Chapter 1174
Whooooooosh! Bartius stood amidst a dense, stygian woodland where not even the faintest glimmer of moonlight could penetrate, elevating both palms to the center of his chest. The radiant golden orb hovering above his hands was gradually being molded into the shape of a key.
Droplets of frigid perspiration rolled down Bartius's brow, signaling that mending the dimensional key—which had been violently warped by Trosowr, the chieftain of the Black clan—into its primitive state was a grueling endeavor.
"Is the task proving difficult?"
Raon narrowed his gaze, noting the deep creases in Bartius's forehead.
"Indeed. It is exceptionally taxing work."
Evelyn drifted to Raon’s side, lightly brushing her shoulder against his.
"That dimensional tool is saturated with the unique essence of the Dragon Lord, but its energy was fouled when Trosowr utilized it. Returning it to its pure form is inherently complicated."
She gave a small nod, seemingly impressed by Bartius's control over mana.
"At this moment, perhaps only that luminous dragon could pull it off?"
Evelyn gave a casual shrug, implying that even a sorceress of her caliber would find the process daunting.
"I understand."
Raon pressed his lips together, diverting his attention from Bartius.
'That implies it is nearly an impossibility.'
It was a rare occurrence for Evelyn to praise the magical talents of another. If she deemed it arduous, then Bartius was attempting a feat that bordered on the miraculous.
-Hmph! Were it up to the King of Essence, I would simply shatter the barrier and tear the dimension open by force!
Wrath clicked his tongue in annoyance, muttering about how irritating both mortals and reptiles could be.
'Certainly, that would be the simpler path... No. That isn't the right way.'
Raon initially found himself agreeing with Wrath before shaking his head to clear the thought.
'Perhaps it is because I have gained power so rapidly. My thought process is starting to align with this glutton.'
His younger self would have dispassionately weighed the variables and picked the most surgical strike. In truth, when Trosowr fled, the logical choice would have been to request aid from Bartius or the other dragons rather than attempting to bridge dimensions alone to hunt him. He had acted solo merely to gauge the limits of his own martial strength.
'This is a dangerous trend.'
Unless one possessed the overwhelming raw power of a being like Wrath or Glenn, it was a mistake to believe everything could be settled through individual might. He still possessed many flaws, and it was only right to heed the counsel of others and welcome their assistance.
'I must exercise more caution moving forward.'
Was it a byproduct of his rising power coupled with his burgeoning human emotions? He felt a dangerous sense of grandiosity, a feeling that nothing was beyond his reach. It was vital to steady his spirit now, as a single blunder in these circumstances would lead to a disaster that could never be undone.
-Hmph! Then your boast about capturing the reptile monarch by yourself was also born of conceit.
Wrath let out a derisive snort, acting as if he had seen through Raon all along.
-Then retract the statement this instant! If you simply admit you were posturing, the others will surely overlook it!
'No, that is a separate matter.'
Raon gave a calm, resolute shake of his head.
'I am not trivializing the Dragon Lord's power, but I am the one who must bring him down.'
He was well aware of the Dragon Lord’s terrifying shadow. While perhaps not quite at the pinnacle occupied by Glenn or Derus, the Lord was a titan who stood equal to the other legends of the Six Kings and the Five Demons. If he could not overcome such an opponent in a duel of strength, his path to the next horizon would be blocked. He had to conquer the Dragon Lord, even if it required wagering his very soul.
-So you are finally adopting the temperament of a true powerhouse.
Wrath lifted his chin, peering at Raon with a critical eye.
-In the past, you were as frigid and detached as a paid killer despite your youth.
He nodded, suggesting that he found Raon’s current evolution more to his liking.
'...Was I really like that?'
Raon allowed a ghost of a smile to touch his lips. Though usually a simpleton driven by hunger, the demon king possessed a startling intuition regarding such matters.
-There is a topic far more pressing than that.
Wrath dropped his tone to a conspiratorial whisper and leaned in close.
'Something pressing?'
-Indeed. It is of greater significance than anything else at this moment...
He let out a heavy, dramatic breath, insisting that Raon give him his full attention.
'What is it?'
Raon felt a slight tension in his throat as he waited for Wrath’s revelation.
-Dragon barbecue! We have subdued five of these lizards and yet not a single one has been put to the flame! What kind of negligent behavior is this!
Wrath smacked his lips hungrily, demanding they produce the dragon carcasses and begin roasting them immediately.
-Red? Black? Blue? Which flavor should we savor to ensure the tales of our feast spread far and wide?
Saliva pooled in his mouth as if the banquet were already underway.
'Sigh...'
Raon let out a long, weary breath and shook his head repeatedly.
-Cease your sighing and start the fire!
'I’ll just block him out.'
Tuning out the demon king, who was currently throwing a tantrum fueled by his insatiable hunger, Raon shifted his focus toward Burren and Martha.
"What is the sensation of bringing down a dragon for the first time?"
Intending to offer Burren constructive feedback, Raon initiated the conversation by asking for his reflections on the skirmish.
"It wasn't as grueling as my expectations led me to believe. To be honest, we subdued it with surprising ease."
Burren nodded, conceding that the physical struggle was lighter than anticipated.
"However, I stumbled frequently due to the primal dread of dragons that was carved into me since I was a child. If my limbs hadn't locked up, I could have concluded the fight at the very start..."
Even though no one had criticized him, he scowled, mentally dissecting his own performance.
"In many respects, this was our first legitimate engagement with dragonkind."
Martha grunted, pausing her rhythmic chewing of dried meat.
"If you've identified your flaws, then simply correct them next time! Quit your bellyaching and eat!"
She shoved a piece of jerky toward Burren, suggesting that his self-awareness was victory enough for now.
"Martha speaks the truth."
Raon offered a soft smile.
"Considering the terrifying reputation that follows the word 'dragon,' it is only human to falter in your debut battle against them."
He recalled his own initial struggles against the dragon Kaivar and the essential support he had received from Alice. He had no intention of blaming Burren or Martha for their first-time nerves.
"However, there is no room for such errors in the next encounter."
Raon held up a single finger for emphasis.
"Next time, you must be prepared to claim victory even if your opponent is an ancient dragon."
He let a sharp curve form on his lips, making it clear that a second failure would not be met with such leniency.
"Naturally."
Burren gave a solemn nod, as if taking a silent oath to exceed expectations.
"Do not fret. Next time, I will sever their heads in a single motion, just like you do."
Martha squeezed her hand into a tight fist, asserting that she had finally grasped the rhythm required to cleave through dragon hide.
"Then..."
Raon started to turn his head to address Dorian.
"I have reached a realization of my own as well."
Evelyn beamed, pressing herself more firmly against his arm.
"Dragons transform into incredibly pathetic things once you have their Dragon Heart within your grip."
A faint blush of exhilaration colored her cheeks, clearly delighted that the specialized magic she had engineered for dragon-slaying had functioned so perfectly.
"Oh, it was such a thrill to feel that fragile, pulsating organ in my hand."
Evelyn traced the palm of her pale hand with a finger, her eyes gleaming with the desire to repeat the sensation.
"Ughhhh..."
Dorian doubled over, clutching his temples. His eyes were wide and trembling, clearly finding Evelyn’s temperament far more terrifying than any dragon.
-Sh-she is an absolute lunatic beyond any hope of reasoning! Of course they are paralyzed when their Dragon Heart is grabbed! It is their life source!
Wrath recoiled, pleading with Raon to put some distance between himself and Evelyn. Yet, it wasn't only Wrath and Dorian who were unsettled by her commentary.
"Why... why am I shaking like this?"
The Blue Dragon Sirtiren swallowed hard, casting a wary side-eye at Evelyn.
"Is that human woman not a bit disturbed? There is something profoundly wrong with her eyes, is there not?"
The Red Dragon Valasiur’s jaw gave a nervous twitch.
"To target the Dragon Heart specifically to strip a dragon of its will... what kind of monster is she..."
The Black Dragon Dariauran let out a shaky breath, rubbing the back of his neck where the skin had broken out in chills.
"Extremely precarious. I must investigate the mechanics of that spell."
The White Dragon Bursiarabi shut his eyes tight, replaying the sequence of Evelyn’s magic in his mind. The gathered dragons began to mutter among themselves, feeling a deep-seated fear not just of her abilities, but of the woman herself.
'Honestly...'
Raon rubbed the nape of his neck, catching the gaze of Evelyn, who remained focused entirely on him despite the growing unease around them.
'Evelyn might actually be more daunting than the Dragon Lord...'
"Lord of the House!"
Chad, the commander of the Shadow Agents, threw open the doors to the grand audience hall and stepped inside.
"Intelligence has arrived from the Master of the Light Wind Palace!"
He presented a pristine white missive, announcing that a report had come from Raon.
"Hmm!"
Glenn took the letter from Chad, his expression stoic, though a slight twitch of his brow signaled his internal anticipation.
"What news does it bring?"
Sheryl stood below the dais, looking up at Glenn while wetting her lips in curiosity.
"Hehehe, I imagine he has successfully hunted his first dragon by now."
Roenn gave a knowing smile, guessing that Raon had likely secured the initial key.
"That seems the most probable. It has been a full day, after all."
Sheryl nodded, finding that estimation reasonable.
"No."
Glenn shook his head with absolute certainty.
"Not just one. He has taken all three."
The hand gripping Raon’s report shook with a sudden surge of pride and excitement.
"Th-three? Surely you jest..."
Sheryl’s eyes went wide with shock.
"It is true. Within a single day, he has eliminated the three clan patriarchs and seized every key required to reach the Dragon Lord."
Glenn looked up, a broad, triumphant grin spreading across his face.
"That is madness..."
Sheryl could only stare at the paper in stunned silence, struggling to process the scale of the achievement.
"Hehehe..."
Even Roenn let out a faint, disbelieving chuckle, completely caught off guard.
"Ahem!"
Glenn let out a loud, forced cough to regain his composure, clearly enjoying the visible shock on the faces of his subordinates.
"He reports that the dimensional gateway leading to the Lord will be unsealed at the break of dawn."
He stared out through the shadowed window, noting that the final confrontation between Raon and the Dragon Lord was only a few hours away.
"L-Lord of the House. Are you truly intending to stay behind while Raon faces the Lord?"
Chad bit his lip, staring up at Glenn with concern.
"You are well aware that the Lord exists on a different plane of power, even compared to other dragons."
Though he might seem small in Glenn’s shadow, the Dragon Lord was a titan whose strength was enough to dominate the entire continent.
"...I am."
Glenn nodded slowly after staring at the text of the letter for a long moment.
"The Dragon Lord is a formidable foe. Even for the Raon of today, success is far from guaranteed. Regardless, I will not interfere this time."
He gave a firm nod, confirming his decision to let Raon engage in a solo duel.
"But why? Why risk it..."
"Because if he cannot scale the wall known as the Dragon Lord, he will never reach the heights beyond it."
Glenn tightened his hand into a fist, a silent testament to his faith in his grandson. His hand trembled almost imperceptibly, like the reflection of a pale moon on shifting water.
"Raon is powerful. He will not suffer defeat."
"Hoooo."
Bartius turned around, letting out a weary, ragged breath.
"The work is done."
Three shimmering golden keys hovered just above his palms. Each key possessed a distinct shape, etched with complex, mathematical engravings.
"Is it possible now to breach the dimension where the Dragon Lord is concealed?"
Raon stepped toward Bartius as he spoke.
"Yes. Once I channel my mana into these artifacts and turn them, the gateway to the Lord's realm will manifest."
Bartius confirmed that the final step was ready.
"However, judging by the design of these keys, the moment the gate opens, the signal will likely be picked up by all other dragons. It appears a full-scale conflict is inevitable."
He clicked his tongue, noting that the Lord had built in a clever alarm system.
"I understand."
Raon gave a brief nod and glanced back at his team.
"Do not give it a second thought. We will hold the line so that you can deal with the Lord without distraction."
Burren spoke up first with a confident smirk, anticipating Raon’s worries.
"That's right. I'll crush anyone who tries to interfere!"
Martha slammed a fist against her chest, telling him to leave the defense to them.
"D-don't place your bets on me, but this lady here..."
Dorian lowered his head slightly and gestured toward Evelyn.
"Raon. Let’s wrap this up quickly so we can go home."
Evelyn smiled with warmth and absolute confidence. It was clear she had come to view the group as her own kin.
"Ignore the other dragons and strike forward."
The Red Dragon Valasiur lifted his chin, his voice booming with resolve.
"The rear is safe in our hands."
The Blue Dragon Sirtiren let out a bright laugh, stating she was more than capable of holding the perimeter.
"I won't be a disappointment this time."
The Black Dragon Dariauran bared his teeth in a fierce grin, ready to put his life on the line.
"I will uphold my end of the bargain, so keep your mind solely on the Lord."
The White Dragon Bursiarabi gave a subtle nod, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Then I shall rely on you all."
Raon looked back at Bartius with a thin smile.
"Trigger the gate."
He reached out his hand, the eyes of his lifelong friends and his new allies all fixed upon him.
"I shall place my trust in you as well."
As Bartius slowly raised his arms, the three golden keys ascended into the air. They slotted into the vacuum of space as if finding invisible locks and rotated ninety degrees.
With a heavy, grinding sound reminiscent of a massive, ancient door being forced open, a shimmering golden portal tore through the dark sky just before the morning light.
The instant the dimension was breached, the entire group, Raon included, felt their breath hitch at the sheer density of mana pouring out. Through the opening, they saw a void like a dark universe, containing a solitary, brilliant golden star. A vast cosmic expanse seemed to exist right above the clouds within that golden frame.
'Where is the Dragon Lord hiding?'
As Raon scanned the magnificent, oppressive silence of that internal universe for his target... the lone golden star flickering in the void began to shift and coil.
