But the griffin paladin had not had long to grieve before the smoke Andreevich exhaled had even dispersed.
The mushroom cloud spanning thousands of miles began to dissipate at an astonishing speed.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Violent coughing rose from the heart of the explosion, drawing everyone's attention.
When they looked over, the mushroom cloud had already vanished, revealing Elino, the treant, riddled with wounds.
And the hill giant beneath him, whom he had shielded with his body, was likewise riddled with wounds.
"Impossible!"
Andreevich said in disbelief, "With your strength, there's no way you could have blocked the Annihilator's shot!"
Not only were the two of them alive, even the surrounding trees had suffered little damage.
Though not a blade of grass remained at the center of the blast, based on his experience, an explosion of that magnitude should not have had such a limited range.
"Indeed, cough, cough..." The treant struggled to rise, but the movement tugged at his injuries and made him cough again.
"I truly do not possess that ability, but my teacher does."
"Teacher?" Andreevich instantly realized that the teacher the treant spoke of had to be the Druid Orochimaru had mentioned.
Yet he looked around, the light on an ornament hanging from his body flashing, but he found no trace of any powerful being.
"Even the sensory radar can't detect him?" He turned to Orochimaru.
Hoping to get some information from him.
Orochimaru did not look in any direction. He merely smiled faintly and said, "True Person Daoqing, might we come pay you a visit?"
"Please." A gentle voice rang out.
Then a soft energy surged up from beneath the earth, erasing every trace of the battle.
The heavily wounded hill giant and treant recovered in an instant.
The ground that had been scorched black