Westminster Bank

"Oh?" the High Priest said. "I didn’t expect two uninvited guests."

"Take them alive. I want their souls."

Not giving Baron and Jack a chance to argue, the High Priest clapped his hands. The Cultists behind him stepped forward, but instead of swarming them, they began to chant an ancient song in unison.

The sound of their singing drifted through the secret chamber, like the clashing of countless Ghosts.

Jack said, "What the fuck? What the hell is this garbage they’re singing? They should go listen to the Beatles..."

"Now *that’s* music!"

He whipped out a detonator, slammed the button, and he and Baron dove in opposite directions.

BOOM!

The stone wall behind them erupted. A blast of wind sent shards of rock flying everywhere. The Dragon Devourer Cultists all hit the ground the moment of the explosion. A violent gale poured in, feeling less like the previous ghostly song and more like a host of Demons released from the opened gates of Hell.

When the gale subsided, Baron got up, brushing the dust from his clothes. "I saw you had that detonator out for a while," he said. "Why press it just now?"

"I wanted to make it more dramatic," Jack said, running toward the hole in the wall.

Then he missed his footing and plummeted... or to be more precise, he almost plummeted.

Baron grabbed him by the collar. His expression was grim as he stared out at the view, which was completely shrouded in clouds and mist. "During your recon, did you happen to check how high up we are?"

Jack scratched his head. "Hehehe... I forgot."

Before he could finish, a dark shadow lunged at them from the side. Baron yanked Jack up just as a massive gash was torn into the wall where he’d been dangling. Chunks of rock rained down on the attacker’s head.

It was a Flying Dragon, over ten feet long.

Seeing its attack had missed, the Flying Dragon let out a frustrated growl, flapped its wings, and flew away.

Jack slumped down at the edge of the hole in the wall, clutching his chest, his heart still pounding. "L, thank god you were here."

Baron scanned their surroundings. "Unfortunately, we’re not alone."

The Dragon Devourer Cultists were getting back on their feet.

’They’re not too scary. We can still take them.’

But in the blood pit, the Dragon Attendant that had been made from the Thunder Wolf Dragon King had opened its eyes, whether from the song or the explosion was unclear. With a casual tug, it snapped the shackles binding it.

The Thunder Wolf Dragon Attendant slowly raised its head, its glittering Golden Eyes emotionlessly sweeping over everyone in the chamber.

The High Priest had his underlings begin chanting the ghostly song once more, then pointed at Baron and Jack from across the room. "Kill them."

The Thunder Wolf Dragon Attendant nodded. Just as it was about to swing its Dragon Claw at them, Jack yelled to Baron, "Move!"

Baron didn’t hesitate, dodging in a flash. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack pull another detonator from his coat and slam the button.

Two thunderous explosions erupted.

The Thunder Wolf Dragon Attendant’s body suddenly imploded. The explosion had come from within.

In fact, it wasn’t just the Thunder Wolf Dragon Attendant. The Third Generation Fierce Dragon Attendant next to it had also been blown to pieces.

It turned out that when they first entered, Jack hadn’t just planted a bomb on the wall. During his quick search of the chamber, he had also managed to stuff a sufficient amount of Alchemy Explosives inside both Dragon Bodies.

Flesh and gore flew everywhere. The secret chamber was splattered in a hazy red, as if someone had sloshed a bucket of red paint across it. It was the viscera of the Dragon Attendants.

Although the flesh of a High Tier Dragon Descendant was tough enough to withstand a missile strike, their insides were still soft. What’s more, these two Dragon Descendants were already dead, their corpses having long lost the properties of active Spiritual Power.

In the shockwave of the explosion, a few of the Dragon Devourer Cultists were slammed against the walls, either dying on impact or being knocked unconscious. Another portion reacted quickly, diving for cover on either side of the chamber. Although they successfully avoided the main force of the blast, their bodies were still dyed crimson.

The only one who remained standing was the High Priest. Though he too was now a crimson figure, the look on his face was not one of anger at the destruction of the Dragon Attendants, but one of elation.

"You’ve awoken ahead of schedule," he said. "This works just as well."

Baron and Jack followed his gaze. Two figures were rising from the smoke-filled blood pit.

Baron felt an unsettling sense of threat, the likes of which he’d only experienced when Isabella used Dragon Mighty.

Without a second word, he drew his Spear Sword and emptied the magazine at the two figures in the blood pit.

The Alchemy Bullets detonated within the smoke with the clang of striking steel, yet the movements of the two figures were completely unimpeded. Baron and Jack exchanged a look, realizing things had just gotten serious.

The High Priest said, "It’s useless. You only destroyed the symbiotic husks. The true Dragon Attendants are the spirits that control them."

The smoke cleared, revealing the masked Blood Department and Bone Department standing firm in the blood pit. The wounds in their abdomens had already healed, leaving only scorched marks on their bodies.

The High Priest admired the two Dragon Attendants as if they were works of art. He said to the Bone Department, "The Dragon Spear Trial has begun. Continue your mission."

He then said to the Blood Department, "Kill these two intruders, then incinerate them with the Immortal Fire. Let’s see if their souls are enough to sustain a Sixth Generation Species."

The Bone Department received his command, replied, "As you wish," and departed.

Baron felt like he’d heard that voice somewhere before, but he had no time to ponder it. He saw the Blood Department suddenly transform into the very Dragon Attendant that had been blown up, gathering Dragon Thunder at its fingertips—an ability only a Thunder Wolf Dragon King should possess.

Baron ejected the short blade from his Spear Sword. Seeing this, Jack exclaimed, "Holy shit, Brother L, are you serious? You’re really gonna do it? Right here? Even if it means blowing your cover?"

Then he saw Baron use the short blade to slice open his palm. He flicked the dripping blood toward the stone wall behind them, attracting a swarm of Flying Dragons.

Baron quickly subdued one of the creatures with his Red Dragon Aura. He pulled Jack on top of it, took out the "Reins of Forcible Livestock Domination" he had acquired during his first prison break, and looped them over the Welsh Flying Dragon’s head. He pulled up, then up again, and in an instant, they had put several dozen meters between themselves and the Thunder Wolf Dragon Attendant, which was now sticking its head through the hole in the wall and roaring at them.

The High Priest said to the Blood Department, "Don’t let them escape. After them."

The Blood Department nodded. Then, in response to a taunting face from Jack, it instantly smashed through the rest of the stone wall, flapped its wings, and gave chase to Baron and the others.

Jack jumped in fright. "Fuck! I thought Thunder Wolf Dragon Kings didn’t have wings! This is totally unscientific!"

’What science is there in a Fantasy World?’

Baron complained internally. He glanced at the Dragon Attendant that the Blood Department had become. His Dragon Knight vision allowed him to see clearly that the "wings" behind it weren’t wings at all, but rather a swarm of Welsh Little Flying Dragons.

’Looks like the Blood Department is using some special method to control these Flying Dragons after transforming. That’s... interesting.’

’Unfortunately, my control of the Red Dragon Aura isn’t precise enough to target a single direction. If I were to use it recklessly, the Thunder Wolf Dragon Beast might not fall, but Jack and I certainly would.’

Baron handed the reins to Jack, stood up, and brandished his Spear Sword. "Hey, Jack! Got any more buttons? I feel like this fight needs an explosion for some ambiance."

Jack said, "Holy shit, Brother L, it’s like you can read my mind! I actually do have another trick up my sleeve. I was saving it for negotiations, but it looks like we’re past that point."

"Then blow it up," Baron said as Dragon Flame flared up around his body. Beneath his Face Armor, his Golden Eyes began to glow. "We might as well enjoy the noise."

The Blood Department’s eyes widened as it stared at Baron. "How can you possess such pure Golden Eyes? Not even Dragon Attendants or those who Transform into a Dragon have Golden Eyes like these! Could you be..."

"BOOM!"

The Blood Department couldn’t finish its sentence. A tremendous explosion shook the entire mountain range. Flames surged upward from all sides of the cliffs, shooting into the sky like a crimson fountain.

At that very instant, Baron raised his Spear Sword, now wreathed in Dragon Flame. The Fire Wings formed by his Little Flame Demon, which allowed for short-term gliding, unfurled from his back as he plummeted toward the Blood Department.

As the Fire Blade descended upon the Blood Department’s neck, Baron was suddenly reminded of a hero’s line from a game he played in his past life:

"I have awakened. The hunt is on."

..................