Chapter 229: Dragon Heart
A giant hammer swung down toward Vector.
Crash!
A shockwave exploded across the battlefield, more intense than anything before. Dust billowed in every direction.
“Cough… cough…”
“What in the world…?”
The soldiers stood frozen in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. The battle came to an abrupt halt. Even Galon was speechless, stunned by the sheer power on display.
‘He’s stronger than before.’
It wasn’t surprising. Galon had witnessed Ian’s strength in Bahara, but this was beyond anything he had ever seen. The impact had turned the entire area into a dust-filled wasteland. Nathan, equally astonished, shouted in disbelief.
“What kind of power is this? Is he secretly getting stronger on his own?”
“Quiet, Nathan.”“Ah! Why do you always pick on me?”
Just as Nathan was about to grumble at Galon, a soldier’s trembling voice cut through the stunned silence.
“Did… did he defeat him?”
Nathan’s eyes shot wide open at the soldier’s words.
“Who said that? Which fool just said that out loud?”
“I… I didn’t mean to…”
“Do you realize that’s a taboo on the battlefield?!”
“Huh?”
The soldier looked bewildered, but Nathan’s warning held weight.
Thomp.
Before the soldier could respond, Vector appeared through the settling dust. His once-impenetrable armor was now cracked and shattered, his exposed skin streaked with blood and wounds. He coughed violently, spitting out blood.
“Cough…”
Nathan wasted no time in scolding the soldier.
“See? This is all your fault.”
“I… I just…”
Before the soldier could defend himself, Ian intervened.
“Enough, Sir Nathan.”
“But, Your Highness! This fool’s careless talk—”
“You’re usually the one flapping your jaws, Sir Nathan.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Nathan looked crestfallen, but Ian remained focused, his sharp gaze fixed ahead. His grip on his sword tightened.
“This is no time for that.”
Then, with a commanding voice, Ian shouted:
“He’s coming!”
“Huh? What’s coming?”
Nathan tilted his head in confusion. But then he saw it—a red glow burning in Vector’s wounded eyes. Suddenly, Vector unleashed a tremendous roar.
“GRRAAAAH!”
It sounded like the fierce cry of a wounded beast. Yet, it was not merely a threat. The red shockwave that burst from his mouth spread out in all directions, causing Nathan’s face to pale. ℞ἈΝ𝖔𝖇ÊⱾ
“Move! You fools!”
Without hesitation, Nathan summoned his oath, positioning himself in front of the soldiers. Ian, too, sprang into action—not with Faith, but with the oath of Fiosen’s Iron Wall.
In an instant, a blue barrier formed, encasing everyone within its protective embrace—an unbreakable shield meant to deflect any enemy attack.
Crash!
But the Iron Wall shattered under Vector’s relentless roar. Ian, Nathan, and the soldiers were sent flying backward.
Nathan tumbled across the battlefield, groaning as he struggled to his feet.
“Are… are you alright, my lord?”
“I’m fine.”
Ian was unharmed—Galon had stepped in, activating Invincibility at the perfect moment. Thanks to him, Ian remained unscathed, not even touching the ground.
“Thank you, Sir Galon.”
“I only did my duty.”
Galon remained on high alert, his unwavering gaze locked on Vector. But even as he maintained his stance, he gave Ian a slight bow.
Frustrated by this, Nathan shouted, “Galon! Why didn’t you have my back?”
“If you’re a true knight, you should protect yourself, Nathan.”
“Hey! Are you ignoring me because I’m the right-hand man?!”
Nathan’s complaints fell on deaf ears. Ian had no time to indulge him—the enemy was already advancing.
“Nathan, the black knights are coming. Hold them off.”
“What about him?”
Nathan pointed at Vector, who had finished his roar—and now looked entirely different. He had grown to nearly twice his original size, his figure monstrous, his mane wild like a lion’s. The other black knights had undergone similar transformations.
“What in the world…?”
“They’ve all gotten stronger…”
Nathan’s expression darkened. The energy radiating from them was overwhelming. He turned to Ian with concern.
“Even you, Your Highness, can’t handle this alone!”
Even Galon voiced his agreement.
“That’s right. Please allow me to fight alongside you, my lord.”
But Ian shook his head.
“I’m not alone.”
“What? Who else is there? Reinforcements?” Nathan asked, bewildered.
Ian grinned.
“You’ll see.”
With that, he entrusted the soldiers to his knights—and charged straight toward Vector.
***
Vector was taken aback by his transformed appearance.
“Haa… is this the power Lord Leon spoke of?”
Power surged through his body. With just his roar, he had thrown everything into chaos. It was truly a strength that surpassed humanity.
“Impressive.”
He felt foolish for having been fixated on a mere human’s youthful form. Of course, Leon had warned him.
“This power transcends humanity. Once you use it, you can never return to your original form.”
But now, it didn’t matter. As long as he possessed this power, such concerns were irrelevant. At that moment, whispers echoed in his mind.
[Kill.]
[Slaughter them all and consume their strength.]
[Covet it, and it shall soon be yours.]
Vector’s eyes changed instantly.
“Yes… I have transcended humanity. And I will kill everyone to become stronger.”
His gaze locked onto the soldiers. The scent of their blood filled his senses, awakening a primal hunger.
“I will kill. And I will kill again—to absorb their power.”
Just then—
“Die, you monster!”
“Avenge our commander!”
Empowered by Ian’s performance, the soldiers attempted to attack Vector. Learning from the earlier deaths, they kept their distance, using spears and bows instead of closing in.
Whoosh.
But the spears vanished before they could reach Vector. The amplitude of his sword, filled with power, acted like a barrier surrounding him. Vector glanced at the soldiers who had dared to attack.
“Insignificant.”
He didn’t even raise his hand. Just a word. A single word was all it took.
“Huh?”
“What the—”
Puff!
In an instant, the soldiers turned to dust. Their blood and bones disintegrated, absorbed into Vector. His body underwent a transformation.
Crack!
He grew slightly larger, and the glint in his eyes became even more menacing. However, Vector’s expression twisted in dissatisfaction.
“Absorbing power from blood and flesh isn’t very effective. It seems I must kill directly.”
His gaze swept over the remaining soldiers, his hungry eyes narrowing. He licked his lips—the look of a predator savoring its prey.
The soldiers, overwhelmed by fear, screamed.
“Eek!”
“R-Run! We can’t defeat this monster!”
Panic overtook them. Their weapons clattered to the ground as they fled in terror.
Vector smirked, amusement curling his lips.
“Truly, humans are pathetic creatures.”
Vector addressed the black knights around him, who had shed their identities as knights and transformed into monsters.
“Catch them.”
“GRAAAAH!”
The Black Knights, or rather the Black Monsters, were about to move to capture the soldiers. It was at that very moment that—
“Who do you think you are?!”
A sword flew toward him. Vector turned his gaze to the sword hurtling through the air.
Halt!
Ian’s sword came to an abrupt stop inches from Vector, blocked by an unseen force. Vector sneered.
“Your sword can no longer touch me.”
“What…?”
With a mere wave of his hand—
Bang!
A shockwave sent Ian hurtling backward.
Vector was about to unleash the same power he had used to kill the soldiers, but then he paused.
He sensed the fragrance of Seven Virtues and Seven Sins emanating from Ian. The sweetness of it was unbearable.
“I will personally end your life.”
Vector charged forward. Ian, still far away, assumed a stance of royal ceremonial swordsmanship.
“I won’t go down easily.”
Vector didn’t bother using his sword. His enhanced physique alone was more than enough. His claws, now resembling those of a beast rather than a man, slashed toward Ian.
Slash!
Ian moved swiftly, his blade avoiding the deadly claws and striking Vector’s torso. Of course, it was ineffective.
“That piece of metal is worthless now.”
The barrier surrounding Vector—the same force that annihilated everything—automatically repelled Ian’s attack. Worse yet, it damaged the royal treasure sword itself.
Crackle.
Part of the blade of the royal sword disintegrated. Ian’s eyes widened in shock.
‘The blade of the treasure sword, which cannot be broken by anything, was broken?’
He could no longer attack with it. No, he must not attack; otherwise, his only weapon would be destroyed.
‘For now, I need to focus on defense. I must dodge its attacks as much as possible.’
As Ian transitioned from an offensive position to a defensive stance, Vector shouted, “How long do you think you can keep dodging?!”
With relentless aggression, Vector unleashed a flurry of attacks. Ian managed to evade most of them, but eventually, one of Vector’s claws grazed his clothing.
Crackle!
The power of Annihilation spread like a plague through the fabric, consuming it rapidly. Without hesitation, Ian swung his sword.
Slash!
The tainted portion of his clothing was severed, and as the disintegrating cloth floated in the air, it crumbled into ash.
Vector inhaled deeply, absorbing the remnants.
“Haa… even your clothing contains power. If only I could claim it for myself… then—”
Savoring the essence of the ash, Vector declared,
“Even Lord Leon himself will kneel before me.”
He was no longer the man he once was. He had become a monster, seeing his former master as nothing more than prey. His eyes gleamed with madness.
But Ian’s response was cold and cutting.
“Why are you sniffing someone else’s clothes? Are you a pervert?”
“W-what?”
Vector was left speechless, dumbfounded. But Ian continued.
“And you seem to be mistaken about something. Do you really think you’ll win this fight?”
“Of course. Now that I have transcended humanity, there is no one who can stand against me.”
“That’s amusing.”
“?”
Ian spoke in a cold voice. “To think you would entrust your body and mind to such power. You were far more difficult to deal with before your transformation.”
“What are you implying?”
But Ian wasn’t merely taunting him. He was speaking the truth. As a knight, Vector had once wielded his oaths with precision and skill, making him a dangerous enemy. But now? Now, he was nothing more than a beast.
‘You’ve gained speed and strength, but you’ve lost your sharpness. Your technique and creativity are gone.’
That’s why Ian wasn’t defeated even by the power of Annihilation. Instead, he could evade the monster’s attacks with royal ceremonial swordsmanship and try various tactics little by little.
‘Thanks to that, I’ve discovered the weakness of your power.’
At this moment, Ian could confidently state, “The moment a human gives up their humanity, your advantages disappear.”
Ian suddenly stomped his foot against the ground.
Crack!
Beneath him, fractures began to spread. He had deliberately lured Vector to an area with weak terrain.
Vector’s eyes widened.
“You… you bastard!”
The cracked ground soon pulled Vector in. He was instantly reduced from an overwhelming predator to a beast trapped in a pit underground.
“You should have looked beneath you. But I suppose a beast like you couldn’t tell the difference from a knight?”
Vector struggled to climb out, but—
Crack!
The very power of Annihilation that he relied on was accelerating the collapse of the ground. And just as he attempted to leap out—
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Ian’s Patience pushed him back down. It was a sharp attack, like hitting a mole digging out of a hole with a hammer. Vector had no choice but to grit his teeth.
“Don’t make me laugh! Do you think I’ll fall for such a shallow trick?”
With sharp claws, he dug into the pit’s walls, intending to carve a path upward using the power of Annihilation. But Ian hadn’t simply been trying to trap him.
“Well then, shall I begin as well?”
“What do you mean by ‘begin’?”
Ian reached into his sleeve and pulled out an object. It was half of the Dragon Heart, which he had obtained through an oath with the dragon Rio Banzaim in the past.
‘I was planning to wait until I became an adult to consume it.’
At this rate, he couldn’t hold out for a few years. It was troublesome to struggle so much against a mere subordinate of Leon. His opponent wasn’t just Vector in front of him.
‘Not just Leon, but also the Seven Sins and the forces that supported him. I can’t be held back by someone like him.’
Thus, this trap was meant to buy him a moment to grow stronger. That fool wouldn’t wait for his transformation time, after all. So now was the time.
If the Dragon Heart, which was only spoken of in legends, truly had the power to transform a person’s body,
‘I can harness the full power of the Seven Virtues and the Seven Sins.’
He could utilize powers that he hadn’t been able to fully access until now. He could easily deal with a mindless beast like Vector using just one of the Seven Sins. Of course, the helmet objected.
[This is dangerous. Even if it’s only half a Dragon Heart, absorbing it without assistance is nearly impossible—even for the first king.]
It was a warning. His body might not survive the transformation. He could explode and die. But Ian’s resolve did not waver.
‘If I can’t withstand this power, then that just means I was never strong enough to begin with.’
[W-wait a moment!]
So…
Gulp!
Ian swallowed the Dragon Heart.
Boom!
In an instant, an overwhelming surge of energy erupted within him. At that sight, Vector’s eyes distorted in shock.
“What the hell… what is that power?”
Even he, who had transcended humanity, trembled before the intense force.
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