Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Traces of the Giant Dragon (2)
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Thud, thud.
I slowly descended the stairs.
By now, the old man had been unsummoned.
Around me, six sets of bones had formed up in formation.
[You have entered the 'Giant Dragon's Seal.']
[Be careful.]
[The traces of the evil Giant Dragon create horrific monsters.]
The 'Giant Dragon's Seal' was similar to any other dungeon.
Not unfriendly, but rather hospitable, in a sense.
There were stairs, and luminous jewels adorned the walls.
A place that had once sealed something on the level of a Giant Dragon should have been covered in rough scars.
But there were none.
Either time had worn them away, or...
'The elves must have maintained it.'
Whatever. It didn't matter.
Best to keep it simple.
It's a dungeon, so monsters will appear.
If I push all the way to the end, maybe some solution will reveal itself?
'The problem is.'
I glanced back.
"Huuuuh, deep breaths, deep breaths! Don't get tense."
Dagunar pressed a hand to his chest, eyes tense, regulating his breathing.
"Yes, I'm just on a glorious path to find my ancestors' relic. No need to be tense! Get it together! Huu, huu..."
"..."
This shorty was the issue.
I'd wanted to leave him behind originally.
He wasn't enough combat power to be realistically helpful.
But.
"Huh! You! Didn't I tell you not to look at me like that! Even if you are another race! I'm from the rock tribe, after all! Don't I know more about my tribe's history than you? I can definitely be of help!"
"Well, sure... but."
Dagunar was stubborn as a mule.
He was willing to face death to follow along.
"I did tell you clearly. I might not be able to protect you if it gets dangerous."
A memory suddenly surfaced.
The dungeon where I'd met the old shaman.
'Was it Guide Kang Sun-wook?'
Now I somewhat understood why that A-rank hunter had said he might not be able to protect me back then.
"Either way, staying alone in that village would be just as dangerous. You're the bold one. How could you drop everything the moment I said I'd found it and rush here?"
"That's true."
From Dagunar's perspective,
that elf village was far scarier than this place.
"Let's keep moving for now."
I continued down the stairs.
They spiraled along the walls of an endless abyss.
In the center was a deep chasm with no bottom in sight.
It gave off a chilling vibe, like the bottomless pit from scripture.
I ignored it as best I could and kept descending.
How much time passed like that?
"Hmm, you alright? It's getting damper by the minute. Feels pretty nasty."
"Hold on."
I stopped in place.
Dagunar was right.
Through the Azure Purity Heart Method, I could feel impure 'energy' drawing closer.
['Bone3' uses the skill, Vision Secure (Lv.9).]
Piiing!
A glowing arrow shot from Bone3's bow.
The direction was into the abyss.
"Hmm."
Sensations gathered around the arrow.
The positions and numbers of the monsters, grotesque lifeforms milling about.
Hundreds of somethings were writhing.
[Vision Secure (Lv.9) detects something.]
[Discovers '?? ????'.]
It was quite far, so I couldn't see clearly.
But the situation didn't look good.
'To go down, do I have to clear all of them?'
As expected of a dungeon rated 'Impossible to Measure' in difficulty.
"..."
I'd anticipated it,
but it still made my chest tighten.
'Well, there might be another way.'
The mission hadn't specified exactly what to do.
My task was to find a clue here to resolve the conflict between the two races, not to slaughter all the monsters.
Still, I needed to catch a few and check them out.
Basic reconnaissance.
"Alright, shall we start slow?"
No need to rush.
Take it slow, careful, one by one.
[Ring!]
[Connection discovered between this dungeon and Hunter Joo Dong-hoon's class.]
"Hm."
Similar to that time.
The ancient desert dungeon where I'd met Sun Spear.
[Warning!]
[The dungeon is transforming.]
[You cannot exit the dungeon.]
"Yeah, feels familiar now."
Back then, messages like this would fill me with dread.
Now, I've gotten used to it.
Go ahead, try me.
"My lord."
"Yeah."
"Battle preparations complete."
" Odds of victory?"
"Not sure. From what I can sense, it might be tough."
Sun Spear was honest.
But confident, fearless.
Even without his past power restored,
he had the mentality of one who had once reigned as a world's absolute sovereign.
"My lord."
Sun Spear glanced down into the abyss.
"A group is climbing up. Shall we start?"
"Yeah, wait a bit and hit them with a surprise attack."
"Yes."
Thud thud thud.
Something was gradually approaching.
Dagunar shouted.
"Wh-what is this?"
"What else? Monsters."
"Monsters in an ancestor's ruin?"
"It's not just any ancestor—it's a Giant Dragon. A massive one at that. Isn't it common sense that places like this would have a few monsters?"
"D-damn it. Common sense I don't want to learn."
Woooo!
A horrific howl echoed up from below.
['Thorn Drake' appears!]
['Thorn Drake' appears!]
...
'Thorn Drake?'
First time hearing of it.
But I'd read about 'drake' types in old bestiaries.
Not as smart as dragons or able to use magic, but known for insane physical tanking.
Their strength matched that tankiness, classifying them as high-grade monsters.
"Y-yo! It's dragons?"
Dagunar, spotting the grotesque forms below, flopped backward.
"Dragons? In this world! Those damn elves! What the hell have they been doing in this seal! Trying to awaken the Giant Dragon...?"
"Quiet for now."
- Kiiieee!
- Krweeeek!
About ten Thorn Drakes were lumbering up the stairs.
"Bone4."
Thud!
The sturdy tank, Bone4, slammed his shield into the stairs.
['Bone4' uses the skill, Intermediate Block (Lv.3).]
Like a gnarled root spreading out.
With a resolute gaze, he braced his legs.
"Next, Sun Spear!"
"No problem, my lord."
['Sun Spear' uses the skill, 'Soulflare' (Lv.4).]
['Sun Spear' uses the skill, 'Raging Desert' (Lv.4).]
Flames flickered around Sun Spear's body.
Soulflare, the skill that burned his soul to temporarily amplify power, and
his unique AoE, 'Raging Desert', erupted.
Kwarrr!
A sandstorm whipped up around him.
Whoosh!
He swung his spear, sending energy blasting toward the ascending drakes.
"Huh, what kind of attack is that?"
Ignoring the astonished Dagunar, I prepped Bone5.
"Bone5!"
Magic ready.
Drakes had strong physical tanking, so magic was needed.
Creeeak!
The S-rank item, 'Fire Dragon's Staff', glowed red.
- Krweeeek!
Far below,
ten pairs of red eyes gleamed menacingly.
As if daring us to attack, their glow intensified.
But.
Sun Spear charged boldly at the horde.
Creeak!
Bone1 shot forward, unwilling to lag behind Sun Spear's momentum.
Sun Spear muttered.
"Bone1, target their legs."
Whoosh!
Sun Spear's spear lashed out.
Pum-pum-pum!
The space filled with tremendous impact sounds.
Aiming for their legs.
"Physical damage won't work anyway. Disrupt their balance as much as possible and drop them into the abyss below."
Creeak!
Sun Spear explained,
and Bone1 followed without question.
'Those two are handling it fine.'
Now it was Bone5's turn.
Bone5, having finished chanting, looked to me.
Awaiting orders.
"Blow them away!"
Creeak!
['Bone5' uses the skill, Fireball (Lv.Max).]
Roooar!
A max-level fireball manifested in the air.
Three times larger than the ones I'd used before.
'Looks hot just watching.'
Fwoosh!
Bone5 swung the staff.
The billowing flames flew straight at the drakes.
No matter. The stairs left them nowhere to dodge.
Kwaaaang!
- Kueeeek!
A scorching blast of heat filled the space.
The drakes, who had scoffed at attacks from Bone1, Bone3, and Sun Spear, now screamed in agony.
"As expected, fire's the best for beasts."
As I muttered in satisfaction, Dagunar exclaimed beside me.
"Am-amazing! You!"
But this wasn't the end.
I didn't think high-grade drakes would fall to a single 'Fireball.'
"Hit 'em again!"
Creeak!
['Bone5' uses the skill, 'Fire Field' (Lv.2).]
Roooar!
Still low proficiency, so not as powerful as Fireball,
but flames blanketed the stairs in a straight line.
Sun Spear and Bone1, fighting up close, fell back.
- Kieeek!
- Kiek!
The drakes halted their charge, hesitating.
'No choice.'
They'd already tasted fire's terror.
With flames burning right in front of them, no way they'd push through.
And that wasn't ordinary fire.
It was empowered by the S-rank item, the 'Fire Dragon.'
[Name: Bone5]
[Ki: 170/200]
'Good.'
Bone5 still had plenty of ki.
Boosted by 100 extra from the 'Fire Dragon's Staff' effect.
Solid as a bowl of hearty stew.
"Lay it down behind them too."
Creeak!
['Bone5' uses the skill, 'Fire Field' (Lv.2).]
I added another field of flame behind them.
As the fire flickered, the drakes retreating backward had nowhere to go.
"Y-you! You're slowly cooking those dragons, huh?"
Dagunar marveled beside me.
I grinned.
"Lucky for us. They're weak to fire, of all things."
"L-look there!"
Dagunar pointed ahead.
- Kiek!
- Kiieeee...
Up front, Thorn Drakes couldn't endure the flames and threw themselves into the abyss—a spectacular sight.
Their death rattles echoed until they faded away.
Even after, we waited about a minute.
['Thorn Drake' defeated.]
['Thorn Drake' defeated.]
['Thorn Drake' defeated.]
...
One by one,
defeat messages popped up.
Even tough bastards like them
couldn't survive a fall into that deep abyss.
'Oh.'
My eyes gleamed.
I'd only indirectly used fire, yet it counted as my kills. Huge news.
Why?
['Bone1's Power increases by 1!]
['Bone1's Technique increases by 1!]
['Sun Spear's Power increases by 1!]
['Bone5's Technique increases by 1!]
...
I could claim the full monster exp!
Thanks to my 'Cursed Necromancer' unique ability trait.
Monster exp transfers straight to summons, converted to stats.
'Jackpot.'
If I handle all the swarming monsters here this way?
Power leveling.
No, a storm of stat growth.
"Heh."
A laugh escaped me.
'Come to think of it, it's about time to focus on growth.'
I'd been training too much till now.
Training does build strength, sure.
But balance between hunting and training is key.
- Kieeek!
Drake cries echoed from below.
As if shuddering in unknown terror.
"I'll kill you all."
My steps forward felt incredibly light.