HBWnovel Chapter 247
Chapter 247
BOOOOM!
The power of thunder coursing through my left hand shaped itself into the head of a serpent, striking out with the speed of lightning.
My claws pierced through Docheol’s tough dragon scales with ease, delivering the scorching heat of the thunderfire deep into his flesh.
CRACK! CRACK!
Meanwhile, the power of the storm surged through my right hand, taking the form of a hawk’s talon.
It countered Docheol’s ominous black flames, ripping open his wounds further as the tempest tore into him.
“Each strike of yours is like the attack of a true master. Yes, this makes my visit worthwhile!”
Docheol laughed heartily, exchanging blows with me as if reveling in the moment.
The combined force of the storm and thunder would have overwhelmed most foes. But Docheol held his ground, fighting fiercely.
WHOOSH!
The ominous black flames around him disrupted the power of my storm and thunder, weakening my attacks.
That single slip earlier—caused by Dragon’s Eye activating on its own—had given him an opening.
Now, his cursed flames seeped into my wounds, steadily worsening them even as I attacked.
If this dragged on, I’d lose.
BOOM!
Docheol stomped the ground, and the sheer force of his movement sent the earth flying into the air.
For a moment, he lost his balance.
CRACKLE!
BOOOM!
Lightning rained down, scorching his scales.
“RAAAARGH!”
Docheol howled in agony.
No matter how tough his body was, there was no enduring the searing pain of thunderfire.
“Good... very good....”
Even as his body smoked and burned, Docheol didn’t lose his smile.
At this point, it was a little unnerving.
“But... it’s still not enough.”
WHOOSH!
The black flames reignited, consuming his charred body.
“You’ve enlarged yourself and unleashed such powerful techniques one after another. This isn’t normal power management. It feels... desperate, as if you’re being chased by time.”
“Grrr...”
My expression must have given me away because Docheol smirked knowingly.
“Yes. This must be temporary power. What a shame. If it wasn’t temporary, perhaps.... No matter. Let’s see if you can kill me within the time you have left.”
Was he planning to flee?
No, of course not.
This old fool was going to try and take me down head-on.
As strong as he was, something felt off. Compared to Gongbok, this fight felt less daunting.
Was it because I had grown stronger?
Or was Docheol unable to unleash his full power?
The latter seemed unlikely in a battle like this. If he was holding back, it had to be for a reason.
More likely, this was his full power.
Even then, he was a frustratingly durable opponent. His defenses weren’t as impenetrable as Gongbok’s, but his resilience more than made up for it.
He seemed to know it too, enduring my attacks while trying to outlast me.
If I couldn’t bring him down before my power ran out, I would lose.
But there was one thing Docheol didn’t know.
The power I used wasn’t simply being depleted.
BOOOOM!
The remnants of the storm and thunder, the energy cast toward him, and even the lightning that rained down from the sky—all of it converged in one place.
The essence of the five elements wasn’t about waste. It was about interaction and harmony.
Inhale.
This should be enough.
“What...?”
Docheol’s eyes lit up with excitement.
This old man really was a freak.
ZAAAAAP!
A brilliant blue beam, infused with storm and thunder, roared forward.
BOOOM!
Not even Docheol could come out of this unscathed.
“Impressive...”
He staggered, his body battered and burnt.
“That technique...”
And then, a black-scaled lizard appeared before her.
For the first time in ages, Docheol found a worthy opponent, one she could call her equal.
Despite the lizard’s cunning and tricks before their battle, she didn’t hate him.
On the contrary, she admired how he utilized every tactic at his disposal.
Each clash of claws and fangs brought her a strange exhilaration, almost akin to pleasure.
His overwhelming stature.
His mastery over the five elements.
Docheol had defeated countless males, despising them for their weakness.
They dared call themselves males while lacking the strength to prove it.
But this lizard—he was different.
Perhaps he was the closest thing to the "male" her father had always spoken of.
Conversely, if she could defeat him, perhaps her father would finally recognize her.
For the first time, Docheol felt certain.
This was an opponent worth risking everything for.
And yet, she mocked herself.
Facing such a mighty being, she still fought with her false persona.
She even scolded him for not giving his all while holding back herself.
Docheol realized it was time to discard this contradiction.
*
Docheol reverted to a human form.
Her power must have been nearly exhausted.
The bloodied old man fixed his gaze on me.
“You... you’ll do just fine,” she said, her voice steady despite her injuries.
Dark crimson energy swirled around her battered body.
Even after all that, she still had strength left. How much more could she endure?
Hiss...
The black and crimson smoke dissipated, revealing a transformation.
Gone was the hunched old man.
In his place stood a striking young man with blazing red eyes.
Typically, an entity’s true form is stronger than any human guise.
In terms of raw destructive power, there shouldn’t even be a comparison.
But this was something entirely different.
The aura emanating from her new appearance far surpassed both her previous human and beast forms.
“I should apologize first,” she began.
“I deceived my equal. It wasn’t intentional, though—I hope you’ll understand.”
Her voice was softer, almost androgynous. If you weren’t paying close attention, you might even think it was a woman speaking.
“I had my reasons,” she continued. “There were circumstances that forced me to hide this form.”
...So that’s why this battle felt easier than expected.
“You’re the first to see me like this.”
Was this why Gongbok and Cho-Do hadn’t mentioned it?
Docheol grabbed her shirt.
“This suffocating disguise...”
With a loud rip, she tore it off effortlessly.
The sudden shift caught me off guard.
“Kehr... ahem.”
I raised a hand to cover my mouth.
My accursed body chose the worst possible moments to react.
Docheol noticed, her gaze lingering on me with a glint of amusement.
Her crimson eyes blazed, sharp and intense.
She casually tossed the shredded remains of her clothes to the ground.
BOOM.
What? Why did her clothes make that sound?
Well, considering they could conceal her immense energy, they were probably no ordinary fabric.
“Stop standing there like an idiot,” Docheol said, assuming a fighting stance.
“I’ll face you, not as one of the Four Fiends, but as the second daughter of the True Dragon.”
Her words snapped me out of my daze.
This was the moment. If I wanted to make her submit, I had to defeat her in this form.
“Submit, is it? How amusing,” she said with a sly smirk.
...Did she just read my mind?
“Go ahead. Try it,” she taunted, her lips curling upward.
“If you can prove your strength as a male, I’ll gladly kneel before you.”