Chapter 105: The Sky-Shattering Dragon

After packing their belongings, Asmita followed Link onto the back of White Spirit. With a farewell from Count Lothar, they set off on the journey back to Chinko Town.

Experiencing flight for the first time, even as a blind person, Asmita could not help but show an expression of wonder and joy. Everyone dreams of flying, and the blind are no exception; Asmita was a living testament to that.

Watching the excited Asmita, Link couldn't help but smile. This was how a thirteen-year-old child should behave. That constant melancholy and quiet demeanor had never felt like a child at all; children ought to be happy.

However, once they returned, how should he arrange Asmita’s future? Should he follow his dark whims and turn him into a Saint? Don't joke around—the boy was blind and his constitution was entirely unsuited for the grueling training of a Saint; he would likely collapse after a single round of exercises.

"The child has good talent for magic; I'll just make him a mage. While I'd love to indulge my whims, I must consider the circumstances. Given his condition, he could never keep up with the harsh training of a Saint." Link set a developmental path for Asmita in his heart, intending to ask for the boy's opinion as a matter of courtesy.

"Awoo—!"

At that moment, a thunderous roar from a monster made Link swallow the words he was about to speak. The sound originated from the sky, so deafening that Asmita covered his ears, while White Spirit trembled instinctively and sent an urgent warning to Link.

There was a terrifying monster on their right!

Link looked over instinctively and saw a fearsome behemoth hovering above them to the right. It was a dragon, estimated to be over fifteen meters long with a wingspan exceeding eighteen meters. Its gray body was covered in dark blue scales, and it was much bulkier than an ordinary wyvern, its head resembling that of a true dragon, supported by two sturdy legs.

Upon recognizing the creature, Link gasped. "A Sky-Shattering Dragon? How is that possible? How could a Sky-Shattering Dragon appear in the Star Kingdom? Doesn't this thing only live on the Adimen Continent?"

The Sky-Shattering Dragon was a sub-species of dragon, extremely vicious. While it could not compare to its true dragon ancestors, it was just as deadly to mortals. Legend had it that an adult Sky-Shattering Dragon grew over twenty-five meters long, comparable to a late-stage Tier 7 powerhouse. Though this one was smaller, it could not be underestimated; even if it hadn't reached Tier 7, it was close. Otherwise, White Spirit, as his spirit pet, would not be persistently signaling him to flee—White Spirit knew his strength better than anyone else.

This monster was beyond their ability to handle. Once caught, it would be a massacre!

Faced with this situation, Link didn't hesitate to order White Spirit to change course and flee. He shouted to Asmita, "Asmita, hold on tight to White Spirit! We’ve run into some trouble."

Asmita didn't speak, simply grasping White Spirit tightly as instructed. Even without sight, he could feel the brutal and dangerous aura of the beast.

The next moment, White Spirit dashed at full speed. Link stared gloomily at the pursuing Sky-Shattering Dragon, calculating his options.

Despite its massive size, the Sky-Shattering Dragon was faster than White Spirit. The distance between them was closing, causing Link great anxiety. *Damn it, how could I encounter such a freakish thing in a place like this? Did we accidentally fly to the Adimen Continent? Or did this thing fly here on its own? Damn, is that even possible? The Star Kingdom is deep in the northern interior of the Orie Continent. Unless this thing can literally shatter the sky, it shouldn't be able to fly this far; it would have been slaughtered by the powerhouses of other nations along the way. Its presence here must be man-made! But who did it? Could it be Faland, that Holy Spirit who fears that the world is too peaceful?*

Link suspected Faland, as such an act would certainly fit his personality. But upon reflection, it didn't hold up. If Faland had done this, he could not have hidden it from Remilia, who could manipulate fate. Given Faland's wariness of her, it was unlikely he would take such a risk. Furthermore, though they hadn't interacted much, Link could tell Faland held no hostility toward him and didn't want to interfere in his growth; the voyeuristic pervert simply wanted to watch him experience various events, like watching a movie—intervening would ruin the fun.

If that was the case, why was the Sky-Shattering Dragon hunting him? Could it be... the power of fate at work again?

Suddenly, Link recalled what Starry Night had said during their last visit: the power of fate brings all sorts of dramatic events, both good and bad. If it truly was the power of fate, then this was a bad turn of events.

Thinking of this, Link groaned, "Damn it, I’m never messing with fate again. This stuff is not something one can just trifle with."

"Archbishop, what are you saying?" Link had accidentally spoken his thoughts aloud. Because of the strong wind, Asmita couldn't hear clearly and asked.

Link twitched his mouth and said, "It’s nothing. Hold on tight; that monster is catching up. I’ll find a way to stop it, but I won't be able to look after you for a moment. Take care of yourself."

Asmita nodded quickly and gripped White Spirit even harder. Link began chanting a Fireball spell, launching fireballs one after another at the Sky-Shattering Dragon.

Link hadn't used this technique for a long time, but with his magic core upgraded, its power was greater than before, and he handled it with ease. Basin-sized fireballs forced the dragon to dodge, slowing its pursuit, though it remained faster than White Spirit.

Seeing the gap close further, Link used a Fire Burst spell when the dragon was at an optimal distance. The swift blast was hard to dodge; the dragon was struck directly, causing an explosion that left its head wreathed in flames, temporarily blinding it. Link seized the opportunity, swallowing a Quick-Speech Pill he had prepared. Bolstered by the spell-casting acceleration, he began a barrage of fireballs at the blinded dragon, engulfing it in flames.

Even then, Link didn't stop, continuing the bombardment while urging White Spirit to escape. Dragons possessed strong magical resistance, and while the Sky-Shattering Dragon was a sub-species, its resistance was formidable. Link’s fireballs could barely inflict fatal wounds; at best, they could only delay the creature.

The facts proved Link correct. Soon, a roar of fury rang out, and the flames on the dragon’s body were shaken off, revealing skin that was only slightly scorched and eyes burning with rage. Its dark blue scales began to glow.

Seeing this, Link recalled the characteristics of the Sky-Shattering Dragon recorded in books. He knew it was preparing its innate skill: Thunderous Blast. He immediately channeled his mana to cast a defensive spell, *Protection of Holy Light*, on both of them and the beast. Three golden light shields instantly enveloped them.

The next moment, the dragon roared again, and blue electricity surged from its scales, striking them with unavoidable speed. Fortunately, the shields held, though they dimmed significantly.

Before they could breathe a sigh of relief, a second blast struck the shields, shattering them completely. Link was horrified.

*Protection of Holy Light* was an instant spell, but it had a twenty-second cooldown. Seeing the third blast coming, Link knew he couldn't rely on magic. He immediately channeled his internal energy to manifest the *Golden Bell Shield*. A giant golden bell formed from internal energy descended, shielding him and Asmita. However, the massive White Spirit could not be covered. Though the system-enhanced *Golden Bell Shield* defended against both physical and magical attacks, its coverage was limited to a single target—it was only thanks to Asmita's small size that they could be protected together.

Seeing the thunder approaching, Link silently apologized to White Spirit and jumped away, carrying Asmita.

"Boom!"

A second later, the thunder struck. Link exerted all his strength to maintain the shield, feeling a significant drain on his internal energy. Fortunately, the blow was blocked.

White Spirit was not so lucky. Although the shield blocked most of the lightning, the remainder struck the beast. White Spirit was instantly charred black, as if hit by high-voltage electricity, and plummeted. Link and Asmita, losing their support, fell with it.

Meanwhile, the Sky-Shattering Dragon stopped discharging electricity. It swooped down with a roar, snatched White Spirit in its jaws, and swallowed the creature whole. The air currents from the dragon's dive caused Link to tumble in the air. The frail Asmita could not withstand the shock and fainted. Seeing White Spirit devoured, Link’s teeth nearly cracked from the pressure of his rage; he bit his lip until it bled, wishing he could tear the dragon to shreds.

As his first spirit pet, White Spirit was more than just a pet to Link—he was a closest companion. Seeing White Spirit eaten made his fury feel like tangible flames.

The dragon, still unsatisfied after eating White Spirit, turned toward the two remaining humans. It opened its cavernous maw, intending to swallow them both in one gulp.

Link’s eyes flashed with a cold light. He shouted, "Come then!" and reformed the *Golden Bell Shield*. The dragon clamped down on the shield, creating a crisp, metallic clanging sound. Its hide was so tough that it felt no pain, so it exerted more force, trying to crush the shield.

Link poured all his internal energy into maintaining the shield and struck downward at the dragon's massive tongue with ten layers of power. No matter how tough its skin was, its tongue was softer. Blood sprayed as the dragon, in sudden agony, opened its jaws and let out a painful, mournful cry.