Free Web NovelChapter 335: Remnant of the Eternal Dragon King
Adam walked forward, his footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. The shadows around him seemed to pulse, as if the darkness itself was breathing. He glanced back at the scattered remains of the three guardians or rather, what remained of them.
"Shame they didn’t drop cores," he muttered, his voice flat with disappointment. "Or leave bodies behind. If there had been something left, I could’ve eaten them and gotten some new abilities."
He shook his head, turning his attention forward.
Ahead, the corridor opened into a wide, circular chamber. The floor was smooth, polished stone, and at its center, a massive hole gaped open—a perfect circle descending into absolute, impenetrable darkness. No light reached its depths. No sound emerged from it.
Adam stared down into the void.
"Seriously?" His voice carried a note of dry exasperation. "A hole. Going down. In the middle of a place that’s already pure darkness." He let out a long, slow breath. "It’s like adding more of what’s already here. Why not just make the entire floor a pit?"
Adam’s crimson eyes dropped to the Compass of Desire in his hand. The needle, which had been steady for so long, now tilted downward, pointing straight into the abyss below.
"Of course," Adam muttered, his voice flat with resignation. "Of course it’s down."
He stared into the perfect circle of darkness beneath him, the hole descending into what looked like an endless void.
He let out a long, slow breath.
"Well... I didn’t come this far to stop now."
Without hesitation, Adam stepped off the edge and dropped into the darkness.
The air rushed past him as he fell, the cold pressing against his scales, his wings folded against his back. The darkness swallowed him whole, thick and suffocating, pressing against his senses.
Then—
SPLASH.
Cold water erupted around him, shocking his system. Adam surfaced, gasping, shaking water from his face and hair. His wings snapped open, catching the air as he lifted himself above the surface.
"Water? Why is there suddenly water here?" He looked around, his crimson eyes adjusting to the dim, eerie glow that seemed to emanate from the water itself. "This place just gets better and better." freewebnσvel.cѳm
He hovered above the surface, scanning his surroundings. The cavern was vast, its ceiling lost in shadow, its walls jagged and uneven. The water stretched out in all directions, dark and still, reflecting nothing. And there, in the distance, a faint, sharp light gleamed brighter than the rest.
"The compass." Adam glanced at it. The needle pointed straight toward that light. "Of course."
He flew toward it, his wings beating steadily, his senses on high alert. The water below him seemed to shift, ripples spreading outward as if something was moving just beneath the surface. But nothing emerged.
The light grew closer.
Adam landed on a rocky outcropping that jutted out of the water, his boots touching solid ground for the first time since he’d fallen. Before him, embedded in the stone, was a massive horn—long, curved, and gleaming with a faint, pale light. It pulsed with residual energy, warm and ancient, like the last ember of a dying fire.
Adam approached cautiously, his hand reaching out to touch the surface.
[Ouroboros Horn Fragment – Mythical]
[Remnant of the Eternal Dragon King, Ouroboros. This fragment still contains a fraction of its original power. It can be used as a crafting material, a catalyst, or consumed to gain a temporary draconic buff.]
Adam’s eyes widened. "Ouroboros’s horn?"
He looked beyond the horn, and his breath caught.
A massive skull loomed in the darkness, half-submerged in the water. Its jaw was parted, its eye sockets empty, its size so immense that it dwarfed even his Ouroboros Progenitor form. This was the head of the Eternal Dragon King.
And the water around him... it wasn’t water.
Adam knelt, dipping his fingers into the liquid. It was thick, warm, and carried a faint, metallic scent. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
[Ouroboros’s Blood – Ancient]
[The blood of the Eternal Dragon King, Ouroboros, has pooled in this chamber over millennia. It is saturated with residual draconic essence and can be used to empower draconic beings, enhance artifacts, or consumed for temporary stat boosts. WARNING: Prolonged exposure may cause unpredictable effects on non-draconic beings.]
Adam stared at his hand, the dark liquid dripping from his fingers. The blood of Ouroboros. The creature the Void had slain to steal its power. The same creature whose death had set the chain of events that led to the creation of this prison.
"...This entire lake," he said slowly, "is Ouroboros’s blood."
A slow, predatory smile spread across his face.
"Jackpot."
He immediately reached into the Pouch of the Hoarding Gnome and began pulling out every empty container he had—vials, flasks, canteens, even a few spare waterskins he’d been carrying since the Dark Elf village. One by one, he dipped them into the thick, dark liquid, filling each to the brim.
He worked quickly, methodically, until every container was full. When he finally straightened, his pouch was significantly heavier, and a deep sense of satisfaction settled in his chest.
He secured the pouch and turned his attention to the massive horn embedded in the stone. The curved, pale fragment gleamed with that same faint, residual light, pulsing gently like a heartbeat.
Adam approached it, running his fingers along its surface.
"Are these what the guardians were protecting?" he murmured. "This tomb... Ouroboros’s remains."
He drew the Red Templar’s Greatsword from his inventory, the dark blade humming with latent void energy. Its edge gleamed dully in the faint light, and Adam hefted it experimentally, feeling its weight.
"Let’s see if this can cut through something that’s been sitting here for millennia."
He raised the sword high and brought it down on the horn’s base with all his strength.
CRACK.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the stone, and the horn’s surface spiderwebbed with cracks. But it didn’t break. The sword had barely chipped it.
Adam’s eyes narrowed. "Tough."
He raised the sword again, pouring more strength into the next swing.
CRUNCH—CRACK.
The horn fractured further, a deep fissure running along its length. But still, it held.
Adam gritted his teeth. "Alright. Let’s try this with everything I’ve got."
He drew a deep breath, his muscles coiling as draconic power surged through his body. He focused every ounce of strength into the blade, [Ouroboros Coils] tightening around his own arm as he drove the sword down with all his might.
KRAAAACK—SHATTER.
The horn finally broke.
But as the fragment separated from its base, a sudden, violent pulse of energy erupted from the broken surface. Golden light, bright and searing, exploded outward, flooding the cavern with radiance. The Red Templar’s Greatsword blazed in Adam’s grip, its dark surface ignited with streaks of gold, the void energy within it screaming as it clashed with the ancient draconic essence of the horn.
Adam stumbled back, shielding his eyes with his free arm. The air around him vibrated, thick with power, and the water beneath his feet began to churn violently.
"What the—?!"
The sword in his hand was changing. The dark metal brightened, veins of gold spreading across its surface like cracks in a frozen lake. The blade grew longer, sleeker, its edge sharpening to a razor’s gleam. The hilt reformed, wrapping around Adam’s hand as if it had always belonged there.
When the light finally faded, Adam stared down at the weapon in his grasp.
It was no longer the Red Templar’s Greatsword.
[Weapon Evolution Detected!]
[Red Templar’s Greatsword → Ouroboros’s Fang (Unique – Evolving)]
[Effect: This blade was forged from the remnants of the Red Templar’s corrupted steel, infused with the ancient essence of Ouroboros’s horn. It carries the combined power of shadow and draconic might. The wielder gains the following effects:]
· +50% Damage against beings of pure darkness and Void-affiliated entities.
· Void-Steel: The sword is infused with shadow and void energy, allowing it to strike incorporeal beings and resist corrosion and degradation.
· Ouroboros’s Legacy (Passive): The blade grows stronger with each dragon-related entity defeated. Permanently increases damage by a small percentage for each significant victory.
Adam stared at the weapon, his crimson eyes wide with genuine shock.
"This sword... it evolved."
He raised it, testing its weight. It felt lighter than before, perfectly balanced, as if it had been made for him. The golden veins along its surface pulsed faintly with each heartbeat.
"A sword that grows stronger with each dragon killed... and bonus damage against Void entities." Adam’s lips curved into a slow, predatory smile. "This is perfect."
He sheathed the blade across his back, the weight of it settling against his spine like an old friend.
"Between this, the Abyssal Bloom, and all these new skills... I’m starting to feel like this trip was worth it."
He turned his gaze back to the massive skull half-submerged in the blood-lake. The empty eye sockets seemed to stare back at him, ancient and patient.
"And you... Ouroboros." Adam’s voice was quieter now, almost respectful. "I don’t know your name beyond the legends. But I know your death wasn’t the end. Your blood still flows. Your power still lingers. And I’ll make sure it wasn’t wasted."
He bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you."
