Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Thunder and Lightning (2)
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It wasn't like we had gone mountain climbing without any countermeasures.
We had prepared a strategy in case Thunder attacked.
And as expected of the top-tier seniors, they were heading to their positions without needing any special instructions. I followed behind them, letting out a sigh of relief.
The battleground was crucial.
‘Thank goodness every house has a lightning rod.’
Before climbing the mountain, I had surveyed the terrain in preparation for fighting the dragon.
‘It looks like we should hold our ground in this alley. If lightning starts striking, get inside the houses. And don’t run with big strides.’
‘No need to explain lightning prevention basics.’
At Sophia’s grumbling, I skipped the minor details—like keeping only one foot on the ground while walking or staying away from trees.
After glossing over the fundamentals, I explained about Thunder.
We also assigned roles.
‘Its epidermis is incredibly tough, but there are three effective weak points: the eye mucosa, the reverse scale under the chin, and between the eyes.’
‘It can’t produce electricity indefinitely.’
‘Correct. Once it releases a certain amount, it gets fatigued.’
I nodded at Yoon’s question.
‘That’s when we strike.’
Shwaaa!
Rain poured down in sheets.
The scent of the mountain grew thicker. The heavy downpour blurred our vision. As the mountainside grew slick, I could make out the silhouettes of the seniors ahead.
Flutter.
A dragon soared into the sky, momentarily halting the rain.
A shadow in the shape of wings fell over the mountain.
I picked up speed and shouted.
“Ami! Thunderclouds are rolling in—don’t fly!”
Lightning sometimes struck even above thunderclouds.
“I’ll take out the Butterfly afterward!”
“Got it!”
“Calling in a weather-altering creature even with kin around….”
Ricardo muttered to himself as he ran.
Byeongaebaek, slung over my shoulder and groaning in pain, flinched. I gave a wry smile in response.
“Even I’d do the same. It knows full well I’m the only one who can handle Thunder.”
Kyle wouldn’t pass up an opportunity like this.
Especially since enemies as powerful as Thunder were rare.
The ground began to level out.
We had reached the base of the mountain.
Crackle, zap!
KABOOM!
A bolt of lightning struck a massive tree at the foot of the mountain.
The tree ignited in an instant. The flames brightening the rain-darkened surroundings.
The tree creaked like burning firewood as it tilted to one side.
We ran to avoid the collapsing tree.
“No matter how you look at it, your sword is the problem.”
THUD!
A heavy sound from behind.
As we pulled away from it, I saw Yoon brush the wet hair from his forehead.
“You’re a human lightning rod yourself.”
“It’s always been that way.”
That made this dragon even harder to deal with.
The moment you drew your sword, electrical attacks came pouring in. The unlucky ones died of heart attacks right after the first hit. Kyle and I had learned to channel electricity, but that didn’t eliminate the damage to our nervous systems.
Which was why striking when Thunder fatigued was key.
“Hope the lure works properly~.”
Ricardo remarked as we headed to our prearranged spots.
I looked up at the dragon.
It was gliding smoothly toward the village. A being mostly composed of muscles for generating electricity. It flapped its sky-obscuring wings, sending water droplets flying from the tips.
Yes. Come down.
I noted the way its wings wobbled up and down as it prepared to land.
Come down and face me.
[We’re in position.]
A raspy voice came from the radio at my waist.
[Visual confirmed.]
KABOOM!
No sooner had the transmission ended than the dragon landed on the road.
Its talons cracked the asphalt beneath, sending debris splashing into the rainwater.
It was in the wide road between two rows of houses. Perfect for Thunder to spread its wings or hunt prey.
Satisfied that we no longer needed to lure it, I pulled out my radio.
“One left.”
The rain was messing with reception.
“Right after the next attack, we counter.”
“Ye~s.”
Ricardo dragged out his reply as he passed me.
Yoon headed into the house opposite the one Ricardo entered, pointing at Byeongaebaek.
“Don’t cause trouble—knock him out.”
He grinned.
I entered my assigned house and set Byeongaebaek down in the corner.
“Sorry about this.”
I knelt to meet his gaze and apologized.
“You’ll feel a bit sore when you wake up.”
“Can I even wake up?”
He glared at me from the darkness.
I smiled faintly.
“If I don’t die.”
Clear lime-green eyes.
His kin no longer hid their emotions from me.
Unlike their presence, their feelings could be composed when needed. But Kyle and his followers made no effort to conceal the negative emotions they felt toward me. So every time I scanned their presence, their emotions came through too.
It was a form of attack in itself.
Feeling Byeongaebaek’s resentment and hatred, I raised my hand in a chop.
Thwack.
My skills hadn’t rusted.
I laid the unconscious—but not seriously injured—Byeongaebaek comfortably in the corner.
I gripped my sword hilt and stood.
[It’s about to fire the third one.]
Ami’s voice flowed from the radio.
Hearing the curiosity more than fear in her tone, I smiled thinly.
[Once it fires that, no more electricity for a while, right?]
“Yes. Perfect timing. Heading out now.”
I turned toward the building’s exterior, where rain was pouring.
The trembling air amid the downpour signaled the next attack was imminent. Thunder’s third strike.
The third one I could deflect and return.
I advanced into the rain.
Rumble, rumble.
KABOOM!
Listen to that thunder.
Standing in the middle of the road, the dragon filled my vision.
Its massive body blocking the way.
The dragon’s wingbeats kicked up a gale. The gust slammed into me head-on. My hair whipped wildly, and the wind stung my ears.
Raindrops carried slantwise by the wind pelted down.
Cumulonimbus clouds loomed over the landed dragon, blue electricity flickering around them.
“Been a while since I hunted a dragon.”
I finished preparing to draw.
“I’ll parry it.”
[Be careful~.]
“Got it.”
As I replied, I suppressed the rising smile.
An adrenaline-fueled grin.
The moment I tensed my fingers, a blue orb formed in the dragon’s maw.
KABOOOOOM!
The electric cannon fired.
An incoming bolt.
The blue energy mass grew larger.
Feeling my hair and clothes stand on end, I drew my sword.
Thoom!
As the energy mass flowed over my body, I slammed my blade into the ground.
The deflected lightning surged along my sword strike across the pavement.
KRAKABOOM!
The blue sword wave tore through the asphalt and struck the dragon’s talon.
Thoom!
[It hit!]
Ami’s shout.
Thunder flapped its wings in fury.
One lapse in focus and the gale would knock me over.
But I couldn’t miss the moment, so I yanked my embedded sword free and charged at the dragon.
[Status?]
Karl’s voice came over the radio.
Thud! Thoom! Dodging the SUV-sized foreclaw smashing down to grab me, I replied.
“Fine. Let’s start.”
The seniors burst out.
To be precise, Yoon and Ricardo.
Karl was on support, and Ami would soon go after the Butterfly.
Sophia was on Butterfly duty too.
I couldn’t micromanage the Butterfly takedown. But they’d handle it.
Thud! Thud! Thud! I dashed across the asphalt, evading the pounding attacks. As I rolled to dodge a claw scraping at my side, a silver gleam caught the corner of my eye.
Ricardo’s form-shifting weapon. It had turned into silver liquid, flowing along the ground.
The moment it reached the claw, the liquid thickened into heavy chains, binding the dragon’s talon.
[Got it.]
Yoon said.
[Climb up.]
Ricardo and Yoon grabbed the chains.
Clank!
It wouldn’t hold long. Even with their Enhanced Bodies, two men couldn’t restrain the dragon.
But holding it briefly was enough.
I leaped onto the dragon’s leg as it flapped to take off but tilted from the seniors’ pull.
Gripping the shaking hide firmly, I climbed upward.
Ah.
I’d channeled the lightning well, but the nervous system damage meant I couldn’t move at my best speed.
The rain made it worse. My hands slipped a couple times while scaling the dragon.
But I finally reached its neck.
“I’ll stab.”
The rain intensified.
Crackle, zap.
[Another one coming.]
Ricardo said grimly.
I tensed my legs and gripped the sword with both hands.
Lifting the firmly held blade, I issued a short command.
“Drop the chains!”
I thrust down.
KRAAAAA!
The sword sank in.
A direct hit between the eyes.
Not as much damage as I wanted, but our first meaningful blow. The dragon screeched in irritation and soared into the sky.
At that instant, the seniors opened fire.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Ricardo and Yoon targeting the reverse scale.
The dragon twisted with a scream. Their shots hit the reverse scale squarely.
I clung desperately to the bucking dragon.
Truly impressive.
We used to take down dragons like this, but in this storm, few could aim so precisely at the reverse scale.
The mages had handled binding the dragon before, so they were pulling double duty now.
Thank you, HR Director….
As I marveled, the dragon dipped its head to glare at the seniors.
“Karl!”
Bang!
The sniper’s bullet struck the dragon’s eye.
The heavy round pierced the wind and rain, landing a perfect hit. The dragon’s ear-piercing screech and intensifying wingbeats.
I tensed my arms to avoid being flung off.
And melted into admiration.
Ideal teamwork….
As I admired, my hair stood on end.
Crackle-crackle, zap.
Zap,
KABOOM!
Boom, boom, KABOOM! Lightning struck repeatedly. From the cumulonimbus, from the dragon’s body. Not an electric cannon, but far more widespread.
My vision drowned in blue electricity. An explosion that stole my sight for a moment.
I took a lightning hit too.
“Ugh!”
Dizzying.
I was on all fours on the dragon’s head, so no heart attack.
But the impact was there.
Were the seniors okay?
Shaking off the daze, I looked down. Dozens of strikes had pummeled the village, billowing steam and smoke. Rain and vapor obscured everything—not just the seniors, but the village itself.
“You all okay?”
Struggling to steady my trembling limbs, I shouted.
“Get inside now!”
The air grew tense.
My skin prickled. The air battered my face and arms painfully. My exposed skin felt like it would tear.
Thunder was charging an electric cannon.
Damn. Radio’s out.
Feeling the massive energy building right beside me, I screamed until my throat went hoarse.
“Duck!”
KRAKABOOOOOM!
The roofs vanished.
The quaint empty houses’ second floors disappeared entirely. Swept away by the dragon’s sweeping electric cannon over the village.
Gone without a trace, like the seed vault. With the ceilings gone, I could clearly see the seniors who had taken shelter inside.
The seniors looking up from the first floors of their assigned houses.
Byeongaebaek somehow still out amid the chaos.
Seeing them move, I breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, the dragon ascended higher.
“If it goes too high, breathing gets tough.”
Muttering to myself as my view shifted constantly.
“Gotta stab between its eyes again first.”
“Hilde!”
Huh?
What?
Why was Ami’s voice coming from above my head?
Startled, I looked up and locked eyes with Ami flying upside down way up there. My jaw dropped.
She was flying in a strangely cloudless patch of sky.
Right under the Butterfly.
“We’re in the eye of a tornado right now!”
Ah. So they lured the Butterfly here.
“Stick to the plan and grab Hilde to go up?”
My squad members were this capable.
Letting out yet another sigh of admiration, I stood.
Then reached for Ami with a smile.
“Yes.”
Ami seized my hand.
“Let me fly.”
No sooner had she spoken than Ami gripped my hand and shot into the sky.
Plunging like a falling bolt of lightning to strike the dragon.