You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

“Is that so… Humans really like gold coins. How about we use this as a wager?” Beatrice pulled a blue leather pouch from her back and poured out beautiful, clear gems of various colors.

"It should be able to get a lot of gold coins."

"I don't really need the money... How about this, cooperate with me once, consider it a favor I owe you, and after this is over, I'll have a good match with you."

"Cooperation? What for?" Beatrice asked curiously.

Iori pointed to the villagers in the distance: "They reported the orc bandit gang's matter to the lord a long time ago, but it hasn't been resolved yet. Do you know why?"

“Well… I didn’t ask.” Beatrice shook her head. She had only heard about the bandit gang before deciding to go up the mountain, and had not investigated any further.

If it were an RPG game, she'd be the type to accept a quest and immediately start wreaking havoc, completely skipping the backstory.

In fact, Iori was the same, but he knew the importance of intelligence, so he paid great attention to details when exploring unknown areas.

"This is what I learned from the villagers: the lord did not want to solve the problem, but he was powerless to do so."

It is said that beyond the mountains, after passing through a dense forest, there is a swamp where many magical beasts live. Because it is some distance from human settlements, they originally lived in peace.

But not long ago, the monsters in the swamp suddenly broke free for unknown reasons, rushing down to the plains below the mountain, destroying many fields and causing considerable casualties. To quell the monster uprising within his territory, the lord dispatched all his soldiers and magic swordsmen, leaving him unable to deal with the orc bandits.

Iori finished speaking in one breath, then picked up her wine glass to moisten her throat.

Beatrice's expression shifted after hearing this, as if she had thought of something: "Most magical beasts have a strong sense of territory. Although they may be driven out due to losing in competition, it is rare for them to stage such a collective uprising."

unless……"

"Unless it's a natural disaster or something even more terrible than a natural disaster that forces them to abandon their territory and come to the human world to survive—that's what I'm more interested in."

Iori said frankly, "I'll be 'going home' soon, and before that, I want to see what exactly scared the monsters like this. Would you like to come with me?"

"I see... Alright, I'll go with you!"

Beatrice was also subtly excited upon hearing this, though she didn't show it on her face.

"Then let's set off tomorrow. As for tonight... let's enjoy the villagers' hospitality."

-

Despite being strongly urged to stay, Iori and the other person set off on their journey again early the next morning.

Following the simple map provided by the villagers, they traversed mountains and dense forests, encountering many lone magical beasts along the way, all of which were easily dealt with by Beatrice.

Iori noticed that although the elf girl was called a "warrior" and her skills were indeed excellent, she seemed to be limited to the level of "actions". Her use of energy remained at a relatively basic level, and her powerful magic did not seem to be used efficiently. She was simply mobilized and released.

Of course, it's also possible that these monsters were too weak to allow Beatrice to use high-level sword techniques.

And so they successfully traversed the dense forest and arrived at the source of the monster rampage—

"Let me confirm, if I remember correctly... you seemed to have said before that this was a 'swamp'."

"Yes."

Iori and Beatrice stood side by side, both staring blankly at the scene before them, feeling a strange sense of shock.

"Perhaps it's a difference in perception between elves and humans... but do you all call this kind of land a 'swamp'?"

"...Something must have gone wrong."

At the edge of the dense forest, the Grim Reaper boy and the elven girl stood on an invisible line that divided the world. On one side was a lush and vibrant forest, and on the other side was a dry, dark, barren land that looked as if it had been scorched by fire!

"This isn't a swamp, it's a complete desert."

Iori didn't believe the villagers had lied to him, and the scene was indeed difficult to explain:

The Gobi Desert and the dense forest are right next to each other, but they seem to have no influence on each other, with the boundary being too clear.

Beatrice tried to take a step. Her shoes were similar to sandals, and her five toes were curled up shyly, which looked very cute. She felt a rustling sensation when she stepped onto the dry ground.

"It's not an illusion...it's the real Gobi Desert...but how can there be a Gobi Desert here?"

The elf girl was very puzzled. Iori glanced at her, then strode in without any hesitation and led the way.

The map given by the villagers was no longer of any use at this point, so Iori chose to trust her intuition:

Unleash your spiritual senses and head towards the place in the atmosphere where the magic is most concentrated.

"careful!"

Beatrice was experienced; aside from the strange transformation of the swamp into a desert, the increasingly hot air alone gave her a sense of impending danger.

"If this isn't some kind of natural disaster, but rather something caused by a living organism... then it must be an extremely terrifying magical beast, one that would make it difficult for even you and I to escape unscathed!"

"Relax, don't be so tense. But speaking of magical beasts... you're an elf, you should know more than me. Tell me, what is the most powerful magical beast?"

"There are many interpretations, but the most widely accepted one... is probably [dragon]."

"Dragon... I've never seen a dragon (in this world) before. I don't know what it looks like. Can you tell me about it?"

Iori suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowed slightly, and then she turned to Beatrice with a half-smile:

"Forget it, no need for that trouble. I'll just see for myself with my own eyes!"

--call!

A gust of wind tousled Beatrice's long hair. The elven girl shielded herself from the wind with her arm, and after adjusting her gaze, she looked further ahead. Her beautiful emerald pupils suddenly contracted:

A giant beast with two pairs of wings, its body covered in red scales, black stripes on its belly, and a body and limbs that resembled a human standing upright, but with a majestic lizard head, landed on the Gobi Desert with a strong wind whipped up by its arms crossed over its chest!

The reverse-jointed claws slammed into the ground, instantly igniting small flames and leaving charred claw marks.

—Very strong!

In terms of magical power alone, it is even stronger than the great monster that Iori encountered in the other dimension! Moreover, its aura is fierce, and the sense of oppression it brings to Iori is even greater!

Their attitude was extremely unfriendly:

Humans, elves... get out!!!

Chapter 205: You're definitely not human! (5.5K)

What immense magical power!

Beatrice lowered her body, poised to draw her sword at any moment. Powerful magical energy surged through her limbs and bones, making her feel like a spring compressed to its limit, just waiting for a trigger.

She had fought against humans, elves, orcs, and magical beasts, including renowned swordsmen, powerful chieftains, and noble royalty, but none of them could compare to the dragon before her.

This is no longer just a difference in strength; the so-called "dragon" has created a decisive gap between itself and mortals on a life level!

Of course, victory or defeat is not just about the amount of magic power; it is also influenced by factors such as skill, equipment, experience, and willpower. Beatrice is a veteran of countless battles, and although she was shocked, it did not affect her performance. As long as she held the sword in her hand, her heart was incredibly strong!

However, unlike the elven girl who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, Iori looked up at the ten-meter-tall, strangely shaped crimson dragon and exclaimed in admiration.

By his standards, this dragon's appearance was very cool. It didn't have the bulky and deformed feel of typical Western dragons (like Smaug). Its body was lean and its lines were smooth, making it look more like a subhuman with obvious bestial characteristics.

Having a lizard's head is a minor flaw, but its sharp features and scales give it a dignified appearance.

"telepathy?"

What Iori heard was a deep roar, but the corresponding meaning automatically appeared in his mind, which surprised him quite a bit.

"It's even an intelligent individual. The dragons in this world are quite interesting."

"do not you know?"

Beatrice looked at him in surprise: "Dragons are the oldest race, and it is said that they even know the history and wisdom of the ancient times. They have always been detached from the world... They did not form civilizations because they are strong individually and can survive without building families or groups."

"I really didn't know that, I've learned something new!"

Roar! ! !

Didn't you hear me? Leave my territory, human!

The dragon with crimson scales slightly turned its head, its vertical pupils, a mix of gold and crimson, fixed intently on Iori, revealing an extremely clear hostility.

Danger!

This man is dangerous!

Although it didn't know why, it had never felt such excitement since it became an adult, and it even couldn't help but want to take action!

"Please don't misunderstand, proud Flame Dragon. We have only come to investigate the situation due to the disturbance of the magical beasts, and we have no intention of invading your territory."

Beatrice did not want to fight this behemoth—although she was not afraid, the fire dragon in front of her had obviously evolved to an extremely high level, and so far there had been no example of a person or army directly killing a high-level dragon.

People generally regard dragons of this level as natural disasters. Although Beatrice is called the "Goddess of War," normal people would not deliberately provoke a natural phenomenon.

The elven girl's attempt to feign weakness was met with indifference from the Flame Dragon. Compared to the War God, who exuded powerful magic, it was far more concerned with the human standing nearby, devoid of any magical energy. Even though Iori said nothing, her very existence was a tremendous threat and provocation to the Flame Dragon!

No matter how intelligent it is, in the end it is just a monster that follows its instincts!

Enough! Questions and answers are useless!

The Fiery Dragon flapped its four wings, and its massive body took flight, with flowing sparks mixed with wind pressure as they swept across the earth!

"careful!"

"Duan Kong!"

Before Beatrice could draw her sword, an invisible barrier stood in the air, splitting the scorching wind pressure like a reef, with only a few turbulent currents ruffling the elven girl's long hair.

"What kind of magic is this? Could it be an ancient artifact?"

Beatrice was even more surprised to see that Iori had simply pointed ahead without using any props.

After blocking the hot air, Iori also withdrew her hand somewhat strangely:

The feel of it is a bit strange!

The intensity of [Broken Void] has decreased significantly compared to before!

If its strength is normally 10, then it was only 4 or 5 just now, and that was after Iori increased her magic output to make up for it.

The reason for the decrease in the strength of the Kido is not that Iori's skills are lacking, but rather the quality of the magic itself... no, the different way it flows.

When magic flows within the body, it is like a liquid, a constantly changing yet unified whole. Once released from the body, it becomes like a stream of air, more difficult to control, and its cohesion is greatly reduced...

Since arriving in this world, Iori has not encountered any decent opponents. He can usually resolve battles with Hakuda and Shunpo, at most using a low-level Kido. Although there is a sense of sluggishness, he has not paid attention to it. But now that he is using a high-level Kido, the difference is immediately obvious.

Compared to "Bleach" and "Type-Moon", the magic here is difficult to control once it is released from the body. Is this a fundamental law unique to the current world?

Thinking of this, Iori gave Beatrice a deep look, and the elven girl tilted her head inexplicably.

No wonder this "God of War" is an enhancement-type character and doesn't use many ranged skills... The strongest class in the current version is the melee mage!

Memories buried deep in my mind also surfaced. Upon careful reflection, I realized that although "Shadow Reality" is a magical world, there weren't many characters in the original work who could casually unleash projectiles... It seems that only the overpowered male protagonist liked to use his light cannons to clear the ground.

Since that's the case—

Disappear from my sight, you ungrateful humans!

The roar of the red dragon roused Iori, who looked up to see the sky, as vibrant as the morning glow, descending upon the earth—

No, those are physical flames ignited by magic, with an extremely high temperature that can melt rocks instantly. Once they fall, they will create a true inferno!

Iori frowned: "You're really impatient. You should at least give me some time to prepare."

Beatrice retreated when she could no longer fight back, but then she saw Iori leisurely draw his strange longsword from his waist, seemingly ready to confront the dragon's breath that filled the sky.

"What are you thinking? Hurry up—"

"Duan Kong!"

It was still this high-level binding technique, but unlike last time, three barriers appeared one after another, temporarily blocking the overwhelming flames.

This was a multi-stage chanting technique that only a very few Death Gods could master!

hum!

In that brief moment, the surging wind pressure pushed aside the scorching airflow, and almost visible magical power burst forth from Iori's shoulders, instantly tearing the loose-fitting shihaka into a more refreshing and simple style.

Unlike ordinary magic, this magical power was not released randomly, but instead surrounded Iori and became more and more solid as the markings lit up.

What was he planning to do? Beatrice stopped in her tracks, her intuition telling her that Iori wasn't acting rashly, but rather that he truly had the confidence to challenge this evil dragon.

Although she felt that Iori was too reckless, she could understand her.

The title of "Dragon Slayer" is also associated with heroic legends in this world, and it carries immense prestige in both human and elven realms.

Although very few have actually succeeded, and most of them have chosen sub-dragons or young dragons, no one has ever truly succeeded in defeating the highest-ranking dragons... Although this is indeed almost suicidal, if one could actually do it, the achievement would surely be sung throughout the nations!

As a warrior, it was indeed reasonable for her to risk her life for this—that's what Beatrice thought, and she abandoned the idea of ​​helping.

Even so, she did not anticipate Iori's next move:

"Excuse me, could you please come down? I'm not used to looking up at people."