CHAPTER 177 – NEXUS DRAGON
LYSANDER FARADEISS
I have witnessed countless Vesryn Pulse activations, both genuine and synthetic. Typically, the light from a Vesryn Pulse is a radiant gold, whereas the artificial ones—those conjured by the bell towers—emit a menacing crimson glow. But here, at the heart of humanity’s Final Sanctuary, I beheld a Vesryn Pulse unlike any other. Its light was a piercing bluish white, cutting through the darkness like a blade of pure energy.
Following the Vesryn Pulse activation, I found myself face-to-face with my ultimate adversary: Arthurius Elkyria Neos, the King of Humanity’s Wickedness. He sat regally on his throne, encased by the formidable crown of a massive thirty-meter-tall dragon. This beast, with its bluish-white scales and obsidian eyes, appeared at first to be a Pure Dragon, but I knew better. The dragon was unlike any other—a unique creation brought forth by the Artificial Vesryn Pulse.
“Isn’t that the Dragon Queen Xenon was talking about?” I thought aloud, my voice barely above a whisper.
Arthur’s smile was as cold as ice as he held up an artificial heart brimming with intricate apparatus and whirring metal gears. “Behold, Lysander!” he proclaimed with a sinister delight. “This is the most formidable royalty of the dragonoids—the Nexus Dragon!”
The Nexus Dragon’s mouth opened wide, revealing saber-like teeth as it unleashed a roar that shattered the air. The sonic boom was deafening, sending shockwaves through the atmosphere that toppled my undead soldiers, scattering them like leaves in a storm.
“This is my ultimate trump card, you fool of a Foreign God reincarnation!” Arthur laughed, his voice a triumphant echo in the aftermath of the dragon’s roar.
But Arthur’s gloating was not the victory he thought it to be. His Archonlight had finally dimmed, the glowing circuits on his right arm now dark and lifeless. With the eradication of all humans from this world, only he remained—alone in his misguided triumph. I had succeeded in drawing out his final card, and now, it was time to make my move.
My goal lay just before my eyes, tantalizingly close, yet an ominous dread crept over me as I faced the terrifying reality that my enemy was a Nexus Dragon.
Nexus Dragons are the true descendants of Exceria and the First Trailblazer Dragon. These magnificent beasts possess the royal blood of dragons, making them the most powerful of their kind, save for Exceria herself. To achieve victory, I would need to defeat this enemy in a single, decisive strike.
“Necroblaze Accel!” I chanted telepathically, igniting dark flames from my wings. The magical fire roared to life, propelling me forward with blinding speed as I prepared to unleash a devastating nuclear flame breath up close.
Arthur stood unfazed, raising the artificial heart high. “Forge into the ultimate knight, oh Queen of Dragons!” he commanded. The heart blazed with a blinding bluish-white light.
In an instant, the Nexus Dragon transformed. Steel armor manifested over its body like an iron skin, and its wings reshaped into formidable shields. Its claws formed a colossal buster sword, crackling with golden energy. Before me now stood the fearsome Nexus Saber Dragon.
With a swift, powerful slash, the Nexus Saber Dragon cut through the air, its sword igniting the very wind with searing heat. The strike was precise, merciless, and unstoppable. I felt an intense pain as the burning blade sliced through my right shoulder, severing my wing from my dragon form.
Black blood erupted from the wound as I spiraled downward, crashing into the remnants of the ruined city below.
“Gah…” I groaned, my voice a pained whisper as my head hit the ground, the world spinning around me.
I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. Even with nothing more than an artificial heart to conjure a synthetic Vesryn Pulse, Arthur had managed to unlock the ultimate properties of the Nexus Dragon. How could he achieve such mastery over the beast?
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“You are a fool for turning against me, Foreign God,” Arthur laughed, a chilling sound echoing through the chaos. “It’s not just the Archonlight that I possess. All of humanity’s aspirations, hopes, and inventions are mine to use. I may be just a powerless human, but I am the embodiment of them all.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine. “Just what the hell did you do to that poor Dragon Queen?” I roared, my voice fueled by anger and disbelief.
Arthur’s eyes glinted with a twisted pride. “She was not a Dragon Queen when I found her. She was a pure human, just like you and me,” he said, his tone dripping with malice. “But with the technology of the empire’s Dragon Splicer, I merged her with her dragonoid friend. Then, I used the Psychic Dominator technology from Elysia to bend her to my will. Perfect, isn’t it?”
“You’re really sick in the head, you know that, Arthur!?” I shouted, my outrage palpable.
Arthur ignored my insult, his smile widening as he raised the artificial heart once more, the twisted source of his power. “Now, forge into the ultimate sniper, oh Queen of Dragons!” he commanded with a cruel triumph.
In an instant, the Nexus Dragon’s armor shifted seamlessly, the metallic plates morphing into something more flexible, like tough leather. Its right arm elongated, transforming into a massive wing that reshaped into a powerful bow. It had successfully transitioned into the fearsome Nexus Archer Dragon.
The air crackled with energy as the Nexus Archer Dragon drew back the string of its winged bow, charging an arrow of pure light. The radiant projectile shimmered ominously before it was unleashed, a streaking bolt of deadly brilliance aimed straight at me.
I kicked off the ground, desperate to evade the first shot as the arrow of light whistled past me, narrowly missing. But as the Nexus Archer Dragon fired a second arrow, my heart sank. Without my wing to propel me backward, evasion was impossible. Thinking quickly, I channeled my power, activating my Eye of Necross to charge a laser beam, meeting the incoming arrow head-on.
The beam and arrow collided mid-air, creating a blinding explosion that rocked the battlefield. Smoke and debris filled the air, but the assault was far from over. The Nexus Archer Dragon was relentless, firing arrow after arrow into the shrouded chaos.
“Necroblaze Trampoline!” I telepathically chanted, summoning a massive trampoline of dark energy behind me. With a powerful leap, I launched myself forward at blinding speed, flames trailing from my wings. Charging my right claw with bluish nuclear fire, I roared, “Raaaaah!”
Arthur, ever calculating, raised the artificial heart once more. “Forge into the impenetrable armor!” he commanded. The Nexus Dragon’s form shifted, its armor morphing into an impenetrable layer of adamantine scales. The shoulders, arms, and torso were now covered in a lattice of hexagonal diamonds, transforming it into the Nexus Shielder Dragon.
I slashed at the Nexus Shielder Dragon’s torso, my claws burning with nuclear energy. The impact triggered a massive explosion, a nuclear blast radiating outward with destructive force. I hoped that even if my claws couldn’t pierce the dragon’s armor, the sheer power of the blast would be enough to disintegrate Arthur, perched atop its head.
It was a bold plan, but it failed spectacularly.
As the mushroom cloud dissipated, the battlefield came into view, revealing the Nexus Shielder Dragon and Arthur unharmed, the pristine armor glinting mockingly in the light. Arthur stood tall, his right arm glowing with the eerie radiance of Archonlight, a smirk curling his lips.
“N-No way! How are you still alive?” I asked telepathically, disbelief and frustration surging through me.
“You fool, Lysander,” Arthur sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. “I told you already! The Dragonoid Queen is a human. As long as the Nexus Dragon lives, so do I!” His laughter rang out, a taunting echo in the ruined city.
Realizing that words would only delay the inevitable, I decided to act swiftly. I needed to eliminate the Nexus Dragon before I could end the reign of the King of Humanity. I crouched, muscles coiling, ready to launch myself at the Nexus Armor Dragon. But just as I prepared to strike, the dragon’s obsidian eyes flared with a menacing light.
“Artificial Dracaryx. Activate Imanity Empyrios Quinella,” Arthur intoned, his voice calm yet commanding.
Suddenly, a massive golden castle wall erupted from the ground, encircling the entire city. The walls were adorned with statues of humans, and beneath my feet, the ground transformed into an opulent red carpet. This reality-altering magic twisted the very fabric of our surroundings, rewriting the laws of this pocket universe with astonishing speed.
In an instant, my Necroblaze Dragon form dissipated, leaving me standing as a mere human once more. I gazed upward, dwarfed by the towering Nexus Dragon and the omnipotent figure of Arthur, who loomed above, his expression a mix of triumph and disdain.
Arthur glared down at me, his eyes filled with contempt. “Imanity Empyrios Quinella—the fallen empire of Humanity. This is a Dracaryx allowed only to the King of Humanity. Within these walls, all magic and technology are nullified, except for the caster. You are no match for me, Lysander.”