Novel Full Chapter 1565 - 1565: Steel Hallway
Alcott showing up in the middle of the fortress was something that the Metallic dragons expected, but not a thing they were ready for.
Unlike the Chromatic dragons, who caused Alcott much more trouble, he didn’t have that many fights against the Metallic dragons.
But through all of the fights they had with him, one thing became clear. Alcott was just as effective at killing them as he was at killing the Chromatic dragons. Especially now that he has recovered and is empowered by his vampire and werewolf blood.
Arad patted Alcott on the shoulder, “Don’t scare them. We aren’t here for a fight, we’re just going to have a peaceful word with the Queen and leave.”
Alcott looked at Arad, “Peaceful? Peace is the mask used for violence.” He then looked at Loki.
“I’m here to make sure no one kills anyone.”
Alcott looked at the walls with a passive face, quickly understanding how fortified this place was.
If he were alone, his plan would be to run out of the steel hallways into the open air. But he can’t do that since he has to keep Arad and Malina safe.
The main problem here wasn’t the Loki the Steel dragon; it was his sister, the shadow time drakaina. While Alcott had many weapons to deal with shadow dragons, he didn’t have anything that could be used against a time dragon, besides some basic spells and trinkets.
“We don’t want any fights here either.” Loki finally started approaching. His mother had warned him several times about Alcott, saying that it doesn’t matter how strong a dragon is; facing Alcott is an extremely dangerous act.
Alcott could remember his fights with shadow dragons, how many people he saw scream, cry, and rip their faces off in agony as their shadows were torn apart. Their chilling howls would never leave his mind, even now, their voices still rang in the back of his ears.
How would a man squeal when their very being is scraped off their souls? He had seen people who got skinned alive cry less than those who got their shadows torn.
Now, make that shadow dragon an elder time dragon, and Alcott can only imagine the horrors that could be unleashed on the world.
Could Loki’s sister both rip someone’s shadow into pieces while aging them backward into a baby?
If a fight broke out, Linda might be the strongest dragon Alcott will ever face. He has several protections set to defend himself against shadow attacks, but time is tricky.
He could even imagine himself losing if this fight had happened a day ago. But not today, he has a new weapon, something far more haunting and appalling.
He’ll keep the weapon hidden for now.
“This place…” Malina looked around, her face quickly shifting to a frown, “Arad, we’re in the dropping bay, where the Metallic soldiers take off into battles.”
They were walking straight into the fortress’s military sections. There weren’t just a few dragons around, but thousands of great wyrms, all armed and armored.
Hearing someone else speak beside Arad and Alcott made Loki feel a bit relaxed, so he replied with a slightly forced smile. “The Queen herself forges our armor with her mighty steel. The armor is so powerful that it can easily shrug off the breath weapon of great wyrms. Their claws just slid through the polished steel.”
Dragons are one of those creatures that the world never understands why they never take anything seriously. Most dragons seen in the wild, causing trouble or fighting great evil, are barehanded and unarmored, because their innate power is enough to humiliate everyone else.
But that didn’t mean they couldn’t train, wear armor, use weapons, level up, and cast magic.
While it’s usually hard to find any tools that a dragon can use besides magic, the Metallic Queen has the power, skill, and ability to craft armor and weapons for her people.
“I mean…” Arad looked around, “She made this entire fortress, so I won’t be surprised if she can make armor and swords.”
“Do you use weapons?” Loki asked, and Arad smiled, “I do, he is my father after all. My collection might not match his, but I’m trying to get a weapon for each possible situation.”
Loki reached into his pocket and pulled a knuckleduster, “Mother made this for me. It stacks power and deals more damage with each consecutive hit. If I used it with acceleration magic, it’ll be scary.”
Loki looked at Alcott with a smile, waiting to see and hear how the dragon slayer would deal with him.
“That only means I need to find what is considered consecutive. Then I’ll dodge to make sure you never get a combo going.” Alcott looked at Arad, “I’ve got one poison that causes steel dragons’ scales to rust. I’ll use that and put you to the ground.”
“We still dragons don’t rust.” Loki stared at him, and Alcott smiled, “Keep thinking like that. It makes my job easier.”
Loki shook his head and turned toward Arad, “What do you think? Do you have any special weapons?”
“I don’t have any counters for your weapon, but I’ll see which of us wins in a beatdown.” Arad smiled and pulled a large staff from his stomach, “For weapons, I’ve got this staff.”
Loki paled as he saw the staff Mira made, “That’s a divine artifact, not a weapon.”
“It’s a weapon, my wife made it for me.” He swung the staff around with a smile on his face. “A shaft made of a branch of the World Tree, giving it an innate affinity to space. Then, at its top, a mundane, glass sphere with nothing in it.”
Arad looked at the glass, his smile growing wider, “There is nothing inside, absolutely nothing. Empty, the void.” He tapped the staff on the ground, and the walls shuddered.
Loki could feel it, the power of a divine being burning within the staff. And it wasn’t just Mira.
Yggdrasil, Mora, Mira, and even some sparks of Yog all painted an aura of divinity over the staff.
Mira used Yggdrasil’s wood in the making of the staff; that’s where its power came. Mora seems to have been an assistant in the work, and the traces of Yog are there because this was a magic staff, and she was allowing this staff to affect magic in ways no other staff could.
But all of that power wasn’t what scared Loki; it was that there was nothing where the magic crystal should be. Mira’s staff had no core that could affect magic; there was nothing there, but it still functioned and was even more powerful than any other staff.
Arad quickly stored the staff back in his stomach and walked after Loki, “But weapons won’t matter here.” He then stared at him for a second, “No one is going to fight. I know that to us dragonkind, fighting, power, and might are just words we speak to each other. But I’m also part human, so let’s keep violence out of this and act more like humans and elves?”
He then glared around, “I don’t mind you or your sister, but what about the others?”
Arad could sense tens of Metallic dragons rapidly surrounding the place from each corner, hiding behind the impregnable walls of the fortress.
He smiled, “I’m glad to tell you that, unlike what you expect, your Queen isn’t trying to suppress my senses with her magic.”
Loki looked around with a worried face for a while, then sighed, “They aren’t here to harm you. They are here to protect me.”
Alcott laughed in the back, “Protect you? What about your sister?”
Loki looked at the shadows and smiled, “No dragon here dares claim they can protect her. If something can harm her, no one but our mother would be able to help.”
“ARAD!” Alcott called, “This dragon here is clearly stalling for time. What are we doing? They should’ve been able to teleport us straight to the inner fort.”
Alcott expected Loki to reply, but it was Arad who spoke first.
“Well, Queen Mary isn’t here.”
Loki nodded, “Kinryuu already informed Arad. She went to speak with Bahamut and will return shortly.”