Reawakening: Primordial Dragon with Limitless Mana

"How much?" Maria asked eagerly as Lary finished counting the coins from the pouch.

Lary scowled and tossed both the coins and the parchment aside. "Just ten damn coins. Seriously? They were flat-out broke."

Olivia groaned, shaking her own pouch. "This one's no better. A few rusty coppers. Shit, we risked our necks for pocket change."

They usually lured clueless tourists and rookie hunters to that hidden spot—then fed them to Ghirodah. The beast was a monster lurking in the forest, and their job—unofficial as it was—was to keep it fed. That was their excuse anyway.

The truth? They just wanted easy loot.

Plenty of townsfolk knew what they were doing. Even the guild master turned a blind eye. After all, as long as the beast stayed fed and deep in the woods, the town was safe.

But lately, things weren't going so well. The number of victims had gone down, and because of their reputation, no one wanted them on quests. Everyone knew they were scum—just no one said it out loud.

"Damn it. Should've at least fucked that woman. Might've made the whole mess worth something," Lary muttered, running a hand through his greasy hair.

Olivia laughed coldly. "Please. I smashed that pretty little face of hers. She was probably bawling like a lunatic before the mutt got her."

Maria chuckled, still holding the staff she'd taken from Luna. "Think this staff will sell for anything?"

Lary glared at the staff, then back at the forest. "It's better. Or next time, I'm gutting the target myself to check for hidden coin."

They weren't heroes. Not protectors. Just cowards hiding behind a beast's hunger—leeching off fear and pretending it was duty.

They trudged toward the city, muttering curses and sulking over their pathetic loot. Thoughts of what miserable scraps they could afford for dinner circled in their minds—until suddenly, a sharp shimmer pulsed from Maria's hand.

"Wh-What the hell?" she yelped, stumbling a step as the staff in her grasp began to hum with energy.

Buzzing.

Vibrating.

It glowed brighter and brighter, almost burning her skin. Before anyone could react, it blinked out of existence—vanished into thin air.

"The fuck?!" Maria gasped, eyes wide in disbelief, staring at her now-empty hand.

Olivia narrowed her eyes, tilting her head. "Maybe… it disappeared because its owner died? Like some kind of magical bond?" Her voice was casual, dismissive even, as if they hadn't just witnessed something supernatural.

But Lary's expression was anything but casual. His jaw tightened, and a dark look passed over his face. "No," he muttered, "It didn't die with her… it went back to her."

Maria flinched. "You mean—?"

"She's alive," Lary said firmly.

Olivia scoffed, waving a hand. "Don't be stupid. We left them broken and bleeding. That beast was starving—it would've torn through them like paper. You saw that girl, she could barely hold her weapon. They were just kids. No way they made it out."

But Lary didn't respond.

His silence said everything.

A cold wind brushed past them, and for the first time in a long while, a sliver of unease settled in their chests.

"We should leave—" Lary began to say, but the moment he turned around, his words died in his throat.

He froze.

And so did Olivia and Maria.

All three stood still, eyes wide, unable to move as they spotted the two figures standing ahead.

The boy's body was soaked in blood—not his own, but from the beast he had fought.

His red hair, once bright, was now matted with gore, painted in the remnants of a brutal battle.

His breathing was heavy, uneven… yet his posture didn't falter. On his back, he carried the silver-haired girl, holding her as if she weighed nothing.

But it wasn't the blood, or the injuries, or even the eerie silence that made their hearts race.

It was his eyes.

Those eyes burned with something wild—untamed fury that didn't need words to threaten them.

And in that moment, all three of them understood.

They had made a terrible mistake.

Olivia panicked. Her instincts screamed at her—they couldn't run, couldn't wait. They had to end this now.

"You're dead!" she snarled, her knives flashing in the dim light as she lunged straight at Hades.

He was strong, yes—but he was injured. Drained after fighting that monstrous wolf. And with that unconscious girl still slung across his back, he couldn't possibly react in time.

That's what she believed.

In a blur, she closed the distance, her blade aimed straight for his gut—

"Huh?!"

Her wrist was caught mid-thrust. Tight. Too tight.

Before she could process it, her own knife twisted in her grip with a sickening crunch—and then—

*SQUELCH.*

The blade pierced her chest, sliding in under her collarbone.

"…h-huh…?" Olivia choked, her eyes wide with shock.

He hadn't even moved. His expression was blank. Cold.

T-Then how…?

A low, feral growl rumbled from Hades' throat.

With no hesitation, he dragged the blade downward, tearing through skin, muscle, and ribs in one brutal motion.

"AAAAAAGHHHHH!!"

Her scream ripped through the forest as her body convulsed. Blood sprayed in violent bursts, splattering across the trees and his already blood-soaked figure.

But he didn't flinch.

His grip on her wrist was vice-like. No matter how she struggled, no matter how she shrieked, there was no escape.

Maria and Lary stood frozen, horrified. Eyes locked on the scene in disbelief.

Even after battling Ghirodah… he had this much power?

'W-Who the hell is this monster…?!'

Hades gripped Olivia by the throat and slammed her against a tree. Bark cracked and flaked under the force.

She coughed blood, chest heaving, limbs weak from blood loss.

He pinned both her arms above her head, holding them in place.

"I'll deal with you later," he said flatly—

Then, with zero warning, he rammed the knife through her palm and into the tree.

*THWACK.*

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Her shriek turned into a raw, broken wail as her entire body arched. Blood poured from her mangled hand, soaking the wood behind her.

Calmly, Hades reached up and tapped her bloodied cheek.

"Wait for me," he whispered, his voice low and dead of emotion. "I'll be back for you."

And with that, he turned away.

Her screams faded behind him as he continued walking forward—toward the other two.

Maria had long run away while Lary stood there holding his sword and looked ready to fight.

Hades grinned, his sharp canines peeking as he said, "That's like a man. No running away. Facing your fears."

Lary scoffed, "You think I am scared of you?"

Hades glanced at those trembling legs of the man before saying, "Well, we will soon find out."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Oh, and yes, Luna is unconscious. Poor girl.