Chapter 155: Escape
"STOP!!"
In the next instant, eight Dragon Elders appeared from the surrounding space, enclosing Ash from every direction like a tightening net.
They are here, I should....
Before Ash could even finish that thought, a blazing claw tore into his chest, piercing straight through his heart.
The heat surged through his body instantly, his flesh sizzled and cracked under the pressure. Blood spilled from his lips, sliding down the sides of his mask like a river breaking through stone.
"See? It was that simple to kill him. I truly don’t understand why you all wanted to apologize," Taylor said with an expression that held no sympathy at all.
Deep inside, a twisted satisfaction bloomed within him. To Taylor, humans were lesser beings, parasites that had no right to stand beside dragons.
But Ash, in particular, invoked a special kind of hatred within him. Not just because of what he did, but because he had dared to impersonate the Dragon Slayer, a title that he hated to the bone.
"W-What have you done..." Alarion’s voice trembled as he stepped forward in disbelief.
"We came here to make peace with him. We were meant to apologize, not to kill him," Alarion continued, staring at the burning wound in Ash’s chest. "Are you really going to ignore the words of our King?"
Taylor’s eyes darkened as he responded, "The King is no longer with us. And the ideals of the past should not be allowed to control the present. If the King was really all-knowing, then why didn’t he ever tell us anything about the Dragon Slayer? If only he had mentioned something... maybe then my wife would still be alive."
As he said those words, the flames on his claw continued to burn, spreading across Ash’s chest, cooking through muscle and bone.
Again... once again I’m being torn apart by pain...
Ash tried to use omni thought to lessen the pain, but the skill did not get activated.
Ash’s mental strength was already hanging by a thread. He knew he couldn’t hold out much longer.
I need to break physical contact with him. If I don’t, he’ll get dragged along when I teleport away...
Taylor’s voice carried on as if nothing else around him mattered. "For all of you, the King might still be something close to a god. But for me, the moment my wife died, my faith in him died too."
There was silence.
And for a moment, none of the other elders could speak. Because even if they tried, they had no words.
He’s right... the King never told us anything about the Dragon Slayer...
If we had known... perhaps those lives wouldn’t have been lost...
I want to deny him, I really do... but how can I refute such painful truth...
Kristos finally opened his mouth, though his voice faltered and cracked with doubt.
"I-It could be... possible that... the King was not able to see everything. Perhaps he only saw fragments. Glimpses of what was to come..."
Taylor looked at him, unimpressed. "You say that, but the way your voice shakes makes it clear even you don’t believe it."
"M-Move your hand," Ash said, his voice trembling from pain, as he gripped Taylor’s hand tightly.
He tried to apply pressure, to force the dragon’s claw away from his chest, but no matter how hard he pushed, Taylor’s arm felt as unmovable as a mountain, like solid steel forged in the heart of a volcano.
His effort did nothing. Taylor’s hand remained exactly where it was, embedded deep into his chest like a burning spear.
Watching the futile struggle, a smirk curled on Taylor’s lips. Without saying anything, he slowly pulled his flaming claw out from Ash’s chest, blood trailing behind in crimson lines.
But he didn’t let Ash fall. Instead, he grabbed Ash by the wrists and held him suspended in the air, his grip tightening around Ash’s wrists as he kept him dangling.
Yet, the moment Taylor’s claws were removed from his body, something unbelievable happened.
The gaping wound that should have killed Ash began to close. The torn flesh and ruptured veins started mending rapidly, and the healing was fast enough that even someone watching casually could see the muscles knitting themselves back together.
Ash didn’t even try to stop the healing this time. His mind was too exhausted. His thoughts were sluggish, and his mental energy had already been pushed past its limit.
The Rune of Life in his soul was acting on its own, refusing to let him die.
"This... What is happening...?"
Taylor’s eyes widened, and the other Elders also stood in stunned silence. None of them could believe what they were witnessing. They had all assumed it was over.
With his heart pierced, Ash should have been dead. There should have been no chance for survival.
But what they were seeing now completely shattered that belief.
Ash realized that this was his one and only chance. If he didn’t do something now, if he hesitated for even a second, he might be sealed away for good.
With his head lowered and blood dripping from his mouth, he whispered softly beneath his breath.
"{Eruption }"
A burst of lightning energy surged from within his arms. In an instant, both of his hands, which were still being held tightly by Taylor, were destroyed from the inside out.
The lightning tore through his flesh and bone, separating him from Taylor’s grasp with a violent blast.
His wrists were gone, torn apart by his own magic.
In the very next breath, he activated the only technique that could guarantee his escape.
Absolute Concealment.
Transcendent Step.
And just like that, Ash vanished from their sight.
The others stood frozen, unable to process the sequence of events. All they saw was a badly wounded human healing beyond reason, exploding his own hands, and then vanishing without a trace.
Alarion’s face turned pale as he watched the spot where Ash had just been standing.
"See? What will you do now?" he whispered, his voice low and full of self-loathing. "The words of the king were not wrong. You harmed him, didn’t you? You went against the one we were told to protect... I have sinned. Perhaps our race has already invited its doom."
Alarion felt as though someone close to him had betrayed his trust, as though a sacred oath had just been broken. The weight of guilt crushed him from inside.
Taylor stood silent, staring at the blood that stained his hands. Ash’s blood still dripped from his fingers, but there was no satisfaction in it anymore.
"There is no other choice now," he finally said in a cold, emotionless tone. "We have to find him and kill him. He might have survived this time because of some rare miracle, but no creature can survive if its head is destroyed. That will end it once and for all."
His voice rose louder as he turned to the young dragons.
"All of you. Search for him. Leave nothing behind."
But before anyone could move, Kristos stepped forward, his presence blazing with frustration and defiance.
"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" he shouted, his voice shaking very air. "Do you think you can keep bossing everyone around like you are our ruler, Taylor?"
"There is no ruler among us," Taylor rebutted, his eyes burning with intensity. "But if you insist on meddling in this, then perhaps it is time I become the one to take charge. And if any of you believe you have what it takes to stop me from doing so, then step forward and try."
****
Elven Continent
The hierarchy of the Elves was based on two main pillars. First came the Elven Council, whose words were regarded as absolute law throughout the entire Elven race.
And above them stood the Elven King/Queen — the guardian of the World Tree and the only one born with the rare Life Affinity.
However, according to ancient tradition, the King/Queen were not permitted to marry.
When their life neared its end, they were required to pass down their position to the next elf born with the Life Affinity — the destined heir chosen by fate and the will of the World Tree.
Because of this, there was no royal bloodline among the Elves.
Even then, The words of the King/Queen were still followed without question by the Council.
"Has any human child appeared on our continent in the past three months?" Alfhard, one of the members of the Elven Council asked, his tone calm but probing.
In this continent, it was never a requirement that only the oldest or most experienced could claim a seat in the Council.
The position was granted solely based on strength. The eight strongest elves, regardless of age or background, held the authority of the Council.
However, if someone possessed exceptional intelligence and strategic ability beyond comparison, they could also earn a place—making them the rare ninth member.
"Not even adult humans have been seen near our domain, let alone a child. How could a human child possibly enter unnoticed?" Aerin, the mythical rank elf responsible for overseeing all security and information within their lands, responded with firm clarity.
"I have received no information regarding any new arrivals to our continent other than the regular merchants and traders that pass through," he added, leaving little room for doubt.
"You are thinking too much about this, Alfhard. There is no way a human child would come here. Instead, we should be focusing all our attention on the World Tree."
Arwen spoke next, her voice graceful yet stern. As one of the Saints of the Elven race, her words held immense weight.
Alfhard, though not particularly strong in combat, had one of the sharpest minds among them. His gaze remained distant, lost in deep thought.
"While what you say might be true," he finally said, his voice low and reflective, "I was hoping someone might appear. If such a thing were to happen, it could serve as a leverage point against the humans."
"There might also be a slim possibility that it could offer a solution to the issue we’re currently facing."
BAAM!!
A heavy fist slammed down on the table, shaking the entire tree-structured chamber they were gathered inside.
"Those greedy humans cannot solve our problems!" Elanor shouted, her voice laced with anger as her clenched hand trembled. "Do not bring them up again."
Alfhard let out a quiet sigh and leaned back slightly, his thoughts growing heavier.
That’s right... the World Tree is no longer responding... and the sacred Life Magic has been lost after the sudden death of previous king, We are caught between these two hopeless situations.
What could the humans even do in such a case? Perhaps I should take a rest after this meeting. Thinking constantly must be wearing down the sharpness of my own thoughts.
***
A/N: The Elven Continent arc is about to begin! 🌿✨Before that, I’ll briefly show what happened to Ash in a small paragraph to transition things smoothly.
Also, thank you all so much for your love and support—it truly means a lot to me. 🙏❤️
Lately, I’ve been a little lazy (I admit it 😅), but part of that is because I’ve been thinking about my second novel. I’m planning to start writing it soon, though I won’t be posting anything until I’ve written and stockpiled at least 100 Chapters.
Thanks again for sticking with me! More to come soon. 💫