novelraw Chapter 405: Legendary Characteristics, The Arrival of the Old Golden Dragon
Chapter 405: Legendary Characteristics, The Arrival of the Old Golden Dragon
The red iron dragon stood in the sky, while the Sword Saint lay silent beneath the shattered earth.
With the conclusion of today's battle, the fearsome reputation of the Lord of Molten Iron was destined to sweep across every corner of the Ser Wilderness, even crossing mountains, rivers, and forests, spreading to more distant kingdoms.
The eyes of the followers burned with worship and fanaticism for their leader.
Deafening cheers and earth-shaking roars surged like a tidal wave, unceasing.
Opposite them, the human legion that had followed the Legendary Sword Saint now stood in dead silence, as if an invisible giant hand had seized their throats. Countless soldiers were pale-faced, their eyes hollow, unable to believe the reality unfolding before them. Their will to fight and discipline crumbled to dust in that moment.
They truly hadn't anticipated this outcome.
A major figure, a household name in the kingdom. A legend.
Had just died right before their eyes.
"Surrender and live! Resist and die!"
High in the sky, the dragon flock led by the iron dragon Sorog and the red dragon Samantha circled and roared. Their massive dragon wings cast vast swathes of shadow, completely enveloping the human legion below. Simultaneously, the fully armed, murderous monster legion on the ground began advancing with heavy, thudding steps, causing the earth to tremble continuously, as if beating war drums for this victorious army.It was unclear which soldier broke first, clattering as he dropped his spear, clasping his head in his hands and kneeling on the ground.
This seemed to be a signal.
Clang! Clang! Clang—!
Like falling dominoes, the sounds of metal weapons hitting the ground rang out in an unbroken chain.
Frontline warriors clad in heavy armor, who should have been the backbone, archers gripping their longbows tightly in the rear, even the army mages who usually held themselves aloft... their faces drained of color, they all discarded their weapons, kneeling and prostrating themselves like a receding tide, their bodies trembling.
A few officers with lingering courage tried to bark stern commands, attempting to restore order.
But their feeble voices seemed so utterly pale in the face of the legion's collective collapse.
Soon, they too, under the suffocating dragon might and the atmosphere of despair, dejectedly gave up resistance, ultimately choosing to yield.
Not long after, the dragon flock led the Molten Iron Tribe's legion warriors forward, beginning to methodically take prisoners, confiscate the mountain-like piles of weapons, and inventory and consolidate various military supplies.
The iron dragon Sorog and the red dragon Samantha beat their wings, flying to higher altitudes, gathering around the red iron dragon.
Samantha snorted scorching star-destroying breath from her nostrils, excitedly swishing her tail, as if the glory of victory belonged to her.
She declared proudly, "A mere human legend, before our great Molten Iron Tribe, can only turn to dust of history, becoming a stepping stone for the Molten Iron's fearsome reputation! When I, Samantha, also reach level 20, I'll personally kill a legend too, engraving this feat into my Dragon Legacy, to be praised by dragon-blooded descendants for generations!"
The iron dragon Sorog shot her a glance, timely pouring cold water on her enthusiasm.
"Look at those horrifying wounds on Garoth."
"Although we won this battle, it was by no means an easy victory. You, at level 20, challenging a legend would probably just be delivering materials to the opponent."
He then turned to the red iron dragon and asked, "Garoth, how are your injuries specifically?"
The armor on the red iron dragon's body had already receded, and his imposing aura had withdrawn.
Crisscrossing sword marks, deep enough to see bone, covered his robust draconic form, with hardly a single intact scale to be found.
In many places, the skin was torn and flesh ripped open, even revealing faintly twitching muscles and cracked bones beneath.
Several deep cracks marred his majestic, heavy faceplate, as if another inch deeper would have injured his skull.
One of his dragon horns had been sheared off a large section, the break smooth as a mirror. The most severe, however, was the gaping, front-to-back bloody hole in his chest and abdomen, its edges charred black, with dark red flames constantly burning and intertwining inside.
Garoth said, "The injuries are not light, especially since some sword energy remnants are still inside my body. I'm afraid I'll need to hibernate for a period to fully recover."
Sorog pondered for a moment, then raised another question.
"If... you weren't facing a Sword Saint, but a 21st-level legend from another professional path, like a legendary spellcaster or a legendary ranger, do you think, given your current condition and the previous combat experience, you could have a guaranteed win?"
Upon hearing this, a flicker of thoughtful light flashed in Garoth's eyes.
He didn't become blindly overconfident just because he had slain a legend. After a brief moment of contemplation, he slightly shook his head.
"Not necessarily."
He analyzed objectively, "Fighting different types of legends would be completely different situations."
"A conservative estimate, the probability of a draw might be greater. A guaranteed win... I can't promise that."
Legends achieved through different paths possessed vastly different combat styles and trump cards.
Take the recently deceased Sword Saint as an example.
After his legendary Domain was forcibly shattered by Garoth's brute strength, his human body's defense and vitality indeed seemed fragile compared to Garoth's.
This was normal.
Although a legendary human's physical attributes would greatly improve with the leap in life level, they typically still couldn't compare to a level 20 dragon, let alone a monster like Garoth who had undergone repeated adaptive evolution, with physical strength far surpassing his peers.
However.
The sheer offensive power of this Sword Saint had also cost Garoth one 'life,' leaving his body battle-damaged and severely wounded.
The defense Garoth had always prided himself on was, before the Sword Saint's blade, as fragile as paper.
Furthermore, the reason for such densely concentrated injuries on his body wasn't just because of his massive size and obvious target profile, nor was it solely because the Sword Saint's attacks were too fast to completely evade.
The key point was that the Sword Saint's attacks contained a certain 'inevitable hit' characteristic.
Garoth could rely on speed and reaction to evade absolute vital points like the heart, head, and eyes at the critical moment, but every single one of the opponent's sword beams ultimately landed on some part of his body.
Including the Sword Saint's final life-burning ultimate strike, Garoth similarly couldn't completely avoid it.
It initially locked onto Garoth's head.
Garoth relied on the instant explosive speed brought by his evolved wings for a limit-dodging maneuver, barely avoiding this fatal point, causing the sword beam to ultimately pierce through his chest and abdomen.
Otherwise, if his head had been obliterated in one strike, even the Dragon Pearl within his body might have found it difficult to bring him back to life.
'Almost ignoring physical defense' and 'attacks inevitably hit'... these two characteristics combined were already terrifyingly formidable. It was only because Garoth's physical attributes had also reached an unimaginable degree of strength that he could withstand the Sword Saint's attacks, shatter the opponent's Domain, and then press on to completely kill him.
If his physical attributes or recovery were even slightly inferior, he would likely have been chopped into mincemeat long before the Domain shattered.
However, precisely because legends were so powerful, the red iron dragon's feat of slaying a legend seemed so incredible.
Before him, the last recorded instance on the entire planet Bernardo of a mundane being slaying a legend was already thousands of years ago. Even the Lothrian Holy King, at level 20, only fought a legend to a draw.
Additionally, through inherited knowledge, Garoth understood the origin of those characteristics.
When mundane beings undergo life sublimation and reach the legendary realm, they not only comprehend destiny to shape their Domain, but also have the opportunity to transform and sublimate certain extremely powerful skills, or say, specialties, they originally mastered, turning them into even more formidable 'Legendary Characteristics.'
Therefore, theoretically, the characteristics possessed by every legendary powerhouse are not completely identical.
Even if he encountered another 21st-level Sword Saint legend in the future, that opponent might not possess the ignore-defense and inevitable-hit characteristics, but likely would have other equally troublesome strengths.
Regarding Legendary Characteristics, there are many other names in different inheritances and records.
Specialties, templates... the names vary, but the concept they refer to is roughly the same.
Simultaneously, the number and strength of Legendary Characteristics usually gradually increase and intensify as the legendary realm level rises, and are also closely related to the legendary being's own innate potential.
Whether a legend is powerful among peers of the same level, their characteristics occupy a very important position.
For example, on average, the number of characteristics of legendary dragons inevitably exceeds that of legendary humans of the same level.
"Any legend, regardless of race or profession, must never be underestimated."
"Who knows, some seemingly ordinary legend might possess a characteristic that severely counters me?"
Garoth didn't become arrogant or complacent because he defeated a legendary Sword Saint; his mindset remained steady.
Simultaneously, an idea sprouted in his mind.
"Can my Adaptation talent work against Legendary Characteristics? For example, can it evolve corresponding legendary resistances, causing those troublesome characteristics to have reduced effect on me, or even... become completely ineffective?"
He pondered internally.
This was undoubtedly an evolutionary direction with immense potential.
Unfortunately, it was clearly impossible now to find a living legend to cooperate with him for such attempts. It could only be left for the future, to see if suitable opportunities would arise.
Meanwhile, the iron dragon Sorog lowered his gaze to the dense, dark mass of prisoners on the ground, raising a practical question.
"These human prisoners, their numbers are not small. How should we deal with them?"
Samantha immediately bared her ferocious side, her dragon pupils flashing with cruel light, proposing, "Kill them! Turn them all to ash! Use their blood and wails to proclaim our dragon flock's supreme authority, letting all who covet the Ser Wilderness clearly know the consequences of opposing us!"
Her murderous suggestion was directly ignored by both Sorog and Garoth simultaneously.
The red iron dragon pondered for a few seconds, then said, "First, let's see if the Divine Kingdom of Theo is willing to pay a sufficient price to ransom these soldiers of theirs."
He had never been that kind of evil dragon who took pleasure in slaughter and brutality.
As long as the conditions were suitable and the benefits sufficient, he was willing to solve problems at the negotiation table. This often brought longer-term benefits than simple massacre.
"Having lost a precious legend, so many soldiers captured... they might not be able to swallow this."
The iron dragon Sorog said in a low voice, "After decades of relative peace, the land of the Ser Wilderness will likely soon be shrouded in the smoke of war again."
Hearing this, Samantha, far from showing worry, instead nodded heavily, her eyes burning with belligerent flames.
"The wilderness belongs to us! In the past, now, and forever in the future!"
"Anyone who wants to snatch territory from the dragon's maw must be prepared to pay a painful price! This might not erupt immediately, but it is unavoidable, destined to come!"
After seeing Garoth capable of shattering a legend, her caution and wisdom had receded; now her mind was full of thoughts of rivers of blood.
The red iron dragon didn't offer further opinion on this. He merely slowly raised his head, gazing toward the distant, tranquil sky.
During the previous battle, he had prioritized using external aids like the Nine Dragon Magical Medicine and the armor lent by the Gold Dragon Nasha, rather than immediately using the frenzied flame and Rage State, not choosing to go all-in and reveal all his trump cards.
Besides feeling it unnecessary, there was another reason.
He always had a feeling.
— Eyes beyond the sky.
His duel with the legendary Sword Saint, the entire process, might have been fully captured and recorded by some magical satellite suspended high in the heavens.
Ever since learning of the existence of the celestial instrument, Garoth had often considered this possibility.
Elina had provided the Molten Iron Tribe with considerable convenience using it, but perhaps others were also using similar things to secretly target him.
It must be known, it wasn't just the Lothrian Kingdom that had a magical satellite surveillance network.
Other kingdoms of some scale more or less also possessed similar technology or magical devices.
Even if they couldn't match Lothrian in quantity and quality, using them to monitor important events occurring in the Ser Wilderness was absolutely more than sufficient.
"Alchemical creations with anti-reconnaissance effects need to be put on the agenda."
Withdrawing his gaze, Garoth thought to himself.
He didn't want his every move to be monitored, to be live-streamed.
At that moment, two golden dragon figures beat their wings, flying up high, approaching.
The Gold Dragon Alberto wore a look of regret on his face, saying, "Garoth, I regret it. I should have insisted on fighting alongside you back then! That way, this feat of slaying a legend would also have a share of glory belonging to me, Alberto, enough to leave a thick, colorful stroke in my dragon life."
Beside him, the Gold Dragon Nasha's face was filled with excitement and curiosity, almost overflowing.
"What does it feel like? Killing a legend, what does it actually feel like?"
She swished her golden, glittering tail, impatiently asking the red iron dragon a series of questions.
"When you brazenly shattered the Domain the legend relied on for fame with your dragon claw, did you feel your blood boiling, your soul trembling?"
"When you finally smashed him dead onto the earth, was there a wonderful feeling of controlling life and death, trampling a legend?"
To be frank, not really.
Garoth's combat objectives had always been pure and direct—to win victory, to achieve strategic goals, to display his muscles and fangs to all potential enemies.
The process and sensations of the fight itself were not the focus of his pursuit.
However, under Nasha's gaze filled with excitement and immense anticipation, Garoth decided not to be a buzzkill dragon.
He grinned, saying, "Of course, it felt very good."
Hearing this, Nasha's eyes immediately shone brilliantly, her tail wagging even more happily as she said excitedly, "You achieved victory wearing the armor I lent you!"
"In a certain sense, it's equivalent to the two of us fighting together, teaming up to take down a human legend!"
"This glory has a share for me!"
Garoth nodded, playing along, "Hmm, you could say that."
As if suddenly remembering something crucially important, the Gold Dragon Nasha hurriedly said, "Right! My armor? Give it back to me quickly. I need to put it on immediately, to properly feel the residual warmth and aura on it! That must be an incredibly wonderful taste!"
Hearing this, Garoth hesitated for a moment, then handed the armor back to Nasha.
Nasha eagerly put it on herself.
She took a deep breath, savoring the residual scent belonging to Garoth and the fiery aura of battle lingering on the armor, then slightly closed her eyes, an expression of utter intoxication and satisfaction appearing on her face, as if reliving that battle as if she were there.
But soon, she felt something was off.
Nasha abruptly opened her eyes, lowering her head to carefully inspect the armor on her body.
She saw that on the originally complete and magnificent armor, there was now a very conspicuous, huge hole. The defensive runes around it had fractured and extinguished due to the structural damage, now dull and lifeless.
Her breath suddenly hitched.
The red iron dragon explained, "The Sword Saint's final desperate strike was too powerful, exceeding the armor's load-bearing limit, damaging it. Fortunately, I ultimately killed the Sword Saint for you, making him pay with his life for destroying this precious set of armor."
Opposite him, the Gold Dragon Nasha, after a brief moment of stunned dismay and heartache, quickly regained her composure.
She murmured to herself, "No wonder Father sent continuous messages just now. He probably sensed the armor breaking."
Alberto asked, "What did the old geezer say?"
Nasha slightly shook her head, "Garoth and the legend's fight was intense, I was watching with great enjoyment, hmm... so I rejected them all."
She tried actively sending messages to her old father far away in the Vophal Dragon Domain.
But all the messages she sent were like stones sinking into the sea, receiving no response whatsoever.
It seemed that over there was currently doing something with single-minded focus.
Beside her, Alberto was first slightly stunned, then, as if remembering something, his expression changed.
"Garoth, see you again when there's a chance!"
"This dragon suddenly remembers there's a matter of great importance concerning dragon life that needs handling. I must take my leave first!"
Before his words even finished, he was already impatiently beating his dragon wings, golden light shining around him, about to make a run for it.
However, Nasha's reaction was faster.
She lightning-fast extended a dragon claw, firmly grabbing the very end of Alberto's tail.
"Let go of me!"
Alberto struggled and growled in frustration.
Nasha, holding onto his tail, whispered, "Shut up, fool! Only thinking of running now? It's already too late! You'd better calm down first and think hard about how to come up with a decent-sounding excuse for later."
At that moment, the red iron dragon had already raised his head, looking toward the distant western horizon, his gaze grave.
At the edge of his vision.
An incredibly dazzling meteor, seemingly composed of pure golden light, was tearing through the long sky at an unimaginable speed, violently churning and shattering all clouds along its path, approaching their location with a terrifying velocity.
Every instant, the golden light expanded drastically in his vision, becoming increasingly clear.