Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 53: Iron Game

Chapter 53: Iron Game

The bears surrounded the group, countless monstrous forms emerging from the swirling snow.

The adventurers froze, their eyes wide with fear. This wasn’t how it usually went.

Normally, they hunted monsters they were already aware of in a clear location.

But now, it was reversed. For the first time, they were the ones being hunted in an unknown land.

Their breathing became heavy, panic spreading among them. Ronan glanced around, trembling, as if hoping a divine intervention would magically happen.

A sudden, solid thud made everyone flinch.

Bel stepped calmly off the killed bear’s massive body, walking confidently to stand in the middle of their circle.

The bears began growling, inching closer, their eyes gleaming dangerously. Bel simply smiled, completely unbothered.

"H-hey, Iron Dude? Now’s a good time to pull something..." Ronan stammered, his voice shaking.

But Bel didn’t respond. He stood silent, intrigued by his own calmness. He wasn’t afraid, not even worried.

Was it his special ability again? After all, fear was just another ailment, even he possessed it.

The bears roared louder, stepping forward more boldly. Panic rippled through the party.

Crest stepped back quickly, placing himself protectively in front of his friends. Will’s enthusiasm had vanished completely; his hands shook, his courage drained away.

"They’re charging!" someone shouted, the voice cracking in terror.

The bears lunged forward, their massive bodies rushing toward the group, teeth bared, claws extended.

This time, panic completely exploded among the adventurers, their screams mingling into a single terrified wave.

But then Bel opened his mouth. A cold vapor, visible in the freezing air, flowed out. Slowly, it changed, turning a sinister red.

His eyes turned completely black, his pupils glowing a fiery crimson.

[Abyssal Pressure]

A massive, suffocating aura erupted from Bel, sweeping outward like a storm.

It felt like alternating waves of intense cold and searing heat, crashing relentlessly against everyone and everything around him.

Instantly, the bears froze in their tracks, stunned and struggling. Some adventurers fell immediately, legs giving out beneath them.

Dusteria closed her eyes tightly, barely able to remain conscious. Sienna collapsed onto all fours, gasping, her body shaking violently. Will dropped to his knees, breathless and terrified.

Crest shielded his face, staring at Bel through the gaps between his arms. No words came to his mind, no coherent thoughts only pure shock and disbelief.

Bel slowly raised his hands, watching calmly as his claws extended, becoming longer, sharper, and stronger.

The bears around him trembled, faint red glows shimmering around them. Bel sensed it clearly: his aura was forcing their bodies to burn energy far faster, a prolonged battle was now a good option.

Some bears even turned visibly red, staggering backward. It was the effect of FEAR, meaning that they were even squishier than the first bear.

Bel’s smile widened. Such wonderful power.

He bent his knees slightly, pressing firmly into the snowy ground. His muscles tightened and grew visibly larger, veins bulging across his arms and legs.

Then, with explosive force, he launched himself forward.

Bel moved like a missile. In the blink of an eye, he crashed into the bears, and chaos began.

One strike, and a massive bear’s head exploded, sending purple blood flying through the snowy air. A swift slash, and a beast’s huge arm dropped to the ground, twitching.

Bel moved through the crowd of monsters so fast it was almost impossible to follow.

It was like watching lightning dance. Bears roared, growled, and charged, but each one fell before even reaching him.

It wasn’t just a fight; it was a complete slaughter.

The adventurers stood frozen in shock. They’d never seen anything like this before.

Crest watched, eyes wide, mouth open in disbelief. He’d started hating Bel after his Will’s humiliation. He’d never trusted him. But seeing him now, Crest felt small.

Bel wasn’t just stronger; he was on an entirely different level. It was hard to even comprehend.

Not yet iron rank? So this was the

Dusteria slowly opened her eyes, her heart pounding. When she saw Bel tearing through the bears effortlessly, her jaw dropped.

She couldn’t believe this was the same quiet boy she once knew. He wasn’t really a weakling, at least he talked back, but this... This wasn’t the same person.

Sienna, Lyraen, Will... everyone watched in stunned silence, unable to even move.

"We didn’t come here just to watch!" Their mage suddenly shouted, shaking herself from the shock. "We have to fight too!"

Her voice snapped the group back to reality. They tightened their grips on their weapons and quickly joined the battle on another side.

Their movements were careful and organized, trying to avoid drawing too much attention.

Will swung his sword fiercely, slicing against a bear’s fur, but the blade barely scraped the beast’s thick hide.

He cursed, frustration building. Their attacks were weak compared to Bel’s one-shot punches.

As the bears continued pouring in, Bel paused, his eyes narrowing. His detection skill reached further out, and he felt an enormous group of monsters coming their way.

Their would be too much opponent to control the safety of everyone if he didn’t change tactics now.

"Alright then," he murmured, a smile spreading on his lips. "Mass genocide mode."

A small flame danced at his fingertips.

The adventurers fought desperately when suddenly a huge explosion rocked the battlefield. They jumped back, startled.

Blazing fire engulfed the area, monsters screaming as flames consumed them.

Through the roaring fire, they saw Bel standing calmly, flames swirling around him.

"... Bel?" Sienna gasped, shielding her eyes from the brightness.

Bel’s voice rang over the chaos.

"Everyone! Stay far away from me!"

Then, he snapped his fingers.

Instantly, several fiery beams shot through the air like burning snakes, twisting and darting until each one struck a bear.

Explosions shook the air again, flames erupting like mini volcanos all around.

The bears roared in pain and panic, the entire snowy field glowing orange from the relentless firestorm.

Once again, the party stopped fighting, their eyes wide as they watched Bel command the flames.

He moved gracefully, like a conductor leading an orchestra, each beam of fire obediently dancing at his fingertips and striking monsters with deadly precision.

The mage stood frozen, barely whispering.

"I didn’t know... he was a mage."

Crest, Will, and the others stared in disbelief.

"This can’t be him..." Crest murmured, shaking his head slightly.

It felt impossible, like watching a completely different person.

Only Dusteria seemed to grasp something deeper. Her eyes widened as the flames illuminated her face.

"Fire? Fire?! Like a..." Her heart skipped a beat as a thought struck her.

Among them, only she could associate Bel’s power to something else than a mage, the very reason a little part of her still feared him: a dragon.

[Level Up]

Bel smiled, pointing his finger like a playful child pretending to hold a gun.

He aimed carefully into the distance. One final beam curved in the air, followed by a massive explosion.

He was surprised himself by how powerful his flames had become.

[Mana: 400/460]

A huge amount remained. His intelligence had grown so much that even strong spells seemed to consume less mana.

But now, he had a choice. He had ten free stat points, and putting them into stamina for his draconic form sounded like the smartest move.

Yet, part of him felt disappointed. Increasing intelligence was exciting, and magic battles were thrilling.

While lost in thought, Bel noticed some adventurers fighting a bear left behind. Three of them struggled just to take down one enemy.

"All of that for only one? And one that had been affected by my pressure?"

He glanced in the direction the bears had come from. Only a few remained, barely a challenge.

He was ready to receive them, when his eyes suddenly widened as he realized something strange.

"Where’s the rest?" he thought. "There should’ve been more bears rushing us by now."

This was clearly abnormal. He previously switched to magic just to be sure to receive them properly, but the wave he was expecting never came.

"Did they... retreat? Could it also be because of fear?" Bel pondered.

He had always thought his abyssal pressure worked as a short-term attack, different than his normal pressure, like a little skill he could use within his aura to inflict fear.

But now, it seemed more like a constant state, added to his already oppressive aura.

A constant stream of bloodlust, danger, and fear, a perfect cocktail to make enemies avoid him entirely.

Meanwhile, the adventurers finally defeated the bear. Panting and exhausted, they realized how hard it had been just to defeat one enemy while Bel had wiped out many without breaking a sweat.

They stared at him, confused and a bit ashamed.

Bel slowly took a deep breath, his pressure fading as he regained his normal appearance.

The oppressive aura that had surrounded him retreated, making the air lighter, easier to breathe again.

"We have to keep moving," he said. "It’s better to finish them while they’re still close."

The adventurers looked at each other, pale and exhausted. Crest leaned on his sword heavily, breathing as if he had run for hours.

Lyraen was on her knees, gasping softly, sweat dripping from her forehead despite the cold.

"Hold on... please," Lyraen said, catching her breath. "We need a moment."

Bel frowned slightly, confused.

"What do you mean? Aren’t you adventurers? This was just one battle. How are you all this exhausted?"

The warrior grunted.

"Well, it’s easy for you, mister iron rank, but it’s a category D dungeon! We are still copper rank here. We might’ve bitten off more than we can chew."

Ronan sighed heavily, his enthusiasm from earlier completely gone.

"Maybe... coming here was a mistake. I feel so useless."

The party seemed mentally crushed. Watching Bel fight had been inspiring, but also terrifying.

The massive difference between their strength and his was painfully clear. Now they understood clearly why Iron-ranked adventurers were considered fully accomplished.

This was the maximum of a life of training for some adventurers.

Bel observed them, slightly annoyed at their sudden lack of determination. But then, his eyes widened slightly as realization hit him.

"My pressure..." he murmured quietly, eyes shifting among the group.

They weren’t weak or unprepared; they had been drained by his own immense aura.

It wasn’t just the bears who had suffered, anyone who had come into contact with his pressure felt its overwhelming burden.

He watched his teammates closely, feeling a pang of guilt. Though, he thought, the bears had also been affected yet remained too strong for them.

It was clear the dungeon monsters were far tougher than they’d anticipated.

The wind picked up, sending snowflakes swirling gently around them. Bel placed his hands firmly on his hips, looking each of them in the eyes.

"Listen," he finally spoke, breaking the silence. "We should end this raid now."