Chapter 379- Pure-Hearted Prince vs. Giant Dragon Boss (18)
Norris was furious, but he kept his emotions in check. Every night when he went to sleep, Mu Jin would enter his dreams to meet him, offering comfort through his actions and soothing his frustration. Norris knew all of this was part of Mu Jin’s plan, and that realization finally put his mind at ease.
After Gardner departed on his expedition, however, Norris secretly escaped from his chambers and, together with Owen, headed toward the forest and the abyss beyond.
Gardner was determined to kill the dragon. Ever since the system had merged with his body, nearly every task he attempted had ended in success. The only thing he had failed to achieve was winning over Mu Jin, but in his eyes, that would naturally happen after the dragon was slain. Killing the dragon itself didn’t concern Gardner; he assumed it would be as effortless as all his previous accomplishments.
The dragon’s legends may have spread far and wide across the continent, but Gardner had never seen a dragon before. To him, the dragon was a relic of a long-distant past, likely having lost its former might after so many years of slumber. Even the magical messages the dragon had sent were dismissed by Gardner as mere tricks to intimidate others. In his mind, the dragon was nothing more than a frail, aging beast.
At this moment, Gardner felt like the protagonist of this world, destined to emerge victorious. He was so confident in his triumph that he had already prepared for a triumphant return. To ensure his heroic feat would be immortalized, he brought along several court historians to record his grand achievements for posterity.
With many powerful allies by his side, Gardner wasn’t concerned about any tricks Mu Jin might pull. He even deliberately brought Mu Jin along, planning to showcase his immense strength as he defeated the dragon, hoping to make Mu Jin admire him in awe.
At that point, Mu Jin would see Gardner’s strength and naturally fall into his arms. After all, everyone admires the strong.
This expedition had brought together members of nearly every race. The elves and the goblins, who were tasked with repairing weapons as needed, quietly followed at the rear of the group. The Elven Queen, observing Gardner’s confident, almost arrogant demeanor, couldn’t help but show a flash of disdain in her eyes.
Still, after glancing at Mu Jin, she discreetly signaled her people to keep their distance from Gardner when the time came. She wanted to avoid any accidental harm should that esteemed figure become enraged.
Gardner, however, had not anticipated encountering familiar faces when he reached the entrance to the Abyss.
Norris and Owen were already there, waiting. The prince stood tall, his posture straight, and his appearance showed no signs of travel-worn exhaustion. His expression remained stoic as he gazed at Gardner.
Seeing this, Gardner chuckled and gave an exaggerated bow before saying, “Your Highness, Prince Norris, what a surprise to see you here. Don’t tell me you’ve come to warn the demon dragon? But why are you still lingering at the entrance of the Abyss? Could it be that the esteemed Lord of the Abyss doesn’t wish to see their fiancé?”
Norris ignored Gardner’s sarcastic tone, showing no interest in speaking to him. His sole purpose for coming was Mu Jin. Though Norris knew he might not be able to help his partner, he couldn’t shake the urge to stay by Mu Jin’s side.
He understood that Gardner’s actions today could pose some danger to Mu Jin. Even though he trusted his lover’s immense power, he couldn’t suppress the need to see for himself what might unfold.
Without awakened magical powers and with Owen’s abilities insufficient compared to the others, Norris knew they would likely stand out no matter how well he tried to blend in. So he made no effort to conceal himself.
Gardner saw Norris step aside from the entrance to the Abyss and instead move to stand beside Mu Jin. Seeing that Norris had no intention of hindering his plans, Gardner didn’t bother to have him taken away.
Instead, he smirked sarcastically, confident that everything was unfolding as he had imagined. The dragon must already be old and feeble. Even if Norris had come to warn it, it wouldn’t make any difference. In fact, Gardner was already looking forward to seeing the expression on the prince’s face once the dragon was dead.
Gardner began by instructing the Church members to throw several high-tier lightning scrolls from a safe distance. These scrolls were incredibly valuable, especially as lightning-based ones were known for their immense destructive power.
As the scrolls were cast, a series of thunderous explosions echoed through the area. The entrance to the Abyss shook violently as massive rocks crumbled and fell. Dust and smoke filled the air, creating a scene of apparent chaos and destruction.
However, despite the barrage of scrolls, there was no reaction from within the Abyss. This puzzled the group. After all, just a few days earlier, the dragon had used magic to send a message to the kingdom, so it was clearly awake.
If the dragon truly resided within the Abyss, why hadn’t it responded to the magical attacks on its entrance?
Gardner dismissed the dragon’s rumored strength as mere exaggeration, attributing it to overblown tales. He assumed the dragon had been too intimidated by the display of force to show itself.
Feeling triumphant, Gardner turned to Mu Jin with a mocking grin and said, “What’s the matter? Is your master so scared that they won’t even come out of the Abyss? Hiding inside like a cowardly turtle?”
When Mu Jin remained expressionless, completely ignoring him, Gardner felt a surge of frustration. Once again, no matter what he said, Mu Jin was completely unmoved.
Gardner clenched his fists tightly, then scoffed and turned to the other leaders of the allied races accompanying him. “Fine, let’s all attack the entrance to the Abyss together. I’m sure if we cause enough destruction, we’ll force the so-called demon dragon to show itself.”
Before his words had even fully settled, the Elven Queen stepped forward, her expression cold as she said, “I will not help you attack the Abyss’s master. The great lord is not some ‘demon dragon.’ The lord is a powerful and benevolent protector who has shown great kindness to us elves.
“When you slaughtered the treant race to steal their treasure and destroyed the vitality of the forest, you revealed your true, cruel nature. Since our birth, the treants have been the elves’ closest allies. If it weren’t for the sake of preserving the survival of my people, I would never have betrayed my conscience and followed the orders of a devil like you.”
“It was the great lord who took pity on our suffering and helped us. The lord not only saved the surviving treants but also restored life and vitality to the Elven Forest. Someone so loved by nature and the Earth Mother, someone full of kindness and compassion, could never be a demon dragon. This entire story is nothing more than lies you’ve fabricated!”
“What nonsense are you spouting?!” Gardner’s face turned dark as he realized the Elven Queen had chosen this critical moment to expose his past deeds. Worse still, she was clearly aligning herself with the dragon.
But this was only the beginning.
Right after, the Beast King stepped forward, raising his voice for all to hear. “We beastfolk won’t help you either! I once thought of you as my savior, but now I see it was all part of your scheming!”
“If it hadn’t been for the young beastfolk who happened to witness the truth that day while picking wild fruits nearby, and later told me what they saw, I might still be deceived by you. I even treated you as a brother and thought I owed you my life. The Abyss’s master is far too powerful. There’s no way I would risk my people’s lives for a liar like you!”
The child who stumbled upon Gardner’s scheme against the Beast King was, in fact, discovered by Mu Jin after carefully analyzing the storyline. Once he identified this critical flaw, he entrusted Noris to handle the matter.
The child was quite young and timid. Although they had witnessed the event, they didn’t dare tell anyone about it. It wasn’t until Noris’s people gently encouraged them, playing on their emotions and reasoning, that the child found the courage to speak up.
Among the beastfolk, their king was deeply revered. To know their beloved leader had been deceived and was potentially in danger was a matter of great concern. Through earnest persuasion, the child finally rushed to the Beast King, whom they had always admired, and revealed the truth.
However, the Beast King chose this crucial moment to disclose the matter because Mu Jin had subtly suggested it earlier. After all, when the mighty dragon lord personally issues instructions, who would dare disobey?
Moreover, since the lord had already anticipated Gardner’s plan to strike, Gardner’s demise was all but assured. Knowing this, the Beast King had no reason to fear Gardner any longer.
Additionally, Mu Jin had blessed the beastfolk’s farmlands, significantly improving their future harvests. The Beast King was profoundly grateful for this kindness and, recognizing the dragon’s overwhelming power, wisely decided to submit to its authority.
Still, whenever he thought about how Gardner had once manipulated him so thoroughly, the Beast King felt a surge of anger. If not for knowing he wasn’t Gardner’s match in combat, he might have already rushed over to give the boy a well-deserved beating.
After speaking, the Beast King took a few steps back and stood alongside the Elven Queen. Although their two races rarely interacted, they were clearly willing to unite against a common enemy in this moment.
The two races, already formidable on their own, appeared even stronger when united. Gardner looked at the Elven Queen and the Beast King, and for a moment, he knew better than to confront them directly.
He pointed at them with a mix of anger and frustration, saying through gritted teeth, “Fine, very fine!” Inside, however, he was thinking that once he slew the dragon and absorbed its power, he would gain complete control over the demon army. When that time came, he would make sure the elves and beastfolk paid for this slight.
Fortunately, the Church of Light was still on his side. No matter how many tricks he had played, as long as they weren’t aimed at humans, it didn’t matter. The church wasn’t a beacon of purity, so the clergy naturally wouldn’t stand up to criticize Gardena.
With this reassurance, Gardner’s gaze turned dark as he fixed his eyes on the abyss’s entrance. If no one else was willing to help, he would simply take matters into his own hands.
He strode to the entrance of the abyss and raised his hands, casting a powerful multi-element spell that rained down on the entrance with devastating force.
Gardner’s magic, incorporating all elements, was dazzling and spectacular. His high-level mastery drew gasps of admiration from the Church of Light’s members.
Some even murmured in awe, remarking that geniuses were truly extraordinary. Gardner had managed to refine every type of magic to such an impressive level, making it no wonder he had the strength to lead them.
However, the elves and beastfolk merely retreated to a safe distance, observing the scene coldly from afar.
As Gardner was putting on his magical display, Mu Jin suddenly let out a derisive chuckle. Almost as if speaking to himself, he remarked, “A façade of multi-element magic, no more than a disguise. To think that a dark magic practitioner could deceive everyone so thoroughly.”