novelraw Chapter 82 - 78 The Ancient Memory of Dragons 2
Chapter 82 - 78 The Ancient Memory of Dragons 2
The cavern shook as the colossal **Ancient Guardian** awakened.
Stone cracked and crumbled from its body as it stepped forward, revealing a massive dragon-shaped construct made entirely of ancient black rock. Its wings unfolded with a grinding sound, releasing clouds of dust that filled the air.
Two glowing crimson eyes locked onto John.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
**ROAR!!!**
The stone dragon unleashed a thunderous roar that shook the cavern.
John grinned.
His golden eyes gleamed with excitement.
"...Now this is interesting."
The system panel flashed again.
**[Enemy Identified]**
**Ancient Guardian**
**Tier: 9 Peak**
John flexed his claws.
A Tier 9 peak creature.
That meant it was **far stronger than anything he had fought recently**.
But instead of fear...
John felt excitement.
After all—
If he wanted to reach Tier 10 someday...
This was the kind of opponent he needed.
Behind him, the faint purple flame inside **Valtherion’s skull** flickered silently, watching.
"...show me..."
"...young abyss dragon..."
"...how far your bloodline has fallen..."
John snorted.
"...We’ll see about that."
---
# The Battle Begins
The Ancient Guardian moved first.
The massive stone dragon slammed its wings downward.
**BOOM!**
The impact shattered the cavern floor.
Stone spikes erupted from the ground like spears.
John instantly reacted.
His wings spread wide.
**Shadow Flight activated.**
His massive body vanished into a blur of darkness as he shot upward.
The spikes missed him by inches.
John inhaled deeply.
Black flames gathered inside his throat.
**Abyss Breath.**
He unleashed it instantly.
**BOOOOOOOOM!!!**
A beam of abyssal fire slammed into the stone dragon’s chest.
The explosion filled the cavern with black flames.
But when the smoke cleared...
The guardian was still standing.
Only small cracks had appeared across its stone armor.
John blinked.
"...Tough."
The guardian roared again.
Then it charged.
Its claws slammed into the ground with terrifying speed for such a massive creature.
John barely dodged as the claws tore through the stone where he had been standing.
The entire chamber shook.
John counterattacked instantly.
His claws glowed with void energy.
**Void Claws activated.**
He slashed across the guardian’s neck.
**CRAAAAACK**
This time the damage was real.
Stone fragments exploded outward.
A deep gash appeared across the guardian’s neck.
The red glow in its eyes flickered violently.
John smirked.
"Good."
"So you can bleed."
---
# The Guardian’s True Power
The guardian suddenly stopped moving.
Its entire body began glowing with ancient runes.
John narrowed his eyes.
"...Oh?"
Then the cavern shook violently.
Mana flooded the area.
The guardian’s body grew larger.
The cracks in its armor repaired themselves.
And its aura...
**tripled.**
The system flashed again.
**[Ancient Guardian entering Overdrive Mode.]**
John’s eyes widened slightly.
"...You’ve got a second phase?"
The guardian roared again.
This time the roar contained raw mana shockwaves.
**BOOOOOOM**
The shockwave slammed into John and sent him sliding across the cavern floor.
Stone shattered beneath his claws as he stopped himself.
"...Okay."
"...now you’re getting serious."
Behind them, Valtherion spoke softly.
"...good..."
"...the guardian still functions..."
"...after all these millennia..."
John launched himself forward again.
The battle became chaos.
Stone and fire collided across the cavern.
Claws clashed.
Explosions shook the underground ruins.
The two Tier 9 monsters fought like natural disasters.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The cavern was half destroyed.
John was breathing heavily now.
Cracks covered the guardian’s body.
But John also had wounds.
Several stone spikes had pierced his scales.
Black blood dripped onto the ground.
Yet his golden eyes still burned with excitement.
"...You’re strong."
"...But you’re not enough to stop me."
The guardian roared again and charged.
John inhaled deeply.
Dark energy gathered inside his chest.
But this time...
It wasn’t just Abyss Breath.
His entire body began glowing with abyssal power.
Even the system reacted.
**[Skill Resonance Detected]**
**Abyss Breath + Void Claws + Dragon Fear**
John roared.
**ROOOOOOOOAR**
The entire cavern shook.
His draconic aura exploded outward.
Even the guardian staggered slightly.
Then John fired.
**ABYSS NOVA.**
A massive sphere of condensed abyss energy exploded from his mouth.
It slammed directly into the guardian.
**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!**
The explosion was catastrophic.
Stone shattered.
Shockwaves tore across the ruins.
Dust filled the cavern.
For several seconds...
Nothing moved.
Then—
The dust slowly settled.
The guardian stood frozen in place.
Cracks spread across its entire body.
Then—
**CRASH**
The Ancient Guardian collapsed into thousands of broken fragments.
The crimson glow in its eyes faded.
The battle...
...was over.
---
# Valtherion’s Recognition
John exhaled slowly.
Black smoke escaped his mouth.
His body was exhausted.
But his eyes shone with satisfaction.
Behind him, the ancient dragon skull spoke again.
"...impressive..."
"...very impressive..."
The purple flame burned brighter.
"...you possess..."
"...true dragon potential..."
John turned toward the skeleton.
"...So I passed?"
The ancient dragon chuckled faintly.
"...yes..."
"...you passed..."
Then something unexpected happened.
The skeleton began glowing.
Ancient mana gathered around it.
John stepped back slightly.
"...What’s happening?"
Valtherion answered calmly.
"...a reward..."
"...for one who walks the path..."
The bones of the ancient dragon began dissolving into glowing particles.
A massive orb of condensed energy appeared above the ruins.
The system reacted instantly.
**[WARNING]**
**[Ancient Dragon Essence Detected]**
John’s eyes widened.
"...You’re giving me your power?"
Valtherion’s voice became faint.
"...not power..."
"...knowledge..."
"...and a step closer..."
"...to the truth..."
The orb slowly moved toward John.
Then it merged with his body.
Instantly—
John felt it.
Memories.
Ancient skies.
Colossal dragons fighting across continents.
World-ending battles.
Creatures larger than mountains.
And something else.
Something terrifying.
Something beyond Tier 10.
John’s eyes widened.
"...What... is that?"
Valtherion spoke one last time.
"...the true league..."
"...where the real monsters live..."
---
# The Truth of Tier 10
The ancient voice continued.
"...listen carefully... young dragon..."
"...because this is knowledge lost to the modern world..."
Images filled John’s mind.
He saw dragons reaching Tier 10.
And then...
Something changed.
Their bodies transformed.
Their auras became completely different.
Their power...
...was no longer limited by the world.
Valtherion explained.
"...Tier 10..."
"...is not the peak..."
"...it is the **gate**..."
John’s heartbeat quickened.
"...Gate?"
"...yes..."
"...the gate to the **True League**..."
Valtherion continued.
"...beings below Tier 10..."
"...are bound by the world..."
"...by its laws..."
"...by its limits..."
"...but once a creature reaches Tier 10..."
"...those limits begin to break..."
New information appeared in John’s mind.
Beyond Tier 10...
There were higher realms of existence.
A completely different hierarchy of power.
Valtherion spoke slowly.
"...after Tier 10..."
"...comes..."
**Tier 11 — World Breaker**
Creatures capable of destroying continents with ease.
"...then..."
**Tier 12 — Star Sovereign**
Beings who can travel between worlds.
"...and beyond that..."
Valtherion’s voice trembled slightly.
"...existences that even dragons feared..."
John’s pupils shrank.
"...You’re serious?"
"...yes..."
"...the universe... is far larger than Terraxos..."
"...and Terraxos..."
"...is only a small battlefield..."
John stood frozen.
Everything he thought was the peak...
Was only the beginning.
Valtherion finished.
"...Tier 10..."
"...is where the **real game begins**..."
The flame inside the skull flickered.
"...but reaching Tier 10..."
"...is the hardest step of all..."
"...because the world itself..."
"...will try to stop you..."
John frowned.
"...The world?"
Valtherion answered quietly.
"...because creatures above Tier 10..."
"...are disasters..."
"...and Terraxos fears disasters..."
The flame began fading.
"...remember this..."
"...young abyss dragon..."
"...your bloodline..."
"...once ruled the skies..."
"...do not let it fade..."
The purple flame flickered one final time.
Then—
It disappeared.
Valtherion was gone.
---
# John’s Realization
The cavern fell silent.
John stood alone among the ruins.
But his mind was racing.
Tier 10...
Was just the beginning.
Beyond it existed:
**Tier 11 — World Breakers**
**Tier 12 — Star Sovereigns**
And possibly even higher.
John slowly exhaled.
"...This world just got a lot bigger."
The system panel appeared again.
---
**[New Information Registered]**
**Ancient Dragon Essence absorbed**
---
### Skill Upgrades
Ancient Dragon Instinct → **Level 7**
New Passive Skill Acquired:
**Primordial Dragon Memory (Lv.1)**
Grants fragments of knowledge from ancient dragons.
---
John stared at the new skill.
Then he smiled slowly.
"...Good."
"...Very good."
His wings slowly spread.
If Tier 10 was the gate to the true league...
Then he would reach it.
No matter what.
John looked toward the deeper tunnels of Terraxos.
His golden eyes burned with ambition.
"...Looks like my journey just started."
Far below the world...
Ancient things were beginning to wake.
And somewhere far away...
Creatures beyond Tier 10 had already sensed it.
A new dragon...
Was rising.
---
100 ps = 1 extra Chapter
200 ps = 2 Extra Chapter
30 Golden ticket = 3 Extra Chapter