Chapter 39
Kwaaauuu!
A deep, low-frequency roar, so intense it was hard to believe it originated from human lungs and vocal cords, shook the heavens and earth. The sound, as grand as a temple bell yet as violent as a raging storm, sent shivers down the spines of the fleeing citizens of Agnon, who trembled in fear even from a distance.
Hildegard and Conra, feeling the vibrations of the sound waves that even shook the barrier, forced a bitter smile and quickly reinforced the barrier. Conra strengthened the Five Thunder Seals by arranging elemental spirits according to their defensive positions, expelling the evil aura. Above that, Hildegard invoked the blessing of Regin, the god of blacksmiths and the protector of builders, to further fortify the barrier.
While the two reassured the anxious people and strengthened the barrier, the dragon facing Sophia became increasingly erratic. Blinded by the intense light and disoriented by the Lion’s Roar, its cognitive functions crumbled, making it difficult to move naturally.
But that wasn’t all. Sophia, after observing the dragon’s movements for a while, quickly noticed the presence of other sensory organs besides its vision and echolocation.
“Bioelectric sensing, thermal detection, and a snake’s sense of smell… I should deal with the smell first.”
Bioelectric sensing would be useless outside of highly conductive water, so the main concerns were thermal detection and the snake’s sense of smell. Sophia decided to tackle the more straightforward snake’s sense of smell first.
The method to neutralize the snake’s sense of smell, which functions by detecting scents through its forked tongue to locate prey and threats, was simple: cut off one tip of the forked tongue.
Sophia’s movements, as she danced through the air with her divine swordsmanship, cutting through the dragon’s defensive flailing and finally slicing off its flickering tongue, were truly admirable.
But Sophia was only human. The moment she cut the tongue, a brief lapse in concentration created an opening in her defenses. Unfortunately, the dragon had the perfect weapon to exploit that momentary gap.
Sssssshhhh! The dragon’s tentacle-like appendage, attached to its jaw, wrapped around one of Sophia’s legs.
“Ugh! What the—!”
‘Damn it, I let my guard down!’
Whip-like weapons, though not as swift or agile, are known for their unpredictable and powerful strikes. And with each tentacle seemingly having its own autonomous brain, their movements became even more erratic and threatening.
Caught off guard with one leg ensnared, Sophia immediately tried to generate a rebound force to break free and swung her longsword to cut the tentacles. But the tentacles were faster, flinging her into the air. In that instant, the dragon’s massive palms came crashing down from both sides.
With no way to dodge, Sophia instinctively extended her arms to release a burst of energy.
Kwaaang!
The dragon’s palms, each large enough to crush her entire body, collided with the energy she released. The impact sent a shockwave through her body, making her bones creak and her insides churn. She coughed up blood as she was sent flying.
Hildegard and Conra, who were protecting the refugees from a distance, were horrified.
“Sophia!”
“Master!”
Fortunately, Sophia’s energy blast had mangled the dragon’s palms, rendering them useless. But unfortunately, the dragon still had two more pairs of arms. The remaining arms were charged with corrupted Elementals. Unable to hold back any longer, Conra handed the barrier control to Hildegard and charged forward.
“Hey, what are you doing rushing out like that?!”
“I’ll leave the rear to you!”
Sophia was his master, and Conra was her disciple and esquire. How could he stand by when his revered master was in danger?
Conra’s body shot forward like a salmon leaping upstream. With unprecedented focus, time seemed to slow down, his vision expanded, and his perception became paradoxically both broad and intensely focused. He gripped his spear tightly.
In a flash, Conra transformed into a werewolf, then into a bear-man, and finally into a hybrid of both.
“O Spirits! Punish the one who defiles your essence with the spear of retribution!”
As he chanted the spell, lightning imbued his spear. In his beastly form, Conra became a streak of lightning, soaring through the air.
As he passed the falling Sophia, he hurled his spear. The spear, writhing like a living thing, pierced through the corrupted Elementals like a bolt of lightning. The pure, condensed Elementals couldn’t withstand the corrupted, unstable ones. The pierced Elementals dissipated into nothingness.
“Master?!”
Ignoring the relief of having destroyed the Elementals, Conra’s consciousness quickly turned to where Sophia had fallen. Fortunately, Sophia had regained consciousness just in time and landed safely, steadying her breath. Her ethereal muscles, pushed beyond their limits, had absorbed much of the dragon’s force, so her internal injuries weren’t as severe as they could have been.
Once she stabilized her breathing, Sophia circulated her Light Power to heal her injuries. Her blue eyes flashed with electric light as she glared at the dragon.
But the relief was short-lived. A sense of impending danger made Conra instinctively roll away. Just as he moved, the dragon’s forelegs crushed the spot where he had been standing. When Conra looked up, Sophia was no longer there. Instead, he witnessed a bizarre sight.
Lightning flickered, and the longsword soared through the sky.
Sophia’s hands moved in a blur, forming hand seals. The seals, both forming and releasing, created a strange rhythm as the longsword flew through the air like a living fish swimming through water or a bird soaring across the sky.
At times, the sword’s movements seemed to defy the laws of physics, darting unpredictably as it slashed through the dragon’s body.
The longsword, cloaked in a pale sword aura and trailing golden light, looked like a divine blade from the heavens. But Conra knew it was just an ordinary steel sword, sanctified by the Church Order.
“——!!!”
And in that moment, when Sophia let out a soundless roar, Conra couldn’t believe his eyes.
The trajectory of the longsword, which had been cutting through the dragon’s massive body, suddenly began to skip, as if the intermediate movements had disappeared. The sword was now attacking the dragon’s body without any visible movement in between.
The wounds on the dragon’s body grew increasingly severe. What started as mere flesh wounds soon extended to its tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
When the tendons of its six legs were severed, the dragon collapsed. When the tendons of its six arms were slashed, its arms fell limp. As the muscles along its spine were torn apart, its torso crumbled. Finally, when the muscles supporting its three heads were destroyed, the heavy heads fell to the ground.
“——!”
In the blink of an eye, Sophia had soared into the air. Beneath her feet was the longsword that had been slashing the dragon moments ago. Her arms were spread wide like wings, and sparks began to fly from her outstretched hands.
Since ancient times, lightning has been considered the most destructive of all holy forces, a celestial punishment that condemns the impure. It flows relentlessly, penetrating even the deepest recesses.
Thus, in the teachings of the ancient Zhenjin Church, there existed a technique known as the Five Thunder Seals, a method to destroy all sorcery and slay monsters.
Fifteen streaks of lightning condensed between Sophia’s hands. Controlling the Fifteen Thunder Seals, a triple-layered version of the Five Thunder Seals, Sophia’s longsword slowly flew toward the dragon.
“——!”
The three heads, now powerless on the ground, were struck by five streaks of lightning each. The Five Thunder Seals, having struck the heads, converged at the dragon’s heart and overlapped once more. Then, the destructive energy of the Fifteen Thunder Seals erupted within the dragon’s body.
The lightning meticulously scoured every inch of the dragon’s body, leaving no trace of impurity. When the relentless bolts finally subsided, all that remained were the remnants of what was once a dragon.
It was finally over. Conra, feeling the overwhelming fatigue, let out a long sigh. From the frantic rush to Agnon to the continuous battles, it had been exhausting. Of course, the one who had played the most decisive role was his master, Sophia, who must have been the most exhausted of all.
As he thought this, Conra suddenly heard a thud as someone collapsed. His heart sank.
