Chapter 221: Chapter 220: From Sky to Sea

There was, of course, a risk to Ronin mounting the Giant Dragon’s back this way.

While a thirty-meter fall wouldn’t be enough to kill him, the Giant Dragon could soar higher into the sky at any moment.

He could survive a fall from thirty meters, but not necessarily from three hundred.

But opportunity always came hand in hand with danger.

A Giant Dragon like this was an irresistible prize to Ronin.

After all, a Contract Scroll from his seven-day login reward lay quietly within his Space Ring!

A Giant Dragon—a creature of legend. No Magical Beast ranked higher.

If he could make it his own Contracted Magical Beast, it would be an incredible boon for him.

Faced with such an opportunity, Ronin decided to go for broke.

Of course, he hadn’t climbed onto the Giant Dragon’s back without careful consideration.

First, while the Dragon had made a powerful and shocking entrance, careful observation and listening revealed a tone of exhaustion and weakness in its roars.

Second, the Sixth-level Fire Attribute Magic, Fire Dragon Devouring Heaven, had not only reversed the dragon’s Flame Breath and killed Natalia, but had also inflicted considerable damage on the Giant Dragon itself.

If the Dragon were truly powerful, it shouldn’t have been harmed at all by the aftershock of the Fire Dragon Devouring Heaven Magic.

Ronin judged that this Dragon had not yet reached the prime of its life; its current strength was likely only at the Fifth or Sixth-level.

Finally, even if the Giant Dragon threw him from the sky, he had a decent chance of survival as long as he maneuvered correctly on the way down.

The risk was there, but to face a weakened Fifth or Sixth-level Giant Dragon… he felt it was a gamble worth taking.

In reality, many of Ronin’s assessments were correct.

For instance, regarding its power Level, Carlos was indeed only a Fifth-level Giant Dragon, and it was certainly in a weakened state.

This was primarily because it had been imprisoned here since birth.

Over the years, it had not only never eaten its fill but was also frequently enslaved by Natalia using the Horn. This had left its Constitution and Spirit in a perpetually listless state.

In the recent battle, a single Frost Breath and two Flame Breaths had already consumed the majority of its Dragon Power and stamina.

However, despite its extreme exhaustion, it was inwardly ecstatic.

Its ploy had worked.

In truth, from the moment Carlos had emerged from the cave, it had been looking for a chance to escape.

Once it was clear that this group of “little crawlers” could take care of Natalia, it had simply been biding its time.

When it saw Ronin unleash the ferocious Fire Dragon Devouring Heaven Magic, it knew its moment had arrived.

At the final moment, Carlos had suppressed fifty to sixty percent of its Flame Breath’s power, which sealed Natalia’s fate.

Freedom!

It had been imprisoned for countless years, and today, it was finally free!

But Carlos’s elation was short-lived. To its horror, it discovered that the human from the ground—the one who had used the Scroll—had somehow appeared on its back!

For a few seconds, it was completely stunned.

This gave Ronin the time he needed. To prevent the Giant Dragon from immediately throwing him off, he steadied his footing and instantly pulled a Wind’s Touch Scroll from his Space Ring to use it.

Wind Ribbons materialized and wrapped around them like ropes, binding him firmly to the Giant Dragon’s body.

This was a Fourth-level Wind Magic. While its Binding Power wasn’t enough to completely immobilize the massive creature, it shouldn’t be underestimated; it was, at the very least, strong enough to secure Ronin to the Giant Dragon.

Carlos seemed to realize what was happening. It let out an enraged roar and flapped its wings. Despite its enormous size, its body was as agile as a fish in water. It executed a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree roll in mid-air, turning its back toward the earth.

It was trying to throw Ronin off.

Fortunately, Ronin was one step ahead. No matter how the Giant Dragon bucked, dove, or spun, he remained glued to its back.

The wind howled violently in his ears, whipping his silver hair about.

Carlos went into a frenzy, rocketing toward the heavens.

The thinning air and plunging temperature made Ronin uncomfortable, but he was a Silver Knight, after all. His physical fortitude was immense, and by circulating his Fighting Qi, he could mitigate the effects of the harsh environment.

Once they reached a high altitude, he tilted his head to look down.

At this height, he couldn’t even make out Ridder and the others on the ground; the strange valley itself had shrunk to the size of his palm.

Ronin saw rolling hills, with valleys and plains nestled between them. He could also see a vast swamp stretching all the way to the sea, though he was too far away to spot the small town where it began. Beyond that, his view was dominated by the magnificent, endless sea to the north and east of Wubei Territory!

A flying mount was a wonderful thing to have.

Ronin remembered the awe and yearning he had felt when Blanche arrived at Wushan Castle with her Griffin Squad.

’If I can get this Dragon, why would I ever envy anyone for their Griffins?’

Noticing the effects of the Wind’s Touch starting to fade, Ronin began tracing its Magic Patterns, casting another “Chains” on himself to re-secure his bond to the Giant Dragon.

His gaze grew resolute and determined. ’Come on, Carlos. Submit to me!’

Words were useless. Only violence could force a Magical Beast into submission, and Giant Dragons were no exception.

Ronin pulled the dagger he’d taken from the Shadow Assassin out of his Space Ring and brutally stabbed at the back of the Giant Dragon’s neck.

CLANG!

The Giant Dragon’s Dragon Scales were incredibly tough; the dagger striking them produced a metallic clang.

’Foolish human,’ Carlos thought with contempt. ’Trying to pierce my Dragon Scales with such an ordinary dagger? He must be dreaming.’

But a second later, it let out a roar of pain.

Ronin had changed his tactic. Instead of stabbing at the scales directly, the sharp dagger found the gap between them.

PFFT~

Blood sprayed out, splattering across the sky.

“ROAR!”

Carlos let out a furious roar.

It hated that it couldn’t control its size to escape the Wind’s Touch.

It hated that its tail wasn’t long enough to sweep the human off its back.

It hated that it wasn’t strong enough. If it were Seventh-level, its scales would be so tightly packed there would be no gaps at all, making such a wound impossible.

But most of all, it hated the man on its back. How it longed to incinerate him with a single blast of Flame Breath.

Unfortunately, its neck couldn’t twist far enough to aim its breath at Ronin.

“!@#￥%***&*”

Ronin didn’t understand the Dragon tongue, so he had no idea what it was saying.

’But judging by its state and the emotions it was projecting, it was probably cursing me, right?’

“Submit to me!”

Ronin stabbed into the gap between the scales again. This time, however, he used the Flowing Flame Sword instead of the dagger, channeling his Fighting Qi through it to create searing flames as he thrust it in.

“Hah!”

He gripped the hilt with both hands and drove the sword forward, sinking it halfway into the dragon’s flesh.

Carlos was now like a cracked cistern, its blood gushing out like an endless torrent of water.

Ronin shouted, “I know you can understand me! Acknowledge me as your master, and I’ll spare your life!”

Giant Dragons have their pride. Threatened like this, Carlos stopped climbing and instead folded its wings, plummeting into a nosedive.

The sudden freefall was extremely disorienting, and Ronin nearly lost his grip on the Flowing Flame Sword. He quickly recalled it to his Space Ring and cast Wind’s Touch again to reinforce his bonds.

Ronin felt them accelerating, faster and faster. He had no idea how long they had been diving when the Giant Dragon suddenly decelerated. The immense g-force pressed Ronin flat against its back, immobilizing him. Then…

SPLASH!

The sea’s surface erupted in a massive spray. Carlos had plunged headfirst into the ocean, taking Ronin with it.

GULP, GULP…

Caught off guard, Ronin swallowed a few mouthfuls of seawater. Fortunately, he was a good swimmer. He quickly shut his mouth and held his breath.

The impact of hitting the water had left him dazed, but thankfully, he hadn’t been thrown off. That would have been a disaster.

He cast the spell again while trying to steady himself, doing his best to avoid any sudden movements.

As a Silver Knight, his internal organs were enhanced, and his lung capacity was immense. Holding his breath underwater for a while was no problem at all.

Still, a bit of panic crept into Ronin’s heart.

’If this thing stays underwater and never surfaces, won’t I suffocate?’

Fortunately, Carlos was in far worse shape than he was.

It was already weakened, and after dozens of minutes of frenzied flight, its Physical Ability was nearly depleted.

It managed to keep swimming at high speed after hitting the water, but its pace soon dropped off sharply.

Swimming consumed even more stamina than flying. Left with no other choice, the Giant Dragon had to ascend toward the surface.

Ronin sensed the Giant Dragon’s exhaustion.

He looked up at the brightening surface above, knowing the beast was about to break through.

’Here’s my chance!’

WHOOSH~

Man and Dragon burst from beneath the waves.

The instant they broke the surface, Ronin unfurled a Flame Burst Skill Magic Scroll. A massive, two-meter-diameter fireball slammed into the Giant Dragon’s head.

Mentally and physically exhausted, Carlos was knocked sideways by the blow. It struggled to stay airborne as it flew toward the shore.

But Ronin wasn’t finished. He pulled out a second, a third, and then a fourth Flame Burst Skill scroll.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The Flame Burst Skills detonated one after another on Carlos’s head, all striking nearly the same spot.

Truth be told, the flames didn’t inflict much burn damage, but the relentless, concussive impacts left the Giant Dragon dizzy and dazed.

With its stamina utterly depleted and its head reeling from the pummeling, Carlos could no longer maintain its balance.

It let out a piteous, whimpering cry and plunged headfirst toward the beach below!

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