'Blackie, listen. Dragons have one of the sturdiest bodies among all
creatures in this world. But there is a time when they are most vulnerable—
when they are in their human form. When you see one in this state, do not
miss it. Deliver the finishing blow right away.'
The Scylla could still vividly remember the words of its master over a
millennium ago. The Scylla was less than a hundred years old back then,
but it had already accompanied the Dragon Devourer in numerous battles
against the dragon race. Suffice to say, the Scylla had seen how its master
slaughtered dragons by the dozens. It had seen how a single human
destroyed the dragon tribes in the Frost Mountains of Yleanor. The spells
and the techniques used by the Dragon Devourer—a human feared even by
the dragon race—had been engraved within its mind.
"Die!" roared the Scylla.
It knew that it shouldn't miss this chance, when the dragons were still
in their human form. Taking the master's advice into mind, it fired two
beams of mana toward the Fire Dragons.
Although the beam looked like a simple spell at a glance, it was made
after gathering massive amounts of mana and forcefully compressing it to
this size. According to the Dragon Devourer, the scales of the dragon race
were naturally resistant to the five basic elements. The best way to kill them
was to use non-elemental spells, or to use an artifact capable of piercing
their scales.
Vulcan, the leader of the Fire Dragons, pulled out the claymore on his
back and slashed the beam of mana, cutting it in half. Shahaneth, on the
other hand, created a wall of flame and successfully blocked the attack.
Vulcan frowned. He growled, "You. What are you doi—"
He stopped, seeing hundreds of spheres of mana manifesting
themselves around them. The spheres of mana were forcefully compressed
by the Scylla and started spinning rapidly. It was non-elemental magic—the
bane of the dragon race.
"F-Father, above us," said Shahaneth.
They looked up and saw four fifty-meter magic formations in the sky,
directly above them. By the time they'd noticed, the magic formations were
already complete. And judging by the layers and runes, they were all Grand
Scale Magic. With seven heads working together, the Scylla's casting speed
surpassed even that of a dragon.
The magic formations glowed and shattered into numerous particles of
light.
The Grand Scale Magic—gravity spells capable of rendering even
someone from the dragon race temporarily immobile—fell upon the Fire
Dragons.
Still in their human form, even the leader of the Fire Dragons couldn't
easily break through the four concurrent Grand Scale Magic spells cast by
the Scylla. Moreover, after being compressed to their utmost limit, the orbs
of mana started shooting toward the two of them.
For the first time in several hundred years, Vulcan felt shivers crawl
down his spine. He realized that their opponent knew how to slay dragons.
Instead of using Grand Scale Magic to attack them, it used the spell to limit
their mobility. The seven-headed monster didn't use any spells belonging to
the five basic elements, as though it knew that it would hardly cause harm
to those from the dragon race. Instead, it used mana in its purest form,
compressed it, and turned it into weapons.
Vulcan gnashed his teeth.
If those orbs of mana hit them while they were in their human form,
they would suffer tremendous damage.
"Shahaneth! Release your polymorph spell!" roared Vulcan.
Shahaneth didn't question her father's decision. Even she realized that
they might perish if they continued fighting in this state. Without hesitation,
the two of them released the polymorph spell binding their bodies.
They tried to.
To their utter horror, the Scylla seemed to have anticipated this. The
seven-headed creature sneered as it fired a thin thread of disintegration spell
to the Fire Dragons. Veiled by the orbs of mana, the disintegration spell
successfully hit its target. It was not enough to kill the Fire Dragons, but it
was more than enough to hinder them from undoing the polymorph spell.
The mana within the Fire Dragons' bodies started acting erratically.
They managed to control their rampaging mana within seconds, but this
opening was more than enough for the orbs to finally hit their targets.
Vulcan gritted his teeth as orbs of compressed mana struck his body
from all directions. It was unbelievable that such a basic spell, when used to
its utmost limit, was capable of damaging someone from their race. After
being hit by over a hundred orbs of compressed mana, Vulcan's armor
finally formed cracks and the orbs started hitting his flesh.
Vulcan looked to his left, and his mind went momentarily blank upon
seeing his daughter. Unlike him, who'd turned his scales into armor during
the polymorph spell, Shahaneth didn't have anything protecting her body.
His daughter suffered a worse fate than him. She'd already fallen
unconscious, her body riddled with wounds from the orbs of mana.
Unable to do anything, Vulcan watched helplessly as his daughter fell
toward the ground.
"Why are you doing this?" he growled.
Vulcan's eyes glimmered with dangerous light. He trembled with rage.
He wanted to slaughter the seven-headed monster before him, but the
hundreds of orbs of mana, incessantly shooting toward him, rendered him
unable to fight back. He tried releasing the polymorph spell every now and
then, but the Scylla always made sure to fire a disintegration spell to
interrupt the flow of mana at the very last moment.
It was surreal.
There wasn't a hint of hesitation as the Scylla fired spells at it one after
another. It had used powerful spells to hinder the dragons' movements from
the get-go.
What was this?
It felt like he was fighting a creature meant to kill dragons.
If only he could revert into his dragon form, Vulcan was confident he'd
win the battle against this seven-headed monster.
"Give up," said the third head. "Although we have no plans of killing
you, you'll die at this rate if you continue resisting us."
The Scylla knew it had won the battle the moment the dragons came
here while under their polymorph spell. It must have not encountered
anyone or anything that could threaten its life like this before.
How conceited, the Scylla thought.
Vulcan roared, "Give up? You damn coward! If you have even the
slightest bit of honor, allow me to revert into my dragon form!"
The Scylla opened its wings wide in mockery.
The first head cackled. "How amusing! Who told you to come here in
your human form? Fool!"
The fifth and sixth head laughed. The third head turned silent, while the
rest of the heads glared at Vulcan.
The Scylla did not feel an ounce of pity for these creatures.
When it was younger, the Scylla had seen the Dragon Devourer
slaughter dragons without even batting an eye. Compared to what the Scylla
was doing now, its master was far more ruthless. The Dragon Devourer,
although capable of the same spells, seldomly resorted to these petty tricks.
With his monstrous strength and nearly bottomless mana reserves, he
simply cut the dragons' bodies using his glaive.
The Scylla believed it was already being benevolent enough, as it
hadn't immediately killed these lizards.
As for being cowardly—that did not matter.
The Scylla believed that God Evander's orders preceded everything.
Even if it would tarnish its honor, the Scylla would willingly do even the
dirtiest work for him.
"It's a pity," said the third head. "Had the two of you come here in your
dragon form, it would have been a tough battle."
The third head said those words with sincerity. The Scylla might have
even lost the battle, since they couldn't possibly go all out while protecting
this territory. Moreover, there were two dragons as its opponents.
Fortunately, the lessons taught to them by their master—the Dragon
Devourer— had proved useful in this battle.
Over a hundred compressed orbs of mana manifested themselves
around Vulcan again. After rapidly spinning around, they started hitting the
Fire Dragon, one after another. Even after Vulcan's armor had been
destroyed, the Scylla did not stop. Even after Vulcan's flesh had been torn
off, the Scylla did not falter. True to his previous words, the Scylla did not
stop until the leader of the Fire Dragons became a crippled mess. It
continued beating the leader of the Fire Dragons to a pulp, until he was
half-dead.
***
[Kingdom of Elves]
The smile on King Melandrach's face hadn't slipped for the past several
months. He'd never felt this fulfilled. As a monarch, he was proud to have
solved their race's problem that had been occurring for generations.
Who would have known that coming across that seven-headed monster
would result in that fruitful encounter?
They were truly blessed to have met Evander Alaester.
"Commander Khuumal," said King Melandrach. "I believe a
celebration is in order. Congratulations."
They were currently in the royal palace—the largest Elven Oak in the
kingdom. Various kingdom officials were gathered in the grand hall.
Commander Khuumal, who sat to the right of the king, cleared his
throat with embarrassment. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
It was rare to see this side of the commander. King Melandrach, along
with several officials, smiled.
"I wonder what the gender will be?" said King Melandrach. "If it's a
boy, I'm certain that he'll become a warrior as astounding as the
commander in the future."
After the deal with Evander Alaester, their race gained access to
thousands of vials of bloodstone water. A miracle drug that significantly
increased their race's fertility rate. Medicine that solved their race's long-
standing problem.
For the past several months, hundreds of elven families started seeing
the benefits of their alliance with that human. Hundreds of elves became
pregnant, and no one could help but be excited that they'd finally found a
way to fix their kingdom's declining birth rate.
"It seems that children playing on the streets will become a common
sight in the coming years, Your Majesty," said one of the officials.
King Melandrach nodded happily. "Indeed. I really have to thank Lord
Evander for his help this time."
Almost everyone in the room was grateful for what Evander Alaester
had done for their kingdom. Not only did he grant them access to thousands
of vials of bloodstone water. He also erected a pinnacle-grade barrier to
protect their kingdom. As long as the adjacent nations do not fall in the war
with the demons that was to come, the bright future of the elven kingdom
was pretty much set in stone.
Still, there were elves who held deep resentment to Evander Alaester.
The vice commander, in particular, still wished to exact vengeance on the
seven-headed monster.
One of the warriors guarding the throne room said, "Your Majesty, the
merchants have arrived."
"Just in time," said the king. "Let them in."
"Yes!"
The large wooden door opened, and three humans entered the grand
hall. Although they were called merchants, in reality, these were loyal
subordinates of Big Mona who'd underwent the Oath of Silence. They'd
been assigned to oversee Blackstone Town's trade with the elves.
"It's been a while, Sir Edmund," said King Melandrach respectfully to
the leader of the group. Although they were of lower status than him, the
elven king couldn't afford to show discourtesy to them. In a sense, these
people represented not only Big Mona, but also Evander Alaester.
"It's an honor to be in your presence, King Melandrach," said Edmund.
He was a muscular man with receding hair. A man in his late fifties. Rather
than a merchant, he looked more like a bandit.
"Please, there's no need for such courtesies," said King Melandrach. "I
presume you came for the materials we promised you a month and a half
ago?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," said Edmund. "We've come to inspect the quality
of the black arrowheads and the fabric produced by the carnivorous
worms."
The black arrowheads and the fabrics were the most in-demand among
the elven products sold to the humans. A thousand arrowheads or fifty yards
of fabric could be exchanged for a vial of bloodstone water. Additionally,
the humans also paid them in silver and gold.
It was a good start for the trade between the two nations.
"I'm confident that the quality of our products won't disappoint Sir
Edmund," said King Melandrach. "Otto."
A young elf replied, "Your Majesty!"
"Guide the honored guests to the storage room."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"We've already prepared all the materials we promised," said King
Melandrach. "Otto is the official tasked to oversee this one. Please follow
him. He shall be your guide."
Edmund gazed calmly at the young elf who would serve as their guide.
After coming here several times, he'd become somewhat used to the elven
kingdom. He knew that although the elf looked youthful, he was probably
over a hundred years older than him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Edmund. Despite his scruffy
appearance, he knew his manners very well.
After bowing, Edmund's group left the grand hall.
"Who would have known that getting our hands on bloodstone water
would be this easy," mumbled King Melandrach.
Bloodstone water would normally sell for much more. A thousand
black arrows or fifty yards of fabric produced by the carnivorous worms in
exchange for a vial was dirty cheap. They couldn't possibly ask for a better
deal. Of course, King Melandrach had no intention of telling Evander
Alaester this.
As he was lost in his thoughts, a warrior suddenly barged into the grand
hall. The warrior was clearly terrified, his face pallid.
"Your Majesty!" said the warrior.
King Melandrach frowned. For a warrior to barge here unannounced, it
must be an urgent matter. The elven king had an ominous feeling.
"What is it?" said King Melandrach.
"T-The," huffed the warrior. "The seven-headed monster! The Scylla!"
Everyone in the grand hall stiffened. They all vividly remembered
when that monster single-handedly destroyed the western garrison and
destroyed a portion of their kingdom in a single day.
The warrior said in a trembling voice, "It's back! And it's demanding
that we alter the barrier and let it inside our kingdom!"
King Melandrach stood from his seat. A bead of sweat dripped down
his forehead. "Alter the barrier? What does it want?"
"I-I'm not certain, Your Majesty," said the warrior. "But according to
what I've heard, it seems that it wishes to borrow the authority of the royal
family to operate the barrier protecting the kingdom."
Absurd.
Who in their right mind would hand over authority just like this?
Still, this was the Scylla they were talking about. It must have come
under the orders of Evander Alaester. It must have come for a valid reason.
After the incident wherein the Scylla went to the kingdom while
carrying Evander Alaester on its back, the seven-headed monster had never
returned to the elven kingdom.
Why was it suddenly visiting now, of all times?
And why did it want to control the pinnacle-grade barrier?
"I will meet with the Scylla," said King Melandrach. "Commander
Khuumal, bring the elite warriors with you. All of you shall accompany
me."
Commander Khuumal placed a hand on his chest. He said resolutely,
"Yes! We will make sure to protect you, even if it means death, Your
Majesty!"
With the elite warriors escorting him, King Melandrach left the royal
palace. He stepped outside the barrier enclosing their kingdom and met the
seven-headed monster.
"You sure took your time, elf," said the first head. The Scylla was
sitting on the ground, clearly bored.
"I came as soon as I heard of your arrival, Lord Blackie," said King
Melandrach.
The elven king made sure to address the seven-headed monster with
honorifics. He knew very well of its temperament.
The sixth head snorted, "We've been waiting for almost an hour. Do
you think we have all day to spare, elf?"
The third head hissed, "Enough. As the loyal servant of God Evander,
we shouldn't sully our image like this. Learn to show some respect to the
elven king."
The other heads were clearly displeased, but decided not to utter
another word.
The third head said, "I hope you don't take their words to heart, King of
Elves."
King Melandrach awkwardly laughed. Even if this seven-headed
monster disrespected him in front of his men, even if it started cussing him,
what could he do? This creature could easily destroy their kingdom if it
wished to.
"Of course," said King Melandrach. "So, what did Lord Blackie come
here for?"
"You must have already heard it from your men," said the third head.
"We wish to temporarily borrow the authority over the barrier of this
kingdom, King of Elves."
King Melandrach did his best not to stutter as he asked, "Can… Can I
know the reason for this, Lord Blackie?"
King Melandrach had a bad feeling about this.
Using wind magic, two figures started floating from the Scylla's back.
Their bodies were bruised and battered. Blood dripped from their skin.
There were even bones protruding out of their flesh.
"H-Humans?" King Melandrach's face drained of all color upon seeing
the two figures.
"Dragons," corrected the third head.
Everyone turned dead silent.
Dragons?
Those mythical creatures that were said to be capable of destroying
nations on their own?
"D-Dragons?" said King Melandrach. His composure finally broke
down. He wondered if what he heard was correct. "W-What do you mean,
L-Lord Blackie?"
The first head angrily hissed, "This elf sure is stupid! They're dragons
under the polymorph spell! Use your brain, you fucking elf! You damn
piece of shit! If you continue—"
The first head stopped upon seeing the third head glaring at it. The first
head mumbled, "Do what you want."
The third head said to King Melandrach, "It's just as you heard, King of
Elves. They're dragons. These foolish creatures dared lay their eyes on the
territory of our God. As such, we had no choice but to punish them. The
protection of the territory has been entrusted to us by God Evander, after all.
There are no in-betweens."
Surreal words had just come out of the Scylla's mouth.
Oh God Gaia.
The Scylla had just beaten two dragons in a fight?
They knew that the Scylla serving Evander Alaester was strong—but
not this strong.
"Dragons have very high regenerative capabilities," said the Scylla.
"These two will wake up soon. We need the barrier to contain them before
the interrogation."
After pondering for quite some time, the Scylla had come up with this
idea. It couldn't risk the safety of Blackstone Town, no matter what. Thus,
it decided to come here to the elven kingdom.
"In order to shackle these fools," said the third head. "Lend us the
barrier for a bit, elven king."