.
.
The Dragon King's Palace had become a battlefield.
Flames burned across the ancient halls.
Dragon blood stained the marble floor.
The roars of dragons mixed with the cries of cultivators.
Yet at the center of the chaos...
Everything grew strangely quiet.
Knox Void.
Drogath.
Their eyes locked.
Neither moved.
Drogath rested his massive crimson axe on his shoulder.
"So you're the heir of the Void Emperor Clan."
"I expected someone older."
Knox smiled faintly.
"I expected someone smarter."
The Dragon Slayers burst into laughter.
Then immediately fell silent.
Because Drogath...
Was laughing too.
"Hahaha!"
"I like your attitude."
"It's a shame I'll have to kill you."
Knox shrugged.
"Many have said that."
"They're all dead."
BOOM!
Without warning, Drogath disappeared.
The marble floor exploded beneath his feet.
His speed shocked everyone.
Even Alexander's eyes widened.
"So fast..."
The crimson axe descended from above.
It carried enough force to split a mountain.
Knox raised his sword.
CLANG!!
A deafening explosion echoed throughout the palace.
The shockwave shattered every nearby pillar.
Knox slid backward nearly fifty meters before stopping.
His feet carved deep trenches into the floor.
He looked down.
His hands were numb.
"So this is the strength of a Half-Saint."
Drogath grinned.
"You survived."
"Excellent."
"I was afraid I'd kill you in one strike."
Knox calmly rolled his shoulders.
"Now it's my turn."
His Void Qi erupted.
Darkness spread beneath his feet.
The temperature in the hall plummeted.
Void Emperor Sword Art — Third Form...
Abyssal Collapse.
A black crescent flew toward Drogath.
Where it passed...
Space itself distorted.
Drogath didn't dodge.
He swung his axe.
The two attacks collided.
BOOOOOOM!!
The explosion blasted both fighters apart.
Dust filled the palace.
When it cleared...
Drogath's armor bore a shallow cut.
He touched it.
Blood stained his fingers.
For the first time in decades...
Someone had wounded him.
The Dragon Slayers stared in disbelief.
"The Commander..."
"He's bleeding?"
Drogath looked at Knox.
Then smiled wider than ever.
"Wonderful."
"You've earned my respect."
Far away...
Lyra watched with worry.
"He can't keep fighting someone an entire realm above him..."
Seraphina tightened her grip on her sword.
"He knows."
"But he'll never retreat."
The System suddenly rang.
[Ding!]
Battle Analysis Complete.
Enemy Weakness Found.
Drogath possesses an ancient injury near his heart.
Probability of victory increased to 31%.
Knox's eyes flashed.
Thirty-one percent.
Better than before.
Drogath lifted his axe.
The crimson runes engraved upon it began glowing.
The palace trembled violently.
"This technique..."
"I haven't used it in fifty years."
A gigantic phantom appeared behind him.
A crimson dragon with broken horns.
Its roar shook the heavens.
Dragon Slayer Art...
Heaven-Breaking Execution!
The dragon phantom merged with the axe.
The attack descended.
Every person in the palace felt death approaching.
Knox slowly closed his eyes.
The world became silent.
Inside his consciousness...
The endless void returned.
The black throne stood before him.
A voice echoed.
"Power is not borrowed."
"Power is claimed."
Knox opened his eyes.
His pupils had transformed once again.
A sea of endless stars reflected within them.
[Supreme Villain Authority: 3% Released.]
Time Limit: 90 Seconds.
A black crown appeared above Knox's head.
Not a physical crown.
A phantom.
Ancient.
Majestic.
Drogath's smile vanished.
"That aura..."
"The First Villain..."
Knox raised his sword.
No Void Qi.
No flashy technique.
Only a single sentence.
"I reject your victory."
The world froze.
Drogath's descending axe...
Stopped.
As if reality itself refused to let it move.
Even the Dragon Spirit widened its eyes.
"Authority..."
"He can already use Authority?"
Cracks spread across Drogath's axe.
Then—
CRACK!
The legendary weapon shattered into hundreds of crimson fragments.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Drogath stared at the broken handle in his hand.
His greatest treasure...
Destroyed.
Before he could react—
Knox appeared in front of him.
Not by speed.
By Authority.
It was as if space had accepted that Knox was already there.
He placed two fingers against Drogath's chest.
Exactly where the System had identified the old wound.
"Void Decree."
"Collapse."
A tiny black point appeared.
Then it expanded.
Drogath's ancient injury reopened.
Blood burst from his mouth.
He was sent flying across the palace, smashing through dozens of ancient pillars before crashing into the Dragon King's throne.
The Dragon Slayers panicked.
"The Commander has fallen!"
"No..."
"This can't be happening!"
Knox took one step forward.
His expression remained calm.
But a thin line of blood flowed from his eyes.
Using Authority had damaged his body again.
Still...
He refused to stop.
Drogath slowly struggled to his feet.
His body trembled.
He laughed weakly.
"So..."
"This is the power that even the Celestial Court fears."
He looked directly at Knox.
"You've won this battle."
"But the war..."
"...has only begun."
Suddenly—
A crimson talisman inside his armor ignited.
The surrounding space distorted.
Knox frowned.
"Teleportation?"
Drogath smiled.
"We'll meet again, Void heir."
The surviving Dragon Slayers were enveloped in crimson light.
One by one...
They vanished.
Only silence remained.
[Ding!]
Boss Battle Completed.
Victory Achieved.
Rewards Granted:
150,000 Villain Points
Supreme Villain Authority +1%
Dragon King's Heart Fragment ×1
New Title: Dragon Slayer
The Dragon Spirit descended before Knox.
Its enormous golden eyes held admiration.
"You have passed the final trial."
"The Dragon King has chosen you."
A golden dragon-shaped seal flew toward Knox and merged into his chest.
At the same time...
Another seal appeared on Lyra's forehead.
The Dragon Spirit smiled.
"From this day onward..."
"The Dragon King has two successors."
"The Heir of the Void..."
"And the Dragon Princess."
Far away, hidden in the shadows, the silver fox-masked woman watched everything.
She whispered softly,
"Interesting..."
"The chessboard is finally complete."
She vanished once more before anyone sensed her presence.
The peace after the battle would not last.
Because a far greater storm was already approaching.
End of Chapter 22