Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Chapter 8 - Aru
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Gleston Manor Massacre.
It referred to the gruesome slaughter that took place at the estate of Count Gleston, the lord of Venus City and its wealthiest man, just as the name implied.
In Dragon Hunter Origin's main story—specifically the western part—the main scenario for the playable character 'Anne Rose' began upon her arrival at Gleston Manor.
'Anne Rose visits Count Gleston, a close friend of her late father, to pay her respects.'
As always, Count Gleston warmly welcomed Anne Rose and insisted she stay for a few days, which she happily accepted.
'And that very night.'
The Gleston Manor Massacre occurred.
'It was a horrific incident where Count Gleston and all the servants—men, women, young and old—were slaughtered without mercy.'
A potent sleeping gas enveloped not only the manor but the surrounding area, allowing the massacre to proceed swiftly and precisely without a single witness.
'Except for one survivor.'
Anne Rose, the playable character from the western part and one of the 'seven heroes who left hope for the future.'
Thanks to the magic artifact from her master, she was the only one who didn't fall asleep when the gas spread that day.
'Even as the massacre unfolded, Anne Rose tried desperately to save the count and the others... but it was hopeless from the start.'
Still, it wasn't entirely fruitless.
She learned that the attackers had targeted the 'Spirit Gem' stored in Gleston Manor and received it from the count's trusted butler.
'Anne Rose flees to protect the Spirit Gem, while Hecatoncheires pursues her to seize it—that's her early scenario.'
At the end of the breathless chase, she confronts the boss of Chapter 1: Balboa, the dragonkin who orchestrated the Gleston Manor Massacre.
'So, I stop Balboa here.'
Even defeating Balboa wouldn't fully prevent the massacre.
Hecatoncheires could just send another dragonkin in his place.
But at least it would disrupt their plans.
Moreover, if Balboa himself was stepping in at this point, it would undoubtedly affect the main scenario that followed, big or small.
'If I play it right, it could even impact the Beast Lord descent event.'
The main event of the western storyline, the descent of Beast Lord Balakia that would ravage the west.
'I twist it from the very beginning.'
In typical web novels or comics, they often let the main scenario follow the 'canon' path before intervening at a 'decisive moment.' But Dragon Hunter Origin required a different approach.
'This is a story destined for destruction.'
In normal tales, the protagonists' efforts thwart the enemies' schemes one by one, improving the situation. But Dragon Hunter Origin was different.
It was a story racing toward extinction from the start, so every event only worsened the empire's plight.
In other words, letting the main scenario play out as is would snowball the world toward doom.
'So I twist it from the outset.'
I shatter the premise of a 'story heading toward destruction' itself.
Of course, no one knew how the butterfly effect would play out, but without it, reversing the flow toward doom would be impossible anyway.
[Master, we're almost caught up to the target.]
[The kidnapped woman is still deeply asleep.]
Listening to Integra, Luther became aware of his surroundings once more.
Outside Anus Village—Balboa was racing down the road toward the Anes River like the wind.
In this world, unlike Earth, curfews effectively existed, so aside from Balboa and Luther, the road was deserted.
It had been just over nine minutes since the chase began.
The leader suddenly slowed, spun around, and opened his mouth wide.
-Tsssizzle!
A massive flame erupted in a straight line like a flamethrower.
But Luther had anticipated it. He leaped sideways to dodge while drawing his axe.
'Balboa.'
The Chapter 1 boss.
Special moves: flamethrower and dragon transformation.
He boasted powerful physical defense and superhuman strength, but true to a Chapter 1 boss, his patterns were simple.
Moreover, with a woman slung over one shoulder, his movements were restricted.
'Quick and decisive.'
He hadn't stopped just because he'd been caught.
In a one-on-one, he was confident he could crush Luther.
And that confidence wasn't misplaced.
He hadn't even flinched from Luther's full-power punch.
"You fool. Did you think I was running because I feared you?"
Balboa smirked, saying exactly what Luther expected.
To him, Luther must look like some arrogant upstart.
That was fine.
Better than fine.
The more complacent Balboa was, the higher Luther's odds.
"Yaaah!"
Luther yelled as if provoked, swinging his axe horizontally.
Balboa casually stepped back to dodge, then gathered flames in his mouth.
His intent was obvious.
When Luther followed with a second attack using centrifugal force, he'd block with his left arm, shove him off balance, and bathe him in flames.
A common pattern from the game—and exactly what Luther wanted.
-Whoooosh-!
The massive axe sliced through empty air with a roar, spinning widely before arcing over Luther's head.
In that instant, Balboa leaned forward and stepped in, confident he could block with one arm.
He wasn't wrong.
He wore gauntlets, and his body could shrug off ordinary spears or swords with a laugh.
Plus, there was a significant height difference between Luther and him.
By advancing and raising his left arm to disrupt the axe's path, a slash without full power wouldn't even scratch him.
So Luther smiled.
Seeing Balboa's left arm rise before him, he swung without hesitation.
"Booster!"
-Kaboom!
With a thunderous roar, the thrusters ignited.
The instantly accelerated axe blade came crashing down at terrifying speed.
"Gaaah!"
He'd predicted the attack but missed the timing.
And the power was beyond imagination.
Balboa's left arm was severed along with the gauntlet.
The axe bit into the ground, and the severed arm tumbled belatedly.
"Gaaargh!"
Blood spurted like a fountain from the crushed stump.
Balboa screamed, staggering back as the half-formed flames in his mouth scattered harmlessly.
"Grk! Kgh!"
But Balboa was a warrior.
Instead of wailing, he forced his stance steady and tossed the sky-blue-haired woman from his shoulder to the ground.
With one arm gone, fighting while carrying her was impossible.
And in that moment.
Luther, who had caught his breath after the first strike, charged again with axe raised.
Now Balboa knew the axe's power.
So instead of meeting the charge head-on, he leaped back and spewed flames.
The short charge made them weaker, but he had no choice.
Disrupt his path first.
Then figure out the rest!
But it was a miscalculation.
Because Luther hadn't charged at Balboa at all.
The moment Balboa breathed fire, Luther dove toward the woman he'd thrown, scooped her up, and bolted in the opposite direction.
"Huh?"
By the time stunned Balboa blurted out, the distance had already widened considerably.
Plan B.
If the booster strike didn't drop him, grab the woman and run.
[Master! Success!]
Luther didn't confuse his objective.
Disrupting the plan came first, not eliminating Balboa.
'Doubt I could even catch him, and even if I did, it wouldn't matter!'
Hecatoncheires could just send another dragonkin.
So prioritize the irreplaceable woman.
He didn't know why Hecatoncheires kidnapped the sky-blue-haired woman, but if they needed her, rescuing her would foil them!
"Integra!"
[On it!]
At Integra's response, the hovering drone dove like a hawk on prey.
Balboa, fixated on Luther, hadn't noticed it approaching from behind.
[Million Volts!]
With Integra's cute voice, massive lightning erupted from the drone clinging to Balboa's back.
"Gaaargh!"
Balboa screamed in agony, knees buckling.
He hadn't lost consciousness or life, but his movements were briefly halted.
[Master! Run!]
'Already running!'
Using combat acceleration to widen the gap, Luther faced forward while sharing the drone's visual feed.
Balboa, trembling as he rose, let out a primal roar.
"Grrrrrooooaaar!"
Not an ordinary roar.
It was 'Dragon Fear,' infused with draconic rage.
[M-Master! His life signs are spiking dramatically!]
Integra, who had launched the drone to flee the trembling Balboa, cried out in alarm.
Sensors showed Balboa's life signs surging over fivefold in an instant.
Dragon transformation.
Dragonkin inheriting Demon Dragon Helcanes' blood awakening their true nature.
The biggest reason Luther chose flight over fighting to the end!
"Grrrrrooooaaar!"
Balboa's body swelled massively.
Scales erupted on his skin, and a tail shot out, sweeping the ground.
[M-Mass conservation law?!]
Integra cried out in genuine shock.
Shifting from human to monster was one thing, but growing ten times larger?!
Balboa's dragon form.
In the original, it appeared in the final phase of the three-phase boss fight. Smaller than Jogres in size, but far more dangerous.
Jogres was ultimately a lesser dragon, while Balboa—though the lowest-grade dragonkin—was a true dragon with Demon Dragon Helcanes' blood.
"Graaaararar!"
Balboa belonged to the 'Earth Dragon' classification.
Horns sprouting from his head, back, shoulders, and tail, along with red scales, gave a fiercely intimidating presence.
Unlike the bipedal Jogres, his dragon form was suited for quadrupedal movement.
Meaning, with his left arm gone, his mobility was severely impaired.
'I can escape!'
Back to Anus Village.
A massive dragon approaching would draw every adventurer in the village.
'And among them, lesser dragon hunters!'
Anus Village was massive, rivaling a small city.
Given its scale and location, professional hunters were inevitable.
'So choose.'
Attack the hunter-infested village or admit failure and flee.
'Either way, we win!'
Securing the woman made victory certain.
But right then.
[Master! Watch out!]
The drone's view overlapped with Luther's.
And Luther saw it.
Balboa, lurching awkwardly on three legs, opening wide to breathe fire!
-Kwagagagaga!
Not ordinary flames.
Dragon Breath, usable only by true dragons, not lesser ones like Jogres.
"Grk!"
Instead of forward, Luther dove sideways to dodge.
-Tsskwaaak!
The air heated instantly.
Its power dwarfed the flames from his humanoid form.
[Master! It's basically a beam weapon! Be careful!]
-Kwagaga-!
A second breath fired.
As Integra said, the pillar of light-like flames striking the ground caused astonishing effects.
Rocks directly hit melted, and the superheated air whipped up a gale.
[Master! Are you okay?!]
"Cough!"
Ignoring Integra, Luther spat roughly and rose, tangled with the sky-blue-haired woman and rolling on the ground from the hasty dodge.
'Second strike!'
A third would be tough.
He needed time for the next breath weapon, so grab her and flee in the interim.
"Mmm... Ngh...."
The woman, slung over his shoulder like baggage again, groaned softly, furrowing her brow.
The shock must have woken her.
[Master! He's charging again!]
He knew without being told.
Feeling the pounding earth tremors, Luther kicked off desperately.
Instead of the open road, he aimed to weave through the underbrush.
"No-where-to-ruun-!"
Balboa bellowed, crashing into the brush, thrashing head and tail to devastate the area.
[Master! Target's gathering energy in his mouth again!]
Integra urgently warned, recovering the drone and mounting it on Luther's right arm.
Third breath weapon.
Another straight-line blast.
Luther gritted his teeth and threw himself aside.
This time toward the road to evade.
-Kwagagagaga!
Balboa unleashed another massive flame.
Piercing brush and trees, it slammed the ground as Luther rolled onto the road.
He survived.
Dodged again—
[Master!]
-Kwagagagaga!
Not the fourth.
Balboa kept the third breath going, twisting his neck toward the road.
The massive cylindrical beam scorched the earth, sweeping the road.
"Grk!"
Already rolled once, no time for another leap.
Luther hastily raised his upper body and deployed his shield.
He knew it was futile.
But no other options left.
-Kwarrr!
The savage flames engulfed him.
And simultaneously, blue light burst from the necklace of the tangled woman.
Light flashed.
Flames melted the ground.
Then cold water slapped Luther's face.
"Guh?!"
Sky and earth flipped.
Mid-roll, he plunged into deep water. Dizzy, he clamped his mouth shut.
Integra's voice rang continuously.
[M-Master! Spatial coordinates just shifted!]
[Current location: probably Anes River!]
[Y-You teleported through space!]
Integra was more shocked than with the mass conservation issue.
Space jump—warp—was advanced tech even Star Savior's superscience couldn't do without a gate.
[Just before the jump, massive energy emitted from the woman's necklace.]
[Could this planet's magic pull off spatial jumps?]
[If so—]
"Gahk—cough!"
[M-Master?!]
Luther couldn't respond again.
from water entry, warp aftereffects, disorientation, and swallowed water.
[Master!]
[Master!]
Integra nearly wailed, but Luther could barely hear, let alone reply.
In fading consciousness, he reached toward the surface—that was all.
But then.
Through blurry vision matching his dimming mind, something blue appeared.
Someone gripped his limp arm firmly.
[Please save Master! Save Master!]
As if responding to Integra's plea, the gripper surged upward through the water.
'In... her?'
The sky-blue-haired woman, Balboa's target.
She looked back at Luther underwater, and he could hold out no longer.
Eyes closing without seeing her face.