Chapter 14 – The Activities of an F-Grade Troublemaker 7
by fnovelpia
“ABRAXAS!!!”
As the giant explosion erupted from the dragon’s gesture, Theseus shouted out to Abraxas.
Elia was completely drained of her strength.
Sylvia had lost consciousness.
Even Theseus himself could not control his body due to the Dragon Fear.
‘How can we get out of this situation…’
He thought he was quite smart, but, unfortunately, even he couldn’t see a way out of this situation.
The opponent, weakened as it may be, was still a dragon, an apex being among all creatures.
Maybe the Theseus of 30 years later could stand a chance, but not him as he was now.
Therefore, there was only one path left for Theseus.
‘Abraxas knew everything. About the dragon’s existence and its story. So he must have intended this as well.’
Though he pretended not to trust him, Theseus believed in Abraxas.
He had been like an adult since childhood, always planning and executing various schemes.
After all, a normal child wouldn’t think of running away with money after convincing dozens of people to invest, promising to double it.
Abraxas, despite being on the wrong path, was exceptional in many ways.
So Theseus decided to believe that this was also part of Abraxas’s plan.
‘To fulfill Abraxas’s plan, I must be of some help. The only thing I can trust is his plan.’
Having witnessed amazing miracles from Abraxas before, Theseus decided to bet his life on it.
“I, Theseus Winterfield of the Duke Winterfield family… challenge the ancient dragon to combat!”
His body wouldn’t respond, consumed by the Dragon Fear.
He was well aware that he stood no chance.
But he believed nonetheless.
[You know you will be defeated. You have a fine comrade indeed.]
The dragon admired his courage.
But a fight is a fight.
The dragon thrust its fist towards him.
Thud—
A crisp sound was heard.
The sound of a human body hitting something gigantic.
Theseus, struck by the fist, slammed pathetically against a wall.
And this scene became visible to Elia, who had regained some consciousness.
“!”
Elia Adonis, still conscious, watched the man challenging the dragon, risking his life for his friend.
How could he do such a thing?
‘There’s no way left… Sylvia is barely regaining consciousness, Abraxas’s condition is unknown, and Theseus can’t even use aura enhancement, not to mention my own dire state.’
It was a situation that spelled total defeat.
They had not landed a single effective blow on the dragon.
And now, their party was on the brink of total annihilation.
Theseus, smashed against the wall, was trembling, barely managing to stand up using a sword as a support instead of his staff.
And Sylvia Renen, unable to even stand, lay there, watching the situation unfold.
Elia Adonis was also at her physical limit.
But even then, they didn’t give up.
It was because this situation overlapped with what he had shown them.
‘Abraxas Mentuhotep sacrificed his arm to win against the professor.’
‘He was definitely smiling in the end. There must be something more.’
‘Some may think they were just troublemakers picking fights, but there was always a reason behind Abraxas causing trouble in the academy. He must have provoked those incidents deliberately.’
They couldn’t be certain.
But that’s what everyone thought.
Ultimately, the strategist who had led them this far, the leader of the party, was Abraxas.
Trusting him was entirely right.
Filled with determination, they stood up to face their final battle.
Their bodies were shaky and weak, but they decided to trust in him nonetheless.
Just as they were about to start their battle, placing their last hope on it,
[Ah, you have wonderful comrades. So, what’s your answer? Will you let your friends suffer more?]
The dragon spoke to someone.
“I didn’t plan on it. Just waiting for the mood to calm down a bit.”
“““!!!”””
While everyone was grasping the situation, a figure emerged from between the dragon’s front claws.
Abraxas Mentuhotep, the man who had orchestrated this entire event, stood there.
“Now, shall we talk? A conversation that will benefit us all.”
“Ancient Dragon, Horntail. The most powerful and oldest dragon, but so ancient that you’ve been forgotten by everyone’s memory.
You were able to live long because you were the strongest, but because you lived too long, you became the weakest among the mature dragons.”
As the dragon and the other party members focused their gaze on me, I prefaced the crucial conversation that had to be accompanied by a necessary introduction.
“You’re just not showing it. You’re more fearful than anyone else. The glory of your past as the mightiest dragon has left no trace behind.
Your body gets weaker as days go by. However, dragons didn’t even know that dragons can age and die, so even as you grew weaker, no one dared to challenge you.”
A dragon too strong to be challenged by anyone.
Dragons believed themselves to be immortal, so they never challenged Horntail, the once strongest.
Even if they did challenge, they would think of doing it after becoming stronger.
But contrary to the thoughts of other dragons, dragons weaken as they age.
This became his Achilles’ heel.
He couldn’t die.
He wanted to die, but his pride wouldn’t allow him the suicide that only the weak choose, especially since he was far from his glorious past.
“You, like other dragons, must have wanted to die. But even in such a situation, due to the glory and honor of those times, you couldn’t commit suicide.”
“You, like other dragons, must have desired someone stronger to end your life. To maintain your dignity, not as a disgraceful dragon but as a once mighty one. That’s why you can’t kill me.”
He didn’t want to live, but he couldn’t accept ending his own life even more.
That’s why he couldn’t kill us.
“I never told anyone that the origin of the Moon’s Magic Realm is a dragon.”
The ancient dragon wanted us to acknowledge him.
Muttering that fact allowed me to stand here unharmed.
The dragon didn’t know how I found out about this.
Therefore, he acknowledged me.
I had unearthed information that even his kin had forgotten.
He could have spread the information himself, but he didn’t.
Advertising oneself is something only the inferior do.
“Aren’t you afraid? How long will it take? Will you truly die of old age? The body ages, but the dragon heart remains intact. Could it be that the body weakens but lives forever?
Even if death comes, how much longer until it finally happens? 100,000 years? A million years? Or do you have even more days ahead of you? Do you have to continue living this disgraceful life? Aren’t you trembling in fear with such thoughts?”
Even dragons didn’t know they could age, but he knew it himself.
However, he only knew about aging, not how long a dragon could live.
How much longer must he endure?
Or is he truly immortal, with a body that continues to weaken?
The more he pondered these thoughts, the more he deteriorated.
That’s why this Magic Realm is frozen like a photograph.
He didn’t want to age anymore.
He didn’t want to die either.
He wanted to die at the hands of a being surpassing his prime, even if it meant stopping time.
Though he couldn’t actually stop time, just restricting movement was all he could do.
“So, I will fulfill your wish. Didn’t I say it would be a decent proposal? Ancient Dragon, Horntail. I will take your dragon heart.”
We would grant him his wish for death.
But for the ancient dragon, there was still something unacceptable.
[You mean… to die by your hands?]
Dying at the hands of the unworthy was no different from the suicide he had been avoiding.
He hadn’t moved, not because he couldn’t but because anger still resided within him.
That’s why my response was predetermined.
“You didn’t wish for death because you hoped to be remembered by future generations, or for whatever other reason, ultimately hoping for someone to surpass you. Then look. Are we qualified enough?”
[Look…?]
“The eyes of a dragon see through everything. The abilities, thoughts, hidden secrets of others, everything. Even the future.”
“So take a look. The people here are at least worthy enough to use the Dragon’s Eye.”
We had proven our worth.
And present here were humans of extraordinary talent.
The Dragon’s Eye, capable of predicting the future of its target.
It only shows the possibilities of the future, but that’s enough.
Even if it’s far in the future, dying at the hands of those who have the potential to surpass oneself is enough.
[You speak the truth.]
The dragon was convinced by these words.
It seemed he understood the true intention behind my previous actions, just like the saying goes, ‘The Dragon’s Eye sees through everything.’
Knowing the truth usually calms down the anger.
With that, the Dragon’s Eye shone, and the ancient dragon observed the future.
Depending on what the dragon saw, our future would be decided.
In the Dragon’s Eye, a vast battlefield unfolds.
There is no sound. The Dragon’s Eye can only see.
In a valley where the sunset has fallen, where only burnt trees remain as if after a forest fire, gigantic creatures soar up, all heading in one direction.
[Wyverns, it seems.]
In the sky, numerous wyverns were flying down to this land.
It’s likely that the mountains were also burnt by these wyverns.
On the opposite side of the wyverns’ invasion, several puppets were visible.
A collective of various races – elves, dragonkin, beastmen, humans.
Among this group, one person caught the Dragon’s Eye.
The person who caught the Dragon’s Eye drew a sword hanging on their back and aimed it at the wyverns.
And before long, he swung the sword at a speed that even the Dragon’s Eye couldn’t perceive.
Kwaaaaaang—
There was no sound, but it was as if the dragon could hear it.
Such a magnificent spectacle unfolded on this land.
Starting from the sword’s trajectory, an earthquake occurred in the sky.
Although it’s impossible for an earthquake to happen in the sky, there was no other way to describe it.
The process was omitted.
It must have happened, but it was too fast, practically non-existent.
The wyverns were literally slaughtered by the earthquake in the sky.
The dragon, recognizing the identity of the person who delivered that strike, smiled satisfactorily.
[Ah, I see. He is not someone I can handle.]
The dragon acknowledged that being.
Although still fledgling, he might one day surpass everyone.
[A being who could reach the pinnacle of this world. How futile.]
But that realization allowed the dragon to accept death peacefully more than anything.
Defeated by the strongest.
No one could dispute that.
[If he had come as the strongest, it might have been different, but for now, he is just a fledgling. So, I must maintain dignity.]
No one would call him a mere mortal if they had seen him.
[I entrust my end to you, Abraxas.]
With those words, the dragon closed its eyes amidst a brilliant light.
After the dragon thoroughly observed us, a brief moment passed.
The brilliance emanating from the Dragon’s Eye faded, and the dragon looked at us.
Then, suddenly, the dragon began to create a mist around me.
Since I was the only one directly confronting the dragon, I was the only one trapped in the mist.
[This space is a kind of barrier. So, the conversation we have here won’t leak outside.]
It seemed the ancient dragon had something to discuss with me alone, creating a sealed space with the barrier.
Seeing this, I smiled.
It meant that my strategy had worked and his anger had subsided.
‘I’m not sure who, but there was someone the dragon deemed acceptable.’
I gambled on this, something I couldn’t have predicted.
Of course, failing wouldn’t mean death.
Then I would reluctantly bring people from my family, make a contract and receive a share.
The dragon would grant death to the people of my family.
‘To get the dragon to use the Dragon’s Eye on us, there had to be at least a motivation. An aged dragon finds it taxing to use the Dragon’s Eye.’
So, I deliberately provoked him.
I set a trap he couldn’t kill me in.
And that strategy ultimately led me to this point.
Alone with the dragon, he began to speak what he had wanted to say.
[I want to make it clear… I am not a coward hiding in fear.]
Even if he had accepted death, his pride remained.
It’s not unusual for someone who wishes to die honorably.
So, I revealed the truth.
It wasn’t a slander intended to anger him.
“I know. It’s because your father said that the strongest doesn’t challenge but is challenged. That’s why you didn’t challenge other dragons and eventually were forgotten.”
[How do you know about my father’s story…!]
This story appears in WFS as a flashback scene when the ancient dragon is about to die.
A memory that only the dragon or I would know.
And this also revealed to him that I was no ordinary person.
[You knew all along…]
“Yes, I knew everything. What I wanted to say is that if you wanted to die leaving descendants, you should have made it known. Even though you were once the strongest, now you are the weakest.
To others, you are just a coward who ran away. If you wanted to be remembered in history, to truly be an honorable dragon, you should have cared about how others saw you.”
[I was wrong.]
“It’s possible to be wrong when even dragons don’t know they can die of old age.”
[You seem to not even consider the possibility that you could be wrong.]
“If I’m wrong, I’ll just correct it later.”
I am the only one who understands him.
All beings related to him had already departed this land for the afterlife.
There hadn’t been anyone who remembered him for a very long time.
[Great human, I do not know how you came to know these facts, but using them, you will soar higher than dragons. When your journey ends, write about me. That is my final wish.]
“I can fulfill that request for the once mightiest dragon.”
I decided to grant this last request to the dragon who was once the most powerful.
After all, it was hardly even a request.
Satisfied with my response, the dragon made an expression as close to a human smile as possible.
The barrier of the dragon was then lifted.
Whooooosh—
As the barrier was dispelled, thick fog spread everywhere, returning to nature.
The ancient dragon and I remained standing in the same spot.
Fortunately, seeing that I was unharmed, my colleagues who had come this far rushed over to me.
“Abraxas! Are you okay?!”
“Any problems? You weren’t attacked or mentally assaulted, were you?”
“From the looks of it, you seem to be the most unscathed among us…”
Fortunately, the goodwill I had built up meant they were all concerned for me.
And the ancient dragon continued to watch our conversation.
I continued speaking.
“Then, may I be the one to kill you? Without revealing who you accepted death from.”
[You don’t wish to disclose who I’ve recognized? Why is that?]
“The future seen by the Dragon’s Eye is not fixed. Just knowing an unfixed future can change it. The future must remain unknown to reach it without any variables.”
Only gods can truly see the future.
The Dragon’s Eye merely speculates it.
It’s just a transcendental insight, similar to the power of foresight.
“So, as the leader of this party, I will be the one to kill you. Having capable subordinates is also a quality of a leader.”
The dragon listened to this and chuckled, showing a satisfied smile.
[May my life’s end be as honorable as the lives of those who perished by my hands.]
“I’ll make sure to spread your story far and wide.”
The dragon stretched its neck, looking down at us.
It was a signal to aim for its important spot.
I, too, brought out a technique I had not used against the professor, in honor of the once mightiest dragon.
Aura Awakening, Absolute First Strike.
Aura Awakening is a power that twists the world through aura.
Since it twists the world, Aura Awakening is not bound by any physical laws.
This technique was forged from my innermost convictions.
Sacrificing an arm if need be.
Sacrificing honor if need be.
Even if my body became covered in filth or I lost my humanity, it was a manifestation of my will to achieve what I desired – an awakened technique.
I used one arm as a support.
With the recoil from that arm, I unleashed a swift attack with a speed that was absolutely unavoidable.
Such an attack reaches any target, whether physical or conceptual.
Although my body is too frail to launch such a powerful attack, and as a consequence, the arm I use will turn into ash and crumble away.
But it’s fine, I can always be healed by a priest from the Holy Empire.
My right hand wielding the sword sliced through the air.
There was a start and an end.
The process in between was absent.
Only the result remained, omitting the process.
I certainly moved, but it was too fast for even my eyes to see or feel.
Swoosh—
The trajectory of the sword energy was invisible, and it ended upon reaching the dragon’s body.
My arm was not strong enough to withstand such power and turned into black ash, crumbling away.
As the sword energy touched him, the dragon’s neck bled.
As the dragon fell, he left the longest-lasting testament in this land’s history.
[Congratulations. Dragon Slayer.]
He embarked on a long journey to meet his companions who had left this earth long ago.
Thus, the average age of sentient beings on this land drastically decreased.
Though, apart from us, no one else would know this fact.
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