Chapter 69

Chapter 69 – Chapter 10: Breakthrough #7

Karma, with Felicia on her back, climbed up some wreckage quickly . A terrible sight caught the eyes of the both of them .

The highest ranked guardian was on the verge of being destroyed . The thunder hammer crashed to the ground while the shield was crushed like the left arm .

The zombie dragon, that was roaring from above the highest ranked guardian, discovered Felicia and Karma .

He wasn’t in a normal state either . The wounds on the dragon’s chest were wide open and one wing was broken .

"Run!"

Karma ran forward . Felicia made a wall of fire on all sides, attracting the gazes of the zombie dragon and shadow puppets .

The dungeon guardians rushed to the zombie dragon while the shadow puppets flocked to Felicia and arrows and spears covered the air above her .

Felicia hurriedly called the wind spirit but it wasn’t enough . She couldn’t push all the arrows and spears away . Karma closed her eyes while Felicia stared at the spears . A white object blocked the area in front of Felicia!

Kakakang!

White Eagle blocked the arrows and spears while Green Wind protected Felicia and cried out to In-gong,

‘Master!’

“Kuraha!”

It was very similar to when they had been in the trap zone . Carack set up the magic shield in front of him and passed through the fire barriers set up by Felicia with In-gong following him . The two men reached the side of the zombie dragon .

Numerous eyes gazed upon them . The shadow puppets rushed toward In-gong, but they were still quite a distance away . The dungeon guardians saw Ascalon and interfered desperately with the shadow puppets .

Carack lowered his posture and revealed his back . In-gong jumped off Carack’s back and shoulders, then used the explosive force of Divine Beast Authority and jumped almost a dozen meters .

Unable to launch a third breath weapon, the zombie dragon tried to aim his tail at In-gong again .

However, the highest ranked guardian didn’t allow it . It used its one arm left to grab the zombie dragon . The resistance only lasted a few seconds but that was enough .

The zombie dragon was off-balance . The tail couldn’t harm In-gong as he stabbed in the air with Ascalon .

At that moment, an enormous amount of power emerged from the nozzles on Ascalon . It was like a lance thrusting through the air .

Green Wind and Felicia watched breathlessly . However, the zombie dragon didn’t stay still . He hurriedly emitted a purple aura instead of the breath . The purple energy became an intangible wall that tried to stop Ascalon .

It seemed to work . In fact, Ascalon’s rush was blocked for a moment like it was being held by a gigantic glue .

However, In-gong didn’t stop .

He had one thing that the brave dwarf warrior Tiny Spark didn’t have when using Ascalon . . .

‘Dragon Blood!’

The dragon power woke up and Earth Quaker showed its true power . Ascalon rebelled and In-gong suffered terrible pain, but he endured it and used the power of Conquest to dominate Ascalon . He had to take advantage of this to hit the enemy . He added the strength of Gigantic Piston to Ascalon’s power!

Kwakakakakakang!

The Ascalon Strike regained its momentum and was like a lightning bolt . The golden flash broke through the purple wall and struck the chest of the zombie dragon . He tore into the chest that was already weak from hundreds of years passing . In-gong didn’t stop there but used more strength to dig it in deeper . Magic power was what kept the zombie dragon alive and In-gong was now destroying the dragon heart that was the very source of power that allowed the zombie dragon to move . In-gong penetrated through it!

The zombie dragon shrieked . As purple energy leaked from every hole, including its eyes and mouth, the highest ranked guardian moved using the last of its strength . Its fist struck the already shattered chest .

A violent explosion took place . The purple aura exploded, the zombie dragon collapsed and the aura around the shadow puppets disappeared, just like when Balkarova had died .

In-gong rolled across the floor . He lifted Ascalon and swallowed a moan . A pure white light wound around In-gong .

[Your level has risen . ]

[Your level has risen . ]

[Your level has risen . ]

[Boss: Zombie Dragon Partizan has been defeated . ]

[Title: Dragon Slayer (Beginner) has been acquired . ]

The pain in his body subsided rapidly . In-gong sprang up . His legs trembled despite the recovery effect of gaining three levels . It was the result of using aura to the extreme, ignoring Ascalon as it tried to repel the dragon blood and using Conquest to dominate it .

‘Master!’

White Eagle flew to In-gong . The translucent Green Wing was sitting on top of the white shield . He could see how worried she was by the expression on her face .

In-gong grinned and White Eagle returned to his left arm . He placed Ascalon in his inventory and looked in front of him .

The highest ranked guardian didn’t move as it lay in the wreckage of the zombie dragon . The shadow puppets, who had lost the purple aura, went crazy and scattered . Meanwhile, the shadow puppets in black robes, who had been directing them, sat down on the ground like they had received a big shock .

Felicia and Karma ran to In-gong while the dungeon guardians surrounded them . It was because the highest ranked guardian transferred all its authority to In-gong before dying . The highest ranked guardian hadn’t forgotten about Ascalon .

“Shall we continue?”

They had knocked down the zombie dragon but the battle hadn’t ended yet . After Felicia’s words, In-gong responded by moving the dungeon guardians . The dungeon guardians rushed towards the shadow puppets who were confused by the effect of losing the purple aura .

"My shoulder is too sore . ”

Carack, who had been In-gong’s footstool, stretched out and complained . Rather than Felicia using recovery magic, she handed over a potion . She wasn’t in a state where she could use magic right now .

The party watched the dungeon guardians fight . Fatigue couldn’t be restored by various recovery potions, so they just watched the fight from the background .

How much time had passed?

In-gong was sitting down silently with his eyes closed .

This mission was almost over . Once the battle with the shadow puppets finished, they could relax and enjoy the items . Despite the black dragon Partizan’s body being destroyed, it could still be useful .

However, he wondered why . . .

Despite it being 10 minutes since the zombie dragon had been destroyed, he couldn’t release his tension . Rather than feeling the sense of accomplishment that he had felt when he killed Mustafa and Balkarova, he felt tension and anxiety .

What was it?

Was it because all the pieces hadn’t aligned yet? Or because the shadow puppets weren’t all dead?

No, it was different .

An ominous feeling .

Due to Protagonist Correction, it was slowly irritating his senses .

In-gong raised his head and at that moment, a new collapse shook the central plaza .

Kwaaaaaang!

The zombie dragon’s breath weapon had broken the foundation twice and rubble now fell once again . However, the direction of the force was different . It came from the outside, not inside . After the third collapse, light poured into the central plaza that had been underground for hundreds of years .

Felicia, who had been sitting and relaxing on the floor, got up . The dungeon guardians stopped fighting momentarily while the shadow puppets were overcome with joy .

In-gong realized the reason for his ominous feeling .

A man emerged from the new hole . Instead of a purple aura, he wore blue armour and a helmet that resembled the head of a dragon . Holding a spear, he stood on a pile of rubble and looked at the shattered zombie dragon .

“I’m too late . ”

He muttered in a low voice . The central plaza was silent, but his voice was coming from too far away .

However, In-gong could hear it clearly . He didn’t know why, but the man’s voice was clear as he took light steps forward .

"It was a mistake since the 2nd Prince didn’t come here . ”

‘2nd Prince . '

‘Mistake . '

‘Didn’t come here . ’

In-gong felt like he had been struck by lightning .

General Kashubal had failed the mission .

Everyone ha thought the mission would be given to Zephyr .

The purpose of these people wasn’t Ascalon or Partizan .

Their real purpose was to lure Zephyr here . They had killed General Kashubal to call Zephyr .

Although they had waited for Zephyr to arrive, In-gong and Felicia had been the ones who showed up instead .

So, the plan had been changed . The priority had been given to securing Partizan and Ascalon instead .

This story seemed correct . The cogs, that had stopped, started to rotate again in his head .

However, a question still remained:

Why Zephyr?

What purpose did they have for luring Zephyr here?

'Resist!’

A voice woke In-gong up . It wasn’t Green Wind . It was the voice of the golden-crowned white woman .

In-gong hurriedly produced the power of Conquest . The man’s gaze shifted from the zombie dragon to In-gong .

The purple aura . . .

Its source was the blue aura .

That man wasn’t the source of that power . It was just a small part of him . However, even that was overwhelming . The power of death struck In-gong’s soul .

The forces of conquest and death collided in the air . They canceled each other out and disappeared .

In-gong activated his white aura while the man frowned with confusion . Instead of continuing the invisible battle with In-gong, he raised the blue aura like flames . He swung his long spear and said lightly,

"I will clean up whatever is left . ”

He took a step . At that moment, In-gong knew . That man was more powerful than the zombie dragon .

In-gong squeezed out every last bit of his aura . He hadn’t completely recovered in the aftermath of his fight with the zombie dragon, but he couldn’t give up .

"Prince, I’ve enjoyed knowing you so far . ”

Carack said while lifting his axe like he was going to throw it . Karma also grabbed a weapon instead of throwing up in fear, while Felicia smiled bitterly and raised both arms .

"I don't know what he is but don’t give up . ”

“Don’t give up . ”

In-gong formed a fist . Earth Quaker gave the familiar growling response .

The man took a step forward . The dungeon guardians gathered by In-gong’s side and Green Wind soared up from White Eagle, declaring,

'Master was a good owner . I don’t regret following Master from Enger Plains . ’

"Good, let’s stick our death flags in this place . ”

In-gong made a joke that only he could understand and then focused on the man .

The man took his third step and a blue light emitted from the spear in his hand .

Then at that moment,

Just as a new battle was about to begin . . .

“Let’s do it . ”

A new voice interrupted .

It wasn’t a simple voice that spread in the heavy silence .

Everyone’s gazes, that had been aimed at the man holding the spear, shifted to a different place . Even the man with the spear was forced to look .

“I went to see Prince at the Demon King’s Palace only to find that he had already left . Then once I arrived at the fortress, I heard Prince and Princess were in an emergency, so I wandered after you . ”

The owner of the new voice stood in the opening where the man with the spear had appeared . His hair and beard was half grey and half white, while his clothes were snow-white . A dull sword hung at his waist .

It was the first time In-gong had seen him . However, In-gong knew who the man was the moment he saw him . Felicia, who had been determined about facing death, shouted with joy .

Sword Duke Ishgard .

The strongest swordsman of the previous era who had raised the demon king Mitra!

He didn’t say anything else and just pulled his sword out with a grin .