Chapter 1174

Chapter 1174
**Chapter 1174**

A sharp rush of air swept through the pitch-black forest where no moonlight could reach. Standing in the center of the gloom, Bartius raised both palms toward his chest. Above his hands, a glowing golden orb slowly shifted its shape, transforming into the form of a key.

Beads of cold sweat trickled down Bartius’s forehead, proving that undoing the distortion inflicted on the dimensional key by Trosowr, the leader of the Black clan, was an incredibly taxing effort.

“Is this work too demanding?”

Raon narrowed his eyes, studying Bartius’s deeply furrowed brow.

“Yes. It is exceptionally difficult.”

Evelyn stepped up to Raon’s side, leaning lightly against his shoulder.

“That dimensional key carries the Dragon Lord’s distinct aura, but its essence was corrupted when Trosowr manipulated it. Bringing it back to its original state is naturally no simple task.”

She nodded in quiet recognition of Bartius’s magical proficiency.

“Right now, I suspect only that luminous dragon could pull it off.”

Evelyn shrugged, implying that even she would find such a feat immensely challenging.

“I see.”

Raon smacked his lips, turning his attention away from Bartius.

‘That means it’s practically impossible.’

It was exceedingly rare for Evelyn to praise another practitioner’s magical capability. If she deemed it difficult, Bartius was attempting a task that bordered on the impossible.

-Hmph! If I were handling this, I’d simply shatter it and tear open the dimension by force!

Wrath clicked his tongue, grumbling about how tedious both humans and dragons were.

‘Well, that would certainly be faster… No, wait.’

Raon almost agreed with Wrath before shaking his head.

‘Perhaps because my strength surged so suddenly, my thinking is starting to resemble this glutton’s.’

In the past, he would have assessed the situation with cool detachment and picked the most efficient path. When Trosowr escaped, the logical choice would have been to seek assistance from Bartius or the other dragons rather than opening a dimension single-handedly to pursue him. Yet, he had tried to take on everything alone just to test his own martial capabilities.

‘This is a dangerous mindset.’

Unless someone possessed absolute martial power on the level of Wrath or Glenn, it was impossible to resolve every crisis through solitary strength. He still had plenty of shortcomings, so the correct choice was to heed the counsel of others and accept their support.

‘I must exercise greater caution going forward.’

Was it because his power had expanded alongside his growing human emotions? A dangerous sense of omnipotence had crept in, making him feel as though no goal was out of reach. It was wiser to steady his mind now, as a single misstep in these circumstances could prove fatal.

-Hmph! So your claim that you would take down the lizard leader alone was nothing more than arrogance!

Wrath snorted, as if he had seen right through him.

-Then take it back immediately! Just tell the others you were boasting, and they’ll let it go!

‘No, that’s entirely different.’

Raon calmly shook his head.

‘I’m certainly not underestimating the Dragon Lord, but I must be the one to defeat him.’

He was fully aware of the Dragon Lord’s staggering power. While not quite on par with Glenn or Derus, he was still an absolute entity who would not yield to the other supreme figures among the Six Kings and Five Demons. However, if he could not prevail against such an opponent in single combat, he could never ascend to the next realm of strength. He had to conquer the Dragon Lord, even if it meant placing his life on the line.

-So you’re finally adopting the mindset of a true powerhouse.

Wrath lifted his chin, looking at Raon with newfound interest.

-In the past, you were as cold and rigid as an assassin despite your youth.

He nodded, visibly more satisfied with Raon’s attitude.

‘…Was I really like that?’

Raon let out a faint smile. Though usually a foolish glutton, the demon king possessed a strangely keen intuition regarding matters of the heart.

-There is something far more crucial than that.

Wrath lowered his voice, drawing closer.

‘Something crucial?’

-Indeed. It takes priority over everything else right now…

He let out a heavy breath, insisting that Raon give him his full attention.

‘What is it?’

Raon swallowed hard, staring at Wrath in suspense.

-Dragon roast! We’ve taken down five of those oversized lizards and haven’t roasted a single piece of meat! What kind of nonsense is this!

Wrath smacked his lips, demanding that they immediately pull out dragon meat and cook it over a fire.

-Red? Black? Blue? Which flavor should we sample first to ensure we enjoy a legendary meal?

Drool pooled in his mouth, as if feasting on dragon meat was already an established fact.

‘Sigh…’

Raon sighed, shaking his head in exasperation.

-Don’t you dare sigh at me, pull it out right now!

‘Better to just ignore him.’

Leaving Wrath to throw his fit of gluttony, Raon shifted his gaze toward Burren and Martha.

“How does it feel to defeat a dragon for the first time?”

Intending to offer Burren constructve feedback, Raon first asked for his impressions of the fight.

“It wasn’t as tough as I anticipated. Honestly, we brought it down quite smoothly.”

Burren nodded, admitting the clash was easier than expected.

“Still, I made several errors because of the deep-seated dread of dragons I’ve carried since childhood. If my body hadn’t frozen up at the start, I could have concluded the battle much sooner…”

Even though no one was criticizing him, he furrowed his brow, dwelling on his mistakes.

“In a sense, this was our first genuine battle against real dragons.”

Martha frowned, pausing as she chewed on a strip of beef jerky.

“If you know what went wrong, just fix it next time! Stop whining and eat!”

She tossed a piece of dried meat to Burren, signaling that recognizing his faults was enough for now.

“Martha makes a good point.”

Raon offered a slight smile.

“Considering the immense prestige attached to the word ‘dragon,’ slipping up in your first confrontation is completely natural.”

He himself had stumbled repeatedly during his initial life-and-death struggle with the dragon Kaivar, relying heavily on Alice’s aid. There was no reason to blame Burren and Martha for minor errors in their debut dragon fight.

“However, there won’t be room for mistakes next time.”

Raon held up a single finger.

“When you enter the next clash, be fully prepared to claim victory even if your opponent is an ancient dragon.”

He curved his lips into a sharp smile, warning them that he wouldn’t be so lenient with a second lapse.

“Understood.”

Burren gave a firm nod, silently swearing not to fail him again.

“Don’t worry about it. Next time, I’ll slice off their heads in a single swing, just like you do.”

Martha clenched her fist, confident that she had figured out the mechanics of cutting through massive dragon hides.

“Then…”

Raon started to turn his head to speak with Dorian.

“I’ve gained a new insight as well.”

Evelyn smiled radiantly, pressing herself closer against his shoulder.

“Dragons become surprisingly feeble once you get a firm hold on their Dragon Heart.”

Her cheeks flushed with excitement, clearly thrilled that the specialized spell she created to immobilize dragons had worked so flawlessly.

“Ah, squeezing that delicate, pulsing heart was such a delightful sensation.”

Evelyn stroked her pale hand, voicing her desire to repeat the experience.

“Ughhhh…”

Dorian doubled over, holding his head in distress. His eyes trembled wildly, as if he found Evelyn far more terrifying than any dragon.

-Sh-she’s a complete lunatic! Of course they can’t move when their Dragon Heart is seized! It’s literally their primary life source!

Wrath recoiled, pleading with Raon to put distance between himself and Evelyn. Yet, it wasn’t only Wrath and Dorian who felt a chill run down their spines at her words.

“W-Why is my body shaking like this?”

The Blue Dragon Sirtiren swallowed hard, casting a fearful glance at Evelyn.

“Isn’t that human ridiculously terrifying? The look in her eyes seems completely unhinged!”

The Red Dragon Valasiur’s jaw trembled uncontrollably.

“T-To subdue dragons by physically trapping their Dragon Heart… what kind of monster is she…”

The Black Dragon Dariauran let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck where goosebumps had broken out.

“Extremely dangerous. I need to analyze the mechanics of that magic immediately.”

The White Dragon Bursiarabi shut his eyes, recalling the flow of Evelyn’s spell. The dragons huddled together to exchange hushed words, terrified not just by her magic, but by her sheer presence.

‘To be honest…’

Raon rubbed his neck, meeting the gaze of Evelyn, who remained entirely focused on him despite the commotion around them.

‘Evelyn is far more terrifying than the Dragon Lord…’

—

“Head of House!”

Chad, leader of the Shadow Agents, pushed open the heavy door to the audience chamber and stepped inside.

“A message has just arrived from the Light Wind Palace Master!”

He presented a snow-white envelope, announcing that word had come from Raon.

“Hmm!”

Glenn took the letter from Chad, the slight twitch in his eyebrow revealing his hidden tension.

“What does it say?”

Sheryl looked up at Glenn from the foot of the dais, smacking her lips in anticipation.

“Hehehe, it seems he has managed to eliminate one dragon by now.”

Roenn chuckled softly, assuming Raon had secured the initial key.

“That seems logical. A full day has already passed.”

Sheryl nodded, agreeing with his estimate.

“No.”

Glenn shook his head decisively.

“Not just one, but all three.”

His hand holding the missive shook visibly with suppressed excitement.

“Th-Three, you say…”

Sheryl’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

“Indeed. Within a single day, he cut down the three clan leaders and retrieved all the keys required to reach the Dragon Lord.”

Glenn raised his head, his lips curving into a broad, triumphant smile.

“Unbelievable…”

Sheryl stared blankly at the parchment, finding it hard to process the news even after hearing it directly.

“Hehehe…”

Even Roenn let out an unusual, bewildered laugh, completely taken aback.

“Ahem!”

Glenn let out a loud, deliberate cough, clearly enjoying the astonishment of Sheryl and Roenn.

“He states that the portal to the Lord’s domain will open at the break of dawn.”

He peered out through the dim window, noting that the final confrontation between Raon and the Lord would take place within a few short hours.

“H-Head of House. Are you truly planning to stay behind while Raon battles the Lord?”

Chad bit his lip tightly, looking up at Glenn with deep concern.

“You are well aware that the Lord stands on an entirely different level, even among dragonkind.”

Though he appeared diminished when standing before Glenn, the Dragon Lord remained a formidable entity whose martial strength could dominate the continent.

“…Yes.”

Glenn gave a solemn nod after gazing at the letter for a long moment.

“The Dragon Lord is extraordinarily powerful. Even with Raon’s current growth, securing victory will be a arduous struggle. Nevertheless, I will not intervene this time.”

He nodded again, firm in his decision to let Raon face the Lord alone.

“What? But why…”

“Because if he cannot break through the obstacle known as the Dragon Lord, he cannot advance any further.”

Glenn tightened his fist, demonstrating his absolute faith in Raon. Yet, his hand trembled ever so slightly, resembling the pale light of a setting moon.

“Raon is strong. He will never suffer defeat.”

—

“Hoooo.”

Bartius turned around, letting out a long, exhausted breath.

“It is finished.”

Three shimmering golden keys hovered right above his palms. Each key possessed a distinct structure, covered in intricate geometric patterns.

“Can we unlock the realm where the Dragon Lord is hiding now?”

Raon inquired as he stepped closer to Bartius.

“Yes. Once I channel my mana into these keys and turn them, the doorway to the Lord’s dimension will open.”

Bartius nodded, confirming that all preparations were complete.

“However, judging by the design of these keys, opening the Lord’s dimension will likely alert the remaining dragons as well. A full-scale battle is bound to erupt.”

He clicked his tongue, noting that the Lord was an exceptionally cunning dragon.

“Understood.”

Raon gave a brief nod, then glanced at his companions behind him.

“Do not worry. We will hold off every other threat so you can fight the Lord without distraction.”

Burren spoke up first with a confident smirk, having anticipated Raon’s thoughts.

“Yeah! I’ll beat every single one of them to death!”

Martha thumped her chest with a fist, telling him to leave the defense to her.

“D-Don’t rely on me, rely on this person instead…”

Dorian lowered his head slightly, pointing a finger toward Evelyn.

“Raon. Let’s resolve this quickly so we can return home.”

Evelyn smiled brightly, expressing absolute faith in him. It was clear she, too, had developed a deep bond with the family.

“Ignore the other dragons and focus entirely on your path forward.”

The Red Dragon Valasiur raised his chin, projecting confidence in his voice.

“You can leave our rear completely secure.”

The Blue Dragon Sirtiren burst into a hearty laugh, declaring her readiness to guard the entrance.

“This time, I will not make any errors.”

The Black Dragon Dariauran bared his white teeth, swearing to defend the position at the cost of his life.

“I will fulfill my word, so keep your mind focused solely on the Lord.”

The White Dragon Bursiarabi gave a subtle nod, resting his hands behind his back.

“Then I will place my trust in all of you.”

Raon turned back to Bartius with a gentle smile.

“Open the gate.”

He extended his hand, carrying the collective expectations of his longtime friends and new allies alike.

“I shall place my trust in you as well.”

As Bartius raised both palms into the air, the three golden keys ascended toward the sky. They sank into empty space as if fitting into invisible keyholes, turning halfway to the right.

With a heavy, grinding sound resembling an ancient door swinging open, a golden rift tore across the dark sky just before dawn.

The moment the rift expanded, everyone—including Raon—instantly held their breath under the crushing weight of the immense mana surging forth. Revealed within was a pitch-black expanse containing a single golden star. A boundless cosmos hanging above the sky filled the interior of the golden portal.

‘Where is the Dragon Lord?’

As Raon searched for his target beneath the overwhelming pressure of the grand cosmos… the solitary golden star shining in the endless void began to squirm.