Chapter 47
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Roar of the Blue Dragon (7)
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The Blue Dragon unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
If the tempo faltered here, it wouldn't end with mere injuries. They'd die on the spot.
Yeah, that's just how the Cataclysm Dungeon was.
The Blue Dragon's tail whipped through the air in a massive swing.
A thunderous boom erupted.
The rock wall cracked with a sharp snap.
Dust exploded outward.
I instinctively raised my arm to shield my face.
In truth, ever since we'd entered, I'd been constantly activating Baridegi's Domain to protect my body. Without it, my body would've already been torn into pieces by now.
'Not built for combat, but damn if it isn't useful.'
Boom! Crash crash crash!
Several rock fragments tumbled to the ground nearby.
Han-seong withstood the full impact head-on.
His heels dug into the floor like they were embedded there.
His hands trembled for a split second, but he quickly twisted his body to dodge the Blue Dragon's second tail sweep.
That rotation usually followed the first pattern.
Han-seong knew it.
"Hari, now."
He said curtly.
I was already tossing a potion toward his hand.
The clear glass vial landed perfectly in his grasp.
He bit the cork off like it was nothing and downed the potion.
I could visibly see his energy clear up.
The dark aura enveloping his body settled back into place.
Next was I-seo.
He was so focused he seemed to have forgotten to breathe.
The pressure rolling across the floor kept warping the terrain.
Disrupting the Blue Dragon's senses, he was holding it off almost single-handedly.
'His skill was called Deep Sea Curse, right?'
In truth, he was one of Han-seong's party members who never really shone, dying right after graduation, which made his role pretty ambiguous.
Meaning I didn't know the details of his abilities like I did Han-seong's.
But one thing I did know.
A curse ability based on water attributes—no blue color requirement or actual water needed as a constraint.
In this phase, his power was practically the key.
'Nothing's as tricky as a curse, yet so perfect for wrecking higher-tier monsters.'
Even with the skill gap, the Blue Dragon must find I-seo annoying.
All its attacks carried curses.
'Even without full awakening, he's probably more advantageous than Han-seong here.'
As long as stability held.
I crawled over to I-seo and shoved a potion toward him.
"Drink this now."
I-seo glanced at me briefly and nodded.
His irises darkened further.
The moment he drank the potion, blue energy spread wider from beneath his feet.
It was like waves upon waves crashing in.
Suddenly, the Blue Dragon twisted its body.
Not just its tail—the whole torso shook.
Dust poured from the cavern ceiling like an explosion.
The shock was so immense I nearly got flung backward.
I slammed my hand into the ground to barely steady myself.
"Dodge!"
Han-seong shouted.
The Blue Dragon's head plunged straight down.
Rocks shattered.
Water-mixed debris sprayed everywhere.
I crouched low and rolled aside to escape the radius.
The deafening roar left my ears ringing, my hearing muffled for a moment.
In that gap, I-seo stood tall.
As if pushing back the poison and pressure at once, he pressed his palms downward.
The instant he exerted force, the blue poison on the floor seemed to tear apart briefly.
The Blue Dragon's attack rhythm halted for 2-3 seconds.
Those few seconds were the most precious time.
Han-seong seized it.
He charged lightly, as if running across water.
The sword tip pierced precisely between the blue scales.
The Blue Dragon's body convulsed violently.
A massive vibration rippled through the air itself.
I bit my lip hard.
Dragging this fight out only made it riskier.
This section had a notoriously low survival rate to begin with.
Casualties spiked with every pattern shift.
Yet these two were clinging on for dear life.
The Blue Dragon's tail rose again.
This strike was far deeper and heavier.
Water surging from below boiled up suddenly.
It felt like the entire ocean flipping over.
I fumbled in my bag and gripped the last three recovery potions.
"Han-seong, I-seo—catch."
Both reached out simultaneously.
That brief moment felt impossibly long.
The second the potions hit their hands, fresh power surged through them to deflect the third clash.
That was the moment.
The Blue Dragon's eyes flashed suddenly.
Blue flames-like energy flared from beneath its pupils.
This pattern only appeared in the final phase.
Even for the main body, with layer restrictions, it should only act as a mid-boss here!
My breath caught, freezing me in place.
"Wait! This is..."
Blue light exploded from the Blue Dragon's entire body.
Beams of light split into three directions, slicing through the cavern.
This was the final phase pattern—triggered only after someone died or was on the brink of death.
But no one on our side had died.
Which meant...
The realization hit, cold sweat trickling down my back.
"Hari!"
I-seo yanked me close.
The Blue Dragon's attack detonated.
The cavern seemed to overturn entirely.
The floor where the light burst cracked wide open.
Water and wind mixed in an explosive surge.
I clung to the rear rock, guided by I-seo's arm.
A bone-rattling shockwave crashed over us like a tidal wave.
My breath hitched for a second.
Dirt and dust rained from above.
The Blue Dragon had completely broken from its normal patterns.
This was the behavior when the dungeon itself shook.
"Haa. Luckily no one's dead, but is this really lucky?"
I muttered despite myself.
Seeing the final pattern—normally triggered by a death—erupt without casualties led to one conclusion: the Blue Dragon was simply enraged.
'Did I-seo piss it off that much? Or Han-seong?'
Or maybe... our trio's synergy was the issue.
Han-seong endured the frontal assault, slicing through it.
His blade gleamed black, but the light flickered from leaking poison.
Seeing that tremble, I swallowed hard.
I-seo braced against the floor, blocking the water pattern rippling below the Blue Dragon.
Blue light and black energy sparked from his hands simultaneously.
Clashing attributes were inherently dangerous.
His body shook, but he pressed down to the end.
His expression was calm, but his eyes were steely blue.
I watched them and pulled out potions.
I knew supplies were dwindling, but my hands wouldn't stop.
If it meant reducing Cataclysm casualties even a little, this was a no-brainer.
"Han-seong."
I called softly.
He glanced back mid-charge.
"Yeah."
"Drink this before the next hit."
I tossed a recovery enhancement potion.
Han-seong swung his sword and downed it mid-motion.
His movements smoothed out again.
No anger or fear—just pure motion.
He grew even quieter.
Deepening focus.
I-seo noticed and stole a quick glance my way.
I slid a potion to him too.
"Before your breathing rhythm breaks."
I-seo nodded silently and drained it.
Uniform blue light flowed from beneath his feet once more.
The rising pressure from the floor calmed briefly.
Creating those short windows—that was the core of his ability.
Then it happened.
The Blue Dragon flared its gills wide.
A swirling water pillar erupted from within.
A wide-range hydraulic assault.
One of the triple impact patterns.
Most fell before it even launched.
I gripped the rock and crouched low.
But Han-seong and I-seo stood right up.
Not dodging—bracing to take it and counter.
A colossal pillar of water, poison, and mana blasted straight from the Blue Dragon's maw.
The pressure hit before the sound, crushing down.
It felt like my breath was being sucked away.
Han-seong slashed the pillar with his sword.
An impossible angle, but he made it.
The sword's darkness tore the pillar apart.
I-seo leaped into the rift.
He extended his hand, pulling up the floor's energy.
The drawn energy scattered the Blue Dragon's attack momentarily.
And that gap opened the path for both to counterattack.
Watching the scene, I recalled how many sacrifices this day originally claimed.
Over half usually died here.
But now both were alive—and striking back.
At that instant, Han-seong barked sharply.
"Above I-seo!"
I-seo reflexively looked up.
The Blue Dragon's glow gathered for the second time.
Deeper, larger light this time.
The pattern right before dungeon collapse after a death.
I rummaged in my bag and froze.
Almost no potions left.
But what we needed now was something else.
The Blue Dragon's gaze locked onto I-seo instantly.
Its eyes fixed on him like a chosen target.
My breath stopped.
I knew I-seo would awaken in this dungeon.
And that moment was right before my eyes.
His body quivered quietly amid the blue poison and water patterns.
He inhaled deeply, then turned not toward Han-seong—but toward the Blue Dragon.
And for the first time, he fully unleashed the power he'd held back.
Soon, blue light blanketed the entire cavern.