Chapter 58

It was a strange sensation I had never felt before.

A small body that had been a weakness.

The body that was visible to the eyes was still small.

However, if I were to speak only based on the feelings I was experiencing now, it felt as if I could reach objects thousands of miles away just by stretching out my hand.

Not as a young Elf, but as if I had become water, become the sea, and was engulfing the world.

The sensation from my upper dantian felt as if it were communicating with heaven and earth through my entire body, not just my upper dantian.

Liberation.

Though I couldn’t fully articulate the sensations I was feeling, if I had to express it in words, it was liberation.

Like breaking the shell and facing the vast world for the first time from within a small world.

The laws that had been with me until now did not feel self-evident.

In confusion, I stared at the world, which had not changed yet had transformed from before.

Then suddenly, I turned my head in the direction where I felt a gaze.

The golden dragon that had just been toying with two giants.

The Gal Dragon was staring at me with wide eyes.

The pupils contracted like those of a reptile, filled with emotions such as confusion and horror.

Unlike the intense emotions I had just felt, I looked at the Gal Dragon with a somewhat calmer heart.

The area around the massive dragon was a different realm.

Born as an omnipotent being like its mother, a solid and colossal world constructed over hundreds of years.

A world of tyrants that was on a different dimension from the feeble and small world that had just been awkwardly pieced together.

Amusingly, it was only now, after a fierce fight where my life hung by a thread, that I could truly feel how incredible the being before me was.

“This is… are creatures like you creating myths post-factum?”

Ignoring the bewildered dragon, I examined my body.

My exhausted internal energy.

My twisted arm from the dragon’s incantation.

Even if I were in perfect condition, I would still be a likely loser against this opponent.

‘Now you’re finally willing to move.’

In the dragon’s world. Under the dragon’s dominion, the surrounding mana, which had been unyielding, started to move my heavy body like a shy maiden.

My whole body breathed, drawing in the energy of heaven and earth.

The languid dantians filled with energy and began to circulate throughout my body.

However, the twisted right arm did not properly spread the energy.

Crack. Crack.

As I returned the broken bones of my twisted right arm to their original positions, a horrifying sound echoed.

The places on the arm that returned to their original positions became dark blue or swollen.

Then came my defensive internal energy.

The Spirit Armor covered that arm.

Some of the bruises that had covered the arm disappeared somewhat.

But though the exterior might look plausible, the interior was simply returned to its original position; it was still broken.

I closed my eyes and contemplated the interior.

There were 13 broken pathways in my right arm.

The energy at the joints was young, and a thread appeared in my mind’s eye.

The loosened threads began to connect one by one to the broken pathways of my right arm.

The acupoints and bones began to be sutured or fixed with Qi threads.

After a moment of meditation, I opened and closed my right hand several times.

‘Not perfect, but it’s roughly connected now.’

However, it was not a complete recovery, and I was not in perfect condition.

I would have to rely on my left hand for the time being, but I could be satisfied just with restoring the balance between the left and right that had been broken.

I shifted my focus from my healing right arm to the dragon, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression.

‘Normally, my strike would never reach the dragon.’

The rules covered by the dragon’s incantation.

Unlike before, I could feel the existence of those rules.

What was visible was a small distance, about 100 steps away, as if a child were walking.

But my instincts said that even after a long time filled with fear, I could never reach it.

‘Strange. I feel no thought at all that it’s impossible now.’

Perhaps it was because I had forcibly achieved what the dragon spoke of as the completion of the world.

‘I must go before my disciples get hurt further.’

How many times had it been today?

The inspiration that had rarely come in my life surged.

Surely, more martial arts would be born today than any I had created throughout my life.

I delved deep into thought to refine the inspiration that had arisen.

The foundational thought is Dragon Slaying.

What I desire is a part of the unapproachable guardian deities of the Eight Divine Warriors.

The power of the Great Peng with golden wings that devours dragons.

As always, the necessary enlightenment was sufficient even for a moment.

It was a distance that would never be reached, but I felt that one step was enough.

Araya Technique Golden Wing Steps

Peng’s Journey of Ten Thousand Miles

Units to describe distance became useless.

The distance, once close to infinite, had contracted.

With a single powerful flap of wings, a Great Peng could soar thousands of miles.

The dragon’s body, which had seemed forever unreachable.

The True Sword swung toward the dragon’s claws that had pierced Silv like a skewer.

「!」

Did it believe in its incantation? The dragon that had blankly allowed my approach merely watched as its toe was severed.

A mix of pain and anger erupted from the dragon’s roar.

It was a dragon that had enjoyed playing with a foe weaker than itself while pretending to be serious.

However, somehow, the reaction to this strike seemed genuine.

I wasn’t sure if it was merely a hope amidst a still tough situation.

With the severed dragon toe fell Silv.

For a brief moment, but already losing consciousness from the pain in the hole in his body.

“Golb. Bring Silv back. And never return to the north again. No matter what happens until I come back.”

“…What are you planning to do, Master?”

“I’ll keep this dragon occupied.”

I ignored the dragon looking at me with a complicated expression and aimed in one direction.

“If you go that way, you might meet Rudolf as well. Be sure to take him with you.”

“How can you know that?”

“I just feel it.”

Golb, who had been quietly listening to me, bit his lip and replied.

“…I would rather…”

“Do you think you can? Against that dragon?”

“…But.”

“This fight is not something you can dare to involve yourselves in.”

I smiled quietly at my silent disciples.

“Don’t worry about me dying in your place. I have a rough plan to face that dragon because of my small enlightenment.”

At those words, Golb gritted his teeth and, shouldering the unconscious Silv, said,

“I’ll wait. Please… please come back.”

“Yes, get out as quickly as possible, even if it’s difficult with your injured bodies.”

After watching the giant brothers glance at the dragon before fleeing, I turned my attention back to the dragon.

The dragon’s severed toe had already healed, but it continued to look at me with a complex expression.

“You seem surprised, Gal Dragon. I didn’t expect you to let them go so easily.”

「…Such trifling things are already of no concern to me. Speak, creature. How did a mere creature like you create its own world?」

“Is it that surprising?”

I spoke while moving the space that constituted me and my surroundings.

Though I grandiosely stated that I had formed a world, ultimately, it was a manifestation of will and imagination surpassing individuality.

It was one of the few realms in the history of the Central Plains.

However, considering that humans still could not properly manipulate mana and existed in a primitive realm, I might be the first being to arrive at this territory through post-factum in another world.

Though it might be an imperfect state, one that could break at any moment.

「…While the many skills you have shown until now were already impressive, I cannot believe the sight I am witnessing now with my knowledge.」

“Then, as compensation for the surprise I’ve given you, can you let me go?”

「That is impossible.」

Desire ignited in the dragon’s eyes.

「Five beings were born as transcendents from the start, including me in this realm. Now only three remain, and yet here, is a being who has reached transcendence post-factum right in front of me. I want… I want you so badly.」

The golden dragon. The world of Gal Dragon.

Its domain began to seep into mine like a sticky liquid.

「Become mine, Araya.」

With the dragon’s obsession, the battle of the transcendents began.

◈ ◈ ◈

The battle continued for three nights until the dawn reappeared.

The massive nature of the north also suffered amidst the battle of the transcendents.

「You look weary. How about giving up now?」

“…I could fight all day long.”

「A day has already passed.」

Whenever the dragon’s domain clashed with mine, I didn’t know the total amount of power, but the collision of the realms—with no hierarchy—left marks all over the vast land and forest.

The swords swung and the dragon’s claws formed immense power that could not even be felt by eyes or ears as they pushed against each other before they could touch.

Even realms possessing the potential of omnipotence became merely a massive force field.

The colossal power created by the collision lost its direction and surged uncontrollably into the innocent soil and sky.

The earth screamed, creating massive scars, while the power that burst into the air stirred the clouds.

「Do you not realize that I am letting you live to obtain you completely? If you become mine quietly now, I will not treat you badly.」

The Gal Dragon spoke with an impatient emotion.

As the battle continued, the dragon’s obsession only grew stronger.

I felt it wasn’t completely using its full power to possess me entirely.

『I tread upon the earth.』

Even while using the teleportation technique to walk on the earth like its Golden Wing Steps and engaging in close combat.

When it caused winds and storms, summoned the flames of hell, and even commanded the freezing cold, I felt it also restraining its strength.

It must be trying to obtain me as flawlessly as possible.

I inspected my insides with an impassive face.

As the Gal Dragon had said, I was already close to my limit.

I had not naturally ascended to this realm, but the backlash from forcibly reaching this incomplete state was making cracks from within.

After swinging this unmatched power for three days and nights, I felt my internals beginning to falter.

‘If only I had just one chance… just one chance.’

For three days, I had been looking for a single opportunity to perform a desperate move.

But the dragon left not even a single gap to exploit.

After a while of clashes, both parties were hoping for an opening.

「…That’s enough. I’m fed up.」

The dragon spoke coldly, unlike before.

「I don’t know how you reached this point, but I can feel it collapsing on its own. A created transcendent is probably not much more than that. A broken remnant like you, I have no more interest in.」

The dragon’s intent, which had previously clung to me like a swamp, began to vanish.

「A half-finished refuse. A nuisance that bothered me. And for the insult of the ranks of transcendents. I will wipe you from this world without leaving a trace.」

Obsession turned into malice and covered the world.

The Gal Dragon spread its massive wings and thrust its snout toward me.

And its mouth opened wide.

It was an action that had not been seen even once during the entire battle.

From the core of the dragon, a tremendous power surged.

‘Something is different!’

Even the boundary I had managed to maintain with difficulty began to tremble.

All the mana in the atmosphere was being drawn into the dragon’s mouth as if a massive gravity existed there.

The mana in my surroundings condensed and became visible as particles.

At that moment, a great warning sign unfurled from my upper dantian with an ominous premonition.

A colossal beam of light, one that could burn all of existence away.

‘…There’s no way to dodge it. And I can’t block it either…’

The dragon’s rage was aimed straight at me, poised to explode with just a moment left in time.

‘It’s over.’

I sensed the end approaching.

With a wry smile, I adjusted the blade of my True Sword.

‘You too have met the wrong master and will only be of use for a moment.’

The colossal light of destruction that had already begun to take shape in the dragon’s mouth.

‘Even so, I do not wish to simply accept my fate.’

I planted my sword into the sky and took my stance.

If I had the chance, I wanted to use my final desperate move against the dragon.

The flow of energy began to reverse.

Rebellion against the heavens.

The energies within exploded outward, resonating with the surroundings as they rose.

The energy surged forth, almost tripling in intensity, beginning to rampage to escape control.

As it swept through all my vital points in a frenzy, I could feel blood welling up in my throat.

Even amidst the pain, I stared at the dragon that would bring about my demise.

One breath.

I swung my sword toward the soon-to-be unleashed light of destruction, pouring all my essence into it.

Three heads and six arms contain no power for which to be unable.

Araya Technique

Six Paths of Rebirth, Asura, Asura Heart

Asura’s Heavenly Dance

As three blades of energy shot toward the light, I succumbed to unconsciousness.

◈ ◈ ◈

The Gal Dragon gazed quietly down at the creature before it.

A being that had clumsily created its own myth within a mere body.

The creature that had steadfastly rejected becoming its own was standing tall, facing its breath head-on. The Gal Dragon made a complex expression while looking at Araya.

While standing upright, the jewel-like eyes had lost focus, and its consciousness had already faded.

“I had thought to erase you completely from existence.”

A voice spilled out like a lament.

The Gal Dragon, having rarely given up its obsession, felt a swirl of emotions upon looking again at Araya.

“I never expected that I would be shaken by something so trivial.”

It was reluctance.

The being before it was already in disrepair compared to when it had longed for it.

The essence of the transcendent was no longer felt.

Though it still clung to life, it would soon perish if left unchecked.

The long hair of Araya, which resembled the Gal Dragon’s golden scales, had been scorched and disfigured by its breath, and the once-bright garb had been reduced to rags.

The radiance that had shone before was largely diminished.

Nonetheless, the Gal Dragon still felt a desire to possess Araya.

How many times in this short period had it reversed its choices?

It was the first time for a transcendental being.

The dragon, which had reached out its hand toward Araya, hesitated for a moment and murmured.

“My form, reduced from my true self, is still small.”

The Gal Dragon, caught in thought, sighed and manifested its powers.

Light enveloped its colossal form in a flash.

Where the dragon had stood, only a handsome young man with golden hair remained.

“I, descending to such depths, would stoop to imitate a monkey just to acquire a broken toy.”

As the Gal Dragon approached and reached out, the unconscious form of Araya moved deftly, striking at the dragon’s neck.

However, the strike held no true power and failed to touch the now-human Gal Dragon.

“Such tenacity, Araya. Even in your state, you continue to reject me?”

Little did it know that desire only fueled my own.

“To think I have shown my entire life’s foolishness to acquire you. There’s nothing to hold back now.”

The Gal Dragon bent down and brushed Araya’s face, which stood there unconscious.

“Is it that these things are what made you think you were complete?”

The protective talisman hanging from Araya’s right ear.

And the branch of the World Tree on its left arm.

All had turned to ashes and drifted away.

“It seems these were held in great value. But it’s enough. For now, they are mine.”

As the Gal Dragon’s hand shone, the scars and burnt hair on Araya’s body reverted to how they were before the fight.

“This dull rag no longer fits you.”

The Gal Dragon incinerated all of Araya’s tattered clothing, embracing her essence.

The True Sword, released from Araya’s grasp, struck the ground with a metallic sound.

“…I suppose even toys have some merit.”

As I glanced at the True Sword, it vanished right before my eyes.

Along with it, the Gal Dragon, who had been holding Araya, also disappeared without a trace.

The realm where the transcendents had fought for three days and nights finally got the rare chance to enjoy peace.

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