Chapter 405: I Get Shy Easily
Crack, crack!
A jagged, high-pitched fracturing sound echoed through the deathly silent halls of the Magia Dragon guild. Hovering in the center of the dusty room, a corner of the ancient magical formation map—specifically the node representing the Five God Dragons—suddenly began to crumble into glowing fragments.
"This... this is..." Elefseria stammered, his eyes widening in absolute disbelief. "Has the Wood God Dragon, Aldoron, actually been defeated?"
His weathered, trembling hand reached out, gently stroking the edge of the fading magical projection to confirm he wasn't simply hallucinating. For over a century, this map had remained entirely unchanged, a cruel reminder of his monumental failure.
"In these past 100 years, have Mages truly become this powerful?" Elefseria muttered to himself, hot tears beginning to pool in the corners of his eyes. "Could it be... in this brilliant new era... the Five God Dragons can really all be sealed? Can my lifelong wish finally come true?!"
The Five God Dragons were absolute calamities in the form of living flesh. They were the mythological apex predators of the Dragon Clan who had ruled the northern continent of Guiltina with unquestioned authority for hundreds of years.
Each of them represented an insurmountable peak of invincibility. Over the decades, countless human prodigies and genius Mages had eagerly marched off to subjugate these monsters, seeking eternal glory. Almost none of them ever returned.
Unknowingly, a hundred agonizing years had passed, and the Five God Dragons had only grown stronger and more unfathomable with age. Elefseria had long since buried his hope, stopping himself from harboring any real expectations of seeing them sealed in his lifetime.
He certainly hadn't expected someone like Ren to suddenly appear and shatter the impossible. Elefseria hadn't been idle over the past few days, utilizing every magical contact he had to gather intelligence on Ren from the distant Ishgar continent.
The reports he received were staggering. That young man was currently hailed as the absolute strongest Mage in Ishgar, holding the prestigious title of Chairman of the Magic Council. It was a truly remarkable pedigree, and now, he had the impossible feat to back it up.
Far away, beneath the eternal twilight of Black Moon Mountain.
The Moon God Dragon, Selene, lounged gracefully on an ornate balcony. She gazed up at the luminous, oversized moon hanging in the purple sky, taking a delicate sip of fine wine from a crystal goblet.
"Oh? Has little Aldo actually been taken down?" Selene murmured, a slow, amused smile curling her painted lips. "Another incredible fellow has appeared among the humans."
She gently swirled the deep red wine in her glass, her sharp, slitted eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and predatory interest. It had been centuries since anyone had managed to genuinely surprise her.
"Humans really are mysterious creatures," she mused aloud to the empty night air. "Despite being so inherently fragile and weak, they always manage to give birth to some terrifyingly strong anomalies."
Her magical senses, attuned to the very fabric of dimensions, vividly recalled the bizarre, overwhelming energy that had pulsed from the distant battlefield. It was an energy completely foreign to Earth Land.
"A Nine-Tailed Demon Fox... how fascinating," Selene chuckled softly, her voice dripping with lethal elegance. "Has he taken on Elefseria's foolish little quest? If so, that means I am inevitably one of his targets."
She brought the goblet to her lips once more, taking a slow, savoring sip. "Things are finally about to get interesting."
Meanwhile, deep within the oppressive, sweltering borders of Fire God City.
"Aldoron was taken out? Heh... now that's quite unexpected," a deep, booming voice echoed through the volcanic chamber. "An interloper from the Ishgar continent managed to do that?"
The Fire God Dragon, Ignia, sat upon a throne of charred obsidian, the air around him rippling with extreme, blistering heat. He had been passively monitoring Aldoron's massive magical signature for decades, waiting for the massive beast to fully awaken.
Ignia leaned forward, his muscular frame tense with a sudden, violent thrill. He was genuinely surprised that a mere human could permanently put down one of his peers, let alone someone journeying from across the sea.
For the first time in an age, a genuine spark of curiosity ignited within the Fire God Dragon. He found himself eager to meet this mysterious powerhouse who had emerged from a race he had previously ignored as nothing more than walking ash.
In an entirely different region of Guiltina, within the brutalist stone walls of the Diabolos Guild.
"Humph. Has Aldoron really turned back into nothing but earth and wood?" Georg Reizen grumbled, his voice thick with annoyance. "That certainly doesn't whet the appetite."
The imposing Guild Master of Diabolos sat at the head of a massive wooden banquet table, voraciously tearing chunks of roasted monster meat from a bone the size of a grown man. His jaws snapped with terrifying force, crushing bone and sinew alike.
"A mysterious person injured the Water God Dragon and now completely eradicated the Wood God Dragon," Georg chewed thoughtfully, swallowing the gargantuan bite whole. "It seems this guy's goal is exactly the same as ours—the Five God Dragons. Do we have any concrete data on him yet?"
Skullion Raider, the Ash Dragon Slayer, stepped out from the shadows of the dining hall. "He originates from Fairy Tail. When I briefly encountered him at the Water God Dragon's territory, I immediately noticed his extraordinary, abnormal strength. I specifically sent people across the sea to investigate."
Skullion adjusted the dark mask covering the lower half of his face. "I finally received the complete intelligence report on him not long ago. He is a Mage from the strongest Guild on the Ishgar continent."
"Not only that," Skullion continued, his tone turning serious. "He currently holds the First Seat of the Ten Wizard Saints, serves as the Chairman of the Ishgar Magic Council, and is universally recognized as the absolute strongest Mage in Ishgar."
"Hey, hey! This guy has way too many pompous titles!" Georg barked out a rough laugh, slamming his massive fist onto the table. "But the 'strongest'? It seems he's not just an empty name without substance. I remember there being an incredibly troublesome Dragon over in Ishgar, right?"
"Indeed," Skullion nodded gravely. "The Black Dragon, Acnologia. The very man who forcefully ended the era of the Dragon Clan. Because he bathed in the blood of too many Dragons, his magic mutated, eventually turning him into the Black Dragon."
The entire guild hall grew momentarily quiet at the mention of that cursed name. It was a well-known legend among the Dragon Eaters.
"It is said that the Five God Dragons originally had to flee to the Guiltina continent specifically to avoid being hunted down by Acnologia," Skullion added, his eyes narrowing.
"So why exactly would the strongest man from that cursed continent come all the way to Guiltina?" Georg asked, ripping another chunk of meat with his teeth.
"It seems he officially took on the legendary quest from the Law Dragon, Elefseria," Skullion explained. "His objective is to completely seal the Five God Dragons."
"Elefseria... right," Georg scoffed, a dark, predatory grin stretching across his scarred face. "That old fogey once posted that exact same quest to our guild years ago, but I didn't bother entertaining it. If it weren't for that old bastard's irritatingly powerful Space Magic, I would have eaten him long ago."
Georg casually tossed the massive, clean-picked bone over his shoulder. He stroked his thick, bristly chin, his mind working through the tactical possibilities.
"However, if he's solely here to seal the Five God Dragons to complete a quest, then it seems we might actually have a chance for a mutually beneficial cooperation," Georg reasoned. "He just wants to tick off a box for his mission, while we're here to harvest and eat the God Dragons' flesh. There's zero conflict of interest."
Georg looked down at his subordinates. "Where is he right now?"
"He's currently resting in Drameel," Skullion replied instantly. "Wraith is secretly keeping an eye on him right now."
"Perfect," Georg slammed his hands onto his knees, rising to his towering height. "Contact him immediately. Ask if he wants to cooperate and split the spoils."
"Understood. We'll head out right aw—"
"Hold it," Georg barked, cutting Skullion off before he could even turn toward the door. "You guys aren't quite qualified for diplomatic work with someone of that caliber."
Georg's gaze shifted toward the darker corners of the expansive guild hall. "Suzaku. You go with them."
A young man with long, striking crimson hair stepped forward from the shadows. He was dressed in traditional, pristine samurai attire, a finely crafted katana resting casually at his hip. His presence was entirely silent, yet it radiated an overwhelmingly sharp pressure.
The expressions on the faces of Skullion, Kiria, and Madmole immediately changed upon seeing the swordsman step into the light.
Madmole crossed his heavily armored arms, quietly muttering the man's title. "A member of the Dark Dragon Slayer Knights... the Crimson Dragon, Suzaku."
The Dark Dragon Slayer Knights served as the absolute strongest vanguard unit within the Diabolos guild. Each member possessed monstrous, abnormal strength, easily boasting a rank and magical output equivalent to, if not vastly exceeding, an S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail.
"Suzaku," Georg called out, his tone shifting into one of absolute, lethal authority. "If that kid is sensible and knows how the world works, then establish a cooperation. But if he doesn't know what's good for him..."
Georg's eyes darkened, a terrifying, draconic aura briefly flashing around his massive frame. "...then draw your blade and kill him for me."
Suzaku bowed his head slightly, his expression completely impassive and polite. "I understand your orders, Master."
"Good!" Georg roared, his boisterous laughter echoing off the stone walls. "Hurry up and get it done! Let me taste it already! I want to feast on the fresh flesh and blood of a God Dragon!"
Meanwhile, in the bustling tourist hub of Drameel Town.
The town's naming convention was somewhat similar to Drasil, but the difference in sheer, structural size was enormous. It was said that Drameel was originally established by the Guiltina Magic Council purely as a highly fortified observation post to monitor Aldoron's vitals.
However, after Ren had completely neutralized the Wood God Dragon, the oppressive magical atmosphere had vanished. Ren had naturally migrated to this town for a temporary, well-deserved rest.
"Ah... so incredibly comfortable," Ren sighed, letting his head loll back against the smooth stones.
He was currently soaking in a massive, steaming open-air bathhouse. The architectural design of the bath was somewhat in bad taste, as its entire structural shape was sculpted to look almost identical to the Wood God Dragon, complete with a highly detailed, faux-wooden finish.
Although Drameel had initially been established as a serious military monitoring station, over the decades, the sheer awe of the God Dragon had slowly transformed the settlement into a thriving tourist destination. Now, the once-terrifying Aldoron had been ironically reduced to something akin to a local mascot to sell souvenirs.
Ren let the scalding water soothe his aching muscles. Maintaining his high-tier magical forms and Burning Blood techniques always took a toll, and the rich, mineral-heavy water was doing wonders for his physical recovery.
He lazily opened one eye, staring blankly at the swirling steam rising into the cool evening air.
"Hey," Ren spoke up suddenly, his voice echoing slightly over the gentle bubbling of the hot spring. "Aren't you getting tired of just standing over there? Why don't you come in and take a bath too?"
He turned his head slowly, looking directly at the seemingly empty, undisturbed space near the bamboo fencing behind him.
A moment of absolute silence passed. Then, the air shimmered faintly.
Wraith materialized, completely stunned. The translucent, ghostly Mage stared down at the bathing teenager, his ethereal jaw practically hitting the floor.
"You... you can actually see me?" Wraith stammered in utter surprise, pointing a trembling, glowing finger at his own chest. "Wait, and you can hear my voice too?!"
Ren let out an amused huff, scooping up a handful of hot water and splashing it over his shoulder. "Well, I can't exactly see you completely in high definition, but I can perfectly sense your presence."
As his Total Concentration Breathing technique had continuously deepened and evolved over his journey, Ren had long since surpassed the biological scope of ordinary human limits. In addition to his terrifying, superhuman physical fitness, his five senses had been significantly heightened to a monstrous degree.
Combined with the passive negative-emotion sensing granted by his Kurama chakra, stealth was virtually useless against him. He could clearly perceive the spiritual fluctuation standing by the fence, and if he focused, he could faintly trace the translucent outline of the man's body.
"That's... impossible," Wraith muttered, still trying to wrap his head around his perfect stealth being casually dismantled by a guy taking a bath. He quickly composed himself, clearing his throat. "I am Wraith. The Spirit Dragon Slayer of the Diabolos guild."
"Diabolos..." Ren paused, resting his chin on his wet arms as he leaned against the edge of the stone pool. "Oh, right. You're from the guild of those deranged guys who want to eat Dragons."
Ren immediately recalled his brief, rather violent encounter with Kiria's trio back in Elmina. Since arriving on the massive northern continent, those three were among the very few locals he had bothered to memorize.
"That's correct," Wraith nodded, floating slightly closer.
"So? What exactly does the Diabolos guild want with me now?" Ren asked lazily, not bothering to reach for a towel.
"I don't know," Wraith answered honestly.
Ren raised a single, wet eyebrow. "You don't know?"
"Yes. I have absolutely no idea," Wraith shrugged his ethereal shoulders. "My sole, assigned responsibility was just to monitor your location and movements. Anything involving diplomacy or combat is entirely above my pay grade."
"I see!" Ren smiled brightly, leaning back into the water until it reached his collarbone. "Well, in that case, could you please do me a favor and stop staring at me?"
Wraith blinked, taken aback. "Huh?"
"I'm actually a very sensitive, introverted person," Ren said, keeping a completely straight face. "I get shy incredibly easily. Having a grown ghost intensely stare at me while I'm completely naked in a bath is making me feel quite uncomfortable."
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