Future Knight

Chapter 121

“What is today’s agenda?”

“Our land has been invaded.”

At Zikyon’s words, the dragons stirred a little.

However, they did not act rashly like humans.

This was because each one of them was an absolute ruler of this world.

“Who invaded us? Could it be the Demons again?”

“No.”

“Then who else could threaten the dragons’ safety?”

Since the only beings other than the Demons who could threaten dragons were the Celestials, Red Dragon R. Rekracion, who was next in rank after Zikyon, asked with a voice full of doubt.

There was no reason for the Celestials to attack the ground.

However, Zikyon’s unexpected words were enough to surprise them.

“The enemy is beings from outer space.”

“Outer space?”

“Do you mean beings from another dimension?”

“No. They are beings from the same dimension, but they came from a place so far away that even we dragons could not imagine it.”

“This vast Arkandor continent is like the back of our hand to us, isn’t it? If it’s a place we dragons can’t even imagine, where could it be?”

Zikyon silently pointed to the sky.

“They came from beyond that sky.”

“Then are they Celestials?”

The dragons, being living beings themselves, had never ventured beyond the universe.

Of course, there were dragons who had challenged the sky’s end. However, the dragon that ascended to the stratosphere had to return to the ground due to extreme cold and thin oxygen.

Thus, even these self-proclaimed absolute rulers of this world vaguely considered the heavens to be the domain of gods, just like humans.

The realm of gods they could not approach.

“No. They are beings just like humans.”

At the mention of beings like humans, the dragons showed disinterested expressions, as if it was nothing special. Representing them, Rekracion asked,

“Aren’t humans insignificant creatures compared to us?”

“I wish that were true…”

Rekracion could not understand Zikyon’s words.

It was clear that Zikyon was evidently afraid of them.

“What makes you so afraid? Are these beings from outer space powerful enough to worry you, Zikyon?”

Zikyon, she was the lord of all dragons.

This meant she was the strongest being on this land.

Yet here she was, expressing fear. This indicated there was something genuinely terrifying.

Zikyon revealed to her kin the reason for her fear.

“I was defeated by them and fled.”

“Gasp!”

All the dragons were momentarily shocked.

Their leader had not only been defeated but had fled… Was that even possible? They could hardly believe it.

“H-how could you, Zikyon?”

“I can’t believe it. How could you be defeated…?”

“Did they use some sort of cowardly trick?”

The dragons, having blind faith in their status as the absolute rulers of this world, refused to acknowledge the defeat of the powerful Ancient Dragon Zikyon.

However, it was an undeniable fact that she had been defeated by enemies from outer space, and Zikyon had to make them understand this.

She explained to them the moment of her humiliating defeat.

“I was the first to launch an attack with my breath, but the enemy easily blocked my full-powered breath and overpowered me with an attack stronger than my breath. I barely managed to escape with an emergency escape spell and reach my lair to save my life.”

At Zikyon’s words, the vast lair was filled with a chilling atmosphere. The dragons had expressions of disbelief.

“Are you saying the opponent was powerful enough to make you use an emergency escape spell? A human?”

“Yes, they are different from the humans here. They are beings who have developed science instead of magic.”

“Science? Isn’t that like child’s play?”

“Science is a field even the humans here consider trivial.”

The science they knew was no different from the ancient Arteon’s, limited to windmills and waterwheels.

“I thought so too, until recently… But I have seen and experienced much with the human from there.”

“You said you were with that invader from outer space? Then where is he now?”

“He is now with the Human Allied Forces, fighting alongside the Green Elves.”

“We must catch him and see his face immediately!”

Black Dragon K. Kellion, who was as hot-tempered as the Red clan, looked ready to rush over and find Kang Chan, but Zikyon calmed him down.

“He is with me now. Do not interfere.”

“I apologize, my Lord. I overstepped…”

No matter how impatient he was, in front of the Lord, he was like a docile cat.

“Never underestimate their scientific power. The science they have achieved is incredibly advanced, just like our magic, and its power is beyond imagination. The power is…”

Zikyon pointed to S. Silphyrius of the Silver clan, who was 3,500 years old.

“Your shield wouldn’t be able to block even their weakest attack.”

“Gasp!”

Silphyrius, the youngest dragon among them, was shocked by Zikyon’s words. Even though he was the youngest, the idea that he couldn’t block a single strike hurt his pride and made his face flush, but it also sent a chill down his spine.

The idea that his supposedly immortal life could be ended with just one blow.

However, Zikyon’s warning did not end there. She pointed to A. Aegilion, a Wyrm-class Gold Dragon who was 4,000 years old.

“You could last five blows.”

“!!”

“Rekracion, you might endure about twenty. I managed to withstand around thirty.”

Rekracion felt a bit humiliated to hear that he could only endure twenty blows, but the fact that the stronger Zikyon could only withstand thirty left him speechless.

“If their weakest strike is that strong, how powerful is their strongest?”

“That was a single blow for me.”

“…”

“…”

“I couldn’t possibly block it. I had five layers of shields, but their attack shattered them instantly. In my 8,000 years of life, it was the first time I felt my life was in danger.”

The dragons grew increasingly tense at Zikyon’s words.

If even the Lord couldn’t withstand a single blow, they stood no chance.

Their tension gradually turned into fear.

They were no longer the absolute rulers.

“If they are such powerful opponents, what should we do, my Lord…?”

Zikyon spoke calmly to reassure her tense kin.

“That’s why we have gathered here, isn’t it? Now, let’s move to the conference room instead of standing here.”

“Yes.”

Thus, the dragons began an emergency meeting to confront the humans from Earth.

—

### 39. Revealing the Enemy’s Identity

Kang Chan and Zikyon teleported to the Red Mars ship.

In the past, it was said that teleportation from the Mine Kingdom to the Helion Kingdom was impossible due to the distance, yet now they had come to a place twice as far in one go.

Kang Chan glared at Zikyon with distrustful eyes, but Zikyon only looked away with a shameless expression.

“Ugh, I should just keep my mouth shut…”

Ignoring Zikyon, Kang Chan headed to the hangar for his mission.

The reason Kang Chan came here was for the assault ship.

The assault ship, developed to transport troops from space to a planet, boasted superior performance to most civilian space shuttles despite its small size.

Kang Chan sought the assault ship for its radio.

He intended to use the assault ship’s antenna to eavesdrop on the enemy’s communications and uncover their identity.

The Red Mars ship had a much more advanced antenna, but it had been destroyed by the Empire’s droids and was no longer usable.

Fortunately, the assault ship’s space communication antenna would suffice to identify the enemy hovering right above them.

Though the risk of being traced back was high.

Since the assault ship had not been maintained for years, Kang Chan was anxious as he started the engine.

Vroom…

As the lights on the various gauges in the cockpit lit up, the assault ship’s engine roared to life.

“Okay! That’s good!”

“Is it working?”

“Yes.”

After checking the assault ship’s status briefly, Kang Chan activated the antenna.

He then set the automatic frequency finder and the friend-or-foe identification system, waiting for the enemies to communicate.

“They better take the bait…”

“What? You’re just going to wait?”

“Yes, we wait until they use their communication channel.”

“Huh? Who knows when they’ll communicate? I’m going to my room to take a nap.”

“As you wish.”

In truth, Zikyon had nothing to do here.

It was better for Kang Chan if she left so he could concentrate.

While Zikyon left the assault ship to take a nap, Kang Chan armed himself with patience and determination, waiting for the enemies’ communication.

Contrary to his grim determination, the enemy’s communication was intercepted surprisingly easily.

### -Chik! C-commander… Chik! Here… Chik!

The communication was so faint it was almost incomprehensible. However, Kang Chan soon despaired.

The friend-or-foe identification system had lit up red.

They were enemies.

Kang Chan quickly shut off the communication.

Continuing to eavesdrop risked being traced back.

Moreover, the opponent was a space battleship.

There was no way a mere assault ship could stand against it.

“No… How can the Imperial Army be here?”

Kang Chan couldn’t believe it.

As far as he knew, they hadn’t developed a warp system for hyperdimensional navigation.

And what had the Space Federation been doing while they traveled here?

“Could it be?”

All sorts of bad thoughts crossed Kang Chan’s mind.

Even the possibility that the Imperial Army had won the war.

If that were true, the situation would become dire.

Approaching them using his identity would be impossible.

The only option left was to overpower them with force.

That, in Kang Chan’s view, was like hitting a rock with an egg.

—

While Kang Chan was in despair, an alarm went off on the bow of the Zvezda ship drifting through space.

“Who is it? Who eavesdropped on our communication?”

– The unidentified enemy has closed the communication channel. Tracking is impossible.

“Cunning foe, they identified us as enemies and immediately closed the channel. This means they are definitely not allies…”

– Based on the analysis of the enemy’s computer system that accessed the channel, it was the BNB-NX103 Parabola system used on small spacecraft.

“Ah, isn’t that model used on the Space Federation’s assault ships? This means a Space Federation operative is hiding on this planet?”

“Given that they used an assault ship’s antenna, which could be detected instead of a warship-grade system, it suggests the enemy is a survivor who arrived here in an assault ship.”

“So, they are not a significant threat to our operations.”

“Most likely. But we must not be complacent. Computer! Dispatch a squadron of fighters to sweep the area where the enemy might be hiding.”

– Understood.

Hundreds of fighters were launched from the Zvezda ship, dispatched to the area where the enemy might be lurking.

However, they did not find the Red Mars ship.

The Red Mars ship was surrounded by several layers of spatial distortion magic circles meticulously crafted by Zikyon.