Chapter 148: Master of the White Dragon Throne (3)
A being that transcends the category of dragons to reign supreme over all monsters.
That is a dragon.
Red mana split into hundreds of strands, radiating from its body into the sky and the earth. Just looking at it was enough to invoke an overwhelming sense of pressure.
‘It’s a good thing I didn’t bring Sien and Adel.’
Martin clicked his tongue at the thought.
For anyone below the level of a 7-circle mage, standing before a dragon was an impossibility.
The moment they faced its gaze, their spirit would collapse, overwhelmed by the sheer intimidation it exuded.
Floating in the air, this dragon was incomparable to the one Martin had faced in his previous life. Its power was overwhelming, beyond measure.
One might say it truly deserved the title of Monster Lord.
“The one up there is a problem, but I’ve heard dragons rarely travel alone,” Martin remarked.
“That’s correct. In some way or another, they always bring their underlings,” Barthez replied.
As Martin responded to Barthez’s words—
Shrrkk!
Small mounds of sand erupted in all directions.
Following this, skeletal warriors began emerging one after another. Each one was armed with weapons and armor crafted entirely from bones.
“This time, it’s Dragonbone Soldiers.”
Martin immediately identified the creatures.
Dragonbone Soldiers were monsters created when a dragon infused magic into its own bones.
Each one boasted combat skills comparable to a 6-circle mage, and now, over fifty of them were materializing.
The dragon leisurely observed Martin and Barthez from above, with its underlings forming a vanguard.
“No matter how strong it is, it’s still just a monster. And yet, it dares to display such arrogance? It’s rather unpleasant.”
Barthez stepped forward as he spoke.
Martin tried to stop him, but Barthez spoke first.
“You will face the dragon yourself, young master. I’ll take care of the Dragonbone Soldiers.”
“Though I don’t doubt your magical prowess, Great Elder, this is the desert. It won’t be easy to utilize your innate abilities here.”
“That’s a pointless concern.”
Barthez replied with a grin.
Then, he pulled a seed from his pouch.
These were items he had collected during their descent to the 70th floor. He imbued the seeds with his innate magic before scattering them onto the desert floor.
Something incredible happened.
Rumble!
Massive vines began sprouting at an astonishing speed.
The Dragonbone Soldiers, which had been advancing leisurely, now leapt forward, propelled by a powerful kick against the ground.
However, Barthez remained unfazed, waving his staff in rhythm.
As if responding to his will, the vines surged toward the Dragonbone Soldiers, attempting to crush them.
The Dragonbone Soldiers countered with aura blades, desperately slashing at the vines to cut them down.
‘As expected of the Great Elder.’
Martin admired the scene briefly before using Spatial Movement to bypass the cluster of Dragonbone Soldiers.
He reappeared directly beneath the dragon, looking up at his foe.
Kuh-ooooooh!
A red aura swirled around the dragon’s body, but Martin was unaffected.
Having reached the 9th circle, his mana naturally enveloped and protected his entire body. Golden energy flared around him, ensuring the dragon’s mana could not reach him.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, lizard.”
“Kyahhhhhh!”
The dragon roared fiercely at Martin’s taunt.
An overwhelming aura bore down on him, suffocating in its intensity, but Martin stood firm.
Wooooooom!
Instead, he seemed to have been waiting for this moment. He formed an aura blade on his holy sword, Crassion.
Then, employing the Spatial Movement, he teleported above the dragon’s head and brought Crassion down with all his might.
The dragon looked upward instantly, retaliating by unleashing a torrent of magic to intercept the golden streaks descending toward it.
Boom!
Golden sword strikes collided with flames, creating a massive shockwave. Sandstorms erupted across the desert.
Yet Martin paid no attention to it.
‘This is exhilarating.’
A smile spread across his face.
The emblem of the Adalbert family was the white dragon.
And he himself bore the Curse of the Dragon.
A battle between a human who carried the dragon’s name and a true dragon.
If he weren’t excited, it would have been a lie.
‘I’ll win, of course.’
The outcome was already decided, and nothing would change that.
—
The most distinct and terrifying trait of a dragon was its mastery over magic.
Even the weakest among them was equivalent to a 7-circle mage. The stronger they grew, the more advanced and complex their magic became.
In this sense, the dragon before Martin was on par with Barthez or Nicholas in skill.
That alone made it dangerous, but this creature also had the terrifying physical strength unique to dragons and seemingly limitless mana reserves.
As if to prove this, the dragon unleashed a barrage of terrifying spells as soon as the battle began.
Flash!
Dozens of crimson magic circles formed around Martin.
Massive fireballs materialized within them, each one capable of erasing him from existence with a single hit.
And yet, Martin remained utterly unfazed.
‘If I were fazed by this, I wouldn’t dare call myself a 9-circle mage.’
Shhhk!
Crassion swung through the air.
In less than a second, Martin executed dozens of strikes.
Golden streaks flew wildly, destroying every fireball as they came.
“This isn’t over yet.”
Martin’s grin deepened.
The golden streaks began intertwining, forming a cube that enclosed both Martin and the dragon.
This was the Spatial Sword, the ultimate manifestation of the Adalbert family’s technique, reimagined.
“Kuhhhhhh!”
Though it was trapped in an unknown technique, the dragon paid it no mind and roared once more.
Swish!
Its massive, spike-covered tail surged at lightning speed toward Martin.
The attack was unavoidable, even for a 9-circle master. The only option was to block it.
But Martin was not bound by such limitations.
Woom.
He teleported behind the dragon, unharmed.
Blending Crassion into the fabric of space, he swung it powerfully.
Countless slashes materialized simultaneously, all flying toward the dragon.
“Damn.”
Even as he initiated the attack, Martin clicked his tongue.
He saw it clearly.
A massive concentration of mana was gathering around the dragon’s mouth.
“Kroooooooh!”
With a thunderous roar, a crimson flash erupted from the dragon’s maw. This breath attack was on an entirely different scale of size and power compared to its earlier ambush.
The breath—a symbol of absolute destruction—obliterated Martin’s slashes in an instant. But that was only the beginning. The radiant breath not only threatened Martin but also shattered the Spatial Sword.
‘Well, this is new.’
It was the first time since learning the technique from Arelia that the Spatial Sword had been destroyed by another being.
And it didn’t stop there.
Crackle!
Countless new magic circles appeared, releasing crimson lightning bolts that formed a web, all surging toward Martin.
To unleash such a colossal magic attack in the middle of breathing fire—truly a terrifying feat.
Yet, Martin, unfazed, casually swung the holy sword Crassion, deflecting all the lightning strikes with ease.
“Kraaaaah!”
The dragon roared again, its ferocious gaze flashing dangerously.
Immediately, scorching whirlwinds of sand rose up, attempting to engulf Martin. Dozens of them appeared, each one a menacing force.
“Thanks for the assist.”
Martin muttered casually, extending his left hand, the one not holding his sword.
A wave of golden energy spread out, dominating the sandstorms completely. Utilizing the Field of Winds, Martin seized control of the swirling sands and redirected them back at his opponent.
The furious dragon countered by unleashing a blast of pure mana, scattering the sandstorms.
Boom! BOOM!
The explosions sent mounds of sand flying, some so hot that they melted into glassy crystals.
“At this point, I’m not sure who the real dragon is.”
Barthez, having subdued all the Dragonbone Soldiers, stood watching Martin with admiration.
Stealing a dragon’s magic—no matter how powerful one’s innate ability was—was no small feat.
What made it even more remarkable was that Martin wasn’t a mage, but a knight who specialized in martial combat.
‘The dragon’s raw strength is greater, but the young master’s ability to wield power is far superior.’
Strength mattered, of course. Overwhelming force could sweep away even the most refined skills.
But the problem for the dragon was that while its power surpassed Martin’s, it wasn’t by enough to be decisive. Worse, Martin’s finesse in controlling his abilities was leagues ahead.
This, in essence, had already decided the battle.
‘I’ve seen enough.’
As time passed, the dragon resorted to repetitive attacks. Frustration flared in its eyes when things didn’t go its way.
“Haaap!”
Judging that there was nothing more to observe, Martin shouted, channeling his focus.
Mana surged from the cores in his abdomen and head, flowing outward like waves and manifesting as attacks through Arelia’s swordsmanship.
Crunch!
Slash!
Golden slashes rained down in torrents, tearing through the dragon’s magic and carving into its colossal body.
Its scales—tougher than steel—were shattered. Its flesh was torn apart, spilling the monster’s signature green blood in fountains.
Though the dragon’s mana worked to heal its wounds rapidly, the damage came faster than it could regenerate.
Shrrkk!
“Kraaaaaah!”
A harrowing scream erupted as one of the dragon’s massive wings was severed. Even as it howled in agony, it continued to retaliate, spewing streams of red heat at Martin.
Despite its desperate resistance, the result didn’t change.
The golden arcs from Crassion destroyed each spell the dragon cast, one after another.
“It’s time to end this.”
Swish!
A golden streak severed the dragon’s foreleg in one clean strike. Blood gushed from the wound in horrifying torrents, but Martin wasn’t finished.
He swung his sword relentlessly, forming countless golden slashes that wove together like a net, pinning the dragon in place.
Boom!
Each impact shattered its flesh and broke its bones. Worse still, the strikes continuously struck the wounded areas, amplifying the dragon’s pain to its limits.
As time passed, the dragon’s massive body became a mangled wreck.
“Kraaaaah!”
In one last act of desperation, the dragon poured all of its remaining mana into its breath attack.
Its supposedly infinite mana reserves allowed it to unleash a blast as powerful as ever, even in its dying moments.
If anything, this breath attack was stronger than any that had come before.
‘No matter how powerful an attack is, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t hit.’
Martin evaded the attack by teleporting above the dragon’s head.
This time, the dragon was too slow to react to Martin’s movement.
Flash!
A golden streak, like a whip, lashed down.
It sliced cleanly through the dragon’s neck.
The beast managed to lift its head one last time, but that was all it could do.
Swish.
Its severed neck tilted, and moments later, its massive head fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
At the same time, the dragon’s colossal body collapsed, lifeless.
—
“Congratulations, young master. You’ve become a Dragon Slayer. I’ll make sure this tale is widely known.”
“Thank you, Great Elder.”
Martin replied with a smile, his tone light.
Barthez clicked his tongue as he observed Martin’s relatively unharmed state.
‘No one can say he lacks physical endurance now.’
Despite enduring such a fierce battle, Martin looked only slightly pale. He didn’t seem exhausted, nor did he show any signs of internal injuries, unlike his fight with Nicholas.
‘If anything, he seems stronger than before.’
His growth rate was utterly incomprehensible.
Unaware of Barthez’s musings, Martin approached where the dragon’s heart lay. He raised the holy sword Crassion, aiming its blade at the heart.
‘A divine sword…’
A legendary weapon, passed down through the heads of the Adalbert family since its founding.
Martin couldn’t help but anticipate what would come next.
Thrust.
With a pounding heart, Martin plunged Crassion into the dragon’s heart.
Flash!
As expected, the blade of Crassion began to glow brilliantly.
But what followed was entirely unforeseen.
Woom.
The space around him distorted, and another sword appeared—Karadyl, the holy sword.
It, too, was shrouded in radiant light.
‘What the hell is this?’
Martin had no answers.