Black Dragon Arkhan vs White Dragon Vortigern (I)

Vortigern then glanced at Thrud, sizing her up and down.

"To think even a Valkyrie could fall into your hands. I can't help but feel a bit envious..." Vortigern said in a soft tone and sighed with pity.

Thrud's expression turned sour. Not only did this man's highly aggressive gaze make her uncomfortable, but his arrogant demeanor and tone made her even more infuriated. It was as if he regarded her as a mere object on display in a shop, ready to be casually picked up.

She was furious.

As a Valkyrie directly under the All-Father Odin, even the most orthodox gods would be polite when encountering her. How dare this mere mortal scrutinize her like this?

"You presumptuous mortal, pay the price for your insolence!"

Thrud's cold words escaped her lips as the radiant glow from her spear erupted.

"Go, Gungnir!"

Rune symbols danced around the weapon, and an ancient, vast aura burst forth, launching toward Vortigern like lightning.

Crimson Moon raised her palm, preparing to intercept the spear. However, Vortigern stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her.

"That spear is endowed with the authority to always hit its target once thrown. Let me handle this myself."

Vortigern calmly stared at the approaching spear, making no defensive moves whatsoever.

When the spear was merely twenty centimeters from his forehead, he suddenly raised his right hand and gripped the spear's shaft in a lightning-fast motion. His body staggered slightly, then firmly stood in place.

"How is this possible?!" Thrud's eyes revealed intense shock. This man just caught her spear with one hand?!

"Impressive, truly a Valkyrie created by Odin himself. This power is indeed powerful." Vortigern admired, examining the spear in his hand.

To Thrud, his words were dripping with mockery.

"Since that's the case, let me give you a little something in return." Vortigern revealed a smile devoid of warmth, redirected the spear, and casually threw it back at Thrud.

*BOOM!*

The moment the spear left his hand, a sonic boom erupted, the sharp tip aimed straight at her forehead.

A strong sense of crisis surged in her mind. Instinctively, Thrud raised the circular shield in her left hand.

*CLANG!*

With a resounding clash of metal echoing through the sky, Thrud was forcefully pushed back over twenty meters, leaving deep grooves in the ground.

Her legs trembled, then collapsed to her knees while she gasped for breath. Sweat dripped profusely from her face as she looked up at Vortigern, eyes filled with astonishment.

Arkhan narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn't sensed any magical fluctuations just now, meaning Vortigern relied solely on physical strength alone for that attack.

And judging by his relaxed demeanor, it seemed he hadn't even unleashed his full power.

This was truly an incredible feat.

Arkhan knew Vortigern had become a godly being, but even in the realm of gods, such a powerful physical body was extraordinary. Moreover, in the current age of Britain, with the scarcity of 'True Ether', it was impossible to grant him such powerful strength.

"Do you find it unbelievable?" Vortigern's golden vertical pupils stared directly at Arkhan. "I bet you must be puzzled now. Where do you think my power comes from?"

Arkhan crossed his arms, remaining silent.

"Actually, I don't mind telling you." Vortigern said casually. "This power comes from Odin's son, the God of Thunder, Thor."

*BOOM—!!!*

As soon as his words fell, a silver-white thunderbolt descended from the sky, merging into Vortigern's body. The immensely violent aura surged like boiling seawater.

Feeling the once-familiar power, Thrud widened her eyes in instant shock.

"This... How... is this possible..."

Watching Vortigern bathed in lightning, Arkhan's expression also grew more serious.

"Did you steal Thor's power?" Arkhan asked in a low voice.

"Otherwise, why do you think I arrived here so late?" Vortigern replied indifferently.

"Looks like my guess was right. There is indeed another power in you, and you've been hiding in the North for fifteen years because of it..." Arkhan said with narrowed eyes.

Without a doubt, Vortigern couldn't have accomplished the feat of stealing the power of gods alone.

"Compared to those dull fools, you do have commendable intelligence. Unfortunately, you discovered it too late."

Vortigern admitted with a calm tone, extending his hand towards Arkhan.

"I can give you a chance. Just swear allegiance to me, and I can guarantee you a place in the new world."

"Are you so confident you'll win?" Arkhan asked while raising an eyebrow.

"I have never lost." Vortigern said casually.

"Is that so? Well, what a coincidence..."

Arkhan stepped on the ground, causing a large crack to appear. The powerful force propelled him like a cannonball as he launched toward Vortigern.

"I've never lost either!"

"Hmph! Overconfident." Vortigern snorted, and thunder roared around him as he also charged forward.

The distance of five hundred meters passed in an instant. As if they had coordinated in advance, both men clenched their fists and fiercely struck each other!

*BAAANG—!!!*

The void erupted with a thunderous roar. Vortigern and Arkhan were simultaneously sent flying, plowing deep furrows into the dark earth, scattering pale bones buried in the soil.

Arkhan retreated more than ten meters before stabilizing himself. He looked down at his right hand, the palm charred by lightning, the arm hanging limply on his shoulder. White bone shards pierced through, and a river of blood snaked down—a shocking sight.

Honestly, this was probably the most severe injury he had suffered since leaving the Land of Shadows.

On the other hand, Vortigern had only retreated two or three meters in the first round of the clash. Apart from a few scratches on his fist, he had no other injuries, not a drop of blood spilled. His condition was evidently much better.

In the first round of the confrontation, Arkhan was almost completely defeated.

"Now you should realize how vast the gap between us is." Vortigern said coldly. "Talking big requires substance; otherwise, it's just making a fool of oneself."

"Don't jump to conclusions so soon, old man..."

As Arkhan retorted, a radiant glow flowed through his right arm. The charred skin quickly shed, damaged wounds rapidly healed, and fractured bones swiftly returned to their places. In a moment, his arm was restored to its original state.

"Is that... immortality?" Vortigern's brows slightly furrowed. "No, that isn't immortality, but it's indeed a powerful life force of some kind."

Arkhan shook his arm and looked at Vortigern calmly.

"You are indeed more powerful than I imagined. Since that's the case, I won't hold back either."

He took a slow breath and muttered inside his heart.

'Black Dragon Body, full release!'

*BOOM!*

A surging and overwhelming aura, like the sea, emanated from Arkhan. His body suddenly grew taller, dark tattoos filled with the aura of death gradually covered his skin, black hair extended to his waist in an instant, and his black eyes became even more profound, like an abyss that swallowed the souls of all who gazed into it.

He slightly bent his body, and two large bumps suddenly bulged on his back. With a tearing sound amid the blood mist, a pair of three-meter-long black bone wings unfolded, menacing like a demon yet beautiful like an angel.

"That is..." Vortigern's pupils abruptly contracted, and a rare emotional fluctuation appeared on his face. "Nidhogg...?"

Vortigern took a deep breath and glanced at the black dragon, prostrated under Yggdrasil's foot, enveloped in a white light ring.

"I finally understand why you came here..." Vortigern said while narrowing his eyes.

"I said, the real battle has just begun." Arkhan's voice was low and hoarse, each word carrying an overwhelming pressure.

Half a year had passed since the awakening of his Black Dragon Body, and now, all the power left by Nidhogg within him had finally been completely absorbed.

It could be said that he was now fully equivalent to one-tenth of Nidhogg.

Arkhan lightly stepped on the ground, and a sonic boom cloud instantly rose in the air.

*BOOM!*

A black silhouette whizzed through the air, appearing in front of Vortigern in the blink of an eye. His right hand clenched into a fist, and the terrifying force compressed the surrounding air into a vortex as he swung it fiercely at Vortigern.

The strike was so fast that Vortigern couldn't react in time, only able to watch the fist gradually enlarging in front of him.

*BOOOM—!!!*

Like a drumbeat, a muffled sound rang out. Vortigern was instantly sent flying, crashing into a small hill hundreds of meters away, raising a cloud of dust.

*Whoosh—!*

A gust of wind passed, clearing away all the dust, and Vortigern's figure reappeared in front of Arkhan.

"This power... I underestimated you indeed. No wonder you could kill Nuada."

Half of Vortigern's head had completely caved in, looking incredibly gruesome and terrifying. Yet, miraculously, despite such severe injuries, he was still alive.

Under Arkhan's gaze, the half-collapsed side of Vortigern's face inflated like a balloon. Teeth, eyeballs, skin—in the blink of an eye, everything returned to its original state.

'Immortality...' Arkhan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Even with Nidhogg's power, you're just a mortal after all..."

*ROARRRRR—!!!*

After speaking that mocking words, Vortigern roared to the sky. However, what emerged from his mouth wasn't the roar of a human; it was the majestic roar of a dragon. White jade-like scales covered every inch of his body, and white bone wings resembling jade unfolded behind him. His dazzling golden vertical pupil shone like the sun.

"While I, a supreme god!"

Vortigern exclaimed with pride.