Chapter 219: Dragon

Are there rumors of dragons in this world?

The answer is yes.

Almost everyone who studied at the Wushan Academy of the Extraordinary has heard them—legends say dragons are the most powerful, most wondrous creatures in all of heaven and earth.

They live for ages, a thousand years no more than a breath to them;

Their innate power is staggering—rumor claims that upon reaching adulthood, each is at least a Level Nine beast, and a rare few surpass even that!

They soar above the nine heavens and plunge into the deepest abysses; they breathe flames that devour worlds and frost so chilling it freezes the soul.

But all of this remains mere legend, confined to ancient tomes or the pages of knightly romances.

In the real world, almost no one has ever laid eyes upon a dragon.

Yet today, Rowning and his companions could boast of a glorious feat—if they lived to tell it—they had seen a dragon.

Of course, only if they survived to return.

“Tremble, ignorant intruders!”

Natalia shrieked wildly, leaping with effortless grace to land squarely upon the dragon’s back. “Fly, Karlos! Fight, Karlos! Let your flames consume all here!”

Whoosh!

The dragon spread its wings, and a single flap unleashed a gale so fierce it pressed the roaring fires below flat against the earth.

It soared into the sky—and suddenly, the world darkened, as if a colossal black curtain had been drawn over the heavens.

All looked up. The dragon’s wings stretched wide, each spanning more than ten meters!

It circled above, light as a storm cloud, heavy as a mountain in motion.

Its ice-blue scales caught the afternoon sun, radiating a chilling aura that struck awe and terror into every heart.

Slowly, Karlos lowered its head.

Within its ice-blue pupils, flames ignited.

Whoosh!

A torrent of fire erupted like a dam bursting—swallowing the earth whole, seeking to incinerate every puny human beneath.

“Are we going to die?”

The knights and mages were overcome with utter despair.

Before this colossal being, they felt an ancient, blood-deep suppression—small, powerless, incapable of even dreaming of resistance.

“Summon your courage! The battle is not lost!”

Elron blazed with radiant light, pouring every ounce of his mental energy and magic into the air. The spell of inspiration enveloped every extraordinary being.

A sudden warmth, like divine intuition, dispelled their gloom and despair, granting them a fleeting clarity.

Macken leapt forward, planting himself before them, slapping both palms to the earth.

The ground trembled. Stone and soil surged alive, rising into a domed shield above their heads.

Ridall unleashed his Instant Ignition Technique, countering fire with fire, holding back the dragon’s breath in midair.

But the dragon’s breath was stronger by a fraction—and it swallowed his aura whole, then crashed down with lingering force.

“Wind’s Roar!”

Rowning cast his spell, drawing most of the remaining dragonfire into the sky, where it scattered into nothing.

Only a few embers struck Macken’s earthen dome—barely a whisper of damage.

Together, the three carved out a sliver of safety within the inferno.

But all around them, the land had become a sea of flame.

Even Jenny’s Water Gathering spell could barely carve a narrow path through the blaze.

This was no longer a battle for low- to mid-tier extraordinary beings.

“Krami, Horn—get them into the cave!”

Rowning shouted.

The cave might hold traps—but at least it wouldn’t be scoured by dragonfire.

“Elron—use Light Bind! Macken, Ridall, Jeffrey—unseal your Wind Tendril scrolls! Aim for its right wing!”

“Yes, sir!”

Jenny cleared a narrow passage. Krami and Horn used their aura to part the flames, dragging the group toward the cave.

The four left behind—Rowning, Elron, Macken, and Ridall—each activated their pre-assigned tools: one cast magic, the other three unrolled their Wind Tendril scrolls.

Four binding spells unleashed at once—would they even briefly restrain this behemoth?

Rowning didn’t know. But he had already drawn his one and only weapon—his strongest attack:

The Level Six Fire Magic Scroll—Dragon Swallows Heaven!

On the dragon’s back, Natalia watched the five struggling humans below, and a mocking smile curled upon her lips.

“Mortals dare defy a legendary being? How pitifully arrogant.”

She blew her horn. Beneath her, the dragon let out a low, rumbling growl.

“Karlos—burn it all again!”

The dragon opened its jaws once more, gathering searing dragonfire.

But then—four tendrils of light lashed out, coiling around its right wing.

Such binding was beneath its notice. It thought a mere flick of its wing would shatter them.

Yet just then, a dozen more wind-tendrils erupted from the void, wrapping around its wings.

Light Bind alone it ignored. But bound simultaneously by four binding magics, its wings faltered—its massive body lurched, unbalanced.

“It worked!”

Rowning’s eyes flashed. He poured every ounce of his mental energy and magic into the scroll.

The fire dragon roared forth, surging skyward toward the dragon.

Karlos sensed the danger. A flicker of fear crossed its eyes. It unleashed its gathered breath.

BOOM!

The two forces collided midair like twin missiles—earth trembled, ears rang, the heavens themselves seemed to scream.

Rowning hadn’t expected it—the Dragon Swallows Heaven spell was stronger than the dragon’s breath. It reversed the torrent, swallowing the dragonfire and hurling it back upward.

“No!”

Natalia on the dragon’s back could not believe what she saw.

Searing flame scoured her entire body, inflicting endless agony.

At last, her flesh reached its limit.

Cracks spiderwebbed across her pale, smooth skin—

Then—

*POP!*

She exploded.

【“King of Slaughter” Achievement Unlocked: +500 Attribute Points, +1000 Energy Essences】

Rowning didn’t even have time to read the next achievement’s details—he had slain another Level Six extraordinary being. Less than ten minutes had passed. He had completed two achievements.

The dragon above, engulfed in flame, writhed—even its mighty hide burned with searing pain.

Yet, a gleam of triumph flashed in its eyes.

At last, at last, it had successfully shaken off this man who had enslaved it.

“Ao~”

Though wracked with pain, its cry carried liberation and exhilaration.

Carlos gritted his teeth, flapping his wings, preparing to depart.

“Elrond, give me the Aurora Shadow—now!”

“Rydal, Macken—throw me toward the dragon, together!”

As he spoke, Ronin cast a Lightness Spell upon himself.

“My lord, let me or Macken handle this!”

“Yes, my lord—it’s too dangerous to mount the dragon’s back!”

Rydal and Macken hesitated.

“This task must be mine.”

Ronin’s voice was low, heavy: “Do it!”

Reluctantly, the two bent low, each gripping one of Ronin’s feet.

When Elrond’s Aurora Shadow settled upon Ronin, they roared in unison and hurled him skyward like a stone.

The dragon hovered only thirty meters above the ground.

Beneath the combined force of the Lightness Spell, the Aurora Shadow, and the full strength of two Silver-Rank knights, Ronin shot into the air like an arrow loosed from a bow—catching up to the slow-moving dragon in barely a second or two.

The dragon, S, whirled around—only to see a human figure land upon its back.

Carlos: “???” (End of Chapter)