Chapter 158 - Taming the Magic Dragon

“…That was a close call.”

My head, which had been stuck in the deeply piled snow, was covered in white snow.

My dark purple hair was painted white for a moment, but I brushed it off with my hand to regain its original color.

“To think it would shoot its breath as soon as it saw me.”

[You look ridiculous. It's quite a sight.]

“It would be stranger if someone who fell from the summit looked fine.”

I looked up at the summit I had just fallen from.

It wasn't like I had fallen back to the starting point, but it was high enough to kill a person.

The breath had come flying before I had time to deploy Blood Demonization, so falling was the only option.

Still, it wasn't a meaningless fall.

“A frontal fight with that thing is out of the question.”

[…The fact that you even considered a frontal fight is surprising.]

“Anyway, as expected, the beast practically has no heart.”

As a Magic Dragon, it didn't need a heart, the symbol of the living.

So to subdue it, I had to fight a battle for dominance, just as I had with Enad and the Butler.

“Well, at least several of my thoughts were proven just now.”

[Proven?]

The Youngest Son showed a clear smile even in the blizzard.

His skin, a little paler than usual, was reminiscent of a corpse, but his bloodshot eyes were more lively than ever.

“It has to be at that level for Older Brother to retreat, and it has to be at that level for me to have a chance in front of the Family Head.”

Hwareureureureureu─

My whole body was covered in Bloodflame and engulfed in rock-like scales.

At the summit, which I reached with incomparable speed, was the Magic Dragon.

The beast I had seen in passing the first time was charging its breath in its open mouth again this time.

Lava dripped like saliva, and bright yellow lightning flickered above it.

But the one standing before the Magic Dragon was not human, unlike before.

[I challenge you to a demonic duel. You will accept, won't you.]

Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah─!!

The Magic Dragon answered the Blood Demon with another breath.

But I had no patience to be hit by the same thing twice.

The Blue Flame Spirit that popped out of my shoulder blocked it.

Shuhwaaaaaaaaaaaaah─

The Blue Flame Spirit drives out the impure and leaves only purity.

The blue lake that formed in front became a boundary line that blocked the flame thunder.

“I should say my first hello too.”

Greetings are meant to be exchanged.

That greeting was prepared from home and completed without lack while climbing the midway point.

By the time the breath gradually disappeared, leaving only residual heat, the Youngest Son's voice echoed on the summit.

“Arise.”

The spatial artifact opened, beginning to pour out its contents.

They were not only Skeleton Soldiers but also Undead Private Soldiers collected from the midway point.

They fell in a heap as if vomited out, and for some reason, they all glowed.

“One bottle for now.”

The body, having cleanly emptied the Dark Elixir, made it possible.

But the Magic Dragon only thought of destruction. It didn't care how many glowing skeletons there were.

The Magic Dragon also didn't care how much the Youngest Son's Exploding Bone proficiency had increased.

So I just had to let it know.

───!!!

A huge mushroom cloud of explosion shot up into the sky as if the snowy mountain had erupted.

The Magic Dragon, with bones exposed here and there and flesh grotesquely attached, could not hide its massive body.

It was simply swept away by the explosion of the Skeleton Soldiers and the explosion of the private soldiers fed with hearts.

“Now.”

It was a crazy choice in this cold, but I rolled up both my sleeves.

I also took off the fur armor I was wearing, leaving only the black cloak-like robe flapping wildly.

It was the demon's way for the winner to enslave the loser for life.

And the Magic Dragon still had strength left.

It seemed like it would burst out of the explosion at any moment and tear the peak apart with its huge claws.

It desperately wanted to do so, and that desire was all visible in its abyss-like eye-shine.

“Sorry, but the follow-up is also mine.”

Both my arms were surrounded by a wine-colored light. My skin tingled and my muscles ached.

It was natural since I had put a curse that even a decent medium couldn't contain into my body.

But by taking the risk, I was able to achieve a much faster construction speed and finally complete it.

Deudeudeudeudeuk─

From the back of my hand, red sinews bulged throughout my body.

[You have entered the Dracul state.]

[A strong thirst for blood is felt.]

[Caution]

[The aura of the Usurper of Death is flickering.]

Along with the thirst, the aura of death flickered from the Magic Dragon.

It was getting used to the explosions.

The private soldiers charged in succession and blew themselves up, but it was not enough to pierce the scales of what was once a dragon.

But that was enough.

If it didn't break the scales but just held its ankle for a moment, that was enough.

The blood curses were already in both my hands.

“Create a domain with curses.”

That's what Kapus had said.

That if there was one thing a curse sorcerer was better at than a sorcerer, it was that they didn't discriminate against anything.

The Magic Dragon in front of me, holding a mad flame thunder in its mouth. The snow-covered mountain. The snow falling on it.

Kapus had taught that if you just had the will to curse, you could curse it.

That's why I could create a domain.

Curse everything in front of me, the Magic Dragon, the snowy mountain, the blizzard.

“Freeze.”

I uttered the Western knowledge activation word.

When you say the action you want to do out loud, your head visualizes the image more easily, and your magic power recognizes it.

Just like now.

Dududududududuk─

Everything I wanted to stop froze.

The slowing curse, evolved over 3 centuries, descended on the summit of the Ash Mountains.

Even the blizzard stopped blowing for a moment and paused in mid-air.

The same went for the Magic Dragon, which had raised its rock-like foreleg.

If you squinted, you could see it moving, but it was a little faster than a turtle.

It was a formidable power to suppress the Magic Dragon's movement, but this was just creating a target.

A target was a target because it stood still, and it was a target because you shot an arrow at it.

Furthermore, Kapus hadn't taught me only one curse.

Deudeudeudeudeudeuk─

I held a bow, drew an invisible arrow on the string with two fingers.

The barb of that curse was sharp enough and overwhelmingly large.

“Pierce.”

I released the string.

The curse of slashing originally drew a line, like a horizontal or vertical slash.

Whatever touched that line was cut or slashed, but in Kapus's view, such a line was inefficient.

Because a wide-range attack was not needed against a stationary enemy.

So he turned the line into a point.

He split and twisted the straight line to create a harder point.

Puhwaaaaaaaaaak─!!

The specks of dust he had gathered then pierced through the mountain-like body.

It pierced through the stomach and came out the back.

The barb of the curse was invisible, but the scar it left was clear.

The scales covering the wound broke, and rotten blood gushed out.

It was a precious material that should not be wasted.

“Well received.”

Even if it was rotten, in the hands of a blood noble, it instantly becomes a shield, a spear, and a chain.

Along with the slowing curse, the chains of blood wrapped around its neck pulled its massive body down.

Kuuuuuuuuuuuuung─

It didn't take long for its arrogantly raised head to touch the ground.

The Blood Demon raised the greatsword that was a dead ringer for the night.

[Come down this snowy mountain with me. Or die.]

Sreureureung─

The teeth that could chew even rock and the blade scraped coolly.

The Blood Demon gave a choice, and now it was the Magic Dragon's turn.

Kuuuuuuuuuuung─

Following its neck, its body and wings, its entire body, touched the ground.

It was complete loyalty.

[You have obtained the loyalty of the Magic Dragon.]

[Even when intoxicated by madness, a dragon is undoubtedly a great being.]

[By subjugating such an incarnation of destruction, you have uprooted the seed of destruction that will one day come.]

[You have acquired an Epic Title.]

──「Master of the Magic Dragon」──

[Description]

: The dragon, whose mind was broken by demon followers, is a weapon that knows only destruction and slaughter. Such a weapon has found a scabbard in you today.

: The true name of the Magic Dragon is engraved on your body.

[Effect]

: You can freely communicate with the Magic Dragon.

───────────

Chiiik─

A burning pain came to my forearm.

The new name engraved right below Enad's runes was the Magic Dragon's true name.

──「Magic Dragon Kairos」──

[Description]

: Kairos, once called a Fire Dragon, was caught in the trap of demon followers. After centuries of repeated experiments, the Fire Dragon eventually went mad and became a Magic Dragon, embracing an ominous thunderous light.

: However, with the appearance of a new master, the Magic Dragon has stopped its destructive desires and can once again see the world.

[Unique Skill]

: Flame Thunder Breath

: Flame Thunder Spear

: Sharp Claws

──────────────

[A bonus quest has occurred.]

‘…A bonus quest?’

My hand moved on its own.

──「Hold on to Your Sanity」──

[Description]

: The Fire Dragon Kairos became a Magic Dragon, and an unstoppable destructive instinct should have permeated to its very marrow. But now, having sworn loyalty by the law of demons, it has forcibly controlled its destructive instinct.

: The supreme spirit that the dragon originally possessed might be able to extract the demonic energy that has seeped into its brain.

: Heal the Magic Dragon.

[Reward]

: Fire Dragon Kairos

───────────

“Crazy.”

[What is it. What's wrong now.]

Enad, who now grew anxious whenever the Youngest Son said anything, asked reflexively.

He thought something had gone wrong again, but this was an exclamation of awe.

“I thought it would be a huge gain just to be able to tame the Magic Dragon, but to think I can even get a complete dragon if I heal it.”

I swallowed a hollow laugh.

Of course, it was clear that it wouldn't be an easy path, but it wasn't as if there was no answer.

The dragon habitats were most numerous in the West among the four cardinal directions.

Some dragon species were even called the masters of magic and had a close relationship with Wisdom.

Therefore, Wisdom of the West had the most knowledge about dragons.

“You and I will have to take a trip to the West.”

I smiled and stroked its huge head.

The Ash Mountains were just incredibly large, and the Magic Dragon on top of it was also very large.

It was half as big as the Ashen Queen, which had 100 naval cannons.

“If we leave now, it'll be a close call.”

I climbed onto the Magic Dragon's head.

I grabbed both horns like handles and planted my feet firmly.

“Let's go. To Dusk Citadel.”

Even at this moment, the clone was facing off against the First Son, narrowly escaping death.

Hiler was puzzled by the somehow weakened state of the youngest but did not stop his sword.

It was time for the real deal to step in.