Bab 150: Episode 37/Chapter 5: The One that Conquers (5)
TL: Tsubak
ED: Julsmul
One needed an adversary in a fight.
The concept of fighting couldn't be established alone.
In addition, Nidhogg didn't only have an opponent to fight.
'Completely alone. That's its weakness.'
Nidhogg had never received an attack.
There was no one that'd attacked Nidhogg in the root, and even less someone that'd hit it.
Because of that, Nidhogg had never felt threatened by anything.
And there was no one there to teach it how to fight.
The offspring of predators learnt how to hunt from their mother. They learned many things by watching how the animals near them fought, hunted, and escaped.
But Nidhogg didn't even have that process.
Rather than being taught, it didn't even have something to see.
'Perhaps, it may not have moved much.'
Because there was no need to.
In addition, the dragon was too big. Moving a body that big without any reason wouldn't be easy at all.
But of course, the essence that was in the heart room was a bit different, but the fact that it didn't have a reason to move was the same.
No matter how outstanding one was and how much of a shining jewel they were, before they polished their skill, they were merely a rock.
'That's good...no, it is enjoying it, right?'
It was howling while flying in the air, but it seemed to be having fun.
'It doesn't seem like it's a perverted masochist that likes to get beaten...well, that may be the case, but anyways, is it that?'
It wouldn't have had the opportunity to interact with someone else like this.
This moment may be a fun one for it, as if it was playing.
Tae Ho moved the moment Cuchulainn spoke. Whatever the case, he wasn't planning on playing with it.
'Let's restrain it first!'
It was true that Nidhogg was alone.
Honestly speaking, it was a poor.....no, an eternal life of solitude.
However, Tae Ho didn't get careless. Even if the situation had made it into a sorry figure, there was no guarantee that it was good by nature.
The situation and nature were two different things.
He would first use its weakness, and as it was called an ancient dragon, it would be able to grow stronger while learning during the fight against Tae Ho with its incredible talent. That's why he had to suppress it now that it was struggling.
'Sly bastard.'
The moment Cuchulainn shook his head and said some words, Tae Ho threw a flashbang Merlin had made to the opposite side.
Nidhogg turned to look at the flashbang as if it was an obvious thing and was enveloped by a light so strong that it covered the entire room. It seemed like it had gotten quite surprised, for the dragon that was standing on its two feet was about to fall.
Tae Ho closed his eyes for a moment to dodge the light and then clambered atop the tail of Nidhogg and got on its back.
He threw another flashbang once again and put back Dragon Vein.
Chpat!
The flashbang exploded, and Nidhogg struggled while being covered by light once again. It was shouting something, but as this was its first blinding experience, it grew scared in addition to its bewilderment.
'Wow....you are completely twisting the wrist of a kid. Cruel bastard.'
Instead of rebuking that there was no kid this strong and big, Tae Ho threw a tear bomb this time. It wasn't even easy to be hanging on it as Nidhogg was struggling fiercely.
[Saga: Warrior's Equipment]
[Dragon-Slayer Series 09 : Earthquaker]
A black gauntlet made with the leather and bones of a black dragon covered Tae Ho's hand and arm. The red and yellow lines engraved in the gauntlet made it look like lava flowing down from a volcano.
"Kyaak!"
Nidhogg inhaled all of the tear bomb and coughed. It was an object that could make huge monsters collapse, but it seemed like it just made its nose and mouth itch a bit.
Tae Ho set up the time to throw flashbangs, tear bombs, smell bombs, that could stimulate its sight and sense of smell and threw it in intervals.
The bombs exploded in consecution and took the attention of Nidhogg completely, and Tae Ho, who'd gotten ahold of a scale with his left hand, started to hit its neck with his right arm.
Kang! Kang! Kang!
The sound of hitting metal was heard instead of scales. Nidhogg just focused in the bombs rather than on Tae Ho as if the latter had no particular effect.
But Tae Ho didn't mind. Originally, one needed patience while accumulating damage. Just like there was the saying that there was no tree that wouldn't collapse after hitting it with one's axe ten times, if one hit the same spot repeatedly, they would see some hope.
Tae Ho's attacks were short and fast. When five of the six bombs went off, Tae Ho's attacks had already reached a dozen in number.
And they finally had some effect. The scale he had hit started to dangle in tatters, and Tae Ho tore it off roughly.
"Kyak!"
Nidhogg screamed. It concentrated completely on Tae Ho even though it was coughing because of the tear bomb.
'This is also a first for it.'
The experience of having a scale torn off. The pain that followed that.
Nidhogg fluttered its wing as if it wouldn't leave Tae Ho alone anymore. It seemed like it had some basic thought, and it twisted its body roughly in the air.
But even so, Tae Ho wouldn't fall just because of that. He struck with his fist towards Nidhogg's bare skin beneath the torn scale.
"Kyaaak!"
Nidhogg went crazy and slammed the wall of the room with its body.
But it was still immature. It was hard to slam the wall while floating in the air. It was impossible to shake off Tae Ho with the shock created by slamming the wall. In the first place, Tae Ho would have already collapsed if he was someone to fall with just that.
Tae Ho punched a few more times in the place the scale got torn off and then waited for a moment. Nidhogg grew a bit calmer as if it'd relaxed because the pain had subsided, or perhaps it was merely exhausted.
This was the best moment.
[Saga: Warrior's Equipment]
[Dragon Vein]
"Dragonote!"
Tae Ho yelled the activation code when he grabbed the sword, and a red aura started to surge from the blade of Dragon Vein.
Tae Ho stabbed the sword into the neck of Nidhogg without hesitating at all, and at that moment, Nidhogg curled down. It then let out an overwhelming roar.
"Kyyyyyyaaaaak!"
The cry wasn't only heard in the heart room. It's original body also screamed. The entire room shook as if it was being swept by an earthquake.
But Tae Ho didn't stop there. He twisted Dragon Vein. He opened the wound of Nidhogg even more and gave it a more terrible pain.
Nidhogg howled as if it was going to die. It didn't even struggle now and collapsed on the ground.
It wasn't because of the power of Dragon Vein.
Nidhogg took a sword for the first time in its life. A pain that couldn't be compared to having a scale tore off had paralyzed its head.
'It has no resistance towards pain.'
It was like Cuchulainn had said. Nidhogg was weak against pain. Too weak, at that.
If Nidhogg knew how to fight a bit more, if it knew how to use its physical capabilities, this kind of situation wouldn't have happened at all.
It would have shaken off Tae Ho and fought a battle that was favorable to it. This place was none other than Nidhogg's magical region.
But it was all meaningless. Tae Ho knew of Nidhogg's weakness and didn't let that go. He rather entered more stubbornly.
"Dragonote!"
Tae Ho yelled once again and a red aura then emanated from Dragon Vein. It spread the aura of a dragon massacrer throughout its body.
The essence of Nidhogg screamed and its original body trembled in pain.
'An ancient dragon indeed.'
It didn't show signs of dying even though it'd gotten hit directly by two dragon-massacring runes Odin had made directly. It only cried for a moment as if was too weak towards pain, but it didn't seem like the actual damage was big.
But it was enough with this.
Because the fact that it was crying like it would die at any moment was more important and the actual damage was secondary. Nidhogg's consciousness was caught in pain and fear right now.
In other words, it meant that it's will had been bent.
Tae Ho took a deep breath. He grabbed Dragon Vein tightly, which was embedded deeply within Nidhogg's neck and moved his left hand.
[Saga: The Hammer of the Blacksmith doesn't Slip Off]
[The Shining Snare of the Hunter]
[The Comfy Saddle of the Beast]
[Suppressing Reins that are Filled with the Love of Idun]
The rope filled with Ullr's power swirled around Nidhogg's neck. Tae Ho got on the beast's saddle and wore Nidhogg with the rein filled with Idun's power.
All the preparations were taken. The only thing left now was suppressing it.
[Saga: The One that Controls Dragons]
Tae Ho entered Nidhogg's consciousness. At that moment, the dragon trembled for a moment and let out a strange cry.
Tae Ho frowned. It didn't work well. The wall surrounding its consciousness was too thick.
"Dragonote!"
Because of that, Tae Ho activated the last rune magic. Nidhogg struggled in pain once again.
[Saga: The One that Controls Dragons]
Tae Ho activated his saga one more time and closed his eyes and focused. He pushed himself to a deep part of Nidhogg's consciousness.
Tae Ho opened his eyes. The entire place was dark. It seemed like nothing existed in the world that was pitch black.
But Tae Ho still took a step. It was because he heard a sobbing sound from far away.
It wasn't easy. His steps were heavy. It felt like he was walking in a swamp.
In addition, the difficulty wasn't only in the floor. Harsh waves advanced from the sides that seemed to only be emptiness. It was a strength that could crush Tae Ho to death at any moment.
Tae Ho was inside the consciousness of Nidhogg, who had lived for a long time along with the World Tree.
It was simple and simpler. It was dyed with only one emotion.
Loneliness.
Nidhogg's consciousness said, but it wasn't speaking to Tae Ho. That was the word it had spoken for thousands of years.
Nidhogg had been alone since the world had started. Ratatoskr appeared at times, but it didn't come down next to it. It just looked at it from far away, and in addition, it didn't even listen to Nidhogg's words. It only mocked and ridiculed Nidhogg with bad words and disappeared.
Nidhogg hated Ratatoskr, but it still waited for Ratatoskr to visit it.
Because he was still the only one that came to talk to it.
If even Ratatoskr disappeared, it would really be completely alone.
The 'One that Controls Dragons' was a saga that connected Tae Ho's consciousness to the dragon.
Because of that, Tae Ho couldn't breathe properly when facing Nidhogg's consciousness head on. He felt like he would suffocate at the overwhelming loneliness.
But he still had to endure. He needed Nidhogg's strength to get out from the roots.
Tae Ho poured the power of a God into his saga and then walked forward. A bigger wave of loneliness came crashing towards Tae Ho. The shape of Nidhogg that was seen from far away had the appearance of a woman.
Tae Ho gritted his teeth and kept walking.
As he walked, a bigger wave came and crushed down like a lie upon him. It advanced with the intent to wholly eradicate Tae Ho.
I'm lonely.
It had always been alone since the world had started.
Lonely.
It had been trapped in the roots, alone.
Painful.
It didn't want to be alone. It wanted to catch Ratatoskr that always left it alone.
But it couldn't do so. The only thing it could do was growl in the roots to signify its own existence, hear the sounds that resounded from the far distance at times, and imagine the outside world.
Nidhogg's consciousness was too heavy.
Tae Ho couldn't say sweet words like he would become its friend, or that it wasn't alone anymore.
The insight of Scathach's style told him that.
He wouldn't be able to overcome this situation with soft words and interaction. He had to forcefully break Nidhogg's consciousness and reach it, that was curling down to protect itself.
Tae Ho struck out with Idun's power and strengthened the controlling rate of the 'One that Controls Dragons'. He didn't stop there and even used Odin's power.
The shadow that was pressing down on Tae Ho started to break, and Tae Ho advanced and opened his mouth. He added another strength on top of Idun's and Odin's.
Bragi's rune.
The God of Music and Poetry.
The God of the saga that sings legends!
Nidhogg looked at Tae Ho. It had the appearance of a mature and beautiful woman that had black hair, but the expression on her face was that of a child.
Tae Ho approached her and amplified the power of his saga with the power of a God. After much effort, he succeeded and created a stronger saga with Bragi's rune.
[Myth-Ranked Saga]
[The One that Controls Dragons]
That strength would reach the ancient dragon!
The darkness surrounding Tae Ho broke down completely, and a powerful, controlling power grasped Nidhogg.
Nidhogg turned to look at Tae Ho with surprised eyes, and Tae Ho grabbed her hand.
And that was the limit. Tae Ho couldn't move anymore.
But it was enough. Nidhogg turned to look at Tae Ho that had grabbed her hands. She opened her eyes widely and then smiled brightly while dissipating all of her resistance that had surged up naturally. She then received Tae Ho's power completely.
'The One that Controls Dragons'.
Tae Ho opened his eyes.
The essence of Nidhogg turned its head and looked at Tae Ho that was riding on it.
[Ancient Dragon]
[Black Venomous Dragon Nidhogg]
Green words.
The essence of Nidhogg lowered its posture and expressed etiquette towards Tae Ho in a sloppy way.
< Episode 37 – The one that conquers (5) > End
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