Chapter 132: Elder Dragon
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POV Swap – Tobias

Freedom!

Jumping out onto the bed in my room in their castle, I silently vowed never to attend such dinners again.

Everything about that dinner reminded me about why I hated formality and social conventions. Avoiding people like that is for the best.

I have no idea how Stanley can talk so casually in those situations. Worrying about her well-being and planning to take her off-world? I don’t understanding it.

We’re ordinary people.

Don’t think of things outside of what ordinary people need to. Stanley might have insane luck, but that luck doesn’t necessarily affect other people. Unlike most of the others from Hell Difficulty who have insane abilities and other such things, we're... well, I suppose we can only qualify as semi-normal people.

I still have my memories of the world as a novel, and Stanley has his luck. We cannot actually be consider truly normal.

Only Hansoo can be considered truly normal out of all of us, but I haven’t had chance to interact with him.

Unless I forgot about interacting with Hansoo.

…I don’t have that many memories of the early days, now that I think about it. Only a vague recollection.

Whether the missing memories are from normal forgetting or the damage to my soul, I’m not sure. Missing memories might be an explanation of why Tracy is unfriendly.

Maybe I offended her and forgot about it? Doesn’t matter, though. The memories are already gone and I don’t plan on sticking around with the two of them. I only need to find an exit to this place and then I’m gone.

There are various things I can do in the meanti-

While I was thinking, my surroundings suddenly changed. The comfortable bed disappeared, and I fell on my butt.

Slamming into the floor, I looked around.

No, it wasn’t just the bed that had disappeared. The entire room was gone and everything in my surroundings had changed.

Orange sky with three suns above it.

I was outside? And I wasn’t alone. A sea of Draconians covered the surroundings as far as I could see on all sides.

If I had to guess, the entire race had been teleported.

Judging from the volcano nearby and Stanley’s earlier testimony, we weren’t that far from our original location.

Mass teleportation? Without a marker or array?

Who had the mana to waste on such a massive scale? I quietly analyzed the situation and tried to reduce my sense of presences as much as possible.

Whatever the situation, standing out recklessly is a bad idea. Figure it out first, then make a decision.

Nearby Draconians had panicked expressions. This clearly wasn’t an expected event.

An intense wave of mana pressure washed over the surroundings.

A layer of fear materialized in my mind.

My first reaction was to run, but there was nowhere to go. People were surrounding me on all angles. Even if I managed to run past them, could I escape something with this much power?

The pressure was more than a hundred times, perhaps several hundred times my own. How much mana is needed to accomplish that?

Moments later, the fear disappeared. Seemingly washed away by an unknown force. Replaced by a wave of arrogance and anger.

Who dares to cause us trouble?

The nearby Draconians were clearly affected by the pressure.

All Draconians nearby bowed or kneeled.

Some clearly tried to resist and failed, many were spouting blood.

As the number of people upright decreased, the range of my vision increased and I could see more of the general situation.

In the distance, an extremely large grey dragon. The pressure released by them was emanating throughout the area. The dragon arrogantly overlooked the area, it was five times my height and far larger in length and width.

The only other people upright was Stanley, Tracy, and a few choice draconians were still standing. However, they weren’t doing particularly well themselves. Barely able to stand.

While I didn’t know exactly what was going on, the dragon clearly had sinister intentions.

A good portion of the people kneeling on the floor had died from the intense mana pressure and the longer it went on for, the more that would die.

One of the few standing Draconians tried to speak.

His head was immediately cut-off by a slash of the dragon’s tail.

The strike cut through space and made an extremely loud whistling noise. The spatial crack flew through the people, killing some hundred draconians behind the man who spoke before landing on the ground and leaving a massive mark on it.  

Watching the spatial ripple, a frozen coldness went down my back causing a shiver down my spine dispelling the arrogance and anger from earlier.

That… that wasn’t something a monster that should be inside the Third Zone.

At minimum, only those in the sixth zone of Hell Difficult should be able to do that. It didn’t seem like that was anywhere near its limit. Judging both by the easy of its creation casual strike and the mass teleportation from earlier.

Analyze.

{Gromrit, the slow – Impossible to beat, avoid fighting.}

Impossible to beat?! How did I get involved in a situation involving such a monster?

“Wherever you’re hiding yourself, cowardly rat… Come out!” The dragon gnarled in a strange language that somehow I instinctively understood. His eyes scanning throughout the kneeling Draconians.

A bad feeling swelled up inside me and I ducked downward behind the nearby Draconians.

It couldn’t be talking about me, right?

“A top-tier bloodline, hides away like a rat!” The dragon roared, clear anger filling its voice. “You bring shame to your entire family.”

It’s here for me! How? I didn’t tell anyone, not even Stanley about the top-tier DNA? Where did I give myself away?

Anger from deep with my bones returned.

A flying mosquito dares to talk to me like that!? I’ll kill him! Then his entire family.

I internally roared at the dragon for his arrogance and insinuations. Despite any anger, I forced myself to stay silent.

Logically, the analyze had already stated there was no way I’d be able to win. I wouldn’t even be able to touch him.

The anger couldn’t even be said to be mine. Likely a byproduct of fusing with the Top-level DNA with pride engraved into their bloodline.

Regardless of my brain bursting with anger and the questions filling my mind, I forced myself to hide and stay still.

Jumping out randomly would just get me killed. Although monster races were technical allies, when it came to absolute geniuses like those with top-tier bloodlines. They were more than willing to anger an entire ethnic group to prevent their growth.

How did they find out? Why is it certain I’m here? Why now?

Despite all my questions, I dismissed them and focused on the main task. I needed to survive this encounter. Not find answers.

Unfortunately, while I knew how to control myself… My companions didn’t.

Angry at the death surrounding him, and filled with rage, Stanley raised his voice toward the dragon. Sadness, fury, and resentment in his voice. Although Stanley’s exact words were indistinct, the anger was loud and clear.

Hearing his voice filled with righteous fury, only one thought came to mind.

Stanley, you moron.

Before I could even react, the overbearing mana pressure in the surroundings nearly doubled. Even with my current constitution, I ended up falling to the floor.

Pain shot all over my body, it felt like my internal organs were ready to burst. My heart started pumping at a rapid speed, before a coolness shot down from the left-side of my chest. My body healed and adjusted to the pressure shortly afterward.

I felt the plant tattoo on the left-side of my chest and felt a slight breath of relief. More useful than it seems apparently.

Forcing myself up, I glanced at the Draconians surrounding me.

All dead.

I closed my eyes and mourned their deaths. Even if I didn’t particularly know them, they didn’t deserve to die this unfairly.

“Dare to be disrespectful to an elder dragon.” The grey dragon Gromrit snorted out a red flame. “Tell Elisabeth she owes me for letting you live. Since you like these half-breeds so much, they can die in your stead.”

This dragon actually going to let him live?

Peeking over their bodies, I looking back toward Stanley whose expression was devastated upon looking at the surrounding bodies.

Only the people near him were still standing and moving about. Everywhere else was absolutely still, the sea of people from before had turned into a cemetery of corpses. None of them outside the short range around Stanley had survived.

Save for myself.

“There you are!” The dragon growled out and seemingly teleported to appeared before myself. His nearly fifty foot body was far larger than I initially anticipated from a distance.

Fuck.

“Cowardly rat. Hiding amongst corpses.” The dragon sneered with anger. “You bring shame to all monsters.”

“A flying mosquito like yourself doesn’t get to decide that.” I sneered back, not even realizing till later that I was speaking an entirely different language. Removing the glasses blocking my line of vision, I looked straight at the dragon.

Before being horrified at my automatic retort. The hell was I doing this dragon could kill me in a second.

The petrifying gaze that I’d instinctively attempted to active in fear had no effect.

Leaning down toward with his face, the dragon stared into my eyes before huffing in a chuckling manner, “At least you are not a total coward… but nobody can insult a dragon without paying a price.”

Before I could retort, a massive flame of pain burned at my upper-left arm. The flame burned wildly with a tearing heart-wrenching pain for several seconds before disappearing.

Massive black letters were scarred onto my upper-left arm in a neat fashion. If I’d seen it on someone else, I’d assume it a slightly fancy tattoo.

However I knew the dragon wouldn’t be that kind.

“Now, everyone will know you’re a cowardly rat.” The grey dragon chuckled and sneered.

With his related context, I immediately understood the words ‘cowardly rat’ had been branded onto my arm in his language.

I began silently cursing him in my mind.

Petty mosquito, I hope you fly into an electric bug zapper. If I’m ever powerful enough, I swear I’ll carve out the words ‘flying mosquito’ on you.

“The hell do you want?” I coldly asked. Basically determining that he didn’t plan to kill me. Otherwise with how decisive and coldhearted he was with killing all the Draconians, I wouldn’t still be alive and only get a playful brand on my arm.

“Family name, genus, and true form.” The dragon Gromrit snorted in reply. Listing out his requirements in a fashion I barely managed to comprehend after thinking about it for several seconds.

I narrowed my eyes.

Were the dragons worried about retaliation from a certain monster species if he directly killed me? What if I didn’t respond?

“…and if I don’t want to?”

There was no true form for me to turn into. Presumably the dragon mistakenly thought I was a monster with a specific ability to change forms. Even if I lied about which specific species I was, when I was required to prove it I wouldn’t be able to.

Since I’d be angering him soon or later, might as well attempt it sooner.

The dragon’s eyes turned cold as he stared at me as the mana pressure around me increased dramatically.

“Family name, species, and true form.” The dragon Gromrit repeated himself. Ignoring my previous statement.

“Amadeus, basilisk.” I coldly replied.

I didn’t believe that a monster at his level had no way to distinguish lies from the truth. Lying would only make it worse.

Technically, everything I said was true.

The dragon’s eyes momentarily turned murderous upon hearing my words, before suppressing his murderous intent and he indifferently replied. “Show your true form.”

“Can’t.” I replied indifferently.

“Unacceptable.” Gromrit’s gaze turned murderous again. “Transform or die.”

I didn’t doubt his threat.

That meant I only had two opportunity to aid in escape.

One when he first strikes. The Glove of the Hated One will prevent him from killing me immediately… no, it didn’t stop his flames from scarring me earlier. It’s probably useless against an opponent of this level.

Then, I only have my ability to go unnoticed. If I utilize the active, I should be able to avoid his gaze for a second or two.

The problem being… the hell could I do with two seconds? I could only pray that Rin would reload after my death.

There was no way I could transform into a basilisk. I was still a human, even if I’d gained some basilisk DNA.

“Nobody orders me around.” I coldly replied, activating my unnoticed ability and utilizing the boots to teleport into the pile of bodies nearby.

The only escape method I could think of was hiding in the bodies nearby. The dragon didn’t seem to notice me before I move around last time.

If I’m careful, he might…

“Do you that brand is merely decorative?” The dragon Gromrit chuckled, and immediately looked in my direction after my ability wore-off.

Shit.

“An impressive hiding ability. Even hiding from my perception for several seconds.” The Gromrit appeared beside me, clearly pleased with himself. “Not a basilisk, then? Some type of stealth-type monster?”

The dragon paused, lowered his head toward me. Before he looking extremely excited suddenly, “A plant-like aroma? Plant species? No wonder you don’t dare to transform or come out.”

Plant aroma? Did… the world tree tattoo confuse him?

“Haha~” Gromrit laughed happily, “A treasure! Half of them would’ve volunteered to come had they known. A top-tier plant bloodline!”

Whatever it is… if he’s this excited about it.

It’s definitely a bad thing for me.

“I’m a basilisk bloodline, not-” I immediately tried to correct him.

“Shut up. Nobody cares what lies a plant has to say.” The dragon Gromrit commanded.

I found myself unable to continue speaking. My mouth and tongue were free to move, but it was as if there was no air to release and form words.

If I wasn’t panicked before, I was now.

I knew the basilisk bloodline at least had several top-level powers to protect their younglings, even dragons would be cautious for fear of revenge. That's why I dared to say my origins.

Plant-type bloodlines? Definitely not, plants around the universe are all eaten or utilized for speeding up the cultivation of beings. Such as the world tree’s fruits.

Even if plants did have a powerhouses, people would still be willing to offend them for the sake increasing their cultivation speed. Being mistaken as one was very bad.

Spoiler

Slightly longer chapter than normal today.

Been working on a side-project, another novel that I had inspiration to start. Satisfied with how it's going so far. Might eventually release it here if I end up continuing with it, don't really want to release before really deciding whether I'm going to continue it. Who knows if the inspiration will continue? Only 14,000 words at the moment and still in editing.

If I do end up releasing my side-project, any updates will probably be random and sporadic. (To be honest, after starting it... I'm starting to release exactly how inexperienced I was when I started writing this.)

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