Chapter 36: Krono’s Mentality

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Krono’s Mentality

Malakor stared down at the prostrating chef with eyes full of absolute revulsion.

A noble dragon such as himself simply could not fathom such pathetic behavior.

​"Disgusting," Malakor spat and kicked Dragnil squarely in the face with his heavy, steel-toed leather boot.

Bam!

​The physical force of the blow threw the massive chef backward, sending him crashing violently into the wooden tables.

But before Dragnil could even recover his bearings, the noble waved a manicured hand toward his waiting servants.

​"Drags, teach this traitor the price of harboring human filth. Break every single bone in his body."

"Yes, young lord!"

​The Dragonoot guards grinned viciously, their crocodilian snouts parting to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Whoosh!

They descended upon the helpless chef like a pack of starved wolves.

Their heavy spear butts slammed ruthlessly into Dragnil’s ribs.

Ka-cha!

Their armored boots kicked violently against his spine.

Crack!

The sickening sounds of cracking scales and splintering bone reverberated loudly throughout the tavern.

Dragnil couldn’t endure the pain.

"Ahhh! It hurts!"

Alongside the painful howls, dark crimson blood pooled on the floorboards, soaking deep into the wood.

​Yet, the chef never once tried to fight back. He simply curled his large body into a tight defensive ball, casting desperate glances toward the corner of the room, silently hoping the boy would run while they were distracted.

​But Krono did not run. He just stood perfectly motionless in the shadows, watching the brutal, one-sided beating with a completely blank expression.

Inside his Mind Sea, Adira let out a dark smile.

The Godless Hero could feel his rising killing intent. The slaughter was about to begin.

​"Enough! Grab the human now. Drag him to the square by his hair. We will behead him first."

​Following his order, a towering Dragonoot guard went forward.

"Keke, come to me, little human. I won’t eat you, I promise!"

Cackling ruthlessly, he reached out with a big clawed hand, fully expecting to easily liff the terrified child into the air like a ragdoll.

His thick fingers clamped down aggressively onto Krono’s small shoulder.

​"This is your last day, filthy human child," the guard snarled, yanking his arm backward.

​But then, something entirely impossible happened.

Krono did not budge. Not even a single millimeter.

"Huh!" the guard let out a shocked gasp.

​Just then, the boy slowly raised his right arm.

Even more surprisingly, his tiny fingers wrapped around the guard’s thick leathery wrist like it was nothing.

"Let go, you bastard!".

​Cursing, the guard tried to pull his arm back, but he instantly found that he was trapped. The human child’s grip did not feel like flesh and bone. It felt incredibly dense, as solid and unyielding as ancient ironwood.

The guard immediately felt the chill of primal terror shot straight up the his spine.

​Krono finally looked up, and slowly flashed a prefatory smirk.

​"You are very loud you know that," Krono whispered like berating a child..

Next...

​Without a shred of hesitation, Krono twisted his small hand.

​CRACK!

​The sound of the Dragonoot’s thick wrist bones snapping completely in half was as loud as a thunderclap.

The guard did not even have the time to scream before the raw kinetic force of the twist shattered his forearm, tearing thick muscles and popping ligaments.

Schlik!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Grrrrrrr!"

The guard violently went down to his knees, growling like a mad dragon. His reptilian eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in incomprehensible agony.

Malakor’s cruel grin vanished instantly.

"What the hell! How can you be overpowered by a mere human child?" the Noble Dragon barked in disbelief.

​But the arrogant noble had absolutely no idea that Krono was no mere child. With his raw physical stats sitting near 200 each, his small frame possessed about 20 times the strength of a fully grown human adult.

​It was the exact same level of physical power as a veteran Silver-ranked Dragon Hunter.

​Krono’s official Hunter Rank had secretly skyrocketed to Silver back when Adira took control of his vessel to slaughter their enemies in the dark prison.

​And for a true Silver-ranked Dragon Hunter, crushing the arm of a mere guard of a local dragon clan was absolutely nothing at all.

And so, Krono’s silent rampage officially began.

​"Get a taste of your own medicine, you arrogant lizards," he uttered, his lips twisting into a sinister grin.

​Malakor could not comprehend what the human child was planning, but an icy wave of primal dread suddenly crawled up his spine.

​Before anyone could react, the impossible happened.

​Puchi!

​Without a word of warning, a Dragonoot guard thrust his heavy spear straight through the chest of the comrade standing beside him.

​Fresh blood sprayed across the wooden floorboards.

​Yet, neither guard made a single sound. The impaled guard simply turned with empty, glazed-over eyes and thrust his own weapon forward in response.

​Puchi!

​The razor-sharp spearheads tore through their heavy leather armor and tough reptilian scales like warm butter.

​Instantly, the rest of the guard squad joined the mindless slaughter.

​Puchi!ℴ

Slash!

Slice!

​Severed heads, arms, and legs tumbled across the tavern floor. Some guards were hacked completely in half.

​Within a matter of seconds, the entire squad of elite Dragonoots was completely wiped out. Their mangled corpses lay scattered in a gruesome, bloody heap.

​Malakor trembled uncontrollably, taking a horrified step backward.

​"What is happening? Why are my guards killing each other?" he shrieked in genuine terror.

​He locked his eyes onto the seemingly helpless human child, knowing Krono was the only possible source of this nightmare.

​He was not the only one staring in utter disbelief. Every customer watching from the tavern windows wondered the exact same thing.

​What terrifying witchcraft had a mere seven-year-old boy used to turn trained dragon guards against themselves?

​Even Dragnil was frozen in absolute shock. Was the helpless child he had saved from the alleyways actually this monstrously powerful?

​Feeling everyone’s inquisitive looks, Krono simply flashed a harmless smile. But any true powerhouse would immediately recognize that terrifying expression. It was the smile of an apex predator asserting absolute dominance over lower lifeforms.

​He was not the prey. He was the hunter.

​The dark reality behind the carnage was simple: [Mind Corruption].

​It was his new magic skill he acquired from the Earthworm King.

Using it, he silently infiltrated the shallow minds of those dull-witted brutes and took complete control of their bodies. Then he ordered them to fight among themselves.

It was truly a question: who is more sinister here?

Malakor?

Or

Krono?