Seeing that Morgan had already entered the dragon's remains first, the others quickly followed.
Only after drawing closer did they fully appreciate its scale. Nearly two-thirds of the colossal dragon carcass, over two thousand meters long, lay submerged beneath the marsh.
Yet as the saying went, even a dead tiger retained its majesty. As a Great Dragon of extraordinary rank from the Age of Gods, even after death, its flesh and Mana would never easily become food for the fish and shrimp of the marsh, nor would it simply rot away and become nourishment for plants.
The lingering Mana and draconic pressure had formed a transparent protective membrane over the dragon's remains, much like a Magical barrier, keeping out the water and smaller creatures.
Naturally, such an obstacle was hardly enough to stop Samael and the others.
After spending some time attuning their Mana to the same frequency as the draconic Barrier, the group easily passed through a cavity in the skull. The protective membrane rippled like water as they crossed it, officially entering the dragon's remains.
The space before them suddenly opened up.
Looking around, they saw enormous dragon bones rising like pillars supporting the heavens. Smooth and luminous as jade, they emitted a gentle glow in the darkness, clearly illuminating the interior. Reflections from the water outside shimmered across the inner walls, creating a strangely dreamlike beauty.
But as the group continued deeper, the surrounding light gradually dimmed.
Along the way, they found scattered gold and silver artifacts, decaying Divine Constructs, and humanoid skeletons.
In areas dense with Mana, red-and-black poisonous miasma drifted through the air. They also found large quantities of Catalysts and materials nearly impossible to obtain on the surface, including dragon scales and fangs, juvenile Hydra and other draconic Magical Beasts, as well as various remains.
Naturally, they also encountered draconic Magical Beasts guarding different areas and undead wandering through the passages.
It was obvious that the dragon's immense size had caused its remains to merge with the marsh itself, becoming an independent Spiritual Tomb. Its lingering Mana sustained the unusual lifeforms and ghosts that had made their homes within it.
The space created inside the dragon's remains had effectively become a miniature ecosystem, isolated from the outside world and capable of sustaining its own cycle.
But with Samael, Morgan, and Mari working together, supported by the three Fairy Knights, Baobhan Sith, Barghest, and Habetrot, creatures that would have been terrifying to ordinary people could do nothing to halt their advance.
In the dim light, Samael examined a badly corroded fragment of a battle axe. When his gaze fell upon a familiar indentation, the muscles in his face twitched slightly.
Runes...
Looks like we really have run into an old acquaintance.
The monster that gnawed at the roots of the World Tree across the Nine Realms of Norse mythology, the calamity of despair that heralded Ragnarok and the end of the world.
The Poison Dragon Nidhogg!
The very same creature he had thrown out of the Great God's Cage to take a blow for him during the War of the Covenant...
That also explained exactly where the dragon beasts outside had come from.
The Norse world was founded upon sacrifice. From death came new life.
To split open chaos and create the world, the primordial gods sacrificed Ymir, the progenitor of the giants.
His skull became the sky, his brains the clouds, his body the earth, his blood the oceans, his bones the mountains, and his hair the trees.
When Ymir's corpse rotted and maggots grew from it, those maggots were granted reason and transformed into Light Elementals and Dark Elementals.
Nidhogg possessed a similar nature.
After its death, the flesh that peeled from its body gave birth to degraded Dragonkind, while its remaining carcass transformed into a Spiritual Tomb and became a breeding ground for new life.
It seemed the War of the Covenant really had left quite a few hidden dangers buried beneath Britannia.
And this world really was small...
Samael quietly tossed aside the fragment of the battle axe, dusted off his hands, and offered a few words of mourning without the slightest hint of guilt before continuing onward.
After passing through passageways formed from solidified blood vessels, the group eventually entered the central heart chamber of the dragon's remains.
A sinister sense of danger crashed over them like an enormous wave.
Upon a decaying white-bone throne sat a hideous black silhouette.
Its ruined armor had been dyed the color of thick ink, while the surrounding light seemed to be swallowed by its shadow. Looking at it was like staring into a vast hole punched through the very wall of the world.
That darkness devoured light itself, as though it could swallow even blazing molten iron and drain it into the depths of its body.
A single glance was enough for everyone to feel an overwhelming chill.
Whatever sat before them was unquestionably inhuman.
The Demon Dragon, Vortigern!
Morgan murmured the name as she raised her head and gazed at the monster dwelling within the dragon's remains.
So this was it.
This was the true form of the being that sought to bring Britannia to ruin.
A dark lifeform that had inherited the very essence of Nidhogg's Cataclysm.
Having understood its origin, the Serpent finally realized the truth.
"You have finally come..."
A low voice drifted from the decaying throne, echoing through the vast heart chamber.
"You were waiting for me?"
Morgan murmured thoughtfully and stepped forward with her staff in hand.
Vortigern rose and laughed, regarding the witch with open admiration.
"Morgan, my dear niece. Guardian who inherited the Mystery of Britannia's other side. You are even more exceptional than I imagined. While the King of Knights is still fighting the Mad Hunters, you managed to resolve the insect and beast plagues in the Southern Realm before her, then followed the trail all the way here to the Swamp Dragon's Remains. Remarkable!"
"That was not my achievement alone. It was the result of everyone behind me working together."
Morgan glanced at her companions and replied calmly.
Then a cold edge gathered between her brows as she looked mockingly toward Vortigern atop the decaying throne.
"Of course, we also have you to thank for all of this, Usurper King."
Vortigern paid no attention to her mockery. Instead, he sighed with obvious meaning.
"Uther misjudged you. You are far more capable than that so-called creation. The throne should have belonged to you."
"So you were beaten into this state by a creation supposedly inferior to me? How pathetic."
Morgan sneered.
Her cutting reply left Vortigern, who had been attempting to show goodwill, momentarily speechless.
The black mist surrounding the Usurper King churned violently.
After a brief silence, Vortigern finally spoke again.
"Morgan, why harbor such intense hostility toward me? Faith in humans and gods is rising. Their cities drive Magical Beasts out of the forests. They cultivate the land and push fairies into the wilderness. They tear open the skies and scatter the spectral thunder."
"The Mystery of nature is gradually dying upon this land. As fellow guardians of this island, we are both being abandoned by the world. We ought to share the same enemy. Rather than fighting each other, why not discuss an alliance?"
Vortigern paused.
His gloomy gaze fell upon the witch below the throne, his eyes carrying a clear note of temptation.
"Do you truly have no desire to take revenge on Uther and reclaim everything that should have been yours? I can help you fulfill that long-held wish and remake Britannia!"
Morgan laughed.
Her smile held nothing but contempt and disdain.
"What I lost, I can take back myself. I have no need to borrow anyone else's hand! Whether I succeed or fail, I will never cooperate with vermin that betrayed this land and the whole of Celtic Britain!"
Vortigern's gaze immediately darkened.
Raging black flames enveloped the Usurper King's body, forming the enormous shell of a Demon Dragon, while his voice rolled through the chamber like thunder.
"I truly did underestimate you. In that case, remain here..."
As long as he devoured this power, he would have a chance to unite the two Mysteries of Britannia's Southern and Northern Realms.
Then he could challenge the demi-god of Camelot once again.
***
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***