Chapter 626
Come Find Me. (1)
Arterion was flustered. Some human brat had dispelled his magic all on his own.
“What is this…?”
It wasn’t something just anyone could do. If it were, there would be no need to conceal the whereabouts of the Controllers.
Even having just a few more people capable of such a feat would allow them to distribute their forces across multiple fortresses and prepare accordingly.
Controlling such an immense amount of mana required an extraordinary level of mastery. There was no way someone like that was common.
Arterion glared at Alfoi.
“That lowly thing…?”
No matter how he looked at him, the man wasn’t a high-circle mage. At most, he was around the Fifth Circle.
The first fallen Controllers had combined their strength to wield mana.
Even high-circle mages had done the same, yet that brat had succeeded in controlling it alone? It was almost unbelievable.
“That worm… how did he manage to dispel my magic?!”
Arterion’s eyes gleamed with a killing intent more intense than ever.
The spell he had poured immense mana into had been undone. With his depleted reserves, casting powerful magic was now difficult.
That brat had also consumed a tremendous amount of mana. Most of the gathered mages were likely unconscious by now.
However, with the remaining mages, they could still work together to dispel his magic. He himself had little mana left.
“You bastard! How dare you—!”
Consumed by rage, Arterion lunged to attack Alfoi.
At that moment, Ghislain stepped in front of him, blocking his path. As he charged toward Arterion, he shouted:
“Well done, Alfoi!”
The Aura Blade radiating from Ghislain’s sword shone more brilliantly than ever.
“You really are…”
Ghislain let out a loud laugh as he swung his Aura Blade with great force.
“A Dragon Slayer!”
Paaakaaak!
“Gahhh…!”
A long slash tore across Arterion’s chest, forcing him to stagger backward. At the same time, Alfoi finally collapsed, unable to endure any longer.
The oppressive mana that had been crushing them disappeared. However, Arterion no longer had enough mana left to cast powerful spells.
He had to fight with his body alone once more. Having already exhausted himself with his Breath, his strength had dwindled further.
He had figured out a way to turn the situation around, yet because of that ridiculous brat’s interference, he had failed.
Graaaahhh!
Arterion let out a monstrous roar as he wildly swung his tail and claws, lashing out in all directions in a berserk frenzy.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sheer force of his massive body remained overwhelming. Even the Transcendents facing him were exhausted, forcing them to attack cautiously.
Arterion was now completely grounded. He lacked the strength to lift his enormous body into the air.
Thanks to that, Belinda was able to rejoin the battle.
Swish!
Belinda’s daggers danced through the air, slashing across Arterion’s body.
Though the wounds weren’t deep, the occasional strike near his eyes or Dragon Heart irritated him greatly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Grrrrr…!
Arterion tried to cast even a simple spell to keep them at bay. However, the remaining mages continued to disrupt his magic by maintaining a mana field against him.
Fsssh!
The opposing mages were exhausted, allowing him to manifest a few low-circle spells. But such weak magic was easily neutralized by the Transcendents.
Kwaaaaaang!
Even in his weakened state, he was still a dragon. The Transcendents suffered severe injuries just from grazing his tail or claws.
Ghislain himself had pushed too hard in close combat and had nearly lost an arm.
However, the Saintess and another individual with near-Saintess-level abilities were still radiating divine power.
With the addition of Ghislain’s own regenerative capabilities, his severed arm instantly reattached and healed.
Kwaang! Kaang! Kwaang!
As time passed, Arterion’s attacks gradually weakened.
He was growing fatigued at a rapid pace. His strikes became sluggish, and his movements steadily slowed.
Even so, they couldn’t let their guard down. Weakened or not, his power was still far beyond what an ordinary human could endure.
Kraaaaaah!
Any other creature would have long since died from such wounds, yet Arterion still held his head high.
His eyes, burning with fury, had not lost their light, and his roar sent chills down the spines of those facing him.
“Adversary!”
Now, Arterion fixated solely on Julien. He had decided there was no other option.
Even if he died, he had to take Julien down with him.
Not even the great Julien could easily fend off an Arterion that was throwing his life away to kill him.
He continuously evaded, swinging his sword as he moved.
Sssk! Sssk! Sssk!
Arterion’s massive body was slashed all over. His sheer size made it impossible to avoid every attack.
With his dwindling stamina, the wounds were growing deeper. His expression twisted in pain.
Julien, who had been attacking relentlessly, suddenly hardened his expression.
‘Why is my strength…?’
It was natural to be exhausted after such a prolonged battle. In fact, his mana reserves were steadily depleting.
But his physical state was the complete opposite. His mind was clearer, and his body was brimming with vitality.
Even in the midst of battle with a dragon, he was growing stronger.
‘Why?’
He had known since childhood that his growth rate was abnormally fast. However, even he had always progressed in stages.
His growth usually came from training, battles, or reflecting on those experiences to gain new insights, steps that led him to the next level.
But this time, there was no realization. It wasn’t that he wasn’t learning, but this was merely the experience one gains from fighting strong opponents. Improvement was natural, but this overwhelming surge of energy was something else entirely.
‘This isn’t normal. I need to figure out why.’
While dodging Arterion’s attacks, Julien observed both his surroundings and himself.
It was only when he focused his mind that he realized the reason.
‘What is this…?’
Something thin as a thread was seeping into his body. That was what had been making him stronger.
He still couldn’t fully grasp its nature.
‘If I observe just a little longer, I might figure it out.’
“Adversary!”
Kuwaaaang!
Arterion had closed the distance and swung his claws at Julien.
“…….”
Julien barely dodged, refocusing his attention on Arterion.
Now was not the time to dwell on personal doubts. Arterion’s relentless assault left no room for distraction.
‘This might actually work in my favor.’
If his vitality was surging and his strength increasing, that meant he could fight longer.
Julien decided to focus solely on attacking Arterion for now.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwaang!
Every Transcendent was struck multiple times by Arterion, sent flying with each hit. Their bones shattered, and they suffered grievous wounds, yet thanks to divine power, they recovered quickly and survived.
The more they endured, the paler Parniel and Piote’s faces became.
“Ugh…”
Piote trembled, blood trickling from his nose. Parniel, too, looked far from well.
The vast divine power they wielded had nearly run dry. They were among the greatest wielders of divine power on the continent, and yet they had almost exhausted it all.
And that was against an opponent who could no longer use magic and was already weakened. Arterion truly was the strongest.
Kaaaaaaaah!
Arterion roared as if to declare he could still fight. The intensity of his presence sent a wave of tension through the battlefield.
Everyone could feel that divine protection was weakening. One or two more attacks and they would be in serious danger.
“Just hold on a little longer!”
Ghislain shouted as he swung his sword.
They were so close.
Arterion still looked terrifying, but in reality, he wasn’t as overwhelming as before.
Kuwaaaang!
Ghislain boldly charged in first but was struck by Arterion’s tail.
Yet he endured. The impact was enough to make him cough up blood, but unlike before, his body didn’t break apart.
Even though divine protection was fading and his own regeneration had slowed, he could still withstand the attack.
Arterion had undeniably weakened. That meant it was time to execute their next plan.
Fwoooosh!
Ghislain pulled out several mana lances and hurled them high into the sky. They didn’t target Arterion.
Moments later, fireworks erupted from the remaining fortress where the mages had gathered, sending flares into the night.
But Arterion didn’t even register what Ghislain was doing or what was happening around him. His obsession with killing Julien had consumed him entirely.
Meanwhile, the other Transcendents continued slashing away at his body.
His scales were peeling off, his massive frame moving in a grotesque display of persistence, sending shivers down their spines.
And as they fought in that chaotic frenzy—
Dudududududu!
Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves thundered from all directions.
Arterion finally noticed the approaching force and turned his head.
“Protect the Saintess!”
The newcomers were the Priestly Order led by Parniel and the priests of the Ritania Army.
Other troops would have been useless in a battle against a dragon. Their attacks would hardly succeed in the first place.
The priests were the only ones who could provide meaningful support, but even they couldn’t stay too close, one wrong move and they could be wiped out instantly.
Thus, they had been waiting at a distance and had now rushed in upon receiving the signal.
“O Goddess!”
Hundreds of priests unleashed their divine power.
In an instant, everyone’s injuries were healed.
Piote sighed in relief and took a few steps back, the expression of a man who had barely survived.
Their arrival meant one thing: Arterion was exhausted to the point where he could no longer afford to attack elsewhere.
It also meant that the priests could now take on the role of protecting their allies.
At that moment, one person who had been suppressing their rage finally moved.
“O Goddess, today I shall send you a great one.”
Boom!
Parniel, radiating unrestrained killing intent, gripped her mace tightly.
She had been gritting her teeth, holding back for the sake of the operation’s success. But now, there was no need to restrain herself any longer.
And crushing massive, hardened foes like this was her specialty.
Parniel charged forward and swung her enormous mace. Compared to the dragon’s massive body, it seemed like nothing more than a toy, yet among their group, it was the most destructive weapon.
KWAANG!
A thunderous impact shook the land as Arterion staggered for a brief moment.
Grrrrr…
A deep groan escaped Arterion.
Under normal circumstances, he would have endured it.
But now, his scales had been completely stripped away, and his body was riddled with wounds.
Taking such a powerful blow to his battered form sent waves of pain coursing through him.
Gritting his teeth, Arterion lashed out with his tail.
KWAANG!
Parniel, having approached too recklessly, was struck directly and sent flying.
No matter how durable she was, she was no dragon.
Unable to dodge, she took the full brunt of the attack.
Even though Arterion was weakened, the sheer force shattered every bone in Parniel’s body.
Boom! Bang! Thud!
Parniel’s body bounced and tumbled across the ground, a whirlwind of divine power surging around her.
The priests ignored everyone else, pouring all their remaining divine power into her.
After all, their highest priority was always the Saintess.
“Ptoo!”
Parniel spat out blood and sprang to her feet.
Despite having nearly died, she showed no sign of hesitation and charged forward once more.
For a Sainesst, she was unbelievably reckless.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAAAANG!
Parniel’s fearless assault reignited everyone’s morale.
Leading from the front, she attacked with relentless fury, forcing Arterion’s attention onto her.
With Parniel drawing his focus and the priests continuously reinforcing them with divine power, the others could launch more aggressive attacks.
Though their mana was running low, Arterion’s condition was even worse.
Ghislain realized the moment had finally come.
“Arterion!”
Catching Arterion’s gaze, Ghislain unleashed every last drop of his mana.
An amplification through Dark. That power surfaced once more.
Paaaaaaak!
A shroud of black darkness engulfed Ghislain’s body.
The only light came from his eyes blazing crimson in the void.
A devastating aura erupted from him, surging outward in waves.
Even Ghislain could barely withstand this power.
He had already burned through most of his mana, and now, amplifying what little remained was pushing him to his limits.
Seeing his transformation, Arterion froze in shock.
“Y-You…!”
That form… It was the same as the one he had loathed beyond reason!
“Adversary…?”
Now, standing before him—
Were two Adversaries.