Even during the most rapid growth phase of a young dragon, it was impossible to nearly double in length within months, and that phase still involved frequent hibernation. Yet this dragon had been active all over the Northlands, appearing in multiple cities at a high frequency. It was growing while constantly on the move.
The mage who studied Great Dragon even proposed an outrageous idea. She suggested that the dragon's physical development had far surpassed adulthood and was still accelerating, with no sign of slowing. She asked whether it was possible that this dragon was actually still juvenile or adolescent, not as old as assumed, since there were no signs of an elder dragon at all.
The bespectacled blonde mage said this seriously. Vann felt it was too far-fetched, as none of the Great Dragon he had researched even came close in size, and history recorded no such example. Based on current information, if this dragon had also stepped into the hall level and possessed some strange effect through its Laws, then the situation became easier to explain.
Vann forced himself to accept this more reasonable explanation. Bang. Bang. "Ple…" Bang. "…come in."
The door was hammered open. Before asking who it was, Vann already knew from the noise. As expected, it was Icelis, dragging a lifeless-looking Dotleivy behind her, while Fei'er Li shrugged helplessly nearby, clearly unable to stop her.
"What are you planning now…"
Before he could think further, Icelis's small face darkened with an unprecedented gloom, ice-filled pupils burning with anger. "Vann. Someone touched my things. I am going to kill him."
"…What things?"
Seeing her expression, Vann knew this was serious. There were very few things she cared about, especially ones belonging to an Ice Spirit. That left only one possibility. "Someone touched my fragments. I can already feel where they put my body. I am going to kill him and take them back."
She was beyond furious, an overwhelming anger and authority showing through a face far too young for it. For a moment, Dotleivy seemed to see memories from long ago. That was how Icelis used to be.
Icelis's control and connection to her own fragments were beyond common understanding. If she had not willingly split herself and sealed each important fragment separately, she might have reassembled automatically after a single nap. Somewhere far away, a large number of her fragments were gathering and even using Laws, and the resulting fluctuations were within the Northlands. Even from an unknown distance, she could sense them clearly.
Using her fragments was no different from another brat smashing her display cabinet right in front of her. Not attacking on the spot already showed restraint. Vann frowned, understanding her intent, but still asked, "Could it be a trap?"
"A trap, so what? Those bugs were just hiding before. Once I get my fragments back, they all die."
Her confidence was mixed with pride. Even when she had been sealed and split, it was only under her own consent. Once she formed a strong intent to reunite, distance or even spatial seals could not stop it. Elemental spirits naturally commanded Laws, and at that deeper level of connection, nothing could truly block them.
Before, she simply could not find the filthy underground lairs of those bugs, and her fragments were likely sealed. Now, if they dared to use her fragments as bait, she could instantly reassemble into the unmatched Great Ice Spirit and crush them all. Traps could catch beasts, even lions or tigers, but they could not bind a whale.
"There are two of them. In your current weakened state, you should not be their match."
"Hmph. I know. That is why I am taking A-Wang. I can handle one myself. As long as A-Wang ties down the other, once I retrieve my fragments, they all die."
That argument had some weight. Dotleivy was not weak. Even against a hall-level opponent, defeat was unlikely, especially with Icelis providing support. The matter of Ice Spirit fragments was too important. Even if it was a trap, it was also a rare opportunity.
"…Miss Fei'er Li, what do you think?"
Vann turned to Fei'er Li, who had remained silent. Her understanding ran deeper than his, and after thinking it over, she nodded with difficulty. "…It should work. If what Icelis says is true, then it is worth the risk."
At full strength, great spirits were terrifying, usually background figures that rarely took the field. The chaos caused by Abyss Church in the north only existed because the great spirit had been sealed away. Gambling now was better than letting all of the Northlands fall later.
She had also considered the possibility of a trap. That was why she suggested calling for help. Vann understood and slapped the table. A personal guard from Wolfguard appeared silently at his side, a powerful individual who ranked at Gold and commanded others.
"Take my signal token. I will send him and an elite team of Wolfguard with you. If there is danger, call me at once."
Vann had to remain in the capital, especially with the recent chaos and even agents from the inland Rohn Empire stirring trouble. As the Lord, he needed to hold the line. Two hooks dropped from the sky.
A ferocious tiger shark bit onto one hook. Where was the other?
Over a hundred miles from Proletto, a Great Dragon wrapped in storms and lightning exhaled Freezing Breath. The building below, along with the filthy ritual node buried beneath it, was frozen into an ice sculpture. With a beat of its wings, the spreading storm shredded the remaining frozen monsters into a sky full of ice fragments.
This was the last red dot. Belial heard a new notification and looked up. Not too far away, a larger red dot passed by at an unhurried pace, as if just passing through.
More had appeared? He thought they were all dead. "Looks like more work."
The massive dragon beat its wings once more, glanced at the humans below who were staring in shock, and soared into the clouds.
A long and thin strange figure moved through the clouds like a snake. Its body was only three to five meters long, with a string of white air sacs hanging under its belly and rows of vents along its back, making it look like a giant worm. By constantly venting and inhaling, it reached extreme speed, even exceeding six Mach.
Its tail was different from the rest of its body. The end looked shattered, with flesh frozen solid by frost and torn open. It flew through the air in a straight line, moving forward only to escape.
Behind it, a black cloud spread like spilled ink, expanding at high speed. Blue and purple lightning tore through the cloud, and a faint sound of Rend ripping the air came through, like a beast roaring. An icy current burst out of the cloud and turned into a killing vortex, faster than everything else, and swallowed the fleeing figure in an instant.
Even though its body held traces of a highly noble yet blasphemous blessing, and it burned what little life it had left to force out more speed, it was useless. Within the cloud, a darker and larger shadow flapped claw-like wings, and the entire body ahead was smashed into powder, mixing with rain and snow. The massive shadow dove downward, leaving behind only a mutter that no one could understand as it scattered in the wind.
"Damn it, another one barely worth my teeth."
Belial cursed under his breath. He had worried about running out of experience, but after some time, new targets kept appearing, which made him feel a bit pleased. Since the monsters kept respawning, things became much simpler.
After that, things started to feel wrong. He had just crushed one when another jumped out right away. When it happened again and again, even someone slow would notice.
"Another trap."
Belial shook his head, thinking these third-rate villains were tough enough to keep going after being beaten down so hard. They had probably noticed his interest in that special power, so these monsters rushing out to die were likely bait meant to pull him into a snare. Unfortunately for them, the roles of hunter and prey were never fixed, and often the hunter was the one at a disadvantage.
What they were trying to deal with was not some ordinary fierce beast. It was a monster that could not be judged by common sense.
"And a Godzilla that has never been targeted by a proper trap is like life missing something. This finally feels right."
The massive form of the Great Dragon tore through the clouds, wrapped in storm winds and lightning, and slammed into the ground like a falling star. He released part of his true weight and drove his powerful hind claws down, energy surging to the tips and forming a bright glow. With a direct stomp, he struck the ground.
Muscles burst with absurd strength, measured in tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of tons, and combined with Space Claw to tear the ground apart. The impact caused a tremor strong enough to trigger avalanches nearby, while the pressure from his wings whipped up a blizzard. With precise control, the force also punched deep underground and blew apart a monster tunneling at high speed below.