“Zeno,” Kashi softly repeated the name that held so much history. He only had to look at Rider’s quiet desperation and Skyrm’s determined glare to know how much this meant to the two men. If he could not deliver on his promise, Kashi knew the two would likely obliterate him on the spot.

Fortunately, this was one promise of which Kashi was entirely sure.

The draconian issued a relaxed smile as he faced the two juggernauts. “I’ll take you to her now.” He then paused and looked at Zeing. “I believe you should come too.”

“Me?” Zeing questioned, brows furrowed in confusion.

“You will understand when we get there.” Kashi did not want to waste too much time explaining. Genesis’ deadline loomed in memory. If he did not hurry up, he might get logged out in the middle of the ocean. So, he looked at Skyrm, the fastest of them all, and pleaded, “If you would, please.”

Skyrm nodded and released Rex, who flew into Kashi’s arms before transforming into a 140 meters-long, dirty-gold dragon.

Kashi frowned as he admired the magnificent being. This figure, while still terrifyingly regal, was a far cry from the Divine Dragon’s true form. It was obvious that Skyrm still had a long way to go before he could return to his true power.

Fortunately, this form was more than enough for the current purpose. Kashi, Suzuki, Kira, Lucius, and Zeing hopped onto Skyrm’s spacious back, and then sat against protruding bone spurs several stories tall.

‘What are the coordinates?’

Kashi winced when he heard Skyrm’s booming voice like a thousand pounding drums in his mind.

Fortunately, Kashi expected the intrusion. Still, he had to clutch his head to ease the pain, before replying telepathically. With good reason, Skyrm did not want anyone else knowing the location.

“Hold on tight.” Skyrm warned. BOOM! BOOM! All of Oni Hill trembled as Skyrm gallopped to gain momentum.

“Wait!”

Just before Skyrm spread his wings, a larger, fiery-red scaled dragon swooped down and landed before him. Despite his greater size, Nornesh wasted no time before tucking his wings and lowering his head before the older dragon.

“M-May I join you?” Nornesh meekly requested of Skyrm. Despite being larger, and almost certainly stronger at the moment, the younger Divine Dragon was surprisingly humble.

Skyrm wordlessly observed Nornesh. “I see. You were to be my replacement.”

“Sorry?”

“It is nothing. You may join us. I shall answer your questions after we complete our affairs.”

Nornesh’s eyes widened, brightly shining with delight. “Yes, my Lord!” Then, without hesitation, he shrunk to his humanoid form, and landed on Skyrm’s back. Even if he could keep up with Skyrm’s speed, he thought it disrespectful to lord his larger frame over Skyrm.

Skyrm smirked as he looked at Nornesh. The youngling was overthinking it. Skyrm was too old to hang onto something as useless as pride. Still, he did not say anything as it might have an adverse effect if he told Nornesh to maintain his dragon form. The younger dragon could misconstrue it as Skyrm alienating him.

And so, with all passengers accounted for, Kashi glanced at the remaining five Broken Swords. Cathek wore a teasing smile, starkly contrasting Bert’s deadpan gaze. Fladnag was murmuring unknown nonsense under his breath as he observed the draconian, leaving Niye and the Holy Mother with complicated gazes, as if they were unsure how to react to Kashi.

Kashi bitterly smiled. Razznik had left him one hell of a present. The Chaos God made sure to name him as his stand-in debtor. So, Kashi had to make things right with all five. The most annoying part was that Kashi did not even have the option to escape. He needed to revive Yggdrasil, so he had to gain their approval. There was no avoidance.

Fortunately, the draconian never banked on shirking the responsibility. “I will find you.”

That was it. No more words were needed. Kashi patted Skyrm’s back, and the Divine Dragon leaped into the air in a gust of tumultuous wind.

Kashi looked back at the rapidly shrinking Drakase island as Skyrm climbed further into the sky. From up there, it all looked so small. Even though it had only been a few hours, for some reason it felt like he had spent an entire year on that island.

‘Mrawr’ Rex squirmed against Kashi’s chest as sharp winds began buffeting the group.

“Relax,” Kashi assured the scared dragon. “Nothing bad’ll happen with your granddad here.”

Just as Kashi spoke, mana surged from Skyrm’s back, enveloping everyone within. Clumps of mana formed a translucent dome on the Divine Dragon’s back. The draconian’s wildly fluttering hair immediately settled as the dome blocked off most of the incoming air.

Kashi chuckled as he patted the little dragon. “Pay attention. As a Dragoon’s dragon, this is just one of the many skills you’ll need to learn if don’t want your dragoon dying from asphyxiation or g-forces… not that you know what the latter is.”

Rex squirmed a little, but then, as if realizing the importance of Kashi’s warning, peeled its eyes on the Skyrm’s enormous head. The little dragon etched the magnificent scene into memory, vowing to one day reach the same heights, and even surpass it.

Brackt! Numerous sound barriers shattered as Skyrm rapidly accelerated through the clouds, the Divine Dragon’s immense urgency tempered only by the fear that the humes on his back could not handle its fastest acceleration.

Even with the dome protecting them, Kashi, Suzuki and Kira had to hunker down, eyes shut as they desperately fought off immense nausea. If it were not for their powerful bodies, they would have thrown up every thing they ate for the last year.

Fortunately, or not, the trip did not last long due to Skyrm’s speed. Barely half an hour after they started flying, Skyrm finally began descending from the skies.

“Wow, it sure has changed a lot from back then.” Kashi muttered in amazement as an island came into view on the horizon.

No, that was not quite right. This was an island in the same way that Japan was technically an island. The landmass was massive, almost similar to the size of a country. This was just one of many such islands on the huge planet.

“I still don’t understand how the hell they pulled it off.” Suzuki murmured with furrowed brows as they neared the distant shoreline. “Is there enough space in the world to fit a database this large?”

Kashi’s brows furrowed as he pondered this problem. This was not the first time Suzuki questioned Genaco’s capabilities. 99.99% of King’s Journey and Live No Evil’s players had no clue just how massively detailed these game worlds were. Aside from the fact that the planets in this world were just as, if not bigger than earth, they also had several, well-populated continents rivalling the population in Earth’s Middle Ages.

One could only imagine how large the ‘server room’ for Live No Evil must be to accommodate the trillions worth of bytes necessary for it to function.

“Well, in the end it’s none of our business.”

“True.” Suzuki readily agreed. However Genaco accomplished this feat did not change what he had to do. The daeben then looked at the distant sky, which had gone dark at some point. The clouds suddenly began spinning clockwise, kicking up terrible winds a lightining portended an ominous fate. “Oh. I see that hasn’t changed either,” muttered Suzuki as he admired the view.

“You know what that is?” questioned Lucius with a frown.

“Mm. It’s a Dimension Break,” Kashi explained. “Back then, it led to a demonic subspace filled with all kinds of monsters and demons. Razznik led the Giants to settle on this island so they could satisfy their urge for endless battle, and free the continent from their tyranny.” Kashi chuckled as he glanced at Suzuki. “Though Razznik will never admit it, he went through the trouble of finding this location just so he would not have to eliminate the entire Giant race.”

‘Mm. He was a man of honor.’ Skyrm’s thought reverberated in his passengers’ minds.

Kashi winced as his lips curled in a grim smile. He lightly patted his skull to ease the throbbing pain, but then paused when he spotted several lights shooting towards the sky vortex. The draconian’s lips parted, revealing an interested grin. “Looks like it has begun.”

Indeed, just as Kashi said, the group spotted hundreds of silhouettes shrouded in powerful aura charging towards the sky. Meanwhile, several monsters let out shrill cries as he burst out of the vortex, each more grotesque than the last. Some beasts had two heads, others resembled pulsing, rotten flesh with several mouths, and there was one which was just ten giant hands sewn together. The hands spun in place like a helicopter, the harsh winds released sharp enough to rip steel!

Kashi turned from the monsters to observe the charging silhouettes. As Skyrm got closer, the figures became clearer. Standing at an average height of nine-ten feet, sporting pale blue skin, the giants were an aesthetically beautiful race. Aside from their unique height and skin color, they largely resembled humans.

Despite their beauty, the giants were a ferociously combative race. This was obvious in the fully armored, grinning soldiers charging towards the maelstrom above. Both men and women’s eyes burned with fervor as he raised spears, swords and more, screaming war chants that reached Kashi all those miles away.

“Assuming nothing has changed too much, this will last the whole day.” Kashi frowned as he looked at the vortex. “I hate to spoil a festival, but we cannot afford to wait.” He turned to look at Zeing. “If you don’t mind, could you destroy that vortex? A powerful enough punch should do the trick.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Why must we destroy it?”

“We must speak with their current ruler to access Zeno’s cave. But, see that shiny dude at the front of the pack?” Kashi said, pointing at an ostensibly gaudy giant decked in gold armor. “The giant’s ruler always leads their conquests. He will not stop until the vortex closes or he dies. Besides, it’ll show off your power, and make things quicker.”

“Hmm, alright.” Zeing muttered as he stood up and balanced on Skyrm’s back. The dwarf champion was quite straightforward. If it was a problem that could be solved with his fist, why would he think too hard about it?

Zeing tightened his fist into a deliberate grip, and then fixed a cold glare at the vortex and the surrounding monsters. “One punch.” The dwarf clenched his fists a few times as he muttered, “No. Let’s make it a quarter of a punch.”

Having made up his mind, Zeing raised his left hand, using it as a guage, and then…

And then nothing…

“What in the—” Kashi swallowed hard as he looked at the black curtain above.

Forget the vortex. There wasn’t even a sky overhead!

Zeing’s casual blow had eliminated everything ahead of them on an atomic level. Even the particles that caught the sun’s rays were obliterated, giving them a momentary clear view of the distant stars.

Fortunately, the strange phenomenon lasted for less than a tenth of a second. Only people with extraordinary senses like Kashi’s group noticed what happened before air rushed surrounding clouds into the vacuum, returning normalcy to the sky.

“Deh Krung NAI!” The gaudy giant let out a sharp cry as he unceremoniously dropped his weapon. Even as he was coated in sweat, his performance was at least a little better than several giants who nearly ran mad with fright! Some even forgot how to fly and began plummeting to their deaths. Without help, they would surely perish.

“Ah. It would seem I overdid it.” Zeing sheepishly scratched the back of his head, and then leaped off Skyrm’s back. The dwarf champion shattered even more sound barriers as he accelerated to the falling giant. “Alright. Alright, do not fret. I have you.” Zeing chuckled as he caught several warriors and took them to the ground.

The Giant Ruler’s eyes trembled with fright, embarrassment and anger as he watched the stranger save his people.

The Ruler wanted to shout at his soldiers to regain their pride, but no sooner had he opened his mouth when a gigantic scale wall appeared before him in the blink of an eye. No. Wait, that was not a scale wall. He backed off a little, and was greeted by a gigantic head twice as tall as him.

“Deh-Deh-Deh…” The giant spluttered in shock. He summoned strength from his many decades of military training to barely prevent from shitting himself.

Before the giant could muster a word, a daeben appeared atop the dragon’s head.

Suzuki’s gaze narrowed as he looked at the giant’s terrified demeanor. A part of him wanted to judge the man’s fear, but even he felt that might be a bit too harsh. If Skyrm came alone, the giant’s fear might not have been so pronounced, but something that could clear out a portion of the sky? If anything, Suzuki should praise the ruler for not running away.

Either way, this was not a social visit, so Suzuki did not have time to shoot the breeze. He immediately recalled the agreed password. “Dehrunger Danier Noon.”

The giant’s eyes suddenly flashed wide in shock. “You—You come from the mainland?”

“Yes. I am here for the crystal.”

“Dehkrung! My ancestors spoke of this day. I never believed it would truly come in my lifetime.” The ruler displayed his superior upbringing as he immediately calmed down after realizing that Suzuki, and by extension, that apocalyptic power were not hostile. “Please, come. You must have travelled far. We shall bring the finest wines and meat for you.”

“No.” Suzuki shook his head. “Just take us to the crystal. I am on a deadline.”

The ruler relaxed even further. The crystal meant nothing to their clan. If he could use it to gain this powerhouse’s favor, that would be best for their development. “This way, my lord.”

Suzuki’s brows furrowed in disgust. He was nobody’s lord. The daeben quickly retreated, and Kashi took his place.

“Forgive my brother,” Kashi said, soothing the giant’s worries. “He’s a bit mental. Just take us to the crystal.”

“A-alright.”

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“Kang Konglu, son of Jiang Konglu.”

“Good, Konglu-san. We’ll follow your lead.”

Skyrm transmogrified to his humanoid form, greatly reducing the terror level, and also exposing Nornesh and Lucius.

Kang’s expression sunk even further as he attempted to sense their auras. Unlike Kashi and Suzuki, whom he felt he could crush with ease, these three felt like bottomless abysses of terror. Especially the pale man with different colored irises. That one felt like death incarnate.

Kang shook his head to clear off unnecessary thoughts. He would keep their interactions to a minimum. That way, his people should not stumble onto any accidents that would cause extinction. Instead, he waved off some concerned giants, then turned around and quickly flew west.

Kashi sprouted wings and followed, while Nornesh pulled Suzuki along with telekinesis as they sped after the giant.

“Beautiful.” As they flew, Kashi admired the few pockets of civilizations scattered across the island. The giants, while not as artistically inclined as most humes, built amazing structures from heavy stone. However, most residential buildings were simple modular blocks, presumably to allow easy rebuilding after every vortex incident.

Unfortunately, sight-seeing came to a quick close as Kang stopped above a valley.

Hundreds of giants stood guard around a grassy field which had a circular stone slab at its center. Murals of a crystal surrounded by dragons adorned the slab, telling tale only few would know.

“The giants have guarded this crystal for a thousand years.” Kang wistfully muttered as he observed the slab. “To think this mission would end in my lifetime.”

Kashi glanced at the slab, and then at the giant ruler. “Your people did a magnificent job. If there’s something we can do for you in return, do not hesitate to ask.” He smirked as he pointed at Lucius and Skyrm. “These two especially are extremely rich. In a few minutes they might be willing to give you the world from joy. Do not squander the opportunity.”

“What?”

“Guys, you’re up,” Kashi said as he pointed at Lucius and Skyrm. “Drop a tiny bit of your essence blood onto the slab. You don’t have to make it a lot. It’s more of an identity check than anyth—Hey!”

Kashi did not even get to finish his sentence before Lucius dashed past him and appeared over the slab. The hybrid stabbed his hand into his chest and tore out his heart before crushing it with everything he had.

The shattered heart exploded, sending blood splattering all over the slab. Lucius, meanwhile grew faint as a new heart began growing in his chest. He stumbled, nearly falling over, but a strong hand gripped his shoulder, forcing him to stand.

The faint vampire looked up to see Skyrm glaring at him.

“Do you wish my daughter’s first sight to be such a ghastly scene?” Skyrm growled. “Fix yourself. You avenged her death, and helped facilitate her rebirth. That is atonement enough.” The aged dragon waited until Lucius looked stronger, then pricked his finger with a nail, and let a drop of golden blood drop onto the platform.

Gruuuu~

Even though he already knew what to expect, Kashi still groaned in disappointment when the slab split into two, and slid in opposite directions without any fanfare. “You know, I’m just saying, but Razznik really does not understand the beauty of a dramatic reveal.”

While Kashi complained to no one, a gigantic purple crystal rose from the chasm until it towered over fifteen meters tall. Strangely, the crystal was completely opaque and was not releasing any hints of mana.

Skyrm and Lucius frowned, but Kashi released a sigh of relief at the sight.

“Oh, thank God. Everything went as planned.” Kashi patted his chest, and then looked at Lucius. “Well, what are you waiting for? Only true love’s kiss than shatter the crystal.”

Lucius’ brows furrowed in a disbelieving frown. “Are you joking?”

“Does this look like a situation for jokes?”

Lucius brows furrowed even deeper. “Razznik is not the type to put that kind of requirement.”

Kashi shrugged. “Anyone can steal your essence blood. But no one else has true love’s kiss. It was the perfect safety feature at the time.”

Lucius’ brows knitted even further, but upon looking at the crystal, his heart hardened. He had come this far, and she was within reach. Would he back off just because of embarrassment?

Not a chance!

The hybrid strengthened his resolve and approached the crystal. He softly caressed it, and then leaned forward for a kiss…

“Bastard.”

BOOM!

‎ The crystal suddenly shattered just before Lucius’ lips touched it. Just as the hybrid was wondering why Kashi would say Bastard, and why that would be the keyword, he felt flaming breath on his neck.

Lucius trembled as he looked up into the most gorgeous purple eyes he had ever seen. The breathtakingly beautiful woman standing within the crystal’s remains smiled as she met Lucius’s awestruck gaze.

“Bastard.”

“What?” Lucius shook, unsure he heard correctly. But, Zeno’s next actions made it extremely clear.

Pa! The ancient Purple Dragon grabbed Lucius’s throat, and, before he could react, lifted him off his feet and smashed him against the ground.

BAM!

Several giants fell to the ground from the resulting earthquake as a ten-meter wide crater formed from impact.

The awakened Zeno was far from done though. “BASTARD!” She shrieked, this time in clear fury as she kicked Lucius like a football, sending him flying over the treelines into the horizon.

The purple dragon shot out of the pit, chasing after her ex-lover turned punching bag, causing a stunned Nornesh and Skyrm to chase after her.

In all the commotion, no one noticed Suzuki take out two gold coins and hold it up in the air. A familiar gloved hand appeared and snatched the coins, leaving Kashi laughing at his brother’s sour expression.