Chapter 742: 741. The Dragon’s Bargain (2)
Ocean’s declaration sent a chill through everyone who remained unfrozen. None of them had expected the young Dragon to go so far as to bargain away his own life for the Dragon God, but while disbelief gripped the others, the Dominus felt something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
Excitement.
He had already learned that the young Dragon before him was the scion of the Supreme Aqua Dragon and, more importantly, someone who had spent years living amongst humans. Looking at him now, it wasn’t difficult to understand why he was willing to make such an absurd proposal. His human emotions had completely eclipsed the cold rationality Dragons were known for. Even so, the Dominus wasn’t foolish enough to lower his guard.
"Are you truly willing to do anything?" He asked.
Ocean met his crimson eyes without flinching.
"Yes."
Behind Ocean, the wounded Domina struggled to lift herself from the frozen ground, black blood staining the ice beneath her as she weakly reached toward the Dominus.
"D-ominus...He’s... deceitful... Don’t... listen to him..." She rasped.
But neither of the two men spared her so much as a glance. Ocean simply placed a hand over his chest once more and repeated, "I told you... transfer Sol’s curse onto me."
The Dominus remained silent, carefully studying the young Dragon before slowly turning his gaze toward the towering Yggdrasil. The colossal World Tree stood encased within Dragon ice, its frozen branches glimmering beneath the moonlight. If the Dragon truly meant every word he had spoken, then there was only one way to find out.
"If you want me to remove that curse," he began, "then I have two conditions."
"What are they?" Ocean asked immediately.
A faint smile tugged at the Dominus’s lips. "The first is exactly what you asked for. I will lift the Dragon God’s curse and transfer it to you."
"And the second?"
The Dominus slowly raised his hand toward Yggdrasil.
"You will destroy the World Tree."
For a long moment, no one spoke. Aelfric stared blankly at the Dominus before instinctively turning toward Ocean, while Erisgrirlum’s expression gradually darkened. Even Zale, who knew Ocean better than anyone else present, couldn’t bring himself to predict his Master’s answer.
"He... he wouldn’t agree to something like that, would he?" Erisgrirlum muttered.
"He’s a Dragon," Aelfric said quietly, his eyes never leaving Ocean. "Destroying Yggdrasil would invite the wrath of the heavens themselves."
Zale remained silent. Ocean had always been impossible to predict. He had watched him risk his own life for complete strangers moreover, he had seen Ocean nearly accepting death for Sol once.
Ocean was fiercely protective of his people but he was also ruthless enough to remove his enemies and who else but Zale himself could say that from his own experience.
Back when he was possessed by a demon and then thrown away, Ocean had found him and he hadn’t hesitated to try and kill him. It was purely by Zale’s fortune and Ocean’s mercy that he was alive and had successfully taken the throne of Nelius ocean. If Ocean would make a decision then there was no way that he would hesitate to destroy Yggdrasil or this world.
Unable to bear the thought any longer, Xeveris hurried toward Ocean before dropping to his knees. "Lord Dragon... please don’t. You can’t make this deal. This world depends upon Yggdrasil. If the World Tree falls, then everything we and our ancestors fought to protect will disappear with it."
Before he could say another word, Xeveris suddenly felt his feet leave the ground. Confusion spread across the battlefield as not only he but Aelfric, Erisgrirlum, Zale, Issyrha and the frozen Edrisyl individuals that were the closest to Yggdrasil slowly rose into the air together, an invisible force carrying them farther and farther away from Yggdrasil.
"Master!" Zale called out, unable to resist the spell. "You’re not seriously planning to destroy Yggdrasil, are you?"
"Lord Dragon!" Xeveris shouted desperately.
Issyrha struggled furiously against the invisible force restraining her. "Ocean! If you dare destroy the World Tree, I swear I’ll kill you with my own hands!"
Ocean didn’t answer a single one of them. He simply guided everyone to a safe distance before returning his full attention to the Dominus, his expression remaining as calm as ever.
Watching the scene unfold, the Dominus couldn’t suppress the satisfaction rising within him. The young Dragon’s magical prowess far exceeded his expectations, yet that only made the irony all the sweeter. Solcarion had once defied the heavens time and again to protect the weak, whereas his successor now stood before him prepared to abandon the entire world for the sake of a single person. It was absurd... but it was precisely the kind of absurdity he found most entertaining. Better still, the ritual would soon begin, and having Yggdrasil destroyed by the hands of the Dragon God himself would make quite a welcome for their guest.
"I accept your conditions," Ocean said at last. "But I have one of my own."
The Dominus narrowed his eyes.
"I’ll destroy Yggdrasil first. In return, you’ll remove Sol’s curse immediately. You can’t expect me to trust you without any assurance."
"And why," the Dominus asked, "should I trust that you won’t simply kill me afterward?"
Ocean slowly placed his hand over his chest.
"I swear upon my predecessor, the Supreme Aqua Dragon Aeltharos, that I, his scion, will keep my word and destroy Yggdrasil."
For the first time since the young Dragon had appeared, the Dominus’s composure faltered. His eyes widened in genuine disbelief as he stared at Ocean. Among Dragons, swearing upon one’s predecessor was no ordinary oath. It was no different from swearing upon one’s own Mana Heart. Should the oath remain unfulfilled, the Mana Heart would shatter, leaving the Dragon with no chance of survival.
High above the battlefield, Issyrha continued struggling against the invisible force holding her aloft.
"Ocean!" She shouted, her voice hoarse with desperation.
"Don’t do this!" She poured more mana into her magic, but the authority suppressing her refused to yield. Helplessly, her eyes drifted toward Yggdrasil just as the Pure Mana flowing through its trunk began melting away the ice encasing its roots. The crystalline frost receded little by little, revealing the ancient bark beneath.
No... This couldn’t happen... Of all beings, a Dragon could never be allowed to commit such a sin.
The Dominus slowly stepped aside, silently granting Ocean the path to Yggdrasil. Just as Ocean was about to walk past him, he felt something weakly clutch at the hem of his coat. Lowering his gaze, he found the Domina staring up at him, her bloodstained fingers trembling as they clung to his clothing with the last of her strength. Her eyes blazing with fury and hatred.
"What... are you... planning... now? You... scheming Dragon?" She spat.
The Dominus glanced at her and let out a quiet sigh. Without another word, the black miasma surrounding him surged forward like a pack of starving beasts, engulfing her frail body. A pained gasp escaped her lips before the dead mana greedily drained away what little life she had left. Her skin rapidly shriveled, the light faded from her eyes, and a moment later her lifeless body collapsed against the frozen ground.
Ocean watched the entire scene without the slightest change in expression before lifting his eyes back to the Dominus.
"We have a deal, Dragon," the Dominus declared. "The moment Yggdrasil is destroyed, I will remove the curse from Dragon God Solcarion."
Ocean gave no reply.
A translucent notification appeared before his eyes as a brilliant golden bow materialized in his hand.
[Summoned Weapon: Sharanga Bow.]
The notification lingered only briefly before the countless others flashed, all from his frantic three Patrons. Ocean paid them no attention as his fingers settled naturally around the golden bow. A soft divine radiance spread from the weapon, illuminating the frozen battlefield and forcing the Dominus to instinctively surround himself with another few layers of dense black miasma. A holy weapon would have been troublesome enough, but a Divine Weapon was something else entirely. Such weapons were bestowed only by the Gods dwelling in the heavens and beyond.
Just who... was this young Dragon?
"Ocean, don’t you dare!" Issyrha screamed.
"Master!"
"Lord Dragon!"
"Don’t do it!"
The desperate cries echoed across the battlefield as Ocean calmly raised Sharanga. A golden arrow slowly took shape between his fingers, its radiant tip aligning with the towering World Tree. The Dominus watched without blinking, anticipation burning within his crimson eyes as Ocean slowly drew back the bowstring.
The next instant, the golden arrow shot forward.
The golden arrow vanished from the bowstring so quickly that none of the mortal eyes present could follow its flight. It crossed the distance in an instant before burying itself deep within Yggdrasil’s ancient trunk.
For the briefest moment, nothing happened.
Then the world erupted.
A blinding pillar of golden light burst from the World Tree, swallowing the night beneath its brilliance as a terrifying wave of heat and force exploded across Edrisyl. The frozen ground shattered beneath the shockwave, the surrounding roots trembled violently and even the Dominus was nearly hurled backward. Just as his feet began leaving the ground, he felt an overwhelming force pressing down upon him. Turning slightly, he realized Ocean hadn’t moved an inch. The young Dragon stood calmly amidst the raging storm while his authority alone kept the Dominus firmly rooted in place.
Yggdrasil had caught fire.
Brilliant golden flames spread rapidly across the colossal trunk before racing through its endless branches and sprawling roots. Every blackened leaf was consumed the instant the fire reached it, crumbling into glowing ash that drifted across the blazing sky. The ancient World Tree stood engulfed in an inferno so immense that it illuminated the entire island, making it seem as though sun had risen over Edrisyl.
For Aelfric, Erisgrirlum, Xeveris and Zale, there was nothing more agonizing than the sight unfolding before their eyes. Suspended helplessly high above the battlefield, they could do nothing except watch as the very lifeline of the world was consumed by fire. The World Tree they had sworn to protect, the symbol that had endured since ancient times, was now burning before them, while the Dragon who had come as their savior remained standing before it with Sharanga still in his hand.
The Dominus watched the blazing World Tree with widened eyes, the golden flames reflected within his crimson pupils. Even now, part of him struggled to believe what he had just witnessed. A Dragon... a Dragon had truly attacked Yggdrasil of his own will. Had someone told him such a thing even a day ago, he would have laughed in their face.
Yet it had happened.
A slow smile spread across his face as the last trace of disbelief faded.
The oath had been fulfilled.
He had no intention of breaking his side of the bargain. In fact, he found himself looking forward to it. Solcarion would awaken free from the curse only to witness the world he had sacrificed everything to protect collapsing because of his own successor. The irony was exquisite, and for the first time in a very long while, the Dominus genuinely anticipated what would come next.
The Dominus slowly placed a hand over his chest, his crimson eyes never leaving Ocean as he invoked the curse.
"The curse befallen upon Dragon God Solcarion by myself... shall be lifted."
The moment the words settled, Ocean felt three notifications appear before his eyes.
[Life Connection with Solcarion has been successfully established.]
[Conditions for reward implementation fulfilled.]
[All criterias are met. You can proceed.]
A long breath escaped him.
The invisible thread that had remained severed for years finally reconnected, and almost immediately he felt the familiar presence inside his mind. It was faint, distant and filled with confusion, but it was there.
The first layer of the curse had been broken.
Miles away, almost on the other side of the globe, Solcarion sat leaning against the large feathery body of Xevia watching the twilight just settling. The chill of the upcoming night had made him stop and make a small bonfire for himself. He had been pushing his body for days since he left Sestia and the only thing that kept him from collapsing was Ocean’s mana stone pendant that rested against his chest.
He leaned his head back watching the black bird circling in the sky above him and he couldn’t help but smile. It’d been quite some time since he had heard Ocean/Reina’s voice and somehow he couldn’t help but miss her at this moment.
Suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed as the sky darkened and his heart shuddered. The mana in the air seemed to have thinned considerably, he couldn’t help but straighten up, wondering what just happened.
It was impossible for anything major to happen with Ocean around but what if... What if something happened to him?
Sol lifted his head and gestured for the flying black bird to come but then suddenly, he felt the black markings on his body starting to slither. He looked down at his chest where the black magic circle appeared before it dispersed and his heart started beating with a refreshing vigor. The one layer of curse that restricted him from using his Mana freely was gone and the only curse that remained was on his Mana Heart.
He sat in shock for a moment, how was this possible?
He had two layers of curses on him, one was casted by the Demon King himself and second was by a strong Dominus. How was the one curse lifted... Unless someone...
Before Sol could make sense of anything, he felt the clear voice in his head.
"You’re quite rude, aren’t you, Sol?" It was unmistakably Ocean’s voice. "Leaving without even saying goodbye."
Sol whipped his head around, expecting to see the young Dragon either floating down from the sky or emerging from the treeline, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"...Ocean?! What... How?! Wait... what did you do?"
"You’ll know soon," Ocean replied. "I’m a little busy right now. So, I’ll talk to you later."
Sol sat in shock, he could somehow feel the refreshing cool mana surge through his body, flowing along with his own mana as he slowly regained his power. Once he managed to gather his bearings, he leaned back against Xevia, still unable to think clearly but making just the conclusion that somehow Ocean had managed to lift the curse.
Sol couldn’t help but chuckle as he lifted his little hand, he had gotten used to being in a child’s body but now, he could go back to how he was.
The connection fell quiet, but the relief remained. For the first time in days, Ocean could truly feel Sol again, and that alone made everything he had done worthwhile.
Watching the unmistakable relief spread across the young Dragon’s face, the Dominus couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Just as he had expected... human emotions. The Dragon had become so consumed by the joy of saving someone precious to him that he hadn’t spared a thought for what came next.
How wonderfully naive.
The Dominus slowly raised his arm, his open palm facing Ocean as thick dead mana gathered before it. A pitch-black magic circle expanded into existence, its intricate symbols slowly rotating while the surrounding miasma flowed toward it like rivers returning to the sea.
"The curse that had befallen the former Dragon God Solcarion..." he declared, his voice echoing across the burning battlefield, "...shall now befall his successor."
His crimson eyes locked onto Ocean.
"Ocean Ryujin."
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