Carlos and Tala began searching the map and the area around them, hoping to determine their location in this vast mountain range. Meanwhile, Ryan and Teil were engaged in another battle—this time against a strange beast neither of them had ever seen or heard of before. It was of the same kind as the creatures that had confronted Carlos and Tala earlier: the chimeras. But Ryan and Teil had no way of knowing what chimeras were; they were too ignorant. All they sought was a strong enough opponent to fight—and now they had one. A bizarre creature that resembled a shark but with two legs and human-like arms, and strangest of all, it could speak in the language of humans as well.
In the midst of the battle, Teil unleashed a volley of gray feathers that shot toward the beast with tremendous speed and force. Suddenly, a wall of water rose from the ground, blocking Teil's attacks and fending off everything thrown at it. At that moment, Ryan struck from behind, attempting to land a powerful punch. His hand, covered in crimson-red scales and sharp claws, pierced through the chimera's defense and struck its body. Finally, a strong blow sent the beast stumbling several meters back. Then the monster spoke to Ryan:
"It seems you are not weak, mutant. You two are truly entertaining."
At that point, Teil landed on the ground near Ryan, his wings covered in gray feathers folding slightly as he stood.
Teil: "Hey Ryan, I don't think we stand a chance against it. If this continues, we'll be defeated."
Ryan muttered: "So what do you want me to do? I'm not good at making plans like Tala, and I haven't reached the third stage of transformation like Carlos. It's really annoying. But if you look at it another way—it's fun. This monster is truly strong. I've always longed to fight creatures like this."
Teil: "Well, I feel the same. The absolute desire to spill this creature's blood."
Teil's personality was complicated. At times he might seem cowardly and indifferent, but when he lost control of his desire, he became a completely different person. His sharp eyes—one glance from them was enough to strike fear into people's hearts. He could not suppress his madness when it came to his urges. Spilling the blood of this creature had now become his top priority. Teil had reached the peak of his madness; there was no longer any chance of escape. From this moment, the monster was doomed to die.
Ryan: "Hey Teil, I think I've found a plan. Okay, I won't go into too much detail, but the main content of the plan is this: unleash your madness on this monster. Fight without caring about my presence, and I'll do the same. I'll destroy everything in my path, so be careful not to get in my way."
Once Ryan finished laying out his ridiculous plan, the two of them charged at the monster like madmen. Ryan's body ignited with a crimson aura, his claws grew sharper, and the scales on his arms thickened. Not only that, for the first time even his legs became covered with crimson scales, from which sharp, blade-like claws emerged. And as Ryan unleashed himself, Teil did the same. His wings grew larger, the feathers surrounding him became denser, and a grim gray aura radiated from him ominously. Together they pierced the beast's domain with ferocity. It was so dangerous that even the monster shuddered and raised its guard to the highest level.
Water projectiles erupted from the creature's mouth, launched at high speed one after another toward the two charging figures. One nearly hit Ryan, but he dodged it—only to find dozens more flying at him. He tried desperately to evade them, but at such speed it was impossible.
Ryan clenched his fists. "Fine. If dodging is impossible, then I'll face them head-on." His claws ripped through one of the watery blasts, each the size of a human head and flying at great velocity. He managed to dodge and destroy the barrage coming his way. At the same time, Teil's gray feathers shot forward, intercepting the projectiles. The sheer density of Teil's attack was so great that not a single water bullet could reach him. After the clash ended, hundreds of gray feathers swirled around Teil's hand, then reshaped themselves. The features of his human hand disappeared, and his arm transformed into something like a steel drill. Teil charged toward the monster at full speed, aiming to pierce it with this drill-like weapon.
Before Teil could land his strike, another water wall surged from the ground, blocking him. But such a defense could never withstand Teil's assault. He increased his force and speed, finally breaking through the barrier. His collision with the monster was inevitable. With such momentum and hardness, this was certain to be a lethal blow. Yet, in an instant, the beast pulled a strange weapon from its mouth. It looked like bone, as if it had ripped a piece from its own body and reshaped it into a massive sword. At last, the collision came: Teil's drill-like arm against the monster's sword. The devastating impact produced a shockwave so powerful it triggered a huge explosion, covering a radius of five meters. The blast sent both combatants flying back several meters, exhaustion clearly etched on their faces.
"Hahahahaha! You are truly strong, mutant. I never imagined I'd be pushed this far. I admit your strength. But it seems this fight is at its end."
On the other side, Teil was completely exhausted after expending so much power. He was barely standing and no longer capable of fighting. At that point, a hand landed on his shoulder—it was Ryan.
"Well, I think it's my turn now. Rest, you've done well. You've pushed this monster to its limits."
The monster hummed, staring at Ryan in surprise. "Hey, mutant… do you carry dragon genes?"
Ryan fixed him with a confident gaze and replied, "Yes. I am the Dragon Mutant, and I will end you here and now."
Ryan clenched his fists and unleashed himself once again. He surged forward with far greater speed than just a few days ago when they had been lost in the mountains. Now his legs resembled those of a dragon: crimson scales covered his lower legs, and sharp claws jutted from his toes. As he closed in, another water wall rose to block him, but this time it was different. The chimera had drained too much of its power fighting Teil, while Ryan's strength had grown. The wall collapsed, and Ryan's clawed fist reached the monster's body. His talons tore through one of the creature's eyes.
"Ghaaaahhh! You bastard, how dare you!"
The beast fell to its knees, clutching its ruined eye. Before it could recover, Ryan delivered a powerful kick. His clawed foot shredded the creature's flesh, and the recoil of the strike sent it flying backward. Another kick followed, hurling the monster several meters into the air. Ryan leapt after it, rising above, then clasped his hands together and smashed a brutal blow down onto it, driving the beast back to the ground at tremendous speed. The monster crashed hard, battered and broken, blood spewing from its mouth, its eye destroyed beyond use. At this moment, Ryan prepared the finishing strike.
"Do you know the most famous attack dragons are known for?" Ryan's eyes sharpened suddenly, his aura swelling, and then he declared: "It's the breath—the Dragon's Breath." He opened his mouth wide, the aura around him condensing into a single point, gathering into a blazing orb before his jaws. Then Ryan exhaled. A whip of fire surged forth, roaring toward the monster with terrifying force. Direct hit—the dragon's breath engulfed the chimera. The heat was unbearable, and the monster writhed and screamed in agony.
When the breath finally ended, the dust cleared to reveal the charred body of the beast. But strangely, it was still alive, desperately clinging to life. It tried to regenerate its wounds and escape, but as it turned, something pierced through its back. The creature couldn't even look behind to see who had done it. All it saw was something like a steel drill protruding from its abdomen, blood spilling everywhere.
End of Chapter