Everyone in the Hell Legion was no stranger to Spatial Lock — in fact, they were intimately familiar with it.
Certain places across the Western Continent functioned this way, and some even prevented the use of items and tools. There was nothing unusual about it.
But when a dragon commanded Spatial Lock, the implications were something else entirely entirely.
"Damn it! How can the system be so favorable to them? Such a powerful dragon, and it can even control Spatial Lock — who could possibly stand against it?!" Thunder Beast, who stood nearly three meters tall and looked like some primal savage, glared at Sacred Dragon Alberek before him and couldn't help but curse. All the composure he'd had before entering the city had vanished.
The Hell Legion understood the strength of dragons better than any other faction, because they had actually seen dragons with their own eyes. They had even clashed briefly with several of them. That was what gave them the confidence to come here.
But none of the dragons they had encountered could compare to the one before them now — it felt like an entirely different species.
It was merely a fourth-rank young dragon, yet the dragon pressure it radiated made it difficult for them to even move. Even the fifth-rank Dark Dragons they had witnessed before lacked such ability.
Being powerful was one thing, but it had also mastered Spatial Lock — something even the top-tier fourth-rank NPCs rarely commanded. What was even the point of fighting?
It was like a beast with extraordinary physical prowess picking up firearms and using them with devastating skill.
As Sacred Dragon Alberek touched down and fixed its gaze on the Hell Legion, every member of the force felt as though they had been frozen solid. Their bodies grew stiff and rigid, movement becoming agonizingly difficult. All they could do was watch as Sacred Dragon Alberek walked toward them, step by step. The closer it drew, the more oppressive that force crushing their bodies became — and there was nothing they could do about it.
Watching Sacred Dragon Alberek draw nearer, a wave of regret swept through the Hell Legion. They had been too impulsive.
If they had only seen this dragon guarding Starfall Bastion beforehand, they wouldn't be in such a helpless position now.
"Black Wolf, you and the others — activate the Mana Barrier!" Hell Howl barked at the third-rank Ranger beside him as despair began to creep over the Hell Legion. "Everyone else, use this chance to pull out!"
Sacred Dragon Alberek's power had far exceeded his expectations, but that didn't mean he was willing to surrender quietly and let the God's Intent Tribe laugh at them.
If any other super guild's elite force had been in their place, they might have truly been helpless against this dragon.
But the Hell Legion was different.
The legacies and ancient magical technology the Netherworld Empire had obtained were beyond what ordinary super guilds could dream of.
After Hell Howl's command, Black Wolf and several others who wore dark-blue leather armor — third-rank Rangers — gritted their teeth and forced dark-grey Mana Crystals from their inventory, beginning their incantation.
In an instant, dense magical energy surged inward from all directions toward Black Wolf and his group, coalescing into a pitch-black magical barrier that completely enveloped every member of the Hell Legion.
Once the barrier formed, the Hell Legion found that they could move freely once more. The Spatial Lock around them shattered in an instant.
"Good — everyone, use your Town Portal Scrolls and pull out!" Hell Howl ordered, breathing a sigh of relief as the Spatial Lock dissolved.
The Mana Barrier was the Netherworld Empire's crowning achievement.
Unlike offensive magical barriers designed to suppress enemies, this one could independently create its own domain for a short period, freeing everyone inside from any restrictions. It could even be activated in places where Town Portal Scrolls normally wouldn't work.
Moreover, once the barrier was raised, nothing from the outside could easily breach it — making it the finest survival and defensive tool in the entire Divine Realm.
Originally, this Mana Barrier had been reserved for seizing the Lord's Manor, but right now, there was no room to worry about such concerns.
As Hell Howl issued his orders and the others pulled out Town Portal Scrolls to channel their retreat, Sacred Dragon Alberek reached the edge of the Mana Barrier and drove a claw into the pitch-black magical shield.
BOOM!
The resulting explosion shook all of Starfall Bastion to its foundations.