Chapter 134
Chapter 134
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Desert Dragon Deserthio
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“What the hell! There’s nothing here!”
The vampire who arrived first at the tent village let out a cry of disappointment.
Tearing open the tents revealed only the junk left behind by the refugees.
“This one’s empty too!”
“These bastards cleared out ages ago!”
His comrades searching the other tents fared no better.
The tent village was nothing but a decoy. The refugees had already slipped away while the guerrillas bought them time.
Ingus paused for a moment, deep in thought.
‘In a situation like this, the only place refugees could relocate to all at once is their own city, Illibatus.’
But Illibatus was out of the question.
If tens of thousands had boarded it, you’d spot them from a mile away.
There wasn’t even a hint of that, and Illibatus hadn’t budged an inch for a while now.
Because the Death King’s city, Niflheim, had started moving.
As soon as Halloween sent out its army, Niflheim responded in kind, heading straight for the tent village.
Illibatus couldn’t move, even if just to keep it in check.
‘On top of that, in this mess, even their own city Illibatus isn’t safe.’
The refugees hadn’t gone to Illibatus.
That was Ingus’s conclusion. He turned to the werewolf leader, Felix.
“The refugees didn’t go far! Analysts and werewolves, track them down now!”
The werewolves pressed their noses to the ground, slowly moving their limbs as they followed the scent trail.
“The smell’s still fresh. We can catch them!”
A uniquely human stench, detectable only to werewolf noses, stretched along the path.
As the monsters followed it, a desert canyon came into view.
“Found them.”
Ingus spotted the group camouflaged in the canyon’s shadows like chameleons.
They’d erased their footprints in the sand and used a large-scale stealth skill, but they couldn’t hide their sheer numbers.
“Damn it, we’re made.”
“Grab your weapons and stand. We fight to the end.”
The guerrilla remnants and relief team stepped forward, forming a defensive line.
But with the overwhelming numbers against them, they wouldn’t last long.
One of the relief team members swallowed hard.
“Boss, at this point, wouldn’t it be better to tell everyone to scatter and fend for themselves? Better than getting massacred next.”
“They’re already on the verge of bolting anyway.”
Even obedience to the relief team had its limits.
Humans who’d survived Babel were sharper than anyone.
Sensing the relief team losing control and death closing in, the refugees swarmed out the canyon’s single exit like bees or hid in rock crevices.
“Look at the blood bags sweating it out. Exercise raises uric acid levels—ruins the taste.”
Ingus licked his lips as he watched the refugees scatter.
“Alright, werewolves and chimeras to the front lines. Vampires, take to the air and start the hunt first. And the shadow contractors…”
“Ingus, sir!”
Two bats landed on Ingus’s shoulders at the same time.
He shrugged, glancing crosswise at the messengers perched on each shoulder.
“What’s up? Urgent one first.”
“Hey, lefty. You got the urgent news?”
“Hmm, maybe not. You go first, righty.”
“Okay, breaking news!”
After their quick exchange, the right bat shouted.
“Christina’s guerrillas have broken through Halloween’s encirclement and are heading this way!”
“That’s urgent. Real urgent.”
Ingus grimaced and called to the other commanders.
“Hong Wei! Felix! Front lines be damned. Full army charge! Rush in and slaughter them all!”
“Okay! Let’s go!”
“The ones who picked up coins, they’re yours! Kill quick and haul ’em out!”
Halloween’s elite monsters roared as they charged into the canyon.
Ingus soared high to avoid the dust, then asked the left bat.
“So, what’s your news?”
“Yes, a transcendent-grade monster has just changed course toward us.”
“Transcendent-grade? Who?”
“The Desert Dragon Deserthio.”
“Deserthio? That guy was supposed to pass by 34th Desert!”
Ingus scowled.
The 5th floor teemed with boss monsters and dimensional refugee factions.
Among them, those that could threaten even unique city survivors were classified separately as divine-grade or transcendent-grade monsters.
The most infamous included ‘Reaper Urben,’ who’d outright conquered a city; ‘Ghost Knight Order Cross,’ who repelled a joint assault from four cities; and ‘Great Death Worm,’ the culprit who’d devoured the entire 5th floor plain and turned it into a desert.
And in the same league: ‘Desert Dragon Deserthio.’
All cities meticulously avoided their patrol routes when choosing paths, yet Deserthio was coming straight here.
“Well, we’ll finish up before it arrives.”
Snap—
Another bat landed on his narrow shoulder.
“Breaking news! Deserthio is approaching at high speed!”
Things weren’t going his way.
Ingus sighed and asked.
“So, when’s it due?”
“Estimated four hours…”
“Breaking news! Deserthio is coming much faster than expected…”
“Breaking news! Deserthio…”
He didn’t need to hear more—it was closing in faster by the second.
Ingus clutched his head against the oncoming headache.
‘Dealing with these resistors will take at least thirty minutes, and hunting the refugees a few hours more. Should we pull back?’
Sticking around offered no winners.
The forty thousand refugees would end up as collateral in the fierce clash between Christina and Halloween, gulped down by a passing desert lizard Deserthio.
A perfect case of the fisherman profiting.
“Breaking news!”
As his shoulders grew heavy with more urgent bats, Ingus snapped like a fireball ready to burst.
“Enough with the damn breaking news! So that Deser-whatever bastard…”
When’s it arriving!
Before he could finish, the canyon and surroundings plunged into shadow.
Not a cloud—this was a heavy, tangible presence.
Looking up, a massive reptile’s face defied perspective, drooling strings of saliva.
Ingus swallowed unwittingly.
“…is actually here, I mean, when would the great Deserthio arrive, haha.”
A werewolf charging through dust clouds rubbed its eyes and gaped up at Deserthio.
“Crazy… why’s that thing here?”
It didn’t belong here.
Overwhelming presence, size blanketing the entire canyon.
Grrr rumble—
A parched dragon’s breath blew through the canyon like dry desert wind.
Not even a threat—just its rough breathing sent icy dread piercing every spine like an ice pick.
Everyone but one.
“On time.”
A fly-like speck hovered above Deserthio’s head.
Kaaaaah!
Deserthio roared, rearing its head.
The human before it was the puny pest who’d dragged it here.
Gonghyeok flicked ash from his cigarette with indifferent eyes.
“What’re you staring at, lizard punk.”
Massive angel wings.
The source, Heaven’s Gauntlet armor (SS), gleamed.
[Angel Privilege – Authority of Elemental Endowment (SS) activated.]
[Lightning element endowed to item ‘Vulcanus’s Right Arm.’]
[Trait ‘Sky Thunder (穹雷)’ applied.]
Ju Gonghyeok’s right arm.
Blue lightning crackled along the rugged metal prosthetic.
Pssshhh—
Steam from the shoulder met the lightning, turning into 3,000-degree steam plasma. Surrounding air evaporated in the heat, whipping up a storm.
To the clueless, dragged-here Deserthio taking hits for no reason, Gonghyeok offered concern.
“Bite down tight. Might lose a few more otherwise.”
The plasma-accelerated steel fist flashed purple.
Krrrrrrumble—!
People saw a massive white boulder crash from the sky.
Boom!
The fallen white boulder revealed red gums and nerves in between.
Desert Dragon Deserthio’s tooth fragments.
“Kehk, kuhk.”
The majestic dragon instantly looked pathetic.
Deserthio coughed up blood-mixed phlegm, teeth spilling out.
Gonghyeok felt zero guilt as he said.
“Sorry, I’ll get you implants later.”
- What the hell? Implants?…
“There’s a reason for everything. Now, gigantify.”
Nathaniel snorted once, and a golden ring appeared over Gonghyeok’s head.
[Sephirot Stage 1 Sandalphon’s Authority ‘Gigantification’ manifested.]
[Cast time: 46 minutes.]
Surging S-A grade mana power swelled Ju Gonghyeok’s body in an instant.
Thud!
Twice the height of the quadrupedal Deserthio.
Gazing down at the coughing dragon, he summoned his avatar.
“Mihoo, subdue it.”
= A mere desert lizard? Piece of cake, bro!
[Avatar manifestation ‘Great Sage of Heaven’s Equal (SS).’]
[Stats boosted: Strength +50, Agility +60, Technique +60…]
Stats over a thousand halved the buffs, but divine-grade monsters were no match now.
With Great Sage-enhanced strength, he slammed a knee into Deserthio’s nape.
The equally gigantified avatar boldly mounted the desert dragon.
= You know what Five Elements Mountain is? I was pinned under it for 500 years.
[Secondary ability ‘Muscle Dou Cloud Technique’ activated!]
[Muscle Dou Cloud generated on target, accelerating toward gravity direction.]
Crrrrunch—
The cloud on its body crushed Deserthio, binding it immobile.
‘Used to scramble from Grandier back then.’
Seeing Deserthio reminded him of floor 2.
After the 10:10 duel, when the Four Divine Beasts dungeon opened—he’d fled from Southern Demon Beast Grandier, snagged Nathaniel’s stele, and picked up the armor. Seemed like yesterday.
Now, monsters far beyond Grandier or Mandarion lay helpless beneath him: Deserthio.
Rumble—
The canyon rock cracked under Deserthio’s bulk, refugee screams echoing.
[220 refugees dead.]
[Remaining: 38,790.]
Some must’ve died getting squished under Deserthio.
‘Yeah, with these mountain-sized things thrashing around, casualties make sense.’
Wishing them peaceful rest, Gonghyeok shoved both hands into Deserthio’s maw.
The desert dragon wailed in agony at the intrusion.
“Th-that guy, what’s he doing?”
Halloween hunters gaped, terror turning to utter awe at the casual hog-slaughter handling of the dragon.
They’d felt death looming just moments ago with Deserthio’s arrival—now it felt unreal.
Amid it, only Ingus judged coolly.
‘Don’t know who, but he’s no ally. Dangerous.’
He whispered cautiously to the bats on his shoulders.
“Everyone, retreat quietly. Don’t provoke.”
The bats flitted silently to each commander, relaying the order.
Commanders snapped from panic, stealthily withdrawing troops from the canyon.
Refugees watched the scene in stunned silence.
“Now, open wide.”