Chapter 102: Chapter102-The Dragon!
"I\'m already giving it my all!"
Exiled Immortal gritted his teeth, manipulating the wind around him to create turbulence in an attempt to slow down the dragon.
But against such a massive creature, all efforts seemed futile.
Within a breath, the dragon was right in front of Helena, its colossal form casting an oppressive shadow!
"It\'s... it\'s caught up!"
"Damn it, there\'s no other way. We\'ll have to fight it! Big sis, I\'ll hold it off while you escape. Go find John and get him to figure something out!"
"No! You\'ll die! You can\'t take on a monster like this!"
"If we keep running, we\'ll both die! There\'s no time!"
Without giving Helena a chance to argue, Exiled Immortal threw her, letting the gentle breeze carry her safely to the ground.
Exiled Immortal turned to face the dragon, raising his arms as he transformed into the eye of a storm.
A green tornado began to form around him!
But at that moment, the dragon seemed to sense something and suddenly halted its pursuit.
It looked back, paused for a moment, and then, ignoring Exiled Immortal and Helena entirely, turned and left.
Seeing this, Exiled Immortal\'s heart raced, but he had no idea what was happening.
"It just... left?"
"No! That direction—John and the others are over there! Exiled Immortal, we need to get back!"
"Big sis, you stay here. I\'ll go check it out."
Dissipating the storm, Exiled Immortal hesitated but ultimately decided not to take Helena with him.
Leaving Helena here alone might expose her to danger, but bringing her back with him would be certain death!
"No way! Exiled Immortal, take me with you! Exiled Immortal!"
Watching Exiled Immortal leave without looking back, Helena stomped her foot in frustration.
She understood his intentions, but what was the point of survival if it wasn\'t with her companions?
"John, Exiled Immortal... please be safe!"
...
Meanwhile!
John, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly jerked his head up as if he had heard something, and locked eyes with the dragon!
"What in the world... is going on?"
"John, run!"
Behind the dragon, Exiled Immortal rode the wind at maximum speed but still couldn\'t overtake the dragon.
He shouted, "Jump off the cliff! I\'ll catch you! Trust me!"
"What the hell... what kind of monster is this?"
Old Mac and the others naturally noticed the dragon\'s massive form, casting a huge shadow on the ground and instantly enveloping them.
"Jump down now! If you don\'t, it will be too late!"
"Do as he says! I\'ll cover you!"
John shielded Elaria and the others, his feet glowing with a six-pointed star array. Using the corpse of the earth dragon as a sacrifice, he cast a summoning spell!
This spell was supposed to be used only after a second class change to Contract Alchemist, and the mana cost was immense for John to perform it now.
But he had no other choice!
[I offer this sacrifice and request His arrival! O Master of Winter slumbering beneath the icebergs, heed my call, King Behemoth!]
Suddenly, countless tentacles emerged from the six-pointed star array, tightly binding the earth dragon\'s corpse and dragging it down.
Within a few breaths, the earth dragon\'s body vanished completely, replaced by a claw covered in frost and snow, smashing down heavily!
Seeing this, Elaria and the others were stunned. Everything happening before them was beyond their comprehension.
It was no secret that Alchemists, after a second class change to Contract Alchemist, could summon monsters and form contracts through sacrifice.
The problem was that John hadn\'t yet completed his second class change and didn\'t possess the appropriate second class change stone for Alchemists.
And could he really summon such a creature on his first try?
But the unbelievable events didn\'t stop there!
With a thought, John summoned [Echoes of Shadows of the Past], which appeared in his hand.
He crushed it forcefully, causing a whirlwind to rise and form a small sandstorm!
From within the sandstorm, the figure of Shadows of the Past suddenly appeared!
Seeing this, Mac\'s face turned deathly pale!
"Sh-Shadows of the Past!"
"Qing! Take them and leave! I\'ll try to hold him off!"
"Got it! Be careful, don\'t get caught up in the fight!"
Qing nodded heavily, dragging Lily and Elaria as he jumped.
Mac, who was frozen in place, was hoisted onto Exiled Immortal\'s shoulder as they plunged into the abyss below!
Meanwhile, King Behemoth finally emerged from the six-pointed star array.
Though its size was nowhere near as exaggerated as the dragon\'s, it was equally imposing!
However, due to the summoner\'s limited power, King Behemoth\'s level was capped at 50, even lower than Shadows of the Past.
But this was the best John could do.
The sacrificial summoning nearly drained John\'s mana. He gulped down several mana potions, but the feeling of weakness lingered.
But the most despairing moment for John was yet to come.
King Behemoth slammed its arms into the ground, causing countless ice spikes to rise and extend toward the dragon.
However, the dragon merely opened its mouth, spewing scorching flames that melted the ice spikes instantly!
Then, with a single swipe of its claw, the dragon shattered King Behemoth into pieces, dispersing it into particles of light!
Witnessing the entire scene, John was filled with despair.
Even though he knew the summoned King Behemoth was only a fraction of its true power, being so easily obliterated spoke volumes.
If King Behemoth was this powerless, how long could Shadows of the Past hold out, even if it was slightly stronger?
Yet, the anticipated fiery obliteration didn\'t occur. The dragon simply stared at John, a strange glint in its eyes.
"Finally... found you."
John\'s head shot up, eyes wide with shock!
"You... you\'re talking to me?"
"I was sent by someone to deliver something to you."
The dragon spoke!
And it seemed to recognize him.
This unexpected turn of events left John stunned. After a few seconds, he asked in confusion, "Who are you...?"
"You don\'t need to know who I am. Someone asked me to give you something."
As the dragon spoke, the scales on its chest suddenly fell away, and a giant egg covered in flame-like patterns dropped and landed firmly in front of John.
Staring at the dragon egg, which was almost as tall as himself, John looked up and asked, "What is this...?"
"He wanted me to remind you that changes are coming soon. Until then, keep strengthening your abilities. This dragon egg is a gift to aid you."
"Who is he? Has there ever been a black dragon like you on Mount Olympus?"
"I never said I was from Mount Olympus."
The dragon exhaled deeply, the heat almost knocking John off his feet.
"You must find the answer to your questions yourself, John. Don\'t disappoint him."
With that, the dragon gave John no chance to ask further questions. It flapped its massive wings and soared into the sky!
Seeing this, John\'s heart continued to race.
He had survived, but in such a strange manner.
"What... just happened?"
Looking at the dragon egg in front of him, which seemed to pulse with life, John tentatively reached out to touch it.
"Hot! It\'s so hot!"
Seeing the burn debuff appear on his status bar, John took a sharp breath.
Just a brief touch had burned his palm. John couldn\'t imagine what kind of weapon this egg would hatch into!
"Wait... if we win the dragon hunt event and get first place, could I get a second dragon egg?"
At this thought, John felt a surge of excitement.
One thing was certain: once this egg hatched, it wouldn\'t be a lowly earth dragon.
It might even grow to rival the dragon he had just encountered.
Thinking this, John felt a wave of heat in his heart.
One dragon was already overwhelming. What if there were two?
As his thoughts raced, John reached a conclusion.
"S. must die!"