Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle Chapter 1217: Against the Dragon

Travis knew that it wouldn’t be easy to mobilize the Rank 1 Survivor, so he immediately added.

"Of course, I won’t send you alone. My elites will join you... Kendra and Luka. Both are Level 65, and both possess multiple talents, including Telekinesis Talent. More importantly, they both have Legendary‑Grade talent called . Aside from the power it gives, it allows them to perceive draconic energy, even hidden or suppressed. That’s why they’re invaluable against dragons."

Shane raised a brow. "Dragon’s Eye... impressive."

Travis nodded. "I’ve gathered many survivors with dragon‑related talents or skills bestowed by the System. Some wield low-grade Dragon Blood, others have draconic senses. But the dragons themselves don’t view any of us differently. They treat us just like any other Survivors..."

He then paused for a moment to sip his tea and calm his nerves before he continued.

"Alongside Kendra and Luka, you’ll have a squad of Draconic Warriors... They’re fighters who survived injections of a special serum that has Dragon Blood..."

Merlin’s eyes lit up with curiosity. "A serum? That’s interesting."

Travis nodded. "With you, our chances rise dramatically. Your presence alone will inspire the men. And Sir Merlin... I’ve heard of your feats. Your magic will be rewarded generously."

Shane tilted his head. "Why can’t you join us yourself?"

Travis sighed. "My secondary talent is cloning. I have dozens of clones working across shelters, trade routes, and fortifications. But the talent has strict limitations. If I leave this area, the clones collapse. I’m bound here. That’s why I rely on my elites."

Shane nodded in understanding. He didn’t know that Travis had a limit like that...

Still, the fact that his clones could use his Skills and Talent was indeed a bit too overpowered. It was quite reasonable to have that many limitations.

"Then tomorrow, we move. Let us rest for tonight." Shane said.

***

On the next day, the morning sun burned through the haze as Shane, Merlin, and Alex joined the Vanguard army outside the fortress gates.

It didn’t take that long before they found rows of disciplined soldiers standing ready. They had armor, flamethrowers strapped to their backs, and crude‑oil engines humming in the wagons.

At the front stood Kendra and Luka.

Kendra was tall with her golden eyes glowing slightly after seeing Merlin and Shane. It was the mark of Dragon’s Eye, and she was assessing the two.

Luka was thin but had quite the same eye... Soon, he floated silently and approached Shane group.

His Telekinesis was something he could use not just on objects but on himself!

"Lord Shane," Kendra greeted warmly. "It’s an honor. Travis speaks highly of you."

Shane clasped her forearm. "Let’s hope we live up to his expectations."

Luka smirked. "With you here, we might actually scare the dragon off instead of becoming its dinner."

Alex chuckled nervously. "Comforting words..."

Merlin added, "Dragons don’t scare easily. But with talents like yours, we may stand a chance."

The army marched with crude‑oil wagons carrying supplies and siege weapons. The Draconic Warriors moved in formation. Even their bodies radiate faint heat due to the transformation they had...

In just a few hours, they reached the outskirts of the oil fields, Travis’ second source of oil.

As expected, the air was filled with the scent of crude, and the ground also had traces of oil.

Workers had long abandoned the pumps, leaving the area eerily silent.

Kendra raised her hand... "There. Beyond the cliff."

The group climbed a rocky slope, and as they reached the top, they saw it... a massive dragon, crimson scales glinting in the sunlight.

It lay curled near the pumping stations with wings folded, and its tail was coiled like a serpent. Its chest rose and fell slowly with each breath, releasing faint embers into the air.

Alex froze. "It’s... sleeping."

Shane then prepared his Moonveil Manablade, the weapon he believed could cut through a Dragon.

"Sleeping or waiting. Either way, we tread carefully."

Merlin’s staff also radiated his mana. He was prepared to cast any spell at any time...

"Its aura is immense. Fire‑aligned, just as Travis said. If it wakes angry, this field will burn."

Kendra then used her Dragon’s Eye and confirmed something...

"It knows we’re here. Even in sleep, dragons sense intruders."

Luka smirked, though his voice carried tension. "Then let’s hope it’s in a good mood when it opens those eyes."

The army halted as they all needed to prepare...

Crash...

Suddenly, the crimson dragon shifted slightly, its claws scraping the stone, sending sparks into the air.

It was still resting, but it seemed to be trying to find a better position.

"Wait," he told Kendra and Luka. "Let me try speaking to it first."

The soldiers murmured nervously, but Shane ignored them.

He equipped the treasures he had carried from the Fairy Realm... Sylph’s Whisper, the bow gifted by the Elf Queen, slung across his back... the Verdant Heartstone Pendant, glowing faintly against his chest... the Ring of Dusk and Dawn, which was still filled with twilight energy; and the Warden’s Talisman, that came from the authority of the Centaur Warlords.

Each item was filled with an aura, one that dragons would surely recognize.

Step by step, Shane approached the beast. The crimson dragon’s chest rose and fell and with a low rumble, one massive eye opened... It was staring directly at the small human who dared to come closer.

The dragon’s voice was deep, resonant, vibrating through the ground.

"You wear relics of the Fairy Realm. Curious. Speak, little human. Why do you disturb my rest?"

Shane held his ground, glad that he recognized his items...

"This land belongs to the Vanguard Clan. Your presence threatens their survival. I ask you to leave."

The dragon’s eye narrowed, a light of amusement was seen in its gaze. "Leave? You presume much. I am not mindless. I know this oil beneath the earth is comforting my scales. It calls to me. Why should I abandon it?"

Shane’s grip tightened on his sword. "Because if you stay, war will follow. I would rather avoid bloodshed."

The dragon chuckled, a sound like rolling thunder. "Avoid bloodshed? Then offer me something. What will you give in exchange for my departure?"

Shane hesitated, then asked, "What do you want?"

The dragon’s tail shifted, coiling tighter. "This land. The oil, the heat, the fire beneath the soil. It is mine. I claim it."

Even without looking back, he could tell the reaction of the others Survivors behind him.

Shane frowned... "That’s not possible. The Vanguard depends on this land. We cannot surrender it."

The dragon’s eye remained calm. "Then you must take it from me. Attack, if you dare."

The soldiers stirred uneasily as they prepared for a fight... but Shane raised his hand to stop them. "No. Not an army. A duel."

The dragon tilted its head, smoke curling from its nostrils.

"A duel? You amuse me, human. Very well. If you lose, you and your fortress become mine. You will serve me as slaves. But if you win... I will leave."

Shane frowned, uncertainty was suddenly gnawing at him. One‑on‑one, he wasn’t sure he could defeat a fire‑aligned dragon. His eyes turned to Merlin for a moment and soon, he nodded. "Ahem... Then I won’t fight alone. Merlin fights with me."

The dragon’s laughter shook the ridge. "Two against one? Very well... So if you lose, both of you will serve me. Mage and warrior alike."

Merlin stepped forward, his staff glowing. "So be it. We will fight together."

The dragon’s eye closed briefly, then opened again... "Prepare yourselves, little humans. When I transform... We will begin our duel."

The dragon’s eye glowed brighter, and then its massive body began to shift.

Crack... Crack...

The sound of cracking stone and grinding scales filled the air as its colossal frame shrank, folding in on itself. Flames surrounded it body, but instead of consuming it, the fire reshaped it.

Before the stunned army, the beast transformed... Its wings started dissolving into smoke, claws retracting, scales melting into flowing fabric.

Then, when the blaze subsided, a tall figure stood where the dragon had lain.

He was a man, impossibly handsome, with long black hair cascading down his shoulders.

Similar to his Dragon form, his eyes were gold, and his presence radiated the same crushing aura as the dragon’s form.

He wore a robe of deep crimson trimmed with black... His movement carried the elegance of a noble!

"Ohhh..."

"You actually transformed... This might be easier."

Hearing this, the Dragon laughed...

"Haha! You’re all too weak. I’m afraid to crush you in a second if I stayed in my form. I’m doing this to make it more entertaining."

With a single step forward, the ground trembled... the duel had begun!

Shane raised the Moonveil Manablade while Merlin’s staff pulsed with mana...

In an instant, arcs of lightning were already dancing around its tip.

The dragon‑man spread his arms and the air grew hotter with every heartbeat.

"Come then," he said smoothly... "Show me if humans can truly defy fire."