Chapter 1171

Chapter 1171
Chapter 1171

“Fail, and you forfeit your life.”

Raon let out a dismissive snort, treating the premise as self-evident.

“To endure the catastrophic inferno about to engulf this continent, passing a trial of this caliber is the bare minimum.”

The upcoming conflict against Derus Robert and Eden promised to plunge the land into sheer chaos. Caught in a desperate struggle involving Angels and vile spirits, overcoming a dragon needed to be a manageable hurdle.

“I-I get that, but still…”

Dorian’s lips turned pale as he shivered, unable to deny the truth of those words yet paralyzed by dread.

“How in the world am I supposed to slay a dragon!”

He choked down a nervous gulp, incapable of imagining a scenario where he stood victorious over such a beast.

“If you can’t picture it, force yourself to!”

Martha slammed her foot into Dorian’s backside.

“We aren’t green recruits anymore. Do you honestly believe anyone will show you mercy on a blood-soaked battlefield just because you cry?”

Her brow was deeply knitted as she snapped at him to pull himself together.

“She speaks the truth.”

Burren offered a firm nod while locking eyes with Dorian.

“Even if the odds of felling a dragon are microscopic, we must forge a path to victory regardless.”

Tightening his fist, he asserted that winning this very moment was non-negotiable if they hoped to advance further.

“On the bright side…”

Evelyn extended a finger toward Bartius.

“The dragons lurking in the depths aren’t nearly as formidable as the ones before us.”

Curling her lips into a slight smirk, she noted that the Blue Dragons at the ocean floor paled in comparison to Bartius.

“Evelyn is spot on.”

Raon looked across Dorian, Martha, and Burren one after another.

“The beasts below are merely full-grown dragons, nowhere near the caliber of Ancient Dragons like Bartius. It will demand everything you have, but it is by no means an impossible hurdle.”

He nodded in assurance, confident they possessed the strength to manage.

“Understood. Let’s do this.”

Unsheathing his blade, Burren voiced his resolve to follow Raon’s lead.

“So they’re weaker? Perfect!”

Martha ran her tongue over her lips, declaring her intent to butcher a dragon without breaking a sweat.

“Urk…”

Whimpering, Dorian assumed a combat stance, resigned to obeying Raon’s commands.

“If everyone is prepared, we begin.”

With a snap of Bartius’s fingers, Valasiur, Bursiarabi, and Dariauran streaked off in three separate directions. Resonating with a deep hum, the trio wrung out atmospheric mana to erect a shimmering perimeter across the expansive waters.

This barrier ensured that Azgoros, the sovereign of the Blue Clan dwelling in the abyss, could neither flee nor send word to the outside world.

“Valasiur is anchoring the perimeter this time instead of Sirtiren?”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed Valasiur remaining behind to hold the field, a contrast to their raid on Igni Serpang’s domain.

“Given my lineage within the Blue Clan, I am best suited to act as your guide.”

Sirtiren stepped to the forefront with a faint smile.

“I ventured here several times during my earlier years.”

Lifting her hand, she pointed out that guiding the group was only natural for her.

“You’ve been here before?”

Dorian’s eyes went wide as he stared at Sirtiren.

“As a member of the Blue Clan, visiting her clan sovereign makes complete sense.”

Burren shook his head, brushing it off as unremarkable.

“That is only half the story. Azgoros is…”

Sirtiren’s mouth twisted as she gazed down into the deep blue waters.

“He is my sire.”

Pointing a single finger downward, she revealed that Azgoros was the very dragon who brought her into existence.

“Say what…?”

“Huh!”

“W-what did you just say…”

Dorian, Martha, and Burren stood agape, thoroughly stunned by her declaration.

“Azgoros is your father?”

Even Raon lowered his brows slightly, caught off guard by the revelation.

“Dragon bloodlines do not mirror human family dynamics. While certain clans foster close bonds, our relationship was far from harmonious.”

Sirtiren let out a dry, wry chuckle as she shook her head.

“We share no affection, so do not let it weigh on you.”

Shrugging off the connection, she made it clear she would not shed a tear if Azgoros met his end. Watching her response, it was clear that dragon relationships could be just as complex and varied as those of mortals.

“Then let us proceed.”

Taking her indifference at face value, Bartius spread his hands to signal the start of the assault. The sea churned wildly under the motion of his fingers, parting the waters to reveal a descending corridor toward Azgoros’s lair. The ocean roared like a wild tempest!

Sentinels guarding the sanctuary rose to the surface despite the absent tide, baring razor-sharp fangs with murderous intent.

“Allow me to sweep them away.”

As Evelyn pointed a finger, a pair of shimmering, butterfly-like wings manifested behind her back. Every line tracer on those wings was woven pure magic. When her relentless arcana barrage descended, the charging Guardians seeking to eliminate the intruders were annihilated without a single trace remaining.

“Path’s clear. Down we go.”

She offered a small smile, taking care of the initial hindrances with ease.

“Appreciated.”

Just as Raon acknowledged Evelyn and prepared to plunge into the abyss—

“As anticipated, his divine foresight never errs.”

“He stands among the most venerable minds of the Ancient Dragons.”

“Yet we hardly envisioned treason from one of our own blood.”

Rising from the exposed seabed came two young men and a maiden adorned with flowing azure hair. Unlike the mindless beasts guarding the perimeter, these were mature dragons of the Blue Clan, summoned directly by Azgoros.

“Your flattery toward the Ancient Dragons always felt off. Was this your true scheme all along?”

The azure-haired maiden curled her lip in disgust as she fixed her gaze on Sirtiren.

“Saphiren.”

Sirtiren softly spoke the name of the dragon taking human form, clearly familiar with her identity.

“You will be remembered as a disgrace—the fool who turned against her own kin to align with mere mortals.”

The dragon known as Saphiren shook her head in disdain.

“Incorrect.”

Sirtiren let out a sharp scoff as she looked at the maiden.

“History will mark me as the wise mediator who eradicated the leeches leeching off the Angels.”

She twirled her finger playfully, advising them to reevaluate their standing.

“Hmph! You may have orchestrated an ambush, but what good does it do?”

Saphiren gestured dismissively toward Sirtiren and Bartius.

“Lord Azgoros was alerted to your arrival the moment you stepped foot here.”

As her sneer deepened, the seabed began to pulse violently. A massive tremor, as if shaking the foundations of the land, rippled beneath the deep blue waters as a gigantic silhouette surged upward.

Wings spanned wide enough to eclipse the horizon, and an impossibly long neck blotted out the sun—a creature of overwhelming majesty. Azgoros, sovereign of the Blue Clan, revealed his magnificent form.

[Vile vermin who fail to grasp their place dare invade my domain.]

Azgoros lowered his brilliant, sapphire-colored gaze. The sheer weight of that stare left the humans gasping, as if time itself had ground to a halt.

“Th-this one is an absolute monster as well…”

Burren pressed his thumb firmly against his parched lips. A thin line of blood escaped down his jawline.

“Th-the aura feels vastly heavier than before…”

Dorian clutched his chest tightly, feeling as though his lungs were being crushed. His pained face implied he might genuinely suffocate if left unassisted.

“Hold the line! What use is drawing a blade if you collapse under mere presence!”

Martha barked at them to stand firm, her hands gripping her sword hilt with enough force to splinter it.

“He certainly lives up to his title as a clan leader.”

Even Evelyn’s mouth twitched, clearly feeling the intense pressure weighing down on them.

“Phew.”

Bartius knitted his brow slightly, finding the thick atmosphere taxing on his breath.

“…”

Sirtiren raised her eyes, her gaze calm and untroubled by the oppressive aura emitted by Azgoros.

[Sirtiren.]

Azgoros vented an icy exhale as he locked eyes with her.

[I intended to grant you a final grace, yet you persist in your foolishness!]

He unleashed a freezing aura, signalling that her chances had run out.

[And to think you stoop to borrowing the strength of wretched mortals!]

Unlike Igni Serpang, Azgoros instantly identified Raon’s significance, his cold eyes pinpointing him without delay.

“Rather than cowering at the ocean floor as the Lord’s footstool, I choose to live freely among human companions. Though naturally, the Lord is just another parasite feeding on the Angels.”

Sirtiren beamed a bright, cheerful smile that starkly contrasted the grim atmosphere, asserting her refusal to live a degraded existence.

[You have succumbed to madness. Since I gave you life, I shall rip your throat out with my own jaws!]

Azgoros released his overwhelming mana, intent on slaying Sirtiren personally. A wave far more terrifying than his titanic size erupted, sending violent shocks across the entire sea. Just as the mana-infused tides were set to crash down upon the group, Raon stepped into the forefront.

With a single step from Raon, the raging waters began to settle.

[Raon Zieghart!]

Azgoros growled his name, confirming he had been well aware of his presence.

[The Lord designated you a threat, yet I remain unconvinced! Regardless of your newfound power, a human remains nothing more than a human!]

A brilliant blue light erupted from him to prove his words. It was an incantation moving faster than the eye could follow. Yet, with a single stroke of his blade, Raon cut down Azgoros’s invisible magic mid-air.

Severed by Heavenly Drive, the magic detonated against the ocean, triggering a catastrophic blast.

[Hmph!]

Azgoros narrowed his eyes, anticipating at least that much, as a sphere radiating biting frost coalesced above his head. Countless icy spells poured down from the flickering white orb. He sought to obliterate Raon without leaving behind a trace.

“So all clan leaders operate around this benchmark.”

Raon offered a calm nod and thrust Heavenly Drive forward. The crimson, blazing edge carved through the cascading downpour of spells, shattering the flickering orb floating high above.

As the spell construct constructed with all of Azgoros’s power crumbled, silvery snow drifted down as if winter had descended in an instant.

[What…?]

Azgoros opened his massive jaws in utter disbelief, unable to fathom his full-power spell being shattered by a solitary strike from Raon.

[Y-you curse!]

Gnashes of his teeth echoed as he snapped his wings open, caught between panic and rage. Driven by his fury, the sea shuddered and crested. The water surged upward in a flash of bright blue, carrying enough force to submerge the continent whole.

[Perish!]

He dropped a towering tsunami from above, aiming to pulverize Raon and everyone behind him under a sea saturated with his mana. Raon unleashed a swirling vortex of flames from his sword, causing Azgoros’s wave magic—descending like an apocalyptic flood—to burn away and evaporate into mist.

By standard elemental law, water ought to extinguish flame, yet natural order held no sway in this domain.

“These spells mirror the ones used when I brought down the crazed Kaivar.”

Raon lowered Heavenly Drive, its surface entirely dry.

“Have you nothing more formidable to display?”

He tilted his chin slightly, demanding a more entertaining display.

[Fear not!]

Azgoros’s voice thundered from within the wall of white vapor rising from the boiling sea.

[There will be no next opportunity!]

Accompanying Azgoros’s wrathful cry, a blindingly white torrent burst forth. The absolute pinnacle of a Blue Dragon’s arsenal—Ice Breath. He had readied the frozen tempest instantly, anticipating the failure of his wave magic.

The pure-white breath, cold enough to freeze the atmosphere itself, rushed toward them. Even before making contact, the sheer cold threatened to lock their bones and flesh in ice.

No matter how refined one’s martial power, the breath of an Ancient Dragon remained exceptionally lethal.

‘Indeed.’

Raon shook his head, planting his left foot firm to stabilize the rolling waves.

‘I simply need to sever it before it connects.’

He channeled power into the downward-tilted Heavenly Drive. As the blade ignited with radiant red heat once more, he swept upward in a magnificent arc, drawing the tides into the strike. Azure Sky Sword technique—Azure Sky Drive.

Beneath the endless sky, all creation pales in comparison. The strike carrying the expanse of the firmament sliced cleanly through the freezing mist, piercing the neck of the beast concealed within.

Azgoros, sovereign of the Blue Clan, met the same fate as Igni Serpang. Incapable of comprehending his own demise, his head toppled down, his shock-filled eyes fixed on Raon until the end.

[I-impossible…]

Azgoros let out a final, disbelief-filled gasp as life departed his body. As his massive corpse crashed into the ocean, gargantuan waves violently rippled in every direction.

“Ah…”

“L-Lord Azgoros!”

“H-how can this be…”

The three Blue Dragons summoned by Azgoros trembled uncontrollably, their eyes filled with utter denial.

“Fell one of those dragons.”

Raon gestured lazily with his finger toward Burren, Martha, and Dorian.

“We still have to eliminate the Dragon Lord today, so…”

He casually flicked his wrist while assessing the position of the sun.

“Wrap it up within the hour.”