Last Egg: Reincarnated as a Dragon in a Game Chapter 524: Distractions?! More like destructions!
A day later:
Vesuvius unfurled his mighty wings, ascending into the heavens until he was far above the swirling clouds. The very fabric of light and space seemed to bend and distort around his colossal form, rendering him utterly invisible to the prying eyes of mortals below.
As he navigated the skies, a pivotal segment of Lucifer's grand strategy played back in his mind. The demon lord's haughty declaration echoed ceaselessly, "Initially, our objective is to divert the maximum number of angels possible. To achieve this, I have devised a cunning diversion. We shall orchestrate assaults across the entirety of the mortal plane, specifically targeting the temples dedicated to the god of light. This maneuver will compel the celestials to dispatch their angelic guardians to these sacred sites."
A nascent inferno crackled deep within the dragon's throat. With a powerful beat of his wings, he plunged below the cloud cover, revealing a vast, sprawling metropolis stretching out beneath him.
Bypassing the formidable city walls and the imposing central fortress, his gaze fixated upon the colossal cathedral that dominated the city's core. Its twin bell towers cast elongated, sweeping shadows across the urban landscape. The sonorous peal of its bells resonated through the bustling streets.
'They remain blissfully unaware of the doom that approaches.'
Vesuvius drew a profound breath, his chest expanding as it filled with potent, dark energy. A singular, concentrated orb of shadow was unleashed, hurtling towards the city like a gargantuan meteor. Upon impact with the cathedral's central dome, the darkness detonated, engulfing the entire edifice in a tempest of void and searing flames. The very essence of reality appeared to fracture and tear as the holy structure imploded, collapsing inward before utterly disintegrating into nothingness.
A stark, empty crater marked the former location of the temple, while throngs of terrified humans swarmed through the thoroughfares in a state of utter panic.
'They ought to be grateful I spared their entire city from annihilation.' Vesuvius let out a derisive snort.
Then, for a brief interval, Vesuvius faltered. His keen nostrils detected the alluring scent of countless treasures emanating from below. Riches of gold, glittering jewels, and ancient relics—all beckoned to him from every corner of the city. Yet, his resolve proved stronger, bolstered by the anticipation of an even grander prize that was soon to be his.
'Not this time, but fear not, for eventually, I shall claim you all as well.'
Instantly, a luminous, spectral outline of a grand portal materialized in the heavens, from which spilled forth a celestial aura. Accompanying it were beams of blinding light, so intense they outshone even the sun itself.
Without the slightest hesitation, Vesuvius propelled himself forward with a powerful thrust of his wings. Space itself warped and twisted, and with a final visual distortion, he vanished from sight.
POV Vesuvius's Second Soul:
Ethereal and intangible, Vesuvius's consciousness drifted down the wide boulevard like an unseen, predatory entity. The populace around him exuded an atmosphere of palpable tension, their bodies betraying a nervous unease, heads swiveling incessantly from side to side, eyes wide and darting, searching for a menace they could not perceive but instinctively felt.
Vesuvius remained unfazed by their escalating apprehension, his focus unwavering, fixed upon a distinct white edifice standing at the street's terminus. He directed a detached fragment of his domain, his secondary soul tethered to it as if by an invisible filament.
The sensation was peculiar; the awareness of his primary soul persisted, yet felt profoundly distant, akin to a faint echo. 'Possessing two souls proves far more advantageous than I could have ever conceived,' he mused. Typically, a detached domain would inexorably wane in power without his direct connection, particularly as the distance between them grew. However, by linking his secondary soul, he sustained its potency, effectively enabling him to exist in two distinct locations simultaneously.
The domain and its spectral occupant advanced nearer to the temple. The guards stationed at the entrance tensed perceptibly, their hands instinctively closing around their weaponry, their gazes flickering erratically in all directions. Abruptly, one guard sheathed his blade, muttering audibly, "It must have been the wind."
The remaining guards stared at him, dumbfounded. "Are you dense? The wind wouldn't cause the entire street to react like this. There's definitely something dreadful lurking about, just out of sight," the second guard stated, gesturing with his sword in Vesuvius's general direction.
"A-A-A ghost?!" another guard stammered, his voice quivering, the word barely escaping his lips.
'Well, a phantom is precisely what I am now. But what is with these guards? The war must be faring poorly if they are compelled to employ such meager defenders.' Vesuvius's thoughts were tinged with a dark, smug satisfaction.
Shouts of alarm erupted from the street behind him, a cacophony of terror and bewildered confusion.
"A thief!"
"Where is my coin purse?"
"My money has vanished!"
"My ring?! My wife will surely disown me!"
For a fleeting instant, Vesuvius experienced a twinge of guilt concerning his petty pilfering, but he swiftly rationalized it away. 'I shall ultimately reign supreme over them. This is not mere pickpocketing; it is but a preliminary tax collection!'
The guards' agitation reached its zenith, and Vesuvius elected to seize the moment. His domain underwent a subtle shift, and the ambient temperature dramatically escalated. The very stone beneath him began to sizzle and crack, and wisps of steam hissed and rose from nearby puddles. The panicked crowds shrieked in terror, scattering like dry leaves caught in a ferocious gale.
The heat intensified, becoming agonizing, and relentlessly focused upon the temple. The guards cried out in unbearable torment as their bodies erupted into flames, consumed instantaneously by the inferno.
The temple walls didn't merely melt; they were annihilated, transforming into billowing clouds of molten rock and desolate ash. The entire structure succumbed, crumbling into a tumultuous ocean of lava. This searing heat radiated outward, engulfing the whole temple, reducing stone to slag and wood to smoldering remnants.
Without a moment's hesitation, Vesuvius detached his soul. His consciousness surged back into his primary form as the two souls reintegrated. A fleeting headache throbbed within him, but it dissipated as swiftly as it had emerged, leaving behind a sense of profound satisfaction.
POV A priest:
A priest let out a yawn, his posture languid behind the altar of his humble church.
Abruptly, the doors were thrown open, and a figure cloaked in robes, their face obscured by a dragon mask, burst inside. Their garments appeared noticeably distended, as if concealing something substantial underneath.
The priest's posture shifted in an instant. He snapped to attention, recognizing the mask as one associated with the dragon cultists. This was a sect so steeped in malevolence that only the various demonic cults dedicated to the seven sins surpassed them in depravity.
'They consume children!'
'Glory to Vesuvius!' the masked individual proclaimed, their voice resonating against the cold stone walls.
The priest's gaze sharpened, a mix of apprehension and revulsion crossing his features. 'What business do you have here?' he demanded, his tone resolute and unwavering, a testament to his devout faith in the God of Light.
The masked figure offered no direct reply. Instead, a gloved hand extended, a finger pointing towards the gleaming golden chalice and the ornate, jeweled relicsK displayed ostentatiously upon the altar. 'The offering,' they stated, their voice imbued with a disturbing avarice.
'Lustful, greedy, slothful, wrathful, cannibalistic, perverse!' the priest silently raged, confirming that the cult's reputation for wickedness was chillingly accurate!