A dragon.
It had a lizardlike body, wings spread like a bat's, scales covering its entire body, limbs as thick as tree trunks, and a long, winding tail studded with thornlike spikes.
This distinctive creature often appeared as a boss in RPGs across the Six Continents.
The Six Continents' registry of magical beasts also listed creatures resembling dragons.
So when Beyond and the others saw this dragon, they actually felt a faint sense of familiarity.
The only difference was—
The dragon before them was truly enormous.
If a human were a tiny beetle, this dragon would be the largest, most powerfully built Komodo dragon.
It could swallow dozens of those beetles just by casually opening its mouth.
With such a disparity in size, the dragon should not have paid any attention to Beyond and the others.
And yet...
To withstand the powerful winds attacking them through some unknown means, Beyond and his companions had all released as much Nen as they could.
To the dragon, however, the presence of Nen was equivalent to Life Energy, which was why it noticed them.
Whoosh, whoosh—
The dragon's outstretched leathery wings beat visible currents through the air, and Beyond and the others were reflected in its golden, slit-pupiled eyes.
"Roar!"
Then the dragon opened its gaping maw, lined with crisscrossing fangs, and let out a roar announcing the start of its hunt.
Still resisting the fierce winds, Beyond and the others instantly sensed the dragon's intent to attack, and their expressions turned grave.
The dragon stared down at them from above. Its roar had stopped, but its mouth remained open.
A bright glow began gathering inside its open mouth.
"Huh?!"
Seeing the firelight inside the dragon's gaping maw, everyone's eyes flashed with surprise.
The dragon's existence did not surprise them because similar magical