NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Pristine
Headshot. Oneshot.
[+105XP]
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Marou, younger brother to Dread and the youngest son of the Beast King, had always stood apart from his siblings. Born last among the sons of the mighty king, he had forged his own path—not through privilege but through unyielding discipline. Challenges had been scarce in his life, yet he never allowed his comfort to weaken him.
As a dragon, a primal mythic beast second only to the kings, Marou's strength was unmatched among his level. While others relied on bloodlines and connections, Marou trained himself relentlessly. His willpower and drive had elevated him to a station far above his older brothers, securing his position as a contender for the throne.
When he had traveled from his home to the Eastern Kingdom, it had been for the Red New Moon festivities. Yet celebration turned to chaos when his uncle, the Balogun, erupted in rage, proclaiming the unthinkable: Dread, the second strongest of their siblings, was dead.
Marou had no doubts about Dread's strength. Who could kill big brother? Only higher humans posed such a threat, and they rarely concerned themselves with mythic beasts. Their battles were with other highers—or so he thought. His mind shifted to a grim possibility. Unless... that bitch, the so-called queen of Hunt.
Despite his reservations, Marou accompanied his uncle. While he respected the Balogun's power, he knew this journey would be dangerous. The queen was infamous, and her strength made her an outlier even among highers. Still, with Uncle here… perhaps we could kill her.
As they flew across the Eastern Kingdom, Marou's sharp senses began to detect anomalies. When they passed over a city near his brother's territory, a powerful aura struck him like a tidal wave.
What is this? His heart pounded as he tried to make sense of what he felt. This aura wasn't from Dread's territory, nor was it the silver aura he had noted in the past. No, this was something else entirely—an aura that matched, even exceeded, Dread's strength.
Not a higher... yet this power… Marou's acute perception told him the truth, and it disturbed him deeply. A level 7 human. But how? Not even the silver human, who might be stronger than Dread, radiates this kind of strength.
Marou turned his head slightly, sneaking a glance at his uncle. The Balogun's expression remained calm, betraying no concern. Though unsettled, Marou chose to trust in his uncle's experience.
As they entered the Brimar forest vicinity, his uncle let out a deafening roar infused with his might. "Who the hell killed my nephew?!"
Marou's acute senses tingled as he felt another presence emerge, one he couldn't ignore. It was different, layered, and disturbingly powerful. A level 6, perhaps, but something was off. No… this aura is too strong. It's stronger than Uncle's.
Before he could fully process the implications, a flash of icy blue streaked toward him.
Marou's body reacted instinctively. The Balogun moved to intercept the attack, his massive claws outstretched to swat away the incoming strike. But Marou had trained for moments like this—he never relied entirely on others.
His mind raced. If Uncle fails, I'll need to dodge at maximum speed. He focused his energy, preparing to execute the swiftest maneuver of his life. But then, something shifted.
The Balogun's claws slowed unnaturally, mere inches from the oncoming blade. Marou felt it too—a strange drag on his movements. Time itself seemed to bend, working against him. His finely-honed instincts screamed in protest as his speed was reduced to a crawl.
Time manipulation!
Realizing the dire situation, Marou prepared a desperate defense. He pooled every ounce of SP within him, preparing to unleash a protective barrier. It wouldn't save him entirely, but it might reduce the fatal blow to a survivable one.
But before the shield could form, something else struck him: a gaze.
Icy and unrelenting, the attacker's eyes pierced through the frozen moment. Marou locked onto the stare, unable to look away. He felt the compulsion of vampire hypnosis, an ability he should have been immune to.
Why can't I resist? he thought, panicked. The timing of the gaze, combined with his compromised state, overwhelmed even his natural defenses.
For a brief instant, his body faltered, and the massive sword met its mark.
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The blade tore through Marou's skull, cleaving straight into his brain. The icy gaze of his attacker, Saquin, was the last thing the brilliant prince saw before darkness consumed him.
Saquin's unique SP spread through Marou's body upon impact. The energy, infused with its strange variant attribute, transformed the dragon's flesh and blood into crystalline blue ice.
The force of the strike sent Marou's frozen form flying backward, the sword still embedded in his head. His wings were outstretched, as if in a final, futile attempt to defy death. The transformation was swift, leaving behind a stunning yet grotesque sculpture of a dragon mid-flight, its once-vibrant eyes now lifeless.
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[ Why use so much to kill him? It would be easier at close range. ]
I just don't like his face, he seems like someone who disliked my Relia.
[ huh? ]
yea.
[...]
[ Why aren't continuing the assault? They are still under time brief. ]
Nah, I prefer close range fights, besides I can't kill the big guy from here, I can only deal with the small dudes with these weak ass swords, and I rather let Lira fight them.
[ Your choice. ]
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As Time Brief's effect began to fade, Marou's body, freed from its frozen suspension, rocketed backward at a terrifying speed. The frozen dragon corpse hurtled through the air like a crystalline meteor, heading straight for the county's capital. The Balogun looked at this scene as his anger reached its peak.
"Marou!" He shouted. He turned around to look towards Saquin, "I don't know who you are, but you are so dead! This dragon shall destroy you bit by bit through all kinds of torture, then devour you whole!!!" He roared, and the whole Brimar seem to tremble, even Rigar seemed affected.
Saquin stood in the mud, raising his head calmly to meet the dragon's glare. "Unfortunately," he said with icy indifference, "I can't return the favor. I don't torture people, and I'd never devour something as filthy as you."
"What?!" the Balogun's rage faltered for a moment, his disbelief palpable.
"Yea! I won't devour you. You are too filthy."
The Balogun's roar shook the skies, his form bristling with rage. "Are you mocking this dragon?!"
"Mocking you?" Saquin let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Of course not." He paused, his icy fangs extending downward as he spoke again, their translucent blue sheen catching the light.
"Bitch, I'm not digging my pristine fangs into you. I mean, Look at them..." Saquin opened his mouth slightly wider, letting his sharp, glistening fangs gleam under the daylight. They were magnificent, their crystalline structure a testament to his SP attribute. "...they are pristine."