Boom!
The mountain-sized dragon folded its wings and landed heavily on the ground.
The vast Statue Square shook violently. Invisible pressure spread outward, churning up billowing waves of air.
It seemed everything was over.
The fleeing ant had been crushed by the higher-dimensional dragon, its flesh and bones pulverized, its existence snuffed out.
The dark-silver dragon without a tail narrowed its eyes slightly, satisfied gleams swirling in its dark-yellow slit pupils.
It had taken a little effort, but the result was still what it had expected.
It was in no hurry to move its foot. As a terrifying creature that had lived for countless ages, it had controlled the force of that strike with exquisite precision.
Barring any surprises, it should have been just enough to crush that insignificant human insect without completely destroying the "vessel" it needed.
"Bahafus."
A low, oily voice emerged from the tailless dark-silver dragon's mouth, tinged with malice and greed.
It raised its head high, gazing up at the immense, silent, majestic dragon statue nearby.
"You gave up this opportunity yourself. Don't accuse me of stealing it..."
"All these countless millennia, trapped in this wretched place forgotten by the rules... I've long since grown utterly sick of it."
The dark-silver dragon swept its eyes over the other ancient statues in the square, an openly mocking curve lifting the corner of its mouth.
"Stay here, then. Wait for time to eat away at you until you slowly rot and die."
The dark-silver dragon gave a low growl, as though declaring its triumph. The surrounding statues remained silent. No being answered it.
It did not care. It simply kept talking, pouring out all the venomous resentment it had suppressed for untold years.
Yet before its long, rambling tirade ended, it seemed to detect some unusual energy fluctuation.