Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 35: Red Core

Bel stood atop the mutilated goblin shaman, his breath ragged, golden eyes burning as he threw the severed arms away.

The shaman's blood pooled beneath him, soaking the ground in thick, dark stains. Its agonized wails filled the cavern, shrill and grating, yet Bel felt nothing but the dull satisfaction of bringing it on the ground.

It should be over, but then, flames erupted beneath him.

Purple fire exploded from the goblin's body, swallowing him whole. The surge of heat roared, spiraling upward in a consuming inferno. Lena flinched, her eyes widening in horror.

"He can still fight?!"

The goblin let out a guttural, screeching cry, its ruined body convulsing as the fire spread unnaturally.

Symbols crawled across the ground, glowing in sickly violet, forming an intricate demonic circle beneath the shaman's corpse. The entire cave pulsed as if breathing.

Ilya, still struggling on the ground, turned her head toward the unnatural flames. Her limbs ached, her skin raw from burns and blood loss, but she pushed against the dirt, forcing herself up.

Then, a deeper, more agonized scream shook the cavern.

[HP: -10] [HP: -15] [HP: -20] [HP: -30] [HP: 279/482]

Through the raging fire, Bel remained on the goblin.

He felt the fire gnawing at his skin, sinking into his flesh. He was in a searing agony, but he grit his teeth and drove his fingers forward.

His arm plunged into the goblin's back, past shattered ribs, tearing through burning, ruined muscle and sinew.

The goblin screeched louder, its screams warping into something haunting.

[Bloodlust Activated: Physical Stats Increased]

Bel's grip tightened.

Through the inferno, his fingers wrapped around something solid. A thick, bony column, still pulsing, still attached.

The goblin twisted, shrieking, trying to move, trying to fight back, but Bel was past stopping now. His enhanced strength surged through his arms, tendons stretching, muscles tensing, veins bulging.

His nails dug in, anchoring his grasp. Then, with a guttural snarl, he pulled.

The spine came loose.

The goblin's entire body convulsed violently as its vertebrae were wrenched from within, each segment popping, snapping apart in slow, gruesome succession.

It screamed, its cries rising higher and higher, its body buckling, its limbs flailing, until its head dangled at the end of its own severed spine.

The cave trembled.

The demonic fire flickered, dimming, then finally dissipated. The body slumped, its flesh charred and split open like a ruined husk. Bel stood in the carnage, his hands drenched in thick, coagulated blood, his fingers still wrapped around the grotesque trophy.

Then, with a sharp exhale, he tossed the head and spine away like trash.

[Level Up!]

[Max Level Reached]

Silence fell.

Ilya and Lena stared, their expressions unreadable. Horror, awe, disbelief, a storm of emotions warred within them, but neither could utter a single word. [Max Level Reached]

The notification flickered in Bel's vision, surprising him. Reaching the maximum level at this stage? That wasn't something he expected. But he had no time to consider it, despite the death of the goblin, the energy radiating from the circle was still present, still growing.

A deep, heavy hum reverberated through the air, the symbols etched into the ground pulsing ominously. Bel turned his gaze downward, his instincts screaming at him.

A movement.

A blur of something forming.

Then, a hand.

Materializing from the dark mist rising from the circle, it shot forward with blinding speed, striking Bel square in the chest.

The impact cracked through the cavern like a thunderclap.

Bel barely had time to react, throwing his arms up in defense as the sheer force sent him flying backward. His body slammed against the cavern wall, stone shattering on impact, dust and debris cascading around him.

The demonic circle pulsed violently, its dark energy coalescing into something monstrous.

The air around it distorted, twisting unnaturally as shadows bent and flickered. From within the symbols, a form took shape, growing, twisting, bulging.

A giant goblin.

Its grotesque body hunched as it solidified, thick muscle layered over jagged bones, its elongated arms dragging along the ground. Its skin was a sickly gray-green.

Its jaw hung loose, exposing jagged, oversized teeth. Beady red eyes gleamed as it rose to its full height, letting out a piercing, guttural screech that made the cavern tremble.

Ilya flinched, struggling harder to stand, her breath ragged. Lena trembled, her lips quivering. The presence of the beast crushed the air around them, suffocating, oppressive.

On the ground, Bel clenched his jaw, trying to steady himself.

Damn it...

[HP: 269/482]

There was no time to rest.

The goblin behemoth lunged, its massive arms swinging wildly. Bel gathered his strength, forcing his body to move. He ducked, barely avoiding a devastating blow as the creature's fist smashed into the cavern wall, shattering it completely.

Dust and debris filled the air, but Bel had no time to think. The beast roared and lunged again, its attacks relentless, its sheer size making every move a lethal threat.

It swung wildly, destroying everything in its path. The walls crumbled, the ground cracked beneath the force of its strikes. Bel maneuvered between the devastation, dodging, weaving, keeping his movements sharp.

Ilya pushed against the ground, trying to run toward him, but her legs buckled. She collapsed onto her knees, her burned and battered body refusing to cooperate.

Helpless, she watched, rage and frustration warring within.

Bel kept moving, but the beast's attacks were relentless. Then, a mistake, he found himself in a bad position too close to the beast.

The goblin swung from the side.

The impact was brutal.

Bel's body was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the cavern wall with a sickening crack.

[HP: -72] [HP: 197/482]

Blood splattered from his mouth as pain surged through his body. The wall behind him crumbled, debris raining down. His limbs felt sluggish for a moment, but the goblin wasn't done.

It charged, lowering its massive shoulder, aiming to crush him completely.

But Bel's eyes gleamed.

As the beast's bulk crashed forward, he met the impact head-on, catching the monstrous charge with both arms. The force drove him deeper into the wall, the cavern trembling under the sheer power.

Ilya screamed, trying desperately to move forward, but her body refused.

Then, a sudden warmth covered her.

She gasped, glancing back to see Lena, hands shaking, channeling her healing magic into her with sheer desperation. Ilya's jaw clenched. She hated this. She hated being helped by her. But right now, she didn't even have the strength to yell at her.

Then, a strange noise.

The goblin struggled.

From the other side, Bel gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the monster's shoulder. The goblin pushed harder, trying to crush him, its raw strength pressing down on his whole body.

But Bel's eyes burned.

[Goblinbane: 20% increased damage against goblins.]

A growl rumbled from his chest, rising into a roar. The goblin roared back, but Bel's grip only tightened. The behemoth strained, muscles bulging, veins pulsing. Then, with a sickening pop, the goblin's arm twisted. The shoulder dislocated, the limb hanging limp.

The creature let out a deafening shriek, stumbling back, gripping its ruined arm. Bel didn't give it time to recover. He leapt, his fist slamming into its face. The impact sent a ripple through the goblin's massive form, making it stagger slightly.

Not enough.

Bel grabbed its ear for momentum, swinging himself upward. His claws slashed through one of its beady red eyes, then the second. The goblin howled, thrashing violently, and Bel barely had time to react before a wild swing caught him midair.

[HP: -45] [HP: 152/482]

His body hit the ground hard, rolling through dirt and debris. He coughed, crimson staining the stone beneath him. His vision blurred for a second, but he didn't stop.

[BLOODLUST]

He slammed his palm into the ground, pushing himself up.

Then, he lunged forward, a missile of fury.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

His clawed fingers hooked onto the goblin's ankle. With a sharp slash, he felt the bones crack and break beneath his hit.

The behemoth crashed onto one knee, screeching in agony.

Bel moved like a storm, his body covered in blood, some his, most not. He struck, tore, dodged, and struck again. His movements grew sharper, faster, more brutal. The goblin was slowing, overwhelmed, losing ground.

Then, in a final act of desperation, it lunged, mouth wide.

Before Bel could react, the behemoth's jagged teeth clamped down on him, engulfing half his body.

Ilya's world went still.

Lena gasped, hands flying to her mouth in horror.

Something inside Ilya snapped.

With a strangled cry, she forced herself forward, stumbling, but it didn't matter if her body failed her.

She couldn't let it end like this.

The goblin collapsed, its massive body hitting the ground with a thunderous crash. Bel fell free from its maw, tumbling limply before slamming against the dirt. He gasped, choking, a wave of blood spilling from his lips.

[HP: 78/482]

He rolled onto his side, struggling to breathe. He was in agony, through his entire body, hot, searing, unbearable pain. Every inch of him screamed in pain, his limbs refusing to obey, his lungs struggling for air. He had never felt anything like this before.

When did this happen? When did he start fighting like this? He wasn't supposed to be here, covered in blood, broken, on the verge of death. He was just a boy in a farm, wasn't he?

A flicker of light caught his eye. The system screen blinked before him, the interface somehow sharper, more distinct than before.

[Max Level Reached]

A new window materialized underneath it, displaying a branching path of symbols. He stared, unfocused, barely able to process what it meant. Then, words solidified.

[Awaiting Evolution] [Missing Requirement: Elemental Core]

Bel's breath hitched. His body trembled, his fingers twitching against the dirt. He needed something, an item, a catalyst. But what? Where?

He tried to move, his muscles screaming. Crawling, dragging himself forward with shaking arms, he inched toward something, something he had felt even in the chaos.

Then, he flinched.

An elemental core... a core from a powerful monster. The memories of his action from the guild to here reignited.

A core that he had to assimilate, from a monster different than the average... a monster different.

He looked beneath. He was back on the magic circle, and in front of him, the smoldering remains of the goblin shaman lay in ruin.

The acrid scent of burnt flesh filled the air, but underneath it, something else lingered, a faint, pulsing energy.

Everything was still for a moment.

Bel had sensed it before, but he had been too submerged in battle to focus on it. Now, his vision tunneled, his body moved on instinct. His fingers dug into the ashen remains, pushing past charred bones and flesh.

Behind him, the giant goblin stirred.

A guttural growl rumbled from its throat. It heaved itself up, struggling onto one knee. Its nostrils flared, its breath heavy, labored, but its monstrous instincts guided it. It could smell him.

It could smell Bel.

Ilya was almost to him when she saw the creature rise. Her eyes widened, panic surged through her veins.

"Useless Bitch!" she turned, her voice raw with desperation. "Heal him! Now!"

Lena flinched but didn't hesitate this time. She rushed forward, her hands already glowing with pale, golden light.

Ilya grabbed a broken stick from the ground, gripping it with trembling fingers. Her brain screamed at her to stop, to get back to the sun, but she forced herself forward, stepping in front of Bel.

She didn't know what he was doing, she didn't know if he could still fight, but she knew one thing, he was better than her in this moment, he alone could make these things disappear.

Meanwhile, Bel's hand finally grasped what he had been searching for.

His fingers closed around something smooth, something solid. The moment his skin touched it, a spark of warmth pulsed through his arm.

He pulled it free, lifting it from the ashes.

A deep red core.