Volume 1, Chapter 71 – Moon Dragon

The massive dragon and the petite girl standing on its head created such a striking contrast in size that it made Fia’s pupils contract instinctively. She immediately used Wind of Exploration to assess the magical energy of the deep purple dragon and the small girl—the former was at least of the seventh tier, while the latter barely reached the second tier.

What puzzled Fia was that when she observed them with Mana Vision, neither of them showed the expected elemental reactions. Their bodies were enveloped in a layer of black mist that blocked the flow of elements.

To the naked eye, it was also noticeable that the dragon had a mass of chaos attached to its heart, pulsing rhythmically like an external organ—a grotesque sight.

“It’s a Moon Dragon! Your Highness, we need to leave, now!”

“Damn it, why is a Moon Dragon lurking beneath the temple? What were the Church’s paladins even doing?”

Anastasia grabbed Fia’s wrist, trying to pull her back from the cliff’s edge into the passage, while the two nobles retreated as far as possible from the Moon Dragon below the tunnel.

In the World Tree Continent, dragons represented the pinnacle of biological existence. An adult dragon could easily surpass the fifth tier, and their innate draconic magic, impenetrable scales, formidable vitality, and physical prowess meant that slaying one required a full-scale military operation—usually a thousand-strong army of magic casters—or else the outcome would be annihilation.

If not for the fact that Darkborn factions were deeply divided and most dragons had strong territorial instincts, dragons alone could have wiped out the majority of human nations.

And among all dragons, Moon Dragons were the most troublesome.

Known as the epitome of intelligence, they possessed magical abilities surpassing their kin, could set traps and devise strategies like humans, and in certain situations, were even willing to lower themselves to form alliances with other dragons—or even weaker beings.

In short, the appearance of a Moon Dragon always heralded disaster, for they only acted after thorough preparation.

“Wait, Anastasia.” Instead of letting herself be dragged away, Fia lowered her voice. “Running won’t help. This thing has already destroyed all paths leading to the surface.”

In other words, escape was futile.

If the underground space of the temple was as complex as an ant colony, then the chasm created by the Moon Dragon was like a massive chunk forcibly torn out of its center. No matter which path they took, they would have to cross this abyss.

Though Fia didn’t know why this girl-and-dragon duo seemed to be waiting for them, the next course of action was clear.

She released Liti’s hand and took the sword from Anastasia.

“Why fear battle, Princess of Elves? We have been waiting for you.”

The Moon Dragon’s voice reverberated through the vast underground hall, stretching over a kilometer.

It sounded like an early, poorly synthesized AI voice effect.

Fia couldn’t help but mentally complain, ignoring Anastasia and the others’ protests as she leaped off the cliff.

The Moon Dragon was, after all, a genuine seventh-tier monster. Rather than letting Anastasia interfere, it would be simpler to handle it alone—her presence would only hold Fia back.

The howling wind in her ears soon faded as Fia landed steadily on the ground. She instinctively glanced up at Anastasia and the others above.

Even after jumping from a height of over a hundred meters, her body felt no discomfort. Her physical capabilities were absurdly strong.

“As expected of the Elf Kingdom’s foremost genius. To face me without fear—we commend your courage.”

As Fia landed, the Moon Dragon raised its head, its massive, house-sized eyes locking onto her.

At such close range, the dragon’s sheer size was undeniably intimidating.

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Fia studied the Moon Dragon carefully.

It was almost exactly like the dragons depicted in fantasy tales—a body as large as a castle, wings covered in membranes and scales, powerful hind legs, and curled horns like a ram’s. Simply standing there, it exuded overwhelming might.

“Can we skip the small talk? I don’t know you, and I have no intention of fighting,” Fia paused, remembering her adorable little sister watching from above. As an admired older sister, she couldn’t afford to embarrass herself in this battle. “But if you insist on provoking me, I won’t hold back.”

“Hahaha! We are here precisely for you! Darkborn need no reason to act—these paladins are but a preview of your fate!”

With an ear-splitting laugh, the Moon Dragon lifted a forelimb, gesturing around the hall.

In the torchlight, countless paladins could be seen strewn along the walls like discarded trash. Though Wind of Exploration confirmed they were still alive, they were clearly out of commission—their armor shattered, their weapons bent or broken.

Among them, Fia spotted the red-robed bishop she had saved earlier and the inquisitor she had blasted with Flame Storm that morning. Unlike the paladins, these two had been given special treatment—their heads were wrapped in chaotic mist and pinned to the wall, a comical sight.

This Moon Dragon was a battle maniac.

Only fists could reason with such a creature.

Fia made her judgment.

“Let us see just how much power the so-called ‘foremost genius’ possesses!”

Pointing a claw at Fia, the Moon Dragon gathered a sinister black orb of energy, accompanied by an incantation in a voice no human could replicate.

Though Fia didn’t know what spell the dragon was casting, one thing was certain—she couldn’t let it finish.

“[Mental Shock].”

A flash of white light erupted, followed by a violent shockwave that slammed into the Moon Dragon. Instantly, the black orb in its claw dissipated, and its massive body reeled backward. Yet, after only a brief moment, it steadied itself, its voice filled with astonishment.

“To interrupt our incantation—such formidable soul power! Let us see how many times you can—!”

Before it could finish, sparks flickered beneath the Moon Dragon’s feet.

Then, a pillar of fire engulfed its lower half, the explosion sending tremors and a gale-force wind through the hall, kicking up dust that made it impossible to keep one’s eyes open.

Against an ordinary human, such an explosion would have reduced them to fragments. But this was a Moon Dragon—Fia didn’t expect Flame Storm alone to defeat it. No matter how powerful, Flame Storm was still derived from Fairy Fire. Expecting a first-tier spell to kill a seventh-tier monster was asking too much.

First, she needed to clear the battlefield of magical traps.

Mana Vision revealed magic circles littered across the hall. If she didn’t dismantle them, she’d be forced into a long-range magical duel.

Fia conjured the maximum number of wind blades and fireballs, scattering them in all directions. In an instant, magical lights of various colors flashed across the hall as nearly every magic circle was triggered and neutralized.

“This pain… it reminds us of our battle with the Frost Witch…”

Along with its musings, a deep, resonant incantation rose from the dust—not from the dragon’s mouth, but its stomach.

Ventriloquism? ¹ the art of producing vocal sounds that appear to come from a source other than the speaker’s own vocal organs, often involving a puppet or dummy

Unfortunately, no matter the method of incantation, as long as it required thought, Mental Shock could interrupt it.

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Another shockwave flashed, and the Moon Dragon’s chanting ceased abruptly.

This time, Fia noticed something she hadn’t before.

A split second before Mental Shock’s shockwave struck, a deep purple film composed of countless hexagons shimmered across the Moon Dragon’s body. Though it didn’t stop the attack, the shockwave’s power noticeably weakened after passing through it.

To test her theory, Fia unleashed another Flame Storm beneath the dragon. As expected, the fire pillar’s intensity diminished after penetrating the film.

The film must have magic-dampening properties.

Fia deduced.

If magic was ineffective—

Channeling power into her legs, Fia lunged forward, sword in hand, charging straight at the dragon.

“To forsake high-tier magic and challenge a dragon in physical combat—reckless indeed!”

After having its incantations interrupted twice, the Moon Dragon quickly learned its lesson and abandoned chanting altogether, resorting to low-tier, instant-cast spells.

A boulder the size of a truck materialized above Fia’s head, while the ground split open, erecting a stone wall in her path.

Rapid-fire draconic incantations sounded from behind the wall.

Mental Shock couldn’t penetrate obstacles—the Moon Dragon was buying time.

But a mere boulder couldn’t stop her.

Fia shattered the wall with a combination of wind blades and fireballs, dodging the falling rock with sheer speed.

However, as the dust cleared, what awaited her wasn’t another spell—but a massive black dragon claw filling her vision.

The incantation was a feint?

Unfazed by the ambush, Fia reflexively swung her sword upward in a diagonal slash.

The next moment, claws and blade collided.

Thud.

A faint impact sound.

The black-clad figure was sent flying backward. The sheer difference in weight prevented Fia from stabilizing herself. Just before crashing into the wall, she unleashed Torrent against it, the recoil slowing her momentum until she came to a complete stop, landing firmly on her feet.

“Tch.”

The numbness in her limbs made Fia click her tongue as she readied her stance.

It wasn’t that her strength was inferior—it was just that the elf princess’s body was too light.

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Who knew elegance would become a disadvantage in battle?

“To take a direct hit from us and remain unharmed… Are you truly the elf princess, or a Stellacryst Beast in disguise?”

The Moon Dragon stared at its claw. Though the exchange seemed to favor it, the truth was the opposite—Fia’s slash had cleanly sliced into its palm. Had the blade been longer, it might have severed a finger.

“Then how about this?!”

“You talk too much!”

With the ground cracking beneath her, Fia lunged again.

Having learned its lesson, the Moon Dragon abandoned direct confrontation, bombarding Fia with elemental magic to hinder her advance.

Arrows of light, crackling orbs of lightning, dark mist, and ice spears—every possible obstruction filled the hall.

Fia’s response was simple.

While the Moon Dragon needed several seconds to cast multiple spells, Fia could summon four or five times as many fireballs or wind blades with a single thought. And with her unparalleled computational ability, each projectile homed in on the dragon’s spells with pinpoint accuracy.

In mere moments, the glowing wind blades and trailing fireballs overwhelmed the Moon Dragon’s magic, hurtling toward it instead.

“How can a Stellacryst Beast’s magic surpass ours?! What manner of creature are you?!”

Amid the chaotic explosions, the Moon Dragon’s disbelieving roar rang out.

But it soon lost the luxury of speech.

Using the explosions as cover, Fia dashed to the dragon’s feet, then kicked off the ground, launching herself high above its head.

Gripping the sword with both hands, she brought it down in a vertical slash aimed straight at the dragon’s skull.

Realizing the danger, the Moon Dragon instinctively began an incantation—only for Fia to interrupt it with another [Mental Shock].

“You dishonorable wretch!”

Frustration from repeated interruptions surged within the dragon. It reared its head and unleashed a torrent of scorching dragon breath at the descending Fia.

But instead of dodging, Fia only tightened her grip—among her many spells was [Flame Immunity]. She had once tested it by thrusting her hand into fire, feeling nothing but warmth. The effect even extended to her clothing.

If only she had a polearm like a halberd—this strike could have at least severed the dragon’s tongue.

As regret flickered through her mind, Fia noticed her sword glowing red-hot, on the verge of melting.

Seriously? Its breath can melt weapons too?

This dragon was absurd.

With her nearly molten weapon useless, Fia hurled it straight into the dragon’s maw, then unleashed a full-power [Torrent] directly into its throat.

A massive geyser of water blasted into the dragon’s mouth. Using the recoil to adjust her trajectory, Fia twisted midair, avoiding the dragon’s jaws and landing atop its head.

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The gray-haired girl who had been standing there earlier was gone—ignoring that detail, Fia focused on the dragon’s right horn. At the critical moment as she flew past it, her left hand seized the horn, using it as leverage to swing her body around. Clenching her right fist, she drove it straight into the dragon’s skull.

BOOM!

A deafening impact echoed through the hall, strong enough to make one’s heart skip a beat.

Scales and dragon blood scattered like shrapnel as the Moon Dragon’s entire body lurched downward from the blow, its maw letting out an incoherent scream.

Her fist ached.

Fia shook her hand.

But seeing the dragon in far greater pain, she decided it didn’t hurt that much after all.

Now, to press the advantage and force it into submission—

“GAAAAH! You wretched pawn of the gods!!!”

Like she said— too much talking .

As the Moon Dragon roared, the same black magical light from earlier gathered in its maw. Seemingly a last-ditch attack, the energy surged forth as a beam without any incantation. But with Fia standing atop its head, the attack had no chance of hitting her.

Admittedly, the Moon Dragon at full power was terrifying.

Everything the black beam touched—walls, ceiling—vanished as if erased from existence. As the dragon swung its head, the beam bisected the hall, even piercing through the ceiling, allowing moonlight to spill inside.

Then, an eerie creaking filled the air as cracks spiderwebbed across the ceiling and walls.

“Tch.”

The hall was collapsing.

Frowning, Fia stomped on the dragon’s head, forcing its jaws shut, then delivered a point-blank [Mental Shock] to cut off its magic. Using its head as a springboard, she leaped toward Anastasia and the others on the cliff.

“It’s coming down! Anastasia, get Earl Alvin and Alfred out of here—use your [Flight] magic!”

“Understood!”

Once Anastasia acknowledged, Fia turned to Liti, who stood a head shorter beside her.

“Liti, hold on tight.”

“Eh?”

Without waiting for a reply, Fia scooped up the petite girl in a princess carry. Amid Liti’s startled yelp and the sensation of her arms tightening around Fia’s neck, Fia leaped toward the hole in the ceiling.

In an instant, the vast, moonlit surface world filled her vision.

Translator Note

time to insert my cool ost while tl-ing~ (nvm me)