CHAPTER 321: CHAPTER 320: AN EMPEROR TIER 7 BEAST IS RAMPAGING

But Alix... walks through it.

Every step he takes makes the ground tremble—not from the earth’s law, but from the force in his own body tearing through it. The moment the first pillar slams toward him, he raises his arm and punches.

Crack!

The stone disintegrates, shattering like brittle glass. Another follows, then ten more. Alix smashes through each, one punch after another, until the entire field of collapsing mountains turns into dust and falling debris.

Zevran growls, snapping his wings open. "Then try this—[Tier 6 - Tempest Ruin!]"

The wind howls to life, sharper than any blade. Dozens of compressed cyclones spiral downward, infused with the Law of Wind. Each gust tears the air apart, slicing through mountains and scattering stone like leaves.

Alix looks up as the first one descends—then vanishes.

Zevran’s eyes dart left, right—then—

BOOM!

Alix’s fist slams into his ribs, shattering the protective wind barrier. Scales explode outward, the shockwave cratering the mountain behind them. Zevran roars, the pain rippling through his body like fire.

"Still doesn’t want to become my pet?" Alix says, voice almost calm, almost teasing, as he appears again in front of Zevran’s snout.

Zevran swings his claw, but Alix’s fist meets it mid-swipe—and breaks it.

The crack echoes like thunder. The dragon’s forearm twists unnaturally, scales splintering like shattered armor.

Zevran screams, a sound that shakes the heavens. "IMPOSSIBLE! I AM ZE—!"

His roar is cut short by another blow—Alix drives his knee into Zevran’s chest, followed by a backhand that sends the dragon crashing into the cliffside. The mountain groans as his massive form smashes through stone, carving another crater into the range.

Zevran’s breathing grows ragged. His body trembles. His wings twitch but refuse to rise. His mana surges again—but it’s unstable, flickering, breaking apart from the inside.

He tries one last desperate spell, his voice cracking with fury and fear. "[Tier 6 - Earthshatter Domain!]"

The sky darkens, and the entire terrain begins to collapse inward. Runes appear around the dragon’s body—massive symbols pulsing with the authority of the Earth Law. The very land starts to fold into itself, forming a gravitational prison meant to crush everything within miles.

Alix clenches his fist. "That won’t work."

He punches upward.

The air screams. The mana compressed above detonates in a single instant, like the heavens themselves are being split open. The Earthshatter Domain crumbles into shards of broken mana. The runes dim and vanish.

The next punch comes faster.

Zevran can’t even react—he only sees a flash of light before another shockwave hits his chin, sending his massive head slamming into the mountain again. Rock bursts outward, a rain of debris following.

The dragon’s body slumps, his wings broken, his claws twitching. The ground beneath him glows with faint molten light from the sheer friction of his impact.

Alix stands over him, calm, barely winded. "You still don’t want to become my pet?" he asks softly, voice echoing in the heavy silence.

Zevran’s golden eyes flicker. Pride burns in them still—but it’s dimming. His breath trembles, his once-mighty voice now hoarse.

"I... I yield..." he growls, voice weak but clear. "Enough... I yield!"

Alix’s gaze doesn’t waver. "Say it properly."

Zevran’s chest heaves. Every word tastes like acid, but he forces them out. "I... will... become your pet."

Mero floats down beside Alix, letting out a long, low whistle. "Hah. Didn’t think I’d live to see the day a dragon begged. Though it’s a lesser dragon."

The air calms. The storm dies. The mountain stills.

Alix looks down at the broken dragon, faint satisfaction glinting in his eyes. "Good," he says simply. "Then let’s begin the contract."

Zevran exhales shakily. Even through humiliation, his instincts whisper only one thing—submit or die.

And so, the Earthwind Dragon bows his head for the first time in his life.

----

The city gates loom ahead as Alix arrived, dust and blood still faint on his clothes. The sky above Shade is hazy with smoke trails, and the streets outside the walls are chaotic—caravans lined up, wagons loaded with supplies, and adventurers rushing out in panic. Even from this distance, Alix can feel it—the city’s atmosphere isn’t the same as when he left.

He slows his pace, frowning slightly.

"...They’re leaving?" he mutters.

Beside him, invisible to everyone else, Mero floats lazily with his arms crossed. "Looks like it. Guess something’s scared them bad."

When Alix reaches the gate, the guards immediately step forward—tense, their armor dusted with dirt and ash.

Alix wordlessly hands over his adventurer card. The crystal embedded in it glows faintly as the guard scans it, confirming his identity. "You’re cleared," the man says, still wide-eyed. "But... you might want to hurry in. The city’s in chaos right now."

Alix nods once and steps inside.

The city that was once noisy and bright now feels drained. Merchants are packing up stalls, soldiers are barking orders at civilians, and adventurers are moving in groups, carrying heavy gear toward the gates. Everyone looks tense—afraid.

Alix walks straight toward the Adventurers’ Guild.

When he pushes open the heavy doors, the familiar scent of parchment and mana stones greets him—but the hall is packed. Dozens of adventurers crowd the counter, voices overlapping, requests and arguments echoing through the room.

Behind the counter, Bue is handling everything at once—stamping documents, talking to three people at the same time, her face clearly stressed.

Alix approaches quietly.

It takes a moment before Bue glances up—and when she does, her eyes widen in disbelief. "A–Alix?!" she blurts, freezing mid-motion. "You’re alive?!"

He blinks, mildly amused. "Of course I’m alive," he says, setting his card on the counter. "What about the Iron group?"

Bue exhales sharply, almost dropping her quill. "They... they already left the city. They came back and said the mission was completed, but they didn’t know what happened to you."

Alix nods slightly, tone calm. "That’s good. At least they’re all alive."

His eyes drift toward the window, where more adventurers rush through the streets. "Also... I can see everyone’s trying to leave the city. What’s going on?"

Bue presses a hand to her temple, her usual professionalism cracking under stress, then lowers her voice. "There’s a Tier Seven beast emperor loose in the western forest. It’s been rampaging for seven hours straight—forcing every beast king nearby to submit. The city lords of multiple city has already raised evacuation orders."

Mero floats beside Alix, expression turning oddly dry. "A Tier Seven beast emperor, huh? Can’t imagine who that might be," he says, smirking.

Alix glances at him briefly. He doesn’t need to ask. Both of them already know.

But Alix just exhales softly and says nothing.

Bue, still talking, notices movement near Alix’s shoulder. "Wait... is that...?" Her voice softens. "Oh my gods, what is that? It’s adorable!"

Zevran, now no bigger than a housecat, lazily opens one eye from where he’s curled on Alix’s shoulder. When Bue reaches out a hand, he lets out a low, warning growl, tiny sparks of wind flickering around his scales.

Bue freezes mid-reach, blinking. "...Did it just growl at me?"

Alix’s tone is matter-of-fact. "Yeah. Don’t touch him."

He adjusts his cloak slightly so Zevran can rest more comfortably. "He’s my new pet. His name’s Zevran."

Bue just shakes her head, exhaling slowly. "Very good... Anyway—" She shuffles through a pile of papers and retrieves a crystal seal. "Your mission was completed, and considering you returned alive, I’ll stamp it as a success."

She presses the crystal to his adventurer card; it glows bright silver for a moment before dimming again. "Congratulations, Alix. You’ve officially ranked up to diamond rank."

Alix nods slightly. "Good."

Bue leans forward on the counter, curiosity returning to her eyes. "So... what are you plans now? Most adventurers are leaving before that beast emperor reaches here. I’m also leaving this city."

Alix’s gaze drifts toward the window again. Outside, the sky is still hazy from distant smoke.

Alix crosses his arms lightly, eyes following the streams of people rushing past the guild’s windows."I still want to explore more of this continent."

Bue blinks. "That’s good to know."

Alix said. "There’s still a lot I haven’t seen. And I want to know what this place really holds beyond the borders of Shade."

Bue lets out a soft sigh, then gives him a small, wry smile. "Right... I almost forgot—you’re from the lower continent." She taps her quill against the counter thoughtfully. "You’re probably want to explore this continent. Just make sure you don’t get yourself lost in the human territories."