***
**
Boom! Bang!
After a massive explosion swept through, Valhalla, built upon a huge mountain peak, burst apart completely, and even the mountain that supported the building was half-destroyed.
Yet,
“There wasn’t much to it.”
Seong Jihan, who had been swept up in the explosion, reemerged unscathed.
And behind him, Yoon Sejin managed to stand up, albeit in a wrecked condition.
During the first Dragon Flare, the Sword King was already nearing death.
Having successfully blocked the second attack, Seong Jihan owed it largely to having absorbed the blast himself.
“Thanks for the blocking, but next time, I’ll resist it myself. I can’t afford to become a burden.”
“Understood.”
Yoon Sejin managed a bitter smile, and Seong Jihan nodded in response.
[To withstand Dragon Flare with such lowly power… You’re surprisingly strong.]
“You’re quite formidable yourself compared to other dragons.”
Dragon Flare — the ability to cause an instantaneous, massive explosion.
Its power was even more formidable than the attacks unleashed by dragons in games conducted within Space 4 Area.
‘It’s strange. I would think dragons from Space 4 would be stronger than the newly promoted ones from the Bronze League.’
Space 4 was an exclusive league where only stellar players from the universe were drafted.
Dragons participating there should naturally be stronger than those from the Bronze League.
Yet, the Red Dragon Altarkaizen boasted a larger body and more powerful strength than those he met before.
[Other dragons? Where did you see them?]
“I’ve encountered them in the Universal League.”
[They were just ordinary dragons. I am the progeny of the Dragon Lord. There’s no comparison between them and me.]
“A distant branch you said, remember?”
[Even a branch bears a different caliber.]
Flurry of flames!
As Red Dragon’s massive body, the four heads of the Fire Dragon absorbed earlier, rose from his body. Each head had the appearance of a different race, contorting in apparent agony before retracting into Altarkaizen’s body once more.
[Such an ability to assimilate eggs is not something ordinary dragons possess.]
“A Dragon Lord’s power is to eat its own eggs? Sounds like trash to me.”
[…You cannot understand. The blessing of being able to merge with Altarkaizen is beyond measure.]
“I don’t see it.”
[Then behold.]
With a grand spread of his wings, the Red Dragon’s fiery energy soared, forming dozens of letters in the air all at once.
[Kill each other.]
Under the dragon’s command,
Yoon Sejin behind Seong Jihan grimaced.
“Argh… Get away!”
Whoosh!
Yoon Sejin swung his twin swords at Seong Jihan.
Although the blackened sword had partially melted, and Yoon Sejin’s physical condition wasn’t optimal, making his sword strikes less sharp, he was still under the control of the dragon’s command.
Still, under the dragon’s command, he was being controlled.
“My body isn’t listening… Take me down, Jihan.”
“Alright.”
Without hesitation, Seong Jihan took the swords and disarmed Yoon Sejin.
“Rest for a moment.”
He then hurled Yoon Sejin far beneath the mountainside.
Even in this controlled state, Seong Jihan showed no mercy. Yet, he didn’t kill Yoon Sejin as per Altarkaizen’s orders.
[It’s truly peculiar how you’re completely immune to the dragon’s commands.]
Looking at Seong Jihan, who was not swayed by the dragon’s command, Altarkaizen viewed him puzzledly.
How could such an irregularity arise from an insignificant race?
[I must conduct a proper experiment.]
Up until now, Altarkaizen regarded Seong Jihan as an “experimental subject” without losing his composure. However…
“Now, I must deal with you seriously.”
With a flourish of his spear, Seong Jihan unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Fundamental divine art, Fusion of Divine thunder and phoenix: Crimson Thunder cannon
An outpouring of red lightning strikes from Seong Jihan’s spearpoint tore through the barriers and skewered the dragon’s body in one strike.
[…What is this attack…?]
In the first and fourth matches, Seong Jihan’s attacks were merely light sword strikes. But now, his Crimson Thunder cannon Technique, reinforced by the Crimson Divinity Art, was devastating.
Altarkaizen, who had previously been injured by a simple sword strike, found himself melting rapidly under Crimson Thunder cannon Technique. His physical form dissolved into crimson lightning.
“Is this all the dragons have to offer?”
[Gah…!]
“Looks like I can’t even conduct experiments. Too weak.”
[You insolent…!]
Returning the taunt, Seong Jihan watched as the dragon’s melting body tried to regenerate, but.
“Let’s see if you can withstand this.”
As Seong Jihan’s figure disappeared, the dragon’s body split into multiple sections.
* * *
The Red Dragon Altarkaizen.
A solitary giant whose presence threatened humanity.
Once he entered a 1:1 combat with Seong Jihan, he was hopelessly outmatched.
=Seong Jihan is dominating. He’s even playing with the dragon!
=This must be the nth time that that dragon’s body has crumbled, right?
=The opposing dragon is unable to put up much resistance!
=But still… Quite tenacious in reviving…! It would be nice if he could just die already!
Altarkaizen, whose body had disintegrated from Seong Jihan’s attacks, turned into a flame dragon, replacing his vanished body with fire.
This time, though,
Silently,
his body transitioned back from flame to flesh in an instant and regenerated.
[You! Kill yourself…!]
As soon as Altarkaizen revived, he attempted to control Seong Jihan with the dragon command.
However,
“Is that the dragon command? It doesn’t work, you know.”
Swoosh!
Ignoring the dragon command, Seong Jihan’s shadow sword slashed the dragon in one strike.
The battle was unilateral.
-The dragon appeared to be quite strong at first… Why did it turn into such a punching bag?
-Didn’t Seong Jihan withstand titans and dragons before? How could this bloodline of the Dragon Lord handle him one-on-one LOL?
-Seong Jihan>>>>>> Dragons>>>>>>> The rest of humanity…??
-That seems to be the case from the looks of today’s game.
The Red-Maned Dragon Race that had dominated the game from match one.
It seemed like humanity would lose the fourth game too, due to the Dragon Flare wiping out the warriors in one blow, but,
Seong Jihan, the sole survivor, was now beating the dragon decisively, and humanity felt relieved.
However,
-Wow, this guy just won’t die, huh? Ugh.
-Is this what the Space League is all about? Why are there only these immortal beings?
-From elves to now this guy, they just keep coming back to life, seriously.
Despite the dragon’s body being destroyed, and Yoon Se-jin’s physical state not being normal, the sight of the Red Dragon transforming into fire and regenerating left viewers anxious, wondering if the game might turn around if it dragged on.
‘I’ve used Crimson Divinity enough by now.’
On the other hand,
Meanwhile, having grown accustomed to using the Crimson Divinity Art through training with the dragon sandbag, Seong Jihan decided it was time to end the game.
Zzzt!
A more powerful crimson lightning enveloped the entire body of Altarkaizen but,
From where Altarkaizen disappeared, flames surged, revealing him in his fiery dragon form.
[This monster…! During the hidden boss fight, you must have been concealing your power! However, you won’t be able to defeat me before this game ends! If time runs out, victory will be ours…!]
Now aiming to drag the game out for a win, Altarkaizen had given up on actual combat.
While Seong Jihan and Yoon Sejin, who was thrown down the mountain, outnumbered the dragons in survival count.
Considering the unique nature of dragon entities, it’s possible that dragons could be considered 50 survivors due to four egg summons.
=Dragons are calculated as 10 individuals per entity, right?
=Since four eggs were summoned as dragon entities… humans could potentially have 50 survivors.
=If it keeps dragging on without dying, we might actually lose the fourth game as that dragon has predicted!
[You will be banned starting from the next game!]
Even as a flame dragon with renewed vigor, Altarkaizen boasted while Seong Jihan continued his relentless assault.
Seong Jihan frowned upon seeing the dragon reviving no matter how potent the attacks were.
‘The dragons I met before didn’t have such regenerative capabilities. Is it because Altarkaizen has a unique bloodline?’
Using Crimson Divinity, infused with void power, should have made such regeneration less effective.
Yet, Altarkaizen was resisting the void and showing infinite regeneration.
At this rate, the game could indeed be lost due to running out of time.
Seong Jihan decided to investigate the cause.
Fundamental Divine Arts: Annihilation God’s Secret, Ice Heaven Sword Rain
Seong Jihan’s Shadow sword Eclipse froze over and ascended towards the sky.
Krakkrak!
The sky around the sword crystallized rapidly.
‘The sword rain will now search for that source of life.’
Ice Heaven Sword Rain, the ability that pinpointed the cause of the Chieftain’s revival,
Seong Jihan hoped the sword rain stretching out would detect the dragon’s anomaly.
But,
‘Eh? Where’s it going?’
Krak! Krak…!
From the icy sky, the sword rain, which should have spread downward, was flying upwards instead.
Then,
The ice vanished as the sword rain followed it into the sky.
=That skill… looks like what was used to subdue the orcs.
=Why is the ice ascending to the sky though?
=Ah. Now it’s gone completely out of sight!
The commentators, who were expecting the game to end as soon as Ice Heaven Sword Rain appeared, were taken aback as it vanished into the distance.
Despite an overwhelming one-sided battle, could they really lose because of running out of time?
But then,
“Hmm…”
Seong Jihan, feeling where his shadow sword Eclipse had aimed, “Come back.”
He retrieved the flying Eclipse.
[Did you lose your composure due to the urgency of time? You used the skill in a strange place.]
Looking at Seong Jihan like that, Red Dragon Altarkaizen sneered, but…
“The sword flew toward the sun.”
[What?]
“Is the sun the source of your regeneration?”
[Hmph. This is a power unique to dragons connected to the Dragon Lord’s bloodline! You’re wasting your skills and talking nonsense!]
“Is that so? Let’s test it.”
Seong Jihan’s sword, swirling with void force, expanded the shadows.
[Warp!]
Although Altarkaizen tried to escape as far away as possible from the incoming strike,
“This map is too small.”
Seong Jihan quickly caught up and thrust his sword downwards.
Fundamental Divine Arts, Dark Shadow Technique – Shadow Divine Blade
Swoosh…!
An exploding shadow energy.
The darkness consumed Altarkaizen’s body and instantly became a giant pillar, stretching towards the heavens and the earth.
[Foolish speculation! Look, I will revive again.]
Within the pillar of darkness, Altarkaizen, transformed into a dragon, regenerated from his sword-infused body. However…
[Mmm…]
The flames, unlike before, were definitely weaker.
[What… My eggs…!]
And the four flame dragons he carried were conspicuously losing power.
“It’s the sun.”
[How…?]
Altarkaizen tried to question how he knew about the origin of his power, but the flames that had transformed him into a dragon quickly faded into the darkness. He could no longer speak.
[The fourth game is over.]
[The humans win.]
[Seong Jihan is selected as the MVP of the fourth game.]
And the system message floated up.
Seong Jihan, unsurprisingly, gazed at the victory and MVP selection message but,
[The ‘Dragon Lord’, the Great Constellation is interested in you.]
[He wishes to sponsor you. Would you accept?]
He was taken aback by the subsequent message, immediately following the game’s conclusion.
Not only was he surprised by the Dragon Lord’s name offering to sponsor him right after the game ended.
‘It’s a Great Constellation…’
The Great Constellation was a term he hadn’t encountered before.
***
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