Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 784: The Next Meal II

Though they had arrived together, the two maintained a distinct distance from one another.

Close enough to sense each other’s presence, yet far enough to avoid any definition as allies. This subtle space, more eloquent than any shout, clearer than any vow, betrayed the true nature of their connection.

A single glance was sufficient for any observer to grasp that animosity simmered between them, and their convergence seemed to be a matter of reluctant accord, not mutual desire.

Yet, this very dynamic indicated a shared history, a mutual acquaintance.

Daniel, without fully lifting his head, had already perceived their arrival.

The first man, projecting an aura of calm and meticulousness, advanced. His armor, both light and precisely crafted, moved with an unnerving silence. His gaze, sharp and analytical, swept over Daniel and the entire tableau, as if he had meticulously rehearsed every possible scenario prior to his appearance.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, whoever you may be. I am Serius."

A few paces behind, the second man emitted a harsh, abrupt chuckle, a sound that more closely resembled fragmentation than mirth. He then strode forward with aggressive confidence.

The very ground seemed to tremble under the force of his steps. Muscles bulged beneath taut skin, and the colossal weapon slung across his shoulder appeared to be an organic extension of his formidable form.

"Haha, I am Goram Bloodfang." His eyes blazed, not with intellect, but with raw exhilaration.

"I have come to shatter your skull."

A brief vacuum of silence descended, yet it was not one of tranquility. Instead, it felt pressurized, on the verge of explosive release, akin to the pregnant stillness preceding a structural collapse.

Goram took another stride forward, his body coiled like a spring, but before his motion could fully manifest, Serius’s hand lifted infinitesimally. A minor gesture, yet it possessed the authority to halt such potent aggression.

"Do not be hasty."

Goram’s brow furrowed. The smile lingered, yet a shadow of vexation began to creep into its expression.

"Are you afraid? And you presume to command me?" It was evident he relished being restrained.

Nevertheless, he halted, refraining from further advance. Despite his distaste for this individual, whom he viewed as an excessively cunning adversary, he placed faith in his strategic acumen.

"I am contemplating." Serius’s attention remained fixed elsewhere, not even glancing at Goram.

Serius now directed his unwavering gaze directly at Daniel, not with overt hostility, but with an unnerving precision, as if dissecting his subject under a focused lens.

"Before this fool commences his assault… I have an inquiry."

A fleeting pause ensued. His gaze flickered, encompassing the residual, faint echoes of mortality lingering in the atmosphere.

"Those who preceded us… have they all met their end?" The question itself seemed almost absurd.

Yet, he was determined to ascertain a crucial detail: had Daniel vanquished all assailants, or merely incapacitated a portion, leaving others to escape?

"Should they persist in their advance… then yes." Daniel’s response was delivered with the same detached disinterest.

No elaboration was offered. No secondary admonition was issued. Merely a directive, stark, conclusive, and absolute.

Daniel, for his part, was also assessing Serius, sensing in him a cautious and intelligent prodigy.

He perceived someone who conducted himself without a trace of ostentation, a stark contrast to the latter’s palpable arrogance.

Conversely, the other figure, resembling a rampaging brute, posed no genuine threat. Indeed, it was abundantly clear he was a simpleton.

Several seconds elapsed in silence, but this was no ordinary quietude. It was a silence pregnant with the unvoiced strategies of both parties.

Serius’s gaze shifted, flickering between Daniel and the imposing tree. His eyes narrowed further.

He detected no discernible Qi emanating from Daniel. Furthermore, no visible defensive formations were apparent.

And not a single indicator of an active technique could be observed.

‘A direct confrontation might prove unwise.’ This internal conclusion weighed more heavily than any prior assessment.

And therein lay its profound danger.

Serius deliberately moved aside, vacating the forward position, and without a hint of hesitation, turned his attention to Goram.

"Very well. Proceed as you see fit."

This was neither a suggestion nor a command. It was a strategic concession. A willing lamb, eager to enter the slaughter.

He, personally, was far too astute to voluntarily step into a predator’s maw, and until he possessed sufficient intelligence regarding his adversary, he would initiate no attack himself.

Prior to his arrival, he had diligently amassed all available intelligence concerning those who had previously ventured here and subsequently perished at the hands of this heretic who defied the Divine Prophet’s decree.

A contingent of five individuals, whose identities were obscure, and whose capabilities remained unknown to him.

Consequently, he could derive no meaningful advantage from such scant information.

However, the Iron Grave mercenary group was a different matter entirely. As one of the most prominent mercenary organizations on the continent, while not the absolute strongest, they were certainly not a force to be reckoned with by a single individual.

Unless, of course, the opponent was listed among the Hundred Eternal Warriors, a roster he knew intimately, and this man was decidedly not among them.

Yet, this also strongly implied one critical point: the adversary Daniel faced could potentially possess power on par with an Eternal Warrior, but the true extent of this strength remained an unsettling mystery.

Was his power comparable to the weakest Eternal Warriors? Or perhaps to those in the mid-tier? Or could he even contend with the strongest among them?

Goram let out a booming, harsh laugh, as though he had been anticipating this precise moment for an eternity.

"Finally."

He was not the sort of individual who relished protracted conversations. His preference was to charge directly at his objective and relentlessly pursue his prey.

His body crouched low, every muscle coiled like a spring, and in a flash, without the slightest intimation, he launched himself forward.

The very ground beneath his feet fractured, the surrounding air warped and distorted, and his colossal frame, akin to a discharged projectile, hurtled directly towards Daniel.

There was no faltering.

No second thoughts.

Just a singular, unwavering objective: utter devastation.

Yet, Daniel remained utterly still. Not a twitch of his hand, not a shift of his body, not even a flicker in his gaze.

The gap between them rapidly diminished.

Ten meters.

Five meters.

Three meters.

And then, in that infinitesimal moment, everything abruptly ceased.

A sharp, dry sound echoed, a chilling fusion of a snap and a tear.

Following that, Goram’s head... vanished, its existence obliterated.

His body, still propelled by the momentum of its charge, took a few additional steps as if briefly unaware of its decapitation, before crashing heavily and lifelessly to the ground.

A gruesome cascade of blood and fragmented remains splattered onto the earth. Goram’s life force, an intangible yet palpable essence, detached itself from his mortal coil and, like an guided current, flowed inexorably towards the ancient tree.

The tree’s roots seemed to quiver with anticipation, and the glowing fruit pulsed, its size subtly increasing.

Serius stood immobile, but a profound change had occurred within his eyes.

It wasn’t born of death or the spectacle of violence, but from witnessing the sheer velocity, the absolute certainty, the undeniable reality of a strike that traversed all distance, allowed no reaction time, and offered no possibility of evasion.

"There’s no distance..." The thought materialized in his mind, accompanied by a deep, troubled frown.

"No time to defend..."

"Unavoidable." Was he astonished? Undoubtedly, for Goram was far from feeble.

On the contrary, he possessed the capability to engage in combat on equal footing with the most rudimentary of Eternal Warriors. While victory might not have been guaranteed, neither was defeat.

But to be extinguished with such terrifying ease? The unfathomable depth of this being’s power now seemed even more profound and inscrutable to Serius than ever before.

Faced with such overwhelming capability, perhaps even he himself would prove powerless.

However, this outcome presented no impediment, as Goram’s demise was ultimately a beneficial event; by enacting this, the monstrous entity had, in effect, sealed its own doom.

A faint smile then graced Serius’s lips, a smile devoid of satisfaction and certainly not born from fear. Instead, it stemmed from a grim, chilling realization.

"...Interesting." His gaze shifted back to Daniel, now imbued with a deeper intensity.

"Do you comprehend the identity of the one you have just slain?"

"He was the sole heir, the only son, of one of the ten most formidable Eternal Warriors on this entire continent."