Chapter 160 ~Entry~ Dragon Eater, Valeriazar?
(POV: Akashic Records)
Genevieve placed her hand on the cold, ancient wood. With a creaking groan, the door split open, revealing a macabre sight that startled them. A gruesome scene unfolded before their eyes, as several skulls lay strewn across the blood-soaked ground. The putrid stench of death hung heavy in the air, causing Genevieve to crinkle her nose in disgust.
"This place reeks," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the unnerving silence.
Fanatio displayed equal distaste, nodding in agreement.
"Indeed," she replied, her hand covering her mouth in an attempt to mask the foul odor. "Everyone, be careful."
Hesitant yet determined, the group stepped into the darkness of the room, their eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering in through small cracks in the walls. The faint glint of scattered skulls gave the chamber an eerie atmosphere, intensifying their unease.
It was then that they laid their eyes upon the source of the chilling scene.
A figure, seated amidst the skull-strewn floor, engrossed in a macabre meal. His long black hair cascaded down his back, contrasting starkly with his piercing red eyes. Clad only in a ragged piece of cloth wrapped around his waist, he possessed a menacing aura that raised their defenses.
The man paused mid-chew, crimson-stained lips curling into a twisted grin. With a mouthful of flesh and bones, he greeted them with a voice that sent chills down their spines, "Welcome," he said, spitting out a fragment of an orc's skull. "This place is filled with delicacies."
Slowly rising from his grotesque seat upon a mound of skulls, the man introduced himself.
"I am Valeriazar, a Dragon Eater and the son of the feared Black Dragon King of Destruction, Valtara."
Bowing his head with unsettling grace, he continued, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Surprised by the unexpected revelation, Fanatio struggled to find the words.
"A Dragon Eater?" she exclaimed.
"What the hell is that?" said Ress, not expecting an answer.
"It's is a superior subspecies of the Dragon race who devour dragons and several other races, assimilating their power." Fanatio replied.
Garret?s grip on his sword tightened further. "This is bad."
"( I thought Skum would be the one here... but it's someone else entirely... )" (Fanatio)
Valeriazar outstretched his arm, his emaciated fingers curling ominously as the heavy doors creaked shut with a resounding thud. A wicked smile danced across his blood-stained lips as he regarded the group, his red eyes glimmering with a sadistic delight. "Ah, so you believed I was trapped by an ancient seal," he sneered, his voice carried a sinister charm. "But something as feeble as that can be devoured by me."
The revelation hung in the air, leaving them stunned.
Fanatio's eyes harbored shock.
"Dragon Eaters... they're long extinct," she uttered, disbelief evident in her voice.
Valeriazar chuckled darkly, relishing the curiosity and fear that emanated from his audience. "Indeed, Dragon Eaters were thought to be nothing more than myth," he conceded, his tone ringing with arrogance. "But when the seal on my father's heart was shattered, I became an organic remnant of the destruction core. I truly am a Dragon Eater."
Merlin adjusted his flowing robe and stroked his chin in contemplation. "Fascinating," he mused.
Valeriazar's hollow chuckle reverberated through the chamber.
"You see, I let those adventurers from before escape. But only because I wanted the strongest warriors to venture into this dungeon, as their power would make for the most exquisite meal."
Conversely, he used the adventurers from before to spread word of his existence.
Valeriazar might have claimed he could consume the seal holding him within the walls of the Vanryr Cave. However, it wouldn't be possible until he had consumed someone with a strong enough mana essence to expedite his power.
By converting the consumed mana to destruction energy, he'd be able to corrode the seal.
With a fluid motion, he leaped off the mound of skulls, his bare feet landing gracefully on the blood-soaked ground. His chiseled abs and muscular physique bore proof of formidable strength.
His red eyes fixated on the group as he wiped the blood from his mouth and grinned sadistically.
"I've slaughtered and consumed every monster in this accursed dungeon," he proclaimed. "And now, it's your turn. I hope you prove to be as delicious as those who came before you."
Saliva cascaded from Valeriazar's gaping maw as his blood-red eyes bore into the group, his voice dripping with sadistic hunger. "You all look positively delectable," he taunted. "Why don't you all just embrace your fates and let me savor the sweet taste of your mana?"
With a grotesque display of power, Valeriazar's mouth stretched impossibly wide, tearing the sides of his cheeks as razor-sharp teeth glinted in the dim light.
"DIE!!"
His monstrous jaws lunged towards them, ready to consume their very essence.
"Not happening!"
Before he could reach them, Garret sprang into action, wielding his sword with blinding speed, parrying the onslaught of Valeriazar's clawed hands. The force of their clash sent Garret hurtling backward, crashing into a mound of skulls as he gasped for breath.
"His power... it's unimaginable," Garret managed to say, his voice strained.
Valeriazar's maw snapped back to its normal size, his sadistic smile never faltering. "As a Dragon Eater, my strength surpasses any of your feeble attempts to resist," he boasted, his forearms morphing with ominous scales akin to Serena's. In an instant, he vanished from sight, his presence no longer confined to a single location. With blinding speed, Valeriazar materialized again, charging towards the group.
"He's fast.." Ress' eye could barely follow the movement.
Fanatio prepared to face their formidable foe.
But then...
Merlin, clad in his flowing robe, let out a weary sigh.
"This is getting old," extending his arm, he created an invisible barrier.
Valeriazar crashed into the unseen field, his body propelled backwards, slamming into the wall with bone-shattering force.
Merlin removed his robe with deliberate slowness, stepping forward with an air of calm confidence. "You really do like to talk a lot, don't you?" he remarked.
The battle begins...
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