Chapter 258: The Last Piece (2)
zuFXC4The knights were gathering on the green meadows brought by spring.GemDww
SIHHThe allied knights, who couldn’t keep up with Vlad, had arrived late.5gn
VvAThe first thing they discovered in this field was the sight of a massive dragon gliding across the sky.Dxij
f3K1j“…My God.”mH16d
AqwzVjA golden-bodied creature that dazzled anyone who looked at it.hsp
yUT0The appearance of the dragon, shining brighter than the rising sun, was literally the closest thing to the most perfect image created by God.r1gPgw
vySTowW“Vlad.”KW0
MPfu9This was not the remnant of a fallen dragon, but a truly noble being, Sarnus.6oDzN4
C20lHowever, Rutiger’s gaze was more focused on the blonde knight racing below the dragon than on the power radiating from it.fiX
QsKH65mRooaaar!ydoR
JT8There was a dragon roaring furiously from the sky above.v4p
8LWI3M8“Noir-!”ZgYIWe
o3fAnd beneath it, galloping across the field, was the golden-haired knight riding a black horse.pRcEu9
jRw4C3Two worlds charging toward each other without slowing down, as if neither was willing to yield an inch.jhhIvP
lnWoxgThe intensity of these colors overwhelmed Rutiger, who unknowingly shut his eyes tightly.pcc
AoOK0“…I got it!”bC1Gc
qEqA voice came from behind those tightly shut eyes.JQy6
DEg0It was the voice of a boy who always looked to the stars despite being born in the mud.SMLf
lkpT“I caught it!”Lh5Otu
pYdEEdAAs if drawn by the sound, Rutiger opened his eyes again and found Vlad smiling at him.A9Q5
wdqCPb0“The last piece!”ImvFE6r
UGjvVlad raised his hand high, seemingly indifferent to the roaring dragon above him.R7D
QvnPjThat man was shouting loudly to the knights who had finally caught up with him.E6IpC67
nB290Now it’s our turn.vJS
xMIu3cSAfter being torn apart countless times by the vast world, it’s our turn to move forward.Oqm
JP9“…Everyone, raise your banners!”3FKXpK
YuMSh7ZAs if Rutiger had finally regained his senses with those shouts, the banners of the continent began to rise one by one.8eIf
wc9cgu2A group of people dreaming of becoming dragon hunters started charging vigorously alongside him.czX4J9I
QvmCsVThe green pastures began to tremble with the feast of knights, something only seen in territorial battles.3bYnTSz
mH1UC***jm3
QMjJRooaaar!KsB44p
8ZS“Ugh!”7WDuh
cThXStThe powerful roar echoing in his ears made Vlad stagger for a moment.tvw2v
S2Adlov-You wretch! Until the very end!prmm
kAXThe dragon’s presence was enormous, and the pressure it exerted was like a mountain.0IUH
1Rm1mJeHowever, more than the fury of Sarnus roaring from above, what bothered Vlad at that moment was the whisper of the piece he held in his hand.F8vjJ
VQceet-Hurry and take me! If you do, you will be perfect!k5Abjfw
mh8It was a voice he had heard before in the iron city of Bastopol.RCrw8yW
7Ek0WjWBut this time, the dragon piece glowed even more intensely in red, relentlessly trying to invade Vlad’s world.TqKn
QXW[Vlad! Vlad, stay focused!]XYqkny
18PFLgv“…Guh!”S8z0ujI
1S8The threat from the sky and the temptation from his hand.0umxTp
DJeIn the midst of those intense cries, a huge shadow began to appear once more above Vlad’s head as he vigorously shook his head.ipr7VOx
I98c-Hand it over already!VkkNn0A
EKHThe bright white horn of the unicorn began to tremble in urgency.Zggo
UxznJJjHowever, the movements of the black horse to evade the opponent ultimately only make sense if coordinated with the rider.hERfJQ
pvLRCrash!BViLg
wCQBut the sharp claws of the dragon didn’t strike Noir—they hit another target that had intervened.h3dY6U5
o23“…Pablo!”9OVlZ
sFtED0“Argh!”mb3g00M
tAq7The world of that knight was like the wall of a castle.8tz0t
nCDP64But before the most ancient dragon, his world could only buy a brief moment for Vlad as he shouted:ROpg
7ANTLD“Go quickly!”1sJLfo
KDNAs soon as he finished speaking, the horse Pablo rode began to collapse.vd9
NI2wHowever, Noir, who had started running, left them behind and charged toward the knights in front.lWamjZ
9AQ“Good work, Vlad!”Ft6Xh
YyDGhlV“Reform the lines!”u6iLZAY
sg6HJgThere were two flags waving as Vlad fled.ewevxZ
uHLL“Execute the plan! Hold your formation!”R2p
IPdUM6o“The time to avenge Lord August has come for the Imperial Guard!”uCwX
FIXAtThe banner of Bayezid, surrounding the walls of Sturma, and the banner of the Imperial Guard, symbolizing the black lightning.fYWcK3v
sjxBehind the standard-bearers holding the flags were the knights who had chosen their respective worlds.TSaiM
VrEPPL-Cursed humans!yPFqEE4
8XKtqThe elite forces from the North and the Center charged at the ancient dragon.sgmK
970SEThe numbers alone totaled roughly dozens.m3ePm2m
ohzswSeeing this, Sarnus couldn’t forgive these inferior beings who dared to challenge him.Wy5
gIgx[Let them all perish!][1]uo6eR
paJbBqyFrom the brilliant piece Vlad held emerged a phrase full of the dragon’s rage.RiB3
WMovIt was Sarnus’s wrath and his teaching to these ignorant knights who didn’t understand a dragon’s fury.dIYbStr
LaABoom!BgttIG
NZqWThe green fields began to collapse under the dragon’s immense will.jHbiAX
Ks0bwBMThe cracks spreading across the ground were so wide they could even swallow the galloping horses.RJu
cHgmThese abyssal fissures marked the divide between the dragon and the knights, showing them their true place.QuxdH
pLfGLh“…What the hell!”yfiLRbW
6xRDI“It’s the power of the dragon’s language!”7x6Nqf
RLxGTkTerrified, the knights forced their horses to turn and search for another route.TkDW
CCw0Y“I didn’t think he had already reached such perfection!”tCk
DM8oJThe dragon’s language, a power that allowed him to impose his own truth upon the world.GcTVZsC
gHLConfronted with the possibility of the dragon, which until now had only existed in texts, the commander of the Imperial Guard, Rodrigo, bit his tongue.luff6
FwIjDL-How dare you, humans!QzvjK
6Wr5Roooaaar!LeXKS
ihuMklAThe dragon’s roar reverberated with a force no one had anticipated.VZ1JGi
1lqIt wasn’t fear or doubt, but pure willpower, capable of crushing the spirit of any warrior.9Fd6Mz
bHkOJOnly those who had built their own world could withstand the dragon’s roar.Jfdx
Tlp“Argh!”AkG
3UXE3“I can’t take it!”7UP
CClpavAlong with the black blood flowing from their ears, desertion began to spread even among the knights who were considered the elite of the continent.oCG
MSo3q“Damn it!”ulF6
ARqXT22Time was not on their side, and the battlefield belonged to the dragon.Sb1oKG
PR3iSarnus’s blue eyes began to gleam as he looked at the small worlds fleeing from him.iROh
1YQJi6E-I don’t reflect like a perfect dragon would.vvEHs6k
SaqHADBut despite his smile, the back of his neck swelled with intense red energy.PTQJSY
VwvWdR-I just want to destroy it all.zlVU
nrjVyPDThe dragon closest to perfection in this era was gathering fury in his lungs.6lwKqn
yOIaUIt was the dragon’s breath, capable of burning everything in this world.NmR58
GFhtavhThe dragon’s fury, which had even melted the walls of Bastopol, now stared directly at Bayezid and the Imperial Guard’s banner.Hfv8vo6
rnj3***h84HU
gc9tKR“Dammit! These humans think everything can be done just because they say so!”11Rmu
keCC8VA bit farther from the battlefield, where the knights and the dragon were fiercely fighting.5THEQfE
SjkPPkAHere, where a very pale Vlad was taking a moment to catch his breath, a large group of Nidavellir dwarves was gathering and assembling a single siege weapon.rpDBJs
VLKym5“They don’t understand that perfection comes with time and guaranteed budget!”WY3u
bfYU3kXSigurd’s grumbling was almost a shout, but in contrast, the weapon that was slowly coming together was gaining its own value.cBWo
hQ9RlxYThe weapon, slowly taking shape, was a ballista similar to the one seen in Bastopol.OEd85PB
e68EHowever, the tension in the bowstring, created by its gigantic size, made it seem as though it could snare not only a wyvern but something even bigger.1nT0M
2DDU“Captain! Look at that!”hut4K
5cilHowever, the time given to them was cruelly short for the dwarves.aQy
bBH5dBecause the fury of the oldest dragon was about to be unleashed through its throat, straight towards the knights.LENZeB
nMFs6hh“…Dammit! Fire now!”Of3
YQq“But we haven’t finished aiming!”AymE0I
PWqshN“Just fire, you bastards!”INdN
8dLThis would be their first real attempt in a combat situation.kWcZ2QA
9M7However, Sigurd chose the most necessary moment rather than the most precise one, and he began forcefully turning the ballista, which wasn’t fully assembled, to aim at the dragon before him.pgc98s
DLiW“It’s now or never!”NOY8
s1a4A huge dragon appeared before Sigurd, who stood alone at the aiming post.MBSy
d2eGfTRA golden dragon, glaring down at Bayezid and the imperial guard, as if it hadn’t yet noticed their position.6CEpCK
k19“For our ancestors.”r4P
4KHaZU6Bang!zpDvdw
fsK9xQYThe giant arrow fired by Nidavellir tore through the air, heading straight for the dragon’s gleaming scales.5oX9
TjqqTQ***s4GR
XjcGaXS“Everyone, scatter!”NFc0C7Y
mcUhRutiger’s shout rang out strongly, but the Bayezid knights couldn’t obey that command.fSQ3EhB
nlqRumble!TlIAdgN
2KSmz8jThe ground was still shaking violently, and the horses were so terrified they couldn’t move a step.oMY
n9yXbFThe knights, overwhelmed by the enormous presence of the ancient dragon, swallowed their awe, unable to release it, as they watched the red flames now visible before them.v5ZNzd2
NKRwUNWhoooosh-29e9Le
ZE5Yhk4It was a battlefield so tense that it felt like time had stopped.J3to1MO
xpgN7tXThe difference between life and death was just one breath away from a dragon’s exhalation. At that moment, the world of the dwarves came flying behind the knights.H0a
P5u-······!3zjjS
njrtRUfA spear tip made of an eternal flame that no longer existed.x53OHR7
lVGOne of the few possibilities that the most perfect dragon, Sarnus, feared was now heading toward him.x5xL
UEdNJ“We did it!”USXD
Y8wptThough it was a forced shot, it was a direct one.IJSmi
BqlFor that reason, Sarnus had no choice but to redirect his breath toward the dwarves’ spear, which was flying to a spot he couldn’t ignore.J5Nr
A52qJRoaaaar!HmICDm
a6dA red beam of light shot forth, as though it would pierce the sky.5oYyp
jlGhkhuThe clouds began to split apart at the contact with the dragon’s breath, proof that this energy was not in vain.MCFQ
g2qe3z“How brutal.”Kexjpmw
T7PThough the dwarves’ spear didn’t reach the dragon, it saved the knights but disintegrated without a trace, flying towards the sky.CY4136W
PykIHowever, Sigurd didn’t have time to lament the failed shot.Pve6
bjBr“…I had a feeling we were running low on spearheads in the warehouse.”g6qxc
hNnVuBecause the dragon’s enraged gaze was now fixed on where he stood.LwICP
7vfxdHThe dragon’s destructive breath was now descending upon the ballista Sigurd was manning.ONU
41pQNo longer aimed at the knights at the front, but at the dwarves’ weapon that had just posed a significant threat.jU0vaJ
mNPjuM“It must have been when the perfect dragon burned everything.”cg9
Ao11Boom!R32Pg
S35DwsGA great wave of heat surrounded Sigurd’s back as he jumped hastily.Uev6Db
YzIlISigurd froze, imagining his own death in the intense heat, as though hundreds of bombs had exploded at once, but a hand grabbed him from behind.96azK2j
QhnO“You’re small in stature, but what you handle is quite large.”OvqG2s
yD5i“What?”dHD
OclUhA man with deep navy-blue hair caught the dwarf, who had rolled into a mess.4wyJO
dS7JJA magic circle drawn by water spirits suddenly emerged from Baradis’s fingertips, who raised a large pentagram above his left eye.o2Gz
AgKImBoom-!RDbwZOo
YVLD***IQv8gux
FY9JM-Take me quickly. Don’t you want to soar like the dragon you see there?xCO0
7rBO“Ugh…”GZwzcK3
3vwKms-You don’t know the joy of keeping the world underfoot. Little dragon. Don’t think that the world you’ve seen and experienced is all there is.Jrp
NXl1Vlad, who had hastily escaped, was still holding the blood-red dragon piece in his hand.F5j5y4e
L48MThat piece, which seemed to be stuck to him like glue, clung obsessively to Vlad more than any other part.28cCgrP
9tcCUf[…It seems the last dragons have gathered and become even stronger.]Dvon09
0Qka45MTwo dragons, close to being the most perfect.3MLbnbn
aUXGfvEThe red piece, inspired by the world of dragons they represented, whispered to Vlad to claim it at once.HoqY9i
p78jvBecause it knew that no matter who took it, in the end, only one dragon would survive.Lsx
TMZty9[Vlad…]5FEpnh
U0V8It seemed as though it couldn’t bear to see this, and the Ruga tribe tattoo engraved on Vlad’s left arm began to twist.QRN9Q
32RYIt was a mystery, like a curse, representing a black lightning bolt.aMeX30
HcR2e1PHowever, Kihano, who was trying to activate the mystery, paused for a moment when he saw Vlad suddenly stagger.KdoNL
jrCoQ“I can’t see.”PVgK2
p9uI8Vlad’s hands wandered as if searching for something.Jf4hZP
EdwYdThat action, which resembled that of a blind man, caused the dragon piece that kept whispering and Kihano to fall silent for a moment.O7MEpK
6v0Kraaaaaa!Sg8T
wUjBecause of that, his inner world grew a little quieter, but this place, still a battlefield, was filled with someone’s shouts and cheers.0vxBkN
RNe7WCg– Push it! Break it off!cOB
snX– Aim for the wings!e4e1ShU
U5SaakAKnights of the continent were fighting beneath the ancient dragon.iZ6d
1tJVy– We’re out of ballistae!7II9G
tnV– We don’t have any more spare parts!qXP
j3zThe dwarves kept bringing pieces, unaware that their beards were burning in the fierce flames.x8bpqr5
yt0– Awaken the spirits! We must block the dragon’s wings first!bI12i
k15And the elves kept shooting arrows at the knights, who desperately tried to shield themselves from the dragon.Kgjj3
UFRK“…..I can’t see anything.”k2NAT7
oQIV7Vlad dove deeper into his inner world, trying to resist the temptation of the piece.Bw5U
xipo76dThe battlefield Vlad saw through that world was filled with tiny stars, losing their light under the pressure of a brighter world.43NXo
t7bC“Is that perfection, Kihano?”kfIvI
g4WhD[Yes.]OX4o
4rlThere were screams that could not be seen but were heard.HnwBX6r
l6FOCThey were the screams of the worlds that had been with me.MQ1L
kdzE95OThe world of Vlad, which had slowly started to emerge at the sound of their last words, began to take shape in his blue eyes.qHklt7
QYK“It’s too high. No one can reach that.”Ey7h9jU
XF1PAll the worlds in this world are precious things that cannot be replaced, but under the great sun, they were like stars’ lights that cannot be seen beneath its radiance.16s
MU7qBCThus, watching the worlds cooling beneath the golden sun that soared through the sky, a golden horizon began to rise from his left eye, which had been closed.WOyi8r9
OGJV“…I should bring down perfection.”g0Uc
PKxstD[How?]QgZK1
jYySdKihano always provided answers, but this time he asked questions.i7BCW
2r0wNBecause my correct answer didn’t make sense to Vlad, who found his own path.E4HO95q
QkWU“By summoning the night sky.”9CD
MqOiqHe didn’t need the most perfect possibility.2PQXu4y
YJtNor that great sun floating above.I1A
DkKTo bring down the star that extinguishes all other stars because it shines alone, a calm night sky was needed, where all could shine.pW4ZSH
53i“This piece could be anything.”7Ma4
W2II[If you wish it.]Vd0F8
upVaD“I can do anything.”Sr4Bdy
Ny1eCmy[If you wish it.]50a
pkaHearing Kihano’s response, Vlad looked at the dragon piece he held.96hmH
UsSA dragon piece that could be anything and do anything, like me, who had originated from a dragon.lwwC9E
ENtaRRVlad, who remembered the appearance of the black moon through another piece, realized it was time to get the canvas he wanted.xaX
zan0-······!AK1
557BThe piece that Vlad had carelessly tossed rolled across the green meadow.ME2qL
8lyuPBShining under the sunlight, it was the most perfect piece that anyone would covet.FO74k7d
08OMHowever, the dragon of this era didn’t surrender to perfection and simply sought to evoke his own world.cnhB
z9sf[Imagine intensely the landscape you desire. It would be even better if it exists in your memories.]dli
fwj“…In my memories.”HthxIW
XwBGXj8Vlad sought to create a sky without dragons using a dragon fragment.3gNzuMm
32BrOfA night sky began to emerge from his mind.X8iF3ot
vOs2P6“I want a world without dragons.”CNtJ
UZcaThis was a conversation with his sword, a spell to bring his world into reality.fPaC
o5ndEW“I do not wish for perfection.”nrsPf
akEkOne who could bring the world he envisioned into reality could be called a master of the sword.n9IQw
6WLGha“In the world I draw, I hope no one will look down on others.”FCD8K
ui1HxSomething began to stir in Vlad’s blue eyes as his world took form.HTirT
lgE2AIt was the night sky he was trying to draw today, a sky where all stars could shine.QwtpX
DKiFDKb“This is the world I desire!”XQAr
ZmRa3FH-······!Lui4S
Ki2ZSCrack-!3i2otm
JZRuFCVFrom the tip of Vlad’s sword, which had struck with great force, the red piece began to crack.71PZQ
oRNgLA piece that had the potential to become the most perfect being in the world.yRSDK
viey2ZHowever, the destiny of the last piece was not the most perfect world, but the dark night sky envisioned by Vlad.54l8ko
CTGHjQE– You raised the moon. You did it.H3Mp
Sc51Tg-······ We did it together.dcmXlQ
ZLcmA– Yes, together.Gy2t
BMlbFor the stars of this era that could not reach the high night sky.hex
KTMiqx8What the dragon, who had given up even on his own perfection, wanted was a night sky where everyone could shine.CzU
gCr“What is this?!”T71cjG
Js2nuDPThere was a dragon falling into a world no one could see.U0Ooqx8
mBPQpHThere were also red fragments floating like dust on the dragon’s wings.ZEW
pvA2IThe place where the dust was heading hovered above the sky, where another dragon sculpture existed.EeUcE
qYdLWOJ– Yes, we did it together.9NG
AE0R3iA black moon rose alone in the night sky where no one could fly.CmN1vO
R1yGThe moon in the night sky embraced the man with dark eyes and said its farewell.HHwW
L9JNCxThis place, where the light of the moon descended, was the world Vlad had drawn.mbSkmZ
ivC8RaT/N:U1M
Ebpe1: “용언” (yong-eon) literally means “Dragon Word” or “Language of the Dragon.” In the context of many Korean fantasy novels, this expression refers to a special power that dragons possess to alter reality through their speech or verbal magic.AW2Is
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