Chapter 83: Chapter 79:Echoes of an Ancient World

The underground ruin slowly returned to silence.

Fragments of the **Ancient Guardian** lay scattered across the shattered chamber like broken monuments from a forgotten age. Pieces of enchanted stone still glowed faintly where John’s claws had torn through them. Ancient runes flickered weakly across cracked walls before fading into darkness.

The air smelled of dust, old mana, and scorched stone.

John stood at the center of the ruined chamber, his massive wings slowly folding against his back.

For several long seconds, he didn’t move.

The battle had ended minutes ago.

But something else lingered.

Fragments of memory drifted through his mind like distant echoes.

A sky darker than midnight.

Dragons the size of mountains.

Wings large enough to cover entire valleys.

And a world that trembled beneath their presence.

John blinked slowly.

The images faded like mist beneath sunlight.

"...That was... a lot."

His deep voice rolled quietly through the cavern.

The memories weren’t complete.

They were more like impressions—ancient instincts embedded deep within dragon bloodlines.

But they carried one unmistakable message.

**Tier 10 was only the beginning.**

John lowered his head slightly.

"...So this world is even bigger than I thought."

For a moment he almost laughed.

A few months ago he had been struggling just to survive as a hatchling.

Now he had just destroyed a **Tier 9 Peak guardian**, something created by an ancient dragon civilization.

And somehow—

That still wasn’t even close to the true peak of power.

John flexed his claws slowly.

Stone cracked beneath them.

"...Interesting."

He turned his head toward the deeper sections of the ruin.

Dark tunnels stretched beyond the broken chamber.

Some collapsed.

Some still intact.

Ancient mana currents drifted through them like faint rivers beneath the earth.

John narrowed his glowing golden eyes.

"...Tempting."

Exploring deeper could reveal more ruins.

More artifacts.

Maybe even more ancient knowledge.

Or something stronger.

But after a moment he exhaled slowly and shook his head.

"...Later."

He had already been gone longer than expected.

And if Lythriel knew him at all—

She was probably already worrying.

John paused.

"...Actually."

He chuckled.

"She’s probably complaining."

With a single powerful motion, he spread his wings.

The air inside the cavern shifted violently.

Dust and stone fragments lifted into the air.

Then—

**BOOOOM**

John launched upward.

The ruined ceiling shattered as the massive black dragon burst through the rock and exploded into the open sky above the forest.

---

## Return to Greenwood

The afternoon sun hung low above **Greenwood Forest**.

Golden light filtered through the towering trees, turning the drifting mist into glowing rivers of fog.

But the peaceful atmosphere didn’t match the tension in the village.

Several elves stood on the observation platforms overlooking the eastern forest.

They weren’t watching for enemies.

They were watching for one dragon.

Lythriel leaned against the railing with her arms crossed.

Her expression looked calm.

But her foot kept tapping against the wooden floor.

Commander Aerion noticed.

"You’re pacing."

"I’m not pacing."

"You’ve been tapping your foot for ten minutes."

"That’s not pacing."

Aerion said nothing.

Lythriel glared at the forest.

"...He said he’d only be gone for a short time."

Sylvara stood nearby grinding herbs in a wooden bowl.

"With John, a ’short time’ could mean anything."

"That’s not comforting."

Sylvara shrugged lightly.

"He fought a dragon hunter party two days ago and then went exploring ancient ruins."

"That sounds exactly like him."

Lythriel sighed.

"...He’s definitely enjoying this too much."

Aerion glanced toward the sky thoughtfully.

"...Perhaps."

Just then—

A deep **boom of wind** echoed across the forest.

The trees bent violently.

Leaves spiraled through the air.

Several young elves gasped.

Lythriel looked up instantly.

"...Speak of the dragon."

A massive black silhouette descended through the clouds.

John landed on the outer platform with a heavy **THUD**.

The reinforced wooden structure groaned beneath his weight.

Several nearby elves instinctively stepped back.

Lythriel walked toward him immediately.

"You were gone for six hours."

John blinked.

"...Really?"

"Yes."

"That’s longer than I thought."

"That’s because you disappeared into ancient ruins."

John tilted his head slightly.

"...You’re saying that like it’s a bad thing."

"It *is* a bad thing."

John chuckled.

Sylvara stepped forward, studying him carefully.

"...You’re injured."

Several shallow wounds still marked his scales.

Small fragments of stone were lodged between them.

John glanced down.

"...Minor scratches."

Sylvara raised an eyebrow.

"Minor scratches don’t usually involve broken rock stuck in dragon scales."

John shrugged.

"Occupational hazards."

Lythriel sighed.

"Did you fight something down there?"

John paused.

"...Yes."

Aerion stepped forward.

"What kind of ruins were they?"

"Dragon ruins."

Lythriel blinked.

"...Seriously?"

"Yes."

Sylvara frowned.

"That would explain the strange mana fluctuations we’ve been sensing recently."

Aerion crossed his arms.

"...Were there defenses?"

John smirked.

"Oh yes."

Lythriel groaned.

"Of course there were."

"There was a guardian."

The three elves stared at him.

Lythriel slowly asked,

"...How strong?"

John thought about it.

"...Strong."

"That’s not helpful."

"Let’s just say it was the strongest thing I’ve fought so far."

Silence filled the platform.

Lythriel processed that statement.

"...And you’re standing here."

John grinned.

"Correct."

Sylvara rubbed her temples.

"You fought something stronger than the dragon hunters... and you’re acting like it was exercise."

John shrugged.

"It was a very enthusiastic exercise."

"You’re impossible."

---

## Evening in Greenwood

Later that evening the forest grew quiet again.

The golden light of sunset painted the massive trees in shades of amber and crimson.

John rested on his usual platform near the edge of the village.

Lythriel sat beside him.

For once neither of them spoke immediately.

They simply watched the forest.

After several minutes she finally spoke.

"...You’re different today."

John glanced at her.

"How so?"

She studied him carefully.

"...Your aura."

"My aura?"

"It feels... deeper."

John chuckled.

"...You’re imagining things."

"I’m not."

She leaned against the railing.

"You fought something powerful down there."

"Yes."

"And something changed."

John didn’t respond.

Because she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Lythriel looked at him again.

"...You don’t have to tell me everything."

John blinked.

"That’s surprisingly reasonable."

She smirked.

"Don’t get used to it."

Then she added quietly,

"But if something dangerous is buried under this forest... we should know."

John considered that.

She had a point.

The ruins proved one thing clearly.

Greenwood Forest had a past.

A very old one.

"...The ruins were ancient," John finally said.

"How ancient?"

"Thousands of years."

Lythriel whistled softly.

"That’s older than most elven cities."

"Exactly."

She frowned.

"So why are dragon ruins under Greenwood?"

John shrugged slightly.

"I’m still figuring that part out."

Lythriel crossed her arms thoughtfully.

"...If dragons once ruled this forest..."

"That would explain the mana density."

She nodded slowly.

"That actually makes sense."

Then she looked at him again.

"...So what now?"

John stretched his wings lazily.

"...Now?"

"Yes."

"You’re not the type to sit still."

He grinned.

"You know me too well."

Lythriel sighed dramatically.

"That’s what I was afraid of."

---

## Under the Moonlight

Later that night Greenwood Village fell silent.

Moonlight illuminated the bridges and platforms between the giant trees.

Most elves had gone to sleep.

John sat alone near the edge of the village.

His golden eyes stared toward the distant mountains beyond the forest.

After a moment—

A faint blue panel appeared in front of him.

Invisible to everyone except him.

---

### STATUS

Name: John

Race: Abyss Dragon

Tier: **9 (Mid)**

---

HP: 14,200

Mana: 11,870

Strength: 3,210

Defense: 3,090

Speed: 2,870

Intelligence: 2,450

---

Skills:

Abyss Breath – Lv.7

Void Claws – Lv.6

Shadow Flight – Lv.5

Dragon Fear – Lv.4

Ancient Dragon Instinct – Lv.7

Primordial Dragon Memory – Lv.1

---

John stared at the panel quietly.

His skills had improved again.

Especially **Ancient Dragon Instinct**.

He could feel the difference during the battle earlier.

His movements had been smoother.

Sharper.

More efficient.

But his **tier** remained unchanged.

Still **Tier 9**.

Still far from Tier 10.

John leaned back slightly.

"...So that’s the wall."

Tier 10.

The gate.

The beginning of what Valtherion called the **true league**.

The memory fragments returned briefly.

Dragons that ruled continents.

Creatures that could tear open the sky itself.

Beings whose mere presence warped reality.

John exhaled slowly.

"...That sounds fun."

The system panel flickered again.

A small notification appeared.

---

**Hidden Requirement Detected**

To advance beyond Tier 9:

Accumulate **Dragon Essence**

---

John tilted his head slightly.

"...Dragon essence."

That sounded suspiciously specific.

And it probably meant only one thing.

Other dragons.

John slowly smiled.

"...Looks like I’ll be meeting more of my kind."

But somewhere deep in his instincts—

Something stirred.

A warning.

Because if he needed dragon essence...

Then other dragons might need **his** as well.

John looked toward the distant mountains.

Somewhere out there—

Creatures far older than him existed.

Creatures that had already stepped into the **true league**.

He flexed his claws slowly.

Stone cracked beneath them.

Instead of fear—

Excitement filled his chest.

"...Good."

His wings unfolded beneath the moonlight.

"...That just means the hunt will be more interesting."

Far beyond Greenwood Forest—

In lands unknown to both elves and humans—

Something ancient stirred.

Because somewhere in the world...

A young Abyss Dragon had begun walking the path toward **Tier 10**.

And the ancient powers of Terraxos...

Were starting to notice.

---

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