Chapter 312
Chapter 312
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 312
Chapter Title: Dragon (2)
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“What did that human just say? Li, lizard?”
“To us, bearers of the great bloodline… lizard?”
The dragons reacted with utter bewilderment at the unprecedented insult they had never heard in their lives.
Even though they had been trapped in the Shadow Realm for so long, the dragons were not ignorant of humans.
In particular, the elders had lived on the surface before being confined to the Shadow Realm, experiencing humans firsthand.
The humans the elders had encountered were all pathetic creatures. They trembled at the mere mention of the word “dragon.”
Of course, not all humans were like that. Some charged at them with hostility.
“You heard right. You lizard bastards.”
But they had never seen a human like Demian Haksen, who openly called dragons lizards and treated them with utter disdain.
“How dare you be so arrogant!”
“Human! Do you even realize what you’re doing right now?”
“Are you trying to make enemies of all of us?”
The dragons reacted furiously.
In truth, the dragons had considered Demian Haksen somewhat manageable.
No matter how renowned a knight he was in the human world, they believed he would be crushed by a dragon’s might.
But the Demian Haksen they now faced was completely beyond their expectations.
“Enemies? Did you just say enemies?”
Demian Haksen shouted, pointing at the red dragon Balhard.
“The moment you sent that bastard to forcibly drag me here, you might as well have declared war on me.”
Demian Haksen glared at each elder one by one as he continued.
“Don’t get the wrong idea! I didn’t come here to play nice with you lizards! I only came to find out the devil’s location!”
“What an insolent human.”
At that moment, a solemn voice echoed from above the sky. Simultaneously, shadows spread across the entire field.
A colossal dragon descended amid a massive storm. It was a red dragon covered in dull crimson scales.
Demian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The dragon before him exuded far greater power than the other elder dragons.
As soon as the red dragon appeared, tension rippled across the elders’ faces, making Demian wonder if he had misjudged.
“Human, I ask you this. Was it you who reduced that one to such a state?”
The red dragon pointed at Balhard and asked. Demian replied nonchalantly.
“And if it was?”
The elders began murmuring at Demian’s response.
“I suspected, but to think that human really turned Balhard into that pitiful sight…”
“Impossible. How could a mere human do that to Balhard…”
Though confined to the Shadow Realm, the dragons were not ignorant of the surface world. They had their ways of gathering information.
Thus, they knew exactly who Demian Haksen was.
A young genius who had reached the master class.
But master class was nowhere near enough to challenge a dragon.
Balhard, moreover, was the strongest among the young dragons.
“To think a pathetic creature like a human… dared to touch my son?”
Rage flared on the dragon’s face. Demian looked at him with amazement and said.
“This retard is your son? No wonder he looks so similar.”
At that instant, the red dragon flew into a towering rage.
The surrounding mana responded to the red dragon’s emotions. The entire world was engulfed in flames.
The flames swept toward Demian Haksen as well. Yet they couldn’t even singe a single hair on him.
The moment they neared Demian, they lost their heat and fizzled out.
The reason was the World Tree sapling rooted in Demian’s soul.
The World Tree held the immense power of nature that even drew spirits to it.
No matter how much of a red dragon it was, it could not harm Demian with flames.
“To think a mere human withstands my mana.”
The red dragon’s expression soured even further.
“Human, my name is Typhon. Surely you’ve heard of the Storm Dragon Typhon.”
Demian’s pupils dilated slightly.
The Storm Dragon Typhon was one of the dragons said to have once dominated the continent.
A legendary monster with power on par with the evil dragon whose head was crushed by the church’s first saint.
“An honor to lay eyes on the legendary lizard.”
Demian said with mockery. Bloodshot veins burst in Typhon’s eyes.
“To act like that even after hearing my name! Looks like words won’t get through to you!”
Typhon’s body became wreathed in flames. The flames soon subsided, revealing a massive man.
His upper body was burly, his arms packed with muscle. They seemed capable of killing with a mere brush.
Polymorph.
The legendary spell said to allow transformation into any creature.
No mage had ever replicated it, as only dragons could use it.
“Human, consider it an honor. I’ll personally teach you a lesson.”
“You’re not seriously planning to fight me in that form, are you?”
Typhon laughed derisively at Demian’s question.
“Isn’t this form more than you deserve!”
Typhon swung his fist at Demian. It moved so fast that the fist struck first, the sound following after.
Demian wasn’t operating the Nameless Qi Art, so he lacked the invincible protective aura he was once famed for.
Even so, Demian didn’t dodge Typhon’s fist. Instead, he drew power from the sapling.
The World Tree’s energy took root throughout Demian’s body. He felt his physique vastly strengthen.
He caught the fist flying at his face with his palm. The impact, enough to crush iron, transmitted through his hand.
Typhon’s fist halted, unable to advance further. Typhon said with a shocked face.
“…How does a mere human receive the World Tree’s blessing?”
“What’s it to you?”
Demian replied curtly. Typhon’s brow furrowed.
“Fine, I don’t need to know! I’ll crush your skull right now!”
Typhon immediately swung his other fist. The punch tore through the air, aiming for Demian’s jaw.
Demian moved first. He closed in tight and thrust his fist.
Demian’s extended fist slammed into Typhon’s solar plexus. At that moment, Demian invoked his mana.
His already enhanced physical abilities from the World Tree sapling were further amplified by mana. With a thunderous boom, Typhon’s body was sent flying.
Typhon crashed into the ground. The impact was so immense that the earth shattered, burying his body deep underground.
“What was that? Did Typhon just get pushed back?”
“Impossible! Even in human form, how could he…?”
The elders murmured in shock.
A body transformed by polymorph was inevitably influenced by its original form. The stronger the original, the stronger the transformed body.
Typhon had once dominated the western continent. His human form was correspondingly mighty.
Then, a massive surge of mana exploded from the crater where Typhon was buried.
With an earthquake, a colossal dragon revealed itself.
Typhon had released the polymorph and returned to his true form.
“Fine! I see you’re no ordinary foe! Now I’ll face you properly!”
Feeling the erupting mana, Demian smirked.
“Perfect. I’ve been wanting to try out a certain technique myself.”
In the past, Demian had fought the thought body of Saint Bartholomeo, the first holy emperor of the Divine Church.
In that battle, Demian had stolen Bartholomeo’s techniques and realm.
Bartholomeo was known as the church’s first holy emperor and the first to awaken holy power.
But before that, he had been called something else.
Dragonslayer.
That was how optimized Bartholomeo’s techniques and realm were for killing dragons.
It wasn’t for nothing that Bartholomeo had crushed an evil dragon’s head in one blow.
Demian extended his hand. Mana gathered, forming an Aurablade in the shape of a massive hammer.
However, the hammer’s head was unusual. It wasn’t flat but pointed, like a stake had been embedded in it.
“Human!”
Typhon charged at Demian. Each step he took on two legs made the world quake.
Demian was about to charge at Typhon as well.
“Typhon, stop!”
A young voice came from the sky.
Demian looked up to see something flapping its wings and descending.
At first, Demian couldn’t identify the creature.
Given it was in the Shadow Realm, it was likely a dragon. Yet he couldn’t help doubting. Its appearance differed greatly from a dragon.
Its entire body was covered in fluffy down. Its wings had feathers like a bird’s, unlike a dragon’s. Its head was small, and its neck short.
“Lady Iris! Why have you come outside!”
Typhon shouted in a fluster. The mysterious creature replied in a cold voice.
“How could I stay inside when you’re causing such a ruckus, Uncle Typhon! Stop the fight right now!”
“B-but this human hurt my son…”
The bizarre creature glared at Typhon and said firmly.
“Stop.”
Typhon immediately withdrew his mana.
Demian couldn’t help but be surprised. To think this foul-tempered dragon would obey a command so readily.
“Demian Haksen, I told the elders to bring you, but I didn’t expect a fight to break out. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it sooner.”
The bizarre creature positioned itself in front of Demian and spoke.
It wasn’t as large as a dragon, but the creature was still quite big.
“What kind of creature are you?”
Unable to hold back, Demian asked. The creature replied in a calm voice.
“I am Iris, a hatchling.”
“…You’re the hatchling?”
Demian asked with deep suspicion. Iris snapped indignantly.
“Please don’t doubt me—it’s true. I’m just an ancient dragon, so I look different from other hatchlings.”
Ancient dragon.
Demian’s face showed surprise at those words.
Demian had been instilled with vast knowledge by Dorgo.
Beyond black magic, it included general magic, pharmacology, and even dragons.
Just as elves originated from the World Tree, dragons too had primordial beings known as progenitors.
They were the five ancient dragons.
Called beings closer to gods than dragons, they had taken root on the continent and birthed countless dragons.
“…You’re an ancient dragon?”
Demian eyed Iris with profound doubt.
Compared to the legends of ancient dragons he knew, Iris was far too small and weak in aura.
“…I’m still a hatchling, but I’m a bona fide ancient dragon.”
Iris said in a sulky voice.
“More importantly, I didn’t call you here for idle chit-chat.”
Iris looked down at Demian and said.
“Tell me everything about why the pact was broken. Then I’ll answer your questions.”