“Move away, you mongrel!”
Aengus barely registered the voice before he felt the force. The young man beside the Fire Dragon King had attacked him—not just pushed, but with enough intent to end his life.
Thanks to his quick reflexes, Aengus managed to evade the powerful blow, but the force still shoved him through the gate.
His chance to speak with Aria had been shattered by that Dragon Prince.
—
In the blink of an eye, Aengus found himself standing in a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees and rocky boulders. The environment was thick with the scent of nature, and the vegetation seemed untouched by human hands.
He surveyed the area but found no-one near in his vision range. That meant he was all alone. But, that didn’t deter him at the slightest.
His gaze fell on the boulder-shaped rocks humming with a faint magical glow on their surfaces. They seemed to pulse with hidden energy, suggesting something valuable inside. Any greedy man would have tried break it as soon as possible.
With a knowing glance, Aengus activated his Appraisal skill. His eyes glowed momentarily, and their information entered his mind.
Then, Aengus approached one of the rocky boulders, acting as naturally as possible. But, his blade behind him was ready to strike.
Swish!
Instantly, the rock knoll came to life, opening its gaping mouth as if trying to swallow Aengus whole.
“Slice!”
Aengus swung his blade, slicing cleanly through the monster’s midsection, as though cutting through butter.
[ Appraisal ]
[ Rock Knoll ]
[ Rank: D ]
[ Abilities:
1. Camouflage
2. Stone Skin
3. Boulder Roll ]
Gu lu u gu… Growl
Aengus watched as the nearby Rock Knolls began to move, rolling toward him with ground-shaking force.
Unmoved, Aengus dealt a few casual strikes, taking them down one by one. Despite their intimidating presence, they were no more than C-Rank creatures at best. He dispatched them with ease, his expression indifferent to the threat.
Aengus quickly left the area, feeling the urgency of his situation. His soul was dangerously unstable, teetering on the edge of destruction. He didn’t know what would happen if it broke apart, but it felt like his very existence was akin to a world-ending bomb.
He attempted to take to the skies using his wings, but to his frustration, he found himself unable to fly. There seemed to be some sort of restriction in this realm, binding him to the ground.
But why?
Who is behind all of this?
The history he had learned from Manas about Dwarvania suddenly came to mind. The more he thought about it, the more he realized there were layers of mystery hidden beneath what he had learned.
Aengus stared at a distant mountain, its towering peak piercing the sky and casting a massive shadow that blocked the harsh sunlight. The sight gave him a strange sense of direction.
Shua, shua.
He began running toward the mountain, mentally mapping out the terrain as he moved. He needed a basic understanding of the land to determine his next destination, or perhaps he hoped to find something on the way.
His speed soon surpassed the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom in his path, leaving a clear line of destruction behind.
The low-level monsters nearby quickly hid inside their shells, sensing his overwhelming speed and aura.
He reached a large river, its flow charged with electricity, and water monsters roamed on the surface, their eyes filled with menace.
Splash
Aengus stopped at the riverbank, then with a powerful leap, dove into the water amidst the raging current.
[ Doomscale Dragonification ]
To counter the strong current and the water monsters ahead, he activated his Dragonification skill, enhancing his stats futher. With increased strength and a dragon-like tail and claws, his swimming speed multiplied several times over.
Suddenly, He spotted a Water Serpent approaching, ready to attack.
But he didn’t stop.
With sharpened claws, he met the serpent’s massive, gaping mouth head-on.
Boom! Splash!
The serpent’s head was shattered into pieces, causing the water to momentarily part, allowing air to rush in. The gap quickly closed again, leaving Aengus with the creature’s body.
Without wasting any time, He used Skill Absorption on the Water Serpent.
[ You have gained the passive skill: Water Breathing (C) ]
He needed the skill to remained submerged freely in the water. He didn’t absorb anything else, considering the fragile state of his soul.
A passive skill wouldn’t affect him too much, as it’s usually linked more to the body than the soul.
As Aengus resumed his swim, he spotted another Water Serpent approaching. This time, instead of engaging it directly, he used Darkness King’s Authority to influence the creature, taking control over its mind.
Under his command, the serpent turned and swam away, creating a distraction to lure the attention of the other water monsters. Moments later, Aengus could hear muffled roars, growls, and hissing sounds beneath the water, indicating the chaos he had orchestrated.
After diving for another 20 minutes, Aengus finally broke the water’s surface and spotted land ahead.
In mere seconds, he was standing on the shore, glancing back at the long distance he had crossed, the dangerous water monsters and menacing fish still lurking beneath the surface.
Aengus moved through the dense jungle of towering trees, and dense grassy land.
“Hey, leave us alone! We got it first!”
A piercing scream stopped Aengus in his tracks.
Up ahead, he saw a noble-looking girl and her teammate standing against a young man with a vicious scar on his face. The tension between them was palpable.
“Fu*k, are you going to give it up or not? Don’t think I won’t kill you both. You’re barely D-Rank, and you two b**ches have the guts to challenge me?” he sneered arrogantly.
The first girl, holding a glowing white orb, glared at him. “Hmph, we are two, but you’re alone. Don’t think you’ll get away without consequences. Once we’re outside, my father will make sure to have his revenge. So, back off lowlife!”
The young man’s grin widened, revealing his twisted intentions. “Fuk your background! I don’t give a damn about your father. I’ll fu*k you both and then kill you, and no one will ever find out.”
With a swift motion, he pulled out a small vial of pink liquid and smashed it into his hand.
“Haha… Where will you go now?” he laughed with a perverted smile and malice. “I’ll fu*k you two to death.”
