Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 62: He, Who Gazed Into the Abyss

Chapter 62: He, Who Gazed Into the Abyss

Bel stood alone before the rippling pool of purple blood, the place where Vezalia had disappeared.

Her words still echoed in his head, and among them, one particular sentence.

"Say my name... and I will come."

He frowned.

How would she appear if he mentioned her name?

Was that a spell? An incantation? Or was she just watching him somehow? He didn’t like the idea. Not one bit.

And yet... he couldn’t ignore the feeling twisting in his gut. The blood shimmered faintly at his feet.

"This isn’t even her real name, so how..."

But before he could think further, a voice broke through the silence.

"Bel!"

"Bel, are you okay?!"

He turned just in time to see Lyraen and Cassandra rushing toward him. They were still slightly limping from the blast, but their faces were filled with relief and excitement.

Cassandra reached him first, her eyes scanning him up and down.

"Are you hurt? Say something! That girl... we thought you were done."

Lyraen was right behind, her hand gently grabbing his arm.

"That girl... we saw her come back. We thought she was going to attack again. But then... nothing."

They both stared at the pool of blood.

"Is she... dead?" Cassandra asked, her voice lowering.

Lyraen nodded slowly.

"She must’ve been too injured to hold on."

Cassandra looked at Bel, her face illuminating in amazement.

"You really took them both down? The boss and her? Back to back? That’s... incredible."

Bel didn’t respond right away. He was still staring at the blood, his eyes plain.

"Bel?" Lyraen asked gently.

Before Bel could respond, more voices echoed through the fading heat.

"There! That way!"

The rest of the party came into view, hurrying across the scorched snow, their faces pale from the cold and whatever they had just seen on the way.

Crest led the group, followed closely by Ronan, Sienna, and Will. Dusteria trailed at the back, silent.

They stopped as soon as they reached the edge of the battlefield.

No one said a word.

Their eyes widened, mouths parted slightly.

The snow was gone. Only melted ground, ash, and scorched dirt remained. Blue flames still danced in patches across the blackened earth, flickering silently like ghost fire.

At the center of everything, the corpse of the enormous ice wolf lay lifeless, steam still rising from its burns.

And beside it, Bel.

Not the Bel they remembered.

He stood tall, draconic in form. His body wrapped in jagged, obsidian scales, his hands clawed, arms powerful, and his red eyes glowed faintly.

He held the glowing blue boss core in one hand, his breath calm.

Will whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

"Is that... him?"

Sienna stepped forward. Her voice trembled.

"That’s... Bel?"

Ronan took a step back.

"He... He looks like a monster..."

Crest’s eyes trembled slightly , but in need of an answer, he stepped forward.

"Bel... is that really you?"

Lyraen turned, hands on her hips.

"Of course it’s him. Who else could’ve done all this?"

Cassandra crossed her arms, smiling proudly.

"You should’ve seen him. He didn’t just beat the boss. He fought a strange girl too. Protected us both. It was like watching a real hero!"

The party murmured.

"He beat the boss and that girl...?" "By himself?" "No way..." "What is he...?"

Will looked overwhelmed, shaking his head.

"Impossible... This is impossible."

Sienna, starry-eyed, whispered.

"Wow... Can’t believe it..."

Crest’s eyes narrowed slightly. He hesitated, his gaze shifting quickly across the battlefield, then locked on Bel.

He stepped forward carefully, voice quieter than usual, trying not to provoke.

"What happened here? Who was that girl? What did she want?"

Bel sighed softly and raised one hand to his face, massaging the bridge of his nose.

And in the back, Dusteria stood frozen. She didn’t speak. Her eyes were on Bel, his monstrous body.

This form, this new skin he was wearing was everything she feared about a specific category of creatures.

The same kind that ruined her life and had acknowledged him like similar.

Another one of this kind appeared, another trauma, and he was there again. Yet...

He had defeated her, the very thing she feared.

Her lips parted, but no words came.

She lowered her gaze, and for the first time, there was no hate.

Only silence.

Bel lifted his hand, calling for silence.

"Everyone, quiet. I’m glad it’s over, but there’s no time for stories. I did my part, so now... I’d like to eat my rew—I mean, leave with my reward."

The group blinked, then glanced at each other. A few chuckled awkwardly. Crest nodded first, then Ronan followed.

"Right. We’ll go call the recovery team," Ronan said, stepping back.

Lyraen stepped closer to Bel, brushing ash from her gloves.

"Do you want help recovering the beast cores? It’s the least I can do to thank you."

Bel observed the wolf core, then shook his head slowly.

"Keep them. I’m only interested in this one."

He held up the glowing blue core more firmly. Lyraen blinked, then smirked.

"Is that so? How generous."

...

Time passed. The air inside the dungeon cooled, the battle’s heat fading into memory.

While a few members of the party had gone to fetch the recovery team, the rest waited quietly.

In a corner, Lyraen worked gently beside a wounded scout.

A soft chime echoed through the air as she summoned a small fairy. Wings glowing with warm light, the creature flitted around the adventurer, scattering sparkles of energy.

The injuries left by the bites after the madness caused by Vezalia slowly began to heal.

From across the field, Bel sat on a broken rock, back to his normal form. He watched the little fairy fly with quiet interest.

"Beautiful little things, aren’t they?"

Bel turned. Cassandra was behind him, arms crossed.

She leaned slightly closer, her tone soft.

"I’ve always wanted to visit the elf kingdoms. Imagine being surrounded by fairies... songs, magic, mystery. Too bad they are hostiles toward humans."

Bel didn’t reply. His eyes returned to the glowing core in his hand.

Cassandra chuckled.

"You’re treating that like a sacred relic. It’s just a beast core, you know. You got it easily. I’m sure you could find better."

Bel raised the core in front of his face.

"It might be weak now. But in good hands, even a goblin core can become a lethal weapon."

Cassandra stayed silent for a moment, then tilted her head, smiling.

"And that," she said, "is exactly why I think we’ll be great friends."

Bel looked at her, studying her expression.

"Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to talk alone? About something important?"

Before Cassandra could answer, both turned their head slightly.

Dusteria stood a few meters away, stiff as a statue. Her eyes locked on Bel.

She had been trying to approach, but froze the moment he noticed her.