Chapter 317: A Peculiar Power (12)

Boom! Boom!

While Mila and Rasheel relentlessly attacked, the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben faced the Dragon Lord Neo, remembering what he had to do.

‘The Heavenly Demon and Clopeh Sekka.’

Those two must have entered the enemy castle.

‘They sent a reconnaissance team to find out what the Dragon Lord is doing.’

Dragon Mila had conveyed what she heard to Rosalyn.

‘And there’s still no news from Cale’s side.’

In that case...

‘I have to face this, Dragon Lord.’

He had to buy as much time as possible.

“Huuu.”

Eruhaben exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself.

‘Yes. This guy has inherited a unique ability.’

The Head of the Purple Blood Family.

He was supposed to have inherited an ability related to time.

‘Though his weakness is clear.’

But the power with which he uses that ability is close to that of a ‘God.’

No.

‘They said he’s practically already a God.’

His body may be weak, but his inner power is comparable to that of a dragon god.

‘Yes. I must not forget that.’

Huuu.

Eruhaben exhaled deeply once more.

‘Stay calm.’

It was a moment to be cautious.

Then, the Dragon Lord spoke.

“Cale Henituse.”

Eruhaben’s gaze turned to the Dragon Lord.

Apart from looking a bit tired, the Dragon Lord Neo appeared completely unscathed.

His purple eyes stared intently at Eruhaben.

Swish.

With a gesture of his hand, all the enemies stopped moving and only looked at Neo.

Even the other Dragons.

Whiiiish---

Only the green wind and the golden whirlwind created by Eruhaben moved.

Mila and Rasheel, whose goal was to buy time, also stopped their attacks when they saw the enemies cease their actions.

Amid the silence, broken only by the sound of the wind, the Dragon Lord Neo spoke.

“Your identity has been discovered.”

Transparent, Purple, Five Colors. The God Realm centred around the God of Chaos and the Demon World centred around the current Demon King.

Eruhaben responded with a single word.

“So?”

So what?

“Of course, you didn’t come out to hide your identity.”

Neo was relaxed.

Eruhaben wondered what Neo was planning.

That calmness was reminiscent of Cale Henituse.

Only those who had everything prepared could show that attitude.

Eruhaben started to breathe heavily again.

‘Stay calm.’

Neo’s voice was heard once more.

“Why are you under the command of a human?”

Yes. Confront him slowly and buy time.

Ignore his irritating comments.

‘Because he’s an opponent I can’t defeat.’

Neo.

Even though his body is at its limit, he’s still using the time ability.

That alone is reason enough to be on guard.

If he uses his time ability, we’re likely to have problems.

Eruhaben suppressed his emotions as much as he could in front of this unknown enemy.

Then, Neo spoke calmly.

“I heard what you said. That we have no pride as Dragons.”

Neo let out a laugh.

“To me, you’re the one who doesn’t qualify as a Dragon.”

Yes.

Stay calm.

Eruhaben closed his eyes tightly.

And Neo continued speaking.

“You have no intention of developing and enhancing the power you were born with. You just want to enjoy it and live like a frog in a well.”

Neo was extremely calm.

“You really have no grace.”

And Eruhaben, trying to calm his breathing, finally...

“Huuu.”

Inhaled deeply.

“Ah, I can’t stand it.”

And he lunged forward like the wind.

Boom!

He threw a direct punch at Neo.

A loud crash was heard.

Craack---

The purple shield in front of Neo cracked.

The one responsible for those cracks.

Eruhaben’s fist was covered in golden dust.

‘Yes, stay calm.’

He was trying to stay calm.

Because his task was to buy time.

So, he breathed deeply and tried to stay calm.

Otherwise, his vision would blur, and he’d attack without thinking.

He felt he could only find peace if he defeated the guy in front of him.

“I’m sorry.”

He said, looking at Neo inside the shield.

“Honestly, ever since I rejuvenated, my temper is just like when I was young.”

After living for over a thousand years, he thought his temper had softened.

The water in the jar was indeed excellent medicine because the younger he became, the more he returned to his youth.

“But I can’t help it.”

Yes. I can’t help it.

“The least impressive guy dares to talk about grace to a great Dragon like me.”

He really tried to hold back.

But he couldn’t.

Whii---

The golden dust began to form a larger whirlwind, rising into the sky.

“Honestly, I tried to hold back until Cale arrived.”

The enemy in front of him wasn’t someone he could defeat alone.

In fact, everyone present would have to join forces to minimize casualties and defeat him.

‘But what?’

Saying I don’t qualify as a Dragon?

Whii---

Eruhaben stepped back from Neo.

There was only an empty space between the two Dragons.

“…”

But Neo’s eyebrows slightly raised.

For the first time, a wrinkle appeared on his calm face.

“Hmmm.”

And Rasheel, who was watching, let out a sigh without realizing it.

There was no loud crash or explosion.

But for the first time, Rasheel felt a chill down his arms.

“Huuu.”

He exhaled.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to endure this ‘fear.’

“The Lord and the elder, they’re both crazy.”

The Dragon Lord Neo. His Dragon Fear began to fill the space.

And the equivalent power of Eruhaben’s Dragon Fear began to fill the space before Neo’s did.

Different from the Dragon Fear he had unleashed before to use magic.

“It’s serious.”

Rasheel couldn’t continue speaking.

‘Chilling.’

Cale Henituse. His aura was different, but Eruhaben’s Dragon Fear was also chilling.

The Dragon Lord Neo. Even his Dragon Fear held overwhelming power and presence.

‘Yes. Neo’s Dragon Fear is filled with overwhelming power and presence.’

Eruhaben didn’t have as much power and presence.

But it was dense.

Chilling and sticky.

‘Crazy old man.’

Eruhaben.

What kind of life has this Dragon lived?

Dragon Fear.

Literally, he compressed fear in his energy.

No.

‘Bloodlust?’

It was the true intent to kill that was compressed in his energy.

Rasheel finally began to understand just how long this dragon who had lived over a thousand years had endured.

The Dragon Lord Neo.

His ability was ‘time.’

But Eruhaben had lived much longer than him.

Rasheel, who understood this, heard Dragon Mila’s low murmur.

“We were supposed to buy time, so I said to take it easy.”

Her tone was worried, but there was hidden anticipation in her words. Rasheel looked at Mila, and their gazes met.

Mila lifted one corner of her lips and spoke.

“Watch. You’re ruthless, right? Watching Eruhaben will teach you a lot.”

Rasheel, for some reason, couldn’t refute that his skill was different from that of this rejuvenated dragon.

At that moment.

“Haha.”

Eruhaben burst into laughter.

Whuu---

The killing aura and Dragon Fear spread around him.

“Ugh.”

The enemies on the castle walls groaned, but Eruhaben only looked at Neo.

At that moment, he saw nothing else.

“Saying I didn’t put in any effort and that I’m a frog in a well? That I don’t qualify?”

Really.

“What ridiculous nonsense.”

His ability was dust.

Ever since he obtained that ability, Eruhaben’s youth was a constant struggle.

Defeating the dragons who underestimated him, he strove to become someone no one dared to look down on.

All that time.

“I never coveted or stole from others.”

Unlike you.

The meaning in Eruhaben’s eyes as he looked at Neo was clear.

“I had no need to do so.”

Why steal from others, the Source of the World?

Why inherit that terrible Hunter’s skill and receive that power?

“Because I, myself, can do it.”

That’s why Dragons are great. No, they really are very lucky.

“A well?”

Eruhaben let out a laugh.

Whuu---whuuu---

His Dragon Fear spread even more densely.

“Yes, maybe I lived in just one well.”

So what?

“But I haven’t even touched the bottom of my well.”

After living for over a thousand years, Eruhaben didn’t know the limits of his power.

Because...

“I keep learning.”

I don’t need to steal or rob.

There are so many things to learn.

As I learn, my well deepens, and I can’t see the bottom.

Yes, dragons are born with much.

Longevity, talent, intelligence, strong bodies.

Dragons are born with everything necessary to learn and acquire things.

How lucky they are.

Over time, his self-centred nature had softened as he learned to appreciate that luck.

“In my eyes, you’re the one who doesn’t qualify as a Dragon.”

The truth was that after seeing the situation in Aipotu, Eruhaben was very angry.

A Dragon, this grand Dragon, destroying the world like this?

Just for his greed?

So, when he faced Neo, he had to breathe deeply. His task was to buy time, not fight. So, he held back and held back, but...

He couldn’t hold back any longer.

Neo.

That guy’s words didn’t just insult Eruhaben.

‘Goldie Gramps! I learn anything I try really well!’

‘...I still can’t use my ability. It’s a problem.’

The black dragon.

Remembering the young Dragon who was learning everything he could, Eruhaben understood.

This isn’t something I should endure. So...

“I’m going to tear your mouth apart.”

Sorry, Cale. Yes, we’re going to have a good fight. The others will handle what comes next.

“Ha.”

Neo let out a brief laugh, like a sigh.

“How annoying.”

Looking at Eruhaben with a pitying expression, Eruhaben laughed. Because when he first obtained the ability of ‘dust,’ everyone looked at him like that. But after that, no one else did. He had proven his worth.

Whuu---whuuuu---!

The Dragon Fear stopped. Floating in the air, Eruhaben stared intently at Neo. And Neo also rose to meet Eruhaben’s gaze.

‘He’ll use Time.’

That guy would use the time ability.

So, he’d try to strike my neck at any moment without me noticing.

Knowing that, Eruhaben smiled.

“Oh. You’re not going to use the ability right away and start with magic?”

Ssssss-

Purple mana surged around Neo. In response, Eruhaben also began using his mana.

Whiii---

The golden dust began to scatter everywhere.

In the face-off between the two dragons, no one dared speak.

The chilling aura still dominated the space.

They only watched the battle between the two dragons.

“Tch.”

Then, the moment Neo clicked his tongue.

Boom!

The purple mana and golden dust clashed.

“Ugh!”

The dragon Rasheel instinctively covered his ears. The sound of the clash was loud. And he took a deep breath.

“Ha.”

Nothing exploded.

In the instant the crash resounded, the purple mana and golden dust vanished. Both nullified each other and disappeared.

In that brief moment.

Moreover, neither side suffered any damage.

“…”

But at the same time, Neo’s suffocating Dragon Fear spread to Rasheel and all the way to the black castle. However, it couldn’t advance any further. Although invisible, something thick and chilling was blocking it.

True battles between real masters weren’t chaotic or noisy. They were just suffocating.

In that oppressive atmosphere, Eruhaben moved his hand again.

Neo did the same.

The purple mana and golden dust clashed once more, and Eruhaben frowned.

He didn’t know when Neo would use his ability.

Should he use what he had prepared?

Or keep holding back?

What should he do...?

- Goldie Gramps!

At that moment...

Eruhaben heard a cheerful voice.

“!”

And Neo halted his attack. His gaze turned toward the castle behind him.

- Goldie Gramps! We did it!

Despite the distance, Eruhaben could see clearly. A window on the terrace of the enemy castle opened, and through that window, a chubby young dragon waved its paw. And beyond, a dishevelled figure smiled crookedly.

- The Human says it’s time to start!

- I also told Mom!

Ha.

Eruhaben let out a laugh.

Whuuu---

He felt the fury in Neo’s Dragon Fear.

“Did we ruin your plans?”

The Dragon Lord’s face twisted, and his eyes turned away from Eruhaben.

Squeak---

Eruhaben heard the sound of a door opening behind him.

- Goldie Gramps! The human says to get it done fast! And guess what? I told Mom too!

Eruhaben finally laughed.

Boom.

The door to the black castle fully opened. The one stepping out was a white-haired woman with a mischievous expression. It was the former Lord Sheritt.

- I also told Aunt Mila!

Eruhaben had no time to look at Sheritt or Mila. When Cale Henituse appears, everything starts immediately.

Sheritt.

Eruhaben.

Mila.

The three will dominate the space.

So, who creates that space?

“Ahem. Ahem. Can everyone hear me?”

Cale’s voice echoed across the plain. Thanks to Raon’s magic. Cale, on the terrace, took something out of his chest.

“What do you think this is?”

For the first time, Eruhaben saw Neo’s face clearly distorted with rage. The face, always calm, now showed clear hostility toward someone.

Cale Henituse, of course.

As a satisfied smile spread across Eruhaben’s face.

“Come on, let’s break the seal.”

Cale smiled as he dropped a crystal. And Eruhaben saw. Neo disappeared before his eyes.

The time ability.

But Eruhaben wasn’t worried.

“I see him!”

A black shield appeared in front of Cale.

Boom!

And blocked Neo.

Moreover,

Flap, flap.

A black dragon swooped down from the sky and landed on the castle, casting a massive shadow. Beneath the enormous figure of the Dragon Half-Blood, Cale smiled.

Crash.

The crystal shattered. No, the reference point broke.

Boom!

At that moment, a massive tremor was felt.

A world shook.

Like before the Great Catastrophe, the world’s energies stirred.

The countdown to return everything to its original state had begun.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]