Chapter 673
Chapter 673
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 673
Chapter Title: The Dragon King
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Whoooosh-!
Immense magical power swirled around Artian.
Artian, who had been chanting with her eyes closed, finally opened them.
“Flame Wave.”
Fwoooosh-!
A colossal tidal wave of fire erupted from the fortress moat.
The Gigantes approaching to break down the walls screamed at the sight.
But the magic wasn't over.
“-!”
A beautiful song echoed across the battlefield.
The wind responded to a song woven in the runic tongue.
Whoooosh-
Magical power shimmered from Chelsea’s body as she held her staff.
The area around Chelsea was so serene it was hard to believe she was in the middle of a battlefield.
If not for the circumstances, the song was beautiful enough to lose oneself in.
But the spectacle born from the song was nothing short of ferocious.
Rooooooar-!
The tidal wave of fire crashing down on the Giant King's army grew even more violent.
Like a wave swayed by the wind.
It didn't just rush in one direction but surged from all sides.
Artian’s eyes sparkled.
“When did that little kid become such a formidable mage?”
Although she was a professor in the Summoning Department, teaching Heroics, which was unrelated to magic.
Having contracted with a mage-type heroic spirit, Artian was also well-versed in magic.
A faint smile on her lips, Artian conjured even more mana.
In response, Flame Waves continued to pour out from the moat.
Thanks to Chelsea and Artian's magic, the area around the fortress had literally become a sea of fire.
“Haaaah!”
In the middle of that fiery sea, Dweno swung his battle-axe.
“Now this is the perfect environment for a fight!”
The combination of Chelsea and Artian's magic was powerful enough to turn even their allies to ash.
But it didn't inflict much damage on Dweno.
This was the same Dweno who had stood as Ar-Hi's party's shield against the Flames of Calamity, arguably the most dreadful fire of all.
For Dweno, who could withstand even Luna's fire magic, flames of this level were no great threat.
Thwack-!
“Guuuaaaargh!”
“Where do you think you’re looking!”
After lopping off the head of a demon under the Giant King's command, who was writhing in the flames, Dweno looked up.
“Die, Dwarf!”
A massive demon, wielding a giant battle hammer with both hands, was bringing it down on the dwarf.
The momentum of its charge, having broken through the sea of fire, was extraordinary.
Craaash-! Crack-!
Dweno’s battle-axe, which had blocked the battle hammer imbued with sinister black magic, cracked.
Seeing this, the giant demon laughed wickedly.
“This weapon was a gift from the great Giant King himself! There’s no way a piece of junk made by a mere dwarf could block it…”
Crunch-!
In an instant, the dwarf’s free hand dug its fingers into the head of the battle-axe.
“Tell the Giant King.”
Dweno smiled coldly.
“With a shoddy hammer like this, you couldn't even drive a nail properly.”
Crack! Smaaaash-!
The giant battle hammer, starting from where Dweno's fingertips had touched it, shattered into pieces.
“What!”
The giant demon cried out in shock.
Dweno tossed aside his cracked battle-axe, opened a pocket dimension, and leaped.
A massive greatsword appeared.
Having jumped up to the giant demon’s face, Dweno spoke.
“Shall we test if your hide is as sturdy as your weapon?”
Slaaash-!
The swung greatsword brutally severed the giant demon's neck.
“Hmm, your bones aren't very strong. Were you a picky eater?”
Smiling faintly at the flying head of the giant demon, Dweno landed back on the ground.
“Kill the Iron-Blooded Gatekeeper!”
“No! Aim for the walls!”
The Giant King's army fell into disarray.
Luke, watching the scene from atop the wall, trembled.
“Lord Dweno… is truly amazing.”
“He looks like he could hold them off all by himself.”
Aina’s eyes widened.
Watching them, Enniha bit her lip hard.
“No. Even so, he can’t hold them off alone.”
“There’s no winning against sheer numbers, after all.”
Driana wore a bitter expression.
“But this time, we’re here too!”
Ar puffed out his chest.
“Right… you guys are here.”
On this wall, there were many heroes stronger than the current Ar.
But in all the time he had been defending the fortress, Dweno had never charged out alone like this.
‘It’s because of us.’
To protect them, Dweno always had to fight at a disadvantage.
‘Because we're nothing but a burden.’
Enniha looked up at the sky.
Leo was there.
He was the reason Dweno could now fight freely on the front lines.
‘If only we had at least one other reliable comrade like him… If only I had been a little more dependable, Dweno could have advanced with peace of mind.’
With a frustrated look, Enniha gripped her weapon.
“They’re coming, get ready!”
The Giant King's army, having broken through the sea of fire, crashed against the fortress walls.
Thwack-!
‘I should probably head back soon.’
After blowing away the head of a Gigantes before him, Dweno surveyed the battlefield.
The army's assault was endless.
‘…But… why isn’t he here?’
However, the Giant King, the core of the army, was nowhere to be seen.
‘This isn't an all-out offensive.’
Dweno saw through it in an instant.
‘What are you scheming, you sinister bastard?’
*
Leo charged swiftly toward the swarm of Paphnirs that filled the sky.
Rooooar-!
Spiritual power swirled at the tip of Leo’s sword.
The sword in his hand, Posteritas, responded to Leo's spiritual power.
Crackle- Crackle-
The pure white lightning flowing from Leo's body gathered at the sword's tip.
“Are you ready?”
[Yes!]
The moment Atti’s reply ended.
A pure white light flashed in Leo's eyes.
Flash!
The spiritual power raging from Posteritas instantly became pure white lightning and shot up into the sky.
Ruuuumble-!
The lightning, piercing through the clouds, soon formed a thundercloud.
Crash-! Sizzle-!
[Aaaaaaaaargh-!]
Atti's pained screams echoed in all directions.
The power Leo used was the Essence of Lightning.
The power of Albus, the last Pegasus King from 5,000 years ago.
It was an ability he had inherited as a reward for conquering Lisinas's world last time.
The Flame Emperor of the Phoenix.
The White King of the Pegasus.
The Fairy King of the Fairies.
Even among Mystical Beasts, their powers were special.
Only those with the right qualifications could wield them freely.
A power that inflicted immense pain the moment any being other than a Beast King or their successor tried to wield it.
‘Albus failed to leave a successor.’
Therefore, in this era, there shouldn't have been any Pegasus capable of fully wielding the Essence of Lightning.
‘Right. There shouldn't have been.’
[Ahahahahahahahahaha!]
Atti, who had been screaming in pain, soon burst into ecstatic laughter.
[This is amazing! I feel so alive! Ahahahahahahaha!]
Letting out a continuous, crazed laugh, Atti spread its wings wide and soared into the sky at an incredible speed.
Whoooooooosh-!
In Atti’s wake, Paphnirs crumbled into dust and scattered.
‘First, I need to secure air superiority.’
Having lost control of the skies meant fighting a disadvantageous battle.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason he took to the air.
There was a more important reason here.
‘He said he definitely participated in the Battle of Ivaldi, didn't he?’
An ill-fated connection remained here.
An ill-fated connection that, regrettably, he couldn't settle with his own hands.
Paphnirs were undoubtedly high-tier demonic beasts.
They were also the mystical beasts that had terrified people the most during the Age of Calamity.
But they had a clear weakness.
‘The reason these guys became high-tier mystical beasts isn't because each individual is strong.’
Of course, even a single Paphnir was by no means a weak demonic beast.
Each and every one was a considerably threatening foe.
But compared to other high-tier demonic beasts, their power was weak.
They seemed even weaker considering that high-tier demonic beasts were monsters that wielded power equal to high-tier mystical beasts.
Yet, the reason Paphnirs were classified as high-tier demonic beasts was singular.
‘Their pack behavior.’
The Paphnirs' most terrifying weapon wasn't their powerful physical abilities.
It was their reproductive rate and growth speed.
And their absolute obedience to their leader's commands.
Beast Tamers could control an entire swarm just by taming a single alpha Paphnir.
The day Dweno joined and Ar-Hi's party was complete.
Lisinas's very first objective was a massive subjugation of the Paphnirs.
Thus, the Paphnirs were driven to extinction during the Age of Calamity, vanishing without a trace.
‘Lisinas believed the world couldn't be saved as long as Paphnirs existed.’
That's how threatening a swarm of Paphnirs could be once their numbers grew.
But these Paphnirs weren't originally high-tier demonic beasts.
They were originally mid-tier.
‘They became high-tier demonic beasts after the Age of Calamity began.’
The Paphnirs' abnormal reproductive rate and growth speed were not their original traits.
“Eliza!”
“What is it!”
“Can you handle these things alone for a bit!”
“What’s going on?”
Leo looked up at the sky.
“There’s something up there.”
At his words, Eliza looked up.
Then, her lips curled into a smile.
“I can do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“‘Surpass your limits,’ isn't that our academy's motto? And…”
Eliza frowned slightly.
“Besides, I can't stand the way that man struts around, acting like he's some great hero.”
Revealing a strange sense of rivalry, Eliza conjured her spiritual power.
Influenced by her power, her Pegasus, Ru, emitted even more intense lightning.
“You sound reliable.”
“Hmph.”
Scoffing at Leo's words, Eliza summoned her mystical beasts.
Countless flying beasts, led by a Wind Wyvern, were summoned.
“Alright, everyone.”
Eliza grinned.
“Let's hunt those ugly lizards.”
Crackle-!
The blessing of the Pegasus was bestowed upon the mystical beasts Eliza had summoned.
Seeing this, Leo was inwardly impressed.
‘To have such application skills so soon after successfully summoning a Pegasus.’
Impressed by Eliza, Leo grabbed Atti's reins and said.
“Atti. As high as you can go.”
[Yes, Master!]
Atti’s eyes flashed as it shot up into the sky.
Kieeeeeeeeeee!
An immense number of Paphnirs blocked Leo's path like a cloud.
As if they were determined not to let him pass.
Leo held out his palm.
Fwoosh-!
The Essence of Lightning began to gather above Leo's hand.
Clench-! Craaaackle-!
As he closed his fist, a pure white spear materialized.
Whoosh-!
As he threw the pure white spear, the Paphnirs disintegrated.
As if a giant hole had been punched through the cloud.
An empty space formed within the dark mass of the Paphnir swarm.
The pungent smell of burning protein filled the air, but Leo paid it no mind and charged through the gap.
Fwoosh-!
Having soared above the clouds, Atti spotted something.
[Master, that’s…?]
“A dragon.”
Leo said calmly.
The white-haired man standing on the cloud looked noble at a glance.
It was as if a silence flowed around him.
A beautiful man who seemed detached from the world.
Leo approached the man, who stood quietly with his eyes closed.
“Hello?”
“Not only have you trespassed in my domain, but a lowly human dares to speak to me?”
The man opened his eyes, his expression placid.
“It seems you wish to die.”
At those words, Leo smiled.
“I’ve wanted to meet you, Gimeon.”
“Oh? So there are still humans who remember the great Gimeon? But your tone is impudent.”
A black sword light momentarily flashed in Leo's eyes.
At that, Gimeon's eyes twitched.
“That spiritual power… Lisinas?”
“I always regretted not being able to tear you apart with my own hands.”
Leo's eyes curved gently.
But a chilling killing intent swirled within them.
“Looks like I can finally put that regret to rest.”
“Haha, what an amusing human. A member of a lesser race dares to say he’ll kill me, a dragon? A funny joke.”
Gimeon burst out laughing as if he’d heard something hilarious.
“I don't know how you obtained Lisinas's power. But it seems you’re under the delusion that having a dragon's power makes you my equal.”
Gimeon scoffed.
“Just as you humans have social standing, so do dragons. The power of Lisinas, who should have been serving me from the shadows, could never be a match for me, the Dragon King.”
With a look of clear contempt, Gimeon declared.
“The Dragon King is, quite literally, the strongest of all dragons.”
“Strongest? Don't make me laugh, you traitorous lizard.”
“What did you say?”
Gimeon’s expression changed drastically.
“And… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use the title of Dragon King… Dragon Lord, so carelessly.”
Leo's voice turned ice-cold.
“Because the one and only Dragon Lord of this era is him—Lisinas.”