Taking Down the Fake Dragon
Fake dragons gonna fake, but damn, the female monster designs in those otaku games—anything humanoid that isn't some freakish abomination gets my dick hard. Among the endless swarm of harpies raining down, I'd snagged one with a particularly slender build and glossy feathers. After sampling her and flashing a satisfied smirk, I hiked up my pants and stroked my chin while eyeing the harpy writhing on the ground.
Sometimes snagging one like this ain't half bad.
Fantasy worlds really hit different with their unique flavors. All those diverse creatures born from human imagination, looking straight out of myths—they scratch that itch from childhood curiosities, y'know?
Tier's crew was supposed to hit ocean terrain after escaping the desert, right...?
That interlude had been so exotic and satisfying that a mental list of harpy-like oddities scrolled through my head unbidden, making my mouth water. If Tier's party leveled up properly and busted out of the desert, we'd be hitting ocean zones next—event areas from the game lore. Never been there myself, so no clue on the layout, but with the novelty of the sea, I could already picture Tier's group looking hot as hell, plus all sorts of humanoid critters popping into my instincts. A pleased grin tugged at my lips.
Eh, plenty of time to plot that after cleaning this place up.
As I straightened my clothes, I spotted the harpy out cold and chuckled. Whistling idly, I sauntered toward the harpy cave's entrance.
Whiiish!
The moment I stepped out, brutal winds hammered my ears and body. Without flinching, I glanced down. The view from midway up this towering pillar—miles above the ground—took my breath away. Between the sheer cliffs that'd make anyone's skin crawl and the pillar's majestic fury, my spiderwebs clung, still wet with monster blood, woven into crimson, haphazard threads.
It evoked some shaman's mountain hut, bamboo poles and red banners ready for a ritual. Even though I'd made it myself, the mystical vibe had me smirking.
"Damn, that's effective..."
I'd picked up Sahonroeju while brainstorming today's quest clear. Paired with my S-grade gear, the sight was perfection. I savored it briefly—until a heavy gust from the skies and massive wingbeats hit my ears. Eyes gleaming with anticipation, I looked up.
KRAAACK!
The thing was huge—lesser pillars vanished behind its bulk, gale-force winds from its wings whipping the canyon. The blood stench filling the gorge vanished in seconds as it descended, revealing itself.
Not your standard A-rank like an ogre—this was a wyvern, rare enough that the public barely knew it. House-sized, draped in gleaming scales and wings that screamed "dragon?" But game PVs and art had prepped me for this world's dragons, so the differences jumped out: smaller horns, slimmer torso, overall tinier build. I nodded to myself.
Horns and upper body are off... yeah, smaller too.
I hadn't expected game devs' info-scraped wyvern to match reality perfectly, but its raw presence impressed me as I picked it apart. Then it clocked the spiderwebs scattered everywhere—and me at the center. Realizing I'd summoned it, it peeled back its jaws in irritation.
KRAAACK!!!
Like, "You dare call me?" Total dumbass vibe. Pathetic, starting with tantrums like low-tier trash. No ambush, no opener on an intruder in its turf... whatever. Devs probably scripted it that way.
So the Association tweaks all intel on A-ranks and up, huh?
That ogre from before, acting almost human, flashed in my mind. Militarily no issue, but its nest-building smarts and cunning glint had some exotic flavor. This wyvern? Zilch beyond the fresh visuals. Sighing, I rolled my shoulders and loosened up.
"Hey, you fake-ass bastard, you understand words?"
"KRAAARRGH!"
Mechanical roar in response. Lost interest in this dog-or-cat reflex machine, I raised my hand and channeled mana.
Sahonroeju—Death Soul Puppet Silk, Chapter of the Puppet Heir.
Shriiip!
Dozens of threads stretched from my splayed fingers like waking limbs, mana-charged and lancing out. They scaled its hide, binding the wyvern head to toe.
"KRAAK!"
Thrashing wildly against the clinging webs, wings battering the air. But with mana anchoring threads to the pillar and Thousand-Jin Weight locking me down, it just flapped helplessly in midair.
The feedback through the threads—scale toughness, muscle density—screamed I could chop it to bits easy. But this thing's worth ain't normal... eggs or whole trophy? Empire'd lose its shit either way.
Reality differed, sure, but missing ogre loot before made me crave this intact prize. We deadlocked, mana draining against its fury. Embedding threads and infusing primal energy to pulp its nerves? Tempting. But wyverns were rare prizes everyone craved—bones, meat, organs gleaming like those scales. Mind made up, I snapped my anchor threads and leaped skyward with its movements.
"KRAAARRGH!!!"
Its bellow echoed through the canyon. Tasting my power and Sahonroeju briefly, it rocketed higher with frantic flaps—like a scared mutt fleeing a hit. Tsking, I yanked a thread and surged after it.
Thud.
Landed on its back in a blink. It bucked to shake me, but after tanking its full power barehanded? This was just a pout. Ignoring the pathetic flailing, I strode up its spine. Neck vertebrae linking to wings loomed ahead.
Rare breed means every part cashes in, right...?
Was gonna infiltrate primal energy, mush the brain... but laziness hit hard with no footing, ground shrinking below. Shaking my head, I crouched slow.
Rideable, sure, but real wyverns pack more punch, probably.
Kneeling revealed the spine-cervical junction. Pinpointing the fatal weak spot, my raised hand in spear form crackled with gathering thunder qi.
Kieeeeng!
Accounting for scale hardness and innards, mana compressed tighter, aura turning lethal. It sensed the death vibe—buckets turned frantic, flaps twisting into fighter-jet acrobatics.
But to ditch a back-clinger, slam to ground and roll, not loop-de-loop. Sighing at this valueless idiot's futility, I slashed down with thunder-qi blade at max charge, grim finality in the strike.
SKREEEEEK!!!