Chapter 379: Epic Dragon (82K Bonus Chapter 206 207)

"My Lord Herbert?!"

Joanna's expression shifted slightly, her lips twitching as she whispered to Sophieya beside her: "He just… that was intentional, right? It wasn't an accident, was it?"

Intentional? Or an accident?

"It must've… been intentional?"

Sophieya hesitated, unsure what Herbert had actually done.

Just now, that blood-red figure—presumed to be Herbert—who had effortlessly suppressed the three chimerae suddenly suffered an anomaly, plummeting straight down into the ground.

Herbert believed he had landed with elegant grace; after "landing in water," not a single splash arose—even the strictest diving judge would have awarded him a perfect score.

He had used the mirrored ice surface to return to the Penitentiary, but to outsiders, it looked entirely different.

To Sophieya and the others, Herbert had suddenly plunged from the sky, striking the ground headfirst.

Swoosh—thud!

Had there been any loud crash, they truly might have suspected Herbert was now stuck headfirst in the earth like an inverted radish, unable to pull himself out.

"Didn't you see? That was just a tactic to hide from the chimerae's line of sight," Mise said, unimpressed by their overreaction.

So what? Is that unusual?

Mise still held to her view—that Herbert wasn't fighting seriously, he was playing.

He was outright mocking the enemy, not even using his true strength.

Look at what he just did!

He didn't summon Solar Holy Flame, didn't use any other technique, wouldn't even draw a decent weapon, and kept his power barely at the level of a newly minted Legend—refusing to add even a speck more.

What does that mean?

It means Herbert believes that even this level of power is enough to easily block—or even eliminate—this beast.

Fighting with such strength is outright contempt for the chimerae; he's treating it as helpless prey, playing with it at will.

This is blatant arrogance!

Yet beneath the calm surface, Mise's heart was filled with lingering dread.

Huh—

Thank goodness I obediently chose to follow him—that was the right decision.

Otherwise, it would've been me being mocked and beaten by Herbert right now.

I chose right!

"Just wait and watch."

Mise sniffed, speaking with absolute certainty:

"When Herbert reappears, he'll unleash even more terrifying power—he's going to obliterate this chimera in one blow!"

Sophieya and Joanna exchanged glances, both quickly thinking it over, then nodded silently.

"Mm."

They asked no further questions, for Mise's previous deductions had all been correct, and their respect for her had grown ever stronger.

Though they still harbored some doubt that the blood-red figure was truly Herbert, they chose to believe it.

Moreover, if that really was Herbert, had he only recently broken through? Or had he been concealing his true strength all along?

This thought left them silent, carefully recalling every detail of their past interactions.

Though the three-headed chimera still lived, Sophieya and the others no longer feared the immediate danger.

With Herbert present, everything would naturally resolve itself.

Beyond them, the other residents of Elde were also plunged into profound shock.

They, too, had heard Mise's words and now knew that figure was their own lord.

The gray dwarves had also witnessed that figure—and were now utterly fanatical!

They prostrated themselves fully on the ground, bowing repeatedly toward the direction where Herbert had vanished, expressing their gratitude with the utmost reverence.

The priestesses clutched their weapons tightly, exhaling long, relieved breaths, feeling as if they'd narrowly escaped death.

Though the Legends were present, they likely wouldn't face grave danger, but injuries were inevitable.

Had their luck been worse, they might have suffered sudden, fatal accidents—it was simply too terrifying.

Even if rescued, no one wanted to walk so close to death.

"Ohhh…"

The Goddess of Winter, inhabiting Yunir, nodded slightly, beginning to understand why little Teresa was so obsessed with Herbert.

He truly was charismatic.

Such bearing, such presence—undoubtedly fatally alluring to immature girls.

No, even those with mature minds would still be undone by this overwhelming charm.

This made Her even more interested in Herbert.

Originally, Herbert had seemed to Her merely an intriguing young man—daring enough to lure away Her little kitten, making Her want to ruffle his hair and cuddle him close—put plainly, Her maternal instincts had flared again.

But now, having witnessed Herbert's displayed power, the Ice Goddess's attitude toward him had subtly shifted.

That strength, that arrogance, silently proved—he was no longer merely a child to be toyed with. Absolutely not.

Herbert refused to remain beneath others.

He was steadily ascending, evolving from a pawn that gods could manipulate into a player, charging forward with unstoppable momentum.

Though that future was still distant, with a long road ahead, the Goddess of Winter felt an inexplicable certainty within her—that it would surely come to pass.

While others were stunned or lost in thought, Miss Teresa now appeared wildly enthusiastic.

Almost fanatical!

Like a star-chasing fangirl, she stared fixedly at the ice where Herbert had vanished, whispering over and over: "My Lord Herbert! My Lord Herbert! My Lord Herbert! My Lord Herbert…"

You really came to save me, you really came!

You've never once disappointed me.

Aaaaaaah——

Her body trembled slightly, screaming a battle cry inside her mind, struggling to suppress her emotions.

Must not expose myself.

I absolutely cannot let anyone see my secret thoughts!

I must hold on—I'm a girl, I must be reserved!!!

Yet although the girl thought so naively, her flushed face, ragged breathing, and trembling state… only she herself believed her secret feelings hadn't been revealed.

…

Everyone's thoughts differed, their ideas varied.

But after witnessing Herbert's destruction of the Chimera, most of their thoughts had unified: the crisis was over.

Yet during the time Herbert vanished, the battlefield saw new changes.

"Roar!!!"

After being blinded by the brilliant light, the Chimera lost its precious vision and thrashed wildly in place, in agony.

After a bout of impotent rage, it finally realized—suddenly freezing in place.

Wrong!

I lost two pairs of eyes, but I still have one!

The ram's head is dead, not blind.

Realizing this, the Chimera immediately channeled its life energy toward the wounded ram's head.

Sssss!

With reckless, full-power exertion, the transformation unfolded rapidly and astonishingly.

Within a few breaths, the ram's head, previously pierced by Herbert, slowly lifted—its massive wound at the brow regenerating fresh flesh before their eyes.

The ram's eyes snapped open, spewing searing flames.

It had regained vitality in such a short time!

Though it had paid a price—losing over thirty percent of its energy—the Chimera had restored its ability to breathe fire and its vision.

After regaining sight, the Chimera's first act was to scan the surroundings, searching for the culprit who had reduced it to such a state.

Where? Where is he?

The Chimera's perception of the outside world extended beyond vision alone—it had smell, magical sensing, and more.

Yet whether through vision or other senses, it found no trace of Herbert—as if the man had vanished from the world entirely.

Damn it!

Where the hell is he!!?

The Chimera grew even angrier, its eyes flashing with explosive fury as it glared at Elda, who now seemed increasingly serene.

It's all because of you!

Because of you damned creatures, I've been reduced to this state.

The beast's furious killing intent surged across hundreds of meters into the town, instantly chilling the once-enthusiastic crowd.

Their smiles vanished; they realized the crisis was far from over.

This truly is a complete monster, possessing such immense regenerative power.

"Don't lower your guard—everyone, remain alert!"

Joanna, though holding a sliver of hope and faith in Herbert, still wouldn't neglect necessary preparations.

If this beast intended to retaliate against Elda, they too must strike back.

At this moment, Sophia also drew a special arrow, nocked it on her bowstring, and aimed at the creature's head—silently warning: Take one step closer, and I'll fire!

"Roar!"

The three-headed beast slowly took heavy steps forward, toward the light in the darkness.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Just as everyone braced themselves, expecting the Chimera to launch a desperate, suicidal attack, it suddenly halted.

The vulture head lifted and slammed hard into the ram's head, forcing it to stay alert.

The Chimera's three heads each possessed independent thoughts, differing personalities, and distinct styles of action.

The furious ram head wanted to retaliate at all costs now, but the cunning vulture head chose to retreat for now.

Fight or flee?

"... Roar!"

After a moment of silence, the Chimera let out an unwilling, furious grunt, then twisted its body and bolted backward.

Just as Herbert had feared, the Chimera was fleeing.

It's running away!

Under the threat of death, the raging beast lowered its head and chose the most conservative option—fleeing this place.

Flee now, return later when better prepared for revenge.

The sudden appearance of that man filled it with inexplicable unease; the vulture head's heart grew cold, as if death itself were drawing near.

But can it truly escape?

Some places aren't ones you can enter freely—and leave at will.

This road I opened, this tree I planted; if you wish to pass, leave your toll.

Even if you pass the checkpoint, you still pay the toll.

You've finally come all this way — surely you should leave something behind, right? That wouldn't be proper, would it?

For such a rude guest, Herbert decided to teach it the most basic etiquette of being a visitor.

No gift? No problem — then just leave yourself behind!

Just as the chimera turned around and prepared to make its getaway, a blood-red figure burst violently out of the ice beneath its feet.

Whoosh—

"Hey-hey-hey! Your daddy's back!"

Once again relying on a shameless sneak attack, Herbert drove the longsword in his hand straight into the chimera's body.

Because the chimera's scales were extraordinarily tough, Herbert chose — to be safe — to strike at the weakest point of its defenses.

Herbert didn't personally pry open a hole himself; instead, he picked an already-existing one and rammed his lightsaber right in.

Weakness Insight… Lunge! Lunge! Lunge!

"Thousand-Year Kill!"

Hiss—

The blade forged of Holy Light slid smoothly in to the hilt, then detonated instantly from within.

Holy Light Burst (Chrysanthemum)!

Boom!

At that moment, all three heads of the three-headed chimera howled in unison, letting out the most wretched wail in its entire history.

"Ahh!!?"

"Roar!!?"

"Baa!!?"

The howl was piercing, furious, and helpless.

The chimera had never imagined it would suffer such an attack, had never tasted this kind of pain — it could barely even comprehend what had just happened.

The rear half of its torso jerked violently upward, flailing in a bloody mess, as it tried to ease its agony through sheer thrashing.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

But such thrashing was utterly futile — if anything, the sight of its rear end spurting blood only made it look more ridiculous… and faintly, somewhat pitiful.

Silence fell over the crowd in Erda; everyone simultaneously sucked in a sharp breath.

"…Hiss!"

Many people shifted their legs, unconsciously clenching their buttocks together.

Th-this… this is a bit too brutal, isn't it?

That was what everyone thought, but they didn't really see anything wrong with Herbert's approach — when facing a beast of vastly superior size, a low blow was standard practice.

Only, for a moment, everyone empathized deeply, feeling a phantom ache in their own rear.

And while the chimera wailed helplessly, Herbert floated in midair, watching it with a cheerful grin, humming softly:

"Chrysanthemums broken~ wounds on the ground~ your smile has turned yellow~"

The instant he'd landed the hit, he'd already flashed away — he hadn't gotten drenched in rear-end blood.

Herbert landed in front of the chimera and taunted the raging beast: "How does it feel? That's the rear-end bloodletting therapy — I let you try it for free, so you'd better thank me properly afterward."

Thank him?

Thank him!!?

The three-headed chimera had completely lost its mind at this point.

Caution? Temporary retreat? Revenge later?

All of it was flung to the back of its mind.

In that instant, only one thought filled its brain — kill him, kill him dead!!!

"Roar!"

Flame! Frost! Death Breath!

A blast fusing all three forces surged toward Herbert, sworn to annihilate him.

But just as it poured everything it had into slamming Herbert to the ground, stomping him flat, crushing and biting him to pieces… it failed to notice the shadow that flickered across the ice beneath Herbert's feet.

It was a crimson vertical pupil brimming with boundless fury.

He was furious!

Just as the chimera's tri-element breath was about to touch him, a massive claw burst violently up out of the ground!

"Get lost!!!"

Those lethal blasts of terrifying power swept across the claw's scales, leaving not a single mark.

The claw ignored everything and brutally slapped the beast — which still hadn't realized what was happening — flying!

Boom!!

That terrifying crash made everyone's heart lurch violently.

What was that?

While the crowd was still hesitating, the giant claw swiftly retracted — and the next second, a lithe figure burst violently up out of the ice.

Boom!!!

The red-haired figure with twin wings on its back did not continue to pursue the chimera after bursting out; instead, with a single beat of its wings, it shot violently toward even higher skies.

A single beat of dragon wings sent a tremendous gust of wind behind it, scattering the fog for hundreds of meters in every direction!

At that moment, even the year-round shroud of thick fog over the Mist Mountains dispersed, letting starlight — long unseen — spill down upon the land of Erda.

But soon, the sky was once again cloaked in shadow.

Only this time, what covered the sky was no longer fog.

But it was blocked by a pair of dragon wings!

After soaring to great heights, Valentina fully revealed her true form.

A crimson dragon danced across the vast sky, letting out a satisfied roar.

"Roar!!!"

For the first time, her impossibly vast body was revealed to the world.

Even at the peak of her legendary stage, Valentina's body had already reached an astonishing hundred meters—maintained at just over twenty meters only by active compression.

And now… a hundred meters?

Too little.

Now, Valentina's true form was a full thousand meters long!

With a single spread of her wings, she truly obscured the sky and sun.

Her scales, as if soaked in blood for countless ages, glowed with a crimson radiance; her massive wings shimmered with a cold, menacing luster beneath the dim moonlight.

Jagged, rough scales were tightly arranged, forming an unbreakable armor.

Between the scales, faint threads of dark red light occasionally glowed, as if spilling over from her endless life force.

Her head resembled a small mountain; her enormous eyes blazed like molten furnaces stained with blood, radiating fierce and tyrannical light.

When that brutal gaze swept across, even the bravest warriors felt an uncontrollable chill surge through their hearts.

Most extraordinary of all, vast runes covered her dragon wings—masterpieces carved by time and magic alike: ancient runes lost since the end of the Dragon Age.

Though Valentina had advanced into an Epic Dragon, this was no ordinary advancement—she received the oldest inheritance of the entire dragon bloodline.

At this moment, Valentina did not fly merely by flapping her wings; the runes themselves granted her the power to soar through the skies.

She was no longer the same.

She had become even stronger!

…

All of Elda's people, upon seeing the dragon in the sky, had completely lost the ability to speak.

Dragon.

Epic Dragon!!!

The three previous chimerae had been considered great beasts, but before this dragon they appeared as tiny toys.

At this moment, even those who once boasted of their courage felt only their own insignificance and powerlessness before this crimson dragon.

Dragon slayer?

What manner of being could tower above this dragon?

They simply could not imagine it.

"Is this Herbert's trump card?" Miss Mise shuddered, some spores falling from the mushroom cap atop her head.

She had imagined Herbert's return would come with thunderous force, but never this extreme.

Terrifying.

So damn terrifying!!!

Just how many secrets does this man hold?

That's an Epic Dragon!

How on earth did he summon something like this?

Some spellcasters possess the ability to summon dragons, but that always requires a pact with the dragon, paid for with vast wealth.

Usually, such summons attract Legendary Dragons at most; very few Epic Dragons would respond to such calls.

"…"

Sophia also fell silent, taking a deep breath as she recalled the name Herbert had mentioned to her before—the other Matriarch.

"This is Young Lady Valentina…"

Elda Domain was chosen jointly by Valentina and Herbert, and its initial foundations were laid together—but none of those now living in Elda had ever seen her.

Among those present, only Joanna had once briefly heard from her friend Laila about the 【Crimson Wings】…

But this doesn't match what Laila described!!?

In Laila's account, the Crimson Wings were indeed exceptionally powerful among dragons, but not this extreme.

This is an Epic Dragon!

Goddess above, isn't this just a little too outrageous!!?

Among the crowd, even the Goddess of Winter widened her eyes, stared intently several times, and couldn't help exclaiming: "Tsk tsk tsk, this really is excessive…"

To command such a dragon, she grew even more curious about Herbert's secrets.

And as everyone stood frozen in shock, Herbert's voice, laced with amusement, rang out through the night:

"Alright, alright, stop playing around."

He stood still, gazing up at the dragon in the sky, chuckling softly: "It's the middle of the night—be mindful of your impact. Don't disturb others."

Then they witnessed a bizarre sight.

The once proud Epic Dragon instantly stiffened, freezing midair.

"…"

She took a deep breath, then shrank her head furtively, glancing left and right, her massive form rapidly shrinking.

In the blink of an eye, Valentina shrank to the size of an ordinary dragon—her thirty to forty meter body still sizable, but now sufficiently modest and restrained.

She plummeted straight down toward the ground; just before impact, her dragon wings flared, the runes glowing brightly, slowing her abruptly, and landing gently beside Herbert.

"Hmph!"

The Hungry Dragon Young Lady pouted, lowered her head, and nudged Herbert with her snout, sending him tumbling several meters away.

Valentina knew Herbert was right, but she was still somewhat displeased.

Although she also understood that Herbert's words were correct.

If she drew the attention of some old bastard, even with her epic power, she wouldn't gain any advantage before that old thing.

But logic is logic, understanding is understanding—still, her heart felt uneasy.

I just advanced!

Why say something so depressing!?

Let me vent a little!?!

"Want to vent?"

Herbert read the resentment in her gaze, smiled, and nodded toward the chimera, which had been flung flying by a massive slap and now doubted its own existence. "There's your ready opportunity."

Valentina blinked, then remembered the matter at hand, revealing a joyful yet brutal smile.

"Oh! Right, there's still it! Haha!"

She turned her head, ready to unleash all her fury upon the utterly bewildered three-headed chimera.

"... You?"

The instant Valentina's gaze left Herbert, her eyes lost all amusement; when they fell upon the chimera, only boundless rage and cruelty remained.

"You're the one who wanted to hurt him!!?"

"How bold of you."

"How bold of you!!!"

At first, the voice was ordinary, but soon it grew louder and louder, echoing like thunder through the mist, making bodies tremble with numbness.

"Roar..."

The three-headed chimera trembled as it opened its mouth, wanting to speak—but before it could, Valentina's dragon claw landed on its head.

Plop.

Its once incredibly hard skull shattered like a watermelon slamming into concrete.

The gap in power.

The once arrogant beast now felt profound, crushing fear.

Death.

Death was drawing near!!!

"Roar!"

The remaining two heads let out piercing screams, abandoning all else, frantically fleeing into the depths of the mist.

"Hmph."

Logically, it shouldn't have escaped—but Valentina made no move to chase, watching it vanish into the distance before turning her head to the boy beside her.

"Huh? Oh, go ahead and play."

Herbert smiled, knowing what Valentina intended—she'd barely gotten out for a rare outing and had no intention of crushing her prey so easily; she planned to toy with it like a cat with a mouse.

"Yay!"

The dragon let out a joyful cry, flapping her wings gently, sending a gust of wind that whipped the boy's hair.

Herbert watched the dragon happily shaking her head and smiled.

Although Valentina had now entered a higher realm, she had not changed—she was still the same naive, carefree Dragon Young Lady he knew.

He nodded and whispered, "Go play, but don't play too long—I'll wait for you."

But after the boy spoke, the dragon did not move away; instead, she lowered her head before him, bringing her mouth close to his face.

"Hehe."

The tiny boy blinked, looked up, and gently kissed the dragon's mouth, smiling as he waved at her.

"Hehehe!"

After being kissed, the Dragon Young Lady grew even happier, whipping her tail rapidly and shattering several nearby giant trees.

Then, like a big dog, she trotted off with a carefree, unbothered gait into the mist.

Valentina strolled after her leisurely, but Herbert did not follow.

There was no longer any need to worry—with Valentina present, this three-headed chimera would never see tomorrow's sun.

He had other matters to resolve.

"I should go check on Sophia and the others."

His wings stirred, swiftly crossing hundreds of meters to reach the Eldar group.

Before he fully stopped, his wings and battle armor slowly dissolved, reverting into sacred scars that merged back into his body.

Using forward momentum and gravity, he traced an elegant arc through the air and landed effortlessly before them.

Beneath the crimson armor was a pure white cultivator's robe, utterly unwrinkled, still pristine after battle.

The boy's smile was warm, his manners elegant, radiating a gentle aura like spring breeze.

Combined with his tall, slender frame and snow-white hair, he stood in stark contrast to the earlier cruel crimson figure.

He didn't even seem like the same person!

"Sorry I'm late."

Herbert looked at the stunned group, smiled inwardly, but outwardly offered an apologetic, gentle smile. "I've frightened you—have any of you been injured?"

He blamed no one, boasted not at all, only expressed his regret.

Sorry—I was not strong enough to protect you all.

Is this an apology?

Of course not!

This is outright seeking credit, but done in a gentler way others find more palatable.

Added to his eyes, which always seemed deep with emotion, and his handsome face, this combination was devastatingly effective.

At this moment, most of the residents of Elda Hold were women, and they had no resistance against Herbert's display.

Thud! Thud!

Almost everyone's heart leapt, feeling an unprecedented warmth, and they immediately spoke up.

"My lord! Please don't say such things!"

"Lord Herbert! Thanks to you, we were saved!"

"Thank you! You saved us!"

Especially Teresa, who was nearly driven mad.

The girl's entire face flushed red; she tried to say something, but her breath caught, and she collapsed straight into Unil's arms, fainting from overwhelming emotion.

"Hehe, you don't need to thank me. If you really want to thank someone, thank Valentina—she…"

Just as Herbert was halfway through his sentence, a fierce wind suddenly surged behind him, and a figure appeared abruptly.

"Oh? Did you miss me?"

Everyone:???

Herbert turned around in bewilderment and saw Valentina, back in her dragon-human form, staring at him with wide eyes, her face flushed red.

Huh?

Didn't you go out to play?

"Hehehe."

Valentina smiled shyly, said nothing, grabbed Herbert's arm, and dragged him off, muttering: "Good thing—I missed you too."

That three-headed lizard wasn't fun at all; two slaps and it was dead.

So boring!

Played enough. Pointless.

Nothing left to play with, so… the noble Dragoness should now claim her rightful spoils.

I, a dragon, help others and take a little interest—isn't that reasonable?

'Reasonable.' The Sage in his mind said thus.

Exactly!

If even the Sage says so, it must be fine!

The hungry Dragoness tugged Herbert, muttering: "Since you missed me too, let's go over there and chat!"

Come on, come inside with me!

"Hey hey hey—wait a minute, I haven't finished speaking!"

The prince, forcibly dragged away by the dragon, wore a look of helplessness and shouted to the stunned Sophie and the others: "Wait for me a moment!"

"I'll be back in a bit… uh, never mind, don't wait for me!"

"I'll be back before tomorrow night!"

Should a day be enough?

Hmm… probably!

(End of Chapter)