The three-headed ferocious beast's roar echoed through the narrow canyon, shaking loose stones from the jagged walls. Its six crimson eyes locked onto Dustin.

The middle head jerked back and unleashed a torrent of scorching dark-red flames reeking of sulfur toward him and his group like a flood of molten lava.

Before the flames even arrived, the terrifying heat warped the air, and shallow puddles on the ground evaporated instantly. The guards felt their hair curl and their skin prickle with intense heat.

"Fall back!" Dustin barked.

Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, placing himself between the beast and the others. He didn't draw his sword but pressed two fingers together and made a light sweeping motion through the air.

A razor-sharp crescent of cyan sword aura materialized out of thin air, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek as it met the surging flames head-on.

There was no earth-shattering explosion. The cyan sword aura sliced through the dark-red pillar o