Chapter 620

Fuck!

Ian’s movements to fasten his breastplate grew more urgent. He was no longer surprised by phenomena he'd never seen in the game. It was clear those souls wouldn't be returning to their original bodies. The Heaven Defier was truly sacrificing all its Apostles to use as power.

Crunch, crackle...

As if to confirm his thoughts, the Heaven Defier’s form began to change as it absorbed the souls. The blue light in its eyes and across its body deepened ominously. The horns on its head grew even longer.

Thud, crunch!

Its wings, staked at every joint, elongated as if the bones were growing. Its forelegs and hindlegs also mutated, muscles rippling as they lengthened. Yet, its torso remained the same size, creating a strange imbalance. And to top it all off, the scales all over it were flaking off like dust in the wind.

—You've forsaken even your pride as a dragon, Rakhmah!

A cold, heavy shout echoed. It was Archeas, who was retracting the wings that had been shielding it, releasing a thick cloud of mist.

—Melting souls into chaos... I can no longer call you a dragon. You are nothing but a demon fit for the void!

A dreadful violet light gathered in the Platinum Dragon's maw. The Heaven Defier, having absorbed all the souls, snapped its jaws shut. At almost the same instant, the Platinum Dragon unleashed its breath.

Fwoosh—

The brilliant violet breath blasted forth, engulfing the Heaven Defier as it ducked its head. Bolts of lightning ricocheted wildly off the cavern walls, refracted and split, until Rakhmah was engulfed.

Ian squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away. Even then, his hands didn’t stop; he locked the last piece of armor into place, fingers trembling only from heat.

With his eyes shut, he groped the ground until his fingers closed around the handle of his Truesilver Steel Sword. He had shed his gloves earlier, and the blade still seared to the touch, but he gripped it tight regardless.

Krrr...

The dazzling breath finally subsided a few seconds after Ian stood up. He opened his eyes and looked forward.

His eyes widened. The Heaven Defier stood in the same spot, wrapped in its now-larger wings. It seemed to have only been pushed back slightly. The remnants of the breath flickered and dispersed, replaced by that dreadful blue light.

—Now, it becomes clear.

A voice like grinding metal echoed. The Heaven Defier slowly unfurled its wings, which now sported sharp, bony claws at the tips.

—Fallen gold, you are no longer my match.

Ian held his breath as he took in the Heaven Defier’s revealed form. Its eyes were larger and more sharply slit, its teeth pointed. The horns, which had grown wildly in spirals, looked like an unholy crown.

—An archdemon? No, a demon lord suits it better.

Yog’s whisper was spot on. With its elongated limbs and all its scales gone, the Heaven Defier no longer looked like a dragon. It looked like a demon crawled up from the void. Of course, its appearance wasn't the only thing that had become repulsive and ominous. Ian's Intuition was already screaming of death.

"------!"

The Platinum Dragon roared. Archeas, too, clearly sensed the profound dread emanating from the Heaven Defier’s new form. A series of violet Mantras bloomed in the air behind it.

Swoosh—

The Heaven Defier raised the stake in its right hand at an angle. A thick barrage of lightning bolts rained down upon it. The sight was enough to snap Ian back to his senses.

Huh, shit.

He squeezed his eyes shut instinctively, sighing inwardly. Whatever that thing was, the fact remained: he had to fight it.

—We'll die if we jump in there now, my friend.

Yog whispered. He couldn't deny it, not even as a pleasantry. But it wasn't completely impossible to win. The hole in Heaven Defier’s chest was still there.

—If you want to live, there's only one way.

Ian's eyebrow twitched at the whisper.

—Fuse with chaos using me.

So that's what this is about.

Ian clicked his tongue silently. He had already experienced what that path led to.

—I'm not just saying this. It'll be different from before. You absorbed the Sacred Blood. It's not a coincidence that your chaos has behaved since then.

Yog pressed on, urgent and insistent. Ian frowned deeper as the whisper slithered through his mind.

—Besides, you are full of dragon's magic to protect you, and I've grown stronger since then, too. Not to mention I'm now your complete familiar.

The roar of the lightning bombardment faded. The Heaven Defier still stood, stake held aloft. Ian wasn't surprised. A creature that endured a dragon's breath wouldn't fall to a few spells.

His frown was for Archeas. As the violet Mantras scattered, its appearance had also changed slightly.

Grrr...

Its horns had split further, growing sharper. Its teeth and claws were also larger and more menacing. It had clearly unleashed the barrage of spells to buy time to accept more chaos power.

—Pathetic, Archeas...

The Heaven Defier flicked the stake. Remnants of lightning scattered, and azure flames flickered faintly on its horns and wings.

—Even now, you hesitate. You wear chaos upon your flesh, yet still refuse to let it claim your soul.

As it spoke, blue flames from its grip flowed down the stake. Violet lightning crackled from the crouching Archeas's horns and claws. Gripping the azure-flamed stake, the Heaven Defier kicked off the ground.

Woosh!

Its massive body shot forward like a cannonball. The Platinum Dragon also lunged, forepaws extended. However, the blue arc drawn by the Heaven Defier’s stake reached it first.

Crash, boom!

A blue explosion erupted. The Platinum Dragon was thrown aside, tumbling across the ground. Dragon bones piled at the edge of the clearing were scattered.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

As the azure firestorm faded, Yog’s voice crept in again.

—See? Even your new gear won't last long. You're really going to die this time. So why not take the risk, while you still can?

Ian gritted his teeth. Yog wasn't wrong. This wasn't the time for lengthy deliberation. The Heaven Defier, stake held low, was already charging Archeas again with a chuckle.

"Right. Everyone else is corrupted. I can't be the only one left out," Ian finally muttered.

He looked down at the hand gripping his sword. "Let's do it."

—Good choice.

Yog whispered, slithering up his arm. It was heading for his left hand. As Ian readily held his left hand out, a brilliant flash erupted in the distance.

Archeas had charged and was biting down on the Heaven Defier's left arm, looking as if it would crush it. Lightning burst from between its sharp teeth, scattering across the Heaven Defier’s stiff-looking hide. Of course, the Heaven Defier wasn't just taking the hit.

"------!"

With a growling roar, it slammed the azure-flamed stake into the Platinum Dragon's neck. A gruesome sound and a blue explosion followed. Archeas was smashed aside, tumbling through the bone piles.

Rumble... Rumble...

Meanwhile, Ian’s essence bead began to resonate, pouring out chaos. Yog coiled on the scale on his left palm, melting as it exuded a viscous chaos from it.

Boom—

Amidst the shrieks, explosions, and earth-shaking tremors, Ian looked down at the mask that had formed on his palm. Inside the mask, which had only empty eyeholes, a violet light shimmered, as if tempting him.

—Let's not get drunk on madness this time.

Yog whispered. Instead of answering, Ian licked his lips once and swiftly pulled the mask over his face.

Crunch! Boom!

Just then, the Platinum Dragon was smashed into the bone piles once again. Engulfed in blue flames, it didn't get up immediately as it had before.

Crackle—

Before the flames even subsided, a foot ending in hook-like claws stomped down on the center of it.

Thud, crack!

The Heaven Defier then pinned both of the Platinum Dragon's wings with its wingtips. It leaned its upper body forward.

"------!"

The Platinum Dragon roared, swiping its left forepaw to grab the Heaven Defier’s leg. It changed nothing. Ignoring the claws digging into its hide, the Heaven Defier looked down. Beneath its ominous horns, azure eyes blazed.

—I had hoped this day would not come, Archeas, my foolish nemesis.

The Platinum Dragon did not answer. It tried to swat the Heaven Defier’s head with its right forepaw. Its claws never came close. The Heaven Defier shot out its long left arm and caught its wrist.

—I had hoped we could stand together. But you, you never cease to disappoint me. Even now, you refuse to embrace chaos in full.

Pressing down with its foot, the Heaven Defier straightened. It raised its right hand high, the stake within it once again pointed downward.

—Now, I will put an end to our long, ill-fated bond.

It spat the words low and drove the stake into Archeas’s chest.

Crunch!

The tip of the stake tore through the hide and plunged deep inside. The azure flames flowing down it did not explode. Instead, they crept downward, burning away the violet chaos.

"------!"

Archeas unleashed an agonized shriek. Its eyes blazing, it thrashed convulsively. It could not throw off the Heaven Defier. The stake, streaming with blue fire, slowly burrowed into the Platinum Dragon's chest.

Krrrrk...

Leaning forward as if savoring the sensation, the Heaven Defier finally released its grip. As the flames on the stake subsided, the Platinum Dragon gasped in pain. It was not dead; the stake had missed its heart.

"Krrr..."

But it couldn't throw the Heaven Defier off or sit up. The stake pinned it, piercing its chest and embedding it in the floor. The Heaven Defier ignored it, straightened, and reached for the stake in its own abdomen.

—Endure it a moment longer.

Even though the Platinum Dragon had struck it repeatedly, driving it deeper, the stake slid out effortlessly. The Heaven Defier’s eyes grew cold.

—I shall tear open your chest and rip out your heart with my own hands.

Gripping the stake, it raised its arm again. Just as the Platinum Dragon's gaze wavered, the Heaven Defier suddenly shielded its head with an arm.

Sh-sh-shk!

It had sensed the waves of chaos flying at incredible speed. A moment later, red thorns slammed into its forearm, one after another. They were the size of toothpicks compared to its arm.

Boom!

They not only pierced its hide but also exploded on impact. It was enough to leave marks on the smooth, scaleless skin. At almost the same instant, the Platinum Dragon held its breath and snapped its head to the side.

—I... an?

Its astonished cry carried even more shock than when it had been impaled. Instead of an answer, another volley of red thorns flew. This time, they struck the back of the Heaven Defier’s hand.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A spray of explosions, like bloody blossoms, erupted on its hand. As chaos-laced fluids dripped from the torn hide, the Heaven Defier finally turned its head.

—

Hmm

... yes.

Its long, slit eyes narrowed as if in a smile.

—A much better form than before.

It had spotted a violet, chaos-infused demon charging, leaving an ashen trail. The demon gripped a charred dragon's rib in one hand like a greatsword.

Ian met the Heaven Defier's gaze and opened his maw, revealing two rows of sharp teeth.

"------!"