[52] Just something left V

The Dragon Kingdom, a legendary entity in the history of the main continent, harbours many secrets. Although information about it is scarce, its long history encompasses eras of battle and wonder. The kingdom was founded during the Great War against the Demon King Laplace, with its first ruler being a great dragon who possessed extraordinary abilities to transform into a human. He was one of the survivors of that devastating conflict, a symbol of resilience and bravery.

After the Great War, the dragon king fathered a child with a human, a child who inherited half of his dragon blood. However, tragedy befell the child when his dragon transformation abilities mysteriously vanished, signalling that he would never be able to transform into a dragon like his father. Yet, the truth was not so simple. Years later, after the child's death due to old age, it was revealed that the dragon blood within him possessed a startling power—he rose from the dead in a state between life and death, emitting a mysterious aura that transcended the boundaries of life and death.

A similar phenomenon occurred with subsequent descendants. As the dragon blood was diluted over generations up to the twelfth, the cycle seemed to halt. However, as explained, there is a possibility that dragon blood could awaken again with unforeseen power.

Now, Billy's situation is a living example of this possibility. Indeed, Raymod, too, carries dragon blood within him, and this power has been awakened after death, as if fate and the power of dragons themselves were intertwined in Billy's life.

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**-Ciittt!**

The terrifying sound of the giant centipede echoed like a scream from hell, creating a wave of pressure that deafened and overwhelmed every soul around it. Billy struggled to remain standing, bracing himself amidst the terror that engulfed him.

"Desmod! Evacuate everyone now!" Billy shouted, his voice filled with pressure and urgency.

"Eh? What about you!?" Desmod exclaimed, his eyes widening at Billy's confidence in facing the rampaging centipede. Desmod was bewildered—this boy seemed confident he could handle the fearsome monster alone. Despite his reluctance to leave Billy alone, he couldn't involve ordinary people in this battle.

"Don't worry, you can leave this to me. There's something I want to try," Billy said confidently, though cold sweat dripped from his forehead, revealing his tension.

Somehow, Desmod felt compelled to trust the nine-year-old. Billy's voice was filled with a conviction that made him feel he had to follow the orders.

"Mr Billy, please be careful. I'll return once everyone is evacuated!" Desmod said, his tone full of concern and resolve.

After giving the instructions, Desmod moved swiftly, his voice authoritative and firm, guiding the frightened people to safety.

Meanwhile, Benedict, a girl of Billy's age, felt doubt in her heart. However, seeing Desmod's determination, she was moved to follow the crowd leaving the area, her steps in sync with the throng as they departed from Billy, whose silhouette was almost entirely concealed by the cowboy hat atop his head.

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A short time later, Billy moved alone through the dense forest, manoeuvring between trees with surprising speed and agility. He drew the giant centipede's attention with well-planned and clever movements. For a child his age, it seemed impossible to face and defeat such a large monster alone.

However, Billy was no ordinary child. Trained intensively under Ash's guidance, he had evolved into a fighter who relied on intelligence and strategy. Ash taught Billy to make quick and precise decisions, harnessing his extraordinary IQ to tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges. In every battle, Billy chose to use his mind as his primary weapon, confronting foes far beyond his level.

In the first round against Raymod, Billy managed to deceive him merely by standing before him, relying on Raymod's arrogance tainted by a child's bravery. Raymod, struck by the challenge, eventually fell victim to Billy's cunning, resulting in a bullet piercing his head with lethal precision.

In the second round, when Raymod transformed into a wild and mindless centipede monster, Billy had to rely on his intellect once again. He darted around the bandit camp area, using the battlefield to his advantage.

'To be cautious, I need to test its natural resilience. I'm certain its scaly body is incredibly hard, but just how hard is it?' Billy thought as he deftly avoided the monster's attacks with terrifying speed. His cowboy-themed attire fluttered magnificently under the dark night sky as he leaped from tree to tree with movements almost imperceptible to human eyes.

Continuing to move agilely, Billy searched for a gap in the monster's movement pattern. With careful strategy, he guided the giant centipede until it unknowingly ensnared itself among the thick trees.

Once the centipede was trapped and immobile, Billy quickly retrieved a potion bottle from his bag. The alchemical liquid inside was a concoction designed to explode and test the resilience of the monster's scales. With bravery and precision, Billy threw the potion at the monster, closely observing how the thick scales reacted to the explosive impact.

-BOOM!

The potion's explosion filled the air with a blinding flash and a rumbling noise that shook the ground, leaving an impressive trail and showcasing the immense power of the monster's scales. As the smoke began to clear, it was evident that the force of the explosion was enough to injure the monster dramatically. The previously impregnable scales were now breached, revealing gaping wounds and the smell of burnt flesh that permeated the air.

-Kriik!

The centipede monster screamed in excruciating pain, its cry resembling a scream from the depths of hell. As the new wounds opened, the stench of charred flesh filled the air, adding to the menacing atmosphere. In its rage, the monster retaliated by spewing corrosive poison at Billy, turning the scene into a hellish landscape fraught with deadly threats.

The poison fell like deadly acid rain, and Billy, with trained reflexes, quickly drew another potion from his pocket. This potion was designed to disperse water into the air, creating a protective shield that blocked the lethal poison rain. The water emitted from the potion floated in the air like a magical barrier, sweeping away the corrosive liquid and saving Billy from imminent danger.

With the poison successfully avoided, Billy wasted no time in taking a step back. He aimed two pistols, Castor and Pollux, at the monster, firing high-powered mana bullets that glowed with magical energy. Each bullet streaked through the air with lethal speed, shattering the monster's fangs that had been discharging poison with concentrated power.

Seeing the monster's poison disabled, Billy created enough distance to launch a final assault. From a dimension accessible only by his profound knowledge, a large cannon of tremendous calibre materialised before Billy, its barrel aimed precisely at the injured centipede monster.

'One shot… just one bullet left for this Black Barrel,' Billy thought with deep anxiety. 'Although it's only a prototype, this bullet has absorbed all the materials I collected with great effort.' Panic surged through his mind as he realised that failure meant the end. 'If this fails too, then it's all over.'

With tension almost choking him, Billy focused his gaze on the wounded monster, hoping that his final shot would determine the outcome of this high-stakes battle.

-Roarrrr!

The monster's roar reverberated like a wave of destruction from the depths of the earth, marking its unshakable resolve to kill its prey. After freeing itself from the restraints that limited its movement, the centipede monster crawled with heavy, terrifying steps, each movement shaking the ground as if the entire world trembled in sync with its rhythm.

From beneath the cowboy hat concealing his face, a remarkable confidence radiated from Billy's red eyes, piercing through the darkness of the night with blazing intensity. With calm yet resolute composure, Billy uttered words filled with loathing, "Go to hell, Baby," before pulling the trigger on his weapon.

-KABOOM!

A massive explosion roared, propelling the 150 mm calibre bullet into the air with a force that seemed to tear the sky. The shockwave from the blast flooded the surrounding area with radiant energy, driving the shimmering bullet at a speed that defied physical limits. The air around quivered, and the scene blurred from the immense power generated by the shot.

The enormous bullet sped towards the centipede monster with astonishing velocity, creating a trail of light that sliced through the darkness. Upon impact, the subsequent explosion emitted a blazing flash and a thunderous sound that shattered the night's silence. The devastation wrought seemed like the end of an era, and the force of the attack shook the earth below.