Karl suddenly noticed that Borchi's eyes—once as blue as a clear sky—had turned completely crimson, like burning lava.
In the next instant, two scorching rays, glowing with a dangerous red light, burst forth from those crimson pupils.
Borchi's heart tightened, believing Karl was about to unleash an even more violent attack.
But the two crimson rays didn't fire at it. Instead, they swept across the ground below at extreme speed, cutting through the mist that still lingered there.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Several faint sounds rang out, like a hot knife slicing through grease.
Then Karl gently exhaled downward.
The powerful airflow instantly scattered the remaining mist and dust, clearly revealing the scene below.
About thirty meters from the entrance of the Dragon Grotto, dozens of dwarves and human mercenaries had taken advantage of the chaos caused by the collision of dragon breath and the cold current. The steam and confusion had given them a chance to sneak closer to the cave.
Now, however, those opportunists lay scattered across the ground as severed limbs and broken bodies.
Karl's heat vision had effortlessly sliced through them and their armor. Most died instantly, while a few were cut through the waist or chest. Some hadn't died yet, lying in pools of blood and letting out shrill, agonized wails.
Karl glanced coldly at the fools who had tried to challenge his bottom line and snorted.
This group truly valued money over life, completely ignoring his previous conversation and agreement with Borchi.
Floating in the air, Karl moved slightly closer to the dragon. His voice reached Borchi's ears, still filled with surprise.
"My perception is far stronger than you imagine."
"As long as I wish it, nothing within ten thousand meters can escape my notice." He tapped his head lightly, then pointed to his eyes. "Even in the middle of an intense battle, it doesn't affect my ability to track their movements."
He deliberately refrained from revealing the true limit of his perception, leaving a "small" margin in reserve.
Still, it was more than enough to demonstrate his strength and completely dispel Borchi's last remaining doubts.
Sure enough, after hearing Karl's words and witnessing how easily he eliminated the trash attempting a sneak attack, Borchi finally released its lingering hesitation and wariness. Its massive head nodded slowly.
The last traces of distrust vanished from the dragon's eyes, replaced by recognition of a powerful warrior—and a pure, ignited battle passion.
Borchi clenched its claws. Sparks faintly flickered in its mouth as its deep voice, filled with battle intent, echoed through the air.
"Powerful warrior—Arnulfati! Your strength and will have earned my respect!"
It suddenly raised its head and let out a dragon's roar that pierced the clouds and cracked stone.
"Roar! Then—as you wish!!!"
Borchi's eyes locked onto Karl, its voice carrying a final warning.
"Watch out!"
Before the sound had fully faded, its massive body moved. Its giant wings beat with all their strength, stirring up a gale far fiercer than before, making it nearly impossible for those watching below to keep their eyes open.
Like a golden cannonball, Borchi lunged toward Karl with unstoppable momentum.
Karl didn't dodge or retreat. He met the attack head-on.
At the moment of collision, he tilted his body, barely grazing past Borchi's left wing, and gently patted the dragon's back with his right hand.
Surprise flashed through Borchi's eyes. It twisted its massive body instantly, its tail lashing out like a whip toward Karl.
At the same time, its right claw swept in from another direction, blocking Karl's escape route.
The enormous claw—bearing only three sharp toes yet capable of tearing through city walls—slammed down toward Karl's head.
Karl hovered in midair, the playful ease gone from his eyes, replaced by focused seriousness.
Under his Super Senses, Borchi's lightning-fast movements slowed dramatically, every trajectory clearly visible.
Karl flipped agilely through the air, narrowly avoiding the tail strike, but halted just as the claw closed in.
He allowed Borchi to seize him.
At the instant before the claw tightened, Karl thrust his arms outward, forcefully prying apart a grip powerful enough to crush solid rock.
The sharp claws struck again. As they grazed his side, Karl reached out and grabbed one of Borchi's thick toes.
A cold, alloy-like hardness met his hand, followed by a massive surge of force struggling to break free.
"Hmph!"
A low grunt escaped Karl's throat as his arm muscles tensed instantly.
Using the momentum, he twisted his waist, attempting to swing the massive dragon around and hurl it backward.
This time, resistance answered him—Borchi was prepared.
Its wings beat violently, stabilizing its posture as its enormous body came to an abrupt halt in midair.
Though Karl's terrifying strength forced it to change direction, Borchi wasn't thrown aside as easily as before.
Instead, the two swapped positions.
Failing its initial strike, Borchi's other claw slashed down almost simultaneously.
Karl reacted instantly, raising his arm to block.
But just as his arm lifted, his vision—far sharper than any normal human's—caught a fleeting glint of cunning in Borchi's eyes.
No—this is a feint!
He immediately realized the dragon possessed extensive combat experience.
Karl had more than enough time to dodge. With his speed, he could have escaped the attack range before the claw landed.
Yet his gaze sharpened.
He made a bold decision.
He wouldn't dodge.
He wanted to personally experience the full extent of Borchi's strength.
The moment he committed to blocking, Borchi moved again.
With agility utterly unfitting its massive frame, the dragon spun abruptly.
Its thick, powerful tail—covered in golden scales—whistled through the air like a steel whip brimming with force.
A golden afterimage streaked across the sky.
Bang!!
The tail slammed solidly into Karl's crossed arms and chest, producing a deafening impact that made hearts tremble.
A violent surge of power tore through Karl's body. His arms and chest went numb.
Even with his Bio-Force Field and Steel Body, he couldn't suppress a grunt as his brows knitted tightly.
The overwhelming force blasted him from the air like a blurred shadow.
Karl slammed hard into a steep rocky cliff over a hundred meters away.
Boom!
Another thunderous explosion followed.
The entire cliff shuddered violently as dust and debris erupted from the impact point.
Massive chunks of rock—some as large as grown men—rained down, crashing into the ground and leaving deep craters behind.
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