"Boom!!!"

After a second of charging, the Dragon Gun roared loudly, its immense recoil even pushed Yun You back several meters!

The blood-colored liquid containing all its power was vaporized into red smoke by the high temperature, then roared out from the muzzle, forming a scarlet energy beam that collided with the oncoming laser.

However, the "laser duel" that everyone imagined did not occur.

Because the imposing blue laser shattered the moment it touched the scarlet beam.

The destruction of the beam is hard to describe with the word "shatter," after all, it has no physical form, how could it break apart like a tangible object?

But this was indeed what happened.

The formidable blue beam that had always been unstoppable now crumbled like a dog with its tail between its legs.

Meanwhile, the scarlet beam crushed everything in its path with unstoppable force.

Both being energy attacks, the beam fired by the Dragon Gun also reached a speed infinitely close to that of light.

So, before Taisui could react, it was hit by the scarlet beam.

Pa—!

Another heart-stopping loud noise followed.

But unlike the clean and swift blue laser, the Dragon Gun's beam contained a more violent energy.

It pierced through Taisui's body, tearing and crushing the creature's flesh, even causing an almost "implosion" effect.

And all of this happened in the blink of an eye.

When the aftermath of the scarlet beam slowly dissipated, the hill-sized Taisui was left with only half its body.

Its upper torso exploded into a mass of unrecognizable flesh, its blood evaporated into a mist, which then, due to the low temperature, slowly turned into a drizzle of blood, showering down on itself.

The majesty of the dragon is inviolable; if angered, it will end with blood as its finale!

"..."

Jack and Frost Moon were dumbfounded.

They might have expected that the weapon Yun You brought out at such a crucial moment would be a treasured one, with considerable power.

But they never imagined that the Dragon Gun's power would be this overwhelming.

Not to mention a Tier One mutant creature, even a Tier Two Apprentice Death God like Black Tiger would likely be taken out in a single hit...

But the precondition for an instant kill is hitting the target, and using such a slow-charging cannon against the agile Apprentice Death God is evidently not easy.

The Dragon Gun is too heavy, suitable only as a stationary siege cannon rather than a weapon for combat duels.

However, regardless, this move was undeniably strong... even the usually expressionless Aurora was a bit surprised.

Her beautiful blue eyes blinked a few times, who knows what she was thinking...

"What... what incredible power!"

Yun You stared dumbstruck at her smoking right hand.

The light on the Dragon Gun had already faded, but the fearsome muzzle and traces of red smoke still lingered on the gun, silently testifying to its great power.

"This is too strong!"

"Master Zero! You actually have such a secret weapon? Amazing..."

"With this, we can..."

As she spoke, Yun You's expression suddenly froze, and her words got stuck in her throat.

She realized that Master Zero hadn't spoken in a long time.

She recalled... that when Master Zero was reporting the details of Red Scale's evolution, he had said this:

[Life Force Sacrifice completed, Red Scale, forcibly evolved]

"Life Force... Sacrifice... Forcibly evolve?"

"Could it be?!

The young girl's expression changed.

Yun You was not a pessimistic person, but she always had a habit of considering the worst-case scenarios.

The Dragon Gun's power was terrifying, far beyond her current ability limits.

Yet after firing a shot, she suffered no harm and paid no price.

This was abnormal.

The only logical explanation was...

The price was real, but Master Zero had borne it all for her.

And what would this price be? Could it be Master Zero's life...

Yun You gritted her teeth tightly, the excitement for the new weapon vanished, leaving only indescribable sorrow.

The young girl's personality was peculiar.

Since leaving her hometown, she had sealed off her heart, only using fake smiles and tears to interact with others, her true self rarely exposed.

But "rarely" does not mean "impossible."

The human heart is made of flesh, and even the most cold-hearted ones have things they care about.

Yun You was no exception.

She had a problem: finding it difficult to accept others' kindness.

Whenever offered a helping hand, she couldn't help but wonder, was this person trying to use her? Or were they harboring some harmful plot against her?

In Nest City, good people often get hurt, only self-interest is deemed rightful.

Rightful...

So being guarded like this wasn't entirely wrong.

But if... if Yun You realized that the kindness was not an illusion but a genuine sacrifice, she would accept the person and see them as a "partner" as important as her own life.

Jack was one, Frost Moon was another, and Master Zero, most of all.

So, upon understanding that Master Zero might be in danger, Yun You suddenly felt her legs weaken, and her hand hidden in the Dragon Gun trembled uncontrollably...

It had been so long since she last felt the pain of losing something cherished, and the emotional pillar she relied on had disappeared.

"Master... Master Zero..."

"Master Zero..."

The young girl could no longer stand, she had to put down the Dragon Gun and lean it on the ground to barely support herself.

Despair, regret, pain, sorrow... countless emotions fermented in Yun You's heart.

She was in utmost agony.

[No... don't... don't cry!]

Just as Yun You was about to be swallowed by despair, Master Zero, silent for so long, finally spoke.

Its voice was still as snarky, still incredibly weak, but at this moment, to Yun You's ears, it was like a heavenly melody, rekindling the dying hope.

[I'm... not... gone yet...]

[Don't... jinx me...]

[Stupid Yun kid...]

Master Zero spoke weakly. Though its words were blaming and sarcastic, in reality, it was comforting the young girl, telling her not to worry about it.

[I'm not that easy to kick the bucket...]

[Just a bit tired...]

[Didn't we say earlier? This Dragon Gun consumes a lot... it was supposed to wait until you finished your mission... became a legit Apprentice Death God... and then slowly master it]

[Now it's like... prematurely overdrafting... so the consumption is naturally hard to bear]

[Firing the Dragon Gun... requires sacrificing one's own Life Force... sacrificing some flesh or organ... in order for it to fire...]

[But don't worry, you're so badly injured now, how could I let you bear it... so this time, I'll take the price...]

[Jack was right, can't always let you, the kid, bleed and cry... as adults, we should shoulder responsibilities...]

[No need to worry about me... I'm fine, just a bit sleepy... need to nap for a while...]

[If you care for me, find me some rare metals to eat]

[Alright, one last thing...]

[The Life Force I consumed this time can still let the Dragon Gun fire one more shot, and this shot should thoroughly take care of Taisui...]

[After I go dormant, you can awaken the Dragon Gun again with the method I taught you...]

[But if you want to use it, you'll have to pay the price of flesh and organs, so be cautious, be cautious!]

[We don't want to see a broken Yun kid...]

[Alright, that's it for now, I'm off to sleep]

[Good luck Yun kid, believe in yourself, we can overcome any hardship together!]

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