Chapter 1519 Reverse Scale

Chapter 1519 Reverse Scale

The floor of the floating fortress was tilted, and Sunny could hear the sound of water rushing into the breaches. His sight was obstructed by the cloud of dust, so he closed his eyes and sensed a massive figure stirring in the darkness.

He grinned, forgetting about how torn and battered his body was.

Looking up, Sunny saw two cold silver stars burning in the darkness high above him — the eyes of the murderous dragon, gazing down upon him. The dragon moved, and at the same time, the shadows moved, as well. The drowning fortress shuddered.

***

Slumped near a puddle of water, Kai gasped for air. He was suffering from terrible pain and struggling to breathe... that blow Sunny had delivered him before was not a light one. He suspected that several of his ribs had been cracked or broken. His muscles were torn, as well, so drawing the bow was a torment.

'This... really is a Nightmare.'

More than anything, Kai felt lost and confused. The battle the government forces were supposed to observe had already been a disaster. The terrible journey through the merciless white desert was like a feverish dream. Before he knew it, they were standing in front of a towering block of black stone, preparing to enter a Seed of Nightmare. Kai had thought that he had prepared himself mentally for the dreadful trial of the Spell, but he had been wrong. Coming to his senses in the dim throne room of a mysterious palace was unlike anything he had ever expected... and much more terrible. Sunny was there, pulling him away from the falling debris. He heard some outlandish things about an evil dragon, who was also his twin, and an army of alien warriors that were supposed to help the cohort. A few moments later, the dark dragon was in front of them, commanding them to kneel. Kai knew that Sunny never lied, of course. But hearing that voice and feeling the irresistible authority contained within it, he fully realized that it was all true...

The abominable dragon was, indeed, a copy of him. A much more powerful, vile, and Corrupted version of Kai, who had betrayed his friends and was now trying to kill them. How could he turn on Sunny, Effie, Cassie, Nephis, and Colonel Jet? Kai did not know, but the truth was undeniable. Learning that truth hurt much more than having his ribs broken.

Things had moved very fast from that point, not giving him an opportunity to process the bitter revelations and make sense of what was happening. Sunny warned him to stay away and suddenly turned into a giant serpent, attacking the dragon furiously. Had his friend somehow become a Saint, already? Kai did not know.

Luckily, Sunny was attacking the dragon so fiercely that it had no time to turn its gaze at Kai. And so, the insurmountable authority of its command was slowly growing weaker. Groaning, Kai turned to the puddle of water and looked at the one who was hiding in the reflections. His lips moved:

"Be... ready."

With that, he slowly picked up his bow and raised it with trembling hands. His bow was a Transcendent Memory of the Fifth Tier, and there were plenty of enchanted arrows in his soul arsenal. The problem was that, despite that, Kai had failed to deal substantial damage to the abominable dragon. Ironically, the most damage he had dealt was to the shadow giant Sunny created, just before the explosion.

However... with his supernatural sight, Kai had long noticed a special scale hidden on the dragon's chest. It was of a different color than all others, as if forged from iron, and had a peculiar shape. Looking down, he looked at the iron amulet in the shape of an anvil hanging from a string on his neck. That amulet had been with him since the Second Nightmare, given to him by Sunny.

And so... his evil copy must have possessed it, as well. Ignoring the pain, Kai gritted his teeth and rose, then strained his muscles, and drew his bow.

The string was heavy.

One shot...

Sunny seemed to be moments away from death, so there would be no time for another. He couldn't miss.

He wouldn't miss. Silencing the deafening whispers that drowned his mind, Kai did what he was best at — aimed his bow, held his breath, and allowed his fingers to slip from the string. A sinister red arrow flashed through the darkness...

And hit the small iron scale hidden among countless others on the chest of the lunging dragon. The dragon's claws tore through the forming shadow giant and struck Sunny, pressing him into the ground. The arrow failed to pierce the creature's tough hide, and so Kai swayed, suddenly weak from blood loss. ...But it did break that single scale, cracking it in two. In the next moment, the man hiding in the reflection was suddenly gone, and the dragon froze in place. Something sinister reflected in the depths of his silver eyes.