Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: That's Why It's Scary
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“…….”
I thought my mind had shut down, but it hadn’t.
The essence of fire that had invaded my body.
The crystalline embodiment of flames that could melt even a dragon.
How could I lose consciousness with something like that inside me, even for a moment?
Some say that when people endure unbearable pain, they pass out.
That the brain creates this as a way to protect itself.
But the essence of fire was different.
‘Fuck.’
If I passed out from the pain, it would wake me right back up.
If I passed out again, I’d have no choice but to wake once more.
There was no escaping it.
The agony transcended unconsciousness.
[The power of the essence of fire is immense. Not only would receiving aid be impossible, but even hearing its voice could strain the body.]
Now I finally understood why the system had issued such a warning.
Boom!
Even when I smashed Aranbalon clean.
‘It hurts!’
Boom! Boom!
Even when my body moved ignoring physical limits.
‘It hurts, fuck!’
I was screaming inside.
Enduring it.
Howling.
Honestly, there should’ve been some satisfaction in beating down that dragon I couldn’t handle.
But there was none.
The searing pain of every muscle burning was followed by.
My organs being ripped out raw.
And waves of explosions from my toes to the crown of my head.
- Roooaaar!
Aranbalon was crying out in pain.
Why did it look so cute?
‘You’ll die soon. Once you die, the pain ends. But I have to keep enduring this.’
Whoosh!
Finally, the dragon burst into flames.
I needed to recover its ‘bones’ with the ‘Bone Dragon Skeleton’ (S-rank) skill.
But that was impossible now.
Roar! Roar!
The heat was so intense.
It melted the sturdy dragon bones into liquid.
And ultimately turned them into gas, evaporating them away.
And at last.
[Ding!]
[Processing ‘Aranbalon.’]
The dragon died.
No, the dragon evaporated.
‘Is it done?’
Yeah, I killed it.
Now get out of my body.
It hurts, so please leave!
Thanks, so please!
And in that instant.
Return of light (輝光返照).
Like the sun’s rays shining intensely right before sunset.
Sizzle!
The fireball boiling inside me swelled massively for a moment, then extinguished in one go.
The essence of fire that had filled my body vanished.
“Guh, guhuk!”
At the same time.
Pffft!
I spewed blood surging up from within.
Thud!
With every muscle unresponsive, I lost my balance and collapsed.
Truth be told, it was only natural.
Because it was an absurd power.
I’d moved at invisible speeds and wielded strength beyond my limits.
There had to be backlash.
That was cause and effect.
The simple truth that every cause has its result.
“Keuhehe…….”
Whatever. It didn’t matter.
I’d been prepared from the start.
They say the desperate find life, and those who cling to life court death.
If I’d fought conservatively to preserve myself, it would’ve been my comrades and I melting away, not Aranbalon.
No regrets.
“Hun!”
“Are you okay?”
My comrades rushed over breathlessly.
I felt a sweet liquid at my lips.
‘Elixir, huh.’
One of the Muyo must be tending to me.
One for me, one for Vladimir.
“Keuh…….”
I wanted to speak, but my voice wouldn’t come out.
‘We did it.’
That’s what I wanted to say.
Look at that.
No matter the method, if I follow my heart, I’m always right in the end.
It wasn’t reckless.
[Heh, you call luck skill?] The old man’s mocking voice echoed in my ears.
Heh heh, old timer.
In our world, they say luck is skill too.
You know it deep down.
Even if you put other hunters in the same spot, they wouldn’t get the same result.
Killing the dragon was luck.
But challenging the dragon? That wasn’t luck.
“Hun! What the hell happened?! What was that power all of a sudden?!”
“Are you okay? Hmm? He’s not breathing...? Is he drinking the elixir right?”
Meeting comrades like these was luck.
But deciding to save them? That wasn’t luck.
“My friend! Don’t tell me you’re dead? Snap out of it!”
“Hun? Hun’s dead?!”
“Everyone, calm down! They’re both alive! And give them some space! No contact with patients!”
My panicking comrades.
And the reliable voice of Muyo Hana.
[Ding!]
[With the disappearance of the greed dragon ‘Aranbalon’ in the ‘Giant Castle,’ the hidden quest is cleared!]
[Hidden rewards will be fulfilled through the plausibility of trial ‘Theme 2’!]
[In 30 minutes, you will move to the location of ‘Theme 3.’]
[Survivors: 7]
[Calculating rewards.]
The clear message appeared in my vision.
Clearing Theme 2 along with.
The hidden quest Delaila had created.
With that as the end.
“…….”
I lost consciousness.
* * *
“Hmm…….”
Muyo Hana closed her eyes tightly.
A moment later, her lips parted as she slowly opened them.
“It’s truly... a miracle they’re alive. Really. For real.”
Joo Dong-hoon and Vladimir lay side by side on the floor.
Their conditions were horrific.
Skin cracked like parched earth in drought, wounds etched across their entire bodies.
“For now, the elixir put out the immediate fire…… But sigh, how did they endure looking like this?”
“Admirable ones.”
Shim Pan-chang nodded.
“And beautiful too. Sacrifice is easy to talk about but hard to enact. I learned much from these participants this stage.”
“......Vladimir’s heart was completely pierced. Normally, instant death. But using the elixir while the magic circle was still briefly active must’ve helped. Pure luck.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, and for Dong-hoon......”
Muyo Hana’s brow furrowed slightly.
“He’s on another level. Even Vladimir’s the worst state I’ve ever seen...... But Dong-hoon? He’s just... a corpse. A corpse.”
“......A corpse, huh. I acknowledge it.”
Shim Pan-chang nodded gravely.
“Right? He’s barely clinging to life. What else would you call that if not a corpse?”
All his muscles had melted.
All his organs had melted.
If the energy from the weapon he gripped hadn’t sustained his body.
He’d have turned to a handful of ash before the elixir could even be used.
“So both of them. Can they be saved? That’s what matters.”
“I don’t know yet. Once time passes and my skill seal lifts...... Then I can start proper treatment.”
Resurrection.
If they created the miracle of slaying the dragon.
Now it was her turn.
The miracle of saving them.
“No matter what.”
That was the duty of Muyo Hana, the healer among the seven comrades.
“I’ll save them.”
She murmured.
“Definitely.”
Her voice was resolute.
* * *
“…….”
A mysterious holographic chamber.
An eerie silence flowed within.
Delaila and the 10 examiners were at a loss for words.
And soon.
“What... did I just witness?”
A gasp of admiration burst from someone’s throat.
That sparked it.
The examiners began voicing their emotions one by one.
“How are those participants...? Have the trial entry requirements been raised lately?”
“Killing a dragon? Insane! No, before that, I didn’t even know Theme 2 was dragon-overseen.”
“Ah, you didn’t? I didn’t know dragons existed in this world.”
“Aren’t they already rankers?”
This was unprecedented.
The Theme 2 they knew was simply.
A test of loyalty.
But these participants’ actions were extraordinary.
“I was moved watching. Tears welled up. Ha, it could be an action movie. Too good to watch alone.”
“......Me too. When I did it, everyone scrambled to save themselves. But these guys feel different. Heartwarming, somehow?”
It was also touching.
Beyond mere loyalty, risking lives for the impossible.
Not because the theme demanded it.
But following their hearts into sacrifice.
Vladimir staking his life to protect the team leader.
The team leader and members staking theirs to protect Vladimir.
“Fuck, that’s cool?”
Crackle!
Sparks flew from Thunder Phloa, who’d been watching.
Unbidden, as her emotions surged.
Phloa clenched her fists.
‘See that? I’m the slave of a guy like that!’
The wording was odd.
She couldn’t quite say it aloud.
But from watching Joo Dong-hoon defend, electricity had coursed thrillingly through her.
Yeah, I told you.
That guy’s different from the start.
Definitely single-digit ranker material.
Despite the penalties from Joo Dong-hoon.
She felt her chest swell with grandeur.
‘And.’
Losing didn’t feel shameful.
More precisely.
It used to, but now it didn’t.
“Everyone see that?”
Phloa was excited.
“See them kill the dragon? That speed and power make sense? Even world rank 2, Demon King Jack Smith, couldn’t do that......”
“True. The severe backlash is a drawback.”
“But it’s still impressive. They’re not even rankers yet. Of course, the boards update post-trial.”
“Fuck, what rank will they hit?”
“Dunno. But Joo Dong-hoon’s gotta crack top 200 at least?”
“Top 200? Straight to top 200? That possible?”
“You say that after seeing this? I was conservative. Four more themes left.”
“Huh? Oh...... yeah......?”
The examiners buzzed for a while.
Amid the commotion over the historic rookies.
“…….”
Luca, the magic swordsman, approached the silent Delaila.
“Delaila?”
Delaila glanced up at Luca’s words.
“Yes?”
“What about the remaining trials? We could end now; they’ve already exceeded goals.”
The trial’s goal was to create rankers.
In Luca’s eyes, they’d surpassed that.
Just the reward for dragon-slaying plausibility would overflow with ranker potential.
Unprecedented.
“......Of course, proceed as is. All remaining themes.”
Delaila nodded after a brief thought.
“You know, Luca. Trials are limited to six per person. We should at least fill that.”
Her dungeon had a participation limit.
Six themes because of it.
Thus, Joo Dong-hoon had four more chances to grow.
“Besides.”
Delaila smiled faintly.
“If prior themes were just selection...... Theme 3 onward is the true forge for rankers.”
The forge.
What Luca mentioned early on.
The reason trial participation guarantees ranker status.
“…….”
The magic swordsman swallowed.
Then thought.
‘That’s why it’s scary. If they grow more from there...... Who knows what monster will be born.’