The younger mage who had nearly lost hope earlier immediately felt the crushing pressure inside his chest loosen the moment Erend appeared before them.

Relief struck him so strongly that his knees almost weakened.

But it was not only him. The other expedition members reacted almost the same way. Several knights visibly released heavy breaths they had been unconsciously holding while some of the younger mages stared toward Erend with widened eyes filled with disbelief and relief.

The Dragonborn had truly come.

The legendary beings the kingdoms had spoken about during the last several days were not merely stories meant to maintain morale. He was real. And now he stood directly before them.

The fear consuming the group moments earlier began fading rapidly afterward because every person present already knew who Erend was.

They had all heard the reports regarding the Dragonborns’ overwhelming strength and the impossible battles they fought across worlds. Now they were about to witness that strength themselves.

Even the terrified younger mages slowly began regaining some spirit afterward. In fact, several of them suddenly looked far more alert than before. Because beneath their fear, they were still scholars at heart. They were talented researchers, mages devoted to studying power and knowledge.

One mage from Leonora immediately pulled a floating recording crystal from inside his robe while another mages quickly began activating several Magical observation runes around his eyes.

"Don’t miss anything," one of them muttered nervously toward the others.

Lareth himself also hurriedly reached for a small enchanted notebook attached to his belt. His fear still remained, but another feeling now mixed together with it, it was the feeling of excitement.

Because opportunities to witness a Dragonborn fighting directly probably did not exist more than a few times within an entire era.

Meanwhile, Erend slowly stepped forward. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The corrupted beasts immediately reacted with violent hostility afterward. Dozens of twisted creatures charged toward him simultaneously while the living forest erupted around him.

Thorn-covered roots exploded upward from beneath the ground while giant crimson vines lashed through the air like monstrous whips.

Erend moved. The expedition group almost failed to follow his movement entirely.

A burst of fire exploded across the battlefield as Erend vanished from his original position instantly. The ground beneath his feet shattered from the sheer force of his acceleration.

Moments later, blazing flames erupted across the corrupted horde.

One enormous beast lost its upper body completely before its remains were consumed by fire. Another creature barely managed to roar before Erend appeared beside it and tore through its body with overwhelming speed.

The flames surrounding Erend spread rapidly afterward. But these were not ordinary flames. They burned with terrifying intensity while carrying traces of Draconic power powerful enough to incinerate the corruption from the Void Architect itself.

Entire sections of the living forest anomaly ignited almost immediately. The crimson vines writhed violently while releasing horrifying screeches as the fire spread through them uncontrollably.

The giant thorned roots attempting to surround the expedition formation burned into ash within seconds.

Everywhere Erend moved, destruction followed.

The corrupted beasts could not even properly react to his speed. Most died before they fully realized he had already reached them.

Blazing trails of fire streaked across the shattered forest continuously while explosions erupted one after another throughout the battlefield.

All of it happened within an unbelievably short amount of time.

The knights and mages could only stare with admiration, slowly filling their expressions while they watched the overwhelming difference between themselves and the Dragonborn standing before them.

To them, the corrupted horde and living anomaly had looked like certain death only moments earlier. But to Erend, they looked insignificant.

After the last corrupted beast collapsed into burning ash and the living forest anomaly finally stopped moving, peace and relief spread throughout the battlefield once more.

But the shattered landscape still burned in several places while smoke and drifting embers filled the ruined air.

Erend calmly walked back toward the expedition group.

The Dragon Scales across parts of his body slowly faded while the overwhelming heat surrounding him gradually lessened. But even if his scales had gone, the pressure emanating from him still felt immense to the people watching nearby.

The knights and mages instinctively straightened themselves when he approached.

Erend looked across the group briefly before asking in a calm voice, "Is anyone hurt?"

The expedition leader immediately stepped forward and shook his head.

"No serious injuries, Dragonborn," the veteran knight answered honestly. "Thanks to your timely arrival."

But despite saying that, the knight’s expression still looked troubled. He glanced briefly toward the destroyed battlefield surrounding them before continuing.

"This was... shocking." The knight released a quiet breath afterward. "We barely emerged from the teleportation point before all this already happened." His grip tightened slightly around his sword. "I don’t mean to complain, but if this is only the beginning..."He stopped for a moment before finishing quietly. "Then what exactly is waiting for us deeper ahead?"

The atmosphere around the expedition members immediately became heavier again afterward. None of the others interrupted his words by saying anything else because the concern inside the knight’s voice reflected the same fear lingering inside nearly everyone present.

The younger mages especially looked uneasy again after hearing those words. If danger on this level already appeared only minutes after arrival, then the regions closer to the Sky Anchor fragment itself would likely become far worse.

Erend noticed those expressions immediately. His eyes moved across the exhausted knights and nervous mages while he quietly considered the situation for several moments.

Then finally, he made a decision.

"I’ll accompany your group personally for now," Erend said calmly.

The reaction was immediate. He saw relief visibly spread throughout the entire expedition almost at once. Several knights unconsciously relaxed their shoulders while some of the younger mages looked like they had just escaped an execution.

Even the veteran expedition leader released a slow breath afterward as tension finally eased from his expression slightly.

Having a Dragonborn accompanying them completely changed the situation. At the very least, they no longer felt like they were blindly walking toward certain death alone.

"Thank you," the leader knight said seriously.

Erend simply nodded.

"We shouldn’t waste time," he said afterward while looking toward the dark forest stretching deeper ahead. "The longer we delay, the more unstable this region may become."

Nobody argued with that. The expedition quickly reorganized their formation afterward before immediately continuing their journey deeper into the corrupted territory.

This time, however, the atmosphere among them had changed noticeably.

The fear still existed in their heart, but there was also hope that now existed alongside it.

The group moved at a far faster pace afterward while carefully navigating through the shattered forest and corrupted terrain.

Meanwhile, Erend remained above them. Massive Dragon wings extended from his back as he flew through the dark sky overhead while acting as a scout and protector for the expedition below.

From above, his sharp eyes continuously observed the surrounding region for signs of approaching anomalies, corrupted creatures, or distortions hidden within the landscape.

The expedition members occasionally glanced upward while continuing their march. Every single time they saw the Dragonborn flying above them, their confidence strengthened a little more.

—