The Demonic Dragon’s Curse

Black didn’t dodge or evade. He held the sword with both hands in front of him.

The light from the Demon-Cleaver grew brighter and brighter, until it was like a small sun.

“Heaven-Cleaving Art!”

Swordsman Mid-Tier Oracle: Heaven-Cleaving Art!

Black swung his sword.

The golden sword light and the pitch-black sphere collided in mid-air, and a visible ripple of energy exploded outwards.

All the building ruins within a hundred-meter radius were sent flying.

The ground cracked continuously under the shockwave.

Finally, the golden light overpowered the black light.

The sword light pierced through the black sphere and struck Leonard heavily.

It directly split open a large patch of scales on his chest, revealing a beating black heart.

Leonard spat out a large mouthful of black dragon blood and knelt on the ground.

“Im… possible…”

“How could I… lose to… a mere human?”

Black’s figure flashed, and he appeared above Leonard.

He raised the Demon-Cleaver high, its tip aimed at the remnant soul, about to annihilate it completely with one strike.

“Wait!”

The dying Leonard struggled to let out a roar.

“If you kill me, don’t think that girl will live either!”

As he spoke, he made a grasping motion with his right palm towards the empty space in the distance!

The next moment, a white figure flew out from behind the ruins.

It was Kristine!

Her eyes were tightly closed, her face was pale, and she was in a deep sleep.

Leonard reached out and pinched Kristine’s fair neck.

He sneered at Black.

“If you dare to take another step forward, I’ll crush her throat!”

Black’s movement paused, his brows knitted tightly.

The golden light on the Demon-Cleaver also dimmed slightly.

Seeing Black’s reaction, Leonard clung to it as if it were a life-saving straw.

“You came in together, and this girl is very important to you!”

“What did you do to her?”

Black questioned in a deep voice. He couldn’t believe Kristine would be subdued so easily.

“Hmph!”

Leonard snorted coldly.

“The aura of the Dragon King of Madness is hidden in her body! And what flows in my body is the power of the Demonic Dragon King Níðhöggr!”

“So the moment she entered this space, I sensed her!”

“A mere Dragon King of Madness is nothing more than a groveling subordinate in front of the Demonic Dragon Níðhöggr!”

“Her power is naturally under my control! I was originally planning to store her away and slowly savor her as the most delicious meal.”

He changed the subject and proposed a condition.

“But now, we can make a deal. We each take a step back. You give me the sword in your hand, and I’ll give this girl back to you. How about it? Fair, right?”

Hearing this, Black’s eyes flickered.

This remnant soul was indeed very afraid of the Demon-Cleaver.

The most important thing right now was to ensure Kristine’s safety first.

As for Leonard, he was already seriously injured.

The time of the exchange would be a good opportunity to get close.

If he seized the chance, he might be able to kill him in one blow.

Besides, even without the Demon-Cleaver, Black still had Jörmungandr as a trump card.

He was equally confident he could kill it.

After quickly weighing the pros and cons.

“Alright.”

Black nodded.

“I agree.”

A cunning glint flashed in Leonard’s eyes.

In his view, without the Demon-Cleaver, both Black and Kristine would be his food!

“One hand delivers the person, the other delivers the goods!”

However, just as he was about to take a step.

His face contorted violently, and two consciousnesses fought fiercely for control of his body.

“No… can’t… commit any more sins!”

A pained voice was squeezed out from Leonard’s mouth intermittently.

“Get lost! You coward! Power! I need more power!”

The evil personality roared.

His face switched rapidly between madness and clarity.

Finally, that sliver of clarity managed to gain the upper hand.

The ferocity in his eyes receded like a tide, replaced by a weariness that had been tempered by endless pain and torment.

“Thank you…”

“Thank you, young man.”

The restored Leonard’s voice was hoarse.

He looked at Black, his eyes complex.

“Thanks to you for seriously injuring it, I finally have the chance to say a few words like a person…”

Seeing this, Black did not let his guard down.

He stared thoughtfully at the half-human, half-dragon creature.

‘Could it be that because he had severely wounded the evil personality representing the Dragon-Corrupted, the human consciousness of Leonard, which had been suppressed for thousands of years, had found a chance to fight back?’

Leonard coughed a few times and continued.

“I am just a remnant soul that shouldn’t exist, clinging on through sheer obsession. Now is the time to completely end this sin.”

“I will give you some reward, and then I will end myself.”

Hearing this, Black nodded.

This was undoubtedly the best outcome.

“In that case, please give Kristine back to me.”

However, Leonard shook his head.

He looked at the unconscious Kristine at his side, his eyes filled with determination.

“No, young man, I can’t let her go.”

“What do you mean?”

Black’s brow furrowed again, and the light of the Demon-Cleaver flared.

“What I sense in her is not just the power of the Dragon King of Madness.”

Leonard’s tone was incredibly grave.

“From the purity and essence of that power, the soul of the Dragon King of Madness must be slumbering within her body!”

“Here, with the help of the Demonic Dragon’s residual power, I can still suppress the Dragon King’s soul within her.”

“Once she leaves this space and loses that suppression, the Dragon King’s soul will awaken sooner or later!”

He raised his head and looked directly into Black’s eyes.

“You should know what a terrifying disaster the revival of a Dragon King will bring to the outside world!”

“I can’t let this power harm the world again. Sacrificing her alone can save thousands upon thousands…”

Before he could finish, Black interrupted him resolutely.

“I will stop her from degenerating into a Dragon-Corrupted.”

Hearing this, Leonard was clearly unconvinced.

“Can you guarantee that one hundred percent?”

Leonard’s voice was filled with sorrow.

“Once one completely degenerates into a Dragon-Corrupted, the destruction caused will be devastating. I myself am the best example!”

His face was filled with endless pain and remorse.

“In my past life, I was the lord of this city-state, and I swore to protect its people to the death.”

“But in the end, I was cursed by the Demonic Dragon King Níðhöggr, lost my sanity, and became a monster that only knew how to slaughter!”

“I… I killed everyone in the city with my own hands! Did you see those corpses?! Among them were my friends, my parents…”

Black was naturally aware of this backstory.

What Leonard was talking about was one of the tragedies from thousands of years ago.

The glorious disciple of a Sage, the brave city lord, the supreme Emperor-Tier, Leonard had led his people to repel wave after wave of the dragon tide.

Everyone in the city believed that victory was at hand.

But, this city-state was in the way.

It was in the way of the Demonic Dragon King Níðhöggr.

And so, the tragedy occurred.

The city lord fell, the city-state was destroyed, and its people died tragically…