Chapter 21: The Ultimate Spell!

"Hiss—"

Zheng Zha gasped, his entire body shuddering. "That Tyrant was so difficult to fight. If two more had come, I would have been finished."

Mu Gang sat cross-legged on the ground like a meditating monk. As he breathed, he recovered his inner energy. As the most versatile energy cycle, inner energy’s greatest merit was its endurance in prolonged combat. It wasn't that it provided more energy at the same level, but that the recovery rate was faster—especially at his current level where, despite the small capacity, he could replenish his strength in mere tens of seconds. After the recent battle, Mu Gang had grown slightly more familiar with manipulating his inner energy, allowing him to circulate it throughout his body to soothe his pain.

Qian Gu asked Zheng Zha, "How much energy do you have left?"

"Not much, just enough to recover from these wounds," Zheng Zha said, clutching his chest. "Thank goodness my cellular regeneration is strong enough, or I’d be in real trouble."

"It's a good thing I came prepared." Qian Gu pulled another scroll from his robe and let out a deep breath. "This is it—the ultimate spell!"

"The ultimate spell?" Everyone’s interest was piqued. "What is it?"

Scroll of Summon Monster (4th Level), valued at 1,000 reward points.

Yes. This was the "ultimate spell" of the "Infinite Multiverse": the invincible monster summon. In the Dungeons & Dragons concept, a "monster" was a general term for any creature that could be interacted with, fought, and killed. Thus, the scope was incredibly broad, ranging from wild beasts to elemental creatures and demons. The reason this spell was dubbed "the strongest" lay in its sheer exaggeration.

"4th Level..." Qian Gu sighed. "My processing power is insufficient; I can't analyze it yet." His current arcane analytical ability could barely decode a 2nd-level spell in a short time, but "Summon Monster" was 4th level. The complexity wasn't a simple multiplier; with his current meager arcane energy, it was very difficult.

He tore open the scroll. All his arcane energy surged into it, maximizing the effect and even specifying the summoned creature. On the open ground in front of Qian Gu, a flicker of light suddenly appeared. A magic circle flashed briefly on the floor, and a massive monster emerged from nothingness. It crouched on the ground, emitting a low, guttural growl.

It was a bear. Or rather... a ursine creature. Even just crouching, it was immense. If it stood up, it would easily reach seven or eight meters in height. Its body was composed of explosive muscles and thick fur, with black, bone-like protrusions in some areas that radiated an indestructible, rock-hard aura.

Zhan Lan was startled and quickly asked, "What is this?"

"That scroll is called 'Summon Monster,' a 4th-level spell. Its effect is to summon a creature with power equivalent to a level-four magical intensity," Qian Gu said, chuckling as he watched the giant bear. "Looks like we struck gold."

A Dire Bear! A feral, monstrous creature that, as a single entity, possessed combat power equivalent to a Second-Order Transcendent warrior. Simply put, it had the strength to tear apart an Alien Queen and crush a combat-type Tyrant. It was pure luck; one couldn't always count on such a draw.

***

The entire Zhongzhou Team had invested heavily in this side-quest exploration.

Zhang Jie laughed, "We’re set! We’re absolutely set! The monster you summoned has a more intimidating aura than that Tyrant from just a moment ago!"

"It's not enough yet..." Qian Gu raised his hand toward the Dire Bear, his lips moving in a silent incantation.

*Mage Armor, cast!*
*Enhance Ability: Bull's Strength, cast!*

Spellcasters were typically viewed as violent magical artillery, but they were never *just* artillery. Especially in the D&D series, spellcasters were defined by their bizarre and varied spell effects, and their supporting roles were even more prominent. They were like the legends in real-world myths: the eternal protagonists were the heroes and warriors, while the mages were the mentors and guides behind them—like Merlin to King Arthur.

The Dire Bear's aura surged violently, growing exponentially. Heat began to rise from its muscles, and every fiber seemed to pulse as if coming to life.

*Thump.*
*Thump.*

Footsteps echoed from the distance. It was a Tyrant. The new Tyrant released by the Red Queen was charging toward them, intending to crush and pulverize Zheng Zha and his team into a pile of mangled flesh.

"ROAR!"

A terrifying, thunderous roar erupted. The high-strength glass in the surroundings shattered under the shockwave, and a gust of wind knocked Zhan Lan to the ground.

*Sprint!*

In less than a second, the Dire Bear covered a hundred meters, meeting the Tyrant head-on. It raised a massive, exaggerated paw and swiped at the Tyrant. The Tyrant was sent flying back with the same speed it had used to charge.

"So... so strong!" Zheng Zha gulped hard.

Zhan Lan let out a slow sigh of relief. "If Qian Gu has a trump card like this, our next horror movie cycle will be a breeze."

*A breeze?* Zhang Jie was smiling, but his expression was unreadable. *'You kid! You really are...'*

It was a one-sided beatdown. Facing the Dire Bear, the Tyrant was essentially being toyed with. One swipe sent it flying, and another swipe crushed its head into a mist of blood.

***

[Killed combat-type Tyrant, gained 1,000 reward points.]

"Very good, the cost of the scroll has been recouped," Qian Gu rubbed his temples to soothe the throbbing ache in his brain. "Let's head downward."

***

"What is that?" The Red Queen watched the footage transmitted by the surveillance equipment, scanning her database, yet finding no answer. It was not a project developed by the Umbrella Corporation.

But! Its power was even more terrifying than any of Umbrella's projects, making it more worthy of the title "Tyrant."

"Wake Dr. Isaacs."

*Hiss—*

The cryo-chamber opened, and a middle-aged blonde man opened his eyes and stepped out. "Has the new century arrived, Red Queen?"

"Not yet, Doctor." The Red Queen’s projection appeared beside him. "We are in the early stages of the plan. The full-scale infection of Raccoon City has not yet begun."

"Then why wake me?" Dr. Isaacs was the mastermind behind the Umbrella Corporation, currently one of the highest-ranking authorities in the company, the master of the Hive, and the architect of the human cleansing plan.

"Doctor, please watch." The Red Queen projected the footage of the Dire Bear leading the way. The Tyrants sent to intercept them were being crushed one by one, barely slowing the team's advance. Qian Gu and the others followed behind the Dire Bear, calmly recovering their energy.

"Is this a new runaway project?" Dr. Isaacs raised an eyebrow. "Choosing a bear as the base? A black bear, or a polar bear?"

"It is not," the Red Queen replied coolly. "There is no data on this project in my database. Furthermore, they are moving toward our location."

"Traitors? Spoilers?" Dr. Isaacs watched with interest. "Activate the latest sealed products. But before that, I want to have a chat with them."