Chapter 1184
"The lair of the Dragon Lord..."
Raon produced a faint clicking sound with his tongue, his gaze fixed on the dimensional gateway that shimmered with a golden radiance.
"I never imagined my arrival at the Dragon Lord’s sanctuary would occur under these circumstances."
He had spent a vast amount of time gathering intelligence across the lands to locate the Dragon Lord’s lair, but his intent had always been to slay him. He had not foreseen stepping into the sanctum after the Dragon Lord had already perished.
"Wealth and riches?"
The Gold Dragon Bartius narrowed his vision, scrutinizing the rift in space that led toward the Dragon Lord’s home.
"I suspect that location holds far more than just the simple treasures you are hunting for."
He stroked his jawline, implying that perils of a different nature than those found in standard dragon dens might be lying in wait within the Lord's private domain.
"W-what are you suggesting?"
Dorian used his sleeve to wipe away the saliva from his lips as he spun around to face Bartius.
"Are there lethal creatures lurking where the gold should be?"
He instinctively retreated three paces, his expression clouded by sudden dread.
"There are most certainly monsters!"
The Red Dragon Valasiur gave a firm, energetic nod.
"That eccentric Lord likely engineered a multitude of twisted chimeras, so proceeding with extreme caution is advised."
He released plumes of crimson vapor from his nostrils, issuing a stern warning against entering the lair without proper preparation.
"I find that hard to believe."
The Blue Dragon Sirtiren lifted an eyebrow ever so slightly.
"The Lord held no affection for the creation of Guardians."
She gave a casual shrug, hinting that the atmosphere didn't need to be so pressurized.
"Bartius. Clarify what you meant about it not being just basic treasure."
Raon made a short, beckoning motion toward the Gold Dragon.
"Until this moment, the Lord never permitted a soul to see his lair. Given that even the Ancient Dragons who stood closest to him were denied entry, it is fundamentally distinct from any normal nesting ground."
Bartius etched a deep scowl into his forehead as he looked upon the Dragon Lord’s remains.
"As Sirtiren mentioned, Guardians might be absent, but we must remain vigilant for the unforeseen."
He tightened and then released his grip, signaling his intention to lead the way into the Dragon Lord’s lair.
"You are drained as well."
The Black Dragon Dariauran let out a mocking snort while observing Bartius.
"Since Raon Zieghart is surely exhausted, I shall take point!"
He moved to the front, asserting his role as the pioneer into the unknown space.
"For once, that simpleton makes a valid point."
The White Dragon Bursiarabi raised a hand in agreement.
"Those who have spent their reserves should stay back."
He gestured with a nod, indicating that he and the others who still possessed sufficient vitality and mana would initiate the entry.
"No, Raon Zieghart and I will be the first to go in."
Bartius shook his head with absolute resolve.
"I possess a vague intuition regarding what the Lord might have set in place."
He let out a steady breath, explaining that as a member of the same Gold lineage, it was only appropriate for him to lead.
"Raon Zieghart. You take the lead."
Bartius lowered his arm, directing Raon to be the first to step into the Lord's sanctuary.
"Me? First?"
"Indeed. Because you are someone I can rely on."
His eyes remained steady and calm, conveying that he would stand by whatever actions Raon took.
"Very well."
Raon gave a nod, relaxing his clenched fist.
'My energy is low, but I haven't reached the point of being unable to strike.'
Though his physical stamina, mental focus, and aura were far from their peak, he maintained the conviction that he could outperform anyone else currently present.
"Then, we proceed."
Following Bartius’s affirmative nod, Raon stepped into the golden rift tied to the Lord’s lair. Woooong! There was none of the weightless drifting associated with a Dimensional Gate. The transition felt identical to stepping through a standard doorway. However, the moment he passed through, every companion who had been by his side vanished instantly.
'Is this another dark void?'
The pitch-black universe where the Dragon Lord had previously concealed himself manifested once more. Just as he began to wonder if he had strayed off course, a figure clad in blue robes appeared at the horizon of the void and began a rapid charge toward him.
'That man...'
Raon ground his teeth together as he tracked the approach of the blue-robed figure.
'Derus Robert!'
The man in blue, appearing out of nowhere and sprinting his way, was his ultimate foe, the world-renowned criminal Derus Robert. The antagonist unsheathed his blade with a frigid smirk, looking as though he had been anticipating this exact opening.
"Curse it!"
Raon bit down on his lip, his hand flying to the hilt of the Heavenly Drive.
'Of all the possible moments!'
Had he been in peak condition, he might have found an exit using his Sword Domain Heaven's Rift, but in his current state of depletion, even a counter-strike felt out of reach. He could see no clear path to surviving this catastrophe.
'Damn that... wait?'
Raon came to a sudden halt, a scowl on his face as he cursed the dire circumstances.
'Hold on a moment.'
Regardless of how he analyzed it, the situation was illogical. The idea of Derus Robert manifesting simply because the Dragon Lord had fallen defied all rational thought. The man wasn't some sort of Archangel.
Furthermore, considering the man had personally announced that a war would commence in thirteen months before vanishing, it was preposterous for him to resurface here after only a single month had passed.
'In that case, the requirement is...'
Raon withdrew his hand from the Heavenly Drive he had intended to draw, choosing instead to simply observe as Derus Robert closed the distance with violent intent.
"Raon Zieghart!"
Derus Robert let out a mocking laugh, sweeping his blade toward Raon’s throat. The silver locks flowing like liquid wax, the cruel and predatory light in his eyes, even the aura saturated with bloodlust and savagery—it was the exact Derus Robert etched into his mind.
Yet, Raon did not flinch as Derus Robert bore down on him. Instead, he shut his eyes tight and allowed the vicious sword path to strike his form.
Whoosh! There was no agony of sliced skin or shattered bone. Only a sensation akin to a soft breeze brushed against his shoulder. When his eyes flickered open once more, the dark universe had dissolved, replaced by a cavern completely devoid of light.
It was a gargantuan chamber, seemingly expansive enough to accommodate the true size of an Ancient Dragon with plenty of space to spare. This was clearly the authentic lair of the Dragon Lord.
"Just as I suspected."
Bartius stepped out from the periphery, nodding his head in approval.
"I had faith that you could navigate this."
He wore a subtle smile, a gesture of validation for the trust he had placed in Raon.
"That event just now..."
"A snare of illusion magic woven by the Dragon Lord."
Bartius let out a snort, crushing the remnants of a recently neutralized magical array in his palm.
"The Lord utilized a high-level illusory spell to keep this location secret. Had you attempted to strike back at the phantom, this entire dimension would have suffered a total collapse."
He explained that by refusing to engage the fake Derus Robert, Raon had saved the lair from being erased.
"My decision to trust you was correct."
Bartius’s lips curved upward, noting that even he might have struggled to fully penetrate the Dragon Lord’s deception.
"Don't place too much confidence in me."
Raon gave a short click of his tongue.
"I was nearly deceived by the Dragon Lord’s trickery myself."
Deducing that Derus was a fraud had been a gamble based on logic. If he hadn't recently encountered Derus in the flesh, he would never have spotted the lie; thus, Bartius’s unwavering faith felt somewhat heavy.
"Regardless, I choose to trust you."
Bartius offered a thin smile, as if his trust was a settled matter, and moved deeper into the cave. With every wave of his hand, the magical structures lingering in the air were torn out by the roots.
"I have neutralized every snare and enchantment within the Lord's nest."
Bartius conjured a sphere of light and sent it floating toward the high ceiling, indicating it was now safe to explore the cavern's depths. Whaaaa! The heavy shadows retreated, and the true contents of the Dragon Lord’s hoard were slowly brought to light.
"What...?"
Raon’s jaw hung slightly slack as he took in the sights of the Dragon Lord’s lair.
"Blades and literature?"
The cavern was packed with items that seemed entirely out of place for a Dragon Lord, making him question if they had entered the correct chamber.
"Wait, those aren't just common books..."
Raon squinted his eyes, scanning the titles of the volumes stacked high like hills.
"They are Martial Arts Manuals."
The piles of books towering on the left were not grimoires of magic, but collections of Martial Arts Manuals. They ranged from common scrolls found in any bazaar to legendary texts that had vanished into myth.
"And every weapon on this side is a sword."
Bartius knit his brows together as he surveyed the rows of swords plunged into the ground on the right.
"It appears these were amassed to soothe his obsession with Glenn Zieghart."
He let out a dry, mirthless laugh, implying the Dragon Lord had gathered every style of combat and every notable blade in a desperate attempt to surpass Glenn.
-Ha!
Wrath snorted in pure mockery.
-The secret stash of that lizard is absolutely pitiful!
He clicked his tongue in disdain, remarking that the Dragon Lord had never possessed the soul of a true ruler.
'Even so, it looks like he tried to tackle that obsession in his own way here.'
Raon shook his head, disagreeing with the assessment.
'If he had faced my grandfather with his own inherent strength instead of falling into corruption—much like Darkan, the former head of the Holy Sword Alliance—the conclusion would have been far different.'
He felt a pang of melancholy, thinking that a different path for the Dragon Lord would have yielded a better legacy.
"The variety of swords is quite remarkable."
Raon let out a low whistle while inspecting the blades left behind.
"It's not just the diversity; the craftsmanship is all over the spectrum. Many of these are absolute masterpieces."
From basic iron tools a village smithy might toss aside to the fabled True Emperor Sword rumored to have toppled the Dark Empire in eras past—every conceivable type of sword was present.
"Further inside, you will find the riches you were anticipating."
Bartius gave a nod, confirming that gold and precious stones were stored in the deeper sections of the lair.
"I shall go inform the others outside of what we've found."
He exited the Dragon Lord’s lair, intent on fetching the group waiting in the exterior.
"Hmm..."
Raon was about to move toward the left side where the Martial Arts Manuals were gathered while still eyeing the swords, when he suddenly froze.
'A book?'
Amidst the right-side cavern dedicated solely to blades, a solitary book sat alone. It had a plain black cover with no inscription, and it looked relatively new.
"What is this volume?"
Raon narrowed his gaze as he flipped the book open.
"Wait...?"
-What is it?
Wrath leaned in close, his curiosity piqued.
-What sort of Martial Arts Manual has you looking so stunned!
He flicked his tail up and down, demanding that Raon share the discovery.
'This isn't a technique manual.'
Raon pulled the book close to his chest, his mouth curling into a grin.
'But I suspect this will be of greater value to us than any manual in this room.'
"Woooooaaaah!"
Dorian let out a deafening yell as he gazed upon the mounds of weaponry and scrolls. It was a cry of pure, unadulterated bliss.
"C-can I really claim all of this?"
Dorian sprinted toward the wall of swords, his magical pouch seemingly ready for more despite already containing the remains of five dragons.
"The gold and gems are in the back chamber, so prioritize those."
Raon lifted a hand to point toward the interior room.
"Understood, sir!"
Dorian dashed toward the inner vault with tears of joy streaming down his face, looking genuinely overwhelmed by happiness.
"What exactly is that satchel?"
Bartius tilted his head, watching the back of Dorian’s head as he ran.
"Indeed. That level of spatial compression is startling even to me. It exceeds the capabilities of our own draconic magic."
Sirtiren also tilted her head, unable to grasp the nature of the object.
"Lord. This old fossil studied human swords to this degree, yet he ended so pathetically..."
The Black Dragon Dariauran let out a heavy, regretful sigh.
"I suppose that was the limit of his potential."
The White Dragon Bursiarabi kept his eyes closed for a long beat. It seemed he, too, had once held a level of reverence for the Lord.
"Did he hoard every sword and manual on the continent?"
Burren let out a sharp breath while looking at the mountains of martial texts.
"The sheer volume is repulsive. Dragons really don't do anything halfway, do they?"
Martha clicked her tongue as she inspected the collection of blades.
"Take whatever catches your eye. Before someone even more voracious than this gluttonous demon shows up."
Raon gestured toward Martha and Burren with a flick of his wrist.
"On it!"
"Well, if you're offering..."
Martha and Burren took off as if their boots were on fire, eager to find the specific manuals and swords that complemented their skills.
"Raon. Are you alright?"
Evelyn walked up to him with care, showing no interest in the wealth or the weapons, her focus entirely on Raon’s well-being.
"Yes. I’m fine."
Raon gave a nod, assuring her that he was unharmed.
"Then why the smile?"
Evelyn offered a soft grin as she studied Raon’s otherwise stoic face.
"A smile, you say?"
The Red Dragon Valasiur tilted his head while observing Raon.
"Doesn't he just have his usual blank expression?"
He looked back and forth, confused as to why she thought Raon was beaming.
"Can't you tell? He's absolutely glowing."
Evelyn gave a shrug, insisting that Raon was currently overjoyed.
-Ugh, these stalkers can even decipher emotions now...
Wrath looked at Evelyn and shivered his lips in mock disgust.
"Ha..."
Raon let out a dry laugh while looking at Evelyn.
"I really can't hide anything from you, can I?"
He had no clue how she managed to detect his internal state. She was a truly puzzling individual.
"You're correct, I am in a very good mood at the moment."
Raon nodded, a slight smile finally touching his lips.
"Why is that? Because of the Dragon Lord’s fall and the treasure?"
Evelyn tilted her head, prompting him for a deeper explanation.
"The Dragon Lord’s death is a major win, especially since we've kept the news under wraps."
He raised a finger and wagged it slightly.
"The Dragon Lord perished in a private dimension of his own making. That means neither Derus Robert, who commands the Archangel, nor the Heavenly Demon will be aware of his passing. This will significantly shift the scales of the war. And..."
Raon reached up and tapped his chest where the black volume was tucked away, his smile turning cold and sharp.
"I believe I finally have the means to launch a counter-offensive against Derus."
