From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 357 The King of Bronze and Fire (Part 1)

"Constantine."

The deep, hoarse voice was calling out to his blood relatives.

However, Norton was met only with silence. In that nearly collapsed temple, no one called him 'brother' anymore.

People say that the most painful thing is the death of the heart.

To outsiders, He is a tyrannical king, a cruel ruler, and the supreme dragon king of the dragon race.

He is also a great being who holds the power over bronze and casting, and stands at the pinnacle of alchemy!

He once used a mountain range as a model, poured molten bronze, and cast a magnificent city that neither humans nor dragons could match.

He once killed metal with fire and then revived it, ultimately forging the 'Seven Deadly Sins'—symbols of the pinnacle of alchemy, powerful enough to kill the Dragon King!
He is the King of Bronze and Fire!
But who can know?

During those lonely years, it was his cowardly and timid younger brother who accompanied him as he sat on the bronze throne, and he was the one who gave him the greatest encouragement and support.

A rare look of bewilderment, loneliness, and desolation appeared in Norton's violent and cruel golden eyes.

He stared blankly at the empty city engulfed in flames, as if everything had returned to the White Emperor City a thousand years ago, under a raging inferno.

On that day, He roared to the heavens, venting His anger and resentment.

He once said that the fate of the so-called abandoned tribe is to cross the endless ice plains, raise the battle flag again, and return to their homeland.

He also said that death is not terrible, but just a long sleep. Before they can devour the world, it is better to sleep peacefully than to travel alone. They will still wake up.

But now, Constantine, your brother will never wake up again.

His brother is now in eternal sleep, never to return to his homeland.

Grief, confusion, loneliness, fear, bewilderment, and desolation—countless emotions converged in his heart, ultimately giving birth to anger.

At this moment, Norton seemed to have returned to calm, yet also seemed to have become more extreme.

With heavy steps, dragging the dragon body offered by Samson, He laboriously traversed the flames, stepped on the molten bronze, and entered the temple step by step.

In the collapsed ruins, He immediately saw the cocoon that Constantine had hatched.

Now it has become withered and yellow, as if it has lost its vitality. In the pervasive alchemical poisonous fog, not a single heartbeat can be heard.

As Norton silently gazed at the lifeless white cocoon, many memories flashed through his mind.

They left the endless ice plains with their younger brother, crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, and came to this country.

During the time they spent with Gongsun Shu, and at the moment they fell into eternal sleep in Baidi City, they made a promise to meet again when they awoke and return to their hometown hand in hand.

But now it's all come to nothing.

Norton stroked the withered white callus, his empty gaze filled with savagery: "Is this what they call fate?"

Do not!
no way!

Even if the final outcome cannot be changed, at least, He has to choose how to proceed along the path in between!

"Even if what lies ahead is destined to be a dark, eternal sleep." Norton carefully tore open the cocoon with his thick, scaly claws, revealing the skeleton inside. His golden eyes were tinged with blood red as he opened his gaping maw, tearing and devouring Constantine: "I too will forge our own path!"

The eerie sounds of tearing and devouring echoed through the ruins.

Soon, Norton, having devoured Constantine's remains, raised his long neck and let out a long, earth-shattering roar.

Roar! ! !
The sonic waves roared and vibrated, causing the nearly collapsed bronze temple to shake.

Its tail, like a long whip with sharp spikes, lashed out suddenly, creating a huge shockwave and gale.

The two remaining bronze pillars were shattered, and the bronze dome instantly collapsed, sending countless huge fragments crashing down, burying the giant white cocoon and raising billowing dust.

Then, a long and powerful body stood tall, unleashing unparalleled power.

Undoubtedly, it was the convergence of 'power' and 'strength', stepping over countless skeletons to ascend the cold bronze throne, signifying a 'complete' king!
The ancient apex predator awoke, its golden eyes, gleaming like molten gold, shining like two enormous searchlights in the ruins thick with alchemical toxic mist. Waves of scorching heat crashed in all directions like tsunamis. The bronze used to forge the temple melted, flowing down like a waterfall.

Then, the entire base and even the bronze city slowly melted under the extreme heat, and the groundwater flowing into the lake boiled, steaming out large scorching fumes.

The unusually high temperature quickly made Nuonuo and Chu Zihang, who were fleeing, realize the suffocating pressure behind them.

Without a doubt, that is the 'Dragon King' awakening!
“Bronze City is self-destructing!” Nono stared at the cracks on the tunnel wall and the way they came from, which had completely changed direction like a maze. She roughly judged the current situation, her bright eyes dimmed slightly, and she said bitterly, “It looks like we can’t escape.”

"Don't give up!"

Chu Zihang said with difficulty, "Definitely, there is still a way out. Contact Norma."

"We've already tried, but the only means of communication has been cut off."

Nono shook her head, picked up the broken black rope, looked at the tattered diving suit, and sighed, "Besides, even if we find the exit, without the 'key' and with the diving suit torn, it's impossible to float up."

After a fierce battle, both she and Chu Zihang suffered extensive damage to their diving suits.

Perhaps exhausted, Nuonuo helped the heavily injured Chu Zihang sit down against the sealed bronze wall. Panting heavily, she looked at him and said, "Let me interview you. You're almost dead. Is there anything else you want to say? If you don't say it now, you'll never have another chance."

“Okay, use my blood.” Chu Zihang’s face was pale, obviously from excessive blood loss, and he said weakly, “Use the material from my diving suit, that way at least you can get out.”

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Nono frowned, about to speak but was interrupted.

“Your wetsuit is in relatively good condition.” Chu Zihang paused, took a breath, and continued, “I can’t. My wetsuit is too badly damaged and can’t be repaired.”

This is the only way to escape from this bronze city: sacrifice one person's diving suit to repair the other, which is still relatively intact.

At least this way, one person can survive!

"I reject."

Nono shook her head and said seriously, "I can't abandon my mission companions to survive and then carry this pain for the rest of my life."

"I'm the team leader here, and what I say goes!"

As soon as Chu Zihang spoke loudly, he couldn't stop spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Sorry, I won't listen," Nono said calmly. "When have you ever seen me obey orders?"

Chu Zihang was taken aback upon hearing this, then gave a wry smile.

That's true. Nono is a notorious witch in Kassel, always doing the opposite of what people want to do. No one can make her do something she doesn't want to do.

Even Caesar couldn't control him, let alone him?

"I promised Caesar I would let you go back alive," Chu Zihang murmured.

"What does this have to do with me? It's not like I promised you that." Nono said this while carefully treating his wounds, but with such severe injuries, he would probably bleed to death soon without treatment: "Tell me, how much longer do you think we can live?"

Chu Zihang closed his eyes; he didn't like discussing tragic stories.

At that moment, a strange noise suddenly caught their attention.

Could it be the Dragon King who has caught up with us?!

Nono immediately drew the Murasame sword from beside her, held it horizontally in front of her, and warily stared into the passageway.

"it's me."

From the darkness, a figure emerged, removed his diving mask, revealing an aged face: "I'm glad you two are still alive."

"Professor Mannmannstein?!"

Chu Zihang and Nuonuo were both shocked by the person who suddenly appeared in the passageway.

(End of this chapter)