Chapter 130: The Birth of Blackie

“Thwack!”

The Nightmare King’s horn pierced the Five-Element White Dragon’s pristine scales once more, punching cleanly through its body and sending a fresh spray of crimson blood bursting into the air. Almost simultaneously, the White Dragon retaliated. Its massive horn tore across the Nightmare King’s flank, carving out a deep gash from which dark, oily Demon Realm blood immediately began to flow.

The two streams of blood shot upward, rising along converging paths before colliding midair. Where they met, they splashed directly onto the descending Fusion Stone.

The moment the black stone was struck by both bloodlines, its fall slowed noticeably. The dull surface shattered into brilliance as the Fusion Stone erupted into a dazzling seven-colored radiance. The rainbow light surged outward, racing along the twin trails of blood toward the Nightmare King and the Five-Element White Dragon, curving gracefully through the sky in a perfect arc.

“HSSSSSS!”

“ROAR!”

In an instant, the expanding light swallowed both Divine Beasts. The White Dragon froze in place as if bound by invisible chains, while the Nightmare King, which had been plunging downward, was abruptly suspended in midair.

Neither beast had ever encountered anything like this. A deep, instinctive dread seized them both. They struggled violently within the rainbow glow, roaring and shrieking toward the heavens, desperately trying to break free of the strange power restraining them.

“It’s actually working!”

Marcus stared in disbelief. The Fusion Stone had actually succeeded in immobilizing both Divine Beasts. Even knowing it was a magical creation forged by the Goddess of Dreams, seeing it function firsthand left him shaken.

“Come on, come on…”

His heart pounded uncontrollably. Immobilizing them was only the first step. Success was never guaranteed. The Fusion Stone was infamous for its abysmal success rate, and now there was nothing left for him to do except wait and pray.

’At least my Luck stat is maxed out, and I’ve got the buff from The Ascendant’s Domain,’ he thought, clinging to that small comfort.

Suddenly, amid the desperate roars of the two Divine Beasts, the seven-colored light detonated.

Marcus barely had time to register what he was seeing. In a blinding flash, the Fusion Stone, the Nightmare King, and the Five-Element White Dragon collapsed inward, merging into a single mass of light. The radiance then shot straight upward, expanding rapidly until it enveloped the entirety of Star Lake, bathing the land in shimmering, multi-hued brilliance.

At the center of the lake, a colossal pillar of rainbow light more than twenty meters wide surged hundreds of feet into the sky, illuminating the clouds above.

“Whoa, did someone just ascend?”

“Divine Artifact birth! That’s gotta be it! Move!”

“Babe, look at that rainbow! I wanna go there!”

The phenomenon was clearly visible from Pegasus Citadel. Players erupted into heated discussion, and countless figures immediately changed course, racing toward Star Lake in hopes of witnessing or claiming whatever miracle had occurred.

Just over a minute later, the rainbow pillar faded away. The light dissolved into the air, and Star Lake returned to its usual serenity, as if nothing extraordinary had ever happened.

[Ding! Congratulations to player Stonehaven for successfully using the “Fusion Stone”! Fusion successful! You have obtained the Nightmare Dragon Steed Pet Egg.]

[Ding! Congratulations to player Stonehaven on successful fusion! You have activated the hidden Advanced Auxiliary Skill “Fusion”! Reward: 500 Reputation, 5,000 Gold Coins.]

[Ding! Congratulations to player Stonehaven for fusing the Nightmare Dragon Steed! The “Fusion” skill has leveled up to Intermediate.]

[Ding! Congratulations to player Stonehaven! “Desperate Strike” has successfully broken through the max-level cap and advanced to Grandmaster Tier.]

’….’

It actually worked.

Marcus had wanted this outcome more than anything, yet now that it had truly happened, the flood of system notifications left him momentarily stunned. He stood there in silence, unsure whether to laugh, shout, or simply stare. His mind felt oddly blank, as though his emotions were struggling to catch up with reality.

“Heh…”

A quiet laugh slipped from his lips as he looked at the pet egg floating above the lake’s surface. It pulsed softly with lingering rainbow light, serene and unreal. This was not wild excitement or triumphant laughter, but something calmer and deeper.

It was the satisfaction of success, the joy of seeing effort rewarded, and the quiet confidence of someone who trusted his own judgment. That composure only made the happiness settle more firmly in his chest.

Still astride the Violet Thunderwing Steed, Marcus flew closer and gently reached out, taking the shimmering seven-colored egg into his hands. Without hesitation, he activated Insight.

Nightmare Dragon Steed Pet Egg: A new type of pet egg created by fusing the Divine Beast Nightmare King and the Five-Element White Dragon using the Fusion Stone created by the Goddess of Dreams. Can be hatched into the Super Divine Mount, the Nightmare Dragon Steed.

’A Super Divine Beast.’

Divine Beast plus Divine Beast. The result could only be something beyond both. Marcus already possessed the Dark Violet Sky Dragon, but this was different. That dragon remained sealed, something he could admire but not yet use. This creation, forged by his own hands, could be brought into the world immediately.

[Ding! Player Stonehaven, would you like to hatch the Nightmare Dragon Steed?]

“Hatch it.”

[Ding! Congratulations to player Stonehaven! Nightmare Dragon Steed successfully hatched! You have obtained the Super Divine Mount, the Nightmare Dragon Steed.]

“HSSSSSS!”

The moment the notification sounded, the egg flared with blinding intensity, like a miniature sun blazing with seven colors. Light spilled outward, and a piercing, horse-like shriek echoed across the lake. As the glow receded, a sleek black steed stepped forward, its hooves touching the surface of the blue water as though it were solid ground.

The Nightmare Dragon Steed had been born.

Its coat was pure, lustrous black, flawless and smooth, without a single stray hair. Its body was long, powerful, and refined, subtly echoing the White Dragon Steed’s elegant proportions while hinting at something draconic beneath the surface. Yet its overall presence was unmistakably that of the Nightmare King.

Its thick hooves radiated terrifying hardness, wreathed in fierce Hellfire that flickered and hissed as though eager to consume the world. From its forehead rose a spiraling horn, now glowing with seven shifting colors and pulsing with immense, contained energy.

Aside from that radiant horn, it was nearly identical to the Nightmare King itself. Where the Nightmare King’s horn crackled with black lightning, this one shimmered with prismatic power, a clear mark of its transformation.

The Nightmare Dragon Steed moved across the water with smooth, confident strides, each step radiating overwhelming strength and control. When it cried out again, the sound carried the weight of a dragon’s roar, blending ferocity with an undeniable sense of nobility. It was a flawless union of the Nightmare King’s brutality and the Five-Element White Dragon’s regal majesty.

Star Lake remained tranquil, framed by green grass and towering trees. On the glassy surface of the blue water stood Marcus, astride the reddish-purple Violet Thunderwing Steed, facing his creation. Opposite him, the Nightmare Dragon Steed waited calmly, its seven-colored horn gleaming, Hellfire dancing around its hooves.

From a distance, it was a simple scene. One man and two mounts, their reflections wavering gently beneath them. No wind, no sound, no disturbance. It was as though they had become part of the landscape itself.

[Ding! Congratulations to player Stonehaven for obtaining the Super Divine Mount, the Nightmare Dragon Steed. Please name it.]

“Blackie.”

[Ding! Player Stonehaven, your Mount Slot is full. Your Super Divine Mount, the Nightmare Dragon Steed, cannot be placed in the Mount Slot. Would you like to swap mounts or place the Nightmare Dragon Steed in your inventory?]

“Swap to the Nightmare Dragon Steed.”

Marcus mounted Blackie without hesitation, sending the Violet Thunderwing Steed into his inventory. The Mount Slot was too valuable to waste on anything else now. While storing pets carried a one hundred percent drop rate upon death, he knew better than to worry. Anyone capable of killing him in a single blow would need Divine Beast-level strength, and that was nothing more than a fantasy.

’This Mount Slot system is such a pain, he muttered to himself. They’d better fix it in the next update.’

He laughed quietly, excitement bubbling up once more. The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived. This was his first Super Divine Beast, and he could hardly contain his anticipation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep