Chapter 235 (1/2)

Grrrr—

The red dragon’s body supported by its four legs was at least several tens of meters tall and easily longer than a regular soccer pitch. As its body was turned away from Su-hyeun, he couldn’t see its face properly.

If it wasn’t for the familiar aura, he would’ve mistaken it for a new monster that had appeared.

“Miru?!”

Miru turned its head when Su-hyeun called out.

Its large eyes stared back at him. Miru now looked like an adult, almost to the point that it even came across as slightly unfamiliar to him.

Moreover, its silhouette also seemed recognizable to him somehow.

That look, it’s definitely…

Although the image was blurry, he could sort of make out a silhouette of another person—no a dragon—overlapping Miru’s current appearance.

The dragon emperor, Ellid.

Miru now looked very similar to the appearance of what could very well be its parent, the one who was referred to as the king of all dragons that he saw through the images recorded in the Cintamani during the 40th floor’s trial.

Is this the case of like father, like son? They really do look the same.

Miru’s new appearance was definitely different from what Su-hyeun became familiar with.

If the dragon grew up slowly, even slower than he could consciously notice it, then maybe it might have posed no problem to him, but Miru had suddenly shot up in size, and it was as if the familiar silhouette Su-hyeun recognized had been erased off.

Despite his puzzlement, though, he was definitely sure that Miru was the red dragon before his eyes.

Grin—

The corners of Su-hyeun’s lips curled upward.

He remembered back when Miru just broke out of its eggshell. It was so small back then and had to stay wrapped around his neck all the time. Its legs were so short that he couldn’t even see whether they were there or not.

The little dragon that used to be like that was now big enough to completely fill up his view and block the horde of monsters, as if to say, take a look at how big I’ve become.

“I’m proud of you, kid.”

Su-hyeun reached out toward Miru only to flinch a little. He belatedly realized that the dragon had grown too big for him to pat now.

“Well, then,” Su-hyeun began. “Sweep them away.”

RUUUMBLE—

The moment he said that, a humongous amount of magical energy began coalescing within Miru’s maw. It was so big that even Su-hyeun was taken aback despite knowing that a Breath was underway.

And right away…

RUUUMBLE—!

FLASH—

The Breath Miru fired dyed the entire world in crimson.

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Rumble, hiss—

Crackle, tumble—

Crimson flames had enveloped the surroundings. Su-hyeun felt the scorching heat on his skin as his eyes took in the sight of the monsters’ corpses currently being burned to cinders.

“…”

He stood there frozen on the spot for a while.

He couldn’t quite recall the last time he was this shocked. That was how incredible Miru’s Breath was a few moments ago.

Miru had shrunk back to its original size. Almost in an instant, too, as if its monstrous version earlier was nothing but an illusion.

Gya-ong—

Miru trudged to where Su-hyeun was looking as if it had no more energy left and then raised its head to cry softly.

Although looking very tired, the dragon’s expression was one of happiness. Rather than the issue of exhausting all of its energy, it seemed that the cause of its fatigue was due to just forcibly using that massive Breath.

“R—right… You did well.”

Unlike his usual self, Su-hyeun was visibly flustered as he patted Miru’s head. While doing that, he recalled the Breath he saw only a few moments ago.

The whole world, including the skies and the land, was dyed momentarily in crimson. By the time the original color returned a couple of seconds later, no monsters were left standing on their feet anymore.

It was the same story for the devils.

Since they were devils and not some weak monsters, they didn’t die immediately and collapsed in a heap instead, but they didn’t seem to be able to be holding on for long.

The five devils were slowly withering away from the undying flames.

That Breath was incomparably mightier than ones from the past not only in terms of its range but also its destructive power.

Maybe it was only for “single use,” judging from how Miru reverted back to its old self, but this much was already more than enough for him.

Is this because of the awakening period? Or maybe the Cintamani’s effects?

Either way was fine for him, however.

With this, Su-hyeun reaffirmed Miru’s potential.

It’s not too far off now.

He never got to personally meet Ellid. However, he was still faintly aware of how incredible an existence that red dragon was.

First of all, there was the dragon emperor’s magical energy stored within the Cintamani to consider. The concentration of Ellid’s magical energy was far denser than anyone Su-hyeun could think of.

Second, it had also fought off Fafnir.

Even though it had to sacrifice its life in the end…

Ellid had achieved something Su-hyeun failed to do. The dragon emperor protected its home world from Fafnir. That fact alone made it meaningless to even discuss what an incredible being Ellid was.

And Miru was the descendant of Ellid the red dragon.

“You know, you’re proving to be a real bundle of good fortune.”

Gya-ong—?

Miru tilted its head at what Su-hyeun said. But upon realizing that it was a compliment, the dragon broke out into a bright smile.

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“Thank you. Thanks to your help, I could now return to the celestial world.”

The angel, Ikaela, shook Su-hyeun’s offered hand. A pure white door stood tall before him. It was a gateway to the celestial world where angels were waiting on the other side to receive him.

“Don’t mention it.”

“I don’t have any reward to offer you, but I can still prepare a small parting gift at least.”

“A gift, you say?”

“You shall soon see for yourself. Well then, I shall be on my way,” Ikaela said.

The angel turned around to head toward the white doorway. It opened up automatically to welcome him.

After the angel stepped beyond the threshold, new messages floated up before Su-hyeun’s view.

[You’ve acquired 1,000,000 achievement points.]

[You’ve recorded maximum accomplishment rate.]

[You’ve perfectly cleared the 51st floor’s trial.]

[Achievement ranking is being tallied.]

[You’ve been ranked in the first place.]

[Death Aura has risen by two.]

[You’ve acquired “Celestial King’s Feather.”]

Su-hyeun arrived on the 52nd floor. If this was any other time, he would be occupied with taking in his new surroundings, but the first thing he did this time was to confirm the item in his hand.

A small but soft feather was resting on his palm.

The Celestial King’s Feather.

It seemed that this little thing was the reward for passing the trial this time.

He thought that there wouldn’t be any reward aside from the achievement points this time since he finished the trial too quickly, and it wasn’t all that difficult, to begin with. But thankfully, his Death Aura stat increased a little, and there was even an additional reward.