Thud! Ghislain coughed up blood as his body collapsed backward. The amplified power combined with the force of will had finally exceeded what his body could endure. "RAAAARGH!" Arterion let out an agonized roar as his dragon heart was destroyed. It was the one part of his body that he had managed to protect until now, even while his body was battered and torn. But in his utterly exhausted state, he could not withstand Ghislain's final blow. Dragging their depleted bodies, everyone lunged toward the writhing dragon. Among them, one person reached Arterion faster than anyone else. "The adversary...!" Even in his pain, Arterion raised his claw to strike Julien, who was swiftly closing in on him. And then he saw it—the chilling gleam in Julien’s eyes, a stark contrast to the emotionless gaze he had always worn before. "You..." Slash! Julien struck at Arterion’s dragon heart again. Though shattered by Ghislain’s earlier attack, the dragon heart had remained partially intact, with its fragments pulling together in a desperate attempt at restoration. The source of the dragon’s immense power, the dragon heart was not so easily destroyed. It had been using every last vestige of its life force to heal itself. But Julien obliterated it completely, grinding it into dust. BOOOOM! A blinding light erupted from Arterion’s chest, signaling the end of the dragon’s life. "Grrr..." Arterion’s exhausted eyes fixated on Julien. Unable to sustain the weight of his massive form, the dragon collapsed slowly. THUUUUD! Even then, his breathing had not completely ceased—a testament to the dragon’s extraordinary vitality. Ghislain, barely managing to stand, forced his trembling legs to carry him toward the dying Arterion. The dragon’s eyes, devoid of rage or madness, now carried only emptiness. Seeing this, Ghislain narrowed his eyes. ‘They’ve cleared.’ Arterion’s gaze, as though peering into a far-off place, now shone with a deep, serene blue. It was the kind of clarity one might expect from a sage, the wisdom of ancient times lingering in his dying eyes. It was entirely different from the bloodshot, enraged gaze he had worn at the start. It was as if all the madness had drained from his body. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ Ghislain raised his sword. He needed to decapitate the dragon to ensure the job was done. But as he hesitated for a moment, he finally spoke. "What... are you?" There was too much about Arterion that didn’t add up. His fury and murderous intent had vanished only at the moment of death. The sudden burst of madness when he was on the verge of retreating. These weren’t the actions of a wise dragon. Ghislain couldn’t help but ask the question. Arterion’s gaze slowly shifted to Ghislain. The dragon’s eyes were losing the light of life, yet they focused on him. In a soft, fading voice, the dragon spoke. "Ah... I’ve dreamed for so long..." "A dream?" "Yes... of friends I longed to see... of my kin... of the world we protected..." Ghislain fell silent. He could guess at the identities of those Arterion spoke of. Arterion seemed to smile faintly, his expression gentle. "But who could I blame for what has come to pass...? It was my greed, my mistake..." "What are you talking about? What happened in the war a thousand years ago?" "You even... know about that..." "Tell me. What meaning did any of this have? Why fight us? If the adversary threatens the world, why not stand with us?" Arterion slowly closed his eyes and opened his mouth once more, his voice growing ever quieter. "We... to protect this world..." Slash! CRRRACK! Arterion’s words were cut short. Julien’s blade had swung, severing the dragon’s colossal neck in a single motion. The already broken dragon, with its heart destroyed, couldn’t resist. Its head rolled away, lifeless. Ghislain turned sharply, startled by Julien’s abrupt action. Julien, clearly exhausted, was breathing heavily—a rare sight for someone usually composed. "Julien... what have you done?" Arterion had been about to say something. They might not have understood everything, but there had been no reason to interrupt his final words so hastily. Yet Julien had already silenced him. Julien pressed a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes, his expression tense as if he were grappling with some inner turmoil. Ghislain pressed further. "Are you... alright?" "...Yes." Julien didn’t look alright. He staggered slightly as he moved back, his balance unsteady. Ghislain observed him closely. Julien’s condition wasn’t due to fatigue or injury—it was something else, something different. The energy that had seeped from Arterion’s body had entered Julien. That much was certain. Ghislain opened his mouth to ask about the energy but hesitated. ‘Wait, in the previous life...’ They had made countless sacrifices to bring down Arterion. What had happened at the end back then? ― Humans... you... Back then, Arterion had tried to say something. Ghislain had assumed it was either an acknowledgment of them or a final curse upon them. Because they hadn’t been able to hear him out. ‘Back then... Julien also severed the dragon’s head.’ Julien had decisively decapitated Arterion. Everyone had accepted it as natural. Among those who had fought the dragon, Julien had been in the best condition. It hadn’t mattered who killed the dragon—what mattered was that it was done. But things were different now. Though exhausted, they could have listened to the dragon’s last words. Yet the same thing had happened as before. And what’s more, Julien had locked eyes with Ghislain in a fleeting moment. ‘This must have happened in the previous life as well.’ Julien must have known that the energy from Arterion’s body had entered him. Yet he said nothing. He was hiding it. Ghislain decided to hold his tongue for now. Julien still had his eyes closed, his hand pressed to his forehead. ‘Not yet. It’s not time yet.’ This was something Julien was deliberately concealing. Asking him now wouldn’t yield an honest answer. And it would be difficult to force anything from someone as strong as Julien. The answers likely lay in the Saintess’s dreams. Ghislain resolved to gather more information and find the right time to confront him. Thud. Thud. Thud. The superhumans surrounding the dragon began collapsing one by one. Ghislain surveyed the scene. Though everyone was exhausted, their expressions were filled with relief. This had been the hardest, most dangerous battle they had faced. It had required unprecedented preparation. And finally, they had triumphed over the dragon. Kaor was the first to throw his weapon aside and shout. "Sht! We won! We fcking won! I killed the dragon!" The others let out deep sighs of relief. Parniel, tears welling in her eyes, tried to stand, leaning heavily on her mace. Ghislain, already seated, called out. "Just sit and rest. It’s over now. The dragon is dead for sure." "Blasphemy... Someone dared to speak blasphemy... I’ll deal with them..." "......" The remark was aimed at Alfoy. Ghislain let out an awkward laugh. "Why not let it go this time? Thanks to him, we’re all alive. He’s always been like that anyway." "Hah...." Parniel exhaled deeply a few times before collapsing onto the ground. Truthfully, she didn’t have the strength to stand anymore. "Saintess!" The clergy rushed to Parniel with tears streaming down their faces, pouring what little sacred power they had left into her. The light emanating from them was dim, barely flickering like fireflies. Their sacred power was nearly depleted. Still, the priests reached out to Parniel with tears of joy streaming down their cheeks. "To think you actually slew the dragon!" "As expected of one chosen by the goddess!" "Truly remarkable! This feat will be recorded in the annals of the church for eternity!" "The influence of the church will grow stronger than ever!" Having defeated the dragon, the divine power of the goddesses would undoubtedly become widely recognized. Priests from not only the Moriana Church but other orders also shared in the joy. The clergy of the Juana Church, to which Piote belonged, were particularly elated, their grins stretching wide across their faces. Parniel watched them silently and sighed. Priests, so obsessed with worldly fame and power. It was a stark reminder of how far they still had to go. ‘I can’t believe I almost thought that rogue....’ For a fleeting moment, Parniel shook her head vigorously, dispelling the thought. The grueling fight against the dragon had clearly taxed her mind to its limits. "Wooooaaaaah!" Cheers erupted from the fortress as well. Though most had collapsed from exhaustion, a handful of mages still had enough magic left to stand. "We’re alive! We made it!" "We stopped the dragon!" "Quick, help the fallen!" They cheered and rushed to cast healing spells on the injured mages. How terrified they had been, dragged into this battle against their will. Yet they had truly defeated a dragon. There had been no losses. The plan was flawless. Of course, if left unattended, some might still die. The control fortress that had withstood the dragon’s breath was especially precarious. "Move! Use every last drop of magic you’ve got!" "Bring the priests over here, quickly!" "This way! Over here!" The mages and priests swarmed the injured, tending to them with urgency. When their gaze fell on Alfoy, their eyes brimmed with awe and reverence. "How did he do it?" "Isn’t he only a 5th Circle mage?" "He accomplished the impossible." No matter how skilled one was at manipulating mana, there were limits to what a body could handle. But Alfoy had exceeded those limits. The mages were desperate to uncover his secret. They carefully applied healing spells and transported him with utmost care. The priests, too, rushed to aid the fallen, pouring their faint sacred energy into them. "Hah." Only after hearing that the mages were safe did Ghislain finally relax. He glanced over his shoulder. Julien was sitting on a rock, his head bowed. Was it exhaustion? Or was he lost in thought? Ghislain couldn’t tell. ‘Hmph, maybe he’s thinking about that energy.’ Ghislain watched Julien for a moment before turning back to the others. Now was not the time for complicated thoughts; it was a moment to revel in their victory. Only by basking in this triumph could they gather the strength to face what lay ahead. As Ghislain suspected, Julien was indeed lost in thought, pondering what had just happened to him. ‘Something from Arterion’s body has transferred into me.’ There had been no way to stop it. It had entered him as naturally as breathing. Julien had no idea what it was. Even now, he couldn’t discern how it was moving within his body. For someone of Julien’s caliber to be unable to understand what was happening to his own body—it was unthinkable. The mystery of this energy gnawed at him. Julien continued to focus inward, trying to identify the unknown ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) energy. And then, his mind was suddenly engulfed in black mist. "......." Julien’s eyes twitched. At first, he thought it was attempting to invade his consciousness. But the mist simply settled calmly, then presented him with a vision. ‘What is this...?’ Amidst the darkness, a woman appeared. She was smiling. Julien couldn’t make out her features. Her eyes and hair were completely obscured by the darkness. But from her lips and the exposed lower half of her face, he could tell she was smiling. It was a strange, bittersweet smile—both sorrowful and joyful. This wasn’t normal. The vision wasn’t something he had consciously summoned. ‘...Who are you?’ Julien concentrated, directing his question to the apparition. There was no reason for an unknown figure to suddenly appear in his mind. Surely it was related to the energy that had entered his body. The woman continued to smile enigmatically as she slowly began to speak. "...You’re not here to save the world."