Dong's figure slowly faded into the mist as he left the village behind. The soldiers lined up near the gate, standing tall in gleaming armor. Among them, a man carrying the air of arrogance walked forward the soldier general.
Alica stepped aside to clear the path, but as the crowd shifted, her hand accidentally brushed against his arm.
The general stopped instantly. His glare fell upon her like a blade.
"Don't touch me, you poor, pathetic villager," he spat, his voice cold and sharp. "Be proud that you even accidentally touched a great soldier general one who bears the blood of the Draco race, beings who stand above mortals like gods."
The crowd went silent. Alica froze, her heart trembling not from fear, but from the sting of his words. The general scoffed and turned away, his armor clanking as he followed Dong's departing figure.
Alica lowered her gaze for a moment, then clenched her fists tightly.
"Draco race?" she whispered. "I've studied about them. Those with such blood are said to walk like gods noble, radiant, and kind." Her eyes narrowed. "That man… he's nothing like that."
She looked at the old book in her hands the one filled with Master Dong's teachings.
"I'll master every spell written here," she muttered, determination burning in her eyes. "And I'll show him… what a 'poor, pathetic villager' can truly become."
The wind brushed past her hair as the echo of armored footsteps faded into the distance.
After a long journey through frozen forests and snow-covered valleys, Dong and his soldiers finally reached the towering mountains the domain of the Chinese Ice Dragon. The peaks pierced the clouds, their sides glittering with layers of ice like shards of glass.
A biting wind howled through the cliffs, making even the toughest soldiers shiver.
The soldier general stepped forward, his teeth chattering slightly.
"Master Dong," he said, bowing with forced respect, "please wear winter clothes. The cold here is too strong you might get sick."
Dong glanced at him, calm as ever.
"No need," he replied. "The cold won't harm me."
As they entered the nearby mountain village, every villager dropped to their knees, bowing deeply.
"Master Dong," they chorused, voices trembling with hope, "please, slay the dragon and save us!"
Dong removed his outer cloak and handed it to the soldier general.
"Here," he said quietly, "you seem to need it more than I do."
Then he turned to the villagers.
"Show me the way," he said. "Where does the Chinese Ice Dragon dwell?"
Before anyone could speak, the soldier general stepped in, puffing out his chest.
"Master Dong," he said coldly, "our duty ends here. From this point, it's your responsibility to slay the dragon. We won't interfere. Once it's done, we'll escort you back to the kingdom."
Dong gave a faint smile.
"You're too weak to be of help," he said simply. "So, no need to worry."
The soldier general's face darkened, his pride stinging.
"My blood's boiling…" he muttered through gritted teeth. "I thought this mountain would freeze me, but somehow, I feel hot."
The village head, an old man with frost in his beard, bowed and stepped forward.
"Master Dong, please follow me," he said. "I will show you the path to the dragon's lair."
Dong nodded.
"Lead the way."
The group moved toward the heart of the icy mountains, where the air itself seemed to hum with ancient power and somewhere deep within, the dragon waited.
After several minutes of climbing through the frozen mountain path, the village head suddenly stopped. His breath came out in shaky clouds, and fear filled his old eyes.
"Master Dong…" he said, voice trembling. "I can't go any farther. If I do… I'll die. Just walk straight for a few more minutes — you'll find the dragon's lair."
Dong glanced at him, disappointment flickering across his face.
"Pathetic," he muttered. "People today are so afraid of a fight."
Then, with a dismissive wave of his hand, he said coldly, "Go. Get out of my sight, you coward."
The village head bowed shakily and ran back down the mountain.
Dong continued forward, the wind howling around him like a chorus of ghosts. After a few minutes, a massive shadow came into view — a mountain-sized figure sleeping amidst the ice. Its scales shimmered like crystal mirrors, reflecting the faint blue light of the frozen sky.
Dong raised a hand. "Let's see how strong you are," he whispered.
With a flick of his wrist, he cast a low-level stone spell. A sharp boulder burst from the frozen ground and shot toward the dragon's side.
The impact echoed through the mountains.
The dragon's eyes snapped open — deep blue, burning with wrath.
"You lowly, pathetic human!" the dragon's voice boomed, shaking the ice cliffs around them. "How dare you attack me in my sleep! Now face your death!"
The dragon's wings unfurled with a thunderous crash. It opened its jaws and roared, summoning a storm of icy energy.
"Intermediate Ice Skill: Frozen Spikes!"
From the sky, dozens of jagged ice spears rained down toward Dong like a blizzard of death.
Dong's eyes narrowed. He dodged effortlessly, moving like a shadow between the falling shards. As he landed lightly on the frozen ground, his expression remained calm.
"So this dragon can speak," he murmured to himself. "That means… it's above SSS-rank. Possibly EX-rank."
The wind froze still around him as Dong's aura began to rise faint at first, but growing heavier with each passing second.
Dong's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and steady.
"I don't have much time to waste on you. Let's finish this with our best skills."
The dragon's blue eyes glimmered with contempt.
"You pathetic human," it thundered. "I also have no time to waste on creatures like you."
Dong lifted his hand and unleashed Lion Fear, a mental assault that surged directly into the dragon's mind.
The dragon roared, staggering back. Pain flashed in its eyes.
"I will destroy you!" it bellowed.
From its gaping maw, a rapidly forming orb of pure energy began to materialize. Dong watched carefully, analyzing.
"The dragon is charging… a massive energy ball," he murmured. "At this speed… if I try to dodge, I die. But I have a trick. Let's hide this from the world."
He shattered the Magic Live Crystal temporarily the artifact that had been recording and broadcasting his duel with the dragon. The world blinked into chaos: newsfeeds exploded, people screamed, and the images of battle froze midair.
The energy ball struck Dong with incomprehensible force. His body was half-vaporized instantly, blood searing his flesh. Pain ripped through him like a storm. Mist curled around his form.
The dragon, seeing only devastation, roared triumphantly.
"He's dead!" it bellowed.
But Dong wasn't finished. Calm amidst agony, he activated the Immortality Ability granted by the God of Eternity. In a blink, every injury healed. His half-vaporized body reformed perfectly, whole and unbroken.
The dragon still thought him dead.
From the mist, Dong leapt, his eyes burning with unstoppable resolve.
"Enough," he said.
He unleashed Domain of Fire( Dimension of Fire). teleporting both himself and the ice dragon into a realm of roaring infernos. Flames stretched higher than mountains, turning the air into molten heat.
A colossal fire dragon emerged from the blazing dimension, even larger than the ice dragon. Dong struck with surgical precision biting deep into the dragon's shoulder and chest. The dragon shrieked in pain, thrashing violently.
Dong watched carefully, then said quietly,
"I won't let you suffer any longer."
He channeled a high-level fire spell. A massive blaze sliced through the air, heading straight for the dragon's neck. In the final instant, the dragon's claw scratched a specific mark a location Dong immediately recognized.
The Magic Live Crystal had already resumed its broadcast. The world trembled at Dong's powers, awestruck by the battle yet no one saw the immortality he had just used.
With the ice dragon defeated, Dong destroyed the crystal completely.
Following the dragon's last signal, Dong approached the marked area.
"A 'poor, pathetic villager' is only as weak as he believes himself to be. True strength comes when you refuse to stay small."
"People today are so afraid of a fight… but courage isn't the absence of fear, it's facing it when everyone else runs."