NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37: Victory
BOOOOOOMMM!!!
The cavern trembled, the once-serene underground lake now a battlefield drenched in Essence and blood. The vines that had lashed and torn with wild ferocity now lay limp, severed, drifting atop the rippling water.
The Plant Dragon's body sagged, her emerald scales cracked and her once-proud eyes dimming.
Draco exhaled slowly, his chest heaving. The power coursing through him still throbbed like a second heartbeat, heavy and relentless, but his mind was sharp, calculating every detail even amidst the chaos.
Normally, he would have run out of Essence long ago.
Commanding dozens of Dragons simultaneously. Going in and out of stealth with Preto's Breath. Unleashing blinding waves of light. Summoning tides and threads of liquid steel. The toll on his body and soul should have crippled him hours ago.
Even if he had Leveled Up, he was still far from powerful enough to handle the weight of using so many abilities at once.
But he wasn't fighting in a wasteland.
The lake was saturated with Essence, every droplet dense with immense power. He could see why the Plant Dragon was drawn to such a place, and why it fulfilled the requirement of her childbirth.
It was true that she had grown noticeably stronger after entering the pool—her wounds healed faster, and her attacks were fiercer.
However, the same could be said regarding him!
'All my abilities have gotten some sort of boost, and it honestly feels like I'm high on power right now!'
If he wanted to use Earth terminology, he would say he was in the 'Zone'
"BASTARD! YOU'RE ABSORBING THE POOL'S ESSENCE, AREN'T YOU?!" The Plant Dragon quickly noticed what Draco was doing and spat out with rage.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it.
This caused Draco to laugh heartily, mocking her with his wide grin as he launched even more attacks.
"Hahahaha!"
And as the battle raged, Draco's body absorbed even more Essence instinctively, greedily, replenishing what he spent almost as quickly as he burned it. Each breath he drew, each step across the water's surface, flooded him with energy drawn straight from the pool.
Even so, it was not without cost.
His veins burned, his muscles quivered with strain, and his head pulsed with the weight of channeling so many Breaths at once. His body was not yet meant to wield this much power.
If not for his training and sheer willpower, he would have collapsed long ago.
'Maybe if I had a higher level, I could handle more, but for now… it seems this is my limit.'
He clenched his fist, steadying himself.
"I'll have to end this quickly," Draco muttered under his breath. His eyes, cold and unwavering, locked onto the weakened Plant Dragon thrashing helplessly in the lake.
He had tested enough.
He had experimented, explored the limits of his newly acquired Breaths, and even stretched the boundaries of how many Dragons he could control at once.
His curiosity was satisfied. Now it was time to be efficient.
Draco raised his arm, summoning the lake to his call. Water surged upward in a spiraling torrent, twisting and condensing under his will.
Dozens of shimmering [Water Threads] spun into existence, binding together in an intricate weave until they formed a single, massive blade.
The construct gleamed like liquid metal, humming with condensed power.
But Draco wasn't finished.
His eyes narrowed, and he whispered the words that ignited brilliance.
"[Let there be Light]."
Radiance poured into the water-forged blade, infusing it until it blazed like a holy weapon.
The cavern filled with searing luminescence, shadows fleeing as the weapon's edge pulsed with destructive force. The fusion of water's malleability and light's purity created a blade unlike anything the Plant Dragon could withstand.
Draco's smirk curved coldly. "This is the end."
He moved.
WHOOOSH!
The massive blade of condensed water and light carved through the cavern, each swing trailing blinding arcs that split water and air alike.
"S-stay back!" The Plant Dragon roared, her vines whipping desperately, but each one that met Draco's blade was severed in an instant.
He closed the distance, step by step.
Finally, with a burst of speed, Draco launched himself into the air above her head. His glowing blade arced downward like the judgment of a god.
WHUUM!
A streak of light cut through the darkness.
The blade cleaved through the Plant Dragon's neck, slicing scales, flesh, and sinew in a single, fluid strike. Her roar cut short as her head was severed, falling heavily into the lake with a crash that sent ripples surging outward.
Silence followed.
For a moment, the only sound was Draco's own breathing, ragged but steady.
"Haa… haaa…" He landed softly atop the water, his massive blade dissolving into harmless ripples that spread outward across the lake.
Then the silence was broken.
[Congratulations. You have defeated an Awakened Rank 3 Dragon.]
[Essence Acquired.]
[You have Leveled Up]
[You have Leveled Up]
[Additional Dragon Slot Unlocked: Maximum Capacity 8.]
The words burned into his vision, golden letters that brought a cold satisfaction to his lips.
He had done it again.
Draco smiled faintly, though his expression carried no warmth. It was the smile of a predator that had fed well.
"Level 14 already…" he murmured, flexing his hand as the new power coursed through him.
He could feel it—the thickening of his aura, the subtle strengthening of his body, the expansion of his Soul-space.
It was more than just numbers. He was evolving.
Twice in one strike. The System's generosity was unusual, but the reason was obvious.
The Plant Dragon had absorbed an immense amount of Essence before their battle. Every ounce of it now flowed into him, a bounty far greater than slaying any ordinary Rank 3.
His belly was full, but his greed was not satisfied.
He strode forward across the water, boots steady atop the rippling surface, until he stood before the Plant Dragon's fallen body. Her severed head drifted a few meters away, eyes half-closed, while her neck stump pulsed faintly with lingering life.
And then, impossibly, her body twitched.
Slowly, her flesh began to knit back together, vines coiling around wounds, Essence stitching what had been lost. Her Dragonheart pulsed visibly now, exposed through the crack in her chest, glowing faintly with vibrant green light.
Draco paused, watching the sight with detached fascination.
'A Dragon won't truly die until their Dragonheart is destroyed—or, at the very least, detached from their body.' Draco knew this already.
The regenerative power of Dragons was formidable, but the Plant Dragon's regenerative power was far more exceptional.
Even decapitation wasn't enough to halt her regeneration.
It only slowed it down noticeably.
Her body clung to life, her Dragonheart working furiously to restore what had been destroyed.
Draco's hand hovered near his blade. It would be simple—trivial, even—to destroy the Dragonheart and end her life permanently. One clean strike, and the Plant Dragon would be nothing more than another corpse left in his wake.
But his eyes narrowed. His smirk returned.
No. That would be wasteful.
There was a more logical alternative. A better reward than simple destruction.
He crouched low, his gaze locking onto the pulsing Dragonheart, and whispered a single word.
"Submit."
The cavern seemed to still in response.
The word wasn't loud, but it carried weight. A command woven with intent, with will, with the authority of someone who had already bent dozens of Dragons to his side.
The Plant Dragon's body trembled faintly, her half-formed eyes flickering open, shock flashing in their dim glow.
Draco's smirk only deepened.
The moment had come.
[Taming Successful]