Chapter 269: The Silent Moonlit Ridge (7)
A deep rumble echoed as the dragon’s maw released a flurry of bubbles. Amidst the floating orbs of air, a crude stick jutted out from the center of its three pairs of eyes—a deeply embedded axe handle, with the blade buried so deep it was invisible.
The ancient dragon, momentarily disoriented by the axe lodged in its head, blinked its six eyes in confusion. But it was only a fleeting moment. The creature, a true dragon from the depths of the labyrinth, possessed a regenerative power that far surpassed the impact of a mere axe.
Its eyes refocused, locking onto the owner of the axe that had been swept away by its breath.
“Sturdy as ever,” Dalen remarked, casually brushing off the flames clinging to his armor. He was well aware of the ancient dragon’s peculiarities. Having nested in the labyrinth’s depths for so long, the dragon’s body was a strange blend of illusion and reality—a being that existed yet didn’t, with fangs capable of cursing even other dragons to death.
It could breathe fire even underwater and retained the unique regenerative abilities of a true dragon. When Dalen had faced it as a seventh-tier black mage, the ancient dragon had been a formidable foe.
At least it wasn’t immune to pain. Dalen focused on the axe and snapped his fingers.
A thunderous crack echoed as the axe multiplied into hundreds, each one bursting with fiery sparks. The axes, embedded in the dragon’s skull, tore its head apart, shredding skin and muscle, leaving its skull cracked and exposed.
“Is your head undead too?” Dalen quipped, watching the dragon scream despite its shattered skull. He chuckled and launched himself forward.
The water around him compressed, creating a wave-like distortion as he shot through the lake like a spear. The currents pushed against him, but Dalen navigated them with ease, using his physical prowess rather than relying on skills.
In the labyrinth’s lake, the water was more than just water. It was a chaotic mix of sediment, sticky decay, and unpredictable currents shaped by the labyrinth’s magic. Moving through it was like flying through a storm, but Dalen’s abilities allowed him to overcome these obstacles without resorting to skills.
His stats, nearing triple digits, were powers that defied the laws of physics. Fighting gods wasn’t just about numbers; it was about transcending those numbers and making them his own.
Dalen moved through the water as if walking on air, his stats allowing him to defy logic. He accelerated, using the chaotic currents to his advantage, and soon moved faster than a bullet, leaving shockwaves in his wake.
He reached the dragon, the scent of blood in the water. One of its eyes had regenerated, and Dalen aimed a punch at it.
“How are you—” the dragon began, but Dalen’s fist silenced it with a resounding impact.
The collision created a vacuum sphere that quickly collapsed under the water pressure, only for Dalen’s next punch to expand it again. He pummeled the dragon relentlessly, his blows faster than the water could fill the voids they left.
The dragon’s attempts to cast spells were thwarted by Dalen’s interference, his magic disrupting the dragon’s incantations. It was a skill he had honed after merging with Bourbon during the battle with the dragon god, allowing him to counter spells before they were even cast.
The dragon, realizing its plight, tried to speak, but Dalen’s fist silenced it again, sending it plummeting downward.
As they descended, the lake’s darkness gave way to a faint light, signaling the approach of the fourth floor of the labyrinth, the Silent Moonlit Ridge.
Breaking through the water’s surface, Dalen found himself amidst mist-covered mountains. The dragon, having emerged first, charged at him, its body battered but still formidable.
Dalen drew his sword, closing the distance between them in an instant.
The dragon, now a broken heap in a valley, lay defeated. Despite its size and power, it was no match for Dalen’s relentless assault.
“Stubborn beast,” Dalen muttered, looking down at the dragon’s twitching form. The battle had been one-sided, but not without its challenges. The dragon was stronger than any foe he had faced before, save for the dragon god’s minions and ancient monsters.
Yet, he had to keep it alive, if only to extract the information he needed.
Defeating an opponent without killing them is always more challenging, especially when that opponent is a resilient creature with regenerative abilities.
“Hey.”
[…]
“Not going to answer me?”
The dragon’s mouth twitched slightly, but it remained silent. Dalen clicked his tongue in annoyance and took a step forward.
Maybe a little more persuasion would get it to talk. With a dragon’s regenerative powers, even if its skull and brain were slightly damaged, it should still be able to speak.
Just as Dalen lifted his foot onto the massive head, the ancient dragon, its half-regenerated eyes trembling, finally opened its mouth.
“Why… why did you come from above?”
“What?”
“Why did you appear from above? Weren’t you supposed to be below the labyrinth? Wasn’t it enough to drive us from our home and curse us to the surface? Was that not enough for you?”
Dalen lowered his foot and scratched his nose thoughtfully before leaping down from the dragon’s head.
Something about what the creature was saying seemed off. Standing before its slowly regenerating eyes, Dalen asked again.
“What do you mean I was below? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Don’t play dumb, you who wandered the Abyss! You opened the gates time and again to hunt us, and finally drove us all to the surface as your hounds!”
”…”
“We barely escaped the curse and hid in the lake between the levels, and yet you followed us to the end to kill us. You… huh?”
The dragon, grinding its teeth, suddenly widened its eyes. All six of them had just fully regenerated.
Three pairs of violet eyes scanned Dalen up and down, clearly bewildered.
“I thought you were the same one… but you’re not?”
The dragon’s voice was hesitant, almost reluctant. Dalen stroked his chin, replaying the creature’s words in his mind.
No matter how much it had been beaten, a dragon’s senses wouldn’t confuse two entirely unrelated beings.
It would be a lie to say he had no idea who this mysterious presence in the Abyss might be.
Dalen lowered his hand from his chin and gripped the hilt of his holy sword.
It seemed a more honest conversation was in order.