Ascension of the Earth Dragon

There exists a monster called the Earth Worm that swims through the ground, wreaking havoc on farms and villages. As long ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as one stayed alert for its sudden bursts from the earth and its somewhat hard, thick shell, it was a creature veteran adventurers could handle. That only applied to its juvenile form, however. Even those juveniles were monsters over six meters long, while adults exceeded twenty meters with shells nearly as hard as rock. Still, even those could be dealt with if a knight order mobilized.

But an Earth Worm that had survived for over a thousand years was something else entirely. It stretched beyond two hundred meters, its shell stronger than steel and thick as castle walls. Upon hearing that such an ancient beast had appeared, the only ones who rolled up their sleeves and set out were an old man and a boy—just two people.

The old man with a long white beard began tapping the ground lightly with his palm.

The boy beside him let out a sigh and shot back.

The old man’s fist immediately slammed down on Werner’s crown. It was an educational smack packed with discipline and affection. To the recipient, of course, it was simply the old bastard’s painfully dirty punch.

Werner grimaced at the stinging pain and rubbed his head.

What the hell does he mean, brat…

He thought it was too quiet to be heard, but the Heavenly Demon’s ears were sharp. The result was an educational Blue Lightning Fist striking Werner’s skull dead center.

"Ow, that hurts like hell. Look, if it harms people, a thousand years or not, it’s just a monster. Spiritual being? My ass."

"Blah blah blah… The old man who’ll soon be painting the walls brown has such a damn loud voice…"

Hearing Werner’s mutter, the Heavenly Demon snapped a branch from a nearby tree. The branch’s obvious purpose made Werner bolt like his tail was on fire. In the old man’s hand, even an ordinary twig became more threatening than an iron club.

Werner ran for his life. The Heavenly Demon chased to kill. After the pair had sprinted roughly five kilometers, the ground suddenly shook with a deafening roar.

The abrupt tremor made both Werner and the Heavenly Demon stop. Werner spread his mana while the Heavenly Demon extended his qi, searching for the source. Something enormous was approaching them—at terrifying speed.

At that moment, the giant Earth Worm burst through the earth. Nearly two hundred and fifty meters long, its hard shell gleaming. It was exactly the target they sought.

The dust cloud kicked up by the Earth Worm slammed straight into the Heavenly Demon, yet not a single speck clung to his clothes. From the monster’s perspective the old man had done nothing at all, but his sleeves whipped violently. Hand movements approaching the speed of light had simply refused to let the dust touch him.

The Heavenly Demon placed his palm against the Earth Worm’s cold, rock-hard shell.

He twisted his wrist and swept his middle finger across the shell. A single indifferent stroke from bottom to top—and the colossal Earth Worm’s body soared into the sky.

The Earth Worm, experiencing for the first time the sensation of its two-hundred-and-fifty-meter body floating without touching the ground, let out a savage roar.

"Kieeeeeeek!"

The Heavenly Demon glanced at Werner beside him.

"As usual, all the annoying chores fall to me…" Werner sighed, clapped his hands together with a sharp smack, and recited the spell he had created long ago.

The falling giant Earth Worm met not the familiar soil but an endless darkness. It struggled desperately, yet the more it thrashed, the deeper it sank. The darkness devoured it like a swamp; the harder it moved, the faster it was consumed.

Only then did the Earth Worm realize the shape the darkness had taken. The giant maw formed of shadow that sought to devour it was sneering at its frantic resistance. And when most of its body had already been swallowed, it finally understood just how colossal the two figures before it truly were.

Oh Cheon-ryeong, the Heavenly Demon who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts on the Eastern Continent.

And Werner Alton, the archmage hailed as the greatest genius in history.

At last the darkness completely devoured the Earth Worm. It shrank smaller and smaller until it became a bead no larger than a glass marble. Childish name or not, grand magic was still grand magic.

Werner levitated the bead with mana and began toying with it.

It had originally been Werner’s assignment, but he had pestered and begged the Heavenly Demon to accompany him.

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes smiled, but his hand was already snapping a thick branch from a nearby tree. Seeing a limb closer to a club than a switch, Werner grinned and asked.

"Hahaha…"

"Hehehe…"

Werner and the Heavenly Demon burst into hearty laughter at the same time. After laughing for a while, Werner once again began sprinting for his life. The Heavenly Demon chased after him with the wooden club in hand. The endless pursuit finally ended when Werner bought the old man a meal.

Werner returned to the imperial capital and headed straight for the mansion. It was the home where Zeek, Media, and their daughter Airi lived, but Werner had settled in as a permanent freeloader.

The one who greeted him was the former Saintess Media. She shared similar features with Airi, but possessed lush golden hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Dangerous? I did everything myself. Grandpa Chunma just spent the whole time hitting my head."

Werner heavily downplayed the Heavenly Demon’s role to make his own tale sound more heroic.

"Haha… I’m actually tearing up…"

"What can a baby who only babbles possibly do…"

Werner smiled awkwardly and opened the mansion door. Luxurious furniture and decorations filled his vision—a sight the old Werner could never have imagined—yet now it was simply home.

"That’s a shame. I wanted to see her at least once."

"Really? Then I’ll pay a grand visit at that time."

While the two were chatting warmly, a commotion erupted on the second floor. Urgent voices and sounds of panic mixed together. Werner and Media turned their heads, and soon the head maid came running with a deathly pale face.

Werner asked casually, assuming it was nothing serious, but the head maid delivered news like a bolt from the blue.