The duel between Novarion and Arcturus drew steadily closer. Arcturus surged toward Novarion at peak velocity, traversing an almost infinite distance thanks to his unique speed that defies understanding. Meanwhile, Novarion advanced through the ranks of lesser dragons, slaying them one by one without a hint of boredom or fatigue, as if it were nothing more than a simple warm-up. His power swelled with every passing moment; every time he felled a beast, he absorbed its life force and abilities, becoming stronger than the moment before.
Novarion had reached the 166th floor, while Arcturus approached his location after crossing a distance immeasurable by conventional numbers. At that moment, Novarion sensed a colossal power heading his way. A wicked smile played across his lips as he spoke with dark serenity:
"It seems we shall have a little fun."
Novarion unleashed his terrifying aura, and the entire Dragon World—a realm in the Fourth Heaven consisting of infinite dimensions that transcend all concepts—shook under its weight. Every creature there felt a force capable of crushing their very bones. The Dragon King himself felt true terror at this energy, and his subordinates fell to the ground, unable to bear the heavy pressure.
The King spoke with deep concern:
"This is not the power of a human… it exceeds that of the strongest mankind. We will face great difficulty against this being."
Thus, he decided to send the rest of his followers to support Arcturus, and they departed at maximum speed.
Arriving at Novarion's side, Arcturus spoke with sharp intensity:
"So, you are the human killing our followers."
Novarion replied with lethal calm:
"Yes, it is I. And what do you intend to do about it?"
Arcturus roared in anger:
"I will show you what I can do!"
He lunged, attacking with all his might, but Novarion parried his strikes with absolute ease. Arcturus used his unique dragon flames and shifted his attacks in every way he knew, yet they failed to leave a single scratch on Novarion's body.
Arcturus gasped, stunned:
"You are stronger than I expected."
Novarion countered:
"And you are also stronger than those who came before you… but let me tell you something… you haven't even seen five percent of my power."
Arcturus froze in shock, then gathered all his energy into one massive attack. It failed to produce any effect. Novarion stood his ground as if the attack hadn't even touched him. Then, he delivered a single strike from his sword—no technique, just pure power—severing Arcturus's arm completely.
Arcturus tried to flee with mad speed, but in every direction he turned, he found Novarion standing before him. He crashed into him repeatedly, unable to comprehend or survive. At that moment, the rest of the Dragon King's followers arrived.
Outside the gate, Zayn and his companions were still at the guild headquarters waiting for Novarion's return, until an urgent order arrived from the Guild Leader for them to appear immediately.
Zayn, Ray, and Lina entered. The Leader told them:
"There is an extremely powerful individual attacking some hunters. They returned with severe injuries and a message from him: 'Tell me Novarion's location or I will erase you.'"
He asked Lina to treat the wounded and ordered Zayn and Ray to confront the threat.
Zayn said: "Understood, I will execute the mission."
The Guild Leader replied: "Go."
Back inside the Dragon World, Arcturus stood before Novarion, his head bowed to the ground, his voice trembling with terror:
"Please… do not kill me… I will become your servant… I will do whatever you command…"
Novarion looked at him with a wicked gaze, then delivered another strike that erased him from existence entirely.
The System appeared:
[Opponent Eliminated. Life energy and all experiences absorbed.]
The remaining Dragon Commanders looked at him in sheer horror and decided to attack all at once. They used a secret technique that combined all their power into a single joint assault. Novarion stood motionless, merely watching them. Once they had gathered their full energy, they launched the strongest attack they possessed.
Novarion smiled, tilting his head to dodge the attack, but a tiny scratch appeared on his face from the intensity of the blow. His eyes filled with rage.
After their energy was completely depleted, he lunged at them, tearing them apart with his sword without mercy. He absorbed their life energy until all four were finished.
The System appeared once more:
[Breakthrough to Level 143.]
To be continued…