Chapter 169: Realm breaker evolves

After the Flame Bone Dragon was pinned tightly against the side of the volcano by Laira, the battlefield became much quieter for the time being. The monster’s roars still occasionally echoed from beneath her foot, but its skeletal wings had been wrapped so tightly by the Boundless Fishing Rod that they could no longer spread open, while its skull had also been forced deep into the molten rock by Laira’s foot.

Every time it tried to struggle, the black fishing line tightened by another loop, while Laira only needed to lower her center of gravity slightly to force all of its weight back into the ground.

In the distance, the Undead Mage continued dragging monster bones and the remaining equipment fragments toward Ethan. The pile of materials in front of him had already formed a small hill, ranging from the bones of creatures that lived within fire-element environments and pieces of metal tempered for countless years to Energy Crystals buried deep beneath the ash.

The Eye of Truth continued operating, helping Ethan separate what was truly valuable before using Decomposition to remove the parts that had already decayed or been too severely eroded by fire-element energy.

However, the amount of material inside the Ember Battlefield was simply too great. Ethan had maintained Decomposition for a long time and had also consumed quite a bit of strength protecting himself when the Flame Bone Dragon descended. By the time he finished decomposing a rib almost as large as the trunk of an ancient tree, his face had visibly turned pale, and the hand holding Realm Breaker was trembling slightly.

Ruo Yan, who was sorting crystals nearby, immediately noticed his condition. She stopped what she was doing, frowned slightly, then said, "You should rest for a while. These materials are not going anywhere, and Laira is still holding that dragon down."

"I know." Ethan let out a breath before sitting beside a flat rock. "But I also know that dragon is not the type that will lie still forever."

In the distance, Laira heard him and lowered her head to look at the Flame Bone Dragon beneath her foot. She raised a hand and lightly patted its cracked skull, her tone sounding as though she were lecturing a disobedient pet. "Hear that? You need to stay still a little longer. If you dare move, I will punch you again."

The flames inside the Flame Bone Dragon’s eye sockets erupted violently. It tried to raise its head, but Laira only applied a little more force, forcing its enormous forehead back down again. The surrounding ground immediately cracked, lava splashing upward like waves. Mumu, standing near Ethan, saw the scene and raised both short arms, looking extremely supportive.

Meanwhile, the Undead Mage dragged a bone more than ten meters long past them. The blue flames in its eye sockets flickered slightly, its appearance making it seem as though it had already grown completely accustomed to this group using giant monsters as decorations.

Ethan did not waste any more time watching. He lowered his head and checked the materials he had just decomposed, while a thought gradually formed in his mind. Realm Breaker was the strongest weapon in his possession, but ever since entering the ruins, the opponents he encountered were no longer ordinary creatures.

The Mutated Lava Fish, the Flame Bone Dragon, and the existences corrupted by the Void all possessed troublesome abilities to recover or regenerate their bodies. If he merely increased its destructive power, Realm Breaker might still be unable to solve the problem at its source.

He raised his hand, and the black-silver handgun appeared in his palm. Realm Breaker’s surface was as cold as ever, while the extremely fine patterns running along the body of the gun only emitted a faint glow. Ethan closed his eyes for a moment, then activated the Eye of Truth.

Pale golden light spread through his pupils. Instead of looking at the materials around him, he focused all of his attention on Realm Breaker’s internal structure. Layer after layer of metal, every energy channel, and even the incomprehensible patterns hidden deep within the gun gradually appeared before him, allowing him to see which areas could still be fused with additional materials and which would cause the entire structure to become unstable.

Only after a long time did Ethan open his eyes again. From the pile of decomposed materials, he took out several pieces of dark red refined metal, a piece of ancient bone from a fire-element monster, three Rank B Lava Energy Crystals, and the remaining core of an ancient suit of armor. All of these materials possessed compatible properties, just enough to strengthen the gun without changing Realm Breaker’s original rank.

"What are you planning to do?" Ruo Yan looked at the materials he had selected, her expression shifting slightly. She understood forging and material fusion far better than Ethan, so just by seeing how he arranged the materials around the gun, she had already guessed his intention.

"Upgrade it a little." Ethan replied, then smiled as though he were talking about something completely ordinary. "If it works, the next time we encounter a monster that likes regenerating itself, we will not have to keep fighting it over and over again."

Ruo Yan looked at his still-exhausted face and was about to advise him again. However, when she saw that Ethan’s gaze remained clear, she only nodded slightly before spreading her Soul Threads around them. The thin threads immediately sealed off an empty area, preventing the energy from the fusion from spreading outward. Mumu also jumped over, its soft body spreading into a pale golden cushion beneath Ethan’s feet before trying to transfer some supportive energy into him.

Feeling the warm energy coming from Mumu, Ethan lowered his head and looked at it. "You are being good this time."

Mumu immediately raised its round body proudly, but the moment Ethan placed Realm Breaker among the materials, it secretly extended a tentacle toward the nearest Rank B crystal. Ethan did not even turn his head. He simply raised a hand and lightly tapped its soft body.

"This one is for upgrading the gun."

Mumu instantly pulled its tentacle back and lay completely still, as though it had never intended to steal anything from the beginning.

Ethan took a deep breath and placed both hands on the gun. Decomposition and Fusion activated simultaneously. The dark red refined metal separated into countless tiny particles of light, the ancient monster bone transformed into streams of energy carrying dense fire-element aura, while the three Energy Crystals shattered one after another and became streams of scorching lava that enveloped Realm Breaker.

The gun trembled violently. The patterns that had originally been faint began lighting up section by section, like something that had been asleep for a long time was finally being awakened.

Pain from the rapid energy consumption quickly spread through Ethan. He felt as though all the strength inside his body was being drained through his arms, but he still did not stop. The Eye of Truth continuously adjusted the fusion ratio, forcing each portion of material into the appropriate position. If even one step went wrong, not only would all the materials be wasted, Realm Breaker itself could also be damaged.

Ruo Yan stared intently at the fusion process, the hand resting on her Soul Threads unconsciously tightening. Laira, in the distance, also noticed the unusual energy fluctuations. She still kept her foot on the Flame Bone Dragon’s head, but her gaze had already turned toward Ethan.

"Do not push yourself too hard," Laira reminded him. "If that thing explodes, I do not want to go around picking up pieces of your gun."

"Do not worry." Ethan gritted his teeth, his voice becoming slightly hoarse. "If it really explodes, I will have Mumu pick them up."

Hearing its name, Mumu immediately raised its head and looked at the surging fire-element energy surrounding Realm Breaker. It remained silent for two seconds before quietly retreating behind Ruo Yan. It could be brave, but it also knew the difference between something it should eat and something that might turn it into a fireball if swallowed.

When Ethan began feeling dizzy, the streams of lava surrounding Realm Breaker finally started to recede slowly. All the materials had completely disappeared, while dark red patterns had appeared across the black-silver body of the gun. They did not glow continuously, but every time Ethan breathed, the patterns flashed as though flames were flowing within them.

[Realm Breaker has completed enhancement fusion.]

[Realm Breaker’s rank remains unchanged.]

[All existing effects have been doubled.]

[New special effect unlocked: Burning.]

[Targets injured by Realm Breaker’s bullets will suffer persistent corrosive flames. While the effect remains active, the target cannot regenerate or remove the flames unless it possesses power that surpasses Realm Breaker’s effect.]

Ethan looked at the notification, a smile gradually appearing on his face. The rank remaining unchanged was within his expectations. However, all of its existing effects being doubled and the addition of Burning had exceeded what he had hoped for. Against creatures that relied on bodily regeneration, such as the Flame Bone Dragon, this was almost a direct counter.

Laira glanced at the gun in his hand, then lowered her head toward the Bone Dragon beneath her foot. She smiled with obvious interest.

"Can I test it on this one?"

Before Ethan could answer, the ground beneath them suddenly shook violently. Black-purple cracks suddenly appeared across the skull that Laira had been firmly pinning down, while the flames inside the Flame Bone Dragon’s eye sockets changed into a completely unfamiliar color.