Chapter 141
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Disaster Prophecy, Preparations for the Hunt - 3
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A dragon… a full-grown dragon was scheduled to appear in this land, South Korea.
The first to learn of this fact was Lee Hyun-wook.
The administrator of the World Tree had tipped him off, and him alone.
That was why he was the only one preparing for the disaster.
However…
- [Breaking News] Unidentified Monolith-like Objects Appear After ‘Cracks’ Form Throughout Southern Gyeonggi Province
- ‘How long has it been since the war ended…’ A Prelude to Another Disaster? Public Anxiety Mounts
About nine days after the prophecy, the signs began to manifest one by one across the world.
Temporary dimensional gates, or ‘cracks,’ had opened throughout the Suwon area, from which enormous monoliths had emerged. Lee Hyun-wook knew instinctively that this was the prelude to the arrival of Angra Mainyu’s legion and Azhi Dahaka.
“...Is this it?”
“Yes, it is.”
Lee Hyun-wook had also gone to see one of the sites for himself.
In a vacant lot within a residential area, a 9.9-meter-tall black monolith stood erect.
*Tsssss—*
The crimson symbols carved into its surface writhed as if they were alive.
*Tsssss—*
A strange, faint cry emanated from within the monolith, feeling like a temptation to approach and place a hand upon it. It wasn’t just a feeling; it was imbued with magic that could manipulate the mind.
Of course, its intensity was so faint that a Player of Lee Hyun-wook’s caliber could easily shake it off.
“We’ve identified a number of these monoliths that have appeared within a five-kilometer radius of this area.”
As Team Leader Lee Gyo-jun spoke, Lee Hyun-wook placed his hand on the monolith…
*Woong—*
- Warning! You have come into contact with Angra Mainyu’s ‘Message.’
In that instant, his vision was plunged into darkness, as if he had been sucked into another world.
Then, like a projector switching on and light passing through its lens, his sight slowly returned.
*Fwoosh—*
The first thing he saw was a red flickering.
‘Fire?’
Yes, everything around him was burning. The place was none other than…
‘…Suwon.’
The entire area was covered in magma, as if he were at the site of a volcanic eruption.
Lee Hyun-wook lifted his head and witnessed it flying above Suwon Station.
A pair of blackout curtains that covered the entire world… they were wings.
‘Hk!’
Giant red eyes, vertically slit pupils, and beyond them, an immense presence…
‘…A Black Dragon.’
Just meeting its gaze created a pressure so intense it felt as if his entire body was being torn to shreds.
「I will soon come for you........」
It wasn't a sound or a language, yet its meaning forced its way into his mind.
He felt an instinctual terror being dredged up from the deepest corners of his soul.
*Crash—*
Then, the entire Suwon Station building collapsed, and the vision came to an end.
- (!) You have received Angra Mainyu’s ‘Warning.’
- An unbearable disaster will befall this region.
Was this the vision of a city turned to ash that Donald Harry had seen?
“Hm? Are you done?”
“Yes…”
“I saw it too. It was pretty damn awful.”
Major events were almost always preceded by omens. This was a kind of warning.
In his past life, Lee Hyun-wook had been abroad before Azhi Dahaka appeared, so he had forgotten, but he had heard that this creature’s arrival had also been heralded by such a grand announcement.
“This is… sort of like an opening, wouldn’t you say?”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded at Team Leader Lee Gyo-jun’s words.
Yes, it was just like the cutscenes that play before a major event begins in a game.
“Team Leader Lee, you said about a dozen of these appeared all over southern Gyeonggi Province?”
“That’s right. It’s like they’re running a marketing campaign, scattering them all over the place.”
If it was southern Gyeonggi, it seemed the dragon intended to appear in Suwon, just as it had in his past life.
“Then this information will soon spread like wildfire across the globe, won’t it?”
“Hah— I suppose it’s inevitable. We won’t be able to control it all.”
And so, the fact that a dragon was about to appear became known to the world.
It was only natural that the entire world was thrown into an uproar.
- Korea, the Stage for Disaster Once Again? Fear Spreads with the Announcement of a Black Dragon’s Appearance
- World’s First Adult Dragon Scheduled to Appear. Will the Korean Peninsula Become a Battlefield Once More?
- EU Guild Alliance Stresses Need for Joint Operation, Calling it a Disaster Beyond a Single Nation’s Capacity
A dragon… a name that signified both a terrible disaster and the most valuable of treasures.
Thus, while the public trembled in fear, the world’s top-tier Players licked their lips.
‘Even a single byproduct from a dragon can be crafted into the finest equipment…’
The next day, while absorbing metal, Lee Hyun-wook received a call from Director Woo Seong-mun.
- …Things have gotten complicated. It looks like the Dragon Slayer will be coming to the country.
“So it’s come to that.”
Lee Hyun-wook had been against borrowing external help, and Woo Seong-mun had agreed with him.
But the two of them were not the only ones with a say in the country’s affairs.
- The Guild Cooperation and Support Agency argued strongly for it, and the VIP ultimately gave his approval. Public opinion has also shifted toward the idea that if a dragon is appearing, then of course a Dragon Slayer is needed.
Come to think of it, this was the first time Director Woo Seong-mun had sounded so regretful.
He had called situations dire before, but he had never said he was powerless to help.
Several key government figures were strongly advocating for the use of the ‘Dragon Slayer.’
While Woo Seong-mun held unparalleled authority in the country, it was not absolute.
‘And it’s about time Director Woo’s immense power began to face some checks.’
As the government’s top Player, he had reigned as the nation’s handler for quite a long time.
It wasn't that opposing factions hadn't existed, but in the end, all powers needed him.
His firm convictions and the expertise he had accumulated were not something that could be easily dismissed.
But as time went on, other cards that could replace him began to emerge.
‘After Woo Seong-mun’s death, the country entered a period of warring states, which is when the Villains began their takeover…’
Back then, politicians backed by various mega-guilds had run rampant, creating chaos.
But for now, with both the country and Woo Seong-mun intact, such problems had not arisen.
However, the sources of that chaos had not disappeared; they were surely extending their roots in other forms…
Compared to his past life, these were minor threats, but they were still problems that could trip him up.
“…We can’t stop it, can we? The Dragon Slayer coming to this land.”
Lee Hyun-wook asked cautiously.
- If I push too hard on this… honestly, my own position could become difficult.
As it was, Woo Seong-mun was already being ridiculed for being swayed by Lee Hyun-wook. While this was nothing more than a baseless rumor, if his image became any more of a joke, he could lose his influence within the political sphere.
Even in the wild, the moment an ‘alpha male’ loses his authority, he is cast out from the pack.
In other words, it was extremely difficult for him to oppose external support again and insist on a Lee Hyun-wook one-man show.
“Well then, I guess it can’t be helped.”
Surprisingly, Lee Hyun-wook agreed all too easily. There was no hint of worry in his voice.
‘Having a competitor is a nuisance… but no matter who comes, they can’t do a better job than me.’
Because… to him, that black dragon was prey he had already hunted once before.
‘Good. This is a chance to prove myself decisively and shake off these annoyances.’
The competitive spirit the world held towards Lee Hyun-wook, the pack of wolves eyeing Laputa and the Divine Tree…
The time had come to send them another proper warning.
A short time later, Edward Woods’ side officially declared their participation in the dragon raid.
- Edward Woods’ <Slayers> to Lead the Dragon Conquest Operation at the Request of the Korean Government.
As if on cue, various factions began to align themselves with Edward Woods.
It seemed that for this event, there was no more solid a lineup than the Dragon Slayer’s.
In a way, it could be interpreted as the gathering of those who opposed Lee Hyun-wook.
- Kodo Koshiro’s <Eien> Guild to also assist <Slayers>.
- Led by Cheonghwa Guild, Major Korean Guilds also Boarding the <Slayers> Bus?
- Sidelining Steel Rain: Why Has He Become a Thorn in the Side of Guilds at Home and Abroad?
A rookie Player who was monopolizing everything and growing his power…
Such a being was bound to be unpopular in the world of Players.
And that day, Edward Woods appeared on a British news program and sent a message to Lee Hyun-wook.
- …Steel Rain. It’s unlikely he won’t get involved in this. We have already agreed to cooperate with several Korean guilds. They were well aware that my experience in dragon hunting would be the greatest weapon, and we had a hopeful discussion. All that remains now is Steel Rain’s cooperation. I will be waiting. He will be a fine weapon in the operation I lead.
It was a blatant power play, telling him to come under his command.
Lee Hyun-wook offered no response, which was taken as a refusal.
Then, as if they had been waiting, factions at home and abroad began to voice their criticism.
- Is this Dragon Raid Alliance effectively an Anti-Steel Rain Alliance? Is a Conquest Competition Beginning?
Lee Hyun-wook, who had become a titan overnight, and those who sought to bring him down…
Somehow, a contest between these two forces had begun.
***
*Click! Click! Click! Click!*
A group appeared in the arrivals hall of Incheon International Airport.
A flood of spotlights poured down on them.
“—It’s the Dragon Slayer!”
“Wow, he’s really handsome…”
A man with neatly styled blond hair in a pompadour and a sharp suit gave a light wave.
He was the master of the <Slayers> guild, Edward Woods.
“Wow, is that the weapon made from the byproducts of a subadult dragon?”
“But isn’t it a waste to make a weapon case out of dragon leather?”
Indeed, he was carrying a long, red leather case slung over his shoulder.
“I heard there’s a good reason for it, though.”
“Right, the spear inside emits so much heat that they need it to contain it, right?”
“Ah, you mean the spear made from a dragon’s bone and tooth?”
Questions began pouring in from all directions.
Edward Woods slowly nodded before opening his mouth.
“…I can say with certainty that dragons are the most dangerous monsters of all. After I killed the dragon in London, I said that if another one appeared, I would raise it like an iguana. That was a foolish thing to say.”
As his low voice resonated, everyone fell silent.
“This is not a game. This is a terrible war.”
*Click— Click—*
“We must, absolutely, stand united.”
His words were clearly aimed at Lee Hyun-wook.
“Humanity’s strength has always been proven when we stand shoulder to shoulder and move forward as one.”
It was a message telling him not to fight alone and to come under his command.
“.......I sincerely hope that those with power will treat this disaster with the gravity it deserves.”
He was trying to frame Lee Hyun-wook as someone who acted rashly, pursuing his own interests.
Coming from Edward Woods, who had a benevolent, gentlemanly image, the impact was significant.
Meanwhile, watching the scene on TV, Lee Hyun-wook let out an involuntary smirk.
“This means… I’ll have to wound that noble, proud gentleman’s pride a little, won’t I?”
***
A short while later, the Slayers’ conquest team gathered in a hotel suite provided by the Cheonghwa Guild.
Among the party was a boy who looked no older than thirteen, his face still youthful.
“Whoa—”
But a Player’s abilities, as always, should not be judged by their appearance.
This kid was Eric Ramos, an A-rank mage-class Player.
“Whoa— This is insane…”
He gazed out the window, marveling at the floating city, Laputa, visible in the distance.
“They say this city was on the verge of collapse so many times, right? The 4th Wave, the summoning of Abaddon, the Black Orc invasion… To think he stopped all of that, Steel Rain must be a really amazing person!”
Despite the praise for their rival, the members of the Slayers guild showed little reaction.
Frankly, the feats Steel Rain had shown were all undeniably impressive.
But the boy’s next words were enough to irk a few of them.
“No way— you don’t think Steel Rain is actually going to kill the dragon all by himself this time, do you?”
Finally, a woman took off her sunglasses and smacked the back of the boy’s head.
“Ow! Amanda, what was that for!”
Amanda Anderson. She was the main tanker of the Slayers guild.
“You little brat, know when to stop spoiling the mood!”
“I was just saying, just in case…”
“Even if you were a Steel Rain fan, you need to read the room!”
“No, really, I was just saying, what if…”
Amanda Anderson shook her head repeatedly, as if to say there was no ‘what if.’
“No, Steel Rain will absolutely— absolutely— not succeed on his own this time!”
She let out a heavy sigh and began to explain in a rambling way.
“All those things that the great Steel Rain has killed so far were things that had some kind of strategy guide already.”
According to her, the monsters Lee Hyun-wook had faced until now all had known攻略 methods in some form or another, so he had never had to face a ‘wall of the unknown.’
“Uh… a wall of the unknown? What’s that?”
“Every strategy is originally obtained by breaking through a wall of the unknown, kid.”
“Oh! So, you mean like… trial and error?”
“Exactly. Someone has to make the first attempt and share the tips.”
In short, a monster appearing for the first time presented a ‘wall’ that was difficult to overcome.
And the Slayers guild had never shared their dragon conquest methods.
In other words, since they hadn't shared their tips, others had no way of overcoming that ‘wall of the unknown.’
“Do you know what the very first thing you need to worry about the moment you face a dragon is?”
Eric Ramos shook his head, looking completely clueless.
At that moment, she made a gesture of poking her two eyes with her index fingers.
“Ugh! What, what was that for?”
“It’s… lowering your eyes.”
“…Huh? I have to lower my eyes?”
“That’s right! Or you die instantly. Remember that!”
The large, middle-aged man sitting next to them scrolling on his phone, Stipe Marin, nodded.
“It’s called Dragon Fear. Most beings can’t handle it.”
At his heavy voice, Eric Ramos flinched involuntarily.
Dragon Fear referred to the fundamental terror exuded by a dragon.
Beings of a different caliber possess an overwhelming presence that one cannot even dare to look up at.
“The moment you face that being, you fall into a swamp of unbearable fear.”
“What? But brave people like the boss barely feel fear, right?”
“No, this isn’t fear as an emotion… it’s fear as a kind of law.”
There were virtually no Players who could withstand it. Even those called the strongest would freeze before that being. All their stats would plummet, preventing them from displaying their true abilities.
“The moment we’re all hit by the Fear… we’ll just be hunted down like common prey.”
Stipe Marin’s words were heavy. He too had been a member of the conquest team during the London dragon incident.
“If the boss hadn't saved me then, I would have been incinerated on the spot.”
“Fortunately, I had an item that could erect a mental barrier…”
This time, the Dragon Slayer himself, Edward Woods, spoke up.
He handed out cups of coffee and cocoa that he had prepared to his team members.
“It was because I was lucky enough to survive that we were able to plan a second attempt.”
“Oh… so that’s what happened?”
“But that wasn’t the only problem. The battlefield that thing uses is on a different ‘dimension’ from ours.”
Humans generally move in two-dimensional space. In other words, they cannot leave the ground.
But dragons command three-dimensional space. Simply put, they can fly freely.
That simple, clear difference created a tactical gap that was not easily closed.
“If we can’t bring that monster down to the ground, our fighting methods become completely useless.”
In other words, they had to somehow drag the dragon down to the ground.
“Oh! So that’s why you somehow managed to get on its back in London, boss!”
During the second attempt, Edward Woods had gotten lucky and managed to climb onto the back of the subadult dragon.
By clinging on and enduring, he succeeded in tearing the membrane of the dragon’s wings to shreds, causing it to fall.
“…But that was no different from a suicide mission. Honestly, I think luck was on my side.”
If, at that moment, he had lost his balance or his grip had failed and he had fallen off the dragon’s back… would another chance to climb on have come? No, getting on its back the first time was lucky in itself.
“Gasp! Then how on earth… are we supposed to bring down a dragon that’s even bigger than the one in London?”
At this, Edward Woods blew on his coffee—*foo*—and opened his mouth.
“Wind. A dragon’s flight ultimately uses lift, riding the wind. Of course, it’s through the massive amount of flight stones within its body, but if its wing movements are sealed, its flight capabilities will diminish, right?”
“Ah!”
“That’s why the S-rank wind controller, Kodo Koshiro, my old friend, has agreed to help us.”
As he listened to the step-by-step explanation, a strange excitement appeared on Eric Ramos’s face.
He was realizing anew just what an incredible feat the people gathered here were attempting.
At the same time, he was secretly waiting for them to tell him the next step, the part he was assigned.
As if sensing his thoughts, Edward Woods chuckled and patted his head.
“Next… the moment that thing casts its area-of-effect skill seal—at that very moment, we’ll need your power.”
“Don’t worry about that! That’s what I do best! I’ll never disappoint you!”
Eric Ramos was a Player skilled in dispelling magic.
His face filled with pride, he clenched his fists.
“Alright, I’m counting on you.”
“Hehe— Thank you.”
“Drink your cocoa before it gets cold.”
To this young boy’s eyes, this team seemed absolutely perfect.
*Slurp—*
“But with all this, it won’t be that hard for us to take down that enormous dragon, right?”
He asked with a face full of hope… but Edward Woods shook his head firmly.
“I wonder… At the final moment, the dragon will activate an ultimate skill called ‘Unique Domain’.”
Unique Domain, a skill that spreads a unique power over an area, causing environmental changes… It was presumed that, as the name ‘unique’ suggested, it would have completely different attributes and forms for each dragon.
In other words—
“It’s unpredictable. We have to fight it, confirm what it is, retreat, and then prepare a counterattack.”
“…What? You mean we have to run away once?”
“Yes. In my opinion, a being like a dragon is not designed to be conquered on the first try.”
In other words, it was an opponent they were guaranteed to lose to at least once.
But if they were aware of that moment of defeat, they could minimize the damage and prepare a counterattack.
“Steel Rain might be able to predict the things before it, but he will never know about the Unique Domain…”
And most importantly, this information was known only to Edward Woods’ team.
“I’m sorry to say, but Steel Rain is going to fail completely. If he keeps being stubborn like this, he’ll get himself killed…”
He shook his head as if in pity, and Eric Ramos looked genuinely surprised.
“Eric, I know you’re a fan of Steel Rain, but if you try to help him, we’ll all be in danger.”
He added in a small voice.
“…In the end, the dragon’s hide, bones, and heart will all be ours.”
Just then, someone rushed into the hotel room. It was a staff member of the Slayers guild.
“Boss, you need to see the TV.”
“Hm? What’s going on?”
“Steel Rain… has opened a press conference.”
At that, scoffs erupted from around the room.
“Don’t tell me he’s finally decided to bend… that would be no fun at all.”
“Well, I guess even Steel Rain realized there’s nothing he can do.”
Over the past two days, Edward Woods had completely turned public opinion in Korea with just a few words. He had framed the national hero, Steel Rain, as a selfish opportunist who only cared about his own gain in a crisis.
Soon, the TV was turned on, showing Lee Hyun-wook standing before a crowd of reporters.
He slowly opened his mouth.
- …To be honest, I’m a little perplexed. I have never once said that I would not join forces.
His expression was impassive, but he seemed to feel quite wronged.
It was understandable, given that he had been taking a beating from public opinion without having made any response.
- In that case, are you saying you will join the Slayers alliance?
- Well… joining forces doesn’t necessarily mean that.
He paused for a moment before speaking again.
- To take command of the conquest, one must have the proper qualifications.
- Uh… should we interpret that as you believe you are more qualified than the Dragon Slayer?
- Ah, the experience of killing a subadult dragon a few years ago is, well, a great feat. It certainly is.
At that remark, the expressions of the Slayers guild members hardened.
- I have more certain information than that.
In that moment, the camera flashes went off all at once.
“What, what is he talking about!”
Amanda Anderson shouted as she shot up from her seat.
- What is this information? Is it a conquest method?
Lee Hyun-wook nodded with a relaxed smile.
- Mr. Lee Hyun-wook, so what is it? Can you tell us?
- That is… as you can imagine, I trust you’ll understand that I cannot speak of it carelessly.
His eyes stared directly into the camera.
As if he were looking right through it, at Edward Woods…
- If the Slayers were to follow my command, I might be able to tell them. As the Dragon Slayer said earlier, this is not a game but a terrible war, so we must stand united. Fine words. But… rather than just blindly joining forces, it’s about forming a proper team, isn’t it?
Those words were a declaration, telling Edward Woods to come under his command instead.
And he was claiming that this was the ‘proper way.’
And he was doing it right before a dragon raid, of all things.
“…”
The Slayers guild members who were listening glanced at Edward Woods.
The boss they knew was surprisingly not one to take such provocations lightly.
“…Steel Rain doesn’t know how to look at the situation rationally.”
He was still calmly savoring his coffee.
Then, Steel Rain spoke one last time.
- I have made myself clear. I am the one with the method.
At that, Edward Woods let out a smirk.
“Tsk— such a clumsy media play…”