The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases-Chapter 545 - 336: Face Your Failure

The breaths came quickly and urgently.

It was like a patient with a severely distended abdomen from ascites, normally discussing their condition with you one second, only to suddenly spray you in the face the next. And from their oozing abdominal cavity, no less!

Who could stand that?

Especially since, unlike a dragon's breath, there wasn't the characteristic long windup of a deep inhalation.

Not a single sign beforehand.

It was strikingly similar to the reverse breath technique David had 'realized' back then using his [Arrogance] Authority—a natural inhalation from his lower body.

Crap! At this moment, David truly realized how insidious and lethal a breath without any precursor movement could be!

He was also successfully disgusted by this 'battle tactic' he had once secretly found rather satisfying.

Facing the onslaught of the Breath of [Cowardice], David foresaw this event through his Eye of [Greed]. He instinctively wanted to activate Fesentelerus's Portal to teleport away, but he suddenly felt a gaze filled with malice.

He instinctively turned his head to look at 'Moravi,' the divine anomaly.

It was then he saw Moravi's eye—an orb composed of myriad eyeballs—staring intently at him.

In an instant, murmurs of accusation rang in his ears.

It sounded like some ancient High Elvish. Yet, despite the inverted sentence structures and the almost frenzied tone, David could still understand it:

"Without my permission, you have no right to use teleportation."

[Authority—Denial]

A rusted collar, symbolizing a forbidden lock, materialized out of thin air around David's neck.

Like a shackle.

Thus, David lost the privilege to use any and all forms of teleportation, including Fesentelerus's Portal, Advanced Teleportation Spell, and Otherworld Portal.

Shadow Step...

... David, resorting to a lesser option, had just begun to summon shadows when Moravi's voice interjected again, like a hastily applied patch, "You cannot touch the shadows."

[Authority—Denial]

The second shackle materialized.

... David's mind raced, desperately searching for any magic he might still be able to use...

Oh no! He suddenly thought of something else. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Sure enough, 'Moravi' cut straight to the point, declaring, "You are unworthy of using magic."

[Authority—Denial]

The third shackle.

David was, by rule, completely barred from using magic.

He didn't even bother to flap his wings anymore.

Because the moment he intended to utilize them for flight...

"Your wings are nothing more than a decoration."

[Authority—Denial]

The fourth shackle.

David suddenly lost the ability of a great dragon to soar into the air.

But it wasn't over yet.

"The divine power you rely on to ascend to the heavens is nothing more than your vain fantasy."

[Authority—Denial]

The fifth shackle.

David fell from the divine pedestal.

Reduced to a mere mortal dragon.

"Ah!" David finally understood how AO had been relentlessly manipulated to death by 'himself' back then.

That was so damn unfair!

It was like a Dungeon Master in a tabletop game, responsible for setting and supplementing all rules and acting as the referee, suddenly sitting down to play chess against you. Not only that, but they'd immediately start to psychologically manipulate you, all while using a divine anomaly game piece with stats that were completely off the charts, utterly dwarfing your own.

Even a god of gods would be crushed to dust.

You're not allowed to use this; you're not allowed to use that.

Right, you can't even *think* about it!

I call all the shots!

David, seething with [Wrath] but ultimately forced to run on all fours like a cat across the barren wasteland of bones, was about to be showered by the vile breath that symbolized [Cowardice] and [Ambition] when he couldn't help but curse loudly, "This is fucking bullshit!!!"

Left with no other choice, he had to use the first trump card he had 'realized' back when he had just hatched and was on the verge of being violated by Drow as a whelp.

In the next moment, under everyone's watchful gaze, David, the Flame Steel Dragon who had inexplicably abandoned flight and teleportation, suddenly blasted a brilliant stream of fire, like a Red Dragon's breath, from his rear.

[Authority—Arrogance]

Dragon Breath Acceleration!

David, all of a sudden, became like a rocket blazing across the wasteland, accelerating himself to Mach speed in half a second.

With this, he managed a hair's breadth escape from the blow of the Breath of [Cowardice].

But David, even after evading the fatal strike, couldn't feel the slightest bit happy.

It wasn't because of the slight draconic embarrassment from exposing his dark past; he had long since moved past the stage where external judgments could internally affect him.

Rather, just as only magic can defeat magic, facing such an utterly unreasonable opponent meant the situation could only devolve into the one outcome he dreaded most:

Only Authority could counter Authority.

Especially since David had only lived for eighty years. In terms of both using and accumulating Authority, he was far from a match for Moravi—that treacherous old schemer whose foolish parents had selectively forgotten and abandoned him in Ferodiel for who knew how many eons.

In a confrontation of Authority, his [Jealousy] ability, which he usually relied on to copy enemy attack methods, was rendered completely useless.

It was like picking Sion in League of Legends, only for the opponent to instantly lock in Darius, effectively removing your Q ability in the top-lane matchup. What was the point of even fighting then?

So, in both quantity and quality, he was at an absolute disadvantage.

At least, 'he' alone was far from being a match.

Without a doubt, 'Moravi' was the strongest 'him' across all worlds.

David dodged the breath. Pafila and several Dragon Gods, who had not yet been directly targeted and stripped of everything by the divine anomaly 'Moravi,' also used their unique abilities to make emergency evasions.

The dragons following behind them weren't so lucky.

Like sparrows blasted by a high-pressure fire hose, they faltered and fell, Dragon Scales scattering through the air.

Meanwhile, because David, the tank, had successfully drawn the full attention of the divine anomaly 'Moravi's' 'Obsession' eye, Pafila and the other Dragon Gods who had managed to get close didn't hesitate to unleash their most powerful attacks simultaneously.

[Fission Chain Nuclear Slash]—Pafila

[Judgment of the Scales of Justice]—Landis

[Ultimate Good Slash]—Tamara

[Star of Creation]—Asterna

[Dragon's Treasury]—Estella

[Fate Twisting]—Kronus

[Destruction Torrent]—Carrex

[Laugh to Your Heart's Content, My Friend]—Hel

And David, after the Dragon Patriarch's lackluster Frost Dragon's Breath, also unleashed his own Fire Dragon Breath—fueled by a lifetime of accumulated fury—towards 'Moravi'.

[Authority—Wrath]

Pafila's [Fission Chain Nuclear Slash] was the sharpest and the first to take effect on the divine anomaly 'Moravi'.

With one slash, 'Moravi' was nearly bisected, eliciting a heaven-shaking wail.

But who knew what this being had endured before, for he almost instinctively curled his entire body into a ball at the first sign of injury. His size was nearly halved, yet his defensive power drastically increased to an unfathomable level.

So much so that the flames born from David's all-out [Authority—Wrath] only managed to ignite an eternally burning inferno on 'Moravi,' searing layer by layer deep into its very bones.

The ultimate moves from the other seven Dragon Gods, however, landed with little to no effect.

Especially seeing the Goddess of Laughter's perplexing attack method left David utterly speechless, "Lady Hel, are you trying to be funny?!"

Even if it's a positive spell that can affect the mind, trying to force someone in a state of 'depressive withdrawal' to laugh heartily—are you trying to taunt them, or are you *actually* taunting them?

You see, someone drowning in a mire of despair might not hate the one who pushed them into the Abyss the most. However, they absolutely loathe the one who just stands on the shore, chattering endlessly with empty advice, completely oblivious to their pain.

David then heard 'Moravi's' murmur, "No one can hurt me anymore, no one..."

Then 'Moravi' became like a crustacean that had detached its emotions, curling its vulnerable side deep within its shell. Even the AO figure at its apex clutched its head in pain, its body hunching over.

The next moment, countless blade-like spikes suddenly protruded from all over the divine anomaly.

While riddling itself with countless wounds, it also successfully prevented anyone from approaching.

"As long as I curl into a ball, the lashes that fall upon me will only be scars that cannot kill me."

"As long as I completely wall off my heart, your myriad words can no longer shake my will."

"I am my own master."

"I still possess my freedom."

"Even if this freedom is now confined to this increasingly hideous and twisted shell."

[Loneliness]

But despite 'Moravi' being in such a defensive stance, David felt all the scales on his body stand on end.

It felt as if a great terror was about to descend.

'Moravi' would never just sit back and wait for death, nor would he only focus on defense.

Even if it meant eternal damnation, he would drag everyone who had harmed him down to hell!

He knew 'himself' too well.

David's Eyes of [Greed] were fully activated, blood streaming from the strained corners of his eyes.

Sure enough, he saw that the nearly omnipresent mist was actually 'Moravi's' [Despair] manifesting as invisible hands, rushing towards all the dragons.

"Quick, dodge!!!" David instinctively turned to warn Pafila and the others.

But with 'Moravi' having already used [Denial] to reject all communication, Pafila and the others couldn't hear his shouts at all.

"Damn it!"

David could only turn back. Braving the crushing grasp of countless invisible hands raining down, he charged through the barrier of towering mountains and the sea of bones. With a sweep of his tail blade, he severed the pursuing intestine-like dragons, then plunged into the creature's abdominal cavity, madly tearing and devouring its insides.

[Authority—Gluttony]

His face covered in blood, he roared into the depths of the divine anomaly:

"David!!!"

"Come out!"

"I know you're hiding in there!"

"Come out and fight!"

"Are you telling me you don't even dare to face your own true heart?"

He taunted 'himself'.

Trying to awaken 'himself'.

To awaken something 'he' once possessed.

Something lost through suffering.

That something...

Was called [Courage].

In the face of great adversity, only courage prevails!

It is the only anthem one can sing for oneself.

Then, David heard laughter that sent chills down every dragon's spine.

David only felt a hand clawing at his face, and then dozens, hundreds, thousands of hands enveloped him layer by layer, yanking him out of the divine anomaly's abdominal cavity.

Dragged out along with him was the heart he had torn out—shriveled and rotten, yet still retaining a trace of crimson and fervent heat.

But as soon as he saw what was outside, David's pupils constricted sharply.

He saw that it wasn't just him; Pafila and all the Dragon Gods had fallen into the trap.

Bound by the hands called [Despair], transformed into cascading [Locks of Denial], they were imprisoned in the dim, gray sky.

He saw the 'AO' figure at the divine anomaly's apex straighten its spine under 'Moravi's' will.

Its hollow eyes opened.

It raised a withered, sticky hand.

Pointing at Pafila and the Dragon Gods who dared to appear before him, and also at David, it proclaimed:

"If you truly are as courageous as you claim."

"Then..."

"Come and face... your failure."

[Authority—Despair]