Chapter 110
Chapter 110
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Mad Dragon Hunting (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Bone Dragon, cracking and shattering yet ceaselessly repairing itself as it clung on relentlessly, and the Immortal King, hammering away madly with a barrage of spells that pierced straight through its anti-magic field.
A vampire targeting weak spots like the wing membranes to hinder its movements, and even some unidentified humanoid... no, a single parasite clinging on.
[Kyaaaa—!]
Frustration and rage surged through Herathos in the suffocating situation, twisting its entire body once more as it unleashed mana from every inch of its form.
Groooo—!
The hostile mana poured out like a raging torrent, growing all the more destructive the closer one was. To minimize damage, there was no choice but to pull away from it.
Heinz, who had been relentlessly slicing into the Mad Dragon's body with his razor-sharp blood, withdrew without hesitation... but.
“Whoa there!”
Splurt—!
Harley, who had no intention of leaving this prime spot, resisted the force trying to shove him off. He hooked his nails and claws like grapples, embedding them into the beast's wounds.
Crunch— rip!
The immense pressure infused with mana exploded outward from the dragon's body.
Harley's flesh, which had endured countless evolutions without so much as a scratch until now, began tearing and twisting in places all over.
Even regenerating it with 「Regeneration」 would demand a massive amount of energy, but Harley didn't care one bit as blood streamed from his entire body. He burst into boisterous laughter.
“Hahaha! When the ultimate tonic is scattered right in front of me like this, scratches like these are nothing!”
Maximizing 「Flesh Alteration」, his mouth tore open from ear to ear, his jaw elongating like a snake's, packed with serrated fangs.
Crunch! Cruuunch!
Ignoring his own disintegrating body, Harley worked his jaws furiously, devouring the dragon's blood and flesh.
Those exquisite ingredients were ceaselessly absorbed into his body through the power of 「Gluttony」, transforming into tremendous energy that regenerated his crumbling form even stronger.
And as that process repeated endlessly...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has fulfilled the conditions for growth. Skill 「Gluttony」 evolves into Special Skill 「Voracity」. At last, the 「Gluttony」 skill had broken through its limits and evolved.
'Well, yeah. After devouring that much dragon blood and flesh, it's only natural.'
To evolve a skill, beyond proficiency, each one required its own unique 'feat'.
And clinging to the chest of a Mad Dragon like this, tearing into its living flesh—that alone was an incredible accomplishment.
Plus, the steady accumulation of experience from constantly using it to sustain his monstrous physique wouldn't have been insignificant either.
Seizing the moment when the dragon's mana torrent paused, he quickly checked the details of his new skill.
「Gluttony」 aided in absorbing hard-to-digest substances, letting him consume greater quantities faster.
For him, who needed vast energy to maintain his combat prowess, it had been essential.
But the evolved 「Voracity」 was on another level entirely.
'This synergizes with Harley insanely well.'
He glanced down at the dragon scales sprouting anew from the wounds.
Until now, he'd plucked them out to take only the flesh... but.
Craaack—
This time, he simply opened his maw as wide as possible and bit down.
Crunch!
The dragon scales, already tough and further hardened by 'madness,' were at a level even Heinz—beyond True Blood—had to exert himself fully to shatter.
But cruuunch! Craaack!
They shattered like glass before Harley's teeth.
Thanks to the powerful bonus 「Voracity」 granted for chewing and swallowing.
And the moment he devoured part of the Mad Dragon, something flowing through its body—something tied to that act of 'eating'—was ripped away as well.
'What's this?'
Its effect was immediately visible.
The regeneration in the area he'd bitten was noticeably slowed compared to before.
'This is incredible.'
It wasn't just about eating better than before.
'Does 「Voracity」 let me steal even the concepts inherent to the target?'
In simple terms, he'd just devoured not only Herathos's flesh but the 'regeneration' and 'madness' embedded in that chunk—whole.
'The rank and proficiency are still low, so the effect isn't perfect... but in this situation, it's more than enough.'
Besides, 'fully consuming and digesting' held deeper meaning for him.
As 「Mutation」 imprinted the new data and 「Flesh Alteration」 drew upon it—
A single deep blood-red scale sprouted on one of his arms.
'...A Mad Dragon scale.'
Normally, to create horns, he had to eat horns; for a tail, a tail.
Same with scales.
He hadn't until now because consuming mana stones—packed with all genetic info—up to his limit resolved it naturally.
'Before, I couldn't have made scales without eating the dragon heart.'
No matter how great 「Gluttony」 was, fully digesting dragon scales was beyond it.
'Not fully perfected yet. Still, for a single scale, this level means absorption efficiency has shot way up.'
He'd been evolving his body nonstop by chewing on the dragon's carcass and assimilating its data, but without a mana stone, efficiency had been low.
Yet this scale's completion suggested several times the absorption rate.
His thoughts deepened.
Harley's 「Mutation」 was designed to collect genes from myriad species, aiming for a fully evolved being.
A miraculous creation from dragon blood of another world, utterly unlike this continent's dragons.
And here in Outerica, dragons stood at the pinnacle of lifeforms.
This Mad Dragon had even transcended its limits through flesh evolution, eroded by 'madness'...
'Setting aside the penalties that come with it.'
This body of his was no ordinary one either—Harley could handle that much.
“Slurp— mouthwatering. Heh heh heh!”
Of course, eating its dragon heart wouldn't turn him into a full dragon.
Even with higher efficiency, there'd be losses.
But what mattered now...
Was that the Mad Dragon's heart would bring Harley closer to completion...
And right on cue, he had the means for it.
“Kuhahat! You bastard! Let's take a peek at that heart of yours!”
Thrilled, Harley tore into the Mad Dragon's wound again.
With 「Voracity」's power, he barely needed to work his jaws—flesh sloughed off wherever his teeth touched, sliding down his throat to be absorbed.
Chomp! Chooomp!
Like burrowing through soil, he tunneled through blood and flesh, wedging his body into the wound.
Normally, the injury would regenerate rapidly to block intrusion... but.
With its regeneration suppressed, nothing could stop him now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Kyarruk—?]
Herathos, tussling with the Bone Dragon amid Hans's black chains, sensed something amiss and examined its chest.
Some freakish humanoid had been gnawing at him like a bug since earlier, but he'd trusted his sturdy body and near-infinite regeneration, merely keeping a lazy watch... but now.
Pain surged anew, and something vital within him was torn away.
[Kyaaaa—?!]
Blood flowed from the wound, and regeneration had slowed dramatically.
The parasite on his chest was burrowing inward bit by bit, heading for his heart.
Sensing mortal peril, the Mad Dragon thrashed wildly, but Hans wouldn't let it.
[Kuooh—!]
To block the dragon's claws from digging out his chest flesh, Entrachio hurled himself to grapple it.
As the two corrupted dragons embraced fiercely, Harley's lower body wriggled between the Bone Dragon's splayed ribs, burrowing deeper.
[Keh heh— stay put. It'll be over soon. Seeing the masterpiece I poured my heart into coming to completion... it feels great.]
Hans—the 'father' who'd created this Harley—spoke proudly, activating more suppressive spells.
Subduing a madness-crazed dragon alive was taxing even for him, but now it felt rewarding.
[Kyaaaak—!]
Perhaps sensing its life hanging by a thread, Herathos rampaged like never before.
Madness surged in response, bulking its flesh further.
Crunch! Cruuunch!
Swellling muscles and raging dark-crimson mana.
The Mad Dragon Herathos bit and tore at the clinging Entrachio, twisting its body.
Simultaneously, to kill the parasite in its chest, it constricted muscles, even blasting dense mana directly into itself at the cost of self-damage... but.
It kept burrowing deeper, inch by inch...
Booom! Craaack!
Realizing it couldn't dislodge the parasite easily, the Mad Dragon's resistance intensified.
Entrachio focused solely on clinging, pouring all mana into defense and repair.
It couldn't fight back much, steadily breaking down, but Herathos faced the more urgent crisis.
[Huuuup—]
In desperation, it even readied its breath attack.
But.
“Planning to use breath at such close range? You really can't see a thing anymore, huh.”
Heinz 2nd was already poised beneath its jaw.
With 「Concealment」 and 「Invisibility」 fully active.
“Haven't done much this whole time, you see. Even against a dragon, ending without shining would hurt my pride.”
The massive blood greatsword in his hands rippled quietly.
Fueled by all the spare blood amassed for 「Pure Blood Crystal」, it brimmed with Heinz's vampiric factors, evolved to their limit via 「Hybrid Evolution」—
The perfect medium to draw out 「Blood Mystery」's utmost potential.
'Not even sparing me a glance. Too busy, or figures I'll be harmless if ignored like before?'
Given its senses, it could've pierced Heinz's 「Concealment」 with focus.
Yet it only fended off Hans and Entrachio, ignoring him completely.
Either way, it'd regret it.
His glowing crimson eyes 「Pierced」 the mana flows gathering for the breath.
He couldn't fully scan its internals due to the level gap, but such violent flows needed no fine detail.
'There.'
Heinz gripped the sword shifted to his left hip with both hands.
A ready stance from swordsmanship learned via Heinrich's 「Comprehensive Martial Arts」.
'Couldn't match the Logia Holy Swordsmanship, but this much is plenty.'
No fancy technique needed now.
Just.
———!
Activating 「Acceleration」, he slashed at full power.
The blood greatsword whipped out long like a lash, slicing space sharply—
Its tip, beyond hypersonic, passed the Mad Dragon's neck silently, smoothly.
And.
After a brief moment.
Shiiiieek—!
Ruuuumble—!
Air tore asunder, shockwaves erupting along the blade's path.
Spluuuurt—!
The dragon's massive neck severed halfway, blood cascading like a waterfall.
[Keurk—?!]
Moreover, the concentrated breath mana exploded through the gash.
The already lethal wound shredded further from the backlash.
[Guh, Keuk—?!]
The Mad Dragon, suffering its worst damage yet, staggered in daze.
But even then, the wound regenerated swiftly...
'Regenerating even this fatal hit. Grotesque.'
Heinz recovered as much blood as possible, storing it within, and clicked his tongue lightly.
His own 「Super Recovery」 could manage it too, but honestly, that bulk with such regen was cheating.
'Doesn't matter anymore.'
Yeah, whether it regenerated or not—it was irrelevant now.
Because Harley.
Had finally reached the heart.