Chapter 7
Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Chapter 1 - Meteor #7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Detoxification in progress.]
[Expelling poison from the body.]
As the venomous stinger was pushed out, green pus flowed out along with blood.
Luther felt a stinging pain as he looked straight ahead.
Just as expected, what emerged from the bushes were Geists.
Geists.
A type of orc specialized in using poison.
Not only were they larger than regular orcs, but their intelligence and strength were superior as well, making them particularly tricky opponents.
‘There’s a total of four!’
Confirming the life signals displayed on the HUD, Luther staggered backward as if poisoned, then collapsed to the ground on the spot.
The Geists, who had been watching Luther with stingers in their mouths, chuckled and stood up.
[Master, they seem off guard now.]
[Two of the four are approaching Karen and Max.]
Luther saw it too.
He could see one grabbing Karen’s leg as she lay fallen.
But Luther held his patience.
Instead of shouting, he waited for the gauge bar in the corner of the HUD to reach 100%.
“Krghh.”
One Geist laughed while looking at Karen.
Another raised its club while eyeing Max.
It looked like it intended to smash his head in.
And one headed toward Luther.
Its hand reached for Luther’s head.
[Energy Gun specialized nanomachines 100% complete!]
Before Integra’s shout even finished, Luther thrust out his right hand.
The startled Geist hesitated for a moment, but by then, an energy projectile had already fired from Luther’s palm.
“Gahk!”
The one hit squarely in the chest tumbled backward.
It was still Lv1, so the power was weak—but that was relative to Star Savior standards.
With the impact of a pistol at this level, as long as he landed a clean hit, he could take down most enemies in one shot.
“Integra! Rapid fire!”
Springing to his feet, Luther turned his right hand toward the Geists clinging to Karen and Max.
A pure white targeting reticle formed in Luther’s vision, auto-locking without any input.
-Papapap!
The ones who had turned their heads in surprise at the sound of their comrade falling took energy rounds to the forehead and neck, collapsing.
Riding the momentum, Luther extended his right hand toward the last remaining one.
-Papapap!
Three shots again.
But the final one didn’t go down easily.
The leader, perhaps, was 1.5 times larger than the others and raised its axe to block the energy projectiles.
-Tatang!
The energy rounds ricocheted off with a loud noise.
No ordinary axe could do that.
That’s why Luther instantly recognized the weapon.
‘Great Dragon Axe!’
Weapons developed to fight massive dragons.
Enchanted with magic stones embedded to amplify power, and judging by its near man-sized blade, it seemed enhanced with strength and durability spells.
[Master! It’s coming!]
The leader, having blocked the barrage, held its axe blade like a shield and charged at Luther.
And its speed was beyond imagination.
[Master! You need to create distance—]
There was no time to respond, let alone hear Integra out fully.
The leader closed in in an instant, roaring as it swung the axe—and at that moment, lightning flashed before Luther’s eyes.
-Kwang!
A deafening boom shook the earth.
It was due to the leader’s immense strength, but also the effect of the enchant magic on the axe.
“Hoo.”
Luther leaped back greatly, dodging the attack, and exhaled deeply.
If he’d been even a fraction slower, his head would’ve split in two.
[Master, four Energy Gun rounds left— it’s coming again!]
Integra’s voice spiked once more.
The axe that had plunged vertically now swept horizontally.
-Kwagagaga!
Immense power again.
But Luther calmly dodged this time too.
The attacks were fast and powerful, but the massive axe made the swings predictable and simple.
‘It’s coming again.’
This time diagonally.
And it unfolded just as Luther predicted.
The leader swung the axe horizontally, then spun it wide before charging at Luther again.
‘Here goes!’
Instead of retreating, Luther charged toward the leader.
Retreating alone wouldn’t create enough distance anyway.
So close the gap instead.
Create an opening where it couldn’t properly swing that massive axe!
-Kwang!
The great axe smashed into the ground again, and Luther slipped low under the swing, burrowing into the leader’s side.
-Papat!
Energy projectiles detonated at point-blank range.
One hit the shoulder; the other whiffed into the air.
Because as Luther extended his right arm, the leader had jerked its head aside.
“Kieak!”
The hit on its left shoulder made it writhe as it turned toward Luther.
Rolling on the ground to gain distance, Luther stood and aimed for its head again.
But right then—
“Kieak?!”
The leader suddenly groaned and froze.
No, it was like it had turned to ice—unnaturally stiff, unable to move.
What happened?
No idea.
But the reason didn’t matter now.
Luther sprang up instantly, clamped his palm over the leader’s gaping maw, and unleashed the Energy Gun.
-Kwagaga!
Zero-distance energy rounds burrowed into its mouth.
No matter how tough, direct internal damage like that was fatal.
[All ammo expended!]
Hearing Integra, Luther withdrew his hand.
“Krghak…”
The leader didn’t drop immediately, but it was only a moment.
It staggered, then collapsed face-first.
[Life signs gone.]
[Master’s victory!]
“Haa…”
Luther unwittingly let out a sigh of relief.
It was incomparable to the kobold fight—a natural reaction.
If even one hit from the leader had landed, the outcome would’ve been reversed.
“Haa.”
Exhaling again, Luther turned toward Karen and Max.
Karen, with an utterly exhausted face, was extending her right hand this way.
And in that moment, Luther understood the bizarre phenomenon with the leader.
Karen’s faintly glowing green eyes, her trembling hand, the leader bound by an invisible force.
Karen had done something.
Maybe a psychic power.
‘As expected.’
No way a girl that pretty was just an extra.
Chuckling wryly at the thought that bubbled up, Luther took a deep breath.
Integra’s voice continued.
[Master, an impressive combat result.]
[Even with the combat program installed, cases where the user masters it so perfectly in such a short time are extremely rare.]
[Your combat sense was excellent too.]
Not empty praise.
Integra was genuinely impressed by Luther’s abilities.
Luther just smiled faintly at the praise before approaching Karen and Max.
“Integra, check their conditions.”
They hadn’t been stung like him, but both were poisoned by paralysis mushroom spores.
They needed urgent treatment.
[Master, faint psychic energy detected from Karen.]
[Karen’s life signs are critically weak.]
[Max’s life signs are faint too.]
Worse than expected.
Luther laid Karen down first, as she was closest.
Her sweat-soaked body burned like a fireball.
Partially the spores, but mostly from overexerting her weakened ability.
Holding Karen’s hand, Luther asked.
“Integra, can you treat them?”
[Yes. But it’ll consume a large number of nanomachines.]
[Treating both could drastically reduce your combat power.]
“Damn.”
Still had to do it.
No time for weighing pros and cons.
Someone dying right in front of you, and you have the power to heal? Of course you heal.
“Wait.”
Laying Max and Karen side by side, Luther suddenly turned toward the leader.
Not sensing movement or anything.
His gaze fixed on the great axe.
“Could I use that?”
Not as a weapon.
Luther eyed the enchant magic on the great axe.
And all enchanted gear in Dragon Hunter 3 shared one trait.
‘Magic stone!’
The power source for enchant magic was embedded.
Integra answered immediately.
[Seems possible.]
[Absorbing unknown energy sources right after treatment should prevent a power drop.]
“Good! Treat them now!”
[Understood. Place hands on their abdomens.]
[Like with Max—direct skin contact.]
“Right.”
Luther hurriedly slipped both hands under their tops.
Suddenly his hands heated up, and Karen and Max’s bellies stuck! to his palms.
[Injecting nanomachines into Karen and Max.]
Treating others—especially poisoned—didn’t finish instantly like Max’s external wound.
Nearly 5—no, 10 minutes passed before Integra spoke again.
[Detoxification complete.]
[Treatment complete for both.]
[They’ll need time to regain consciousness.]
Luther sighed in relief at the report.
Karen and Max’s deathly pale faces now showed a bit of color.
‘Good. Next.’
Standing, Luther headed to the fallen leader.
Seeing it dead face-down, a long breath escaped him unbidden.
“Fuu…”
Third kill today already.
But since it was a monster trying to kill them—or maybe because he’d barely survived—no particular emotion stirred.
‘Was I… originally like this?’
Or had becoming Luther Lightseeker changed something.
Luther didn’t dwell.
Less than a day since opening his eyes in Dragon Hunter 3’s world, and he’d already dodged death multiple times.
Time to think and act rationally.
“Integra, how’s it look? Can you absorb it?”
Placing his hand on the orange magic stone where blade met haft, Integra replied.
[Yes.]
[But as processed material, efficiency lower than raw.]
“Possible, though.”
[Yes. Should offset treatment losses.]
[Other upgrades tough, but Nanosuit Lv1 possible with current resources.]
“Good.”
Upgrade first.
The stronger, the higher survival odds.
Resolving to keep it simple, Luther exhaled long and closed his eyes.
Began absorbing the magic stone’s power.