You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Indeed, relying too much on external things is like that."

Unexpectedly, Iori's voice remained calm, without much emotional fluctuation.

At the same time, a beam of light covered the wilderness, and as it shattered, Lancelot turned around in astonishment—

With a smooth turn of his neck, the blond youth's head fell off.

In his world-shaking vision, he saw Iori sheathing his sword without a second thought, his steps never faltering as he calmly walked toward the machine that had trapped the Flame Dragon, as if he had merely kicked away a small pebble.

But I don't regret it~

Whether it's one or two grains of dust, they are indistinguishable to the naked eye.

Chapter 209: Do you know a big... (4K)

To be honest, Iori was initially looking forward to the "world of swords and magic," but after learning about the unique magical properties of this place, he became inexplicably disappointed.

— Magical power dissipates very easily once it leaves the body.

This means that elemental magic such as earth, wind, water, and fire, which are common in other works, is almost impossible to appear in this world and has little practical value.

Aside from ancient artifacts, the most common way people fight is sword to sword and fist to fist—it's basically all about "qi"!

Moreover, it's an old-fashioned version of Western fighting spirit, far less versatile than the fighting spirit of a certain game, "Breaking the Sky."

Beatrice said that magic could also be used for healing or other purposes, but Iori didn't care about that.

All he knew was that, for him, the difficulty level of this world was roughly beginner level.

This is not an exaggeration. Considering that the vast majority of the strong individuals here are "physical magic users," Iori could remain invincible simply by relying on the ethereal effect of [Mirror of Still Water]...

"I still prefer the classic, traditional art style of isekai worlds!"

To outsiders, Iori casually killed a master, but instead of being proud, he shook his head in a lonely manner, appearing aloof and indifferent, making him even more unfathomable.

"Don't come any closer! Get away! Didn't you hear me? Don't come near me!"

The withered old man with a severed hand covered his wound while shouting loudly, like a wild beast in dire straits hoping to intimidate its enemy with a roar.

"I know what you're trying to do! You probably want to torture me to extract information about the Order, right? Don't even dream about it! Every high-ranking member would never betray the Order!"

He acted like a madman, but Iori paid him no heed and walked straight over to grab the crystal staff.

hum!

A burst of white light erupted, and an almost solid force field protected the crystal, making it one with the platform. Without a specific "key" or "password," this thing would be as unshakeable as solid steel.

--call!

Lightning flashed from Iori's shoulders, and high-density magic power erupted under the transformation of Shunhong's mark. His arms, which seemed no different from those of an ordinary person, pulled the crystal staff off the platform with a teeth-grinding scraping sound, accompanied by a series of sparks, and the area around the spigot was covered with fine cracks...

The force field instantly collapsed, and the restrained magic spread in all directions as the white light disappeared, forming ripples that swept across the land.

A strong wind blew across the old man's body, waking him from his dazed state.

"?!"

Even though they had witnessed Iori's slaying of the "Round Table" and had some understanding of the boy's terrifying strength, they were still speechless at the sight before them.

What incredible physical prowess… The higher-ups of the Order had all undergone human experimentation or been injected with special drugs to acquire superhuman physiques and magical power. Yet even so, Lancelot, ranked ninth, still lost to this seemingly nonchalant young man before him.

He seemed to have been born with a perfect body, which could not help but shock the old man.

If such a body were to be enhanced with enhancement drugs... wouldn't it be comparable to the legendary demon?!

Thinking of this, even in dire straits, the old man's heart couldn't help but burn with passion.

The cult has been searching for excellent test subjects in order to create a higher quality "elixir of immortality," and an individual like Iori is undoubtedly one they have never encountered before.

If we can capture it, it will definitely advance the cult's research by a large margin, and the old man can also use it to enhance his status!

However, given his current situation, he no longer has the luxury of considering those things.

Coercion and enticement are both based on having greater strength than the other party. No one would be willing to discuss gains and losses with an ant... Even Lancelot was killed instantly, so the withered old man did not think he could control Iori.

Of course, survival shouldn't be a big problem. After all, logically speaking, in this situation, one should always be left alive to interrogate for information about the cult.

Because of the cult's secretive methods, he could not reveal relevant information, but as long as he could buy some time, he was confident that he could contact his companions and have them rescue him.

No matter how strong this guy is, he's still just an "individual" and can't compete with a cult whose power is so vast that it's almost all over the world—that's what the withered old man was thinking.

"Hmph! Even if you beat me to death, I won't take the blame—"

Roar! ! ! !

The old man's last words were shattered by an extremely angry roar, and the air instantly became scorching hot, making it feel as if one were in a furnace.

The man opened his eyes wide and slowly turned his head with stiff movements. He saw a crimson color occupy his entire field of vision. Only then did he suddenly remember that the enemy present was not only Iori, but also a slightly weaker but more ferocious guy!

boom!

The dragon's breath, capable of melting steel, devoured the withered body, instantly turning it into charcoal.

As the fiery dragon swung its giant claw, the old man's body was physically reduced to ashes, which were then swept into the sky by the rolling heatwave.

"What a unique way to die." Iori covered her mouth and nose, taking two steps back in disgust.

After killing the old man who had brought him immense humiliation, the Flame Dragon's furious flames did not subside; instead, they showed signs of intensifying. Its once crimson-gold vertical pupils were now filled with blood red, and the mad dragon continued to unleash roars that shook the heavens.

"What's going on?" Beatrice covered her ears with one hand while gripping her longsword tightly with the other.

Iori narrowed her eyes: "It may have been mentally stimulated. The old man just now seemed to have cast a spell on it. Instead of following the procedure to remove it, he forcibly killed the caster... It probably suffered a backlash."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Flame Dragon suddenly looked down at the two of them, especially at Iori, whom it subconsciously considered a huge threat. Its bright red eyes reflected the boy's exceptionally cheerful and refreshing smile.

"Roar!!!"

"Oh, I'm so angry!"

As Iori drew her sword, she reminded Beatrice, "That Lancelot guy just now, his magic sword is a good thing, put it away."

"Is this the time to talk about this?!"

The Fiery Dragon flapped its four wings, and long whips of flame came whistling in with the strong wind. Beatrice wielded her longsword wildly, crushing them one by one with her sharp sword pressure.

But she knew this was just the beginning. A raging dragon that had lost its mind was no different from a natural disaster, and a fierce battle was sure to follow!

"Don't be so nervous, Beatrice. Don't worry, I'm very good at calming animals."

Iori gazed at the fiery dragon, its body erupting with flames like an active volcano, her face showing no hesitation or fear, but rather full of composure and confidence.

Moreover, 'violence' becomes exceptionally vulnerable when it encounters stronger 'violence'.

"Yes, so-called strength is only relative."

Ding!

[CG included]

How to Train Your Dragon

(What? You say it's struggling? No! It's clearly happy!)

Category: Bonds & Art Style

Quality: Legend

Level: EX

Rewards Overview:

Stamina - Slightly increased;

Toughness slightly improved;

Spiritual: Minor boost;

Mobility - Minor Upgrade;

Art style value +4;

Skill Extraction:

How to Train Your Dragon

(Regardless of how they were trained, just tell me if they're obedient or not!)

You saved and moved a (physical) dragon, and to repay this kindness, it decided to sign a soul contract with you.

Conditions for breaking the alliance:

• For both parties, the idea of ​​harming or even killing the other party is voluntary, before the other party infringes on their free will.

—If this is violated, it will be considered a breach of the alliance, and the other party may terminate the alliance unconditionally.

Dragon's Oath:

• By receiving a portion of the life force shared by the Flame Dragon, one's lifespan breaks the limits of mortals (meaningless to someone who is a god of death). By using specific incantations and rituals, one can summon and use the Dragon Claw or Dragon Wing.

• When using fire-attribute magic or combat skills, the attack has a built-in "burning" effect. After hitting an enemy, it will continuously absorb the enemy's magic power to increase the power of its own flames (temporarily).

At the same time, the user's maximum magic power will be greatly increased (equivalent to approximately 15 points in "art style").

……

"Woooooo~"

On the Gobi Desert, which has now become the surface of the moon, there are numerous craters of varying sizes. What was once a flat area has transformed into a true hellscape in just one day and one night.

Meanwhile, the Flame Dragon was half-lying at the bottom of the pit, its head drooping, looking very dejected. It was also making muffled groans of discomfort from time to time, just like a sick cat, which was quite heartbreaking to see.

This enormous creature, capable of destroying a tall building with a flick of its claws and leveling a forest with a wave of its wings, appeared unusually docile at this moment, half-lying down as Iori reached out to stroke its scales, or more precisely, the areas engraved with white runes.

It has not completely escaped the influence of the curse. This thing is quite vicious in nature and seems to have been designed from the beginning to be an unbreakable type. Moreover, once the person who cast the curse dies, the curse will change from "binding" and "punishment" to "rage" and "torture", which means that it will not let go of the controlled person until death.

Although Iori is a polymath, she has never studied magic in this world, so it would be quite troublesome to try to break the spell by looking at the incantation. She temporarily learned some magic from Beatrice, but it was obviously far from enough.

So with Beatrice's help, he began to study the composition of the spells and explore the "connection" between these spells and the Flame Dragon, attempting to "sever" the spells in the form of surgery.

Anyway, the Flame Dragon has a strong vitality and a resilient soul, possessing a near-immortal talent. Even if it loses a little more flesh or soul fragments, it won't be a big deal.

Only Iori could perform this treatment, because the Flame Dragon is currently in a state of confusion. Although it has largely regained its senses, the continued influence of the spell still causes it to occasionally experience adverse reactions, such as—

"roar~"

With an impatient growl, the Flame Dragon's body temperature began to rise gradually, its internal magic slowly became active, and even its scales seemed to become more vibrant, the red color as pure as flowing blood.

Iori naturally noticed this change, and he slowly raised his head.

The Flame Dragon's vertical pupils were no longer focused; its eyes began to tremble slightly and involuntarily moved toward the edge, a sign that its body was gradually losing control.

It began. Wisps of almost solidified flame spewed from its nostrils, and blood red began to invade its pupils, revealing its sharp, sword-like teeth to Iori.

Seeing this, the young man smiled brightly and extended his hand—

Snapped!

Thunder roared, lightning dissipated, and the Flame Dragon's head was slammed hard into the ground, causing the entire crater to tremble violently.

After a long while, Yan Zhilong came to his senses, blinked, shook his head, and his eyes immediately became clear. When he looked at Iori again, there was no trace of ferocity in his gaze.

Then Iori continued to study the runes on its body until the Flame Dragon was once again dominated by its raging beastly nature. Then he would unreservedly show his affinity and forcibly pull the dragon's soul back from the edge of the abyss.

The two, one human and one dragon, worked together perfectly, appearing to be mutually willing.

Beatrice, standing to the side, was dumbfounded.

She had lived for so long and considered herself to have traveled to countries large and small around the world and seen countless strange and wonderful things, but she swore that the scene before her was truly unheard of!

No matter how outrageous it seemed, Iori's method was indeed effective. By forcing the dragon to fight one big battle after another, he maintained the dragon's rationality with his personality correction palm technique, and then spent an entire night slowly peeling the incantations off its body.

As a result, the Flame Dragon lost dozens of scales from its neck and limbs and became listless, but it was finally free from its cage, so it was in a good mood and expressed its deep gratitude to Iori.

She also thanked Beatrice, praising her for protecting Iori for so long without letting up, showing her loyalty to her friend and making her a mortal with noble character.

Beatrice felt unworthy of the honor, since even without her, Iori could probably solve the problem on his own, it would just take him more time to study the spell.

"I'll give this to you."

Iori pointed to the pile of dragon scales and flesh on the ground: "The incantation has been destroyed, which is a bit of a pity... but dragon scales themselves have a high level of defense. If a skilled craftsman makes them into armor, it would probably be second only to ancient relics."

"Armor... I don't need armor or shields."

Beatrice shook her head. Materials dropped by high-ranking dragons were priceless in the outside world, but she didn't care because her school of thought discouraged wearing armor.

If you don't need something, then no matter how precious it is, it's just an external possession. Beatrice has such a simple and straightforward personality.