“Geggek!”

I scanned the battlefield rapidly.

“Awoo!”

One swordsman’s blade nearly struck Chirang, but an icy shield formed just in time, and Chirang retaliated, biting down on the assailant’s neck.

With Baekrang weaving through the battlefield to support our followers, I didn’t have to worry much about their safety.

Poison, webs, frost—all these forces were focused entirely on defense.

“Polygamy!”
“Poly… g-gamy…”

Somehow, the unicorn seemed slightly less energetic than before.

Though its shout had grown quieter, its combat prowess remained undiminished.

Leading the bicorns, it rampaged across the battlefield. If I were the enemy, my legs would have given out just watching it.

Could anything survive a charge like that?

A few bicorns seemed to attempt sneaking caresses at the unicorn mid-fight, but luckily, they failed.

“P-Poly… g-gamy…”
“Polygamy… hehe…”

I had no idea what they were muttering to each other, but it seemed to be their version of a battle cry.

There was no need to worry further about the unicorn and bicorns.

“How dare you use such cowardly magic!”

I spotted Cheoldooryong shouting in fury.

He was battling the Keratosaurus, and it didn’t seem to be going well for him.

Considering most of the mountain’s power was redirected to defense, this outcome made sense.

“Krrrrrrraaaaaa!”

Though called the Keratosaurus, its greenish skin seemed strangely familiar, and it wielded telekinetic powers with surprising finesse.

Its telekinetic force was strong enough to lift even Cheoldooryong off the ground.

Kwaaaang!

There, it happened again—Cheoldooryong was sent sprawling.

“Graaaah!”

Shaking his head furiously, Cheoldooryong got back up.

As long as the Keratosaurus relied on its telekinesis, Cheoldooryong wouldn’t be able to get close.

But the one growing increasingly desperate wasn’t Cheoldooryong—it was the Keratosaurus.

Kwaaaang!

It couldn’t inflict significant damage on Cheoldooryong’s unyielding body.

To harm him, it would need to penetrate that defense or counter his charges, but the Keratosaurus’s telekinetic force wasn’t enough for either.

Only someone like me could figure out how to overcome it.

“Master! I can handle this area, so don’t worry—”

Why would I worry?

“Geggek!”

I rushed past Cheoldooryong without hesitation.

“M-Master?”

Why the surprise? You told me to go.

Cheoldooryong seemed to be struggling a little, but I had no doubt he would win.

I could already see the Keratosaurus’s stamina draining.

And when it met my gaze, I could tell it felt fear.

Though I didn’t know why, its mind had clearly faltered the moment our eyes locked.

I could leave this to Cheoldooryong.

If he held out long enough, the unicorn or bicorns would come to his aid.

Pababak!

So far, we hadn’t suffered any casualties.

This was what we had trained for.

How to coordinate so that everyone survived.

I disrupted enemy formations, identified key opponents, and delegated matchups accordingly.

How to use our resources efficiently.

All that effort was paying off.

But I couldn’t relax just yet.

The greatest obstacle still lay ahead.

The Nine Lives Dragon, Gongbok.

If we didn’t bring him down, the tide could turn against us again.

Kwaaaang!

In the distance, I saw the enormous rock serpent approaching slowly.

Its size was so overwhelming that even the Snake Queen looked small in comparison.

It was as if an entire mountain was walking toward us.

“Ki-kikikik!”
“Sssssaaa!”

The fragments of rock and dust falling from its body transformed into smaller rock serpents.

Kwagagagak!

Of course, the Bird King’s summoned storm shredded them to pieces, but Gongbok continued to approach, undeterred.

Kwaaaang!

The Snake Queen’s destructive ray struck Gongbok square in the head.

Its power would have turned most creatures to dust instantly, but Gongbok merely tilted slightly.

If even the Snake Queen couldn’t penetrate its defenses, it was clear how incredibly durable it was.

It wasn’t just an ordinary rock.

Its scales were refined to the extreme, a testament to its impenetrable defense.

“Grrrr…”

But that was fine.

I had prepared for this.

“My mate. You’ve arrived earlier than expected.”

The Snake Queen’s tail lightly brushed against me.

I wanted to collapse into her embrace after her hurried arrival, but now wasn’t the time.

“My son-in-law made an absurd request. If I’d known it would come to this, I would’ve sent old man Little Dragon instead.”

Old man Compi and Argentaavis—

We could only hire one of them.

We needed a mystical creature to protect Sishishi, Chirang, and the others.

Given the situation, choosing Argentaavis had been the right call.

While Compi was powerful, his size wouldn’t have been enough to harm Gongbok.

Blocking its advance with storms, as Argentaavis was doing, was the better option.

Gongbok’s hollow gaze fixed on me.

Woom.

The fox marble trembled faintly.

“It seems I was wrong to think it devoid of emotion. Seeing you, it appears to have found some interest.”

Chwaaaak!

The Snake Queen and Argentaavis launched simultaneous attacks to halt Gongbok’s movement.

Now, it was my turn.

[Deactivating Miniaturization Lv5.]
[State: Enlargement applied.]

Having maintained my miniaturized state for a month, my body had grown significantly larger.

Even so, I was still smaller than Gongbok.

But this size was enough.

Time to strike first…

Chwaaaaaaak!

The Gae Gak Death Beam it is.

Kwaaaaang!

A blue beam slammed into Gongbok’s massive frame.

“Grrrr…”

For the first time, Gongbok groaned.

There were no visible wounds, but I had definitely inflicted damage.

Kudududuk!

Gongbok stopped its advance.

The rocks around it began to levitate wildly.

This was the power of the Dragon Gate at work.

“As expected of my mate. It seems even Gongbok feels a hint of pain,” said the Snake Queen.

“Our daughter has an excellent eye for choosing a husband! Son-in-law, the Snake Queen and I will keep him at bay. Get in close!”

Though the Snake Queen didn’t seem thrilled by Argentaavis’s words, she continued her relentless assault.

Kwagagagak!
Kwaaaang!

The storm and destructive rays intercepted the boulders Gongbok hurled.

While they held him off, I had to finish this.

“Grrrr…”

[Gongbok LV???]

His level was beyond measurable.

Even with claws imbued with sword energy, there was a good chance I couldn’t pierce his scales.

But his strength was earth, and mine was wood—an advantageous matchup.

Focusing my mind, I sent vines surging forward.

Pooook!
Kwaaaang!

Massive tendrils, acting with a will of their own, surged like tidal waves.

Kwagagagak!

The minions Gongbok summoned disintegrated upon contact with the vines.

His hollow gaze locked onto me.

“Graaah…”

Whether he lacked the ability to speak or had regressed due to prolonged control over the Dragon Gate, I couldn’t tell.

But his beastly growls suggested a low intelligence.

And a lower intelligence meant better odds for me.

Pabababak!

With both hands radiating wood energy, I charged toward him.

For the first time, Gongbok’s expression shifted.

Even a creature as dimwitted as him could sense the energy threatening him.

Kudududuk!

The ground beneath him began to shift.

The earth rumbled.

Kwarurururung!

A thunderous noise echoed from the depths of the earth.

Chwajeojeojeok!

The ground split, and the entire mountain trembled.

Standing still was nearly impossible.

This power resembled the instinctive technique I had once used against Red Dragon.

Kwaaaang!

What was happening now was nothing short of an earthquake.

Without solid ground, plants couldn’t grow, rendering wood energy ineffective.

This was his way of countering my approach.

If I couldn’t stand on the ground, I couldn’t reach him.

But that only applied to an ordinary lizard.

Using the principles of Small Dragon Ascends to Heaven, I propelled myself into the air.

Papak!

Leaping from one falling boulder to the next, I ascended.

It was physically impossible, given my size and weight.

But when had this world ever adhered to physical laws?

From the depths of my danjeon, I drew every last ounce of inner energy.

Gongbok couldn’t use a large-scale technique like that repeatedly.

Now that I was within range, I had to land my strongest attack.

Focusing my energy into a single point, I imbued my claws with wood energy and sword energy.

Suaaak!

But just as I closed in, Gongbok’s tail lashed out like a whip.

Paaaang!

The air itself seemed to split, the sheer speed heating it up instantly.

I recognized the technique—it resembled that of the Titanoboa offspring I had fought in the Silver Dragon Cave.

However, attempting to grab this tail with my hand, as I had with that serpent, would result in immediate dismemberment.

Gongbok was incomparably stronger.

And so was I.

[Using Reverse Scale Lv5.]
[Temporarily acquiring Geon-Gon Rotation.]

Chwaaaak!

Raising my left hand, I redirected the force of the tail.

Even with Geon-Gon Rotation, I couldn’t disperse the energy outward.

Not while I was airborne.

So I redirected it inward.

Crack!

The overwhelming energy surged into my right arm.

Bones splintered, muscles tore, but I held firm.

If I faltered even slightly, I would lose the arm entirely.

Paaaah!

All my energy condensed into a single point.

The force of my reverse scale hardened my claws into a vicious weapon.

Geon-Gon Rotation was a martial art worthy of being called divine.

When mastered, it could redirect any force at will.

Though the technique was too risky for me to use frequently, I had no choice now.

The preparations were complete.

I swung my unstable claws in a trajectory that felt second nature.

A technique I had developed after defeating the Man-Faced Bird.

Gae Gak Divine Talon.

Chwaaaaaak!

With a deafening impact, my claws struck Gongbok’s head.

Kwaaaaaang!

He flew several meters backward.

Simultaneously—

Chwaaaak!
Kwagagagak!

The Snake Queen and Argentaavis unleashed their attacks.

“Grrr… Guhhh…”

Though I had succeeded, excruciating pain wracked my arm.

Dust and fragments of rock rained down.

If my arm was in this state, Gongbok’s condition was evident.

That last attack must have inflicted a fatal wound.

I could feel my wood energy seeping into his core.

With the Snake Queen and Argentaavis’s help, he couldn’t possibly recover.

Despite the searing pain, I managed to move forward.

“Grrr…”

As I had expected, his body was in shambles.

The reversed force, the opposing energy, and my ultimate attack had left him in ruins.

It wasn’t surprising that a single exchange had led to this result.

But he wasn’t dead.

“Graahh…”

His incomprehensible growls met my gaze.

It was time to end this.

I raised my claws once more—

Thud!

But they couldn’t pierce his fractured scales.

Chwaang!

Even the Snake Queen’s ray failed to penetrate.

“Grrrr…”

It was as if an invisible barrier shielded him.

Silver light began to glimmer in Gongbok’s eyes.

“…Oh True Dragon, why have you come to see a sinner like me?”

The growls turned into an ethereal voice.

Kudududuk.

Instinctively, I knew something was terribly wrong.

Gongbok’s essence was earth and stone.

How could he still produce such energy?

“Is this your will?”

He spoke not to me, but to someone else.

“Run!”

The Snake Queen’s shout echoed from afar.

“To show such mercy to a sinner who failed to wield the Dragon Gate…”

Every instinct screamed for me to flee.

But I had no strength left to move.

“So be it.”

Something was different.

“If this is your will, I shall obey.”

With just his voice, the energy of everyone present trembled violently.

Chwaaaaak!

The Snake Queen’s ray struck again, and Argentaavis’s storm pushed me aside.

“This can’t be…” Argentaavis murmured in despair after rescuing me.

“My mate, we must revise our plans,” the Snake Queen said, swallowing dryly as she stared at Gongbok.

Silver light filled his gaze as he opened his enormous mouth.

“Steel, dwell within my body.”

It wasn’t a language of humans or mystical beings.

Yet I understood its meaning instinctively.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Gongbok began to transform.

Though his essence remained unchanged, something new emerged—no longer rocky scales but a gleaming, metallic surface.

“…I can’t believe it. He knows Dragon Speech,” the Snake Queen muttered in disbelief.

Dragon Speech.

A voice imbued with magic, capable of bending reality to the dragon’s will with mere words.

My hands trembled uncontrollably.

I had miscalculated.

Fighting Gongbok had seemed possible because I believed I could exploit our elemental advantage.

That was the only way I could land meaningful hits.

And until moments ago, I thought I had the upper hand.

But I hadn’t.

My attacks hadn’t truly harmed him.

Gongbok’s power wasn’t earth.

It was metal.

Metal cuts wood.

Even our elemental alignments were against me.

In every way, Gongbok was superior.

“Father… I will surpass you,” he declared.

If only he weren’t completely out of his mind.