The Jeweled Mammoth had sensed the danger the moment the sky darkened. Every instinct screamed at it to run. It tried, putting every ounce of its massive strength into escaping. But no matter how fast it moved, it was impossible to outrun Dragon Star Cluster.
The attack covered an enormous range, and with Dragonite's precise control, every single "meteor" honed in on its target like they had built-in tracking.
Blazing streaks cut through the sky, leaving glowing trails behind as if the very heavens had been torn apart. Almost every blast was aimed directly at the mammoth's head and tail, deliberately avoiding the abdomen—the most valuable part of the creature.
Then, the world erupted.
One explosion after another detonated with deafening force, lighting up the surroundings as if it were the middle of the day. The shockwaves blasted outward in every direction.
The mammoth's agonized roar was swallowed by the chaos, its massive body unable to withstand the relentless assault. In mere seconds, the once-mighty beast fell silent.
The sheer force of the attack didn't just obliterate the mammoth—it reshaped the entire landscape. Trees were ripped from the ground and sent flying like twigs in a hurricane.
In the blink of an eye, the once-dense forest had been replaced by a barren clearing, with the massive corpse of the Jeweled Mammoth lying at its center.
Larry, watching from above, was taken aback. He knew Dragonite was strong, but even he hadn't expected such a level of destruction. It looked like something out of a warzone.
"If someone walked in right now, they'd probably think we just witnessed Pain's Shinra Tensei flattening Konoha," he muttered to himself.
Of course, it wasn't that extreme, but the destruction was undeniable.
While Larry took it in stride, Menchi was frozen in shock. Her wide eyes darted back and forth between the scorched battlefield and Dragonite, struggling to process what she had just witnessed.
"This… this was Dragonite?!" she stammered, her voice barely coherent.
She had expected Dragonite to be powerful—its presence alone had made that clear. But this? This was beyond anything she could have imagined. That wasn't just a strong attack. That was a full-scale catastrophe.
And she wasn't the only one feeling that way.
Deep in the forest, Gel and Lika stared in stunned silence, their faces pale. The sky had just rained down a meteor storm, and they had no idea who or what had caused it.
"That… that wasn't something a human can do, right?" Lika swallowed hard, her voice trembling. The sheer force of the attack had shaken her to the core.
Gel, usually calm and composed, found himself at a loss for words. He recalled the moment Larry had taken down the Giant Ant Lion, but this was something else entirely. His lips tightened.
"We have seen something like this before…" he murmured, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
As one of the Zodiac—Snake—Gel had experienced countless battles. But today, for the first time in a long while, he felt something unsettling. Powerlessness.
The gap in strength was simply too vast. This was a level of power that ordinary people could never reach.
Back at the administrative building, Linne remained silent, her sharp gaze fixed on the distant battlefield. She had seen plenty in her lifetime, but what she just witnessed had left even her shaken.
The sheer aura of power radiating from that attack… and the most terrifying part?
'Larry didn't just have one beast like that. If he had two at that level…' A chill ran down her spine as a terrifying thought crossed her mind. 'What if he has even more?'
With a loud thud, Dragonite landed smoothly on the ground, carrying Larry and Menchi on its back. The scene before them was completely unrecognizable.
Where there was once a thriving forest, there was now only an empty wasteland. The sheer force of Dragon Star Cluster had not only wiped out the mammoth but left behind a massive crater, the ground dented in like a battlefield after an aerial bombing.
The two of them slid off Dragonite's back, approaching the massive, lifeless body of the Jeweled Mammoth. Its once-vibrant black-and-red fur had been scorched beyond recognition. Most of its body was barely distinguishable, except for one part—the abdomen.
Somehow, despite the devastation, Dragonite had perfectly preserved the most valuable part of the mammoth. Its massive ivory tusks, though slightly damaged, remained mostly intact.
Dragonite stepped forward, its claws glowing with a faint orange Aura. Without hesitation, it plunged its hands into the mammoth's abdomen and pulled.
With a squelch, the flesh tore apart, revealing the prize they had come for.
A dazzling glow burst forth from within. There, nestled inside the mammoth's belly, was the legendary ingredient—Diamond Meat.
Translucent and shimmering like an enormous gemstone, the core of the Gem Mammoth radiated with brilliance, glowing like a perfectly cut diamond under the sunlight. Larry's eyes sparkled with excitement.
The diamond meat was massive, about the size of a small car, and its sheer presence was awe-inspiring. Even without cooking, a rich, mouthwatering aroma filled the air, making it impossible to ignore.
Up close, the scent was even stronger, almost overwhelming. Strangely enough, despite being raw, it smelled more appetizing than most cooked meals.
Its surface was covered in intricate, vein-like patterns, but rather than diminishing its appearance, they gave it an almost polished, gemstone-like quality. It looked less like a piece of meat and more like a sculpted masterpiece.
This was the goal of their expedition, and now that they had it, Larry should have been thinking about moving on. But as he stared at the glistening slab of diamond meat, all thoughts of strategy faded from his mind. His stomach growled, and he swallowed hard, unable to resist the temptation.
There was only one thought running through his head—'I have to eat this!'
"We're eating here," he said decisively, his gaze locked on the meat.
Beside him, Menchi finally tore her eyes away from it. Like Larry, she had been completely captivated. Glancing at the darkening sky, she realized how late it had gotten.
They had entered this place at noon, battled a giant ant lion, searched for rose rock, captured saber-toothed tigers, and even hunted a Jeweled mammoth. Now, evening was upon them.
Their progress had been far faster than the other contestants. With Arcanine and Dragonite on their side, even high-level ingredients were easy to capture.
Other teams struggled for hours, sometimes even failing after exhausting all their energy. This kind of competition was all about making smart choices—knowing your limits, picking your targets wisely, and not getting too greedy. Those who overestimated themselves would only end up failing.
"Alright, let's eat here," Menchi agreed. It was time to see whether this so-called diamond meat was really as incredible as it seemed.
With a snap of her fingers, several kitchen utensils materialized around her. The centerpiece of the setup? A large iron griddle. The open clearing left behind by Dragonite's attack made it easy to set up; no extra space needed.