Chapter 35: Dragon Slayer Joshua
All things originate from flame, born from steel.
Although the truth of the world has been forgotten by most, there are still some knowledgeable people who understand the original origin of this heaven and earth.
The flame that burned in chaos shaped the concept of existence, giving birth to the infinite multiverse. The ash left after chaos was burned away is the steel of origin, which nurtured all life.
In the ancient era, people believed that life was the power of steel, and that life itself was forged from steel.
Therefore, the power of steel is hidden within the body of every living being. The stronger the innate vitality and the larger the body of a creature, the more 'steel' it contains, and the more powerful it is. For example, dragons, as one of the most innately powerful lifeforms, undoubtedly possess the most steel within them.
Conversely, the power of steel can also feed back into the body, making it tougher.
Through rituals, prayers, the inspiration of predecessors, life-and-death stimulation, and other methods, the ancestors of humanity in ancient times successfully awakened the power of steel within their bodies, turning it into an active force that could be grasped and tempered. This was the original origin of the warrior profession.
Theoretically, no matter how weak a person is, there is a possibility of awakening this power. But if they are too weak, they will die during the awakening process. Therefore, a warrior must be someone with a strong physique and great strength.
In ancient times, relying solely on one's own ascetic cultivation and training to increase power was a long and meaningless endeavor. For the vast majority of warriors, they always hunted magical beasts, bathed in their blood, devoured their flesh, and used this most barbaric and ancient method to plunder the power within other lifeforms.
A true warrior will hunt the strongest beasts, obtain the greatest power, and forge their own legend.
That is—the Dragon.
Legend says that bathing in a dragon's blood can make a warrior's body impervious to blades and arrows, granting them a long life.
This is naturally not a lie, but a concrete fact. Killing a dragon and plundering the power of its life will naturally allow a warrior to make great progress, gaining far greater physical strength and endurance than others of the same level, and obtaining a longer life.
Of course, this is also the most difficult feat. Not one in a million warriors can accomplish this. The toughness of a dragon's scales is comparable to the strongest magical armor, the sharpness of its claws and fangs is nearly indestructible, and its vigorous vitality allows it to counterattack even when suffering a fatal wound. Coupled with its ability to fly flexibly, the difficulty is multiplied several times over.
Dragon slaying has always been the pinnacle of legends. Even the most powerful Gold-rank warriors would find it difficult to kill a dragon alone without the help of a large army or a team of experts.
But now, Joshua has done it.
"Phew—"
Letting out a long breath, the black-haired youth stood in the center of the dragon's nest. The corpse of the giant dragon lay not far behind him, its blood still flowing, dyeing the ground of the nest a dark red.
"It's been a long time since I've had such a hearty battle."
Joshua shook his right hand, and a faint crackling sound came from his arm. The battle just now had been extremely fierce. Although he had the upper hand from start to finish, the dragon's final desperate struggle still caused him some minor injuries.
"But it's all worth it. This is the first time I've felt the power of steel flowing so smoothly within my body."
He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him. After bathing in the dragon's blood, the power of steel in his body had become active, as if countless tiny steel particles were resonating, making his entire body feel as if it were being reforged.
"Unfortunately, this dragon is only a young adult. If it were an ancient dragon, I might not be its match."
Joshua shook his head, a hint of regret in his tone. "But that's fine. If it were an ancient dragon, I probably wouldn't have come to provoke it. At most, I could last a bit longer. I wouldn't be able to pull it to the ground and beat it down."
He smiled and nodded. Because of his own increasing strength, Joshua was indeed in a good mood. He didn't care about the dragon's nest, which was on the verge of complete collapse. Instead, he opened the long-unused system character card panel.
He looked at his own character card.
[Name: Joshua von Radcliffe]
[Template: Hero]
[Title: Dragon Slayer (Bonus to attack and defense against dragons)]
[Race: Human, Northwest Branch]
[Racial Skill: Combat Race (Combat skill experience x1.1)]
[Level: lv49 · Gold Glory High-rank]
[Challenge Level: lv49 (Hero)]
[Attributes: ...]
[Charisma: -8 (Lesser Dragon Awe -5)]
[Status: Bathing in Dragon Blood]
[Strength +20, Endurance +20, Natural Armor +15, High Cold Resistance, High Frost Magic Resistance, Enemy of Dragons, Lesser Dragon Awe]
[Since you are not a dragonborn or possess dragon bloodline, the charisma bonus from Dragon Awe is converted to a negative status]
[Class: lv48 Chaos Warden + lv1 Unknown Class]
"Unknown Class?"
Seeing this, Joshua couldn't help but frown.
(To be continued.)