185 Thunder Rumbles in Winter

Dirt and rocks tumbled down without end, and the hydra roared violently. It waved its tentacles furiously amid the sizzling sound of flesh.

The hydra charged towards Thales and Little Rascal.

Without any time to think, Thales reacted on instinct Little Rascal was stunned with terror. Thales hugged her tightly and jumped aside.

*Bang!*

A tentacle smashed into the ground with a loud crash. It sank a portion of the street.

Thales and Little Rascal coughed violently in the thick soot and dust.

"Quick-cough, cough-run!" Thales said to Little Rascal through great difficulty.

But in the next moment, another tentacle smashed the ground with frenzied roars.

…..

Not far from Shield District, two men supporting each other conversed in an indescribably solemn manner.

"What did you say?!" Gleeward asked, shocked. "Are you sure?" 

Nicholas supported the veteran with a solemn face. "Ah, I was saying that there is a reason why Kilika has a name, and had its own page in history."

The Star Killer pursed his lips, his face becoming paler.

"The 'Legend of the White Blade Guards' says that Kilika is not the Blood Mystic's appendage or creation. It has a life of its own. And even though this monster maintains a close connection to its owner, it can survive independently.

Gleeward inhaled deeply. His eyes were wide open.

The lame, one-eared veteran's face twitched. "Are you saying that that thing… even when its owner isn't around?"

Nicholas nodded and supported Gleeward as he strode over a fallen little tree. "Yes, if I'm not mistaken, it's King Raikaru's archenemy, Kilika, the Evil Hydra."

Nicholas raised his head and looked towards one direction, as though sensing something.

"Even after the Blood Calamity is sealed, it can move around on its own."

*Bang!*

With the residents' frightened screams, a massive, red monster that had not been seen for a while reappeared on a nearby street. As tall as a building dozens of stories high, its huge body carried a large impact force. Gleeward gaped in shock.

Narrowing his eyes, Nicholas stared at the hydra and took a deep breath. It was moving its limbs wildly and pounding the street so hard that soot and dust flew everywhere. "Worse still, without the constraints of its owner, it will become more violent, more fearsome, more… reckless."

In the distance, a massive tentacle pounded the ground. Nicholas sighed.

Gleeward looked extremely furious. He roared with resentment and anger. "F*ck!"

Right in front of their eyes, more than ten madly screaming residents who just barely escaped death were smashed into mincemeat by the tentacle's massive force.

…..

Another tentacle in the air mercilessly smashed down on the ground.

Thales clenched his teeth hard, and as if the world was moving in slow motion, he grabbed Little Rascal and dodged the tentacle again by rolling on the ground.

*Bang!*

Again, they barely managed to dodge the hydra's mindless and frenzied whipping.

Thales rolled on the ground. The friction caused his knees to bleed from a scrape. Lying in Thales' bosom, Little Rascal's entire body trembled.

Thales felt dizzy. His eyes and muscles ached incessantly. He had used the Sin of Hell's River to the limit.

Again, the giant tentacle swept towards them.

Thales hugged Little Rascal tightly as she kept her eyes closed. He lowered his head quickly and hid behind a low wall.

*BOOM!*

When they raised their heads, half of the wall had disappeared.

'Why did this happen?' Gritting his teeth, Thales lamented his misfortune. 'If Giza isn't… Then where is she? I would rather she come straight for me! Why does she play tricks on us like this? Does she intend to kill us like how a cat would kill a mouse by toying with it?'

He was furious.

At the same time, Kilika seemed to be extremely furious too.

It whipped its giant tentacle about crazily, pounding the ground without attempting to hold any of its power back, and swept away everything that moved.

*Bang!*

Dirt and rocks splattered over Little Rascal and Thales. The latter felt pain on his head. A stone had hit his head, causing Thales to feel his head swim.

He shook and collapsed on the ground with Little Rascal's frightened screams.

Thales panted and his chest felt heavy. He collapsed on the ground, still feeling dizzy.

'So tired... So painful... So sore...'

He had no energy left.

'Can I… Just lie here like this?'

Screaming, Little Rascal pulled Thales' arm hard, dragging him out...

One meter… Two meters...

Just like how she dragged Thales away from Giza's clutches.

"Run, quick," Thales said. His mind was groggy. "Run, quick…"

In a daze, his consciousness slipped away.

Little Rascal was still not willing to give up. Gritting her teeth and holding back tears, she placed Thales' arm over her neck. With her thin and small body, she supported the boy's powerless body with all her might.

"Hold out a little longer…"

Thales regained some awareness. He subconsciously thrashed his limp and aching feet around, but he did not have the energy to hold up his body at all.

Little Rascal stubbornly continued to carry him. Gritting her teeth, she shifted outside step by step.

"Thales… Thales…"

*Bang!*

There was another smash. The massive vibration toppled the already-unstable children.

Thales rolled over while his mind was still in a muddled state. His eyes were half open, and his vision was a little blurred. His whole body ached, and he felt a little cold, too.

*BOOM!*

At that moment, even the massive sound nearby made by Kilika was different to Thales.

*Whoosh…*

"Hah… Hah..." He panted heavily.

Thales felt Little Rascal desperately pulling him again.

'Damn it. This damned night.' He thought powerlessly as he shut his eyes.

*Whoosh, whoosh…*

The second prince raised his trembling hand and tried to prop himself up from the floor. In the end, he let it fall without strength.

*Woo… Whoosh…*

He panted weakly.

'Strange... Why is there… thunder?'

*Woo… Whoosh… woo…*

'No. It's probably…'

Thales opened his eyes fully as he was dragged by Little Rascal. His mind was in a state of confusion.

'Probably my ears ringing. Why-why would there be thunder in winter?'

*Whoosh… Whoosh… woo…*

The ringing beside his ears continued.

'Thunderstorms in winter?' He shut his eyes again and thought in his daze, 'Isn't there a poem in the Han Music Bureau…? Thunder rumbles in… thunder rumbles in winter…

'What comes after winter?

'Oh. Snow falls in summer. Not till… not till something ceases…'

At that moment, Thales felt the hand that was dragging him back relax its grip suddenly.

'Hah... Little Rascal… Is she out of strength and giving up, too?'

Despite the vague haziness, Thales opened his eyes a little. Little Rascal's stunned face appeared in his vision.

'Eh?'

He noticed something else: Sparkling droplets were falling from the sky.

'Is it raining? ...No.' Thales blinked his out of focus eyes. 'This is…'

His pupils suddenly narrowed.

'Rain that sparkles slightly with a dark green light? No, it's not rain.'

Once he was certain of what he was seeing, Thales giggled while his mind remained groggy.

'It's fire. Dark green fire. The sky is… raining fire? Haha, how funny.'

Thales blinked with a muddled mind.

'Raining fire?'

*Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…*

'Thunder again? Haha. Not just Mystics, but also… thunder in winter, and fire raining from the sky. Haha, such an interesting trip to Northland.'

When Thales almost slipped into unconsciousness, other people in the city were also staring at the abnormality in the sky in shock and panic.

Flanked by White Blade Guards, King Nuven was totally stupefied when he looked up at the sky. Just like the White Blade Guards who stood behind him.

"This is impossible…" The king's voice trembled.

At the periphery of Shield District, Kohen mercilessly knocked the Phantom Wind Follower out. The latter lay limp among the ruins. On the other hand, Miranda had the prince's attendant, who drew his sword to strike back, firmly under her control.

In the next moment, all three of them raised their heads. Their eyes became as wide as saucers

"Oh God, oh God, oh God…"

Muttering continuously, Kohen was not even able to finish a sentence. He no longer cared about going after Ralf anymore.

Miranda and Wya, who were engaged in a swordfight, had their eyes and mouth agape in shock. They slowly lowered their crossed blades.

"Am I dreaming?" Wya subconsciously shook his head.

While under an eave nearby, the white-clad Raphael looked as if he could not believe his eyes. He raised his hands and rubbed his eyes repeatedly.

"Is this a joke…?"

After seeing everything before him clearly, he clenched his teeth and balled up his fists, in a state of disbelief.

In Shield District, Nicholas furrowed his brow and shook his head while in a daze.

Supported by Nicholas, Gleeward was, at first, shocked, then he trembled, unable to contain his excitement.

"I knew it, I knew it! We…"

All the residents of Dragon Clouds City were gaping with amazement. They all stared at the dark green fire that rained from the sky. A burnt smell lingered in the air and gradually intensified.

Thales detected the burnt smell and he opened his eyes with considerable effort.

He saw a giant tentacle not too far away. It was… burning in a dark green flame.

His eyes widened.

After recovering some strength, Thales finally took in what was happening.

Green flames continued to fall; they fell right on the hydra's body and its tentacles; the hydra began to combust.

Thales watched in amazement at the hydra roaring in pain.

The dark green flames were not huge in size, they were just tiny dots compared to the hydra's massive body. They were even smaller that the sparks from dying flames.

But the moment these flames came into contact with blood and flesh, they rapidly became larger, brighter, more brilliant. It was as though they were alive and conscious, and they would swiftly engulf all flesh in flames.

Cowering in pain, Kilika no longer had the strength to lift its tentacles, as if those green flames engulfed everything in its body.

Watching the strange, dark green flames, fear rose in Thales' heart. However, as if they possessed the ability to see, these seemingly merciless flames only fell on the hydra's body, not even touching the ruins beside the tentacles.

The flames continued to burn… until the hydra stopped convulsing; until its massive body slowly crumpled on the ground; until all the tentacles turned into ash.

Lying on the ground, Thales blinked and shook his head with all his strength, trying to make his fuzzy mind clear.

At that moment.

*Whoosh… whoosh…*

The wind roared loudly.

It came crashing into his face and was deafening to the ears…

... and swept up soil, sand, snowflakes and ash.

This unusually strong wind made Thales and Little Rascal incapable of opening their eyes, they had no choice but to cover their faces.

The next second...

*BOOM!*

A deafening sound echoed. The ground shook.

Thales felt his entire body jolt. Their feet rose half a foot above the ground before crashing down heavily.

Lamenting his misfortune, Thales clutched his arm that had knocked into a slab of stone. Before he had the chance to caress his aching buttocks, a substantial gust of air rushed forward with the kind of fearsome momentum that could break anything.

*Whoosh…*

More dust and soil was swept up. Thales hugged Little Rascal tightly and pressed himself to the damaged wall to hide from the strong wind.

At that moment, Thales realized something.

'Asda, the Air Mystic is back.' His heart felt a little calmer.

The roaring wind died down.

Panting, Thales and Little Rascal raised their heads slowly. The second prince felt Little Rascal freeze suddenly, then she started to tremble.

'Right. After all, Asda left such a great negative impression on her.'

With a sigh, Thales stood up.

He looked towards the direction of the strong wind… and froze. He bit his lip and widened his eyes.

Among the combusting green flames, the sky full of ashes, and the incomparably dark night… he saw a pair of bright yellow eyes, as clear as amber.

The eyes stared at him without moving, exuding a type of aged serenity and wisdom. It was as if those eyes could see through the human heart.

He saw the creature's dark red, simple, and sturdy appearance. The dark red portion was made up of several patches connected together. They dazzled brilliantly under the light of the green flames.

He also saw the creature's erect body, and a long neck that formed a curve.

At that moment, he was a little amazed. The creature seemed so elegant and dignified to him, with a natural aura of stateliness.

Of course, Thales did not neglect the creature's most prominent characteristic. He shook his head violently and blinked as if his life depended on it. He then raised his hands to rub his eyes.

Thales inhaled deeply and, after eliminating all other possibilities, firmly and resolutely confirmed his judgement.

"That's right," he said softly to himself.

Thales forced his heart to calm down, which was beating even more intensely than when he faced the Mystics. He tried his best to stay calm and tremble less. He then took continuous deep breaths.

'That's right,' he repeated in his heart.

Finally, Thales gulped with some effort. Staring at the creature's massive body, Thales told himself, 'Thales, you're not crazy. You're really not crazy. You saw… You really saw, with your own eyes…

'A legendary... Real... Gigantic... A few dozen meters tall... A living…

'...dragon.'