Chapter 170: Crushing Dragon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: Crushing Dragon
Through two consecutive evolutions, I gained power incomparable to before.
The power I had accumulated became one, allowing me to draw out its potential to the absolute limit.
Crushing Dragon.
I had become a Mid-tier Dragon, a divine beast of a different nature than the Red Dragon.
As a result, numerous abilities were unlocked.
The noisily ringing status window informed me of this, but I didn't need to focus on it.
Because I instinctively understood how to use this power.
The Red Dragon stared at me with a vacant expression.
“…Ahahat!”
Finally coming to her senses, the Red Dragon let out a loud laugh.
Every time she laughed, the volcanic fire energy that had been weakening grew stronger.
“So, this big sister became your Dragon Gate, huh, baby? I’d love to congratulate you, but I’m not exactly in the mood for that, am I?”
Despite gaining immense power through repeated evolutions, my size had barely changed.
This size was still large enough to overwhelm most enemies, but my current opponent was no ordinary foe.
But it didn't matter.
Just in case, I had been using Miniaturization from the moment the Red Dragon captured me.
I had reduced my size just enough for her not to notice.
Thanks to that, my durability dropped and it hurt like hell, but it gave me an ace up my sleeve.
The Miniaturization that Little Dragon taught me was a complete sham.
It could shrink a lizard my size down to a gecko in an instant.
There was no way it was a normal technique.
Just like that old man, it was a bizarre technique.
But it wasn't a bad technique.
After all, it was a skill that had saved my life time and time again.
[Status: Miniaturization is deactivated.]
Creeeak.
[Through the effect of 「Miniaturization LV5」, 「Status: Gigantification」 is applied.]
[「Species Trait: Ancient Dragon」 reacts.]
[The effect of 「Status: Gigantification」 is enhanced.]
“Krrrr...”
To face an overwhelming body, one needs a size to match.
“Yes, I’m curious too. Just how strong has my baby become?”
She was a dangerous foe; a moment of carelessness could be fatal.
Moreover, Baek Rang was currently lying defenseless.
Even covered in the Fire Rat's pelt, she couldn't be completely shielded from the battle's aftershocks.
Krrrrk.
I tensed my hind legs.
What I had to do was get the Red Dragon away from this battlefield.
KWAAAAANG!
Kicking off the ground, I charged at her as if flying through the sky.
THWAAAAACK!
I used my shoulder to shove the Red Dragon with all my might.
KWAAAAAAAANG!
The Red Dragon, who had felt like a great mountain, couldn't withstand the force of my blow, which was combined with the principles of the Little Dragon's Sky-Ascending Steps. She tried to hold her ground, but slowly began to be pushed back.
“More… than I expected…!”
But that didn't mean I had the upper hand.
She could have responded differently, but she had chosen to face my attack head-on, deliberately not dodging, to test my strength.
“I didn’t know you were such a rough man, huh?”
Fwoooosh.
While bracing her legs to withstand my attack, she concentrated her fire energy and created two massive spears in the air.
They were made of a material even more potent than the chains that had bound me.
“Still, you shouldn't charge in so recklessly.”
THWACK!
The massive spears plunged right into my back.
But it was no problem.
Sizzzle...
The newly grown, pure white fur.
This fur was made of the same material as the Fire Rat's.
Fur that would never burn, no matter the situation.
The Red Dragon had chased away the Fire Rat, but the rat had been unharmed.
“...You got me, huh?”
That meant even the Red Dragon's flames couldn't penetrate the Fire-light Beast's fur.
As I pushed the Red Dragon back with my shoulder, I stomped hard on the ground with my hind legs.
KWAAAAANG!
The principles of the Descending Dragon Tremor erupted.
Like a dragon crawling across the earth, an overwhelming force continued to push her back.
THWACK!
KWAAAAAAAANG!
It didn't cause much damage, but I achieved my goal.
The Red Dragon was sent flying dozens of meters back.
In other words, Baek Rang's safety was now guaranteed.
“I keep calling you cute, and this is how you repay me…!”
The Red Dragon swung her massive wings once.
KWAAAAAAK!
A scorching wind mixed with fire energy blew forth.
It was powerful enough to kill most beasts in a single blow, but it was impossible for it to harm me now.
The Red Dragon must have known that.
Which meant that gust of wind wasn't meant to attack me.
It was just a single flap of her wings.
FWOOOOOOSH!
The real attack was beginning now.
The Red Dragon spewed crimson flames.
It was on a completely different scale from anything she had shown before.
A massive wave of fire, spreading out like the character for 'great' (大), flew toward me.
The range was so vast that I couldn't rely solely on the Fire-light Beast's fur.
Dodging was also next to impossible.
However, it wasn't unstoppable.
Creeeak.
In an instant, a giant tree sprouted from the ground.
“Baby, are you getting too caught up in your new power? Wood is only devoured by Fire.”
KWAAAAAAAANG!
FWOOOOOOSH!
The massive flame engulfed the tree.
The elemental matchup was certainly against me.
But there are always exceptions.
Krrrrrrk!
Once again, a giant tree grew.
It took on a form like intertwining kudzu and wisteria.
The wood was the floor and the ceiling.
No matter how strong a fire is, it will go out without oxygen.
Sssssssss.
I had suppressed the Red Dragon's fire.
“To think you’d block it like that. Did you always have this kind of power?”
The Red Dragon laughed playfully.
She didn't seem to mind much, as if her last attack was just a probe.
Krrk.
I tensed my legs once more.
I had countered the Red Dragon's attack, but at this rate, there would be no decisive outcome.
I had to engage in close combat to have a chance at victory.
“You want to fight me up close?”
Fwoosh.
As if she had no intention of creating distance either, the Red Dragon wreathed her hands in flames.
KAAAANG!
My claws clashed with the Red Dragon's.
The clash of the Dragon's Claws and a dragon's claws.
KAGAGAGAK!
A close-quarters battle erupted, sending sparks flying.
The Red Dragon's claws, combined with flames, likely had higher attack power.
Even without landing a clean hit, she could slowly chip away at my health.
But my forelegs were now incomparably thicker than before.
KWAAAAANG!
With overwhelming physical force, I crushed down on the Red Dragon's claws.
“The more I see, the more I like you!”
FWOOOOSH!
Her fire energy grew even fiercer.
But it wasn't something I couldn't handle.
In my left hand, the principles of the bird.
In my right hand, the principles of the snake.
Eagle-Snake Life-Death Struggle.
KAGAGAGAGAK!
JJEEOOOONG!
The eagle's talons and the viper's fangs struck down all of the dragon's claws.
“Sssseup…”
The Red Dragon took a deep breath.
Of course, for her, a deep breath meant...
KWAAAAAAAAAAK!
...a Dragon's Breath.
This, too, was something I could counter.
The moment I saw the prelude to her breath attack, I also took a deep breath.
JJEEOOOOOOONG!
Gaegaek Death Beam.
My very own technique, one I could now use even without my Reverse Scale.
The Dragon's Breath and the Gaegaek Beam clashed.
KWAAAAAAAAAANG!
Because we clashed at such close range, we were both swept up in the aftermath.
Chzhzhzhzhk!
A massive cloud of steam was created, and both the Red Dragon and I were blown far apart.
“You’re so lovely!”
The Red Dragon charged in immediately.
She was an insanely strong opponent.
Usually, at this point, I would be the one to charge in and initiate close combat.
KAGAGAGAK!
I hurriedly raised both hands to block her claws.
FWOOOOSH!
Once again, her fire energy intensified.
“If we stay locked like this, your claws will melt, you know?”
Look at her, even giving me a kind explanation.
Not that I planned on maintaining this position anyway.
SWIIIIIIISH!
Because I had another weapon.
Its overwhelming length took up more than half my body.
My tail, covered in Dragon Scales.
JJEEOOOEOK!
My tail, swung like a whip, struck the Red Dragon's wing.
“Keuk!”
She seemed momentarily flustered by the unexpected blow, but she didn't allow a second strike.
KAGAGAGAK!
My tail, swung once more, hit her wing again, but unlike before, it couldn't deal any damage.
“...Baby.”
Because her wings had become harder than steel.
“So it really was you.”
SWISH!
KAGAGAGAK!
She furiously swung her two steel wings, unleashing a barrage of attacks on me.
KAKANG!
That wasn't all.
In between the wing strikes, she kept thrusting her flame-wreathed claws, trying to break through my defense.
KAGAGAGAGAK!
I countered with my own tail and claws, but a simple count showed I was one limb short.
In times like these, I just had to maximize my own strengths.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV5」.]
[Temporarily acquiring 「Uprooting Heavens and Overpowering the World」.]
Krrrrrrk.
An overwhelming amount of internal energy pressed down on the Red Dragon.
Of course, it wouldn't have much effect on a divine beast of her size.
But Uprooting Heavens and Overpowering the World didn't just have a suppressive effect.
For a short time, it granted me immense power, enough to uproot mountains.
It was a power that even I could barely handle, and the muscles in my right arm screamed in agony.
My arm now felt like a rusted machine.
[Strong fire energy imbues your blood.]
[Strong cold energy imbues your blood.]
If it's rusted, you just need to add some lubricant.
The cold and fire energy exploded, providing the propulsion to move my right arm.
A single strike, swung with that power.
JJEEOOOOOOONG!
It ignored the Red Dragon's attacks, carrying enough force to smash through her defense.
“Kghhheuk!”
The Red Dragon let out a pained groan.
She hastily spewed flames and leaped backward.
“…You broke my arm?”
The Red Dragon stared at her own left arm with a vacant expression.
It had happened in an instant, so she probably hadn't processed it properly.
She had been dominating the close-quarters fight, only to have her arm broken by a single blow.
“Haaa…”
The Red Dragon let out a long sigh.
She was probably blaming herself.
If she had fought from a distance, this wouldn't have happened.
“I think I’m going to go crazy.”
The Red Dragon's eyes turned crimson.
“How can you be so lovely?”
FWOOOOOOSH.
Far from being broken, her spirit was now burning even brighter.
“Just as I was your Dragon Gate, you were mine.”
Ruuuumble...
The volcano began to tremble violently.
“Baby.”
The fire energy I had suppressed began to move wildly.
KWAAANG!
Countless streams of lava began to erupt around her.
The being who had ruled this volcano before the Fire Rat.
The volcano responded to the Red Dragon's call.
“No.”
Lava, flames.
And fire energy.
Everything in the volcano gathered toward her.
“Hui.”
The Red Dragon called my name.
“You want to save that wolf, and you have to think about the consequences.”
She struck a nerve.
Just as she said, if the fallout from our fight grew any larger, I couldn't guarantee Baek Rang's safety.
“You must have a lot on your mind.”
“Krrrr...”
FWOOOOOOSH!
A giant dragon with scales of ruby.
“Let’s end this in one exchange.”
An aura of fire enveloped the dragon.
“My name is Lizamone (利慈暮煇). It’s a name from the West, so I just picked it randomly.”
Her crimson eyes stared at me.
“A sharp love, like the glow of a setting sun.”
Was this her own way of showing consideration?
“Revealing this is my sign of respect for the one who broke my arm.”
This was what I wanted.
If this battle continued any longer, the damage would be immense.
Full power against full power.
We had to clash once and for all.
“Now.”
The Red Dragon flapped her giant wings and soared into the air.
“Take this if you can!”
Knowing my situation, she could have secured victory just by bombarding me with ranged attacks from the air.
After all, my ability to counter ranged attacks was lacking, and I had to protect Baek Rang.
And yet, the Red Dragon didn't do that.
Instead, wreathed in flames, she descended upon me at an overwhelming speed.
SWIIIIIIIIIIIIISH!
That attack was her way of respecting me as I was now.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV5」.]
Then I, too, would use my full power.
[Temporarily acquiring 「Grand Shift of Heaven and Earth」.]
I pushed my potential to its absolute limit.
Grand Shift of Heaven and Earth is a martial art that allows one to change the flow of power at will.
I couldn't use that power before, but I should be able to now.
But I couldn't use it.
The moment I made contact to change the flow of her power, my body would melt.
FWOOOOOOSH!
The air expanded violently.
SWIIIIIIISH!
I focused my entire mind.
Think. Find a way to break through this situation.
I had less than a second.
As time flashed by like a revolving lantern, I closed my eyes.
A ranged technique cannot penetrate the Red Dragon's fire energy.
At close range, I would melt before my attack could land.
In that case.
Krrrrrk.
I tensed my hind legs.
Ignoring the screams of my muscles and bones, I performed a motion I had repeated hundreds, thousands of times.
All the internal energy drawn from the depths of my dantian responded to my attack.
Wooooong.
A dark blue sword aura formed on my right hand.
This was the strongest strike I could muster.
Gaegaek Divine Claw.
JJEEOOOOOEOK!
A tremendous impact struck my body.
THWACK!
PWAAAAAK!
KWAAAAANG!
I had taken the Red Dragon's blow.
My scales melted from the intense heat, and blood flowed from all over my body.
“…The power was sufficient, but…” the Red Dragon said in a disappointed voice. “If you swing with your eyes closed, you can’t hit what you’re supposed to hit.”
I had swung my claw before the Red Dragon even reached me.
“…Still, you’re breathing.”
The moment the Red Dragon took a step...
Pshuuuuuuk!
...a deep gash appeared on her chest.
“Wh-what is this…”
I had swung my claw before the Red Dragon reached me.
That meant my attack was faster than hers.
“But... it didn't touch me?”
My claw hadn't touched the Red Dragon.
It had only cut through empty air.
“You cut... the wind?” the Red Dragon muttered in a bewildered voice.
“No…”
Her giant dragon form gradually shrank, returning to her human shape.
The Red Dragon placed a hand on her chest.
She seemed both angry at having been hit and strangely pleased. With a flushed face, she stared intently at me, her hand moving slowly as if feeling her own heartbeat.
JJEEOOOOOEOK!
The peak of the volcano, which had been raging wildly, slowly crumbled.
KWAAAAANG!
“You cut space itself.”
The Crushing Dragon had shattered the Red Dragon's volcano.