Boom-
Beacrox flinched because of the rumbling before he steadied himself.
He then looked toward the lake. That large lake was rumbling.
However, Beacrox could not help but say something else after looking at the lake.
“Eruhaben-nim, what is going on?”
Beacrox has a serious expression on his face as he supported the carrier with both hands. However, his expression was not as serious as Eruhaben's expression.
“…This.”
The ancient Dragon could not help but wipe his eyes with his hands.
He was looking at Raon, who was inside Beacrox’s carrier.
The ancient Dragon’s eyes looked concerned as he looked at Raon.
Black mana was slowly rising up from Raon's body. The mana became thicker before slowly surrounding Raon's body.
Eruhaben could not believe it.
The trial ground for the first growth phase.
Dragons could not use mana nor magic at that location.
Although it looked as if your mana was sealed only in the dream, it was sealed in the real world as well.
That was why Dragons faced a dangerous situation of the internal battle against itself, as well as external dangers from others as their bodies could not be protected with mana during the growth phase.
That was how it was supposed to be.
So how was it that this young Dragon was releasing mana right now?
This was not normal.
This was different than what he had seen until now.
Eruhaben had thought that Raon would either take a really long time or a really short time to finish his first growth phase. However, even if he was quick, he didn't expect it to be this quick.
‘How did the little kid defeat his future adult self so quickly?’
Eruhaben had no way of knowing what happened.
A Dragon faces its adult self during its first growth phase.
That adult Dragon could not use Dragon's Breath nor magic and instead could only use its physical strength, however, it was still a scary existence for young Dragons who could not use magic.
That was why the growth phases were called a battle against themselves. A young Dragon's potential was determined based on how long it took to finish the first growth phase because they knew that the stronger adult Dragons took longer to defeat.
It had to do with the Dragon's attribute.
The unique attribute that nobody else would have.
The young Dragons could defeat their future selves once that dormant attribute was activated.
And the method and time it took to defeat their future selves were how their plate was determined.
However, this little kid was different than everyone else.
The ancient Dragon’s years of experience was telling him something.
‘This little kid is not fighting against his future self right now.’
“What is he fighting against?”
There was nothing other than your adult self in the trial ground. Just what was this little kid fighting against?
Eruhaben could not hide his confusion and concern.
However, Raon was not fighting right now.
In fact, he was going against the battlefield and trying to get out of it.
“…He's laughing?”
The young Dragon was not fighting right now.
He was currently escaping the trial ground.
Eruhaben could see Raon's lips starting to open and close. It was the sign that he was about to wake up. He was still unconscious, but Eruhaben could hear Raon mumbling quietly.
“…I, Raon Miru… am great and mighty!”
“Ha.”
Eruhaben could not help but laugh. At the same time, his eyes curved into a smile.
The reason Raon was making him worry was because the mana that was sealed was released along with another reason.
There was no plate.
Forget creating a stronger plate, this young Black Dragon's plate was slowly disappearing. The plate that he currently had was breaking.
That was what Eruhaben was worried about.
However, the fact that there was no plate could mean something else.
He was overcoming something.
This little Dragon was overcoming something right now.
The ancient Dragon felt something shooting up from the bottom of the lake as he realized what was going on with Raon.
Beacrox’s expression was starting to progressively worsen. Cale didn't say anything before jumping into the lake while Eruhaben wasn’t saying anything right now, so he could not help but frown with concern.
Furthermore, even if he is a Dragon, this little Dragon was smiling oddly even though he was in pain.
‘What the hell is going on?’
Beacrox’s expression could not get better. He could not understand any of it as he was just an average chef and swordsman.
It was at that moment.
Boooom-
“Mm!”
Beacrox quickly hugged the carrier and steadied himself. A larger rumbling than earlier had shot up from the ground.
‘What is going on in there?’
Chhhhhhh-
The surface of the grey lake split open.
“Hahahaha! I'm about to go crazy! Ahahaha!”
The ancient Dragon was laughing.
The lake split open.
In fact, the lake split open in multiple locations.
Chhhhhh- chhhhhhhh-
Stone spears started to shoot out from those split locations.
There was someone standing on top of the largest stone spear.
Cale Henituse.
He was calmly standing on the stone spear while laughing.
That was why Eruhaben could not help but laugh.
‘Both the little kid and this unlucky bastard.’
The people struggling were smiling, so how could he not laugh as the eldest one in their group?
Eruhaben was excited and said something that was fitting for his personality for the first time in a long time. This only made Beacrox’s expression become worse, however, nobody was able to see this.
Cale was able to hear Eruhaben’s voice clearly.
However, he could not see the ancient Dragon’s face.
All he could see was the color grey in front of his eyes.
Clang, clang-
Tens of chains shot out from the lake following the stone spear. They were rushing at Cale as if they needed to capture him.
Screech, screech.
The chains started to quickly gather together.
They continued to gather around the water spear that was already covered in chains, making it larger and larger.
Cale was not planning to just watch as it happened, instead he was planning on doing as Eruhaben said by destroying everything.
“Break it.”
The stone spears started to move.
Baaaaang!
Bang! Bang!
Grey water splashed from all directions, wetting Cale in the process.
Nothing was visible because of the battle between the water chains and the stone spears.
“What a mess.”
Cale looked at the mess in front of him and started to laugh.
The broken chains reverted back to the water without being able to return to their previous forms.
Chains really were useless after they were broken once.
Shaaaaaaa- Shaaaaaaaa-
Cale looked at the water spear that still had a lot of chains wrapped around it.
The water spear pointed its tip at Cale once again.
I wish to get out of them.
He could hear the voice of the ancient power’s owner.
Cale made the stone spears stop moving.
There were many stone spears that were broken as well.
Cale did not have the strength to make any more stone spears.
He only had one chance as well. Of course, that chance was related to the Super Rock.
Screeeech-
The water spear looked like a snake made out of chains as the chains screeched around it.
You could not even see the original water spear anymore as it was covered in chains. However, Cale could see that the tip of the spear was shaking, even as it focused on him.
He could hear the water spear's question.
The chain snake soon charged toward Cale.
“Go.”
The stone spears followed Cale’s command and charged toward the chain snake.
There were less than last time, but the tens of stone spears that were shooting toward the chain snake looked like a grand spectacle.
Screeeech-
The chain snake ignored the stone spears as it charged toward Cale.
Chhhhh- Chhhhh-
Cale could hear the sound of the chain snake moving through the water and the stone spears cutting through the air.
Cale, who was standing on the stone spear at the center of the lake, stretched his arm toward the sky the moment that the stone spears slammed into the chain snake.
“You have to do it properly if you're going to create a mess.”
Ruuuumble-
An odd noise came from the sky.
A red light came out of Cale's fingertips.
He only had one chance to use the Super Rock.
However, he still had many other powers that he could use as well.
Red electric currents sparked at the tips of Cale's fingers.
The Fire of Destruction.
Fire was weaker than water.
No matter how strong a fire was, it would still extinguish once it went up against enough water.
But something happens after that.
‘The water turns into vapor.’
The chain snake opened up its mouth and revealed the hidden tip of the water spear toward Cale. The spear tip was shaking because it was trying to avoid this confrontation if possible.
Ruuuumble-
The sky stopped roaring.
At the same time, a red thunderbolt shot down from the sky.
The stone spears and the chain snake slammed into each other at that moment.
Boooooooom!
An extremely loud explosion filled the area.
“Ugh.”
Cale curled up. The silver shield and its wings surrounded him, however, it could not block all of the aftershocks of the explosion.
Cale felt as if everything around him was flipping over. He could not even open his eyes to look around himself.
He continued to hear the stone spears break down. Cale coughed up blood each time that happened.
‘I’m at my limit.’
He really was out of strength.
He could not do anything else.
He only had a tiny amount of Dominating Water left, while the Indestructible Shield and the Vitality of the Heart were barely holding on as well. None of the ancient power owners were saying anything, but his instincts were telling him that they had reached their limits as well.
That was why Cale curled up.
He made it so that the shield could be as small as possible as he slowly breathed out.
However, his senses were waiting for something to happen.
Chhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-
Cale started to smile.
He could hear it.
Cale opened his eyes.
He could see a rock turning into dust.
He could also see white smoke.
The fire had changed the water.
The Fire of Destruction had gobbled up the chain snake that was destroyed by the stone spears.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-
A screech came out of the lake. This disgusting screech filled the lake once the chains disappeared.
However, Cale smiled at that screech as he stood back up. The screech was just the cries of a loser.
He looked terrible as his body was completely drenched, however, Cale's eyes were looking at something shining for the first time in a while.
It was at the location where the grey chains had become vapor and disappeared.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-
It was the location that the cries of the chains filled the lake.
The thing that the stone spear and the fiery thunderbolt did not destroy nor gobble up could be seen.
The water spear.
The spear made of water was slowly changing shape.
The dirty grey color disappeared as it turned into a shockingly transparent and beautiful color.
Chhhhhhhhhhhh-
It was the moment he heard what sounded like calming waves.
He could hear a pure and energetic voice.
The lake started to rumble with the water spear at the center. The water was moving. The water that was glowing transparently approached the water spear. The body of the water spear continued to get bigger.
It looked beautiful in the process.
That beautiful spear had found its target. A woman’s energetic voice could be heard in Cale's mind.
…I am the Sky Eating Water.
The ground rumbled one more time.
At the same time, the spear started to fly toward its target.
The sky.
The spear that was swirling with water shot up toward the sky.
Cale felt as if he was looking at a Dragon ascending into the sky like he had read about in old stories. [1]
The woman started to speak.
Isn’t my name cool?
The Sky Eating Water.
Cale calmly and honestly replied.
‘Compared to the Scary Giant Cobblestone or the Fire of Destruction…’
“So so.”
Are you good at cussing?
Cale started to frown. However, Cale answered honestly.
“Quite good.”
He hadn’t cussed anytime lately, but he had never heard that he couldn't cuss.
Do you fight a lot?
Cale answered honestly once more.
“I don't think I do, but I seem to be fighting whenever I look around.”
‘It's quite terrible.’
Cael started to frown, but the woman was laughing.
Sounds fucking fun.
‘…She really is not normal.’
She seemed to return to her original way of speaking.
It was the moment that Cale brushed the side of his eyes with his shaking hands.
It started to rain.
Cale lifted his head up.
It was only raining on top of him.
The large spear that had been rising up into the sky had disappeared while a short spear the size of an arrow appeared next to Cale.
I will be your spear.
Cale grabbed the spear.
He heard a determined voice at that time.
I will destroy all of your chains for you.
I will make it so that you have a free life.
Nothing will be able to tie you down.
I will protect your freedom.
Paaaat-
That light was absorbed by Cale's body.
She did not leave any tattoos on his body like the other ancient powers, however, he could still feel the power spreading throughout his body.
It was at that moment.
Cale heard a voice in his head.
…Human!
Cale's eyes opened wide.
He turned his head. He could hear a faint voice from the distance. That voice was getting closer.
…Our human! I am coming!
He could hear Raon's voice.
Cale's body curled forward at that moment.
“Ugh!”
Black blood started to come out of Cale's mouth.
Extreme pain filled Cale’s body. This pain was so bad that it made it difficult for him to breathe. He had never felt such pain in his life.
It was hard for him to even breathe.
At that moment, he could an imposing but sad voice. It was voice of the Super Rock.
Your glass plate that was about to break is fusing back together. Your plate is getting much bigger, so this is actually a good thing.
The glass plate that was about to break from the imbalance of power was fusing back together.
Water, fire, wind, earth, and wood.
All of these natural attributes were fusing together. His plate that was about to break was returning back into balance. However, Cale had heard clearly.
‘Your glass plate is fusing back together.’
It meant that, even after fusing back together, his plate would still just a glass plate. Who cares if it gets bigger when it is still made of glass?
The Super Rock’s apologetic voice continued to speak as Cale frowned.
…You can’t faint for this one. So just bear with it this one time, even if it hurts.
‘Damn it!
Son of a bitch!’
Cale was swearing quite a bit as he coughed up more black blood.
He could only silently swear as blood continued to pour out of him.
Cale's body slowly started to tilt.
1. Part of Korean folk tale that an Imugi (lesser dragon) that manages to grasp a cintamani will ascend to become a Dragon.