Chapter 390 - 389: Seeing Stars

Chapter 390: Chapter 389: Seeing Stars

Seraphina Sinclair’s strike left it no chance to recover.

SQUELCH—

There was no earth-shattering sound.

The three Light Blades, like three vipers that had long since locked onto their target, silently burrowed into the already ruptured Dragonkin flesh.

For a moment, it was as if the world had been frozen in time.

The Storm Dragon’s motion to bring its forelegs together froze mid-air. Its dark gold, vertical pupils dilated abruptly. All the emotion within them cracked like a shattered sheet of ice, sinking piece by piece into the depths, never to be seen again.

It lost all its strength. The light in its dark gold pupils rapidly dimmed, and its head lolled limply to one side.

Next, the four dragon legs supporting its massive body began to tremble like overburdened pillars. Its mountain-like frame started to tilt forward uncontrollably.

BOOM!!!

The Storm Dragon’s body finally crashed heavily onto the ground, which was covered in the marks of wind erosion.

The ground near the point of impact shook violently. A fine web of cracks spread outward. The resulting cloud of dust, mixed with shattered scales and congealed blood, formed a gray cloud that slowly rose into the air.

Seraphina Sinclair stood before the Silver Dragon, panting heavily as she looked up at the massive creature.

It was clearly not dead yet, but it was on its last breath.

Seraphina Sinclair walked up to it step by step. She looked at its eyes, once golden yellow but now devoid of luster, barely able to move. She suddenly raised her longsword—

—and slashed down on either side of its eyes.

’There, symmetrical.’

Having witnessed the Storm Dragon’s true power, Seraphina Sinclair was finally certain that it had discovered her presence from the moment she entered the windless zone, or perhaps even earlier.

As for why it hadn’t attacked at first, it was probably due to a cat-and-mouse mentality.

Even though wind was everywhere, it couldn’t ride the currents and fly freely. This place was perennially deserted, with no other living creatures besides itself. When an interesting toy suddenly appeared, how could it bear to simply kill it outright?

’Its arrogance... was ultimately its own undoing.’

After carrying out this rather childish act of "revenge," the roiling killing intent and resentment in Seraphina Sinclair’s chest finally subsided a little.

She strode quickly to the Storm Dragon’s chest. From this angle, she could easily plunge Water Dragon Roar into it.

With a single thrust, the great beast before her was completely lifeless.

An S-Class magical creature, a true Great Dragon, the former master of the sky and storms... had died at the hands of a human.

’How the mighty have fallen.’

The thought had barely surfaced before Seraphina Sinclair quickly suppressed it. ’Why would I curse myself like that?’

Immediately after, several notification windows popped up at once.

Before she could even look at them, the effects of Grace came to an abrupt end. All the pain and exhaustion that had been forcibly suppressed erupted at once, like a flash flood that had been held back by a dam for far too long!

A tearing agony shot through her heart, as if the organ that had been pierced and then had a Bone Nail pulled from it was now being repeatedly stabbed by countless fine needles.

This was the most direct backlash from the price she had paid. The emptiness and cold brought on by the frantic drain of her life force were more despairing than any external wound.

Then came the pain from the rest of her body:

The wound on her shoulder blade, so deep the bone was visible; the huge gash on her side; the spot on her leg that had been sliced open again by a Wind Blade; the dull ache from displaced organs and fractured bones...

With Grace no longer shielding her, all her injuries flared up with sharp, acute pain, instantly overwhelming her nerves.

"Cough...!"

Seraphina Sinclair violently coughed up a mouthful of dark red blood, thick with small clots. Stars burst in her vision, and her sight quickly blurred.

Her legs could no longer support her weight. Her knees gave out, and she pitched forward.

Before her consciousness completely faded to black, she used her last shred of clarity to activate the trait of The Unfettered Guild Badge—

Heart Lock, item retrieval!

Advanced Medical Kit, Healing Potion, Energy Potion, attribute potion...

’Doesn’t matter if they’ll work or not, just use them all.’

This was as far as Seraphina Sinclair could hold on. With a dull THUD, her entire body slammed onto the ground, and she coughed up another small mouthful of blood.

Her eyelids were as heavy as lead. The last thing she saw was the Storm Dragon’s nearby gray eyes, now completely lifeless, and farther away, the rune box, quietly emitting an alluring red glow.

Darkness surged in like a tide, swallowing all light and sensation.

She was too tired, too heavily injured.

Before she completely lost consciousness, only a few fragmented thoughts flashed through her mind:

’...Sunflower...’s... sun... not dealt with yet...’

’...Red box... must live... get it...’

Then, there was only endless silence.

In the Wind-carved Fissure, the wind that had been raging for who knows how long gradually lost its frenzy. It began to grow gentle, eventually becoming a nearly silent breeze that flowed slowly through the vast fissure, brushing against the Great Dragon’s cold scales and the unconscious human’s cheek.

The giant Wind Element vortex on the ceiling overhead slowed its rotation noticeably, dissipating little by little as time passed.

When Seraphina Sinclair opened her eyes again, she saw a sky full of stars.

There was no black fog, no monsters, and no ceaseless howling of the wind.

She was dazed for a moment, thinking she had died and returned to her original world. It was only when she felt the soreness all over her body that she truly woke up.

She had to still be in the Wind-carved Fissure.

It was dark now...

’I’m... actually not dead?’

Seraphina Sinclair pushed herself up, trying to sit. The slightest movement sent pain shooting through her entire body.

The pain was sharp and clear, instantly dispelling all her daze. She was indeed alive, lying on the cold ground of the Wind-carved Fissure, and there wasn’t a single part of her that didn’t ache.

Every breath tugged at the injuries in her chest and abdomen, bringing a searing, stinging pain. ℴ

All the wounds that had been temporarily stabilized by the Advanced Medical Kit and potions but had not yet fully healed were now reminding her of the ferocity of her life-and-death struggle with intense, sore pain.

Seraphina Sinclair gave a bitter smile. It was only when she checked her Silver Ear Earrings that she realized the healing effect from the Advanced Medical Kit she had used just before passing out had worn off.

This was no time to be stingy with items. She immediately took out several Medical Bags and started treating herself with them all at once. She also drank a few Healing Potions, and only then did she feel the pain in her body subside considerably.

At the very least, she could sit up, albeit while grimacing in pain.

Being able to move was always a good thing. Seraphina Sinclair looked up at the stars she hadn’t seen in a long time and finally noticed the change in the Wind-carved Fissure.

The wind was gone.

’That makes sense. The Storm Dragon is dead, after all.’

Beside her lay the massive Dragon Corpse of the Storm Dragon. Farther ahead was the red rune box. There were also numerous system windows floating before her eyes, and suddenly, many unread private messages had appeared.

She found this a bit strange. Just as she was about to take a look, she heard a peculiar wet sound from behind her.

It sounded like...

...saliva dripping from someone’s mouth onto the ground.