Chapter 1173

Chapter 1173
Chapter 1173

“Is there really no reason to pursue him?”

Bartius knitted his eyebrows together, utterly unable to process the meaning behind Raon’s words.

“Do not tell me you are aware of where the chieftain of the Black Clan fled?”

His voice shuddered ever so slightly as he posed the question, clearly caught in disbelief.

“Is that true?”

“How could that be possible?”

Blue Dragon Sirtiren and Red Dragon Valasiur fixed their gazes upon Raon, their expressions equally dumbfounded.

“Our kind naturally holds the capacity to perceive the presence of other dragons.”

White Dragon Bursiarabi stepped through the spatial portal and positioned himself beside Raon.

“It is an instinct meant to prevent us from encroaching on another’s territory when establishing a new domain. And yet, you have successfully located the head of the Black Clan, someone who completely eludes even our keen senses…”

A dry, empty laugh escaped his lips as he noted that the more one observed Raon, the less he resembled an ordinary mortal.

“R-Raon Zieghart! Do you truly know the location of Trosowr? I beg you to inform us!”

Black Dragon Dariauran desperately requested the whereabouts of Trosowr, the chieftain of the Black Clan, shouting his name aloud. Disregarding the composure of the other clan leaders, he appeared thoroughly unnerved, as if a catastrophic error had occurred.

“As I mentioned earlier, my instincts are unusually sharp at this moment.”

Raon offered a faint grin while lightly rubbing the back of his neck.

“Furthermore, it is completely logical that you cannot sense him. Trosowr, the chieftain of the Black Clan, no longer remains upon this continent.”

He shook his head, clarifying that dragon sensory abilities were ineffective here because Trosowr had escaped into an entirely different realm.

“What?”

Bartius’s lower jaw quivered slightly.

“Then could it mean…”

“Indeed.”

Raon extended his index finger, pointing directly at Bartius, who was safeguarding the dimensional key.

“Trosowr, the chieftain of the Black Clan, has concealed himself within another realm. It appears our actions have been exposed.”

Judging by the lingering traces of mana fluctuating throughout the woodland, Trosowr’s escape into the secondary realm was extremely recent. He had undoubtedly fled mere moments ago after detecting the demise of Igni Serpang, chieftain of the Red Clan, and Azgoros, chieftain of the Blue Clan.

“Damn that treacherous bastard!”

Dariauran, who also hailed from the Black Clan, struck his fist downward and gnashed his teeth in fury.

“Dariauran.”

White Dragon Bursiarabi scowled deeply as he turned his gaze toward Dariauran.

“Were you not tasked with keeping an absolute watch over Trosowr?”

He released a low, animalistic growl, demanding to know why Dariauran had permitted his tracking presence to slip.

“I did not slack off! He simply managed an extraordinary escape!”

Dariauran shook his head rapidly, adamantly denying any negligence on his part.

“I even constructed magical barriers while enduring the humiliation of flattering him!”

He ground his teeth together, clearly caught unprepared for such a turn of events.

“Sigh, it was foolish to expect proper performance from you.”

Sirtiren let out a heavy, weary sigh.

“I foresaw this outcome! I warned everyone that he was untrustworthy.”

Red Dragon Valasiur clicked his tongue in frustration, declaring that their plans were thoroughly ruined.

“Hmm, I am not convinced our situation is entirely ruined.”

In stark contrast to the agitated dragons, Burren maintained a remarkably composed demeanor while attending to his blade.

“Precisely. That man appears completely unbothered.”

Martha curved her lips into a smirk as she noted Raon’s tranquil expression.

“To be fair, I have virtually never seen him lose his composure.”

Dorian gave a nonchalant shrug, suggesting that if Raon were ever to collapse, the world itself would collapse alongside him.

“Ah, Raon… My dear Raon…”

Evelyn gnawed on her fingernails with a flushed complexion, once again captivated by Raon as he stood unfazed amid the chaotic dragons.

“Trosowr is infamous for his malicious nature even among those of the Black Clan, yet we miscalculated his resourcefulness.”

Bartius rested his hand against his forehead, as though admitting his own oversight.

“Raon Zieghart. I entreat you. Reveal to us the means to track Trosowr.”

He lowered his azure eyes toward Raon, placing his absolute final expectation upon the young warrior.

“Trosowr possesses merely one dimensional key, meaning information regarding this incident likely has not reached the Lord yet.”

Bartius firmly pressed his lips together, stressing that immediate action was mandatory.

“I am unaware of the method.”

Raon lowered his eyelids and shook his head side to side.

“What? Then for what reason…”

Bartius swallowed heavily, his expression shifting to one of sheer confusion.

“I do not possess the method, yet I am capable of breaching that dimension.”

Raon gradually unsealed his eyes as he unsheathed the Heavenly Drive.

“I can discern the identical signature from the lingering mana here as the dimensional key bound within your spirit.”

From the moment he stepped into this forest and picked up the subtle disruption in the environmental mana, he was certain that Trosowr, the leader of the Black Clan, had retreated into a separate dimension. With the residual mana and spatial distortion still hovering in the air, he was confident he could tear open the realm where Trosowr was hiding. With a sharp swift motion, Raon lifted the Heavenly Drive above his head.

‘I must slice through the fabric of space itself.’

Others might fail to notice, but he could perceive it clearly. Based on the foreign mana flowing erratically against the natural woodland currents, Trosowr had not fully sealed the portal through which he retreated.

‘Sever only the space while preserving the structural flow.’

Raon inhaled deeply and executed a decisive swing with the Heavenly Drive.

Raon Zieghart Style Swordsmanship. Seventh Form, Void Slash.

A single point, enveloped in crimson mana, shot forward and sliced straight through the hidden dimensional rift concealed behind the disrupted mana. Accompanied by a deafening roar, the space caught at the tip of the Heavenly Drive ripped apart, revealing a pitch-black, warped portal shrouded in gloom.

Yet despite a strike powerful enough to cleave through dimensions, not a single leaf drifted down from the surrounding trees. It was a testament to Raon’s absolute mastery over his force.

“Absurd…”

Bartius stood with his mouth agape in total shock.

“He… he breached a dimension using a blade?”

He trembled violently, unable to process what his eyes had witnessed.

“That transcends standard sword technique; it is pure magic…”

Red Dragon Valasiur gulped nervously as he peeked into the abyssal gateway.

“Unbelievable! He is a genuine monster!”

Blue Dragon Sirtiren raised her hand with a bright grin, thoroughly amused by the spectacular display.

“Th-thank goodness!”

Black Dragon Dariauran exhaled a deep sigh of relief, grateful that the crisis had been averted.

[Wh-what is the meaning of this!]

An astonished cry echoed from deep within the pitch-black void. The noxious haze spilling from the realm ebbed slightly, uncovering Trosowr, chieftain of the Black Clan, taking cover within the shadow.

He was currently forming a azure spear out of raw venomous mana, attempting to cast a long-distance message spell to notify the Dragon Lord of the invaders.

“I cannot allow that.”

Evelyn offered a serene smile as she joined her palms, severing Trosowr’s spell right before it could complete its path. Possessing uncanny skill in stealth and tracking, she proved equally proficient at intercepting external communication arts.

[H-how did you discover this realm!]

Trosowr attempted to re-establish the connection, but Evelyn consistently blocked his efforts. With his massive, reptilian eyes trembling, he tried to forcibly seal the breached gateway.

“Sirtiren! Valasiur!”

Responding to Bartius’s call, Sirtiren and Valasiur harnessed the natural mana of the environment to lock open the dimensional rift Raon had created with the Heavenly Drive.

[Close!]

Trosowr exerted his dragon command to seal the torn barrier, but Bursiarabi and Dariauran stepped in to obstruct his incantation.

[Dariauran! What do you think you are doing!]

He ground his teeth together, glaring fiercely at Dariauran, who was actively holding the spatial gap wide open.

“What does it look like? We are purging the decrepit old fools who are destroying the middle realm!”

Dariauran strained with all his power to hold the collapsing portal, clearly relieved to have pinned Trosowr down.

“You are Trosowr, chieftain of the Black Clan.”

Raon crossed through the breach maintained by the dragons, stepping into the realm to stand directly before Trosowr.

[Raon Zieghart! So you are the one!]

Trosowr held his head high, dripping with corrosive, dark energy.

[The mortal who brought down Igni Serpang and Azgoros!]

In a manner befitting the supreme leader of the Black Clan, Trosowr possessed a frame larger than a fortress, yet at this moment, his presence carried no intimidating weight. Just as Wrath had always categorized dragons, Trosowr appeared to be nothing more than a lizard scurrying across arid sands.

[I perceive extraordinary combat strength. However, you have committed an irreparable error.]

Trosowr gritted his teeth, blanketing his giant frame in pitch-black toxic energy.

[This realm is a domain forged entirely from my own poison. Any mortal who steps foot here will dissolve into nothingness!]

He drew in a massive breath, intending to completely eradicate Raon’s physical form.

[Perish as poisonous sludge… Gahk!]

Trosowr froze instantly right as he prepared to unleash his deadly toxic breath.

[Wh-when did that blade…!]

His entire body shuddered uncontrollably as he recognized the leaf-shaped sword embedded directly into his throat before his senses could even register the attack.

[N-not yet! A strike of this degree is far from enough to…]

Just as Trosowr attempted to tear out the Wooden Ring Sword and unleash his lethal poison once more, the blade’s tip erupted with icy blue frost, instantly freezing his head and the throat area where his Dragon Heart resided. The frost rushed outward with a violent swooshing sound!

As the bitter cold energy exploded, the toxic power Trosowr had gathered collapsed into darkness before it could manifest.

-Th-this power…!

Wrath’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment as he stared at the frozen, immobilized form of Trosowr.

‘Indeed.’

Raon gave a subtle nod as he flicked the Wooden Ring Sword clean.

‘I launched the Wooden Ring Sword utilizing Whispering Wind, followed immediately by the Silver Aurora. Now that I have genuinely stepped into the realm of the Soul Sword, the intrinsic potency of every martial technique scales exponentially.’

Unlike Wrath’s version, his own Silver Aurora originally lacked the capability to freeze everything in its path instantly. However, now that he could perceive the emotional shifts of others and his mastery over the Soul Sword had matured, he generated sufficient force to completely immobilize a dragon without having specifically practiced the Silver Aurora technique. The sheer output was astonishing even to himself.

-Silver Aurora…

Wrath swallowed nervously as he gazed at Trosowr’s icy, pure-white head.

‘Quite impressive, wouldn’t you say?’

-Im-impressive my foot! Do not dare label this trivial frost as the Silver Aurora! It remains woefully lacking!

Wrath shook his head rapidly, expressing his intense dissatisfaction.

‘Yet I managed to freeze the dragon precisely as you desired, did I not?’

Since he lacked the capacity to freeze the entirety of the beast as Wrath could, he had driven the Wooden Ring Sword directly into the location of the Dragon Heart to deploy the Silver Aurora, making him unable to comprehend why Wrath was venting anger.

‘You are unnaturally capable… No, just remain quiet!’

Wrath gnashed his teeth, demanding that Raon hold his tongue.

‘Very well, whatever you say.’

Raon let out a quiet chuckle as he returned both the Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword to their sheaths. Since Wrath had always exhibited erratic behavior, he chose to accept his companion’s nature as it was.

“You… you casually froze the leader of the Black Clan utilizing sheer cold energy? Your control surpasses my own!”

Blue Dragon Sirtiren released a dry laugh, stating that Raon appeared far more proficient at manipulating icy energy than she was.

“You are a human who grows more staggering the longer one observes you. No, calling you human seems incorrect—you resemble a demon king.”

Red Dragon Valasiur tightly balled his fist, his expression burning with intense competitive spirit.

“We survived…!”

Black Dragon Dariauran collapsed onto the terrain, wiping his brow as if drenched in cold sweat from the close call.

“You ought to realize your head remains attached to your shoulders solely due to Raon Zieghart.”

White Dragon Bursiarabi snorted in disdain as he looked down at Dariauran.

“Provided the outcome is favorable, that is all that matters.”

Bartius lightly patted Dariauran’s shoulder, then stepped toward the frozen body of Trosowr and extended his palm. With a low, resonant hum, a golden dimensional key manifested from within Trosowr’s frozen frame.

“The third and final key.”

Bartius pressed his lips together tightly, remarking that they could at last unlock the path to the Dragon Lord.

“How much time will be required?”

Raon shifted his gaze toward Bartius, inquiring about the duration needed to breach the realm of the Lord.

“It will require a brief period to stabilize the pathway using the dimensional key, considering Trosowr manipulated it to craft this hidden realm.”

Bartius narrowed his eyes as he inspected the final dimensional key.

“Nevertheless, I should be capable of opening the spatial gateway prior to daybreak tomorrow.”

He clenched his fist firmly, declaring that he would unseal the gate before the sun rose, even if it exhausted every drop of his remaining strength.

“Until that time arrives, you ought to recover your energy as well.”

Bartius gave a firm nod, noting that overcoming the Dragon Lord would require the combined power of every individual present.

“No.”

Raon offered a firm rejection with a shake of his head.

“I intend to fight him alone.”

He rested his hand upon the hilt of the Heavenly Drive while gazing at the dimensional key hovering near Bartius’s chest.

“The Lord exists on an entirely different scale compared to the clan chieftains! He does not utilize them as mere subordinates without reason!”

Bartius scowled, silently urging Raon to regain his sense of reason.

“Bartius speaks the truth. I recognize your remarkable martial prowess, yet the Lord is somewhat… no, drastically different.”

Sirtiren shook her head side to side, maintaining that they ought to engage the enemy as a unified group.

“Should I be forced backward by the Dragon Lord, I will accept your intervention. However, until that moment occurs…”

Raon slowly closed his eyes, then reopened them.

“Grant me the opportunity to face him alone.”

His crimson eyes radiated not foolish arrogance, but an absolute composure as a faint smile touched his lips.

“Because at this very moment, I do not believe I would suffer defeat against anyone.”

Raon emitted a bone-chilling aura of lethal intent as he reflected upon the bitter history shared with the Dragon Lord over an extensive time.

“Before the morning sun rises, I will present to you the corpse of the greatest lizard inhabiting this continent.”