A torrent of pitch-black magic burst forth.
The breath attack turned into a destructive shockwave and slammed directly into Herohero.
The surrounding air was scorched by the surge of magic power, and a blazing heat swept across both the land and the sky.
A deafening explosion followed.
The dragon's body shattered, and its flesh and blood collapsed into a pool of black sludge.
Yet when the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord saw this scene, he felt no joy at all.
Instead, he pushed off the ground and rapidly closed the distance.
His dragon claws, strengthened with Wild Magic, tore the sludge into two pieces.
He then lashed out with his reinforced tail.
The two halves of sludge were flung into the air, and he immediately followed up with [Wild Explosion].
A terrifying shockwave roared through the sky, sending ripples through space itself.
Only after everything returned to silence did the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord relax slightly as he looked at the now vanished sludge.
A moment earlier, he had suddenly felt an ominous premonition.
Following that instinct, he had immediately unleashed a full combination attack.
He knew his opponent was not dead.
The surrounding [World-Isolating Barrier] had not yet disappeared, which was proof of that.
Still, after taking his full-power attack in the Corpse Armor state, the enemy should have suffered considerable damage.
What puzzled him was the form his opponent had taken just now.
How could a perfectly normal dragon suddenly turn into a pile of sludge?
"Not bad. That was a very decisive move."
Just as the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord was thinking while remaining on guard, a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
Immediately afterward, an unprecedented pain surged through his body.
"What is this…"
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord turned his head.
At the base of his tail, something strange had appeared. A jelly-like substance was wriggling across it.
The pitch-black gelatinous mass slowly began spreading across his body.
Wherever it passed, the Corpse Armor silently disappeared.
No matter how violently he twisted his body, it made no difference.
He could clearly feel his scales being corroded. The substance was eating away at his flesh.
A massive purple-black mass gathered along his back.
It was an indescribable cluster filled with countless eyes, mouths, and writhing tentacles.
From within it, a humanoid slime figure emerged.
This was Herohero's [Elder Black Ooze True Form].
However, it was different from before.
Because of the fusion, his true body had undergone some strange changes.
Those densely packed eyes and mouths were manifestations of the dragon traits he had absorbed.
Dragon eyes could exert pressure that disrupted an opponent's mind.
Dragon teeth could tear apart prey and accelerate the speed of corrosion.
To be honest, even Herohero himself was somewhat surprised by what his body had become.
After all, it really did cost him a bit of his cool factor.
"The battle is over."
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord was extremely powerful. He could easily be considered among the strongest of the True Dragon Lords.
A million Zombies combined with Wild Magic made him practically the natural enemy of warriors.
Even someone like Touch Me, the [World Champion], might have been slowly worn down and killed by the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord if he lacked large-scale clearing abilities.
But for Herohero, defeating him was not particularly difficult.
Even when he had first arrived in this world, he could have relied on the immunity to Wild Magic granted by his World-Class Item and fought an attrition battle using the powerful corrosion of his true body.
The million Zombie Corpse Armor would only end up becoming nourishment for him.
It was a classic case of one ability countering another.
"So this is what Undead dragon meat tastes like. It really does remind me a bit of spicy strips."
Herohero commented casually.
At the same time, viscous tentacles covered in barbs multiplied wildly.
Pitch-black magic flowed through twisted, malformed vessels inside the mass.
It spread rapidly, greedily expanding across the dragon's body.
Like wrapping dumplings, the mass of tentacles gradually closed in, trying to completely envelop the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord.
"You are no dragon. You are filth!"
Looking at the tentacles spreading across his body, even the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord finally realized the truth.
He did not know why this being could use Wild Magic, but the creature before him was definitely not a True Dragon Lord.
Instead, it was a pollutant of the world just like the Eight Greed Kings.
"Filth! Filth! Filth!"
"I will kill you! I must kill you!"
Rage drove the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord into complete madness.
As the Corpse Armor was gradually devoured, his true body was finally revealed.
It was an Undead dragon with limbs resembling those of a feline predator, along with an unusually long neck and tail.
Strangely enough, it even looked somewhat elegant.
A dark glow spread across his entire body. This was Wild Magic strengthening his physical form.
However, the effect was limited.
Although his body had been reinforced, it only reduced the damage he was receiving. It could not free him from the current situation.
Nor could it eliminate Herohero's powerful corrosive ability.
At the same time, the Decay property continued to activate, constantly weakening the glow surrounding the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord's body.
The entire scene looked like the desperate struggle of a trapped beast.
"Just give up."
Herohero sat on the dragon's back and looked down at the struggling Elder Coffin Dragon Lord with a bored expression as he shook his head.
From the moment he revealed his true body, the outcome had already been decided.
[World Boss]
That title belonged to beings powerful enough to change the world through their own strength alone.
Such power was not something a True Dragon Lord could rival.
"No. I will not run away again!"
Memories surfaced in the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord's mind.
Long ago, after witnessing the power of the Eight Greed Kings, he had avoided fighting them.
Later, he had constantly reassured himself that it was not cowardice or fear.
He told himself that his wisdom had simply recognized they were opponents he could never defeat at the time.
But no matter how many excuses he made, it could not change the fact that he had run away.
That memory remained like a thorn embedded deep in his heart.
It tormented him constantly.
In order to overcome that lingering shame, he had willingly transformed himself into an Undead.
He gathered souls, studied Wild Magic, and joined the Six Dragon Alliance.
All of it had been for a single purpose.
To kill a Player and prove himself.
"Centuries of preparation."
"Perhaps it was all for this moment."
"Die. Let's die together, you filthy abomination!"
[Soul Extinction]
The rage in the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord's eyes faded and was replaced by complete calm.
He opened his mouth, preparing to unleash a massive black beam of breath.
This was the Wild Magic he had developed specifically to deal with Players.
It could completely erase an opponent's soul.
The spell had evolved from the Wild Magic of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord and had been twisted into something far more vicious.
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord wagered thirty million souls on this attack.
He had even prepared himself to sacrifice his own soul along with them.
It was his ultimate strike.
Even Herohero could not help but feel moved by such resolve.
But only slightly.
"Don't be so selfish. Why are you so eager to die?"
"If you die, what am I supposed to do?"
Herohero sighed.
Then he calmly raised his hand.
[Special Skill: Soul Corrosion Touch]
A massive statue appeared behind him.
Embedded in the statue was a gigantic eye.
The dark red eye slowly rotated, scanning its surroundings before locking onto the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord.
As Herohero activated the skill, phantom tentacles shot out from the enormous eye.
"Ugh..."
Under the shocked gaze of the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord, the tentacles flew straight into his mouth.
They had no physical form. They passed through his body and reached for something deeper within.
The [Soul Extinction] breath that had been about to fire suddenly faltered, shrinking smaller and smaller as if something had jammed it.
"Not bad. Thanks for the meal."
After a long while, Herohero opened his eyes and licked his lips.
The resentment contained within thirty million souls tasted wonderful.
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord really was a treasure trove.
After devouring so many souls, Herohero could feel that he had grown stronger again.
He then used his tentacles to completely wrap around and seal the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord.
Only after that did he look toward the barrier.
There was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Want to spar?"
Herohero's Message reached Naohara's ears.
Naohara had been casually eating melon seeds while watching the battle. Hearing the message, he paused for a moment.
Then the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.
"Wait here for me."
He gently set Keno down. She was still staring at the sealed Elder Coffin Dragon Lord with a complicated expression.
Naohara stretched his body and loosened his muscles.
Then he revealed a mischievous grin.
Seeing that expression, the Vampiric Dragon Lord beside him shivered.
Next...
It was time for a friendly spar between friends.