Chapter 216: Chapter 215

[Shadow extraction successful.]

[Shadow extraction successful.]

[Shadow extraction successful.]

[Aaaaaaaaaah!]

From the remains of the dragonid soldiers swept away by the power of the Outer Gods' ax, Astra. Pitch-black shadows reach out towards the sky, screaming in agony. Those hands gripped the ground and began to pull their souls out from the sea of the afterlife. There were so many of them that, from a distance, it was an eerie sight, like watching a centipede with countless legs crawling up from hell.

"Huh?!"

Rio Singh's face turned deathly pale at the sight of the hellish scene. But Liu Zhigang's eyes gleamed instead. The scene reminded him of 'that day' long ago. The sight of Sung Jinwoo leading an army of thousands.

"Don't be afraid. They're on our side."

The black shadows, exuding a jet-black aura of death, made anyone who saw them feel fear. But surprisingly, each of those black figures had tears flowing from their eyes. Pitiful souls who had been forcibly dragged away, unable to even face death as humans after the endless pain of repeated experiments. No one could fathom their despair and misery. Therefore...

'I'll give you a chance.' A chance to take revenge on Siddharth Bachchan with your own power.

"All forces!"

Clank, clank, clank, clank! At Suho's command, they all lifted their heads and spread their wings. And they glared at Siddharth Bachchan with eyes burning with rage.

"Deploy!"

At Suho's order, the shadow soldiers who have returned from death spread their wings.

[Kyaaaaaaaaa!]

On the other side, the dragonid army, who were their comrades until just now and still follow Siddharth Bachchan's orders, flew in and began an all-out war with Suho's army.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

From bottom to top, from top to bottom. At the forefront of that fierce battle, Suho and Siddharth Bachchan clash once again.

"I don't need those small fries anymore! I've already completed Astra!" Siddharth Bachchan swung the Outer Gods's ax, once again.

Kuwang!

This time, it wasn't the ground that was cut, but the air, and a dimensional rift opened in the weapons path. The blue mist flowing through the momentary crack in the sky settled on the ax, Astra that Siddharth Bachchan held.

[Kieek?!] Beru's eyes widened as he witnessed the phenomenon. Now he saw that Siddharth Bachchan's plan had a far greater purpose than just imitating the Dragon King's army...

It was the superposition of rifts! Just as a void gate opens when three ordinary gates overlap, the soldiers who successfully implanted starpisces each opened countless tiny holes here. The energy of the Outer Gods flowed in through the gaps made by those numerous rifts, and the result of that power gathering into one was that ax!

[My liege! If we leave that ax alone, this entire area will turn into a world like that of the ice elves!] Beru shouted, pointing at Astra. He meant that the dimension would be torn to shreds, just like the icy land where Cha Hae-In and the ice elves lived.

"Then we need to stop it, not avoid it." Suho's eyes flashed as he gathered his strength.

[Using skill 'Giant's Armor'.]

"Swoosh!"

When Suho used Giant's Armor, a different phenomenon occurred than usual. The black flames blazing to engulf Suho begin to mix with the shadow's energy and influence his skill. As a result...

Ding!

[Skill 'Giant's Armor' has leveled up.]

Swoosh!

The armor wrapped around Suho's entire body became even more solid. He glanced down at the black flame-covered full-body armor and then rushed towards Siddharth Bachchan at tremendous speed. And he swung Vulcan's horns, which he now held in his hands.

[Using skill 'Storm Slash'.]

This time was the same. The Dragon King's flames clung to the fierce wind that raged from Suho's swords. A storm of black flames raged. At that moment, he felt the pain of the inferno that was tormenting him disappear for a moment. The Dragon King's flames that were burning him stretched towards Siddharth Bachchan.

"Yes. That's it!" Suho smiled faintly and nodded at Liu Zhigang's shout from afar.

"...So that's what it was."

The way Liu Zhigang had been expelling all his power from his body to avoid being mentally consumed by Itarim all these years. He had tried to imitate that method while using his skills, and it was effective. That realization immediately led to skill evolution.

[Skill 'Storm Slash Lv.4' evolves into skill 'Storm of Black Flames Lv.1'.]

Kuwang!

Siddharth Bachchan swung Astra and tore apart the Storm of Black Flames. Surprisingly, the inferno was cut as the air was split in half. But it wasn't completely blocked. The Dragon King's flames persistently clung to the blade of Astra, and then transferred to Siddharth Bachchan's body, inflicting serious burns.

"Kyaaaak!"

"You're being dramatic. It's just a little taste."

Suho chuckled at how satisfying his scream was. The brief respite was sweet, but Suho was once again engulfed in the flames erupting from the Heart of the Dragon King. But he knew the trick now.

"Que!"

Suho immediately used Ruler's Authority to step on the air and jumped higher than Siddharth Bachchan. Then, the shadow lancer Que, who had flown in at the right time, appeared behind Suho, grabbed his body, and spread his wings.

"Wheeeek!" Que changed direction and accelerated Suho's attack as he fell vertically.

[Ugh!]

Suho's flames also clung to Que, beginning to melt his shadow body. However, he only gritted his teeth at the Dragon King, more concerned about the fact that Suho had been enduring this level of pain alone than his own suffering.

But Suho, as if he couldn't feel the pain, concentrated all the flames on one point instead. By using 'Ruler's Authority.'

"Gather."

Fwoosh! The black flames burning him began to concentrate on his right arm thanks to Ruler's Authority.

"More! More! More! More!"

"How dare you imitate me!" Siddharth Bachchan gnashed his teeth and swung Astra at Suho, who was plummeting vertically from the sky. Meanwhile, all the black flames in Suho's body gathered, burning his right arm black. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his consciousness that felt like it was about to fade from the terrible pain. He swung his sword with his body so hot that even his sweat evaporated.

"Take this ..." He said, twisting the corners of his lips upward.

[Using skill 'Storm of Black Flames'.]

The highly compressed black flames mixed with the power of the skill. The moment his sword clashed with the Outer Gods's giant axe, Astra.

Kwong!

"...!" For a moment, Siddharth Bachchan doubted his own eyes.

'Astra...!' The blade of Astra, bestowed to him by the Great Gods! The moment it touched Suho's black flames, it started to boil and melt!

"Th, this!"

Siddharth Bachchan hurriedly pulled Astra back. Then, as if it had never melted, the blade began to restore itself, the blue energy gathering together. The material was, of course, the mana of the Outer universe, the blue mist, flowing from the dimensional rift. But this was not a moment to be relieved. Suho, breaking through the raging Storm of Black Flames in that split second, had already arrived right in front of Siddharth Bachchan.

Grab.

"Gotcha."

"...!"

His strong grip tightly grasped Siddharth Bachchan's horns. Then, the Dragon King's flames transferred completely to Siddharth Bachchan's entire body through him.

Fwoosh!

"Kyaaaak!"

"Endure it. This is the Dragon King's power you wanted." Suho smirked at him as he writhed in pain, clenched his fist, and struck vertically downward.

――――!

Every time he struck Siddharth Bachchan's head with his fist, a tremendous roar erupted as if a gas station was exploding. And finally, the two fighting in the sky plummeted to the ground...

"Keuk!"

Siddharth Bachchan's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out, and he vomited blood from the impact he felt on his back. But even at that moment, he had no intention of admitting defeat. Even in this dizzying moment, he looked up at Astra, which had fallen from his hand and was floating in the sky with wide eyes.

"Astra! Kill this guy!"

"Wheeeeek!" Astra gladly responded to his command. The giant ax blade fell vertically, aiming for Suho's back.

[Block it!]

[Protect the master!]

Countless shadow dragonids resolutely flew in between to protect Suho. Greed and Iron stood at the forefront, holding up a giant shield.

Crackle!

Astra descended, tearing through the air like an unavoidable judge of death. But even as they were torn apart by the giant ax blade, the shadow soldiers didn't back down. Greed and Iron, whose bodies were shattered first, were quickly restored by the vast magical power flowing from Suho like a tidal wave. They rose again to protect their master. But then something amazing happened...

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Flare!

Hot flames, like a mirage, clung to the black bodies of the shadow soldiers regenerated by the magic power originating from the Heart of the Dragon King.

[...]

The Dragon King's magic power surging from their bodies was a double-edged sword that even Suho couldn't control. The mana emanating from the Heart of the Dragon King was regenerating the shadow soldiers while simultaneously melting and destroying their bodies. It was as if the Shadow Monarch's power and the Monarch of Destruction's power were playing tug-of-war. At that moment. Greed and Iron exchanged glances as if they had agreed on something, their eyes shining. They instinctively realized what they had to do.

[Everyone, listen!]

[All forces! Charge!]

They threw away their shields and, along with the shadow soldiers burning with the Dragon King's flames, launched a physical assault towards Astra.

Flare!

Kaboom!

The blade of Astra, touching the hot flames, started to boil. Large and small holes began to appear. The ax which was plunging down with the force of divine punishment, lost its momentum in the air and began to disperse.

"Kyaaaak!" Seeing the unbelievable sight, Siddharth Bachchan, as if in a frenzy, plunged his claw-like mutated fingernails into Suho's side.

Rip!

Suho's defense was finally pierced, and blood splattered. But this level of pain meant nothing to him now. The blood spurting from his side instantly evaporated due to the Dragon King's flames that still burned his body, and as if he didn't care about the pain, Suho's hand still tightly grasped Siddharth Bachchan's horns, refusing to let go.

"Kyaaa! Let go! Let go of me!"

Siddharth Bachchan desperately struggled in the Dragon King's flames, ruthlessly attacking Suho's body with both hands. But rather than countering, Suho just silently held onto him. That alone was enough. And before long, Siddharth Bachchan's attacks visibly slowed down. And finally...

[Hmm. This is it.]

The Dragon King Antares, who watched the scene from afar, muttered indifferently.

[An inferior vessel eventually breaks.]

Thud.

Siddharth Bachchan's hands fell to the ground. Charred black.

Ding!

[Level Up!]

[Level 100 achieved.]

[The completion conditions for 'Job Change Quest: Dragon King's Trial 2' have been met.]

A mysterious wind wrapped around Suho's body, and the Dragon King's flames died down as if suppressed by magic.