Chapter 210 - Strength Isn't Everything(3)
Dark Purple.
A color that could be seen as either alluring or ominous and dangerous, painted over the green world.
More precisely,
Slither.
as threads of dark purple spread.
The dozens of spells cast by the Ancient Dragon through her dragon casting were nowhere to be seen.
Only,
Slither.
Slither.
As if refusing to tolerate any color other than itself, the dark purple threads rapidly covered the green world.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Buzz.
The brightly shining platinum obelisk. The territory of the obelisk was impervious to the dark purple threads.
“This, this is impossible…!”
The immense green figure, even the Ancient Dragon, Etra, was not spared. Though there was a difference in the two exceptions.
In the case of the platinum obelisk, the dark purple threads didn’t even dare to approach it.
As for Etra,
Sizzle.
Sizzle!
Numerous dark purple threads persistently targeted her, but her overpowering magic melted them away. But it was clearly bothering her.
“Damn it!”
She cursed, “Dirty remnants of the void! Begone!”
Using her dragon words, she finally managed to repel the dark purple threads advancing from all directions.
Then,
Creak.
A series of sharp, light footsteps approached. The sound, which had been growing fainter, suddenly stopped.
Swoosh.
Cutting through the dark purple space, the source was revealed.
“Hmm~.”
A voice, languorous and sticky, dripping with sleepiness and seduction.
Her exposed upper body, barely covered, seemed explicit,
“This air from another dimension is always refreshing.”
Creak.
As her light, sharp steps moved forth, no thoughts of indecency lingered.
Naturally so.
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t it the second envoy of the great Second Dragon Lord?”
Her legs, eight vicious legs resembling blades and large fangs at her hips were enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
It was enough to make even a powerful Ancient Dragon hesitant. Or perhaps there was another reason.
“Y-you!”
For the first time, Etra’s voice trembled as she glared at the giant spider woman who had cut through the space.
Then, “Hold on, Etra. We can catch up later, alright? I need to…”
The spider woman, smiling slyly, turned her body around,
“Pay my respects to the esteemed guest from the other side.”
And looked at Shimun.
“The esteemed guest from the other side?!”
Etra’s shock echoed behind her.
Creak.
Ignoring it completely, the spider woman approached Shimun, her body over ten meters tall, and bowed deeply.
“Greetings, esteemed guest. I am Arachrea, a servant of the Weaver of the Boundary and the queen of the Spiders of Leng.”
She respectfully folded her massive fangs at her hips and bowed.
Shimun.
“Nice to meet you, Arachrea. It’s an honor to meet the queen of a species.”
Graciously accepted the spider queen’s greeting.
However, “Why would the esteemed guest pay respect to someone like me?”
Perhaps it was overwhelming for her?
“The one I serve also honors you as an esteemed guest… Please, dispense with the courtesies.”
The spider queen, who introduced herself as Arachrea, bowed her head firmly. Shimun blinked at her truly uncomfortable demeanor.
“Ahem… Alright then.”
He scratched his cheek awkwardly and nodded. With the air of respect seemingly lessened, “May I now ask why the esteemed guest called for me?”
Arachrea, having regained some composure, asked gracefully, clasping her hands and fangs with poise.
Of course, “Haha. I can somewhat guess.”
Glancing briefly at the utterly shocked Ancient Dragon behind her. Noticing this, Shimun chuckled and replied, “It’s because of the summoning procedure.”
“You truly are an esteemed guest.”
Arachrea flashed a sharp smile, revealing her fangs.
“As one summoned by the relic of a deity, a clear purpose is required.”
“Indeed. Summonings of this nature come with many restrictions.”
As the one holding the first chapter and key of Lemegeton, Ars Getia, which allowed him to summon demonic beings, Shimun was well aware of the pros and cons of summoning.
Especially, when it involved summoning the servants of a god.
“Very well. I will specify clearly.”
Nodding, Shimun turned to look at the gigantic dragon filled with dread.
“Ancient Dragon Etra. I want her dead. Is that possible?”
To his question, “Ho-ho-ho-hot!!”
Arachrea suddenly burst into laughter. Her laughter was so loud it seemed like a cackle, embracing herself with her two upper arms and fangs.
How much time had passed?
“You truly are an esteemed guest from the other side. I haven’t heard such an amusing jest in ten thousand years!”
Like a web of spider silk, she elegantly wiped the tears from her eyes with a dark purple handkerchief.
Speaking in a voice still touched by laughter, “Etra. That arrogant green dragon, we first encountered each other five thousand years ago, didn’t we? Yes, when she reached the Wyrm rank.”
Her eyes glimmering with nostalgic memories, “I still remember it. Back when she was captured by my children, crying her eyes out.”
“Sh-shut up!”
Etra’s roar burst out. Her voice imbued with Dragon Fear was powerful enough to make the air tremble, but Arachrea seemed unaffected, continuing without so much as a glance at Etra.
“Back then she was far less ferocious. Only begged for mercy and threatened us with her mighty dragon lords.”
Ignoring Etra’s outburst completely,
“Then the Second Dragon Lord barged into my nest, and because my master was so lazy…”
Arachrea continued her story, “That ferocious green dragon lived an additional five thousand years.”
She finally folded her handkerchief neatly.
Creak.
Turning her gaze towards Etra, “As a result, she reached the Ancient level, but… she’s not a legion commander or a disciple. A mere envoy.”
Tapping her chin with her sharp, long fingers, “You think I, Arachrea, can’t handle the Second Envoy? So…”
With a sinister smile.
“Please enjoy.”
Her eyes leaked a dark emptiness, “The performance offered by this disciple of the Weaver of the Boundary.”
*
Magic circles as large as ogres.
Creeeak!
Fwoosh!
At least 7-circle, and even some 8-circle spells erupted one after another.
However,
Swish.
Strings cut through the air. If not for the dark purple void they carried, they would have gone unnoticed, intercepting the spells in various forms.
Soon, like quelling the remnants of a fire,
Fizzle.
Crackle…
The spells disintegrated on contact with the void-infused strings.
The spells disintegrated instantly, before even considering that they were 7, 8-circle high-level spells.
“Again!”
The powerful being, Etra, in her prime as an Ancient Dragon, could not believe this phenomenon.
“Damn it!”
She cursed, grinding her teeth as her spells collapsed.
‘Of all the servants, it had to be a disciple!’
A disciple. The closest of the constellations’ servants. As such, the powers most disciples wielded were comparable to demigods.
Moreover, ‘It’s not just some minor god from the other side! The Weaver of the Boundary!’
Among the constellations from the other side, the Weaver of the Boundary was top-rank. The powers wielded by the Weaver’s disciple were overwhelming even for an Ancient Dragon.
No, to be honest, it was beyond overwhelming—it was terrifying. Was Etra’s inner turmoil evident?
“Haha. Now that’s the familiar face I know. Etra.”
Arachrea’s smile deepened. To which, “Shut up!”
Flap.
Etra’s eyes twitched as she spread her massive wings wide. Then,
Buzz!
With a violent hum, dozens of large magic circles formed. Even in the face of repeated dragon casting, “How foolish to repeat the same actions even after five thousand years.”
Arachrea wore only a thick smirk.
“There’s no reason for me to be as foolish… shall I change the pattern this time?”
With a flick of her blade-like fingers,
Swoosh.
the space around Etra began to ripple.
The threads forming the dark purple space, more accurately, the spiderwebs, unraveled from the dark purple space and intertwined with the blazing green magic circles.
As soon as the two colors met,
Clatter!
the screech of friction echoed painfully.
Soon,
Slither.
like venom rapidly spreading through veins, the void-filled spiderwebs pierced the glowing green magic circles, and ruthlessly threaded through the intricate green magic circles.
Soon, Arachrea lifted her arm slightly, as if in pity.
“An 8-circle spell of this level…”
“Etra, there’s a reason you’re just a second envoy.”
Crumble!
Etra’s magic circles disintegrated into dust. With just a wave of her hand, Arachrea destroyed the dragon casting.
Along with it,
“This, this can’t be!”
the pride of the Ancient Dragon shattered, but fortunately,
“Grr!”
Etra didn’t lose her mind.
‘I hate to admit it, but… I can’t handle that cursed queen of Leng with my powers.’
The Weaver of the Boundary. Before even considering her high rank among the otherside constellations, she had very few disciples.
Thus, the power granted to Arachrea by the Weaver was something an Ancient Dragon couldn’t fathom.
Therefore, ‘I need to escape now and plan for the future.’
Escaping now and targeting Kim Shimun again would be the wise choice.
‘Given that he used a ring, it’s unlikely he can summon Arachrea again.’
After all, if he could summon such a being at will, the Galaxy Arena wouldn’t just sit idly by.
‘But.’
A single emotion flared in Etra’s conflicted eyes.
‘This plan required significant investment from the Second Dragon Lord. If I flee now, both she and I will lose too much. So…’
Wrath.
Swallowed by anger, Etra thought,
‘I won’t retreat easily.’
Flap.
She flapped her massive wings.
Sensing her intentions,
“Haha! Another escape attempt? Oh, Etra, you still haven’t changed in five thousand years… well, dragons are all the same.”
The void pouring from Arachrea grew thicker.
“You always walk around with your nose in the air, but at the slightest disadvantage, you choose to flee without hesitation.”
“Silence!”
Shhhhaa.
Acidic clouds and poison spells erupted, cast without incantations.
“Haha, such tantrums.”
Arachrea scoffed, effortlessly dissipating them.
However, it seemed that her prior actions were merely stalling for time. With a deep inhale, Etra, already formidable in size, further inflated her thorax and abdomen.
Following her breath, a massive current of air surged from her pointed snout, and between her sharp teeth, a faint hum accompanied by an ominous green glow emerged.
Cradled within Shimun’s embrace, Go Malsuk murmured unwittingly, “Dragon Breath…”
Dragon Breath, the most formidable weapon and concentration of power granted to the supreme dragonkin.
Even Rankers could be vaporized instantly by this immense power. And Etra was an Ancient Dragon, no less. The extent of its power was unthinkable.
“Finally, things are getting interesting.”
Arachrea remained only visibly relaxed. Just before the Dragon Breath was unleashed, “Die!”
Etra’s massive snout didn’t aim at Arachrea, but in a completely different direction.
“No, stop!!!”
Accompanied by Arachrea’s scream, a blinding green beam that could burn through the dark purple space was launched towards Shimun.
*
A brilliant green flash illuminated everything in sight. While the eyes witnessing this spectacle, and the body sustaining those eyes, should have been engulfed by the green flash,
“Hmm.”
Shimun uttered almost contemplatively, unblinking, watching the formidable green beam.
Precisely, blocking it—a network of dark purple spiderwebs.
Then,
『How dare you…』
A twisted voice, eerily similar to that of the Weaver of the Boundary, suddenly filled the air.
『Perform such a trivial act before me, Arachrea?』
Filled with immense wrath, it resonated throughout the space.
Soon, the green breath dissipated completely.
Woosh!
A strong vibration occurred. The once lady-like ten-meter tall spider queen was nowhere to be seen.
『To think that you would dare strike at the esteemed guest before me, and even force me to reveal my true form, the price will be thoroughly exacted, Etra.』
Like a trash bag, holding the pierced Etra on her finger, Arachrea opened a gateway to return.
Thus,
“This… Echid….”
With the Ancient Dragon’s murmuring fading away behind her,
『Source of Error Identified.』
『This guild war will now be terminated immediately.』
Promptly followed by a message from the Galaxy Arena.
『Constellations Zeus and Odin hastily find you and exhale a sigh of relief.』
『Constellations Heavenly Demon and Baal send looks of faith.』
『Constellations Black Goat and Ra send vehement protests to the Galaxy Arena.』
The reactions of the constellations surged one after another.