Chapter 326
Chapter 326
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 326
Chapter Title: What the Earth Dragon Guards (1)
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Flipped perspective.
The dim dungeon backdrop was a massive cavern.
A wide-open space large enough to remind one of the giant castle of Aranvalon in the past.
Esta, Kering, and Ling-Ling, who had entered first, had already summoned their spirits and were on high alert.
Their expressions were grim.
To be precise, they had no choice but to be grim.
Because.
Our target was right there in plain sight.
“……Is that it?”
Whoosh!
Flames burst from the body of Esta's spirit, Seleana.
“Whew, it looks utterly hideous.”
His gaze fixed on the center of the clearing.
I followed his line of sight.
‘That thing.’
Yeah, the Earth Dragon.
I’d thought Earth Dragon meant some kind of worm, but it wasn’t.
It was a dragon, plain and simple.
Of the dragon race.
Rumble rumble rumble…!
Sensing our presence, the crouched beast unfurled its wings and rose to its feet.
Yellow eyes glowed to life.
Those reptilian eyes brimmed with clear killing intent and malice.
‘Whoa, shit.’
Chills ran down my spine.
Of all things.
After the Giant Dragon, Greed Dragon, Water Dragon, and Destruction Dragon.
Another dragon this time?
‘What kind of difficulty curve is this…?’
And they’d sealed all my skills to boot?
How were we supposed to deal with a dragon like this?
It didn’t even feel like the difficulty was designed to be cleared.
The thought of entering here alone without top-tier spirit mages was even more horrifying.
“Everyone, get ready for battle!”
Just as Ling-Ling shouted.
The Earth Dragon’s mouth split wide open.
A piercing roar erupted.
- Roooaaarrr!
The echo of the cave mixed with the dragon’s bellow, making my eardrums throb like they might burst.
On top of that.
“Hngh!”
Breathing grew labored.
Dragon Fear.
The terrifying aura from an ancient dragon was something you never got used to, no matter how many times you felt it.
“Ugh… Everyone… over there! Do you see it?”
Ling-Ling, atop her golem, narrowed her eyes and pointed at the dragon’s legs.
What? What was there?
I narrowed my eyes too.
That transparent, shimmering metal was unmistakably…!
“Abyssal Crystal?”
I replied curtly.
The legendary metal said to replenish spirit affinity just by touching it.
The final piece to complete Demir’s blueprint, the ‘Destruction Dragon Set’ (SSS Grade).
I sensed it intuitively.
That this was the metal every spirit mage dreamed of.
‘So it’s guarding that.’
Bonegu, Yuisa too.
They must’ve met their end going after it.
“Whew.”
Anyway.
The dragon had spotted us and had no intention of letting us be.
Time for me to prepare for battle too.
Yeah, Bonegu.
Just take that thing down, right?
Even as a dragon slayer of sorts, it was less tense than my first dragon encounter.
Of course, that didn’t mean the situation was good.
Whoosh!
I drew my spear and lowered my stance, first checking the expressions of the spirit mages around me.
Kering looked a bit pale, like it was her first time seeing a dragon.
Ling-Ling had her usual vigilant look.
And Esta.
“Fuck this shit. Looks like we’re screwed.”
“Tell me about it.”
I agreed.
Anyone seeing those brown glossy scales enveloping its body and those vertically slitted pupils would think the same.
‘The silver lining.’
Was that the Earth Dragon wasn’t in perfect condition.
There was a clear gash on its back, red blood flowing from it.
- That wound on the dragon’s back.
It was then that Sylestin, Jeya’s spirit, spoke up.
- A mark left by Sylphid. The Spirit King’s wind is tenacious and relentless, not easily healed.
That meant.
- Yes, it’s been open for quite some time. It must’ve festered badly during that period.
A fatal wound on a dragon.
“That’s some hopeful news.”
Ssssh!
I stepped on the shadow and drove my Godslayer Spear into the Earth Dragon’s body.
But.
Clang!
An intangible force surged in instantly, blocking my spear’s path.
“……!”
What the hell.
The rebound was intense.
With my preemptive strike, the spirit mages’ attacks followed.
Whoosh, splash!
Rumble rumble!
Seleana’s flames and Elestra’s water jets came next.
The golem Noe Anen’s fist smashed into the Earth Dragon’s scales, exploding on impact.
But.
- Intruders, begone!
Was a dragon still a dragon even on the brink of death?
It shrugged off the attacks like they were nothing, then coiled its body into a ball.
“Dodge!”
I stepped on the shadow, swiftly moving behind Jeya.
“Wh-what?”
I grabbed her waist as she floated in the air, kicked off the ground hard, and leaped into the sky.
After facing dragons a few times, you learn.
Coiling up like that meant a tail sweep was coming.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The Earth Dragon’s coiled tail whipped out, unleashing devastation in a 360-degree sweep.
‘Insane.’
The massive tail swung like a whip, smashing rocks and walls indiscriminately.
Rumble rumble!
The ground shook, stones flying everywhere.
I murmured to Jeya in my grip.
“Snap out of it. This is the last time I’ll save you.”
Looking at the chaotic floor below, dust billowing up, Jeya barely managed to speak.
“Th-thank you.”
Thanks for what.
With my creed of repaying favors twofold, this much service was nothing.
Whoosh!
I tossed her into the air, and Sylestin caught her in surprise.
- Th-thanks.
I’d saved Jeya quickly.
But the others weren’t faring as well.
Esta was bleeding from his mouth, and Kering had one arm and one leg swollen.
Bones probably broken.
Ling-Ling, true to her earth spirit mage nature, seemed to have some resistance and looked fine.
“Damn it.”
Esta spat.
“This much is bearable, but.”
He looked at the dragon with a stunned expression.
“What do we do about that? Attacks aren’t landing, and it looks like it’ll just keep coming with physical assaults.”
“Regroup first.”
I called the spirit mages together.
Kering approached and splash! enveloped Esta and herself in water.
“What’s this?”
Esta grimaced, and Kering replied curtly.
“Healing.”
Oh.
So water spirits had healing abilities.
That was some good news.
Anyway.
“I felt an intangible aura.”
I spoke up.
“What?”
“It seems to be the Earth Dragon’s technique. It blocked my attack with it and nullified your spirits’ attacks easily.”
“So that means.”
“Yeah, unless we deal with that, no amount of attacks will work.”
Utterly invincible.
I’d been scanning it nonstop with the Azure Sky Heart Technique and sensed it intuitively.
The Earth Dragon’s specialty was ‘durability.’
“So? Any ideas?”
Kering asked.
“Talk later! Survival first!”
Rumble rumble!
The dragon wasn’t about to let us discuss in peace.
Shing!
Massive claws sprang from the Earth Dragon’s hands, slashing down from the sky toward us.
Esta’s face went white.
“Fuck!”
He let out a shrill scream.
* * *
The dragon was massive, but its speed was incredible for its size.
Claws stabbing down near the speed of sound.
Whoosh!
I instinctively leaped toward the sky and generated a shield.
Not just any shield.
A genuine Godslayer-grade shield.
Boom!
An overwhelming force slammed me down in an instant, choking the breath from me.
My leap was for naught as I was pinned to the ground, waves of crushing pain assaulting every nerve.
“I’ll help!”
The silver lining.
Ling-Ling’s spirit braced the ground powerfully, cushioning my impact.
“Urgh!”
My Pain Resistance made it bearable.
But one hit wasn’t the end.
“Tail next!”
I shouted urgently.
“Leave it to me!”
This time, Jeya responded.
Whoosh!
A tailwind from the ground lifted us all into the air.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The massive tail ravaged the spot we’d just been.
Dust billowed, but Sylestin cleared it easily.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
Even amid it all, Esta kept attacking, but the intangible aura blooming from the beast deflected them effortlessly.
‘Wow.’
It was ridiculously, brutally tough.
One couldn’t help but wonder how Yuisa Stormtree had inflicted such a massive wound on a thing like this.
‘Is that what a Spirit King is?’
Even so.
Sylphid had only 10% power back then—how did the attack land?
‘There’s a way.’
There had to be a way.
Boom!
Block.
Whoosh!
Dodge.
As I analyzed its simple physical assault pattern, I thought nonstop.
Racked my brain.
If only Vladmir were here, I could slip inside and wreck it.
But that wouldn’t work this time.
Then…
‘Essence?’
[The Water Essence chuckles. It knew this punk would ask.]
[What’s a worm that can’t handle one dragonling? Spirit King level? You think you’ll reach a height we can’t touch? Puhaha! Dream on!]
[The Water Essence bursts into laughter.]
No, Water guy.
One word from the Essence and you’re going full DPS?
[The Fire Essence apologizes.]
[The Earth Dragon guards a fragment of the Earth lineage. Can’t help this time.]
[The Wood Essence nods.]
[Interfering in another’s trial goes against propriety.]
Fragment of the Earth lineage?
The Earth Essence?
“…….”
It was then.
Sparkle!
Something brown glinted between the Abyssal Crystals, catching my eye.
‘Ho ho.’
Well now.
This trial had some real rewards.
‘Okay, got it. I’ll handle it.’
If this was someone’s trial.
I’d gladly accept it.
A ‘trial’ meant there was a solution.
If anything, it was reassuring.
Boom!
Blocking the dragon’s claws once more, I opened my status window for the first time in a while.
[Hunter: Joo Dong-hoon]
[Title: Skeleton Emperor]
[Stamina: 11,150/13,220]
[Unique Ability: Cursed Necromancer]
[Ranking: 4th]
[Grade: SS]
[Effects]
-You are a Necromancer, a class that handles the souls of the dead. Subjugate foes with terrifying evil spirits and deadly poisons. However, you are cursed.
-You can only summon Skeletons.
[Possessed Skills]
-‘Lord & King Summon’ (SS Grade) - Sealed
-‘Memory Recreation’ (S Grade) - Sealed
-‘Teaching of All Arts’ (SS Grade) - Sealed
-‘Pain Resistance’ (A Grade)
-‘Azure Sky Heart Technique’ (SS Grade)
-‘Resurrection of the Dead’ (A Grade) - Sealed
-‘Roar of the Dead’ (A Grade) - Sealed
-‘Immunity to All Poisons’ (SS Grade)
-‘Bone Dragon Skeleton’ (S Grade) - Sealed
-‘All Arts’ (SS Grade)
-‘Soundless’ (S Grade)
-‘Poison Flash’ (SS Grade)
-‘Martial Advance’ (SS Grade)
-‘Adamantine Inviolability’ (SS Grade)
Okay.
Six skills sealed in this dungeon.
Simply put, only active skills were sealed.
So, I had to make do with the rest somehow.
Think.
Think, Dong-hoon.
In this moment, without Elder or Essence help.
How could I overcome this impasse?!