I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 621

A sharp roar laced with chaotic waves erupted. It was a sound that would plunge most living things into terror, but it did not affect the dragons.

Boom, boom, boom—

However, Ian didn’t slow. He didn’t even glance up. His only goal was to draw the Heaven Defier’s attention, to stop it from driving that second stake into Archeas.

—So eager to die first, are you?

The taunt had clearly worked. The Heaven Defier let out a low chuckle as it looked down on Ian, who was casting Blood Blade even as he ran.

—Yes... chewing you alive to honor the souls of my apostles might not be a bad idea.

—Your opponent is me, Rakhmah!

The Platinum Dragon glared and spat, looking up at its foe.

It usually understands my intention, so what's with this?

Ian clicked his tongue internally and fired the completed blades. He aimed for the back of the Heaven Defier's hand again. With the skin already torn and bleeding, it was guaranteed to be an irritation.

Crackle, boom!

The red streak embedded in its hand sent blood spraying, but the Heaven Defier didn't turn.

Just as Ian’s slitted eyes contorted, the Heaven Defier whispered, amusement lacing its tone.

—Watch your Agent's final moments from there, Archeas.

Ian's eyes snapped back to normal. The Platinum Dragon's reaction had clearly just strengthened the Heaven Defier’s resolve to deal with him first. Archeas’s eyes, in turn, burned.

—Rakhmah!

However, the Heaven Defier was no longer looking. It pulled its wingtip off the pinned dragon and turned away.

—Come back! I am not dead yet!

Archeas shouted, struggling, gripping the stake piercing its chest. The stake merely trembled, refusing to come out.

Without a glance, Rakhmah retreated, turned toward Ian, and slammed the stake down.

Woosh—

A torrent of blue fire erupted along the weapon’s arc, scything through the air in a diagonal wave. At almost the same instant, Ian kicked powerfully off the ground.

Thud!

He bulged for a moment, then shot upward like a cannonball. He soared a dozen meters in an instant. Tentacles erupted from his back, fanning out like wings. The tips of the tentacles bristled with jagged, beak-like teeth.

Fwoosh—

A wave of azure flame swept past beneath him. For a moment, a sea of blue fire unfolded. The sheer heat made him sizzle, but he paid the flames no mind.

His gaze was fixed on the Heaven Defier, which was bent over from its attack. The instant the arc of fire passed, he thrust his wing-like tentacles backward.

Swoosh!

He shot forward like an arrow. He held the clutched dragon bone high and back, leading with his bent left shoulder. Just then, the Heaven Defier wrapped one wing around itself.

Crunch!

Ian slammed into its center. The middle of the leathery wing caved in, venting scorching heat. The wing was searing, but Ian felt almost no heat or impact. This wasn't just because of the artifacts he wore.

Crackle—

His violet skin had hardened, no longer flesh but a thorny exoskeleton. It was the Subterranean Carapace, a result of absorbing chaos from Yanar Tash, the archdemon of the desert.

—Your courage in casting off your shackles is commendable.

Rakhmah's voice came from beyond the wing, casual and untouched by pain.

—Yet, for all that, you remain pitifully weak.

The words had barely ended when the wing tensed. It was clearly about to swing it wide and hurl Ian away.

Whoosh—

But as the Heaven Defier’s wings traced a broad arc through the air, Ian was already shooting upward, an arrow streaking toward its back.

Behind him, long tentacles trailed and fluttered wildly. They had latched onto the dragon’s wing, then flung him skyward like a slingshot.

A vortex of hot wind and blue flames blasted from the wingbeat. Fortunately, Ian wasn't caught in the downdraft.

As he arced through the air, the Heaven Defier’s crowned head came into view. Its eyes turned toward him, and its gaze swept downward.

I jumped a little high.

He took in the long collarbones and the smooth, dark, scaleless hide. Below that were the mutated foreleg and the relatively unchanged torso. Ian's gaze finally locked onto the target far below: the hole, blazing with blue fire.

—It looks big enough for us to get inside.

Yog whispered. Even in its fused state, the creature’s instincts and insights merged seamlessly with his. And as always, it was right. The opening was where Ian needed to go.

—At least you’re quick...

The Heaven Defier’s voice trickled into his mind, slowed. Its consciousness was clearly accelerated, too, just not as much as Ian's.

Boom, boom, boom—

Out of the corner of his vision, Ian saw the Heaven Defier’s massive right arm rising. However, even that motion couldn’t match the speed of his descent.

"-----!"

Ian unleashed a sharp roar, raising his right arm high. He bared his double row of teeth and thick forked tongue. Violet chaos crackled over the charred rib bone he held aloft. His tentacles shot out diagonally, accelerating his descent.

Ian gripped the bone with both hands and swung down. He had chosen a smaller piece, but the dragon bone was still taller than his demonized form. He felt no awkwardness, however. He had been swinging greatswords just as large for a long time.

Crunch, boom!

The violet arc slammed onto the Heaven Defier's collarbone. Infused with chaos, the charred bone didn't break. It tore through the creature's hide like a true sword, descending. Blue and violet sparks flew from the gash.

However, it didn't last.

Crackle—

The bone split apart, fragments scattering through the air. Somewhere near the right ribs, the weapon gave way completely. As his body bent forward, the tentacles on his back shot out.

Crack, crunch!

The tentacles dug into the Heaven Defier's hide, anchored by the claw-like teeth at their tips, Abyssal Fangs. It was a new ability gained from the chaos of Bukikia, the archdemon of the sea.

Crackle!

Even as they slid, raking the hide, the tentacles pulled Ian closer. Still gripping the bone fragment, Ian pressed himself against the creature. The fangs weren't just for support. They were devouring bits of flesh and chaos power, transporting it all back to him.

Of course, Ian paid no attention to that process.

There it is!

He dug in his claws and talons, sliding down the creature as if it were a cliff. He looked down. The hole below the sternum, pulsing with blue heat, was getting closer.

—Hmm.

A low sound, perhaps of admiration, came from the creature. He slid down the rough hide, his pace decreasing, a process he couldn't control.

—Then let’s see you dodge this.

At the voice, Ian finally looked up. He realized the Heaven Defier had been tracking him the entire time. It had tilted its head slightly and was staring right at him with one eye.

Shit.

That eye was blazing dreadfully. Beyond the fading embers, blue flames flared.

—That's bad. Let's bounce, Friend.

Yog whispered. The tentacles instantly shot out, pushing Ian’s body away. It was clearly Yog's command.

Fwoosh!

Just as he flung backward, brilliant blue flames surged over the Heaven Defier’s form. Heat and flames filled his vision. He instinctively crossed his arms in front of his face, warned by his intuition.

Kwoosh—

The next moment, the flames on the Heaven Defier's torso exploded outward in a shockwave. It engulfed Ian completely and hurled him even higher into the sky.

Hot! Damn it!

Ian's face twisted. Every inch of his body felt like it was boiling from the inside out. The azure flame had seared through the chaos that made up his flesh, but even as it burned, it faded. He didn't feel a mortal threat yet, but it wasn't over.

Fwoosh!

A streak of blue fire cut through the air, chasing him down like a comet. The Heaven Defier had swung its stake.

—This one I can’t dodge.

At Yog’s whisper, Ian curled his tentacles tight like a bud and shielded himself. His entire form, tentacles and all, instantly hardened and bristled with thorns. It was a tactic learned from fighting Bukikia. The blazing blue trail washed over him immediately after.

Boom, boom, boom!

Sent flying and swept away, Ian smashed into a pile of bones as a blue fireball. Dragon bones scattered and slammed into him, collapsing over.

—Ian!

Archeas’s desperate cry rang out. Ian, however, was neither dead nor unconscious.

I feel like a bowling ball.

He retracted his tentacles and burst upward, throwing off the bones that had buried him.

Shwaaaaa—

Smoke and heat swirled around him as he planted both feet firmly on the ground. Beyond the hollowed mound of bones, the Heaven Defier hung its stake down. He was right back where he had started his first charge.

Crakle...

The tentacles that had spread outward found a suitably sized rib bone and coiled around it.

—I think that's a trap, not a weak point.

Yog whispered.

Yeah, no kidding.

He stared at the gash he'd left on the Heaven Defier's torso. It hadn't cut through the muscle, let alone bone. He hadn't even gotten close to the hole. And in the attempt, he had consumed an enormous amount of chaos.

—You’ll have maybe two chances left. After that, you won’t be able to hold the fusion.

As Yog added that, Rakhmah’s low laughter rolled out.

—I thought you would charge right back. Not that reckless, it seems.

Full of confidence, aren’t you, brat?

Ian’s split tongue flicked across his fangs. Then he extended one arm to the side, and the tentacles delivered the newly claimed bone into his grasp.

—Stop!

Archeas’s roar rang out. Ian paused, his gaze shifting to the right.

—Fall back, Ian! You will die!

The impaled dragon looked at him, its ferocious appearance completely at odds with its pitiful gaze. One corner of Ian's slit mouth curled higher.

I'd like to, but...

Rakhmah's laugh followed.

—How very moving. Yes... fine. I shall give you one more chance, Agent of the Platinum Dragon.

Its blazing eyes shimmered ominously.

—Serve me now. I will help you hide that true form, and I will spare your master's life.

—Do not... speak such lies!

Archeas snarled, baring its teeth. It thrashed, trying to free itself from the stake. The Heaven Defier ignored it. So did Ian.

What a shameless, conscienceless bastard.

Ian stifled a dry laugh. It had only just devoured the souls of its own apostles moments before, and yet it spoke of mercy without a hint of shame.

—You’re not actually considering that offer, are you?

Yog asked.

Of course not.

Ian bent his knees and kicked off. He plowed through the bones in front, collapsing the pile behind him.

—Ian!

Archeas despaired. The Heaven Defier merely grinned, as if it had expected this.

Even as Ian sprinted, he cast the dragon a sidelong glance. The order to flee had been genuine. Unlike Rakhmah, Archeas knew he had fused with chaos before and could revert to his original form. Archeas wasn't just worried about his death, but about Ian being consumed by chaos again.

Worry about yourself, not me.

Ian let out a faint smile. Archeas caught that expression was anyone’s guess, but Ian turned his gaze back toward the Heaven Defier.

Either way, that creature was clearly coveting him. It meant it had no intention of killing him yet—there were still at least two chances left to challenge it. He could think about escaping after that.

—Yes... a flower that is harder to pick is all the more valuable.

The Heaven Defier spoke with a trace of laughter, then suddenly furrowed its brow, having sensed chaos power flaring up across Archeas. Despite the agony from the stake, Archeas was unleashing its power.

"-----!"

With a pained roar, the Platinum Dragon unleashed a wave of chaos power. A wave of violet light interlaced with eerie lightning burst outward in expanding circles. The Heaven Defier shielded itself with its left wing.

Crackle!

Bolts of lightning mixed within the chaos swept across its wing.

However, Ian, charging forward, neither stopped nor slowed down. He was betting the Platinum Dragon's chaos wouldn't harm him. His faith was rewarded. In fact, it was more than rewarded.

Fwoosh— Crackle!

The moment the wave of chaos and lightning swept over him, Ian’s eyes twitched. He felt his depleted chaos instantly replenish.

Yog’s whisper followed.

—Well, it seems that scales don't just absorb magic.