Chapter 69 - Chapter 10: Breakthrough #7
Karma, with Felicia on her back, climbed up some wreckage quickly. A terrible sight caught the eyes of the both of them.
The highest ranked guardian was on the verge of being destroyed. The thunder hammer crashed to the ground while the shield was crushed like the left arm.
The zombie dragon, that was roaring from above the highest ranked guardian, discovered Felicia and Karma.
He wasn’t in a normal state either. The wounds on the dragon’s chest were wide open and one wing was broken.
"Run!"
Karma ran forward. Felicia made a wall of fire on all sides, attracting the gazes of the zombie dragon and shadow puppets.
The dungeon guardians rushed to the zombie dragon while the shadow puppets flocked to Felicia and arrows and spears covered the air above her.
Felicia hurriedly called the wind spirit but it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t push all the arrows and spears away. Karma closed her eyes while Felicia stared at the spears. A white object blocked the area in front of Felicia!
Kakakang!
White Eagle blocked the arrows and spears while Green Wind protected Felicia and cried out to In-gong,
‘Master!’
“Kuraha!”
It was very similar to when they had been in the trap zone. Carack set up the magic shield in front of him and passed through the fire barriers set up by Felicia with In-gong following him. The two men reached the side of the zombie dragon.
Numerous eyes gazed upon them. The shadow puppets rushed toward In-gong, but they were still quite a distance away. The dungeon guardians saw Ascalon and interfered desperately with the shadow puppets.
Carack lowered his posture and revealed his back. In-gong jumped off Carack’s back and shoulders, then used the explosive force of Divine Beast Authority and jumped almost a dozen meters.
Unable to launch a third breath weapon, the zombie dragon tried to aim his tail at In-gong again.
However, the highest ranked guardian didn’t allow it. It used its one arm left to grab the zombie dragon. The resistance only lasted a few seconds but that was enough.
The zombie dragon was off-balance. The tail couldn’t harm In-gong as he stabbed in the air with Ascalon.
At that moment, an enormous amount of power emerged from the nozzles on Ascalon. It was like a lance thrusting through the air.
Green Wind and Felicia watched breathlessly. However, the zombie dragon didn’t stay still. He hurriedly emitted a purple aura instead of the breath. The purple energy became an intangible wall that tried to stop Ascalon.
It seemed to work. In fact, Ascalon’s rush was blocked for a moment like it was being held by a gigantic glue.
However, In-gong didn’t stop.
He had one thing that the brave dwarf warrior Tiny Spark didn’t have when using Ascalon...
‘Dragon Blood!’
The dragon power woke up and Earth Quaker showed its true power. Ascalon rebelled and In-gong suffered terrible pain, but he endured it and used the power of Conquest to dominate Ascalon. He had to take advantage of this to hit the enemy. He added the strength of Gigantic Piston to Ascalon’s power!
Kwakakakakakang!
The Ascalon Strike regained its momentum and was like a lightning bolt. The golden flash broke through the purple wall and struck the chest of the zombie dragon. He tore into the chest that was already weak from hundreds of years passing. In-gong didn’t stop there but used more strength to dig it in deeper. Magic power was what kept the zombie dragon alive and In-gong was now destroying the dragon heart that was the very source of power that allowed the zombie dragon to move. In-gong penetrated through it!
The zombie dragon shrieked. As purple energy leaked from every hole, including its eyes and mouth, the highest ranked guardian moved using the last of its strength. Its fist struck the already shattered chest.
A violent explosion took place. The purple aura exploded, the zombie dragon collapsed and the aura around the shadow puppets disappeared, just like when Balkarova had died.
In-gong rolled across the floor. He lifted Ascalon and swallowed a moan. A pure white light wound around In-gong.
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Boss: Zombie Dragon Partizan has been defeated.]
[Title: Dragon Slayer (Beginner) has been acquired.]
The pain in his body subsided rapidly. In-gong sprang up. His legs trembled despite the recovery effect of gaining three levels. It was the result of using aura to the extreme, ignoring Ascalon as it tried to repel the dragon blood and using Conquest to dominate it.
‘Master!’
White Eagle flew to In-gong. The translucent Green Wing was sitting on top of the white shield. He could see how worried she was by the expression on her face.
In-gong grinned and White Eagle returned to his left arm. He placed Ascalon in his inventory and looked in front of him.
The highest ranked guardian didn’t move as it lay in the wreckage of the zombie dragon. The shadow puppets, who had lost the purple aura, went crazy and scattered. Meanwhile, the shadow puppets in black robes, who had been directing them, sat down on the ground like they had received a big shock.
Felicia and Karma ran to In-gong while the dungeon guardians surrounded them. It was because the highest ranked guardian transferred all its authority to In-gong before dying. The highest ranked guardian hadn’t forgotten about Ascalon.
“Shall we continue?”
They had knocked down the zombie dragon but the battle hadn’t ended yet. After Felicia’s words, In-gong responded by moving the dungeon guardians. The dungeon guardians rushed towards the shadow puppets who were confused by the effect of losing the purple aura.
"My shoulder is too sore.”
Carack, who had been In-gong’s footstool, stretched out and complained. Rather than Felicia using recovery magic, she handed over a potion. She wasn’t in a state where she could use magic right now.
The party watched the dungeon guardians fight. Fatigue couldn’t be restored by various recovery potions, so they just watched the fight from the background.
How much time had passed?
In-gong was sitting down silently with his eyes closed.
This mission was almost over. Once the battle with the shadow puppets finished, they could relax and enjoy the items. Despite the black dragon Partizan’s body being destroyed, it could still be useful.
However, he wondered why...
Despite it being 10 minutes since the zombie dragon had been destroyed, he couldn’t release his tension. Rather than feeling the sense of accomplishment that he had felt when he killed Mustafa and Balkarova, he felt tension and anxiety.
What was it?
Was it because all the pieces hadn’t aligned yet? Or because the shadow puppets weren’t all dead?
No, it was different.
An ominous feeling.
Due to Protagonist Correction, it was slowly irritating his senses.
In-gong raised his head and at that moment, a new collapse shook the central plaza.
Kwaaaaaang!
The zombie dragon’s breath weapon had broken the foundation twice and rubble now fell once again. However, the direction of the force was different. It came from the outside, not inside. After the third collapse, light poured into the central plaza that had been underground for hundreds of years.
Felicia, who had been sitting and relaxing on the floor, got up. The dungeon guardians stopped fighting momentarily while the shadow puppets were overcome with joy.
In-gong realized the reason for his ominous feeling.
A man emerged from the new hole. Instead of a purple aura, he wore blue armour and a helmet that resembled the head of a dragon. Holding a spear, he stood on a pile of rubble and looked at the shattered zombie dragon.
“I’m too late.”
He muttered in a low voice. The central plaza was silent, but his voice was coming from too far away.
However, In-gong could hear it clearly. He didn’t know why, but the man’s voice was clear as he took light steps forward.
"It was a mistake since the 2nd Prince didn’t come here.”
‘2nd Prince.'
‘Mistake.'
‘Didn’t come here.’
In-gong felt like he had been struck by lightning.
General Kashubal had failed the mission.
Everyone ha thought the mission would be given to Zephyr.
The purpose of these people wasn’t Ascalon or Partizan.
Their real purpose was to lure Zephyr here. They had killed General Kashubal to call Zephyr.
Although they had waited for Zephyr to arrive, In-gong and Felicia had been the ones who showed up instead.
So, the plan had been changed. The priority had been given to securing Partizan and Ascalon instead.
This story seemed correct. The cogs, that had stopped, started to rotate again in his head.
However, a question still remained:
Why Zephyr?
What purpose did they have for luring Zephyr here?
'Resist!’
A voice woke In-gong up. It wasn’t Green Wind. It was the voice of the golden-crowned white woman.
In-gong hurriedly produced the power of Conquest. The man’s gaze shifted from the zombie dragon to In-gong.
The purple aura...
Its source was the blue aura.
That man wasn’t the source of that power. It was just a small part of him. However, even that was overwhelming. The power of death struck In-gong’s soul.
The forces of conquest and death collided in the air. They canceled each other out and disappeared.
In-gong activated his white aura while the man frowned with confusion. Instead of continuing the invisible battle with In-gong, he raised the blue aura like flames. He swung his long spear and said lightly,
"I will clean up whatever is left.”
He took a step. At that moment, In-gong knew. That man was more powerful than the zombie dragon.
In-gong squeezed out every last bit of his aura. He hadn’t completely recovered in the aftermath of his fight with the zombie dragon, but he couldn’t give up.
"Prince, I’ve enjoyed knowing you so far.”
Carack said while lifting his axe like he was going to throw it. Karma also grabbed a weapon instead of throwing up in fear, while Felicia smiled bitterly and raised both arms.
"I don't know what he is but don’t give up.”
“Don’t give up.”
In-gong formed a fist. Earth Quaker gave the familiar growling response.
The man took a step forward. The dungeon guardians gathered by In-gong’s side and Green Wind soared up from White Eagle, declaring,
'Master was a good owner. I don’t regret following Master from Enger Plains.’
"Good, let’s stick our death flags in this place.”
In-gong made a joke that only he could understand and then focused on the man.
The man took his third step and a blue light emitted from the spear in his hand.
Then at that moment,
Just as a new battle was about to begin...
“Let’s do it.”
A new voice interrupted.
It wasn’t a simple voice that spread in the heavy silence.
Everyone’s gazes, that had been aimed at the man holding the spear, shifted to a different place. Even the man with the spear was forced to look.
“I went to see Prince at the Demon King’s Palace only to find that he had already left. Then once I arrived at the fortress, I heard Prince and Princess were in an emergency, so I wandered after you.”
The owner of the new voice stood in the opening where the man with the spear had appeared. His hair and beard was half grey and half white, while his clothes were snow-white. A dull sword hung at his waist.
It was the first time In-gong had seen him. However, In-gong knew who the man was the moment he saw him. Felicia, who had been determined about facing death, shouted with joy.
Sword Duke Ishgard.
The strongest swordsman of the previous era who had raised the demon king Mitra!
He didn’t say anything else and just pulled his sword out with a grin.