An Uninvited Guest

They thought he had returned to the capital, but of course, he hadn't. That place was already under the control of Orange Hair and the fanatics, who were now carrying out his plan.

A gift he had prepared for the heroes.

To make the gift more memorable, he appeared on a hill, watching over the home of the Dragonar race—descendants of dragons that were now extinct.

They stood on two legs like humans but had bodies like dragons. Their heads were those of dragons, still capable of breathing fire, and their skin was as hard as iron, making them one of the strongest races—sitting at the top of the food chain.

As dragon descendants, they also possessed a vast amount of mana.

Though not as much as the elves, their shield-like skin, dagger-sharp claws and teeth, along with their large and muscular bodies, made them the perfect warriors even without special training.

It took five adult humans to take down a single Dragonar.

And even then, they would still lose their lives.

That made him eager to see just how strong these heroes truly were. But his arrival this time wasn't for that purpose—it was to meet the Dragonar elders, who would later be visited by the heroes.

He had to make a few arrangements before they arrived.

The elders, who were enjoying their time indoors, discussing the future of the Dragonar race and what decisions to make to ensure peaceful survival, were shocked—one even fell off his chair—when he suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. The two heavily armored guards immediately pointed their massive spears at him, ready to strike on command.

The previously startled elders now looked confused at the strange figure before them, whose face couldn't be seen. They assumed humans had once again invented some strange technology using their small but clever minds.

"State your name and explain why you entered without permission," demanded the elder in the center, with a slightly intimidating face, especially due to a scar above his eye.

"I mean no harm, I simply want to discuss a few things. Of course, I won't stay still if your reactions aren't to my liking."

Upon hearing that, the two guards stepped forward.

"Human, you've dared to enter this room without permission and have just threatened us, the Dragonar elders. Are you ready to face the consequences?" he asked again, this time in a firmer, louder tone.

"Of course. In fact, I should be asking you the same question."

The two guards lunged forward, swinging their massive spears in hopes of slicing the man in two. But in reality, their spears stopped mid-air, halted by something invisible.

They tried to pull them back, but the Dragonars' strength couldn't budge them, and the elders realized they were facing someone unusual.

"Oh, just so you know, I'm not human."

With a snap of his fingers, the entire room was suddenly engulfed in a swirl of glitched colors, causing everyone's body to tense in fear.

No creature had ever been known to isolate space like this. Even their magic didn't work, and their mana suddenly vanished from their bodies.

"W-What did you do to us?!" one of them shouted in anger.

"I didn't do anything. I merely separated you from the world," he replied calmly, watching the two guards still trying to pull their hands off the spear shafts, hoping for a miracle to save the elders' lives.

The future of the Dragonar race was in their hands, and they wouldn't let some outsider take that away.

"Now then, let's talk peacefully."

The elders glanced at each other, knowing that any rash move would mean instant death. They all sat back down, trying to calm themselves even as their hearts pounded and instinct screamed at them to flee.

"What do you want?" asked the central elder, trying to figure out who this person was, searching his memory for anyone matching the description before him.

"I'm going to reveal a great secret of the human race—a secret that will determine your life or death depending on how you react," he said, making the atmosphere even more tense. "This secret will shock you, leave you in disbelief, and break your trust. And what you do next will decide the fate of the Dragonar race."

"You speak as if you have the power to kill us all."

He grinned wider, surprised that the elder before him had the guts to say such a thing despite witnessing his power.

The Dragonars truly were different.

"Because I can."

That reply made the elder laugh loudly while the others looked on nervously, wanting to stop him but also knowing he was the strongest among them—once a warrior himself. "Even the Demon King would think twice before saying such a thing. Are you really sure you have that kind of power?"

Just as Orange Hair had said—the Dragonars would not submit easily to anyone.

And that's why he couldn't hold himself back any longer.

The isolated space shattered, and the two guards instantly fell.

The elder, now sensing mana again, quickly gathered it into his hands. But before he could act, he was already grabbed by the collar and pulled out through the roof until all eyes below turned toward the two of them.

The Dragonars were confused but quickly gathered their mana, preparing to assist, just as Orange Hair said—they moved as one unit.

If one is attacked, they all strike back.

Up in the sky, the elder struggled and finally breathed fire, hoping to melt his enemy's face. But his eyes widened when he saw the man completely unscathed, even smiling confidently—as if the fire, hot enough to melt steel, was just a spark.

He let go of the elder, letting him fall, but the elder used magic to stabilize himself mid-air. Strange glowing green patterns now lit up along his arms.

"You thought you could kill a Dragonar by dropping him from the sky?" the elder laughed. "We are dragon descendants, boy. If you think you can defeat us that easily, then you're dead wrong. You'd better give up your life while I'm still asking nicely."

Flames cloaked both his arms in white—surprising his opponent, who hadn't expected fire to come in other colors. And honestly, it looked beautiful—if only it weren't used by someone who now resembled a main villain.

"You've seen me resist fire, and you still want to use it?" he asked.

The elder laughed again. "This is no ordinary fire. It's an eternal flame—one that never dies and burns forever. Even magic can be consumed by it. It's dragon fire," he said, gazing at his hands. "Even if it's just an imitation, it's enough to deal with an arrogant person like you."

He dashed forward, fast enough to rival an elf's arrow, and slashed with sharp claws—unfortunately missing. The elder tried again and again, but the man dodged every move like an eel, not attacking, merely toying with him instead of fighting.

Humiliated, the elder roared, and more glowing red patterns appeared across his body. A pair of leathery wings emerged behind, seemingly made of the same red flames.

"You'll regret not taking me seriously!"

When he swung his claws this time, three massive flame crescents appeared, almost rivaling Aldean's attacks, accompanied by a hot gust of wind.

The elder was sure there was no way the man could dodge this one. And even if he did, he'd be hurt. But his eyes widened at what he saw.

Not only did the man stop the attack mid-air, he also sent it back—forcing the elder to defend himself, or be injured by his own attack.

Meanwhile, the Dragonar heroes—who had been about to embark on a journey—rushed back to the city before the situation could get any worse.