Chapter 235: The Best Guide (1)
GpJV3He had lived alone for almost 500 years.MJiVCsr
G7MIxD5He witnessed with his own eyes the rise and fall of the dragons that ruled the world, and he also survived the humiliation of the new era of humans.QhO
MLHKnWA[Sarnus! Remember the vow you made to me!]ihnacr
QIgQSurvival itself is a test.0Si
7L2D9In a world where one either devours or is devoured, his very existence was proof that he had not been consumed by others.WDy
IdVuvtCThus, Sarnus, the oldest dragon who had survived, had built a position that no one else in the world could reach.WOrZ
ELHBm“A vow?”XHa
WtxtzAt Kihano’s desperate cry, strange tattoos began to emerge on Sarnus’s neck.HA151kS
NYIrSharp, black thorns sprouted and began to slowly tighten around his neck, responding to the will of their master.xvD
bhV1jks“…Kihano?”W57
lRZFacing the ancient pact he so feared once again, Sarnus could not hide his confusion.YSHOs
L7xm97qHowever, the surprise on his face was not due to the collar that bound him, but because of the blonde-haired knight standing before him.7D1M
DRrB0“Ah, I understand.”z3dmZ2
DAbNx6The ancient pact, which could only be activated by spilled blood or inherited will.Tpt9Y
pVuuukThrough that vow, Sarnus had been loyal to the empire and had protected the imperial family for hundreds of years.9KuxaE
oMjSbfj“It was you. It was you.”HUHGFs
6S1pkCrunch!ovhhO
LQsBut now, Sarnus no longer feared the vow he had made.hSM
AVVb3U0Calmly, he began to tear off the thorns that threatened him.0a0k
2OI“If it was you, then all of this makes sense.”rmdsx
pykSfzDRecognizing Kihano within Vlad, Sarnus started to laugh, finally understanding the entire situation.PV87k
oyaV3A trace of the most noble knight residing in the soul of a dragon.ZEay
gic2Sarnus, knowing what that meant, began to laugh without hiding the joy that welled up from the depths of his heart.tFctqb
vsu7E“At last, the most perfect dragon has been born!”w4Mj
CuZM4kThe city of Namarka was trembling.bWnSy
WonThe sound of the city shaking violently, like an earthquake, was akin to the groan of the earth, unable to bear Sarnus’s presence.1ZdYsWf
Qzlbec[…Damn it.]LJfC
bb32As Sarnus continued to relentlessly tear out the thorns that emerged from his neck and spread throughout his body, Kihano, seeing him approach while laughing, had no choice but to turn away.401opU
WpZ[Everyone, run!]XXcx4Sf
sNFFa4Kihano had something more important to protect, something he valued above all else.hwaH
YOdfzaIgnoring his own pride, he began shouting at his group, who followed him from behind, urging them to flee.dm5lE
TxghN[Return immediately!]JOT4sd
DEWvehUHe admitted that he could no longer withstand Sarnus’s level, who had reached such a lofty status that not even the most noble knight could match.T8oqBT5
DU3v“Kihano! Kihano Frausen!”hS418
GcjFLThe more Sarnus gazed at him, the larger and more overwhelming his presence became, like that of the oldest dragon.JwZsa
eeb9VAlthough the thorns of the last pact had momentarily stopped him, Sarnus’s gigantic shadow continued to chase after Kihano and his group.5p4
E5W“Finally, you see me and run!”q5bFbw
ku9The thunderous laughter of the oldest dragon echoed across the vast land.h9V
flUbHis existence, proven by his survival, and his perfection, elevated by absorbing another perfection, were now so high that not even the most noble knight could withstand them.kNfC
5bm35q***iyztWv9
9JFThe group that had gathered with Vlad—or rather, with Kihano—was hurriedly running towards some destination.c7fvhs
h7t4KXHaving reached near the city walls with the help of the warriors from the Ruga tribe, they slipped through a small hole, panting from the effort.9rG
H0oscU“What is this? A dog hole?”G0nsjVS
MJQKL“Just keep going! We should be thankful there’s an escape route!”Rkw
iGV2p8Nibelun shouted harshly at Radu, who hesitated in front of the hole. Resigned, Radu had no choice but to crouch down and crawl through.LztMjm8
3Xv3xX5With no other option, Radu stuck his head out, begrudgingly revealing his usual irritated expression.YWvtduA
ayciWa5“What kind of situation have we gotten ourselves into? Damn it!”hXTgk7o
44WRadu lifted his head and saw Pedro waiting for him outside the castle walls, muttering a small curse under his breath.0kHVw8
RG8kqY7The strange inquisitor who wanted to take him to the cold north, to the territory of the Iron Duke.QXlH
zlHgHowever, unlike before, when he hesitated, Radu’s movements towards him were truly swift.qsJ
W5hrI“They’re coming!”ZmQaIL7
y4FZThe half-dragon, the mage searching for mysteries, and the devout priest—all were terrified.GPjNl
WfuwLWAlthough each of them had a strong world of their own, none could be free from the overwhelming presence of the dragon that pursued them.CZHM
zrMQRC“…Why is there an army here?”JfQlW
DQSmoThey had barely exited the city, but there was no time to breathe a sigh of relief.ccJnW4
UXxEMqIn the distance, clouds of dust raised by approaching troops could be seen skirting the walls.6Tdv
YjG“Get on quickly!”nC5URd
IQbidZH“What is this?”V7rR1
r8Z“Don’t ask, just get on already!”Dm8dr
p32nkgThe men standing on a worn-out carpet looked ridiculous, but when Pedro grabbed him by the neck and dragged him on, Radu was shocked to see the carpet begin to rise.Voje6
iOG19e“Why is this thing floating?”zyo4
elZ“Now that we’re on, let’s go!”JDH7
xwWZIgnoring Radu’s unanswered question, Nibelun’s carpet began gliding over the wasteland.LZb0Aio
KrhwA0Countless arrows landed perilously close to them.H8Ls
OOIRadu swallowed hard as he saw arrows embedding in the spot where they had just been moments before.w7hWJ
P5c3“Why has an army come all the way here? Are they here to capture us?”WgD
M8ANibelun, who was guiding the carpet while gripping its edge, glanced at the soldiers in the distance, unable to hide his curiosity.c1WYo7
neGjl2D“It’s not just for us.”q4LKHZJ
eH8iZUAs Nibelun said this, a city became visible in the increasingly distant landscape.djof
ttpIt was a ramshackle city that usually received little attention, but now it was filled with central soldiers who had flocked there, and even with a vague estimate, their numbers were in the tens of thousands.xzd
bBhSJ“They’re ready. They’re preparing to march north.”Shvx
NtV7XwgRadu, who was wary of the cavalry charging from one side, unsheathed his sword and continued speaking.v5W10
fFJBhctClang-!J8e
QBseThe cavalry soldiers began charging towards the carpet as if they had finally seized the opportunity.KLvZ2
ZkcRadu, who roughly fended them off, hardened his expression as he looked at the cavalry soldiers still pursuing them.EJGc1d
uIH4“The North?”Cvx4tb
0EMwms“They’re going to break the northern alliance! Their original plan was to destroy it before the banners could be raised.”o4frs
TcUUNThe troops that had arrived in Namarka with Sarnus, the Dragon Duke, were part of the central army sent by the imperial family.IkY8
bLwoqNot only the royal family but also all the noble forces loyal to the Empire were gathering to form an army that would march north, assembling in the capital, Brigantes.mxHN
kY8“…If things had been different, I might have secured a position there.”Uwj
JQELh2Radu voiced his final regrets to the strong wind that passed by, but the sharp blade of the sword closing in directly in front of him brought him back to reality, away from his former glory.mo8Dvwv
rOL“…Can’t you make this thing fly any faster?”HoPr9
9b9Q10E“There are too many people on board!”casW
Da9Qf7When they were in the city of Moshiam, it was a flying carpet.pjr
I9JPBut now, overloaded with two additional people—Radu and a warrior from the Ruga tribe—not only could they not fly, but it was difficult to even glide along the ground.sVDe8
ZLb1so“Just get us to that mountain! The horses won’t be able to follow us there!”af0hDB
pRxAs if he had found the direction to go, Radu raised his finger and pointed towards the mountain ahead of them.qLNElZl
HJayGThe mountain, with faint smoke rising as if it were waiting for them, was part of a rugged mountain range that originated in the harsh north, making it a place with unusual danger as well.c2cI1A
V1X“Hurry up!”fkK9
c7aAs if they had heard what the group was saying, the cavalry that was pursuing them began to grow more aggressive.t3S4
uwCIt was clear they intended to stop the carpet before it reached the mountain ahead.UoZ
Va1ERumble!JVgO
CtnNqZAA tense pursuit ensued.V9MP
UXPbrfIn a situation where I would have frozen in place if I had stopped, a loud sound like thunder suddenly began to emanate from the city.K4qb
EqEN“Aaaah!”tSlTgC
IjtTDQW“Gaaaah!”KJ2Ham3
6kJ2fGxWith that sound, the carpet the group was riding began to shake helplessly.7iU8ynC
OUq3HdXEven the central army’s cavalry that followed them was affected.eYxcbw
Ml3Not only were the live horses stumbling, but the magic engraved on the carpet also began to falter, losing its power due to the harsh roar of Sarnus, who had finally broken free from the shackles of the pact.vMNt1
D4oocjCrash-! Thud!KWy1
yu8Nibelun’s carpet dragged through the falling riders, crashing to the ground.hM7G4
ThzAfter tumbling across the ground with the same momentum they had while riding the carpet, the group began to fall miserably, rolling across the wasteland unnoticed by anyone.UTvC
4dQsV“Ugh…”hgVN
Qded“Haaaah.”NusjED
01gs7Amid the cloud of dust kicked up by the fall, the groans of the group echoed in the air.RRybo0
h6HYP“Ack! Ugh!”rmCt5g
yKST6mHowever, it was Radu who suffered more than the old Pedro, as the massive roar that emerged from the dragon’s world was more fatal to Radu than to anyone else here.sdh9kL9
XZc5“Father… I’m sorry, father.”Utl5JH4
zcc1Though he could not see him, he could feel Sarnus’s presence. Seeing Radu pleading for forgiveness without even thinking of standing up, Kihano unsheathed his sword as if he had no other choice.CBWqYuE
futzq[Lend me your power and divinity. There is no other option.]Na5Y
RKhzThe cavalry soldiers who had been following them fell in front of them, probably as shocked as the group by the dragon’s roar, but the banners visible in the distance were still drawing closer to the group.Om0n22
diZ[······.]m0GpB45
uwICzjThe oldest dragon, with tens of thousands of troops, was approaching.zOxG6ZG
YzQaO2As despair loomed over them, Kihano was pondering a plan when he suddenly felt a small groove under his feet coming from the mountain.Ser1X2
hbuQjxf“When I walked alone through the valley of the abyss…”zGG23
Nk5oIGY“What am I supposed to do now?”7oF
ZKCLOonThe pressure from Sarnus on the group was growing more intense.AXh
7Ka53bhNow, even Nibelun and Pedro, who were not dragons, could feel it.CaMsH
rEMte3GHis presence, which began as an intangible force, had now taken form and was weighing down on them, so much so that the surrounding earth pressing down on them might not just be an illusion of Kihano.E1e
zdPIOThump!3P77
1SD6EzAbove the mage, who was reciting a spell, and the inquisitor, who was murmuring a prayer, a small groove that started from the mountain, passing through the bewildered mage, finally reached Kihano’s toes.d0ga0
yWI9Kihano, who hadn’t noticed its presence because his thoughts were so preoccupied, could only look down when he felt the small presence of something tapping his toe.8eqJc
K8c[…Hmm?]YLA
5JyJ0It was a tiny creature.npc
MlrgBut despite the fierce presence of the dragon that was approaching, the small creature lifted its tiny finger with determination.5MEZm
BUb0iKyu-!kXh
a6rsCrack-!rKh
guTCcbA loud noise was heard, and the ground began to collapse.3qAn
6dyIt was as if the finger raised by the mole was a signal.kXw
igJ“Aaaah!”SQJ
uoVUrds“What’s happening now?”A8cA
YTqU4A deep pit, with no apparent end, suddenly opened.iNPZfZO
FffTBXEven Kihano’s eyes widened as he watched the ground begin to collapse without warning.XBo1
cUYOtEiKyu, kyu-!Z8x
3T8The mole smiled as if it was finally time to see its companions fall with it.ms1onmN
80naA spirit of the earth that had finally descended here along the long mountain chain stretching from the north.giT
bmeNZThe mole, still raising its tiny finger, shone yellow with its own color, just like in Dobrechi.RjaSn
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