Chapter 18
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: The Cursed Drayger
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My ears were starting to ring when a crunching sound echoed through the air.
The moment I unleashed Angry Hammer again, the blade shattered and was flung to the ground.
Having lost its offensive power, the blade crumbled into dust and scattered away.
"Arrows and blades? What era's attack pattern is this? It's so outdated."
Ru-ri grumbled as she started walking again.
But not far off, a thunderous crashing sound rang out, like something slamming down hard.
Boom!
The closer she got to the source, the louder the noise grew.
Boom.
―Kieeeek!
Something's hitting something else!
She kept her eyes fixed on the direction of the sound, creeping forward cautiously in a tense stance.
Boom.
―Kieeeek!
Oh no.
At the source of the noise were two monsters.
One resembled the drake she'd seen in the Tokyo Tower Gate.
That monster lay flat on its belly, slamming its tail against the ground with all its might.
The other looked somewhat like a goblin but was strikingly humanoid in many ways.
However, this goblin-like humanoid monster was bound by the drake's tail.
Every time the drake-like monster smashed its tail into the floor, the bound creature writhed in agony from the recoil, letting out those cries.
[A(H) ― Cursed Drayger : Current Favor <0>]
[A(H) ― Bound Kalikan : Current Favor <0>]
A-rank monsters... No wonder the Wave Ogre kept coming to mind. Ugh, but that 'H' mark behind them is really bothering me. It must mean Hidden.
Boom.
―Kieeeek!
Swoosh!
While she hesitated for a moment, the monster called the Drayger seemed to catch her scent.
Suddenly, it spewed a massive fireball in the direction where she stood.
"It already noticed me?"
The space around her instantly grew hotter than midsummer thanks to the Drayger's fireball.
―A lowly creature has slithered in.
"That thing can talk."
―Kieeeek!
Surprisingly, the Drayger was speaking, just like Keres.
―You cannot pass through this door. Begone, vermin.
"Vermin? I'm human. And let's get one thing straight—I'd leave if I knew how."
Swoosh!
Ignoring her words entirely, the Drayger unleashed another massive fireball.
She dodged nimbly, but the tips of her singed, fluttering hair curled up from the heat.
A chuckle escaped her lips.
Ha, even if I clear this and get out safely, one look at me and everyone might just faint.
As Ru-ri refrained from counterattacking amid the Drayger's relentless assaults, it paused and eyed her intently.
―Devour that worm. If you can, I'll briefly free you from the curse of binding.
The Drayger addressed the monster called Kalikan.
―Kieeek!
Kalikan cried out as if responding.
Maybe it can't leave the front of that door, so it's ordering Kalikan instead?
If so, no matter how high the Drayger's attack power, it couldn't land a fatal blow on her.
She could just dodge.
But if the curse of binding was lifted, Kalikan would be a different story.
It looked like a goblin but shared human-like features—thanks to its insane physique.
Long arms and legs; goblin skin and face, but not the usual potbelly.
It had an incredibly elongated body line.
The problem was that, like the gatekeeper Drayger, Kalikan also bore that 'H' mark.
It probably meant it was just as dangerous.
Gripping her sword and cube tightly, she assumed a stance to counter Kalikan's attack.
As Kalikan thudded toward her, its pupils narrowed into thin vertical slits, and sharp bones erupted from its body with cracking sounds.
"Wow, things just keep escalating."
Mistaking her admiration for something else, Kalikan hesitated, looking momentarily flustered.
Does that one understand speech too?
The Drayger slammed its tail against the ground furiously.
Startled by the sound, Kalikan straightened up and fixed its gaze on her again.
Probably a close-range attacker type... but what are those bones for?
She had no idea how Kalikan would strike.
Kalikan quickened its pace toward her, then broke into a sprint and suddenly yanked out one of its vertebrae with a snap.
"Ha, it really is a lunatic."
She tried to leap back to create distance, just like with the Ogre Queen—but Leap was still unavailable.
Kalikan wielded the extracted spine like a sword, closing in on her.
"It's just a bone shard anyway."
Ru-ri countered Kalikan's bone strike with Angry Hammer, the one she'd used before entering this place.
Crack!
Kalikan's vertebra snapped upon impact.
Kalikan seemed stunned for a second but quickly dilated its pupils, then narrowed them vertically again. It ripped out a bone from its shoulder and prepared to attack.
"Hey, the momentum's on my side now. What if I really shatter all those bones—what then?"
Ru-ri's taunt.
Kalikan tilted its head, paused its assault, and glanced back at the Drayger.
Seizing the moment, she shouted toward the Drayger.
"Hey, Drayger! Just tell me one thing."
The Drayger slammed its tail down hard in response.
―Chattering much for a pathetic vermin soon to vanish. But since it's rare entertainment, I'll indulge you this once.
Catching her breath, Ru-ri questioned the Drayger.
"What are you, really?"
―An intriguing question. The fools outside call me and that one 'bosses,' don't they? Yet only that one and you have ever met me.
"Someone besides me?"
―Indeed. It carried the same nostalgic scent as you.
"Where can I find that person?"
―My return as gatekeeper likely means that one can no longer bind me.
"Bind?"
―Enough prattle. Dispose of her.
The Drayger turned its head toward the door.
At the same time, Kalikan yanked out a bone from its other shoulder.
Wielding bones in both hands, Kalikan dashed right up to her nose, aiming for her abdomen.
Snapping to focus, she unleashed Angry Hammer at Kalikan's face as it closed in.
―Kieeeek!
Unable to dodge, Kalikan screamed in agony.
Blinded and writhing, it dropped the bones from its hands.
The Drayger, which had watched their skirmish with interest, grew displeased and snorted roughly before spewing massive fireballs in rapid succession.
The sightless Kalikan was engulfed in flames, while she swiftly dodged away.
Kalikan's HP gauge had dropped to 89%.
Ru-ri wouldn't miss this opening.
"Heal."
Kalikan's HP filled back up to nearly 92%.
It won't fall for it twice, right?
Blinded, Kalikan stood dumbly, while the Drayger seemed to ponder.
―Useless thing. Become ash at last.
As if resolved, the Drayger roared massively and rose its enormous body.
It glared at Ru-ri and assumed a battle stance.
She nearly buckled on the spot.
The Drayger's pressure was overwhelmingly beyond the Ogre Queen.
"On a whole different level from regular bosses, huh?"
But as gatekeeper, the Drayger's movements were restricted.
Yet that hardly mattered.
In Hidden Gates, monsters didn't feel favor toward Ru-ri.
Kalikan's favor had risen a bit, but it would still attack her on the Drayger's command.
No way I can take both alone. Boss? I'll get done in by the gatekeeper first.
As if denying her any time to think, the Drayger and Kalikan attacked simultaneously.
Ru-ri dodged the Drayger's fireballs while keeping distance from Kalikan's bone strikes, blocking ahead with Angry Hammer.
The Drayger's attack power is insane—even a graze would be fatal. But it's bound to that door. Kalikan... haven't taken a solid hit yet, so I can't gauge its power.
She focused on avoiding hits, maintaining distance from both while racking her brain for a breakthrough.
Kalikan's HP dropped to nearly 89% from consecutive Drayger hits. Nothing to lose—let's try again.
In an instant, she activated Stealth and bolted toward the Drayger, hugging the wall.
Kalikan rushed to where she'd vanished, but she was already gone.
She released Stealth right by the door the Drayger guarded, positioning so they faced each other.
The moment Kalikan heard her appear, it charged.
The Drayger turned that way too, but she had already Stealthed again and sprinted to align herself, Kalikan, and the Drayger in a straight line.
Finally, the three were lined up.
She quickly dropped Stealth and waited for the Drayger's fireball.
As expected, unrestricted Kalikan lunged at her immediately.
And the Drayger, unconcerned, spewed fireballs wildly.
Ru-ri held still.
The Drayger's barrage engulfed Kalikan completely.
Kalikan's HP plummeted to 56%.
Screaming in pain, it staggered toward her through the flames.
At this point... it almost feels a bit pitiful.
Perhaps sensing her intent, the Drayger stopped fireballs.
Now was the time to feign direct confrontation.
Shaking off the pang of sympathy, she hammered Kalikan with another Angry Hammer.
As she engaged fully, the Drayger resumed fireballs with resolve.
Kalikan, fired up, approached with terrifying reaction speed, ready for a real fight.
It's hooked.
She alternated Angry Hammer and Extinction, dodging and weaving so Kalikan inevitably ate Drayger fireballs.
After a grueling struggle, Kalikan's HP hit zero from the Drayger's flames, defeated.
*Ding, ding, ding.*
[Bound Kalikan's favor has increased by 1,000,000.]
[Cumulative target favor to date: 1,000,000.]
[(S) Hidden Skill Activated (Success): 1 condition completed. (Remaining conditions ― Total 8)]
[(SS) Hidden Skill Activated (Failure): Condition not met.]
―Cunning vermin.
"A compliment?"
―But the game's over.
The Drayger muttered something and twisted its body.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The gate shook violently, cracks forming in the floor before the Drayger.
Then, identical Draygers burst from the fissures, flying toward the Cursed Drayger one by one.
"Is this the real deal?"
The gatekeeper's immobility shattered effortlessly.
Ru-ri extended her hand, ready to unleash a barrage of Extinction.
Simultaneously, HP gauges activated for the incoming Draygers.
[A ― Bewitched Drayger : Cannot raise target's favor.]
Can't raise those ones' favor?