Battle of Kinship (1)

As the carriage moved across the gravel roads, Ayla had the urge to know more about the test. After all, besides the target and objective of the quest, she wasn't informed of the other details of the test.

"About the test?" The Examiner asked, "I assume they didn't tell you, did they? Always leaving me to do the simple taxing work..."

He paused, his eyes scanning Ayla's face. "Fine, I'll explain, but there isn't much to know more than what's already been said in the quest. You are able to use whatever skills, spells, or weapons are necessary to kill the target."

He continued, "However, there's one exception to this rule. If there's any use of demonic spells or weapons imbued with demonic energy, your quest won't just be revoked; you'll be killed on the spot as well."

"Is that a threat?"

"Not at all." The examiner shook his head. "I'm simply stating a fact. As long as you prove that you aren't a traitor or a potential one who could defect to the demons, things will go smoothly. Of course, this will be proven shortly. During a battle, it's not easy to hide one's true character, or one's strengths, from others."

"I can't deny that." Ayla shrugged deeply in thought. 'Is that one of his skills? It explains a lot about his confidence and why he was selected to examine my test. They were right to have many suspicions about me, where I come from, my strength, and my intention.'

As the carriage continued moving forward, periodically rattling from the small rocks in the road, Ayla couldn't keep her mind from entering deep thought. She didn't feel fear for her enemies, maybe because of her dragon lineage and the accumulation of pride that came with it.

Even so, humans were dangerous. She knew this very well, from her life as a human and the memories from Kaila's life. They lacked the innate strength from birth that most species were blessed with. Instead, they were blessed with high intellect and had greater reproduction rates.

Their greatest strength, though, was their high adaptability and their ability to cooperate with each other to reach their goals. Their strengths allowed them to stand at a standstill against the demons without faltering much until the hero, Kai, was summoned.

Her calm eyes examined him. "Anything else?"

"Hm… Depending on the aftermath of the test and the uses for the species of the quest, you would be given a portion of your choosing. If it weren't for a war against the demons, you'd be given it in its entirety. In the end, it's up to the guild to decide."

"Can't be helped, I guess. The front lines need weapons, especially ones made from the carcasses of strong monsters." Ayla's eyes turned stern. "However, my target isn't simply a monster; it's a demonic beast. Why would the guild need the carcass for the war when demonic weapons are considered taboo?"

He agreed. "Usually we destroy the body after killing them to prevent the demonic energy left inside their crystallized hearts after death from birthing more demonfolk. It only changes in the midst of war, where stronger weapons are more valuable."

He held his hands together as he explained, "The priests of the church of light have the ability to purify demonic energy and infuse divine energy inside the things they purify. They are able to create divine weapons, which, in a war against the demons, become more useful than ordinary weapons."

Ayla smiled before speaking. "Then a divine weapon created from a saint-ranked demonic beast would be valuable?"

"That's correct. Distribution of the carcass will be handled after the completion of the quest, if you're truly capable of completing it. And if you prove to be incapable, we'll try to save you and deal with it ourselves. Nonetheless, the demonic beast will be slain." He answered, looking in a certain direction.

"Our little chat will end here; we've arrived."

Soon after the examiner spoke, the carriage came to a halt, and the coachman opened the door, letting those inside out. After stepping out, Ayla turned to look at the huge mountain range covered entirely in malevolent demonic energy not too far from the carriage.

At the center of the mountain range, far in the distance, one mountain stood the tallest, with immensely thick demonic energy in comparison to the others. Ayla was able to clearly feel that this mountain was the source of the demonic energy, and she sensed a strong demonic beast at the peak of the mountain through the dense darkness.

"From here on up, you'll be on your own."

Ayla didn't respond and walked silently into the mountain range's darkness. Upon entering, she went through various changes. Her vision grew clearer in the darkness, her eyes glowing a bright, beautiful crimson. Her body felt rejuvenated and light, full of energy and strength.

'It feels refreshing.' Ayla thought, increasing her speed through the mountain range. Through sheer physical strength, her figure flickered across the mountain range, almost as if she were teleporting from place to place.

****

"Wouldn't it be best if we entered as well? That way, we can see what happens inside." Kei asked, breaking the silence.

He could see fairly well through the darkness in the outer regions of the mountain range, but in the deeper regions, especially the central mountain, he couldn't see past the darkness.

"I can see fine enough from here. If you'd like, you can enter, but the demonic beasts would likely keep you busy." The examiner said, his calm eyes not moving away from the central mountain. "She's about to reach the mountain's peak."

****

The closer she got to the peak of the central mountain, the denser the demonic energy became, giving her more benefits as time went on. Even then, she only used her physical strength. On her way, she slaughtered hundreds of demonic beasts, each born from the thick demonic energy that plagued the mountain.

Ten minutes had passed since she first entered the mountain range after leaving the carriage.

She looked around, standing at the mountain's peak. The mountain's top was completely void of snow and foliage. And at its center, a black dragon was lying down in a defensive position as it slept.

The appearance of the Black Dragon caused her to feel a sense of delight. It wasn't because she was meeting a dragon of the same lineage for the first time. Neither did she feel a connection with it. It was something else. She was excited about the benefits she would gain after killing it.

In fact, she didn't have any familiarity with other black dragons. Was it because of her lineage? Or maybe it was because of her memories of Kaila. This was the same for demons, which belonged to the Dark Pantheon.

The Black Dragon slowly raised its head, opening its crimson eyes that shone brightly in the darkness, looking at Ayla as its cold eyes turned into a narrow slit. The moment it sensed a presence, it released an overwhelming sense of malice and contempt towards Ayla.

"Human. You dare enter my territory?"

A dangerous feeling suddenly pressed down on her entire body. As if to tear her entire existence apart, a heavy wave of violent dragon fear assaulted her from the front. Ayla's long black hair whipped around in the intense wind created by the wave, but she didn't feel any intimidation or panic; she remained standing upright.

"… Just who are you?" The Black Dragon demanded, staring at the human, who had somehow managed to be unaffected by dragon fear.

"A mere human who is able to resist my dragon fear..."

Ayla didn't respond, her expression changing to a smile. To the Black Dragon, Ayla's presence wasn't a dragon's, nor one of demonic beasts, nor one of demonfolk. It was one of those humans without an ounce of mana. As such, he was incapable of grasping how she could withstand dragon fear, where even powerful humans were affected.

The Black Dragon demanded once again, "I asked, who are you?"

Ayla pulled out a black dagger. It was a dagger without demonic energy, just like her current presence. A sword she created in an instant.

Ayla finally answered the Black Dragon's question. "I am the person sent to kill you."

"Kill me? You, a mere human? Are you claiming you've come here thinking you can kill me?"

Crack~

The ground beneath the Black Dragon shattered under the strong pressure he was giving off. His eyes were filled with immense murderous intent as he ruthlessly emitted his dragon's fear once again.