Chapter 338: The Supreme and Great God King of the Eight Greed Kings—Dragon Transformation!
Hot, scalding blood flowed from the dragon-man's limbs, and shattered dark-gold scales scattered through the air.
"Impossible!"
"How could a human possibly injure me?"
The dragon-man's roar was filled with the disbelief of a powerful being who had been wounded by a weaker creature.
Bang!
The distant desert trembled.
Tang Zheng charged forward, grasping his magic greatsword, his [Ninjutsu: Detect] continuously monitoring the changes in the dragon-man's aura.
The four Mana Slashes had diminished the layer of flame-like energy on his opponent's body, but not by much.
Tang Zheng's sharp gaze quickly swept over the dragon-man's limbs. Although the layer of seemingly sturdy scales had been shattered, the wounds were not deep.
"I didn't hold back on that last strike. Even with a racial advantage, the damage shouldn't be this low."
"I haven't detected any magic items, so the only possibility left is [Body Armament]."
As Tang Zheng pondered, he had already rushed in front of the dragon-man. Switching his grip on the magic greatsword from one hand to two, he brought it down in a heavy overhead slash.
"[Fast Slash: Wind]!"
The surface of the magic greatsword was enchanted with a layer of sharp, pale-green Wind Element.
To put it nicely, the Jobs he possessed were comprehensive. To put it bluntly, they were a mess, lacking a unified build system.
However, because of his [Genius] trait and the fact that his build consisted entirely of high-tier Job Classes, the disadvantages of such a system were greatly diminished.
The advantage, then, was the comprehensiveness of his countermeasures.
He could select targeted strategies based on his opponent. Right now, the abilities Tang Zheng was using were the combined power of his [Magic Swordsman] and [Mad Mage] builds.
[Mana Infusion] and [Elemental Attribute Alteration] used in combination!
"[Iron Grip]."
Seeing the magic greatsword slashing down, fury burned in the dragon-man's pupils. He swung his sharp, dark-gold claws, grabbing for the sword blade.
"I will crush every bone in your body!"
Clang!
The sword blade and claws collided, sending out blinding sparks.
Crack.
The tougher layer of scales covering his claws held for only a moment before shattering. A heavy force, far exceeding the dragon-man's imagination, poured down from the sword blade.
[Aura of Courage] triggered.
BANG!!
The dragon-man's body tilted forward uncontrollably, his pupils constricting as his entire arm was pinned to the sand by the heavy sword blade.
With the two of them at the center, a large amount of yellow sand was blasted away by the powerful force, forming an expanding sandstorm!
Crack!
The sound of a hand bone breaking was clearly audible to both of them.
"Ah, ah! Who the hell are you!" the dragon-man screamed. "A human can't be this strong!"
He had already realized the problem.
One of the dragon-man's arms was forcibly pinned to the sand by the magic greatsword, and the forward momentum forced his body into an uncontrolled kneel before Tang Zheng.
"I don't care who you are!"
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" The dragon-man felt the humiliation of his current posture, and his dark-gold pupils flashed with extreme resentment and fury.
"[Flame Breath]."
The dragon-man abruptly raised his head to look at Tang Zheng, who was just inches away. The dark-gold scales on his throat began to glow red as he opened his mouth.
A crimson flame began to gather in his throat!
Dragon-men possessed the talent for breath attacks. The type of breath they specialized in could be somewhat judged from their appearance. Also, due to their size, the range of their dragon breath was much shorter than that of a true dragon.
"Launching a surprise attack from this close, it's hard for me to pretend I don't see it!"
A cold glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes. He lifted his left leg high and slammed it down like a falling battle-axe.
A muffled thud.
The dragon-man's open mouth was stomped on, and the force of the blow drove his entire head into the sand.
Although he had a passive [Fire Immunity], he didn't intend to reveal that piece of information. Besides, this dragon-man's scales were dark-gold.
This wasn't a conventional type; the breath might contain more than just the power of flames. It could also inflict negative status effects or toxins.
"Argh—mmph—argh!"
The dragon-man struggled to lift his head, his attack forcibly interrupted and his posture even more humiliating. At this moment, he was so frustrated he felt he would go into a frenzy.
[Iron Grip]!
Swinging his other arm with a sharp whistle and powerful force, he viciously grabbed for the ankle Tang Zheng had planted on his head!
"I thought the dragon breath would explode in his mouth."
Finding that it didn't happen as he'd imagined, Tang Zheng felt a slight sense of regret as he activated a Martial Art:
"[Instant Reflection]!"
The leg that had just come down lifted like an afterimage in reverse, dodging the dragon claw attack. At the same time, it stomped down again with even more ferocious power.
BOOM!
This blow completely stomped the dragon-man into the desert.
"—Ah, you're a Divine Human!"
This time, the dragon-man's scream contained a hint of terror.
Divine Human?
Hearing these two words.
Tang Zheng's eyes narrowed. Why did this dragon-man know of the existence of Divine Humans?
[Qi Burst Palm]!
Taking advantage of this brief opening, the dragon-man activated a skill, this time not aimed at Tang Zheng, but at the desert beneath him.
[Qi Burst Palm] was one of the few area-of-effect attacks among the skills mastered by a Monk. Without making contact with an opponent, it would release a wide-ranging shockwave.
BANG—!
With the dragon-man at the center, the entire expanse of desert shook violently. Yellow sand shot into the sky, and the powerful, expanding impact produced a knockback effect.
The sky-high yellow sand began to fall back down under the pull of gravity, creating a dense rain of sand over the area.
"How could a Divine Human appear here?"
The dragon-man retreated quickly, one arm hanging unnaturally at his side. The arrogant expression on his face was gone, replaced by unease rising in his golden pupils.
No ordinary human could possess such immense strength. Even a demi-human or a member of the heteromorphic races couldn't step into the domain of a Demon God.
The only possibility was an existence similar to his own!
If I had noticed earlier...
A trace of fear rose in the dragon-man's heart. Due to his carelessness, one of his arms was now unusable. As a Monk specializing in close-quarters combat, this had a severe impact on his combat power.
I have to leave first!
Taking advantage of the yellow sand obscuring their vision, the dragon-man turned and fled rapidly toward the depths of Despair Valley. This desolate land was vast; as long as he could escape, his opponent would never be able to find him.
Damned bastard!
He cursed inwardly.
He was confident he could shake off that human. Their brief exchange had made him realize that the human's physical strength was somehow greater than his, but his speed was clearly a bit weaker.
This indirectly proved that the human's power was greater than his!
"Where do you think you're running to?"
A cold voice came from ahead.
The dragon-man's pupils constricted slightly as he saw the human who had suddenly appeared before him, blocking his path.
So fast!
Impossible. His opponent's speed was clearly slower than his. Even if it was an intentional disguise, he should have been able to perceive it.
A movement-type magic?
"It's [Dimensional Shift]."
The dragon-man realized that his opponent, besides being a powerful warrior, was also a Third Tier magic caster.
*Step!*
His thick, sharp toes dug into the grit with a faint sound as he halted his escape.
The dragon-man realized he probably couldn't escape. He opened his mouth, baring his sharp teeth, and his voice was loud and solemn, "Michen Kemplit!"
As this name was spoken.
Tang Zheng showed a brief flash of surprise but quickly understood. This was the name he had given the dragon-man earlier to test if he was an NPC.
Because this name was actually the English for 'mission complete' in the game, which appears after finishing a task.
"My name is—Ladon Typhoeus!"
The dragon-man declared loudly, "I am a divine descendant, the son of the supreme and great God King!"
Hearing his opponent's name.
Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes imperceptibly. Upon hearing the words "God King," a guess had already formed in his mind.
Most of those in this world who called themselves gods were Players. This dragon-man's name, in particular, made him even more certain.
"You're a descendant of the Eight Greed Kings," Tang Zheng said, staring intently at the dragon-man, Ladon.
"Shut up!"
"You, with the bloodline of a vanquished god, dare to address the supreme and great God King like that!" Hearing the words "Eight Greed Kings," Ladon reacted with a furious roar.
Seeing his opponent's agitated state.
A look of realization dawned in Tang Zheng's eyes. He felt that he had more or less figured things out.
The title "Eight Greed Kings" was, of course, not what the second wave of Players called themselves. Rather, it was a derogatory term given to those eight Players by the natives of the Otherworld in later generations.
"So, they called themselves 'God Kings,' huh."
Considering the conduct of the Eight Greed Kings, it was indeed very much in the style of the "God King" from Greek mythology.
"Ladon Typhoeus? What a fine name," Tang Zheng sneered, raising the magic greatsword in his hand.
If those two names had been mentioned separately, Tang Zheng might not have guessed anything, but together, they were quite interesting.
In Greek mythology, "Ladon" was the hundred-headed dragon that guarded the Golden Apple, while Typhoeus can also be translated as Typhon, one of the Titan Giants.
He was also Ladon's father!
If the Ladon of Greek mythology guarded the Golden Apple, then this dragon-man Ladon was likely guarding the humans of this oasis.
However!
A Player might give themselves a random name, but after transmigrating to the Otherworld, they would surely be more deliberate when naming their offspring. A name of this caliber could, in its own way, reveal some information.
"But of course!"
"I am the first-generation descendant of the supreme and great God King."
Ladon the dragon-man replied as if it were a matter of course. While his beastly eyes watched Tang Zheng's every move, he channeled the qi in his body into his injured arm to treat the wound.
The [Monk] Job System possessed a relatively comprehensive combat style, including certain healing methods. But for that very reason, it was considered a mediocre system—a jack of all trades, but master of none.
"Oh, is that so."
A mocking smile appeared on Tang Zheng's face.
"Someone with your status, still staying in such a remote place... you were completely abandoned, weren't you?"
"But at least your luck was good. You escaped the destruction that befell the other divine descendants like you."
As far as Tang Zheng knew, after the Eight Greed Kings had dealt with the threat from the Dragon race, they began recruiting beautiful women from all races across the world to build a harem.
Since even the Six Great Gods had bloodlines that were passed down, it was impossible that the Eight Greed Kings, with their massive harem, had not. Theoretically, their descendants should have been enormous in number.
And yet.
At least on the Northwest Continent, where humans resided, there seemed to be no descendants of the Eight Greed Kings, aside from the Elf King.
This implied that after the deaths of the Eight Greed Kings, their descendants must have been purged!
Ladon clenched his fists, his golden pupils turning crimson as if flames burned within them.
Seeing that Ladon didn't refute him this time, Tang Zheng was a little surprised. He had actually been right.
"Die!"
Ladon roared, "[Sinful Transformation]!"
Thump—
A heartbeat like a heavy drumstick striking a drum echoed from within Ladon's body.
His already two-meter-tall, powerful body began to swell once more, far more intensely than when he had shed his human disguise.
Three meters!
Four meters!
Seven meters!
Ten meters!
Fifteen meters!
Twenty meters!
"ROAR~"
The figure of a golden giant dragon appeared in Tang Zheng's vision. Its massive, 20-meter-tall frame cast a shadow that enveloped him.
Its golden scales shone brilliantly in the sun. The tail was long and slender, not like that of a normal dragon, but more like a fish's tail with fin-like membranes above and below.
BOOM!
The massive dragon claw swung down with immense force.
Tang Zheng quickly pushed off the ground and retreated. As he watched Ladon, the dragon-man who had transformed into a giant dragon, his usually calm heart was violently shaken.
"How did you do that!!"
Tang Zheng shouted at the golden giant dragon, his voice laced with astonishment.
The "dragon-man" was one of the races in YGGDRASIL. While its game background had many connections to dragons, in the Otherworld, they had no relation to them whatsoever.
Or rather!
Fundamentally, the two were simply different races.
It was just like how Shalltear was supposed to revere her original bloodline, 'Progenitor Cain Abel,' but in reality, she couldn't care less.
In the Otherworld, it was even more impossible for a race possessing a Dragon Lord's bloodline to become a dragon. There was a fundamental gap. In the eyes of a true dragon, even a race containing its own bloodline was nothing more than an inferior creature.
"Die!"
"Die!"
Ladon continuously swung his dragon claws, using the advantage of his massive size to relentlessly attack Tang Zheng.
Every strike landed with an earthquake-like roar!
"His level's aura increased? He's Level 50 now."
As Tang Zheng dodged rapidly, he noted that after transforming into a giant dragon, his opponent's level had also changed.
Rumble!
The continuous attacks continued.
Dragon claws, tail, wings, bites—he unleashed a constant barrage of nearly every kind of beastly attack.
Facing this dense and terrifying-looking assault, Tang Zheng, however, frowned. Although his opponent had transformed into a giant dragon and his level had increased, he felt less threatened than when his opponent was in his dragon-man form.
"He's relying purely on his physical body to attack."
"He hasn't used any of his Monk skills either..." Tang Zheng noticed several abnormalities.
"I have more questions I want to ask now. So, it's time to end this."
Believing his opponent had no more tricks up his sleeve, Tang Zheng cast his spell: "[Dimensional Shift]!"
Swoosh!
His figure vanished. Dodging the golden giant dragon's attack, Tang Zheng appeared above Ladon's head.
(end of chapter)