Chapter 119: Battle with the Dragon

There were three scenarios Rose had told me about.

Fortunately, one of them had occurred.

“I can transfer the sequence and summon a High Apostle. Of course, the Apostle of the Red Dragon God would have to give up their turn somewhere else.”

I didn’t know much about the contracts between Dragon Gods.

They were unnecessarily complicated.

Nor did I have any need to know.

However, I knew exactly what benefit I would gain if the scenario flowed this way.

‘Killing two birds with one stone.’

By defeating that Mid-level Apostle, it would be treated as if I had defeated two of them, including the Lower Apostle.

I could obtain the rewards all at once.

And after that, only two Apostles who wanted me dead would remain.

“What is that…?”

“…A Dragon?”

“Are we really supposed to catch that? Even if we all charged in together, I think we’d barely take down one.”

An indescribable, intangible energy dominated the space.

My body was gradually pushed back.

It wasn’t just me; all of the Twelve Constellations were pushed back. A massive circular space was created where the battle had taken place just moments ago.

A battlefield for a Guardian Battle.

As the pillars of fire vanished, seven dragons took their positions within the battlefield. The Mid-level Apostle stood behind them.

The Mid-level Apostle wore a fishy smile.

“There are many useful ones here. I’ll just kill you and take them all with me.”

“Think you can actually kill me?”

“That’s why I’ve come fully prepared. You’re actually quite famous in our world. Even the Dragon Gods are aware of your existence, so that says everything.”

“Is that so?”

“I didn’t expect a bigger lunatic than that crazy bitch to appear. Well, thanks to that, I can go wild without any restrictions. I’ll play with you a bit before I kill you.”

By “crazy bitch,” did he mean that woman I saw at the Dimensional Tavern?

“Hey, Dokkaebi! What’s going on? Who is this crazy guy?”

At Jessica’s question, I glanced back.

All of the Twelve Constellations were looking at me with eyes full of questions.

“That guy is an Apostle. The ones the Chinese and Japanese Association Presidents teamed up with. As you can see, he’s dying to kill me.”

“…Why?”

“I’ll explain that later. First, I have to take him down.”

“Can you even take him down?”

“Of course.”

I looked forward again and smiled at the Mid-level Apostle, who maintained a relaxed expression.

“Summon Guardian.”

Shuaaaaak!

A massive light poured out, and the Guardians I possessed revealed themselves.

Since the enemy had selected seven, I could also summon seven.

【Uaaaaaaaaa!】

The Orc let out a roar, wearing his newly acquired armor and lifting his two axes.

【The muscle pig who doesn’t even know the taste of blood is excited.】

Rynne, the Vampire Lord, grumbled while wearing her crooked crown.

【This is fun! That one is mine. If anyone touches it, I won’t let it slide.】

Queen Leah’s eyes flashed, excited for an actual battle after a long time.

【They all look the same, so which one do you plan to take? Ah, you mean you’ll catch them all? Could you do it quickly? I need to go see my darling.】

Pedrias, the High Elf, looked at Leah with sad eyes as he made his request.

【Can’t you stop that already? It’s enough to make me sick.】

Zeit, the King of Giants with a massive physique, let out a sigh.

“I greet you, Master.”

Anne, the Queen of Witches, bowed her head to me.

And next to her stood Ropenheim.

He looked younger than before and had a sword strapped to his waist. His expression was full of composure.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Dragon. I used to slice through them quite often back in the day.”

“Why don’t you show off those skills now?”

“I shall.”

This was his debut battle with a perfectly repaired Manahole. Ropenheim stepped forward, drawing a heavy greatsword.

The other Guardians stood in a row behind him.

With seven dragons and seven Guardians facing each other, a tense atmosphere spread across the battlefield.

【Ah, I can’t stand it anymore!】

Then, Leah suddenly kicked off the ground and lunged forward.

She swung the trident in her hand widely, creating a massive wave that surged toward the dragons.

The wave appearing in midair swept over the dragons.

However, a hot current spread out and evaporated the wave Leah had created. Leah laughed as she watched the wave vanish in an instant.

【This will be fun!】

The trident, spinning freely in her hand, rushed toward the dragons.

Crash!

It shattered the barrier the dragon had created and tore right through its wing.

【…Urgh!】

【How’s that?】

As Leah laughed provocatively, all the dragons, who had been sensing the atmosphere, let out roars and moved.

The rest of the Guardians moved accordingly.

Zeit grabbed the Orc and Ropenheim in both hands and threw them with all his might. The two leaped into the air, drew their weapons, and landed on top of the flying dragons.

【Uoooooooh!】

The Orc ruthlessly swung his axes, tearing through the dragon’s hide.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

The blades, which were initially deflected by the hide, began to bite in bit by bit. The axes soon sank deep, and the Aura Blade penetrated the interior.

【To think a mere Orc would…!!】

The enraged dragon twisted its body, trying to shake the Orc off.

However, the Orc held on tight to the axe handles.

When another dragon nearby tried to target the Orc with magic, Zeit blocked the spell with his body.

Kaaa-boom!

Despite being hit by a massive explosion, Zeit reached out as if it were nothing.

When he tried to grab the dragon’s body and tear it apart, the dragon escaped Zeit’s grasp using Polymorph magic.

【You’re so slow. Are you even going to catch one like that?】

This time, Rynne, the Vampire Lord, moved.

She took the blood I had handed over in advance.

【It’s not like I’m drinking this because I want to.】

She glared at me, but her eyes softened slightly at the scent of blood. She drank the blood as if possessed and then gave a thin smile.

It was a smile that went beyond charming; it was laced with madness.

【Kaaa, I’m getting drunk. Hehehehe. I wonder what Dragon blood tastes like. Let’s find out.】

The crown on her head turned crimson, and her eyes sparkled like rubies. Wings made of blood unfurled as she soared into the air.

She approached the dragon the Orc had wounded.

She merged with the blood flowing out of the torn hide.

She flowed right into the dragon’s wound. At the same time, the sound of something bursting and cracking echoed in all directions.

Spluck!

Squelch!

The dragon’s wings snapped, and its neck twisted. The heavy body of the dragon fell straight toward the ground.

Kaaa-boom!

The dragon’s belly split open as it crashed into the earth, and Rynne, stained with blood, emerged.

【Ugh… I’m drunk.】

Saturated with the mana-rich blood of the dragon, she collapsed right there.

Beyond her, I saw the Mid-level Apostle.

His lips trembled, as if he couldn’t understand the scene that had just unfolded.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. To think you barely killed one by giving it your all…”

The bastard’s words were cut off.

Kaaa-boom!

The dragon hunt began in earnest.

Zeit blocked the dragons’ attacks from the front. He grabbed the mouth of a dragon trying to breathe fire with both hands.

His muscles twitched and bulged.

Crack!

He tore the dragon’s mouth apart.

He tossed away the dragon he had ripped in half.

Such a thing was possible because those dragons weren’t real.

‘Half-Dragons.’

Beings with only half dragon blood.

That was why the Mid-level Apostle was able to use them as subordinates.

【Why don’t you all just die so I can go see my darling?】

Pedrias whipped up a wind to hinder the dragons’ flight.

In the meantime, Anne cast a curse.

Leah’s trident arrived at the neck of a dragon that had been temporarily weakened. The water mana gathered at the tip of the spear pierced through the dragon.

Beside them, another dragon plummeted.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

The dragon’s body swept across the ground as it fell. Ropenheim, standing on its back, calmly raised his sword.

The sky seemed to split as the heavy sword descended.

The brilliant blue blade sliced the dragon right in half.

Crunch!

Sturdy bones were severed instantly, and the dragon’s body went limp.

The Half-Dragons were being cleaned up at a rapid pace.

The remaining ones tried to resist and hold out, but the Guardians didn’t let them stall for time.

They used their full power to crush the remaining Half-Dragons.

Eventually.

All the Half-Dragons were sprawled on the ground, defeated. I felt the mana that had been bound. The restrictions on my body were lifted.

I smiled at the trembling Mid-level Apostle.

“How was my full power? Was it worth watching?”

Grit.

The Mid-level Apostle ground his teeth, then chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

“Well. Did you think I’d be frustrated by this?”

His aura was distinctly different from a moment ago.

Leisure flowed from his very tone.

There was a reason for that.

He wasn’t an ordinary Apostle; he was a chosen one.

“There are those who possess the strength of a High Apostle but remain at the Mid-level for certain reasons.”

A special hunter prepared to deal with outliers like me.

“Hoo, looking at your eyes, it seems you know about me. Did that woman tell you?”

“That’s right. She even told me how to handle the Half-Dragons.”

A special mineral that doesn’t work on real dragons but works on Half-Dragons.

I had applied that to my Guardians’ equipment.

That was why they could hunt the Half-Dragons relatively easily.

“And I also heard how to deal with you.”

“Hehehehe, you’re bluffing. You wouldn’t have enough Dimensional Power to receive that much information.”

“Well. If you don’t want to believe it, don’t.”

I drew up the mana in my Dragon Heart.

There was nothing to gain from a prolonged battle.

I had to make it fast and short.

“Everyone did great. I’ll take care of this guy. Please look after the people behind me.”

I asked the Guardians to protect the Twelve Constellations and stepped forward.

I unleashed my surging mana.

[You have used Dragon Transformation]

[You have used Transcendence]

Golden scales spread across my entire body, and horns grew from my forehead.

Wings and a tail appeared on my back.

I took on a form that was half-dragon.

Power overflowed throughout my body.

Since I had consumed quite a few Dragon Heart Fragments, also known as Stones of Achievement, the duration had increased significantly.

‘Shall I go wild?’

This was a good opportunity to check how strong I had become and how much I could do. This was a power I couldn’t use against humans.

“You’ve already mastered Dragon Transformation? You truly are an outlier. But your foundation is human.”

The Mid-level Apostle smiled and released his mana. His skin tore as his size rapidly ballooned.

The rapidly expanding mass took shape.

It was similar to the Half-Dragons from before, but this was a real Dragon, exuding an even more magnificent and intense aura.

It was so massive that my human form looked tiny in comparison.

“I will show you the majesty of a true Dragon.”

The dragon soared into the sky and prepared a massive spell. Magic circles were drawn, and countless spells poured down.

An indiscriminate bombardment poured out without any chanting.

The Dragon Heart reacted to the mana felt in his magic.

-Kill him.

It seemed to scream.

“Fine.”

Answering my heart, I gathered the mana in the Dragon Heart and deployed magic.

I unfurled a wide-range barrier to block the opponent’s attack.

Kaaa-boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The continuous spells battered the barrier. However, the barrier blocked everything without a single crack.

I smirked.

Maintaining the barrier, I used Teleport to leap through space. I looked down at the dragon’s head from above.

I opened my hand and gathered mana.

Whoosh!

The surrounding wind gathered into my palm, creating a whirlwind. The whirlwind began to take the shape of a spear.

“Dragon Fang Spiral Spear.”

I gripped the spear completed with the incantation and hurled it toward the dragon.

Flash!

The dragon’s fang opened its mouth wide to tear the dragon apart. The raging storm surged toward the dragon.

The dragon let out a sneer and unleashed its breath.

Whirlwind and flames.

The two energies clashed, vying for dominance. And soon, unable to contain each other, they caused a massive explosion.

I flew toward the dragon through the thick smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing the dragon’s face.

I looked into its long, slit eyes and grinned widely.

“Shall we start with one hit?”

Using the mana contained in my fist, I unleashed the Black Killing Fist.

Boom!