Chapter 222 Chapter220-The Fall of the Angry Dragon
As Rhine looked his way, a sense of trust pervaded, leaving Ethan puzzled.
His acquaintance with Rhine was rather basic, circumscribed to a conventional hierarchical relationship.
What did this profound gaze signify? Had Rhine foreseen something?
And then there was the matter of the monster's uprising...
Was it beyond their cadre, entailing the involvement of even mightier beings? Perhaps even a deity...
A myriad of mysteries beleaguered Ethan, yet he grasped that querying Rhine might not elucidate much.
However, the Angry Dragon also stood in his objectives.
"What do you need me to do?" Ethan inquired, directing his question towards Rhine.
Rhine unhesitatingly spoke, "After your arrival, I attempted to foresee the developments in the impending battle against the monsters. What I perceived was a scene where a dragon kills the Angry Dragon. Now, this prophecy is clear enough; you are that dragon."
Pensive expressions adorned the faces of the people in the meeting room.
It would be utterly reasonable for Mr. Black Dragon to bear the potent Bloodline of the Dragon, given his formidable prowess.
Without hesitation, Ethan accepted the quest.
Joining Ethan in this expedition were Eileen and Lehman, tasked with leading the way and offering necessary assistance.
Sherry, on the other hand, was asked to stay behind this time.
…
At the exit of the underground command post, Ethan and his two companions set off towards Dragon Valley.
As their figures disappeared down the road, Rhine appeared at the exit of the command post, her gaze reaching out to the distance, a mix of confusion, curiosity for the unknown, and worry reflecting in her eyes.
"What are you looking at?" At that moment, old John appeared beside Rhine.
As the only person in the underground command post who held the dual roles of Alchemy and Apothecary, old John similarly had special privileges here.
Hearing his question, Rhine displayed a rare expression of perplexity, shaking her head as she uttered, "I don't know."
"How strange, a person capable of foreseeing the future is lost in regards to what lies ahead," old John commented with a smile, devoid of any trace of sarcasm in his tone.
Understanding the deeper implication in John's words, Rhine replied somewhat helplessly, "The futures I foresee are but one of many possible paths; they do not dictate a fixed outcome. Also, I didn't expect you would choose Ethan as your disciple; it seems he really is exceptional."
"He's a good student," old John affirmed, a look of satisfaction spreading across his face.
Then, with a gentle laugh, he turned to Rhine and said, "When Ethan leaves, I plan to leave the underground command post as well. The demise of Maya City is inevitable; if not monsters, other calamities will arrive. Since you foresaw this outcome, there's no need to continue this futile resistance."
"The future is not set in stone," Rhine shook her head, rejecting old John's perspective.
As the frontline commander endowed with the ability to foresee, Rhine had tried to predict the future of Maya City right from the beginning.
In every one of her visions, the city met destruction, a truth hard for her to accept.
Therefore, she persuaded the higher-ups of Maya City to establish the frontline command post, employing the Beast Crossbow to fend off the monsters, successfully keeping them at bay, outside the city's confines.
Yet, no one knew how long this defensive line could hold.
"Yes, the future is uncertain. But trying to preserve Maya City with Ethan's strength seems a herculean task. He is an outsider, who at most will stay here for a month. Perhaps within this month, he might eradicate Angry Dragon Haviss, might once again clear out the monsters that have escaped..."
"But a month later, everything here will revert back to the way it was," old John sighed, a note of resignation in his voice.
It was the harsh reality, a bitter pill to swallow.
Rhine's frame trembled imperceptibly before regaining composure, her voice firm as she proclaimed, "At the very least, Maya City has existed much longer than initially anticipated."
Old John nodded, then broached another question, "In the futures you foresaw, what happened to Haviss?"
"He died, effortlessly killed by Ethan," Rhine answered with a smile gracing her face, as she praised warmly, "I have no doubt that Ethan now possesses a power comparable to a deity; he just needs an opportunity."
"To step into the divine realm, one needs not only talent but also a bit of luck," she continued.
"And that luck, I can provide him, as a reward for his assistance," Rhine affirmed, an unyielding determination in her voice.
Hearing this, old John chuckled, saying, "Then let me thank you on his behalf."
Rhine turned her head slightly, casting a probing look at old John as she queried, "You clearly had the opportunity as well, why did you choose to give it up in the end?"
Old John fell into a long silence, recalling the past before he sighed heavily, conveying, "Many times, being a deity is not just a manifestation of power, but also a representation of responsibility. Once bound by chains, it becomes incredibly difficult to be free again."
"And what about Ethan?" Rhine inquired, a challenging note in her voice.
Old John, who was initially heading back into the underground command post, paused and with a smile elucidated, "Ethan, he has the capacity to break free from those shackles. Moreover, who said I plan to have him enter the divine realm this way? He has his convictions, and he would never agree. However, this opportunity can grant him additional experience."
"You truly are insane." Learning of Old John's plan, Rhine suddenly felt a cold sensation envelop her entire body.
The smidgen of luck she and Old John had discussed pertained to a trial — the trial of the god — left behind by a deity.
Success in this trial would grant control over divine power, ushering the victor into the rank of deities.
Of course, a deity achieved through this means would essentially be subservient to the deity who set up the trial.
It was a shortcut.
Despite its many imperfections, its mere presence before ordinary people would undoubtedly ignite fierce battles for possession.
Within the confines of the underground command post and Maya City, only Old John was privy to the knowledge of the divine trial in Rhine's possession.
Years ago, he too had embarked on this very trial but chose to abandon it at the critical juncture — a secret known solely to Rhine.
Now, he wished for Ethan to retrace the steps of his youthful endeavors, a path marred by crazed audacity.
This not only showcased a lack of reverence for the deity but risked invoking their wrath. Old John's extended stay in Maya City had been a method of evading the deity's vengeance.
Rhine found herself grappling with the uncertainty of Old John's true intentions, albeit her energy waned too rapidly to dwell much on the matter.
However, a thought burgeoned within her, "Old John holds Ethan in such high regard. Perhaps, I should raise the stakes too. At the very least, when we meet again, the rewards will be even greater…"
...
Dragon Valley lay to the east of the underground command post.
It was formed between two stone mountains, and at the entrance of the valley stood a tall stele.
At this moment, Ethan and his companions stood before it.
Pointing at the inscriptions on the stele, Eileen elaborated, "Here lies some information about Haviss, left behind by Lord Sano. At the edge of the battlefield, there exists another stele. However, that one displays the rankings of monster slayings."
Another stele?
Upon hearing Eileen mention it, Ethan had no significant recollection.
On the battlefield, he had been entirely focused on eliminating monsters, paying little attention to other details.
"Haviss has extremely tough scales, highly resistant to various magical attacks and toxins, making it immensely difficult to defeat him. But since Ms. Rhine is so confident in your ability to vanquish the Angry Dragon, the command will be yours," Eileen said to Ethan, entrusting him with the leadership.
She continued with a query, "How shall we proceed with the task of slaying the Angry Dragon?"
Ethan pondered briefly before responding firmly, "With fists."
Eileen and Lehman were taken aback, failing to grasp Ethan's intent at first.
In the next moment, Ethan transformed into the Dragon, launching skyward towards the enraged Dragon Haviss.
Sensing the powerful aura emanating from Ethan, Haviss bellowed furiously into the heavens, thrashing wildly.
Soon, the duo understood Ethan's meaning.
In the face of Ethan's Golden Divine Dragon form, the Angry Dragon Haviss stood no chance.
The colossal chains that bound Haviss prevented it from resisting, and with every swipe of the Golden Divine Dragon's claws, Haviss' scales were torn asunder.
The once invincible Angry Dragon in the eyes of everyone at the command post, had now become Ethan's plaything.
Another swiping claw descended, and the Angry Dragon Haviss became completely enraged, letting out a furious roar at Ethan, who hovered in mid-air.
But the roar could not bring about any change.
Transformed into the Golden Divine Dragon, Ethan directly stepped on the Angry Dragon, his claws seizing Haviss's head and forcefully pressing it into the ground.
The dragon's body was pushed deep into the earth, causing magma from beneath the surface to surge upwards.
Ethan exerted force continuously until the demon dragon's skull was shattered.
At the brink of death, Haviss finally counterattacked, directing all the absorbed Power of Lava toward Ethan in a desperate assault, but it was still in vain.
In the face of absolute power, any schemes were laughable.
The multiple streams of the Power of Lava were restrained at the Golden Divine Dragon's chest, morphing into several fiery red patterns.
The Angry Dragon Haviss had met its undeniable end, extinguished completely in this brutal showdown.
Not far away, Lehman and Eileen collapsed to the ground, sitting paralyzed with disbelief as they gazed at each other.
They couldn't help but utter in unison, grappling with the gravity of what they witnessed, "Has Haviss just... died like that?"
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