Episode 312: Dragon (2)

“What did that human just call us? L-lizards?”

“To us, the heirs of a noble lineage… lizards?”

The dragons were taken aback by the unprecedented insult. Though they had been trapped in the hidden world for a long time, they were not ignorant of humans. Especially the elders, who had lived among humans before being confined, knew well what kind of creatures they were. To them, humans were insignificant beings, trembling at the mere mention of dragons. Of course, not all humans were like that; some harbored hostility and attacked.

“You heard right. You bunch of lizards.”

But never had they encountered a human like Damian Haxen, who openly mocked them by calling them lizards.

“How dare you be so insolent!”

“Human! Do you even realize what you’re doing?”

“Are you trying to make enemies of us all?”

The dragons reacted fiercely. They had underestimated Damian Haxen, thinking that no matter how renowned he was among humans, he would be crushed by the might of dragons. Yet, Damian was nothing like they had expected.

“Enemies? Did you just say enemies?” Damian shouted, pointing at the red dragon, Valhard. “The moment you sent that creature to forcibly take me, you declared war on me.”

He glared at each elder in turn. “Don’t be mistaken! I’m not here to play nice with you. I’m here to find the demon’s whereabouts!”

“What an arrogant human,” came a solemn voice from above, casting a shadow over the entire field. A massive red dragon descended with a storm, its scales a murky red. Damian’s eyes flickered. This dragon exuded a power far greater than the other elders. The elders, too, began to show signs of tension.

“Human, did you do this to him?” the red dragon asked, pointing at Valhard. Damian replied nonchalantly, “And if I did?”

The elders murmured in disbelief. “We thought it impossible, but this human really did that to Valhard…”

“Unbelievable. How could a mere human do that to Valhard?”

Despite their confinement, the dragons were not entirely ignorant of the world above. They had ways of gathering information and knew well who Damian Haxen was—a young genius who had reached the master class. But even a master class human shouldn’t be able to contend with a dragon, especially not Valhard, the strongest among the young dragons.

“How dare a mere human touch my son?” The dragon’s face twisted with anger. Damian looked intrigued. “That fool is your son? I thought there was a resemblance.”

At that, the red dragon erupted in fury. The surrounding magic responded to its emotions, engulfing the world in flames. The fire surged towards Damian Haxen but dissipated before it could touch him, thanks to the sapling of the World Tree rooted in his soul. The World Tree held immense natural power, enough to draw spirits to it. Not even a red dragon could harm Damian with fire.

“A mere human withstands my magic?” The red dragon’s expression grew more displeased.

“Human, my name is Typhon. Surely you’ve heard of the Mad Dragon Typhon.”

Damian’s eyes widened slightly. Typhon was one of the legendary dragons known to have once ruled the continent, a monster of legend with power comparable to the evil dragon slain by the first saint of the Order.

“An honor to meet a legendary lizard,” Damian mocked, causing Typhon’s eyes to blaze with fury.

“You dare act so after hearing my name? Words won’t reach you, it seems!”

Typhon’s body was engulfed in flames, and as they subsided, a massive man appeared, his upper body muscular and imposing, capable of killing with a mere touch. Polymorph—a legendary magic allowing transformation into any creature, a feat only dragons could achieve.

“Consider it an honor, human. I shall personally educate you.”

“Are you planning to fight me in that form?” Damian asked, amused. Typhon laughed derisively. “Even this form is more than enough for you!”

Typhon lunged at Damian with a punch so fast that the sound followed the movement. Without his invincible defensive aura, Damian was vulnerable. Yet, he didn’t dodge. Instead, he drew strength from the sapling. The energy of the World Tree spread through his body, enhancing his physical abilities. He caught Typhon’s fist with his palm, the impact strong enough to crush steel, but Typhon’s punch went no further.

“How does a mere human receive the World Tree’s blessing?” Typhon asked, shocked.

“What does it matter to you?” Damian replied curtly, narrowing Typhon’s eyes.

“Fine, it doesn’t matter! I’ll crush your skull right now!”

Typhon swung his other fist, aiming for Damian’s jaw. But Damian moved first, closing in and striking Typhon’s solar plexus with a punch. At that moment, Damian unleashed his magic, combining it with his enhanced physical strength. With a thunderous sound, Typhon’s body was sent flying, crashing into the ground with such force that it shattered, burying him deep.

“Is that… did Typhon just get pushed back?”

“Impossible! Even in human form, how could he…”

The elders murmured in disbelief. A polymorphed body was influenced by the original form; the stronger the original, the stronger the transformed body. Typhon, who once ruled the western continent, should have been formidable even in human form.

Then, from the pit where Typhon lay, a massive surge of magic erupted. With a tremor, the enormous dragon emerged, having reverted to its true form.

“Fine! I see you’re no ordinary human! I’ll face you properly now!”

Feeling the power emanating from Typhon, Damian smirked. “Good. I have a technique I’ve been wanting to try.”

In the past, Damian had fought the thought-form of the first saint, Bartolomeo, of the Holy Order. From that battle, he had stolen Bartolomeo’s techniques and mastery. Bartolomeo, known as the first saint and the first to awaken holy power, was also known by another name: Dragon Slayer. His skills and mastery were optimized for killing dragons, which was why he could crush the head of an evil dragon in a single blow.

Damian extended his hand, gathering magic to form an aura blade shaped like a massive hammer. The hammer’s head was not flat but pointed, like a stake.

“Human!” Typhon charged at Damian, each step shaking the world.

Just as Damian was about to charge back, a youthful voice called from the sky.

“Typhon, stop!”

Damian looked up to see something flapping its wings as it descended. At first, he couldn’t identify the creature. Given the hidden world, it was likely a dragon, yet its appearance was so different that he doubted. Its body was covered in soft down, its wings feathered like a bird’s, with a small head and short snout.

“Lady Iris! Why have you come out?” Typhon exclaimed, flustered. The mysterious creature spoke in a cold voice.

“With you causing such a commotion, how could I stay inside? Stop this fight immediately!”

“But this human… my son…” Typhon protested, but the creature glared at him firmly.

“Stop.”

Typhon immediately withdrew his magic. Damian was astonished. That ill-tempered dragon obeyed so readily.

“Damian Haxen, I instructed the elders to bring you here, but I didn’t expect a fight to break out. I apologize for not intervening sooner,” the creature said, standing before Damian. Though not as large as a dragon, it was still quite sizable.

“And what exactly are you?” Damian asked, curious.

Unable to hold back any longer, Damian asked, “Are you really a hatchling?”

The strange creature responded in a calm voice, “I am Iris, a hatchling.”

Damian’s expression was filled with doubt. “You’re a hatchling?”

Iris bristled at his skepticism. “It’s true, so please don’t doubt me. I’m just different from other hatchlings because I’m an ancient dragon.”

An ancient dragon.

Damian’s eyes widened in surprise. He had been taught a wealth of knowledge by Dorogo, not just about dark magic, but also general magic, alchemy, and dragons.

Just as elves originated from the World Tree, dragons too had their own progenitors. These were the five ancient dragons, beings closer to gods than mere dragons, who had taken root on the continent and created countless dragons.

“You’re an ancient dragon?” Damian asked, still skeptical. Compared to the legends he had heard, Iris seemed too small and her aura too weak.

“I’m a hatchling now, but I am undeniably an ancient dragon,” Iris replied, her voice tinged with irritation. “But that’s not why I called you here.”

Iris looked down at Damian. “Tell me everything about why the pact was broken. Then I’ll answer your questions.”