Epic of Ice Dragon: Reborn As An Ice Dragon With A System

Chapter 2422: The Beginning Of The End [3]

-----

"Helena…! She's not far now! She's actually very close! Can you feel her, Lucia?"

Jake swung his bone blades, cutting through the robots one by one as he pushed forward. The Venerables handled most of the heavy lifting, yet the group still contributed plenty.

"I can!"

Lucia closed her eyes for a moment and sensed Helena's faint presence just around the corner.

"We're almost the—What the?!"

The entire team skidded to a halt. The walls were changing, now covered in pulsating red flesh. Thick, root-like tentacles spread everywhere.

The flesh throbbed violently. Countless red eyes snapped open, glaring at them with fury before charging energy and unleashing beams of searing psychic light.

"Shit! Are you kidding me?! What is this thing?!" Belle dodged as many beams as she could, though some still struck her, hurting far more than they should have. "Attacks of this level shouldn't even scratch me…! How?!"

"Remember what Drake said?" Skadi called out. "This monster isn't from our world. It's from Earth. Earthlings possess a strange power that weakens supernatural phenomena. Their attacks bypass our natural resistances!"

"Right… fucking hell!" Belle growled. "Well, that thing's alive, isn't it?! Dream Clouds! Nightmare Feast!"

She rapidly cast her spells, spreading dream mist across the fleshy walls. The eyes grew confused and dizzy. Though Earth's power nullified roughly ninety percent of her magic, Belle's dream abilities were absurdly potent. The remaining ten percent was more than enough to disorient the eyes, making their beams erratic and miss their targets.

"Uroboros has spread throughout this entire area!" Jake shouted. "He's built some kind of nest deep inside. Is he trying to take over that body like we feared?!"

"If that happens, everything will get much worse!" Belle replied.

"It will become far worse, yes!" Ruby nodded. "We can't let it happen!"

"Then let's destroy this damn thing!" Skadi roared, summoning a massive hammer of frost as her aura surged. "Huh? What's that?"

In response to the damage, the walls pulsed violently. Giant tumors swelled and burst, birthing grotesque monstrosities.

They resembled masses of flesh crudely shaped into humanoid forms. Some had insect-like limbs, others resembled skinless elves constantly leaking red acid, and many more horrific variations.

All shared mechanical plate armor, robotic arms, and cannons that fired laser beams.

These were nightmarish chimeras born from Uroboros digesting and regurgitating the elven gods he had consumed, then fusing them with scavenged technology through his psychic powers.

"What the hell are those things?! Are we in a horror movie now?" Lucia asked in disbelief.

"You never asked yourself that before we even came to this world?" Chris raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, yeah, this is awful, but we have to push through! Don't falter!"

The horde of mechanical abominations charged. Gold conjured golden barriers to shield everyone while the three Venerables unleashed their full power, burning, crushing, and dismantling the creatures. At the same time, they attacked the fleshy walls, forcing them to retreat.

Ruby proved especially effective. Her vampiric abilities perfectly countered Uroboros as she drained his blood and fluids, leaving the walls dry and brittle for Skadi and Belle to shatter and incinerate.

Together, the trio advanced at incredible speed, cycling through techniques in a relentless loop of destruction that left Uroboros' flesh wall irritated and fearful.

"GRAAAAHHH!"

Though it lacked speech, the wall screamed in anguish and rage. Giant tentacles erupted, slamming down and dealing serious damage when they connected. Gold healed the wounds instantly, never stopping his support.

"We're almost there! We're breaking through!" Lucia shouted, burning everything in her path.

Jake used his Psychic Powers to counter the crushing pressure and Mind Domain Uroboros exerted, growing stronger with every clash and shielding the group.

"A-Almost there!" Chris roared, golden warrior gauntlets forming around his fists. He punched forward with explosive force, shockwaves tearing through the corridor.

"There! It's right there!" Ruby cried. "Haaaah!"

She partially transformed into her bat-like monster form, draining the blood of every surrounding foe. The walls shrieked in agony as they dried out completely. She converted the stolen fluids into raw vampiric power while Skadi and Belle finished the job.

"Enough is enough!"

"Begone."

Skadi's frozen flames engulfed the wall before her hammer smashed it to pieces. Belle's dream flames seared its very soul, dealing constant damage to Uroboros wherever his true consciousness hid.

BOOOM!

A massive explosion of elemental flames obliterated the wall. Beyond it lay a smaller corridor leading to an open gate. Inside stood a huge glowing tube surrounded by fleshy tendrils and countless watchful eyes.

"Uroboros! You bastard! Give Helena back!" Jake screamed, charging into the room with everyone close behind.

However...

TRUUUM!

Their eyes widened. They froze in place. Not even the Venerables could move. Time itself seemed to stop.

The world twisted and melted into an ocean of swirling, colorful paint that shifted endlessly—red, black, white, purple, green, blue.

Large red eyes opened everywhere.

"You're far too late. I have finally achieved perfection."

A tenebrous voice echoed directly into their minds and souls.

Their gazes fixed on the pulsating flesh. Brilliant light erupted from the tube, burning and disintegrating it.

From within stepped a man.

Whatever anyone might imagine as the pinnacle of perfection, this surpassed it.

Tall, muscular yet elegantly slender, with a delicate yet masculine face, glowing green eyes, long flowing blonde hair, elongated ears, and shimmering fairy wings sprouting from his flawless, nude body.

The elf regarded them with an expressionless face before a third crimson eye opened on his forehead.

"I have ascended. I have finally found my missing piece. There is nothing I cannot do now."

"Uroboros?!"

Jake screamed, the only one still able to speak.

"W-Where…! Where's Helena?! What did you do to her?!"

He kept shouting as the man stepped out of the tube, looking around with proud satisfaction.

"Hm? Helena? Uroboros? Who are you talking about, boy?"

"...!"

"...?"

"...!"

The truth hit them like a physical blow.

The Venerables had assumed Oberon was merely possessed.

That would have been infinitely better.

The man's calm, emotionless face suddenly broke into a serene smile as he approached.

"You mean that little worm that tried to invade my mind? Ah, it couldn't even breach my defenses. I simply devoured it. And look what our union has granted me—a perfect form."

"...!"

Skadi gritted her teeth, fighting desperately to move.

Belle, Ruby, Lucia, and Chris struggled just as hard.

Yet none of them could.

They were utterly powerless.

Before his presence, reality itself was bent and warped.

There was no escape.

No resistance.

Only absolute, overwhelming power.

"Oh? You may not know me. You're from Earth, aren't you? My apologies for the lack of introduction."

He laughed softly. With a casual wave, matter reshaped itself into flowing white-and-green robes adorned with gold and jewels, wrapping elegantly around his body.

"I am Oberon Heavenfall, King of Fairies."

The world trembled.

Everything began collapsing—the building, the formation, the Heavenly Realm itself.

RUMBLE!

"What's happening?!"

From afar, Drake saw a colossal pillar of white light surge from the structure. Everything disintegrated. He pushed himself faster, slicing through space with his blades to close the distance.

"RAAAAH!"

Drake's roar shook the heavens. Every dragon—his family, his allies—roared in unison. The combined shockwave propelled them forward through the void.

At last, they reached the area of eternal white light, a place where the laws of physics no longer applied. Reality warped endlessly around them.

"EVERYONE!"

Drake called out, spotting the group frozen in place.

And then...

"J-Jake?!"

Benladann's scream tore through the distorted space.

"Ah! What a surprise! You're finally here." Oberon smiled pleasantly at Drake. "Oops, you caught me in the middle of something. My apologies. I'm almost finished."

"A-Ahh… S-Sis… ter…"

His hand pierced Jake's chest, fingers closing around the beating heart where Jake's fragment of Uroboros resided. He crushed it without hesitation.

CRASH!

The heart shattered completely. Blood dripped onto the pristine white floor before vanishing into Oberon's palm.

"That was a delectable treat. I was rather hungry."

"He… lena…"

Jake collapsed, a gaping hole in his chest, unable to regenerate.

Dead.

"Uuuh… J-Jake…? Jake…"

Benladann broke into uncontrollable sobs, her face twisting with raw despair and agony as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Drake stared at her for a single heartbeat, then turned back to Oberon.

His expression darkened. His breathing grew rapidly and ragged.

He was finally face-to-face with the bastard.

The one who had caused so much suffering.

And their first meeting was this—murdering his brother-in-law and making his wife scream in grief.

Again.

"..."

Drake's hands shook. Veins bulged across his skin.

His Aura erupted.

All of it.

BOOOM!

A cataclysmic explosion of power clashed against Oberon's Domain. Colors collided violently as the fairy king tilted his head in mild confusion.

"What's with the long face?"

"Oberon…"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to make you suffer."

"Oh my."

"I'm going to fucking crush your bones into dust."

"Really?"

"And I'm going to skin you alive."

"Oho?"

"Before I rip your soul to pieces and shove it straight up your fucking asshole, you piece of shit! And I'll enjoy every second of your screams as you die in darkness! Because that's the only thing a monster like you deserves!"

"Haah… You do have quite the imagination, Drake."

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"

Drake charged with earth-shattering force, shattering space itself and breaking through Oberon's paralyzing reality-warping power.

"Ahhh, coming for a hug? No need to bother!"

Oberon laughed, spreading his arms wide to welcome him.

RUMBLE!

BOOOM!

The world exploded. Supernovas of raw power tore through reality as the two collided.

The Heavenly Realm vanished entirely. They plummeted into a chaotic vortex. Drake pursued Oberon relentlessly while the Fairy King laughed, toying with him effortlessly.

"Hahaha! Hahahaha! I am finally alive once more! Ahh, it feels wonderful! Shall we pay Yggdrasil a visit, Drake? I'll show you the truth of all things!"

"ARE YOU FUCKING RUNNING AWAY?! COME BACK HERE!!!"

Drake chased him through the vortex as Oberon laughed, dodging breath attacks and elemental magic with ease, diving straight toward the Underworld—the last surviving Ancient Realm, Helheim.

-----