A burst of golden light exploded around Marshmallow, engulfing him in a blinding radiance. Then, an intense heat spread through his body, starting from the center of his chest and radiating out to his head and limbs. It felt like every cell in his body was being fused with the essence of the Dragon Emperor.

Fusion with Primordial Dragon Armor in progress...

[10%]

[30%]

[50%]

[70%]

[90%]

[100%]

Fusion complete!

When the light dissipated, Marshmallow stood motionless for a few moments. He looked at his arms, legs, and chest - this new armor covered him completely, leaving only his head exposed. His body was encased in golden armor that seemed to be made of solid light. Wearing this thing, Marshmallow now felt like a character in a fantasy video game who had just reached the endgame.

In a way, that's not far from the truth. I don't know whether to feel cool or ridiculous.

But in reality, it didn't matter much. Such a magical armor had to be incredibly rare, perhaps unique in the entire Survivor Game. The Dragon Emperor must have been the most powerful boss of all after Balor and Serthar, and now he had his power. It was while he was pondering this that a deep, gravelly voice resonated in his mind.

"Are you truly ready for the power you've claimed, human?"

That was the voice of the late Dragon Emperor. A last remnant of him was manifesting through the armor. Marshmallow didn't bat an eye.

"Not only am I ready for this power, but I demand it," Marshmallow stated firmly. "I've got a mission to complete, and your power will help me do it."

The voice remained silent for a moment, as if evaluating his response. Then, with a tone of approval, it said, "So be it, then. Now I am you, and you are me. I may have been defeated, but I'll continue to live in this armor. I don't know if what you spoke of is true or not. Whether I exist or not, now my skin will also be your skin, human. Use the power you've been granted wisely."

Suddenly, a screen appeared before Marshmallow's eyes.

All stats have been doubled thanks to the Primordial Dragon Armor

"Unbelievable!" Marshmallow exclaimed with a smile of joy lighting up his face. He couldn't believe it. Before, he was wearing common armor without any bonuses, the one he'd been made to wear in the Overblown Castle. Now, with doubled stats, he felt beyond godly. And it wasn't wrong to say so. With this power, he would defeat Serthar again in a few minutes, with minimal effort.

His body and mind had surpassed the imaginable. Especially his Strength had values that made him shudder just reading them. This was because now the bonuses from the Primordial Dragon Armor and the Supernova Titan Hammer were multiplying each other. As for Strength, his hammer tripled it, while his armor doubled it. His Strength was now 6 times higher than normal.

I scare myself...

He carefully observed his new armor. It was shimmering and golden, with intricate draconic patterns intertwining on the shoulders and chest. It was a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship, and Marshmallow felt the armor alive on him.

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At that moment, he felt invincible, as if nothing could stop him anymore. Now he had to test his new powers, but how? His gaze fell on the carcass of the elder dragon he had killed earlier.

Let's see what happens if I do this.

With a simple upward gesture of his hand, the elder dragon's carcass trembled, then rose. The flesh reassembled into ten new parts, and ten new pairs of eyes relit with a spectral light. Thus formed a host of ten new Undead Dragons, all ready to serve Marshmallow and receive orders.

Marshmallow watched the process in wonder. "This is incredible!" he exclaimed, still amazed by his own power. Before, he could only create two or three at a time. His new power was truly beyond imagination. Now he needed an order, something to test their power.

"Flush out every dragon left in Dragon Valley. Kill them and bring me their fangs," he ordered the Undead Dragons without wasting time.

The Undead Dragons took to the air with a terrifying roar, while the skeletons continued their work of collecting fangs from the carcasses already present. Marshmallow watched his dragons fly away, feeling like a general who had just given the decisive order to win a war.

Now what do I do?

With his servants at work, Marshmallow had nothing left to do. Initially, he wanted to lend a hand, but at this point, it was worth taking a moment to rest. He found a comfortable spot among the rocks in the shade and lay down, closing his eyes. The distant sound of roars, screams of terror, and cries of despair lulled him into a light sleep.

When he awoke, the sun was slowly fading on the horizon. It must have been about an hour since he'd gone to rest, because before he went to sleep, the sun was high in the sky but setting. He stretched, feeling invigorated and full of energy, and looking around, he saw that his servants had done an excellent job. Dragon Valley was in sepulchral silence, broken only by the sound of death.

Marshmallow had previously sensed the draconic presence, but now, the dragon lineage had been brutally wiped out. Looking around, there was no trace of a single dragon left. Only corpses lay lifeless, bearing witness to death and destruction.

Well, I'm honestly sorry for them, but I really needed these dragon fangs.

One of the Undead Dragons approached him. On its back was a protrusion that served as a sack, and inside Marshmallow saw hundreds and hundreds of dragon fangs arranged quite neatly.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, unable to contain his enthusiasm. Now that he had obtained what he was looking for, Marshmallow began to reflect on the next steps to take. He knew that the Dragon Goat was taking care of Eldrin, so he didn't have to worry about that. What mattered most to him at that moment was to find out what had happened to his last surviving companions.

"The flame amulet can wait," he said to himself. "First, I need to make sure my allies will be of help for the final battle. And most importantly, I need to find out who they are!"

Marshmallow knew where they were. Thanks to Sage Ezechiel's ability, he sensed his last 3 companions in the Ruins of Aeterna. That would be his next destination.

"You nine dragons, you'll head to Ashenwood. We don't have time to waste, and if any Novgovian attacks you, I'd sense it in advance and come to your rescue. Go!"

Then nine of his dragons, including the one with the sack, took to the air and headed for Ashenwood. Subsequently, Marshmallow erased the existence of his skeletons and mounted the only remaining Undead Dragon. "To the Ruins of Aeterna," he ordered. The Undead Dragon spread its wings and took flight, heading towards the destination.

As they flew, the landscape below them changed dramatically. The rugged mountains of Dragon Valley gave way to a vast grassy mantle. At that moment, Marshmallow lost himself in his thoughts.

"BloodLust, when he arrived at the Overblown Castle, massacred everyone," he mused. "How did these three manage to save themselves?"

As Marshmallow approached the Ruins of Aeterna by air, his eyes fell on a panorama that stretched for miles, with ancient broken columns and white marble walls emerging from a sea of tall grass and thorny bushes.

Marshmallow landed his Undead Dragon at the edge of the ruins. He didn't want to scare his companions by arriving on such a terrifying creature. He dismounted and walked among the ancient structures, and as he advanced cautiously, his acute senses perceived every slight movement and sound. From at least a kilometer away, thanks to his superior Perception, he saw them. Lynx, Raven, and Parabellum. They seemed to be arguing in front of a temple.

Marshmallow, seeing them, was filled with joy! Raven was alive! He would never have guessed. But how was he alive? He thought BloodLust would have killed him before anyone else. Then there was Lynx too, seeing her alive warmed his heart. The only one to dampen his happiness was Parabellum, but at that moment, his presence was still a sign of hope.

He stopped behind a broken column, observing them with joy.

"If they survived, they must have been strong enough to resist BloodLust's attack," he said proudly. "Or maybe they managed to escape somehow? And then why are they here, in these ruins?"