Chapter 619
Ian’s eyes tightened as the Platinum Dragon’s wail—ragged, almost mournful—echoed through the air. With it, the Heaven Defier’s breath faltered and died.
Boom!
A heavy tremor and a deafening crash followed. It wasn't hard to guess that the Platinum Dragon had toppled the Heaven Defier. Through his narrow, blurry vision, blue and violet lights tangled chaotically.
—This doesn't seem like the time to just watch, Friend.
Yog wasn't wrong. Ian let go of the elixir vial, pulled his hand from the pocket dimension, and fumbled for the hilt of his dropped sword. Grasping it, he began to back away.
Crunch! Rumble—
He had instinctively reached for the elixir, but if he drank it here, he could be crushed by the dragons before he finished healing. From the sounds, the Platinum Dragon had clearly dragged the Heaven Defier away, but it couldn't hurt to be careful. Just like with Charlotte, he knew agonizing pain would follow after drinking the elixir.
—Still, it's surprising. To think it was hiding that much chaos power. It couldn't have been easy to suppress.
Yog whispered in admiration amidst the crashes, shrieks, and the chaotic clash of the two dragons' lights. Its vision, it seemed, was as clear as ever.
Dragging his sword’s counterweight and shield along the ground, Ian kept retreating, eyes fixed on the flickering violet glow in the distance.
I thought it wasn't true. No, maybe I just hoped it wasn't...
It wasn't a complete surprise. Ian had been worried about this ever since the Black Wall fell. He had been relieved to find Archeas seemingly unchanged, but it seemed it was just well-hidden enough to deceive even his essence bead.
Is that why it didn't read my memories?
Things he had overlooked now clicked into place. He had assumed Archeas simply didn't want to show its fragmented memories. In truth, it was probably afraid of revealing that its soul was tainted by chaos.
Its reluctance to be seen sleeping, perhaps even its premonition of being unable to defeat the Heaven Defier, might not have been just aftereffects. It must have been using the energy to suppress the chaos.
There has to be a way.
Gritting his teeth, Ian continued to back away. In any case, killing the Heaven Defier came first.
—You probably know this, but that was really dangerous. If that corrupted dragon had been a few seconds later, we would have died.
Ian wrinkled his nose but had to agree. The only reason he had endured at all was thanks to the artifacts covering him. Without them, he would have been turned to charcoal the instant the azure flames hit him.
Just like in the game.
He had only seen the Heaven Defier unleash its azure flames twice before. It was a phase a player only saw if they depleted half its health before driving all the stakes.
Touching those blue flames meant instant death. That was the main reason he had always focused solely on driving in the stakes.
Perhaps the so-called experts could have cleared the fight in that state, but he certainly couldn't. It had even made him consider deleting his character. s̩
The Heaven Defier's scream-like roar echoed. It clearly didn't have the leisure to taunt him. Besides being unable to use magic, it was also losing the physical brawl.
Thunk.
Ian's back hit something hard. The simple contact sent a jolt of pain so intense he almost passed out. He barely suppressed a scream.
—Trust me, Friend. You don’t want to know what you look like right now. Just drink the thing.
As Yog’s whisper continued, Ian let go of the sword hilt and plunged his hand back into his pocket dimension. He had clearly retreated to the edge of the clearing, where the dragon bones were piled. He grabbed the Elixir of Life, pulled it out, and, relying on his dulled sense of touch, opened the cap.
—Share some of your blood with me, too. My condition isn't so great either.
Instead of answering, Ian just nodded. He forced his stiff jaw open and poured the elixir down his throat. The cold liquid slid down, vanishing on contact, just like the Source of the Dragon.
Shwaaaa—
A new energy visibly spread through him. Immediately after, an agonizing pain assaulted him, as if his nerves were burning away. His vision bleached white, and all his senses vanished into the pain.
Fuck.
Ian barely clung to his fading consciousness. The image of Charlotte writhing in agony flashed through his mind. His state probably wasn't much different. This wasn't something human willpower could control.
—I don't think I've ever seen you like this. I'd love to watch longer, but unfortunately, I don't have the luxury.
Yog’s words drifted through like a fading dream. This hellish moment, however, wasn't eternal. Ian felt the nerve-burning pain slowly subside. An intense, stinging itch replaced it, like being eaten alive by ants. His burned skin was regenerating.
The sound of his ragged breathing filled his ears. After a violent tremor rolled through him, Ian realized he was sprawled on the ground. He couldn't even remember when he had dismissed the Platinum Barrier.
The dragons' roars, the crashes, and the vibrations grew clearer. His vision, which had been flickering white, slowly returned. His whole body still tingled, but Ian pressed his hands to the ground and pushed his upper body up.
Fssss...
Ashy dust scattered from him. It was clearly remnants of his burned skin, flaking off as it regenerated. Stray strands of hair, grown out and tangled, fell over his face. Even as he steadied his breath, Ian felt something else coursing through him, a chill energy unlike dragon’s magic, shimmering faintly beneath his skin. It was the elixir’s lingering effect.
Kaboom—
At the following crash, Ian finally raised his head and looked at the battlefield. Somehow, he’d crawled several dozen meters away. Now, in the clearing, the two dragons clashed in full view.
The Heaven Defier, wreathed in blue chaos, was pinned beneath the Platinum Dragon. Its head, smashed by a forepaw, twisted to the side. It slammed into the ground, bounced up, and sprayed blue, chaos-tinged blood from its torn jaw.
But Ian wasn't looking at it.
Archeas...
He locked his gaze on the Platinum Dragon as it tried to shove its forepaw into the hole in the Heaven Defier's chest. Its white scales, which once glowed gold with magic, were now stained a sinister violet. The same was true for the lightning on its horns and claws, its blazing eyes, and the chains still wrapped around its head like a bit.
The noble Platinum Dragon was gone.
Only the corrupted dragon remained—its eyes ablaze, roaring like a beast even as a stake slammed into its foreleg.
—Let's look on the bright side.
Like Ian, it seemed to have recovered.
—At least we've regained the upper hand, right?
It made his stomach churn, but Yog wasn't wrong. The Heaven Defier seemed desperate just to protect the hole in its chest. And although ominous fine cracks were spreading across the chains, the links in the Platinum Dragon's mouth were now completely covered in violet light.
Clack—
Without looking away from the battlefield, Ian tore off the latch securing his shin guard—it had fused tight from the heat. The remnants of his burned pants and flaked-off skin scattered like dust.
All that from a single breath.
His other equipment was in a similar state. Their durability had decreased largely, and they had completely lost their power. The intricate gold decorations on their surfaces had melted and lost their shape. Of course, without this gear, he would have been the one to melt.
Clank! Krrk!
The gear was still hot, but Ian paid it no mind, methodically ripping the pieces off. The bracer and gauntlet on his left arm had the most durability remaining. Also, the scale on his palm was intact, with no change in shape.
"-----!"
As Ian tossed aside the equipment he'd torn off, the dragons' battle raged on.
Boom!
The Heaven Defier and the relentlessly attacking Platinum Dragon were both covered in wounds. Scales were torn off everywhere, and in some places, their hides were ripped open, exposing raw flesh. Their wings were also in tatters.
Most of these wounds were likely from the stake, which the Heaven Defier swung like a sword or club. After all, it was an object made to pierce a dragon.
Clack—
Having shed all his gear except the left gauntlet and bracer, Ian summoned the Chain Boots of Volcanic Ash and shoved his feet into them. Even in the chaos, his hands moved swiftly, tightening the straps along his ankles and shins with mechanical precision.
Kaboom!
Just as Ian pulled a pair of chain greaves from his pocket dimension, the Heaven Defier's flailing stake finally pushed the Platinum Dragon back. It didn't stop there. It spun it and whipped its tail, swatting the Platinum Dragon away.
Thud, rumble—
The Platinum Dragon tumbled away, sending dragon bones scattering in all directions. The chain connecting the two dragons pulled taut. Countless fine cracks on its surface flickered with violet light.
Crack, crack, crack! Clang—
The chain then exploded into pieces. It had clearly failed to withstand the tangled power struggle between their magic and chaos. The Heaven Defier spun to a stop and opened its maw toward Archeas.
Whoosh!
A breath of azure flame poured out. The flame was narrower than before, weaker in shape perhaps, but it was still a dragon’s breath. That fact alone made it deadly beyond comparison.
"-----!"
Engulfed, the Platinum Dragon roared in agony and hastily covered itself with its tattered wings. The fire didn’t cling to them, but it scorched all the same, and the agony that followed was unmistakable.
Almost there!
Ian's hands moved more urgently. Yet, his mind remained calm, coldly analyzing the situation. That looked like Heaven Defier’s last breath. Even a dragon couldn’t exhale flame forever.
Archeas, on the other hand, had unleashed its breath only once throughout this fight. If it could endure this one last assault, the next turn would be its.
Once I finish equipping, I’ll be able to withstand that heat for a few seconds. If I can strike true, hit a vital point, then maybe…
He clenched his jaw, knowing the blow would wound the Heaven Defier far worse than it would him.
As Ian continued his resolute thoughts, the Heaven Defier bellowed, even as it exhaled.
—You have steeled your resolve, Archeas! I see clearly your will to kill me!
Unlike before, it was a furious, spiteful roar.
—Therefore, I, too... shall risk everything to face you!
Finishing its breath, the Heaven Defier threw its head back. The blue light on it blazed more intensely. The shackle on its tail and the attached chain turned a vivid blue and glowed.
Crunch, crackle!
Immediately, blue cracks spread through the red light covering the cavern walls. Ian’s eyes narrowed as he pulled his plate breastplate on.
Is that...
Dark red lights shimmered from within the cracks. They spread, then dripped viscously into the chamber. A chaotic wail of tormented spirits erupted.
—Those look like human souls.
As Yog’s whisper spread, Ian’s face twisted completely.
Just as I thought, they're the souls of its apostles.
The Heaven Defier’s Apostles had been deepening the cracks of the outer seal from the start. He didn't need to think hard about why it was summoning their souls. The Heaven Defier's head was tilted back, its maw gaping open.
Screech! Screech—
The dark red, wailing souls began to swirl and spiral down into its open mouth.