The moment his words fell, Idris tightened one arm around Nahida and charged straight in.
Throughout the advance, he could clearly feel a strand of consciousness clinging to him—
the will of the Dendro Dragon King, Apep.
Idris paid it no mind.
In fact, that lingering awareness was more like a countdown to doom for Apep herself.
The closer he drew to her true body, the more agitated her emotions became.
While flying, Idris suddenly had a thought. He glanced down at the girl in his arms.
"Nahida, let me ask you something."
"I have no past grudges with Apep, nor any recent conflicts. As things stand, she also lacks the strength to throw all of Sumeru into chaos."
"If I were to seal her—or even kill her outright—would you feel that what I did was… inappropriate?"
Nahida shook her head without hesitation.
"Of course not."
"I know you're acting to eliminate future risks. Compared to waiting until disaster truly erupts, it's better to resolve the problem at its root now."
"Someone has to play the villain," she added softly.
"It's only a question of how much benefit that role brings."
She understood this well.
Apep resided within Sumeru's territory and still possessed terrifying reserves of power and energy.
If left unchecked, it was only a matter of time before she became a catastrophe.
That said, a trace of reluctance still flickered in Nahida's eyes.
Her nature was simply too gentle.
She hated tragedies like this.
Seeing her reaction, Idris laughed lightly.
"Well said."
"But you can relax. The longer a being lives, the more it fears certain things—death included."
"I don't expect Apep to submit today. Nor do I intend to truly kill her."
"From what happened with Neuvillette, killing an elemental dragon sovereign tends to bring far too many uncertainties."
"How this ends," he concluded, "depends on whether Apep understands her situation."
With that, he continued flying deeper into the Dendro Dragon's domain.
Only now did Idris truly grasp how vast Apep's body was.
Compared to her, he really could be described as insignificant.
Before him rose what looked like a colossal wall formed entirely of condensed Dendro energy.
But this distance was enough.
He was already close enough to touch her true form.
Even if he couldn't find her head, as long as she could hear him—that was sufficient.
"Apep," Idris called out calmly,
"have you decided?"
"Bow your head and become my mount—"
"—or continue resisting?"
"Tell me, insignificant human!"
"Then don't blame me for being impolite."
In an instant, the Golden Desert Divine Armament clad Idris's body.
At the same time, immense yin-yang sigils appeared in both his hands.
On closer inspection, each sigil was in fact a vast sealing formation, compressed into symbolic form.
As the sigils manifested, Idris began to chant quietly.
"Wood and earth, born of heaven and soil—
Mutual Genesis Sealing Array, descend!"
In the blink of an eye, enormous yin-yang formations spread across the desert.
The moment the array took shape, Apep felt everything within her—
elemental power, vitality, authority—locked down at once.
Yet paradoxically, the forbidden knowledge and Abyssal corruption that had tormented her for countless years were sealed as well.
The formation made no distinctions.
Anything it could suppress—it suppressed.
"It's not over," Idris said coldly.
"Domain Prison."
As the yin-yang array stabilized, an invisible colossal cage slammed down from the heavens, enclosing Apep completely.
This was the same technique Idris had once used on Scaramouche—
the technique that had trapped him permanently within the control chamber of the Shouki no Kami, turning him into a puppet that could never disobey.
Back then, Idris had never found another suitable target.
Now, Apep was the perfect test subject.
The seal ensured she would never accumulate enough power to break free.
Duration: permanent.
The prison erased even the hope of escape.
Feeling herself completely suppressed, Apep snarled despite everything.
"Insignificant human—are you trying to outlast me?"
"I admit your sealing arts are extraordinary. They even suppress the foreign corruption inside me."
"But my lifespan dwarfs yours. If you think you can wait me out—
you have no chance!"
Idris merely sneered.
"Apep, you'd do better to understand reality instead of clinging to pride."
"The era of gods—and dragon kings—will pass. Just as surely as you will."
"This is the era of the people.
And it is my era."
"If you persist in this stubbornness, your affliction will never heal."
"And neither will I ever release you from this prison."
"As for killing you?"
"Yes, the consequences would be troublesome—but not beyond what I can bear."
"And since you're the elemental dragon of the land ruled by the God of Wisdom, you should understand why this formation also sealed your corruption."
At that, Apep fell silent.
Idris had become Sumeru's uncrowned king.
Even if all the gods of this land returned, they would only serve as his backdrop.
The reason he sealed her corruption was simple—
he did not wish to kill her.
Watching her silence, Idris chuckled.
This was an ancient dragon, arrogant beyond measure—but not incapable of compromise.
He dismissed the Golden Desert Divine Armament, descended to the sand, and looked up at her massive form.
"I'll leave a Void Terminal headset inside the formation."
"You can use it to contact me."
"If you ever decide to become my mount," he added calmly,
"use it to call me. I'll release you."
"And if necessary, I'm willing to meet certain conditions—
as long as you're obedient."
With that, he lifted Nahida once more, unfurled his elemental wings, and departed.
Nahida could only give Apep a small, helpless look of good luck.
After all, even she had no dignity left in front of this Grand Sage.
Left alone, Apep stared at the unbreakable formation…
and at the Void Terminal headset Idris had left behind.
The seal would last forever.
The headset, however, had limited power.
Understanding dawned.
"He's forcing a decision…"
"If I fail to choose before this device dies—
my fate is eternal imprisonment."
She let out a bitter laugh.
"That human king Idris… truly knows how to corner someone."
"No wonder the Scarlet King chose him."
"Making me his mount—how dare he…"
"…And can't he even tell I'm female—
tch, forget it."
Apep sank into deep contemplation.
Submit, abandon her pride, and welcome a new era—
—or cling to her arrogance and remain sealed forever.
The choice rested entirely with her.
As Apep pondered, Idris was already flying away with Nahida.
At the same time, the system triggered a reward evaluation.
But this time…
something was off.
[Congratulations, Host. You have altered the original fate of the Dendro Dragon King Apep.]
[However, this task has only been initiated, not fully completed.]
[Reward conditions incomplete. Full rewards will be issued upon task completion.]
[Partial reward granted:
Modern-era transportation blueprint (civilian model).]
A massive influx of knowledge flooded Idris's mind.
Mid-flight, he froze.
"…Did the system just bug out?"
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