Chapter 1171
"Failure means your death."
Raon gave a cold snort, as if the answer to such a question was self-evident.
"To survive the nightmare soon to be unleashed upon this land, you must be capable of surmounting trials of this magnitude."
The impending conflict with Derus Robert and Eden was destined to transform the continent into a literal underworld. They were fated to engage in a gruesome struggle against Angels and demonic entities; thus, they had to be able to dispatch foes like dragons without significant struggle.
"I... I understand that, but still..."
Dorian’s lips turned white as he shuddered, acknowledging the logic in Raon’s words while remaining paralyzed by terror.
"How on earth am I supposed to slay a dragon!"
He took a sharp breath, admitting that no matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't picture himself standing victorious over such a beast.
"If the vision isn't there, force yourself to see it!"
Martha delivered a swift kick to Dorian’s rear.
"The days of being mere trainees are over. Do you honestly think the enemy will show mercy because you're sobbing on the field of battle?"
With a deep scowl, she barked at him to pull himself together.
"I am in agreement."
Burren gave a firm nod, locking eyes with Dorian.
"Even if the odds of toppling a dragon are nearly nonexistent, we are obligated to discover a path to victory."
Tightening his grip into a fist, he declared that they had to fight and win in this very moment to ascend to the next level of strength.
"The silver lining is..."
Evelyn gestured with a finger toward Bartius.
"The lizards lurking down there don't possess the same caliber of power as these."
A smirk played on her lips as she noted that the Blue Dragons dwelling in the depths were significantly less formidable than Bartius.
"Evelyn speaks the truth."
Raon shifted his gaze between Dorian, Martha, and Burren.
"The dragons below are merely in their mature stage; they aren't Ancient Dragons like Bartius here. While it will be a grueling task, it is by no means an impossible hurdle."
He offered a nod, reinforcing the idea that they were more than capable of handling the threat.
"Very well. Let us proceed."
Burren unsheathed his blade, signaling his intent to follow Raon’s lead.
"So they're the weak ones? Fine by me!"
Martha licked her lips hungrily, boasting that she would slaughter a dragon without breaking a sweat.
"Hnnngh..."
Whimpering softly, Dorian fell into a combat stance, indicating his reluctant readiness to follow Raon's command.
"If you are prepared, let it begin."
With a snap of Bartius’s fingers, Valasiur, Bursiarabi, and Dariauran fanned out in three different directions. Woooong! The trio of dragons began to harvest mana from the environment with intense focus, weaving a translucent wall that cordoned off the expansive ocean.
This seal was designed to ensure that Azgoros, the sovereign of the Blue Clan concealed beneath the waves, could neither flee nor send word to the world outside.
"Is Valasiur the one maintaining the seal this time, rather than Sirtiren?"
Raon squinted at Valasiur, noting his absence from the frontline to sustain the barrier—a change from their previous assault on Igni Serpang’s domain.
"I am the rightful guide for this mission, given my heritage within the Blue Clan."
Sirtiren stepped into the light with a faint grin.
"I spent time in these waters during my youth."
She gestured toward the depths, asserting that she was the most logical choice to lead the way.
"You've been to this place before?"
Dorian’s eyes widened as he looked at Sirtiren.
"She belongs to the Blue Clan; it's only natural she would have visited their patriarch."
Burren dismissed the surprise with a shake of his head, implying it was expected.
"That is one reason. But Azgoros is also..."
Sirtiren’s expression shifted as she stared down at the dark water.
"He is my father."
She raised a single finger, identifying Azgoros as the progenitor who brought her into existence.
"What...?"
"Huh!"
"W-what did you just say..."
Dorian, Martha, and Burren were left speechless, visibly staggered by Sirtiren’s revelation.
"Azgoros is your sire?"
Even Raon’s brow twitched in genuine astonishment as he regarded Sirtiren.
"Kinship among dragons doesn't mirror human families. Some lineages are close, but ours certainly wasn't one of them."
Sirtiren gave a weary, cynical smile and shook her head.
"We share no love, so do not let it weigh on you."
She gave a casual shrug, making it clear she wouldn't shed a tear if Azgoros were to perish. Her demeanor suggested that dragons, much like mankind, dealt with a wide spectrum of interpersonal dysfunctions.
"Then, let the hunt commence."
Taking Sirtiren’s words at face value, Bartius threw his arms wide to signal the start of the engagement. The ocean began to churn violently in response to his finger movements, and the waters parted to reveal a path descending toward Azgoros’s sanctum. The roar of the receding sea was like a howling gale!
The Guardians tasked with protecting the lair of Azgoros emerged as the water vanished, baring fangs and radiating a murderous intent.
"I shall remove those obstacles."
As Evelyn raised her hand, a silhouette resembling butterfly wings manifested behind her. Each pattern within the wings was a distinct layer of magic. When Evelyn’s unique arcane barrage descended, the Guardians rushing to intercept them were vaporized, leaving nothing behind—not even a scrap of meat.
"Now, we descend."
She offered a small smile, as if confirming she would take care of the tedious preliminary work.
"My thanks."
Just as Raon acknowledged Evelyn and prepared to enter the seabed:
"As expected, his wisdom is never flawed."
"He remains among the most perceptive of the Ancient Dragons."
"Though, we truly did not anticipate a betrayal from one of our own blood."
Three figures rose from the depths: two young men and a girl, all possessing flowing hair the color of the deep blue. They were distinct from the beastly Guardians; these were the mature dragons of the Blue Clan, called forth by Azgoros.
"Your fawning over the Ancient Dragons always felt hollow. So this was your true motive?"
The girl with blue hair sneered as she locked eyes with Sirtiren.
"Saphiren."
Sirtiren whispered the name of the dragon in the girl’s form, clearly recognizing her.
"History will remember you as a pathetic fool who turned her back on her kin to grovel before humans."
The dragon known as Saphiren shook her head in mock pity.
"Hardly."
Sirtiren snorted back at the blue-haired girl.
"I’ll likely be remembered as the clever one who maintained the balance and purged the parasites who crawled into bed with the Angels."
She made a circular motion with her finger, advising them to reconsider their perspective.
"Hmph! You may have thought you had the element of surprise, but what of this?"
Saphiren gestured mockingly toward Sirtiren and Bartius.
"Lord Azgoros is already fully aware of your presence."
As she looked down with a contemptuous grin, the very sea began to thrum. A vibration that seemed to shake the foundations of the world preceded a colossal silhouette rising from the blue waves.
Wings stretched out to blot out the horizon, and a neck of impossible length rose to obstruct the sun—a truly grand spectacle. Azgoros, the patriarch of the Blue Clan, finally showed his magnificent form.
[Vermin who forget their station have arrived.]
Azgoros looked down with eyes that glowed like brilliant sapphires. Under the weight of that stare, the humans felt their lungs seize, as if the very flow of time had frozen.
"This... this one is a nightmare too..."
Burren bit his lip so hard that blood began to trail down his chin.
"The weight of his presence... it's far heavier than before..."
Dorian gripped his chest, gasping for air as if he were being strangled. His face went pale, looking as though he might truly succumb to the pressure.
"Stand your ground! There is no point in holding a blade if you buckle under a mere stare!"
Martha screamed at them to resist, her hand gripping her sword hilt with white-knuckled intensity.
"He is truly of the leader class."
Even Evelyn’s lips thinned into a tight line, clearly feeling the immense gravity of the situation.
"Phew."
Bartius also showed a slight furrow in his brow, finding the atmosphere heavy.
"..."
Sirtiren, however, looked up with narrowed eyes, seemingly unaffected by the crushing aura of Azgoros.
[Sirtiren.]
Azgoros let out a breath of pure fury as he glared at her.
[I intended to grant you one final reprieve, yet you persist in these idiotic endeavors!]
A frost-cold aura radiated from him, signaling that Sirtiren had exhausted his patience.
[And you do so by leaning on the strength of wretched humans!]
Unlike Igni Serpang, Azgoros seemed to instantly perceive the threat Raon posed as he fixed his icy gaze upon him.
"I'd much rather wander the world with my human companions than rot at the bottom of the ocean as the Lord's servant. And let’s be honest—the Lord is just a tick feeding off the Angels anyway."
Sirtiren flashed a bright, defiant smile that seemed out of place, declaring her refusal to live such a pathetic existence.
[You have truly lost your senses. Since I am the one who gave you life, I shall be the one to rip the throat from your body!]
Azgoros unleashed his mana, intending to execute Sirtiren personally. A surge of power more terrifying than his physical size erupted, causing the ocean to convulse. Just as waves infused with mana were set to obliterate them, Raon took a step forward.
With that single movement, the turbulent waters began to grow still.
[Raon Zieghart!]
Azgoros growled the name, confirming he was well-acquainted with Raon's reputation.
[The Lord might view you as a hazard, but I hold a different opinion! Regardless of your growth, a human remains nothing more than a human!]
He began to glow with a radiant blue light, intent on proving his point. He launched a spell swifter than a beam of light. Yet, Raon moved with precision, cleaving through the invisible sorcery with a single arc of his blade.
The magic, sundered by Heavenly Drive, crashed into the sea and triggered a thunderous blast.
[Hmph!]
Azgoros narrowed his eyes, as if expecting nothing less, and a sphere of frost began to bloom above him. A torrent of spells erupted from the shimmering white orb. Azgoros was determined to wipe Raon from existence entirely.
"It seems the clan patriarchs all operate at a similar level."
Raon gave a calm nod and leveled his Heavenly Drive. The crimson blade sliced through the downpour of magic and shattered the white sphere hanging in the sky.
As the orb Azgoros had poured his will into broke apart, silver flakes of snow began to drift down, as if winter had suddenly claimed the area.
[What...?]
Azgoros’s massive maw hung open in shock; he hadn't imagined his ultimate orb could be destroyed by a single human strike.
[Y-you!]
He gnashed his teeth and unfurled his wings, caught between panic and rage. In response to his fury, the ocean shuddered and surged upward. The water rose with a blue glare, possessing enough force to drown the entire continent.
[Perish!]
He sent a massive tsunami crashing down from the heavens, intending to bury Raon and his allies under a sea saturated with his mana. When Raon unleashed a spinning inferno from his sword, the wave magic that threatened to consume the land evaporated instantly within the heat.
By the laws of nature, water should have quenched the fire, but those rules held no sway in this confrontation.
"These are the same tricks I witnessed when dealing with the crazed Kaivar."
Raon lowered his Heavenly Drive, which remained perfectly dry.
"Do you have anything new to show me?"
He gestured with his chin, prompting the dragon for something more substantial.
[Do not fret!]
Azgoros’s voice echoed through the white mist rising from the evaporating sea.
[There won't be a need for anything else!]
With a roar of pure rage, a blindingly white torrent of frost erupted. The Ice Breath—the ultimate strike of the Blue Dragon. He had readied this freezing gale instantly, anticipating the failure of his previous attack.
The pristine white breath, capable of turning the air itself to ice, surged toward them. Even before the cold touched them, they felt as though their very marrow was beginning to solidify.
Regardless of one's skill, the breath of an Ancient Dragon remained a lethal force.
'As I thought.'
Raon shook his head, steadying his stance as he felt the ground beneath him.
'I simply have to cut it down before it reaches us.'
He funneled his strength into the Heavenly Drive, which he held low. As the blade flared with red heat once more, he swung in a high, elegant arc that seemed to pull the ocean waves with it. Azure Sky Sword Technique—Azure Sky Drive.
Beneath the infinite sky, all things are rendered small. The strike, carrying the weight of the firmament, sliced through the world-freezing cold and found the throat of the beast concealed within the mist.
Azgoros, the patriarch of the Blue Clan, suffered the same fate as Igni Serpang. He could not process his own end, his head falling as he stared at Raon with eyes wide in disbelief.
[I-impossible...]
Azgoros gasped his final breath, unable to accept his defeat even in death. Against a typical blade, he might have used his mana to mend the wound, but Raon’s strike had surpassed such limits, rendering even the high-purity mana of an Ancient Dragon useless.
As the carcass of Azgoros hit the water, massive waves rippled outward in every direction.
"Ahh..."
"L-Lord Azgoros!"
"This... this cannot be..."
The three Blue Dragons Azgoros had called forth were trembling, their eyes filled with horror at the sight of their fallen leader.
"Take care of one of those dragons."
Raon gestured toward Burren, Martha, and Dorian.
"We have an appointment to kill the Dragon Lord today as well, so..."
He glanced at the sun's position in the sky before pointing again.
"Finish this within the hour."
