The Destructive Power of the Hungarian Horntail

Chapter 999: Hungarian Horntail's Destructive Power

Successfully climbing onto a dragon's body isn't a simple task.

The Mithril Amulet can protect the wearer from harm, but it doesn't provide any enhancements.

With a "thud," Draco was thrown off the Hungarian Horntail for the third time.

The first time, he jumped up and grabbed a leg scale; the second time, he climbed a bit higher; the third time, he reached its knee.

At this rate, he might reach the dragon's chest before sunset.

As for whether he could successfully retrieve the golden egg, that depended on how long he could hold on.

In the judges' seats, Karkaroff couldn't help but yawn. Madame Maxime's attention wandered, and Dumbledore occasionally looked elsewhere. Only Barty Crouch and Bagman were intently focused on the wizard and the dragon.

Draco was thrown off for the fourth time, having reached the dragon's thigh.

He panted heavily, patting non-existent dust off his robes, and didn't attempt to climb again as he had before.

Idealism is beautiful, but reality is cruel.

Even if he used all his strength to grip the dragon's scales, it could shake him off with a slight tremor.

Draco overestimated his physical abilities. A dragon the size of a small mountain wasn't a mountain after all; it could move and resist.

If he hadn't dropped out of Vincent's physical training midway, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state after being thrown off.

During his rest, predictably, it was another classic human-dragon standoff.

Not only the audience in the stands, but wizards around the world who were fortunate enough to watch the live broadcast of the competition were booing. Some short-tempered wizards were even pointing at Draco's large face on the projection screen and cursing.

Bending the rules by bringing magical items was one thing, but he couldn't even manage the simple task of climbing onto the dragon.

Harry, another 14-year-old wizard, could withstand a tail swipe and retrieve the golden egg.

The injured Fleur and Viktor Krum, though ultimately unable to retrieve the golden egg, each had impressive moments.

And Draco?

Was he showcasing the power of magical items?

Or highlighting his weak physical condition?

The difference was appalling.

In the stands, a drowsy Vincent rested his head on Hermione's shoulder.

"So sleepy... is this little blondie deliberately torturing us?"

Hermione shifted slightly to make his position less awkward. "It should be soon. The Hungarian Horntail seems a bit impatient too."

The dragon in the arena swung its bronze-spiked tail from side to side, its patience clearly wearing thin.

It knew it couldn't do anything to Draco, and it knew he couldn't do anything to it either.

Vincent half-closed his eyes. "The Malfoy Family is really extravagant. This kind of magical item is practically a family heirloom. Using it to defend against a dragon is a waste."

The flames breathed by the Hungarian Horntail could easily melt metal, and the force of its tail could collapse bridges. This magical item could probably defend against Dark magic as well.

Back in the arena, Draco didn't try to climb onto the dragon again after his rest.

Perhaps he realized his physical limitations, or perhaps he felt particularly embarrassed after being thrown off.

He raised his wand again, causing the dragon to slam its tail on the ground, sending large chunks of rock flying.

The Hungarian Horntail was known for being ferocious and violent. If it weren't for the Mithril Amulet, Draco would have been seriously injured and forced to withdraw long ago.

But its repeated concessions were only met with further encroachment. Even a truly gentle Welsh Green Dragon would be extremely angry.

One weak, ineffective spell after another struck the dragon's armor-like scales, and its patience had clearly reached its breaking point.

"Roar—" Draco grinned slyly as it spread its massive wings.

His new strategy was to enrage the dragon and then seize the golden egg in the ensuing chaos.

He succeeded. The dragon roared out its pent-up anger.

But that was just the beginning. It forcefully flapped its wings, creating a hurricane-force gust of wind carrying debris.

Vincent, who had been resting his head on Hermione's shoulder, sat up with a jolt.

The destructive power was catastrophic. The Hungarian Horntail seemed to be more than just enraged.

Its dark golden vertical pupils narrowed into thin slits, and the magma-like irises faintly glowed with red. It opened its jaws, revealing dagger-like fangs.

Draco stood unharmed at the dragon's feet. The debris carried by the hurricane couldn't hurt him; it didn't even ruffle his hair.

"Bang!" The dragon, using one hand to protect the dragon egg and the golden egg, slammed its claw down heavily.

The claw bounced off as expected, but its immense power was transmitted through the Mithril Amulet's defensive magic to the ground beneath Draco's feet, compressing the earth and leaving a shallow imprint.

"Roar!" This time, its roar was particularly excited, and the hurricane created by its flapping wings was even more terrifying.

Draco instinctively raised his hand to shield his face, unable to look directly at the debris flying towards him like bullets.

The Mithril Amulet protected him once again. The next second, the dragon's claw slammed down from above again.

The enormous noise forced him to cover his ears, and immediately after, a tail covered in bronze spikes crashed down from above.

The Hungarian Horntail's ferocious attack didn't harm him in the slightest, but it did cause the ground beneath his feet to sink in, bit by bit.

The booing from the stands instantly vanished, and the wizards of the global magical community watching the live broadcast once again fell silent.

When the pit was fully half a person deep, the Hungarian Horntail suddenly stopped, seemingly quite dissatisfied with its own destructive power.

It clamped its mouth shut, then abruptly opened it again, and wisps of white smoke rose from between its teeth, scorching the air into wavy ripples.

"This is…" Vincent frowned, looking at the dragon in the distance, which was opening its mouth wide, directly facing him.

Disaster-level destructive power; there was no doubt it had gone berserk.

The low growl coming from deep within its throat was unsettling, and Draco, who was closest, felt his legs go weak and he slumped down into the pit at his feet.

"Idiot!" Vincent stood up and shouted, "Run, quickly!"

Draco didn't seem to hear his warning, staring blankly as the flames, as if from hell, came rushing toward him.

The dragon's breath in its berserk state was completely different from before. The sea of fire, mixed with magical energy, was like Fiendfyre from hell, constantly battering against the stands' defensive magic, and the audience in the back could clearly feel the scorching heat.

The five judges on the dais paled.

Things had happened too suddenly. Though it was also a dragon going berserk, in terms of destructive power alone, the Hungarian Horntail on the field was obviously several levels more terrifying than the Chinese Fireball Dragon had been.