30. The Finishing Blow

Seeing this figure, Ul's eyes immediately lit up!

He hurriedly called out, "Natsu, come give me a hand!"

"Huh?"

Suddenly hearing someone call his name, Natsu looked around in confusion, then spotted Ul sprinting at full speed. A trademark sunny (idiotic) grin spread across his face.

"Yo! Ul, what're you playing at?"

"No time to explain, Natsu, just help me deal with this guy behind me first... huff, huff!"

Even though Ul's physique was excellent now, being chased for half an hour straight was still taking its toll.

Natsu curiously glanced behind Ul, and the expression on his face involuntarily began to stir with excitement. He declared confidently, "No problem, leave it to me!"

Compared to Ul, Natsu was a true violent maniac!

One of his hobbies was fighting!

But don't get the wrong idea.

Although Natsu loved fighting, he was actually a "kind" person at heart.

What Natsu enjoyed most was sparring to test each other's strength. He wasn't that interested in life-or-death battles... in other words, this guy didn't kill people, he only beat them up.

Emmmm!

Even enemies were treated the same.

Ul really didn't know how to judge Natsu's personality on this point... but... if he had a choice, he'd rather be Natsu's enemy, because that would definitely be a very safe thing.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist."

Bam!

"Roar!"

The fight ended quickly.

From start to finish, Natsu just let out a loud shout, then punched the Ape Monster that Ul couldn't handle flat onto the ground...

As for this result, Ul, who had witnessed the entire battle, showed not a trace of surprise on his face from beginning to end.

After all, he was a second-generation dragon!

If Natsu couldn't even handle a little monster like that, that would have been what truly surprised Ul!

Although Natsu was only fourteen this year, because he had been training magic by the Fire Dragon King's side since childhood, his current magic level had almost reached the standard of an A-rank Mage. And that was just his normal strength—if he went all out, his power was even harder to imagine.

After dealing with the Ape Monster, Natsu seemed a bit unsatisfied. With a somewhat bored expression, he walked over toward Ul, with Happy, that little tagalong, closely following behind him...

"Natsu, are you two heading out on a mission?"

Ul looked at the backpacks Natsu and Happy were carrying and couldn't help asking.

"Not a mission. I'm going to look for Igneel!" Natsu said.

"Hai... Let me tell you, Ul, you'd never guess it, but Igneel is a dragon!" As soon as Natsu finished speaking, Happy suddenly popped out and said to Ul with a mysterious look.

Hearing this, Ul nodded lightly, his expression utterly flat as he said, "Oh."

Natsu: "?????"

Happy: "?????"

Something felt off!

Whenever Natsu and Happy had talked to others about Igneel before, people reacted in all sorts of ways... doubt, mockery, surprise, and so on!!!

But they had never, ever encountered a reaction like Ul's.

So for a moment, the one human and one cat were a bit stunned, their already tiny brains seemingly short-circuiting.

And although Ul didn't know mind-reading or face-reading!

Judging by their reactions, he could roughly guess what was going on.

And to that, his inner response was only one thing!

Heh!

What was so special about knowing Igneel was a dragon?

Ul not only knew Igneel was a dragon, he even knew that Igneel had never actually gone missing—he had been hiding inside you, Natsu, this second-generation dragon, the whole time. So no matter how hard you searched, you'd never find him...

Was he supposed to show off something so trivial?

Ridiculous!

·

Alright!

The real reason Ul didn't dare speak carelessly was mainly that he worried revealing this matter would disrupt Igneel and the others' plans.

And more importantly, Ul wasn't sure that if he did sabotage their plans, those dragons wouldn't come out and beat him black and blue.

He felt it was best to avoid taking such risks himself.

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After helping Ul deal with the knocked-down Ape Monster, Natsu quickly left with Happy!

Natsu truly harbored deep feelings for Igneel, who had raised him since childhood, so whenever rumors about "dragons" surfaced anywhere, Natsu would almost always rush over immediately.

But the final outcome was already predetermined.

"It seems screwing over your own kid really isn't limited to humans."

Watching Natsu's retreating back, Ul couldn't help but let out a sigh of "shared sentiment."

After the sigh!

Ul's gaze shifted from Natsu to the Ape Monster lying unconscious on the ground.

A cold glint flashed in Ul's eyes!

The next moment!

Ul slowly spread his hands, Magic Power surging within him, and a deep yellow Magic Circle, darker in hue than before, suddenly appeared beneath the Ape Monster...

Low-rank Magic—Rock Spike!

Pfft!

A spike made entirely of rock rapidly emerged from the deep yellow Magic Circle, piercing straight through the Ape Monster's chest, sending up a spray of blood.

The life force of the unconscious Ape Monster rapidly weakened...

Before long!

The Ape Monster had completely lost its vitality.

At the same time!

Ul abruptly felt his Magic Power surge by a noticeable margin...

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