Chapter 48 - Black Dragon Alpheus

Chapter 48 - Black Dragon Alpheus With the locusts leading the way, Han Wu discovered the small cave, which was situated hundreds of kilometers from his current position. The seemingly invisible crevice, a small cave opening, only became apparent to Han Wu when his locusts formed a perfect circle around it. So well-hidden was the entrance, a mere meter high and half a meter wide, that even his sharp eyes would have likely missed it had the locusts not persistently drawn his attention. Han Wu commanded his Locustmen to dig out the cave entrance, and once the entrance was widened, he proceeded inside. After walking a hundred meters, the cave opened into a large chamber. It was then that he felt the terrifying presence emanating from the cave’s far end. That’s a powerful presence, and I can sense a trace of Divine Power within. I should check it out. Han Wu continued following the presence, and after walking for thousands of meters, he arrived at the spot where his locusts had ended their exploration, frozen in terror. They refused to move even an inch further. Only his two Heroic Locustmen possessed the courage to remain by his side. He ordered the locusts to stay put, proceeding into the deeper recesses of the cave with his two Heroic Locustmen. After walking for another kilometer, he finally located the source of the terrifying presence. The cavern was immense, stretching the size of ten football fields and soaring to a height of one hundred meters. In the cavern’s center, a black dragon was coiled, bound and restrained by thirteen ominous black chains. The terrifying presence originated from the black dragon. This presence had traveled through the long, winding cave and still retained enough power to halt the locusts’ advance. It was evident that the black dragon was immensely powerful. A satisfied smile crossed Han Wu’s face—his history lessons had finally paid off! He knew that some civilizations often resorted to eternal imprisonment when facing adversaries beyond their power to destroy. The black dragon before him was likely sealed in this cave by a powerful expert in the past. Han Wu attempted to use Inspect Eye to examine the black dragon’s data, but he was disappointed to discover that it only allowed him to access a small portion. Even that limited data, however, was sufficient to make Han Wu uneasy. The data interface displayed a black background, indicating that the black dragon was classified by the civilization’s system as a monster. [Name: Black Dragon Alpheus] [Level: 103 (Sealed. Original level: 149)] [Class: Defier (Special Class)] [Equipment: ???] [Divine Essence: ???] [Talent: Great Dragon’s Blood, ???] [Skill: Dark Breath, ???] The black dragon immediately sensed Han Wu inspecting its data. It opened its eyes, revealing completely black irises that possessed an uncanny ability to draw in souls. The two Heroic Locustmen were ensnared by the dragon’s soul-sucking technique, causing them to walk towards the black dragon’s mouth of their own volition. Han Wu intervened just in time, preventing them from becoming the dragon’s meal. Alpheus, the black dragon, was enraged by the interruption and bellowed, “How dare you interrupt my meal? I, the great Defier black dragon Alpheus, will erode your soul and devour your flesh!” The black dragon forcefully opened its bound jaws, amassing dark energy within its mouth for a breath attack. Realizing he couldn’t withstand such a terrifying attack with his current capabilities, Han Wu swiftly ordered his two Locustmen to escape with him, only daring to return after the black dragon’s attack was over. The black dragon furiously exclaimed, “You tiny, insignificant speck of dust! You dare to deceive me, the great Defier black dragon Alpheus? You will not be forgiven!” The black dragon then gathered more dark energy in its mouth, preparing for another attack. Once again, Han Wu immediately fled the cavern, returning only after the attack had concluded. The mighty black dragon heaved with exertion, its chest rising and falling rapidly after squandering two devastating breath attacks that had missed their mark entirely, as it lay immobilized by enchanted chains which squeezed tighter with each movement. Once the black dragon had calmed slightly, Han Wu attempted to reason with it. “I’m not here to make fun of you. On the contrary, I actually want to help!” The black dragon snorted in disbelief. “This great Defier black dragon Alpheus has seen through your lies. Leave immediately before my anger consumes you!” Han Wu chuckled. “Do you really think you can consume me while being restrained like that?” He then summoned his Elf Shortbow and fired an arrow at the black dragon. Alpheus let out a thunderous laugh as Han Wu’s arrows clattered uselessly against its obsidian scales. “You pathetic insect,” it sneered. “My defenses are impenetrable. No mortal weapon can breach my hide.” Yet, Han Wu’s smile never wavered and he unsheathed the Steelcutter Greatsword, a God weapon he had retrieved from Soren’s corpse. With a roar, he channeled every ounce of his strength into a single, earth-shaking slash aimed directly at the dragon’s massive body. This time, however, he had managed to leave a faint mark on the dragon’s scales. Alpheus, however, didn’t even flinch—to a creature of its colossal size, the mark was less than a mosquito bite. Han Wu frowned, realizing that in order to bargain with the ancient beast, he’d need to make it bleed. With a mighty roar, Han Wu channeled 10,000 Divine Points into the Steelcutter Greatsword, causing the weapon to tremble as golden light exploded from its blade. The weapon, incapable of containing such overwhelming power, shuddered under the strain, its divine metal threatening to shatter in three seconds. However, Han Wu was confident that three seconds was all he needed to land a devastating strike. “Whirlwind Slash!” He had learned this skill from Steely back in his divine realm. Although he couldn’t unleash the skill’s full potential, it was still powerful enough to shatter the earth. This time, Han Wu managed to cut through the black dragon’s thick scales, leaving a significant wound. Thick, tar-like blood oozed from Alpheus’s wound, most likely the first real injury it had sustained in centuries. A piercing yelp escaped the mighty dragon’s jaws as it recoiled from the wound—an undignified sound that immediately twisted into rage. Its massive body thrashed violently, but the thirteen obsidian chains held it completely still, tightening with each attempt to move. “You wretched maggot!” Alpheus roared. “You dare wound me, the great Defier black dragon Alpheus? I shall...” Throwing away the broken Steelcutter Greatsword, Han Wu pulled out another God weapon, this time a dagger. He aimed it at the black dragon’s eye and issued a soft but firm warning, “Keep yelling, and you’ll die today!” His voice was low, but the dragon heard it clearly. For the first time, Alpheus, the great Defier black dragon, felt the chill of impending death.