up gasping for air, drenched in sweat. The dream had felt far too real.