Chapter 120: Chapter 115: Echoes of the Dragon King (Part 1)
The roar of thousands shook the heavens.
It rolled across the hidden realm like the birth of a storm, echoing through the branches of the World Tree and across the shattered crystal plains below.
Ancient dragons spread broken wings.
Crystal giants raised weapons that had not tasted battle in millennia.
Forgotten knights stood shoulder to shoulder with beasts whose names had long since faded from history.
Their eyes no longer glowed with mindless rage.
Instead...
They moved with terrifying discipline.
Every movement was synchronized.
Every step deliberate.
John’s expression grew solemn.
"This isn’t an army of corrupted monsters anymore..."
Aerion nodded.
"They’re soldiers."
"They’re being commanded."
Far above them, Asterion lowered his outstretched hand.
"Advance."
His voice wasn’t loud.
Yet every warrior heard it.
The entire army moved as one.
---
The earth quaked beneath countless footsteps.
Crystal forests shattered beneath the march of giants.
Ancient dragons filled the skies like a gathering storm.
The pressure alone made the air difficult to breathe.
Lythriel tightened her grip on her spear.
"This is far worse than before."
"They’re organized."
Sylvara quickly spread dozens of magic circles around the group.
Layers of shimmering barriers formed one after another.
"They’ll reach us in less than a minute."
John stared at the approaching army.
He wanted to fight.
Every instinct in his body urged him to dive into the battlefield.
But another instinct...
One far older...
Told him something else.
His golden eyes drifted toward Asterion.
The silver-haired man remained perfectly still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Almost...
Testing him.
---
The Soul Raven landed heavily upon one of the World Tree’s enormous branches.
Its breathing had become uneven.
Although much of the corruption surrounding its crystal had been shattered, black veins still spread across portions of its body.
John noticed immediately.
"You’re weakening."
The guardian gave a weary nod.
"My strength has not returned."
"The corruption stole more than memories."
"It consumed centuries of accumulated mana."
Aerion frowned.
"Can you still fight?"
A faint smile appeared beneath the guardian’s silver beak.
"I have guarded this realm since before your ancestors were born."
"I shall fight."
"But..."
It looked toward John.
"...I cannot defeat him."
John followed its gaze.
Asterion still hadn’t moved.
---
The distance between the armies continued shrinking.
Ten kilometers.
Nine.
Eight.
John suddenly spoke.
"Asterion."
The silver-haired man looked at him.
"If your goal is to erase suffering..."
"Why command an army?"
"They’re alive."
"They’ll suffer too."
For the first time, Asterion’s expression changed.
Not anger.
Regret.
"They already have."
He slowly closed his eyes.
"They died thousands of years ago."
"They simply have not realized it."
A chill ran down John’s spine.
"What?"
The Soul Raven answered quietly.
"The corruption never truly resurrected them."
"It preserved their bodies."
"Their souls..."
"It chained them."
John looked toward the marching army again.
This time...
He noticed something he hadn’t seen before.
Many of the warriors wore expressions of profound exhaustion.
Some dragons had tears frozen upon their faces.
Several giants limped despite possessing overwhelming strength.
An ancient elven archer continued marching despite the massive spear still embedded through his chest.
None complained.
None cried out.
They simply obeyed.
John clenched his claws.
"They’re prisoners..."
Asterion opened his eyes once more.
"I promised them peace."
"They accepted."
"They no longer fear death."
John’s voice hardened.
"They don’t have a choice."
Silence followed.
Asterion didn’t deny it.
---
Without warning—
The World Tree trembled.
A single enormous root burst from beneath the earth, forcing itself between the advancing army and John’s group.
Golden light raced along its surface.
Then another root emerged.
And another.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
The ancient roots intertwined, forming a colossal living wall.
The marching army finally stopped.
Even Asterion looked mildly surprised.
"The Tree..."
"It still resists."
The Soul Raven bowed its head respectfully.
"My old friend has not surrendered."
---
Every glowing leaf upon the World Tree suddenly illuminated.
Millions of tiny lights filled the sky.
John watched in amazement as they began drifting toward him.
Not toward Aerion.
Not toward the Soul Raven.
Toward him.
The leaves circled around his body.
One landed upon his forehead.
Another upon one of his wings.
A warm sensation spread through his Dragon Core.
The familiar blue screen appeared once again.
---
**"SYSTEM NOTIFICATION"**
**The World Tree acknowledges your presence.**
**Receiving Blessing...**
**Synchronizing...**
**Ancient Dragon King’s Legacy**
**3% → 5%**
**New Passive Skill Acquired**
**"Nature’s Resonance"**
**Description: While near the World Tree or ancient life sources, mana recovery and perception greatly increase.**
---
John blinked.
The increase seemed small.
Yet...
He immediately felt the difference.
The mana he had exhausted during the battle against the Soul Raven began recovering at a noticeably faster rate.
Even more surprising—
He could hear something.
Not voices.
Heartbeats.
Thousands of them.
The World Tree.
The remaining ancient spirits sleeping beneath its roots.
Even the fading heartbeat of the True Heart itself.
And hidden beneath all of them...
Another.
Slower.
Colder.
The False Heart.
Its rhythm was becoming stronger.
---
John closed his eyes.
His enhanced senses spread throughout the hidden realm.
The battlefield unfolded within his mind.
He could feel the approaching dragons.
The crystal giants.
The broken knights.
The corrupted beasts.
Then—
He frowned.
"...That’s strange."
Sylvara looked toward him.
"What is it?"
John pointed toward the eastern horizon.
"There."
"Something’s moving."
Aerion narrowed his eyes.
"I don’t see anything."
"It isn’t part of the army."
Everyone turned.
Far beyond the battlefield...
Beyond even the advancing champions...
A lone figure walked slowly across the crystal plains.
Not toward Asterion.
Toward the World Tree.
The figure wore a weathered gray cloak.
A long staff rested in one hand.
Its face remained hidden beneath a hood.
Unlike every other being in the hidden realm...
It wasn’t surrounded by corruption.
Nor by the World Tree’s golden mana.
Instead...
An unfamiliar silver aura gently shimmered around it.
The Soul Raven’s golden eyes widened.
"No..."
"It cannot be."
John looked at the guardian.
"You know them?"
The great bird stared without blinking.
"I believed..."
"...he was dead."
The hooded traveler finally stopped walking.
Slowly...
He lifted his head.
Even from kilometers away, John felt the old man’s gaze settle upon him.
Then the traveler smiled.
Not at Asterion.
Not at the guardian.
At John.
And with a calm, steady voice that somehow carried across the entire battlefield, he said:
"So..."
"The Dragon King’s heir has finally arrived."
John’s breath caught in his throat.
The hidden realm had revealed yet another survivor of the ancient age.
And judging by the shock on Asterion’s face...
This unexpected arrival was something even the False Heart had never anticipated.
**End of Part 1**
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