Ancient Dragon in Arknights

"Don't you really feel any discomfort in your body?"

"No, I feel fine... What's wrong with me?"

Clearly, everyone realized the seriousness of the situation. Azure Star even stood up, and everyone waited for the scholar's judgment. Those who were anxious even went to look at the microscope.

"Your body has completely fused with Nergigante cells. Every sample we just obtained contained Nergigante cells, and in a very high proportion."

Good, the worst-case scenario.

To use an analogy that Terrans could understand, Nergigante's spikes are like the lesions of Oripathy. At that stage, the disease could be suppressed through surgical removal and medication. But Neltharion's Oripathy has now spread throughout his body. There's no cure. The only way to eradicate it is to completely destroy his body and regenerate him.

"Of course, there are still many experiments that haven't been done yet. For example, the Dragon Slayer Fruit. This kind of fruit is hated by many dragons and has a restraining effect. Perhaps the Dragon Slayer Fruit can eliminate these cells."

Research still requires experiments, and most of the ideas are still in the conceptual stage.

After completing multiple sampling and observations, Nesario left the research institute, having done all he could.

"Sigh...this is troublesome."

"Don't give up, the scholars will find a way. Nature is amazing. It can adapt to staying in your body, and it must also find a way to eradicate it."

"I hope so... By the way, aren't you going on a mission today?"

"After Nergigante was defeated, many Elder Dragons became active. The research team currently needs to investigate the traces of these Elder Dragons' activities, so there aren't many missions available."

So that's how it is. Nergigante has a suppressive effect on Elder Dragons. When it disappears briefly, other Elder Dragons start to cause trouble.

"This can be considered a kind of regulatory ability of nature."

Without the suppression of the Nergigante, who knows what kind of mess those ancient dragons would have made of the ecosystem.

Chapter 118 Steel Dragon

"Traces of the Steel Dragon have been found!"

Where did it appear?

"In the Elder's Recess!"

"..."

Nesario, the "wounded" soldier, and Azure Star, who was responsible for taking care of him, did not go on a mission today, but clearly, things didn't go as planned.

The investigation team discovered traces of an ancient dragon—its name was Steel Dragon.

This monster is not a new face. As a research team that came from the Old World, they have a very comprehensive understanding of Kushala Daora, and there is also a description of Kushala Daora in the Hunter's Handbook.

Steel Dragon – as its name suggests, it is covered in steel armor. Further research has shown that its steel exoskeleton is caused by the oxidation of its scales with air. In addition to this absolute defense, the Steel Dragon also has the ability to control storms. Its wings, which are several times larger than its body, can cause storms with a slight exertion.

That's precisely why the research team wants to repel or subjugate it—if the Steel Dragon roams too freely, storms are ravaging various areas, causing significant damage to the ecosystem. It also makes future deployments difficult for the research team, so a battle with it is inevitable today.

"Lord Star, we need your help in the battle to subdue the Steel Dragon."

"I understand, please wait a moment."

Azure Star would never say something as foolish as refusing a mission to take care of Neltharion. Neltharion was not acting strangely at the moment, but he was fundamentally dangerous; however, he had not yet reached the point where he needed someone to take care of him.

"Azure Star, wait a minute, I'm going too."

"Nesario, are you sure? Are you even capable of fighting in your current condition?"

"I'm sure, and... even if I wait until time runs out and I return to my world, there's nothing I can do. In the New World, at least we can try to investigate the traces of Nergigante."

"...Follow me."

The way of thinking on Azure Star is different from that of scholars. Although studying the traces and residues of prey is valuable, it is too limiting.

Only by fighting each monster firsthand can one truly understand it—this is the norm for hunters. Azure Star has faced danger several times, but it has always survived against all odds.

What Neltharion might need right now is not a rest pass, but to try other methods to drive away or subdue the power of Nergigante!

The investigation team acted swiftly; Gu Long's whereabouts were rarely seen, and if they were too slow, he might have escaped.

Dozens of hunters quickly set out, and in an instant, the sky above the survey team was filled with the shadows of pterosaurs.

Each pterosaur leads a hunter toward their destination, giving it a feel of an airborne assault.

The Royal Guard Academy curriculum states that the most dangerous and threatening branch of the military is the paratroopers; they use jetpacks to quickly land on enemy positions from high-speed warships or military outposts, and then turn the tide of battle.

A dozen or so hunters—this kind of paratrooper team could probably sweep through a medium-sized stronghold.

The pterosaurs were very fast, and soon transported everyone to the camp in the Elder's Recess.

The members of the investigation team had been waiting here for a long time.

"Is the steel dragon still within the surveillance range?"

"Yes, but it's moving too fast; we haven't been able to catch up yet. But it seems we've found its lair!"

"Thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to us."

The hunters quickly connected the guidefly to the guidefly in the hands of the survey team members—instantly, a path flashing with green fluorescence spread out.

"set off!"

Nesario was also in the group, and this time their route was not heading downwards, but upwards.

It seems that the lower part of the Elder's Recess is indeed the territory of the Nergigante, and its lingering power is still present. Kushala Daora doesn't really want to provoke it.

"It's actually on here?"

At this moment, Nesario was facing a towering cliff that seemed to have no end, and his gaze was blocked by clouds halfway up.

"These vines can support our weight and help us move upwards."

Azure Star tried to pull hard, but the huge vines clinging to the cliff face did not budge at all. She immediately ordered the team to climb upwards.

So, several fully armed hunters began climbing, at which point their equipment became a bit of a problem.

"If I had known we would need to climb up, I should have brought the gliding suit."

"It's okay, we'll be there soon."

It's worth mentioning that Neltharion is still wearing the equipment from the Dragon Slayer. He doesn't dare use the equipment derived from Nergigante, as the armor made from that creature might have some strange reaction with Neltharion, and it would be too dangerous for it to suddenly come back to life during the battle.

After breaking through the layer of clouds formed by airflow, temperature and other factors, they finally saw their destination—the highest point of the Dragon Crystal Land, the top of a mountain.

Azure Star was the first to go and gather intelligence—and after climbing up the cliff, she spotted the mission target.

With its slender, graceful body, its entire body reflecting a metallic sheen, and its blue eyes slightly narrowed, it stood proudly, announcing its presence to the storm.

"Wow, this guy is really handsome."

When Neltharion first saw Kushala Daora, compared to Nergigante's battle-ready and bloodthirsty nature, Kushala Daora's first impression of him was surprisingly elegant.

Whether in terms of size or demeanor, it is neither arrogant nor impatient, and does not resemble the embodiment of a storm at all.

"Don't relax, that's because it hasn't gotten angry yet. You won't remember what it looks like when it's angry."

"It would be troublesome for the Steel Dragon to fly, so—our first task is to keep it on the ground."

Azure Star quickly assigned tasks to each person: some were responsible for attacking, some for inflicting abnormal statuses, and some for using traps.

After everything was arranged, with the command "The hunt begins!", the hunters leaped out from behind the rocks where they were hiding.

Swish!

The flashbang exploded rapidly in front of the Steel Dragon's blue eyes. The Steel Dragon needs to fight at high speed in the air and even see the direction of the storm; therefore, its eyesight is extremely good, and this flash made it see stars.

Ding! Boom!

Greatswords and hammers swiftly slammed down on the Steel Dragon, but clearly—it had no effect. The greatsword left a groove on the Steel Dragon's body, while the hammer left a dent.

"Don't stop! Keep attacking!"

Azure Star continued to use the Kirin-derived weapon, its twin blades crackling with lightning, swiftly slashing at the Steel Dragon's wings. Its steel exoskeleton served as an ideal conductor, absorbing almost all of Azure Star's burst of lightning energy; the Steel Dragon was undoubtedly in considerable pain.

Neltharion also quickly attacked, his tail transforming into a deadly dagger as he stabbed down at the Steel Dragon—*splat!*

It works! Although it can't achieve 100% armor penetration, the marks left by Neltharion are clearly more noticeable.

'It seems Terra's top-tier D32 steel has a slight edge.'

The Steel Dragon had recovered from the effects of the flashbang and quickly swung its body, while the hunters, who had anticipated this, dodged the counterattack.

After driving them away, the Steel Dragon quickly activated its power, and the gentle breeze suddenly became fierce—with the Steel Dragon's roar, a powerful air pressure enveloped its body.

Chapter 119 The Coffin of the Storm

A violent hurricane swept past, sending pebbles and fragments flying into the sky; these fragments struck the hunters' armor with a series of sounds, making everyone's hearts tense.

"Watch out! Don't get close to the wind farm! We need to find a way to shoot it down..."

The commanders of Azure Star did not panic because of the storm. These hunters were all veterans, but they only had one or two experiences hunting ancient dragons. Not all of them dared to confront an ancient dragon alone.

So under the pressure of such a natural disaster, they all began to tense up, the sound of swallowing saliva rising and falling, and the fingers gripping their weapons so tightly that they turned white.

How is Neltharion in condition? Actually, he is not flustered at the moment—although the Kushala Daora's momentum is as great as the Cataclysm of Terra, it is far too gentle compared to the pressure from Nergigante.

Having escaped from the jaws of the Nergigante, and even fought to the death, Neltharion's fear threshold has increased considerably. He believes there are not many dragons left in the New World that can frighten him.

"Light crossbow, bow and arrow—try to shoot it down! Aim carefully, or the wind will blow it away."

The steel dragon was now enveloped in a powerful wind field, and its furious blue eyes were fixed on the scattered hunters on the ground—a storm was about to rage!

Rumble!

Several grenades and arrows struck the Steel Dragon's wings simultaneously. Most of the explosive force was dispersed by the wind pressure, but it still caused an impact, causing the Steel Dragon to lurch slightly as it was flying calmly.

It works!

This is good news. If the opponent stays in the sky, all melee hunters will be at a disadvantage. Since they hope to shoot it down, Azure Star's keen hunting mind quickly began to plan.

"avoid!"

Swish!Swish!Swish!

The Steel Dragon's counterattack came quickly. It raised its head, its long neck clearly gathering power—with a spit from its jaws, three hurricane-like attacks came swiftly. Azure Star was multitasking, thinking about the hunting plan while keeping an eye on the Steel Dragon's movements.

Just moments before its attack, Azure Star's warning reached everyone's ears.

Light weapons moved swiftly to avoid damage, and the hunters' superior physical abilities allowed them to move with incredible speed even within the storm's edge, their movements completely unhindered. Neltharion was one of them, and his speed was arguably the fastest among them.