Dire Tombs III is the 33rd chapter of The Beginning After The End Novel.
Summary[]
After the devastating battle against the Elderwood Guardian, Arthur prepares for what could be his final stand. He activates Phase Two: Dragon’s Awakening, the second stage of Sylvia’s dragon will. The transformation floods him with overwhelming mana, granting immense power but threatening his sanity. His hair turns white, golden runes etch across his body, and his vision fades to shades of gray, with mana particles glowing as the only color. For the first time, Arthur feels like a true dragon—able to command nature and mana itself.
With this newfound strength, he confronts the Elderwood Guardian, whose enormous form now shows hints of fear. Arthur attacks with godlike speed, his movements blurring as black lightning coils around him. The vines that touch the lightning disintegrate instantly, but the beast regenerates faster than he can destroy it. Knowing his body can’t withstand the recoil for long, Arthur decides to finish it in one blow. He ignites his hands with White Fire, his deadliest ice-based technique, and releases Absolute Zero, freezing the entire mana beast solid—even the atoms within it. The black lightning explodes outward, shattering the frozen creature into glimmering shards of ice, leaving behind only its mana core.
The victory comes at a severe cost. Arthur vomits blood and collapses, barely conscious. The last thing he hears is Sylvie’s cry echoing in his mind.
When he wakes, he’s overwhelmed by excruciating pain—his body shredded from the inside out by the recoil of Dragon’s Awakening. Elijah is there, having saved both Arthur and Jasmine by creating a small shelter of metal to protect them from the collapsing cave. Too weak to move, Arthur instructs Elijah to use the healing gems from his glove to mend their injuries. Jasmine is unconscious and badly burned from Lucas’s betrayal, but Elijah manages to heal her partially.
As they rest, Arthur learns that Elijah has unique abilities—he is a metal deviant, capable not only of manipulating but also conjuring metal, something thought impossible even for dwarves. Elijah admits his mysterious origins: raised by a dwarf named Elder Rahdeas in the kingdom of Darv, with no memory of his parents or past. His mana core condenses unnaturally fast, and he has struggled to control his devastating powers. He fears himself and what he might become. Arthur listens silently, recognizing Elijah’s inner turmoil and strength.
In turn, Arthur reveals his own secrets: he’s an eleven-year-old quadra-elemental augmenter with two deviances—ice and lightning—and a beast will inherited from a dragon. The revelation shocks Elijah, who laughs in disbelief and offers his hand in friendship. Arthur accepts, introducing himself fully as Arthur Leywin—though Elijah can call him “Art.”
The two bond over their shared isolation and abnormal gifts, discussing their pasts and the challenges of controlling their power. When Jasmine finally wakes, she rushes to Arthur in tears, apologizing for not protecting him. Arthur comforts her, assuring her that he’s the one who was reckless and that they survived together.