Chapter 524: Cannons and Solo Combat

Boom!!!

The tremendous explosive force blasted apart with a thunderous roar.

Carrying pink-purple flames and resentment, it transformed into a great mass of purple mist, madly corroding everything it touched.

The red dragon's massive body actually could not withstand the cannonball's impact, and with a rumbling roar it swept up an enormous gust of wind as it toppled sideways.

But unluckily.

He was at the edge of the mountainside, and before he had fully fallen he was propped back up.

"ROAR!!!"

A furious and agonized dragon roar erupted violently!

When the red dragon Nasus rose again, a great bloody crater could be seen on his shoulder!

"Holy shit! That strong?!"

Above the canyon.

Blizzard Mercenary Corps' Commander-in-Chief Lyle Ford, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, stared in astonishment at the crude-looking, still-smoking Grudge Cannon beside him.

This fellow's strength was not bad, but having lost his savings gambling recently had made him covetous of anything good.

Greed instantly showed on his face.

"Captain, this top-tier dragon-slaying weapon, could you—"

Blizzard Mercenary Corps' Captain, the crocodile-man Jeroen, gave a cold snort and cut him off.

"I don't care what you do normally, this thing was provided by Mr. Rod! Lending it to us is already a favor, and if you dare touch it, I'll twist your legs off."

Commander-in-Chief Lyle shrank his head, glanced at the death-row prisoners kneeling beside the cannon, and dared not speak further.

The Grudge Cannon was strong, to be sure.

But the source of its cannonballs was outrageously bizarre.

They were actually the heads of humanoid races!

Apart from the head of that mage human just now, these death-row prisoners had been dragged over as reserve cannonballs—cut fresh on the spot, used on the spot, guaranteeing fresh grudges.

The power was sufficient too, only the cooldown was a bit long, a full fifteen minutes.

But the moment he thought of the client behind this commission, he shivered involuntarily.

Lyle looked down into the canyon.

He saw that the Forester had already drawn his weapons.

In his right hand was a plain, unadorned edgeless greatsword, which slammed into the ground with a boom.

In his left hand was a savage, crude enormous pair of scissors, as if pulled out for use before the smelting was even finished.

Unlike the plain greatsword, the moment the giant scissors appeared they carried an aura of sharpness, chill, and sickness.

Lyle looked at them carefully for a moment and felt his throat uncomfortable.

Clearly an extraordinary treasure.

"Do Foresters make this much money?"

He had no time to think further.

Captain Jeroen, the crocodile-man, issued the attack order.

To be honest.

The mineral trade between Shi Ying Town and Taylors Town was still in the discussion phase.

Such a large-scale and continuous trade would not succeed so easily; instead, due to the trade route issues on the Korh Plain, it had fallen into a certain stagnation.

This also meant the black dragon's ambush battle would be delayed.

But Rod would not.

The encounter with Circe a few days ago had gotten under his skin.

He refused to wait!

Since the black dragon Mikhail had foolishly chosen to set his backstab location right in Eagle Claw Canyon, this was the perfect opportunity for them to wipe out the giant dragons and the Dark Elf Coral in one fell swoop!

"Forester Rod!!! It's you!!!"

Ignoring a certain black dragon's howls of a beaten cur.

Rod grinned ferociously: "Your era is over, giant dragons."

And hearing the other side use his own line back at him, Mikhail instantly glared with rage, utterly humiliated.

"Fool! You don't even know you're being used as a gun!"

The red dragon Nasus, whose shoulder had been blasted into a bloody crater, roared furiously.

The wound seemed to have not affected his fighting spirit in the slightest; he remained ferocious.

"You're not in any better shape, red dragon."

"What did you say?!"

"Do you dare fight me one-on-one?"

"Ridiculous! A mere human monkey, you think I don't know you're trying to split us apart?"

The Blizzard Mercenary Corps' men began to enter the fray one by one.

The two giant dragons were too close together, which was not ideal.

It would be best to lure the red dragon away, let the mercenaries deal with the heavily wounded black dragon first.

Rod was helpless.

The provocation tactic was not working.

Doesn't everyone say red dragons are especially hot-tempered?

"So what if I grant your wish! I, the red dragon Nasus, can finish you off in an instant! ROAR!!!"

Irritability is not certain.

But arrogance is truly arrogance.

Having spoken.

Red Dragon Nas roared, charging toward Rod with heavy steps.

The speed was not fast.

But like an overloaded large semi-truck, it emphasized sheer oppressive force.

Rod knew this was the moment to unleash every means at his disposal.

【Dragon Scale Technique +4】!

【Spirit Armor Technique】【Energy Resistance】. 【Aekri Protection Membrane】【Green Jade Energy Shield】 and sixteen other stacked defensive spells!

【Defense Domain】!

【Prey Desire】【Agility Boost】【Spiritual Overload】【Pain Lash】!

Rod then retrieved the trophy from the Fungal Warrior Gorgon earlier—a spiral wooden thorn.

【Cursed Thorn】.

【Trait: Removal Ineffective, Curse】

The curse on the Cursed Thorn was simple: release chilling cold, erode life force, and deprive the victim of their senses.

He flung it directly.

The opponent was very accommodating, paying no attention to the trinket at all.

The 【Cursed Thorn】 drilled straight into the blood pit on the Red Dragon's shoulder, vanishing instantly.

Having done this.

The overloaded semi-truck had charged to within close range.

"Very well, then let's try a Curry Stick first to test the quality."

【Great Cultivator's Pruning Shears】 raised high, pointing to the sky.

Slime Little Black's 【Black Gold Adhesion】 rose upward, turning the grotesque, twisted metal section by section into a black-gold version.

【Giant Slash】 + 【Blessing of the Ancient Sky Tree】.

Spiritual energy rapidly gathered into an energy giant sword breaking through above the canyon.

【Resentful Painful Hate Fire】 instantly ignited the giant sword, transforming it into an ultra-long torch billowing with pink flames.

【Dragon-Type Special Attack +9】!

Red Dragon Nas showed a trace of surprise.

But there was not a shred of fear; he slammed his forehead forward, roaring to meet him head-on with brute force.

If there was one place on a giant dragon's scales that was stubborn, it was undoubtedly the head and the back, especially near the head and dragon horns.

"Weak human! Do you think you can break my dragon scales!"

Rod laughed loudly.

He swung down the somewhat unwieldy pruning shears.

【'Great Cultivator's Pruning Shears'】

【Effect: Impurity Exclusion, Poison, Edge Breaking, Master Recognition, Defense Break, Bleeding, Paralysis, Qi Blade】

Under the amplification of 【Black Gold Adhesion】, all effects increased by +2.

'Defense Break +2'!

Boom!

The instant spiritual energy clashed with the dragon scales, a blinding light erupted, as if a small sun exploded in the sky.

A shockwave radiated outward from the point of impact, shattering the surrounding rocks into fragments.

Red Dragon Nas suddenly retreated from the billowing smoke.

On his shocked face, a terrifying crack with dragon scales driven inward was visible.

Blood gushed from the wound, instantly covering the entire dragon face.

"What weapon is this?! Why does it contain poison from an alien space?!"

"Guess."

Red Dragon Nas grew even more furious, opening his massive mouth to unleash an even more scorching dragon breath.

Rod activated 【Steel Vine Assault】, causing steel vines to rise beneath his feet, and leaped into the air propelled by the vines and the thrust of 【Repulsion Technique】.

At the same time, the tip of the pruning shears slashed a Qi Blade sharply, charging straight for the dragon's pupil.

It was blocked by the raised dragon claw.

Then a crack sound was heard.

Possessing the pruning shears' extreme sharpness and the Defense Break effect, the Qi Blade immediately severed the dragon scales.

Red Dragon Nas's eyes widened in disbelief.

And after the first sword strike broke the skin and drew blood.

【Yulia's Blood Explosion】 also began to accumulate momentum.

【Current Stacks: 1】

"Not only that, red reptile lizard."

Rod laughed wildly.

His other hand grabbed fiercely at the void, simultaneously triggering Slime Little Black's 【Gravity Wave】 plus 【Grasp】.

Under the tremor of Purple Weight magic, a space-distorting grasping force suddenly manifested.

Buzz!

Amidst the extremely heavy whoosh of wind, the half-ton bladeless Dragon-Slaying Great Sword spun in midair and was suddenly seized by Rod.

(End of this chapter)