Chapter 142

Dragons are the pinnacle of magic, and no magical force can constrain them.

[Yes. That way. Not hard, right? Just keep stretching forward.]

Following her body’s commands, driven by instinct, the girl running with a blank expression soon found her target. The Dragon Vein, accessible only to the royal family, essentially belongs not to the royals but to the dragons.

Upon discovering Yanid, the entire Dragon Vein writhed. It trembled as if it had found its true master. Perhaps it wasn’t Yanid it was worshipping, but the voice within her.

*Thud!*

A hidden door revealed itself, and the corridor moved on its own, opening a path. The Dragon Vein exists for the dragons. When something resembling a dragon commanded it to open the way, it hesitated not even for a moment and opened the path to its core.

“What is this… Who are you!”

Ardein, who was training deep within the Dragon Vein, was guarded by her knight, Karneil. Startled by the sudden changes around her, Karneil drew her sword. But even if she drew it, what exactly was she supposed to cut?

The Dragon Vein itself was creating a passage. Was she planning to cut through the entire thing? If she had that kind of power, would she have been stuck in a lowly position until now? The knight could only fidget nervously, watching as *it* approached.

“What is that…”

Her eyes soon filled with fear. An endless amount of magical power gathered around it, as if in worship. A pair of horns, entirely different from those of demons, resonated with the surrounding magic, vibrating intensely.

“…What is that?”

With every flap of its wings, the magical energy followed its movement. It seemed as if everything in the Dragon Vein was under its control.

-*Kill.*

From within the girl, a cackling laughter echoed.

-*Praise me through murder. Can you do it? Pour the blood into the chalice, place the corpse on the altar, and offer your prayers.*

The hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably. She dropped the sword without realizing it and had to pick it up again.

No matter who looked at it, no matter how optimistically one viewed it, this was not a monster she could handle. Only if her Master were here could she even hope to put up a fight.

Tears and snot streaming down her face, the knight gripped her sword tightly. Holding it with one hand made it shake too much, so she had to use both hands to barely keep it steady. Even then, the blade wobbled uncontrollably.

Why wasn’t she running away? Why was she still holding the sword?

She didn’t know herself.

“Come at me, you monster! You shall not pass!”

Her desperate struggle didn’t even come off as a performance. In truth, Yanid didn’t even have the energy to laugh at her.

On one side, the mark of Hilrae, and on the other, the whispers of Oberta, continued to break the girl down. She was now moving almost purely on instinct.

Magical power surged forth. The knight desperately unleashed her own magical power in resistance. If she lost here, there would be no next time. This wasn’t an opponent she could save her strength against.

Of course, even if she didn’t hold back, it wouldn’t make a difference. The Ultimate Chimera didn’t know how to use magical power techniques. And it didn’t need to.

The successive waves of magical power couldn’t even pierce the flesh of a mere creature, let alone stop it.

“Eek!”

Even her final scream and downward slash were deflected by a wing. In the next moment, Yanid grabbed Karneil by the neck. Like a strangled duck, she didn’t have much time to scream.

Yanid’s hand struck her chest and pierced through. The knight, unable to withstand even a single blow, crumpled to the ground in tatters.

“What is this… Karneil?!”

But her purpose was fulfilled. The explosion from close range snapped Ardein out of her trance, and she rushed out. She was startled when she saw Yanid. There was no trace of reason left in those eyes.

In a panic, Ardein drew the Dragon’s Sword. Her gaze flickered toward Karneil. The fallen knight was already dead. But a faint smile lingered on her lips.

The traitor had, this time, given her life to block the approaching threat. Of course, it was only a momentary delay, and it didn’t help much.

In such a situation, why didn’t she just run away? The princess lamented.

To her, as a Master, the overwhelming magical power surging from Yanid’s surface was clearly visible. Even a blind person could feel the difference in the sheer force emanating from her.

Facing something that even made her cower, it was both admirable and pitiful that Karneil didn’t run away. Against such a foe, running would have been understandable.

But it was already too late. Karneil had proven her loyalty with her life.

No further proof was needed. There could be no greater proof than one’s life.

If only she had treated this knight better, if only she had let her remain a royal guard, she wouldn’t have had to lose her. Regret flashed through her mind, but it was far too late. Anger flickered across Ardein’s face.

“How dare you kill my loyal servant before me!”

*Boom!* The princess’s foot stomped the ground. Golden Dragon Form Technique surged through her body. Yanid’s pupils narrowed vertically. Her dragon eyes scanned Ardein up and down.

[Do humans dream of becoming dragons?]

From within the girl, a small voice muttered. Then it chuckled.

[How pitiful.]

Ardein didn’t hear the small voice in her heart. In fact, even Yanid didn’t hear it. It was just a whisper. Not even the Evil God heard it.

“Who are you? Were you sent by the Temple? Or are you a monster created by Grimudo?”

She shouted loudly. She hadn’t even considered the possibility that a Dragon Chimera could exist in this world.

Yanid didn’t answer. The princess, who met its gaze, was greatly startled.

The moment she faced those empty dragon eyes, an unbearable pressure overwhelmed her. But there was no light in those eyes. Though the body was powerful, the spirit was already dying.

“You…”

There was something familiar about that appearance. It reminded her of herself, back when she had looked into the mirror.

Back then, when she was dying of leprosy, her body was rotting away, but her mind was relatively clear. Now, this thing was the exact opposite.

Perhaps it didn’t even know who it was anymore. Its ego had been severely damaged. It was nothing more than a murder weapon with the sole purpose of killing.

The Demon King, Grimudo, doesn’t create things like this. What he creates are perfect creatures, monsters. From a certain perspective, one could say he creates lifeforms superior to humans.

Such an unstable existence isn’t the work of the Demon King, but of humans. There were rumors that the Hilrae Church had some expertise in creating chimeras. But could their technology really have advanced to the point of creating something like this?

“You can’t even cure a single disease, yet you call yourself the Goddess of Healing, and now you’ve created something like this. Hilrae…”

It was strange to be angry at a monster that didn’t even know who it was. Swallowing her rage, Ardein calmed herself. Instead, a calmness settled in her eyes.

“It won’t be easy, but somehow… I’ll bring you peace.”

*Giggle giggle.* A laughter seemed to come from somewhere. She was startled, but Yanid’s mouth remained tightly shut.

-*This child is mine, Princess.*

*Gasp.* Ardein, about to swing her sword, was startled. Yanid’s shadow was staring directly at her. The shadow, of all things, had facial features.

-*Do you, a mere human, think you can kill my creation, the god of this world?*

A sinister divine power, tinged with a purple hue, began to color the surroundings. No matter how much she thought about it, this wasn’t the divine power of the so-called Goddess of Healing.

“Ober… ta?”

The shadow grinned. At the same time, Yanid charged. Ardein gritted her teeth and unleashed the Dragon Form Technique. The Song of the Explosive Dragon, which had even overwhelmed Duke Shimira, once again displayed its might. A golden dragon roared, and a sound akin to a natural disaster echoed.

Yanid’s eyes flashed. She gathered magical power in her mouth and, in the next moment, unleashed a roar. If the roar of a Gold Dragon was majestic, the roar of a Black Dragon was terrifying.

-*Groooaaar!*

The sound of hell crawling through the holes in the ground, the Dragon’s Roar, easily suppressed the Song of the Explosive Dragon. After all, the Song of the Explosive Dragon was created by the first emperor in an attempt to mimic the Dragon’s Roar.

Yanid wasn’t a true dragon, but she was the closest thing to one. Her roar was much closer to the original than the imitation created through the Dragon Form Technique.

Ardein, unable to withstand the shock, took a few steps back. Her eyes were filled with astonishment.

“Dragon…!”

The royal family are indeed descendants of dragons. But they are only descendants.

The royal techniques, including the Dragon Form Technique, are attempts to mimic dragons. But they are only imitations.

Humans, even if they carry the bloodline of dragons, cannot become dragons. On the other hand, that thing over there is a true half-dragon. Unbeknownst to the Hilrae Church, it was a creation born from the collaboration of a real dragon.

This fight… it wasn’t going to be easy.