Chapter 144
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Suwon, Black Dragon Hunt - 3
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Despite the considerable distance, Azi Dahaka's voice pierced through Lee Hyun-wook's mind.
「For a mere human to stand so tall before my majesty!」
The beast had just let out a roar, unleashing its 'Fear,' and was relishing the sight of the humans writhing in agony. But then, it noticed Lee Hyun-wook hovering perfectly fine before its eyes, and its mood seemed to sour.
Its red eyes blazed as it glared at Lee Hyun-wook, poised to swoop down at any moment.
Gooooo—
Lee Hyun-wook did not let his guard down. Despite its colossal size of over 70 meters, the creature was as fast as a jet.
If it truly decided to charge, the slightest hesitation would mean being caught in its foreclaws.
「Yes, you used that crude trick to twist fate for a moment, but that is all it will amount to…」
The 'crude trick' Azi Dahaka spoke of was an item perched on Lee Hyun-wook's head.
[Item Information]
- Name: Saint's Crown (Special)
- Effect: Temporarily ignores mental-type attacks. (60 minutes)
Lee Hyun-wook lacked the 'Dragon Slayer' achievement, so he needed a separate method to avoid the Fear.
'This, too, is the result of help from the World Tree and the Saintess.'
Using the World Tree's 'treetop' as a material, he had crafted a mental barrier item, a 'Dreamcatcher,' then modified it into the shape of a crown, and finished it by sprinkling the Saintess's 'Divine Blessing' over it.
Wearing this item granted complete immunity to most mental attacks, albeit for only one hour.
'Truly, forming a connection with them was one of the best things I ever did...'
Thinking back, there were so many things that would have required a long detour if not for the World Tree and the Saintess.
Of course, he always had backup plans, but they were never as simple and powerful as this.
「I will commend your posture of attempting to defy me, but that is as far as you go.」
At that moment, Azi Dahaka's eyes flashed, and magic circles materialized on either side of its head.
Woong—woong—woong—
'That's its most basic attack, the three-stage magic assault.'
Watching the scene unfold, Lee Hyun-wook couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
How many times had he dodged that attack in his past life? He'd done it until he was sick of it.
'I also got hit by it a lot, and was evacuated to the Bugaksan Grand Sanctuary right after the second raid failed...'
They had attempted a third raid to take down the Angra Mainyu legion that appeared in Suwon.
The total combat time must have been at least eight hours.
And so, during that hellish time, he had completely memorized the beast's attack patterns.
'First, black arrows spray out like a machine gun.'
And just as expected—
Shhh-shhh-shhh-shhh-shhh—!
The three magic circles spun, spewing out hundreds of black-light arrows.
They were fast enough to close the 1.5-kilometer distance in an instant, but just as he expected—
「Hoh—you have the senses of a rat!」
Just as Azi Dahaka's reaction suggested, Lee Hyun-wook had dodged it without difficulty.
'Next, a magic circle forms overhead, and a pillar of fire strikes down.'
Without even looking up, Lee Hyun-wook changed direction in mid-air, simultaneously gathering nearby metals to form a multitude of steel plates. This was in preparation for the third pattern.
Kwa-a-a-a-a—!
It was a pillar of fire dropped from his blind spot as a surprise attack, but it failed to hit him.
「You rat-like bastard—!」
Azi Dahaka's voice grew more and more agitated.
'And finally, reverse gravity is applied from all directions to bind the body, followed by spears flying from the void!'
This was the most difficult part.
Woong—
For a moment, his body was pulled to the right as the axis of gravity shifted. The instant he used his metal control to pull himself to the left, gravity acted in a completely different direction.
"Khk!"
As the direction of gravity changed every two seconds, his body began to spin wildly in the air.
The world tumbling around him made him feel like a small animal in a cage.
In that split second, he had to perceive the direction, correct his posture, and then evade the follow-up attack.
It was a feat bordering on the impossible.
But Lee Hyun-wook used Hugin's senses to detect the bizarrely fluctuating flow of reverse gravity.
Simultaneously, he surrounded himself with the pre-formed steel plates to block the incoming black spears.
Tang—! Tang—! Tang—! Tang—!
Fortunately, the metal plates contained some adamant, preventing them from being pierced. Lee Hyun-wook had acted with split-second reflexes, melting down and fusing several of the adamant stars he had.
「I am growing weary of watching your little tricks!」
Azi Dahaka snorted, manifesting a host of black spears around its body.
'This time, it's the <Tracking Magic Spears>, huh?'
Magic spears that pursued their target to the very end. He knew that pattern well, too.
'First, they spread out wide in a fan shape, then converge at once, striking from all sides.'
In response, Lee Hyun-wook created dozens of steel shields and encircled his body with them.
"Go on, throw as many as you like.”
Since this wasn't Seoul, he couldn't get the twofold ability boost,
but he had consumed a great deal of metal over the past month in preparation for this day.
Soon, black magic spears and black steel shields clashed in mid-air, sending sparks showering down like a waterfall.
***
Meanwhile, the <Kill the Monster> broadcast covering the scene was in an uproar.
When the official Slayers broadcast channel went offline, their viewership had skyrocketed.
And just then, Steelrain and the Black Dragon had begun their exchange.
The number of concurrent viewers had reached a staggering 190 million.
- What is this situation? Is Steelrain... fighting the dragon one-on-one?
- Huh—for now, it looks like he's just barely dodging a one-sided assault, but this is truly an astonishing scene. It seems he possesses not only firepower but also innate senses and incredible reaction speed!
- Ah! Now that you mention it, we were so captivated by his firepower that we seem to have forgotten he fought Okita Kaito one-on-one! This proves that his strength back then was no fluke!
When one thought of Steelrain, the first thing that came to mind was undoubtedly his Steel Rain—that is, his overwhelming firepower. But overshadowed by that image was the fact that his physical abilities were also considerable. Combined with his future knowledge, a secret to all, he was creating a spectacular scene, perfectly evading the dragon's onslaught.
- Uh... but, in truth, he's only dodged well a few times, so we can't let our guard down yet.
That was right. Lee Hyun-wook had dodged well, but Azi Dahaka hadn't moved an inch.
Just defending against a few spells already looked so demanding. If the beast itself started to move...
- And most importantly, it's highly questionable whether Steelrain can even damage that monster.
Tyrone Thompson once again brought up his skepticism. That's how difficult an opponent a dragon was.
- We haven't seen him attack yet, so I can't be sure, but in my opinion, even Moglei wouldn't be able to do it. Perhaps something on the level of Gae Bolg could deal effective damage. But Gae Bolg is a one-time use weapon, and it's known to leave the user's body in tatters.
- Ah, as DS, Edward Woods, said earlier, is a 'Dragon Slayer' truly necessary?
It was at that very moment.
- Ah! Just as we're speaking, we have news that the Slayers Guild has arrived on the scene!
As the MC spoke, the broadcast screen showed a corner of Suwon's city center, a tattered intersection.
Several armored vehicles rolled in, coming to a loud halt on the cracked asphalt.
Then, Edward Woods and his team members disembarked and began to arm themselves with their respective weapons.
What was peculiar was that they were all wearing armor made of red scales.
Being so famous, every viewer recognized what it was and began to cheer.
- Ah! Thompson, are those red uniforms the famous 'Red Protectors'?
- Yes, that's right! Those are dragon equipment sets that have never been revealed in actual combat!
Even Tyrone Thompson, who always commentated in a calm voice, raised his tone.
After all, dragon equipment was like an unattainable ideal that no one could possess.
As a Player, just watching was enough to make one's heart tremble.
- And isn't that the Dragon Slayer weapon, Rhongomyniad?
Just then, the camera zoomed in on the long red spear held by Edward Woods.
- Kh... a true Dragon Slayer, that's what it is.
The moment a dragon is killed, the title 'Dragon Slayer' is bestowed in two places.
The Player receives an 'achievement,' and the weapon that dealt the final blow gains an 'option.'
When one person possesses both, they receive immense benefits when fighting dragons.
- Truly, isn't this a scene that makes you anticipate the outcome of this raid in a different sense?
- I was just thinking the same thing. To think of the equipment that will be made from a fully grown Black Dragon...
- Whoever gets it, they'll acquire several world-class weapons, won't they?
- That's right. It won't be just one or two. Tsk—just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Tsk—
Meanwhile, behind them were other S-rank celebrities like Nisha Cape and Kodo Koshiro.
A raid team, powerful enough to be seen only a few times in history, had appeared at a crucial moment.
- Steelrain's performance was outstanding earlier, but from now on, I believe the stage will belong to DS.
It was a very reasonable assumption.
Lee Hyun-wook also noticed that the Slayers coalition was approaching.
'Good, I hope they get here soon and take the baton from me.'
In truth, he had no intention of fighting the dragon right now; he was just putting on a show.
'Either way, I need to aim for that decisive moment when Phase 2 begins.'
The point where the battle would effectively be decided was right before the start of 'Phase 2.'
Until then, there was no need to deliberately interfere with the Slayers' offensive.
Rather, since they were going all out, it was better to use that to his advantage.
'Edward Woods is more than capable of handling Phase 1 successfully.'
Despite not being an S-rank Player, he became the best with the single achievement of Dragon Slayer.
Before Lee Hyun-wook died, he was a genuine Dragon Slayer who had hunted a total of four dragons.
'But during the Azi Dahaka raid, he was absent due to some incident in England.'
Because of that, the Azi Dahaka raid in Suwon was considered to have dragged on to the point of near failure.
The current situation had become somewhat comical due to Lee Hyun-wook's actions, but he was a remarkable person.
Tang—! Tang—!
While blocking the black spears, Lee Hyun-wook glanced over at the Slayers coalition.
"......."
About 3.4 kilometers away, Edward Woods was also looking up in this direction.
He then began to give orders, and through Hugin, Lee Hyun-wook could hear their contents.
"—All units, prioritize securing teleport gate positions!”
At his command, the Slayers Guild members began to disperse throughout the city.
'Oh... so they were already researching the Jump Tactic at this point?'
Lee Hyun-wook was quite surprised.
It was once a topic of debate: what is the most important thing to watch out for when facing a dragon?
To this, DS had asserted that it was, without a doubt, the 'Dragon Breath.'
It was a magical breath exhaled by the dragon, an elemental attack at its zenith.
The Red Dragon's Fire Breath, the Black Dragon's Acid Breath, and so on...
A direct hit would mean instant death for anyone but the most exceptional tankers.
'Furthermore, if you put up a magic barrier to block it, you become immobilized and exposed to follow-up attacks.'
A master of magic, the dragon could cast various spells simultaneously while firing its breath.
'In other words, dodging is the closest thing to a correct answer. That was the conclusion DS reached.'
However, no matter how fast a Player was, dodging a breath attack that flew like a jet stream was nearly impossible. To solve that problem, DS had supposedly spent months researching.
'The result of that research is that very Jump Tactic.'
They place incredibly expensive items called 'Short-Range Warp Stones' around the dragon raid area.
These warp stones were interconnected, allowing for teleportation to another stone by infusing mana.
In essence, they were laying them out in all directions to create 'tunnels' for evading the breath.
'But did they research all that after just one raid?'
It seemed he had conducted extensive research, driven by his pride as a Dragon Slayer, to prepare for a dragon that could appear at any time. I could see why he was staking everything on this.
Before long, 'Short-Range Warp Stones' were installed all over the area.
At that moment, a particularly thick 'Tracking Magic Spear' flew toward Lee Hyun-wook.
Tang—!
"Khk!”
He blocked it with a triple-layered steel shield, but his body was sent flying, crashing onto the rooftop of a building.
- Ah! Steelrain took a hit and seems to have suffered a major impact! Wi-will he be alright? And at the same time, the Slayers are on the move! It looks like the proper raid is about to begin!
As Lee Hyun-wook failed to launch any significant counterattack, the world's attention shifted to the Slayers.
- Steelrain put on a truly amazing performance, but it seems the star of this stage will ultimately be DS, doesn't it?
And they truly began to showcase a proper raid.
- Do you see that Player over there? That's Hurricane, Kodo Koshiro.
The S-rank Player with wind control abilities raised his hand.
Instantly, the atmospheric convection in the area began to warp violently.
Wooo-wooo-wooo-wooo—
A bizarre cry filled the world. The air in the area seemed to clash and cry out in pain. The movement of the wind was not easily visible, but the dark clouds in the sky were churning like whipped cream.
「What riffraff is using such strange arts this time—」
Even Azi Dahaka felt discomfort from the phenomenon and reacted sensitively.
Its red eyes found Kodo Koshiro, and...
"Damn it, it's the breath—!”
The moment someone shouted a warning, Azi Dahaka closed hundreds of meters with a single flap of its wings. And from its mouth, a black storm—the breath—was fired in a swirling torrent.
Fwoosh-a-a-a—!
Just like that, the distance of several kilometers was closed, and the breath descended upon Kodo Koshiro's head.
Woong—
But the Players who had been standing there vanished without a trace.
Fwooo-o-o-o-o—!
Immediately after, the ground struck by the breath melted like cheese, carving out a long trench.
Had they been standing there, not even their bones would have remained from that acid breath.
About 800 meters away, their forms materialized above a parking lot.
'Just as I thought, the Jump Tactic. They've prepared well.'
With a method like that, as long as they kept their wits about them, there was no way they'd be hit by the breath.
Lee Hyun-wook nodded, newly impressed. *This* was a 'raid.' To conduct research through experience, mobilize all available resources, and face the worst of enemies.
Fwooo-wooo-wooo—!
Soon, a vortex formed in the sky and flew toward Azi Dahaka.
「You dare try to bring me down!」
Azi Dahaka flapped its wings against the wind, meeting wind with wind.
'But no matter if it's a dragon, it can't overcome Kodo Koshiro's wind.'
It wasn't to say its immense physical abilities were negligible, but this was a completely different concept.
'And most importantly, if it focuses on that, an opening will appear elsewhere.'
Sure enough, several Player teams were already busily approaching the dragon from all sides.
Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjeong!
Streaks of light shot from their wands and staves, exploding in the sky and causing space to shimmer.
And at those points, massive spheres of flame—Hellfires—began to form. Three in total.
'...Those are the so-called Linkers.'
They were individuals who could single-handedly cast 'Link Magic,' which normally required a dozen or so people.
Ba-boom—! Ba-boom—!
They were fired, striking Azi Dahaka's body—its massive frame was thrown back dozens of meters.
Ordinary attacks would never be able to inflict damage, but an attack of that magnitude would have at least registered.
「How dare you...」
But at that moment, the <Kill the Monster> broadcast switched to a completely different location.
- Viewers, we have just captured a shocking scene!
As the camera showed a completely different place at the most crucial moment, the chat window filled with complaints.
But once they realized what the scene actually was, the complaints quickly turned to cheers.
- D-do you see this? My goodness...
The location was none other than the Suwon World Cup Stadium. And inside, hundreds... no, to be precise, 1,055 mages were gathered, chugging mana potions and casting a massive area-of-effect spell.
- Are dozens, hundreds of people working as one team here to continuously pump out a single spell?
- Yes, that's correct! They're using Link Magic to transmit it to the battlefield and hit the Black Dragon!
Just then, a newly formed ice spell vanished as if absorbed into the void through 'Link' magic.
- Huh... truly an admirable scene, wouldn't you say? We've heard many hypotheses about this kind of raiding method, but... viewers, today, you are witnessing the pinnacle of raiding!
Immediately after, the broadcast screen returned to the battlefield.
Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeo-jeo—!
A 'Frozen Field,' cast by a whopping 65 people, had struck, freezing Azi Dahaka's wings.
As its movements dulled, Kodo Koshiro raised both hands and shouted to someone.
"Now, give me a skill enhancement—!"
At his call, Nisha Cape, the S-rank buffer, enhanced Kodo Koshiro's skill by two levels.
"Hah, great—!”
His power surged, and an entire cloud began to descend from the sky.
Koo-woo-woo-woo-woo—!
It was the same hurricane that had ground an entire mountain to dust during the Okinawa Unlucky Event.
As it descended from the sky like a waterspout, it made Azi Dahaka look small.
"Alright, it's falling! Get ready!”
Kung—!
And finally, they succeeded in slamming Azi Dahaka to the ground.
- My god—the Black Dragon has fallen!
At that moment, Edward Woods's shout echoed thunderously.
“—Now!”
The 'Red Stingers,' the Slayers Guild's first team, lined up behind him.
"Charge!”
Eight Players clad in red scale armor began to sprint down the empty four-lane road.
Their target was the Black Dragon, Azi Dahaka, which had fallen in a straight line ahead...
「...For mere humans to charge me head-on, your courage is commendable!」
Jjeok—
The beast's mouth opened, and black smoke could be seen swirling from the back of its throat.
- Gasp! No! It's the breath! They have to dodge it! Right now!
Everyone watching the scene couldn't help but be terrified.
If they didn't dodge immediately, they would melt away in the acid breath, leaving no trace behind.
But they didn't stop. No, they didn't even flinch.
"—Amanda, we're breaking through just like this!”
Edward Woods, at the very front, gave that absurd order and kicked off the ground even harder.
But Amanda Anderson, without a shred of doubt, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Edward Woods, and the two of them raised massive shields. Shields made from dragon bones and hide.
Woong—woong—woong—woong—
The ones following behind plastered all sorts of defensive magic onto the two shields.
And...
Giiing—
A red gemstone floated up from Edward Woods's waist and began to glow.
'As expected, he had that shield device made from a Dragon Heart even back then.'
It was a magic barrier generator made from a 'Dragon Heart,' the ultimate mana crystal.
'It's probably the highest-level magic barrier in existence.'
Woong—!
Enveloped in a red barrier, they charged fiercely forward with the two shields at the fore.
Kwa-a-a-a-a—!
Soon, the black breath swirled and flew straight at them.
"Khk!”
"Ugh!”
The two felt a pain as if their entire bodies were being crushed as they pushed through the immense pressure. Thanks to the magic barrier, they weren't directly exposed to the breath's acid, but they had to endure its pressure in full.
“——Keep going!”
But, though their advance had slowed, their direction did not change.
「How—」
Soon, Azi Dahaka's astonished voice rang out—
Pa-eok—!
And finally, Edward Woods's red spear—the Dragon Slayer—slammed into the beast's long neck.
It pierced through the dragon's barrier and scales, which could never be penetrated by ordinary means, in a single blow.
「Kraaaaaah—!」
'Yes, in the end, I will be victorious.'
In that great moment, Edward Woods unknowingly turned his head to look at the sky—at Steelrain.
But... Steelrain was still floating in the sky, silently watching the scene.
"......."
Suddenly, Edward Woods felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
That perfectly calm expression... until now, it was the expression he himself was best at making.
But now, someone else was looking down on him with that very same expression.
'Don't tell me... you still have an ace up your sleeve?'
And at that very moment...
- Warning! Azi Dahaka's 'Unique Domain' is now opening in this area.
Finally, Phase 2 had begun.