Chapter 46
Zeon frowned.
“So this is what they call a chimera?”
He hadn’t really noticed when it was alive, but the dead chimera gave off a strange smell. It was similar to the faint, fishy odor that came from dead insects.
Crouching down, Zeon examined the chimera closely.
Its muscles were clearly different from those of a normal human.
The outer layer was composed of chitin like an insect, and the inner ligaments had incredible elasticity and strength, as if they were twisted from steel wire.
More than anything, what felt alien were its internal organs.
They weren’t as complex as human organs, and their shapes were simple.
It felt as though they had been arranged to produce maximum efficiency with the same amount of energy.
Zeon dug into the body with his hand, inspecting the inside.
In the past, he would have shuddered in horror at such a sight. But after everything he had experienced to get here, far more gruesome than this, he remained calm.
“Did they transplant monster organs as well? How horrifying.”
Zeon shook his head slightly, his face filled with disgust.
At this point, it would be more accurate to say they had created an entirely new lifeform.
His gaze suddenly shifted to the chimera’s heart.
Embedded in it was a stone radiating powerful mana.
“A mana stone? Then… did they use it as fuel?”
He was once again struck by just how incredible dragons were.
Even in Neo Seoul, research on mana stones was actively underway, but no one had even dared to use them as a fuel source for a living organism.
“This is insane.”
Shaking his head, Zeon stood up.
Deioden spoke.
“The other races say this: dragons are the masters of magic. For them, using magic is as natural as breathing. If their magic is a storm, then the magic humans use is nothing more than a breeze.”
“…Hmm.”
“Do you understand now? The enemy we’re about to face is that kind of monster. The chances of dying are dozens of times higher than the chances of surviving.”
“Don’t bother telling me to turn back if I’m afraid. My resolve is already set.”
Zeon cut him off first. Deioden let out a scoff and opened his subspace.
“Take this.”
He pulled out a small vial and tossed it to Zeon.
“What is this?”
“If you feel like you’re really about to die, drink it. It’ll heal most injuries in an instant.”
“Is this… something like an elixir?”
Zeon’s eyes widened.
An elixir was a legendary potion that every awakened alchemist dreamed of creating.
It could instantly cure any abnormal condition and even grant immortality.
In fact, alchemists in Neo Seoul were actively researching how to create one.
Deioden snorted.
“Hmph! As if a true elixir could exist. It’s a stimulant made by a mad alchemist. They say it was created using the blood of monsters with exceptional regenerative abilities.”
“Monster blood? Is it really safe to drink?”
“That’s why I said drink it only if you’re about to die. If you’re going to die anyway, you might as well take the risk. Because of the awakening components, it’s probably better than a healing potion when it comes to enduring pain.”
“Understood.”
With an uneasy expression, Zeon stored the vial in his subspace.
The final battle with the dragon was drawing near—he could feel it.
The fact that even someone as powerful as Deioden was taking care of him like this was proof of just how tense the situation was.
Clutching Crayon tightly, Deioden stared up at the darkened night sky.
As if a dragon were already there.
***
Zeon and Deioden stayed until the oasis disappeared, devouring all the flesh of the sand maw.
The meat of the sand maw was an excellent source of nutrients.
It was more than enough to bring their bodies to peak condition ahead of the battle of their lives.
Deioden spoke.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Pulling his robe’s hood down low, Zeon replied.
They had rested well and eaten their fill. Their physical condition was at its best.
His senses were sharp, and vitality overflowed through his entire body.
He had never felt this good before.
Deioden strode forward into the sandstorm, his hair whipping like a lion’s mane.
Zeon followed behind him, using Sand Step.
The scorching sun heated the sand, radiating intense waves of heat. But it couldn’t stop their advance.
After walking for several days, what greeted them were pillars rising in the middle of the desert.
Dozens of hexagonal pillars stood alone in the barren expanse—an obviously suspicious sight to anyone.
Stepping forward, Zeon raised his control.
His senses spread out in all directions through the fine grains of sand.
There was nothing around them.
“Then it must be underground.”
He focused his senses downward.
One hundred meters, two hundred…
His awareness burrowed endlessly into the depths.
The limit of Zeon’s perception reached about five hundred meters underground—but even then, he detected nothing.
Releasing his control, he spoke.
“It seems like it’s deeper than five hundred meters underground.”
“Probably. Like the lizard it is, it must’ve dug deep and hidden. They’re cowards, after all.”
“Cowards? I don’t think so.”
“If they truly had courage, they wouldn’t have incited the other races to move Crasias—they would’ve acted themselves. They stay silent in front of the strong and only pretend to be powerful in front of the weak. If that’s not cowardice, then what is?”
There was a strange logic to his words.
Zeon nodded, thinking it might be true.
The two arrived before the pillars.
Each pillar was thick enough to match several people standing together.
The hexagonal surfaces were covered in countless indecipherable characters.
Running his hand along one of the pillars, Zeon murmured.
“I have no idea what any of this says…”
Flash!
At that moment, the pillar Zeon touched emitted a blinding light.
“What the—?”
Startled, Zeon tried to pull his hand away, but the light completely swallowed him.
A moment later, when the glow faded, Zeon was gone.
Without showing the slightest hint of surprise, Deioden muttered,
“Seems like these pillars function as some kind of teleportation array.”
He placed his hand on the same pillar Zeon had touched. But the expected burst of light did not appear.
“So each pillar can only transport one living being?”
Deioden reached out and touched another pillar.
In an instant, a brilliant flash erupted and swallowed him as well.
***
When Zeon opened his eyes, the surroundings had completely changed.
He was inside an enormous cavern—large enough for a massive monster to walk freely.
The rock walls shimmered as if veins of gold ran through them.
As expected of a Gold Dragon, it seemed to have made its lair inside a rock formation rich with gold veins.
“What’s the point of all this?”
Even at the sight of such an immense amount of gold, Zeon felt little greed.
In the current world, gold no longer held much value.
“Was Deioden sent somewhere else?”
Zeon looked around, but Deioden was nowhere to be seen.
Deioden had clearly touched a pillar as well. The fact that he wasn’t here meant he had likely been transported elsewhere.
“Looks like I’ll have to move alone until I find him.”
The thought of entering what was likely a dragon’s lair alone made him uneasy.
He had faced countless monsters so far, but a dragon was on a completely different level. It was only natural to feel fear at the possibility of confronting such a being alone.
Zeon forced a calm expression.
He couldn’t just stand still because he was afraid.
Even if a dragon awaited at the end of this cave, he had to go. Only then could he find Deioden.
Zeon moved carefully.
This was an unfavorable environment for him.
Being inside a mineral vein, there was almost no sand.
Fortunately, he still had Exion.
Prepared to unleash Exion at any moment, Zeon advanced step by step.
He felt like he had gone quite deep, yet nothing had happened so far. Still, Zeon did not let his guard down.
From experience, he knew that something always happened the moment one’s vigilance slipped.
And his expectation proved correct.
Ssssss—
A faint, unsettling sound came from the cave ahead.
Just hearing it made the hairs all over his body stand on end, sending a chill down his spine.
“What is that?”
Releasing Exion, Zeon glared forward.
In the next moment, the owner of the sound emerged from the darkness.
They were snakes.
From two-headed serpents to ones with four heads, there were all kinds.
Some had wings on their backs, others had two or even four legs.
Aside from having snake heads, everything about them was different.
Their forms, textures, colors, and sizes all varied wildly.
“Chimeras…”
They weren’t ordinary monsters—these were clearly chimeras created by Hieltun.
Kuwaaaah!
At the sight of Zeon, the chimeras let out feral screeches and charged at him even more viciously.
Watching the frenzied swarm rush toward him, Zeon released Exion.
Tssaaaah!
His entire body became enveloped in Exion.
In that state, Zeon charged straight at the chimeras.
There was no trace of fear on his face.
Kwagagagak!
Exion spun violently around him, grinding the charging chimeras to pieces.
Kreeeak!
Keeeek!
The screams of the chimeras being shredded echoed throughout the cave.
Flesh burst apart, and blood splattered in all directions.
Ssshhhhh!
The chimera blood seemed to contain acidic poison, as the ground began to melt wherever it touched.
Some of the blood splashed onto Zeon, but thanks to the robe and armor given by Deioden, he suffered almost no damage.
Kwagagak!
Even in that moment, the chimeras continued to be torn apart by Exion.
In an instant, the massive cavern was filled with the remains of dismembered chimeras. Yet more kept crawling out from somewhere, attacking Zeon without end.
Zeon crushed every one of them as he advanced forward.
And then—
Flash!
Suddenly, the entire cave was engulfed in bright light, and a bolt of lightning struck Zeon.
Boom!
“Ghk!”
With a thunderous explosion, Zeon’s body was pushed backward.
White smoke rose from his entire body.
Fortunately, Exion had protected him, preventing severe damage. If he had taken the hit directly, his body might have been blown apart.
Saaaa—
At that moment, pushing through the chimeras, an unusually large snake appeared.
The snake had horns on its head.
Sparks crackled from them.
The lightning had come from it.
“A special type…?”
Among monsters, there were occasionally individuals capable of using skills.
It seemed this large snake possessed an ability related to lightning.
Flash!
In the next instant, lightning burst from its horns again.
Zeon leapt aside to dodge.
Boom!
The spot where he had been standing exploded, leaving a deep crater in the ground.
Though he avoided the strike, Exion briefly lost control and scattered.
The chimeras seized that opening and lunged at him.
Zeon swung his gauntleted fist at the leading chimera.
Boom!
With a thunderous impact, its head exploded.
As he relentlessly struck down the chimeras, Zeon shouted,
“Don’t underestimate me, you damn snakes!”