#57 Volcanic Horned Dragon
#57 Volcanic Horned Dragon
"Looks like we're about ready. This should be enough."
Two days in, Baekrok finally gave his approval. And no wonder — we'd absorbed a significant chunk of the dungeon's lingering mana over those two days. Baek So-yul had taken in close to seventy or eighty percent of it, and Hong Yuri another fifth or so. The gap was wider than I'd expected, but I suppose she didn't get called a Witch for nothing. I'd tried it myself, of course, but I barely absorbed enough to register. That said, while not on Baek So-yul or Hong Yuri's level, Perry had also managed to pull in a decent amount — being a phantom beast probably helped.
"Kyuuu!"
Her mana had finally hit the 200 mark. I ran a hand over her head to show my pride, and she nuzzled back, pleased.
"Now, then..."
There was no reason to stay in Frost Valley any longer. Hong Yuri and Baek So-yul both shot me glances, shivering as if to emphasize the cold, and I nodded. Leaving footprints across the snow, I walked over to where the monsters had been immobilized ahead of time and stopped in front of them.
"You know what to do?"
"......Yes."
Baek So-yul hesitated for just a moment before nodding. She needed experience, not just a bigger mana pool — that was Hong Yuri's opinion.
"And don't interfere."
Still apparently unable to look at my true body directly, Hong Yuri addressed me with her gaze averted. I nodded. Over those two days, she'd gotten a decent handle on her phobia. Eye contact still seemed hard for her, but she'd reached the point where small amounts of contact didn't make her faint.
'And Baek So-yul...'
The stronger she grows, the slimmer the odds of the Witch's Calamity ever occurring. That means one less tool for the Prodigal Sons to wield. Plus, if she eventually learned to command that enormous mana reserve, I might even be able to place a certain degree of hope in her.
"You understand. You're the one doing this."
Baek So-yul nodded at my words. She'd known this was coming and had steeled herself for it. This meant more than just psyching herself up — she had to use magic against a monster. And not just any magic, but a spell she'd never cast before.
"Focus."
Eyes outward, focus inward. Gazing into her own mana to draw it up, she began to chant at the same time.
"Vopsește-l alb."
A glimpse of the talent that had once earned her the title of Witch — her mana, which carried the bluish tint of the phantom realm, bled into pure white as she recited the incantation.
'That's...'
The same white light Hong Yuri had used to bring down the Budding Evil. A spell that was practically her signature, described even in the novel itself.
"Al, Alb pur Stelele sunt sa explodeze—"
"Tch."
Her mana wavered as she stumbled over the incantation for just a split-second, and Hong Yuri clicked her tongue in disapproval. By the time only the final verse remained, fine beads of sweat had already formed on Baek So-yul's forehead. Not from lack of mana — sheer concentration. It's worth remembering: being able to cast three-verse magic already marks someone as a talented mage. By ordinary standards, anyway.
'Derek Clark.'
The mage I'd seen that night during the great battle. He hadn't managed much of a counterattack, but he was a proper mage in his own right. Once this business with the phantom realm was over, she might even surpass someone like him.
"I said focus!"
Hong Yuri's voice sharpened, and as Baek So-yul continued the chant, her mana at last turned a spotless white. The moment the pure white light was complete, she recited the final verse.
"Iată moartea ta—!"
—A burst of pure white death. Even as the light bloomed outward, Wolf watched her spell clearly. Her aim trembled slightly at the last instant, causing the shot to veer just slightly from the monster's position, but the power was more than sufficient. Hong Yuri, however, apparently didn't see it that way.
"......Forty points."
What did she mean, forty points? The magic succeeded, didn't it? Wolf let out a dry laugh at the harsh grade.
'Come to think of it, wasn't she not supposed to teach anything beyond three verses?'
I vaguely recalled a mention of that somewhere. Mages not affiliated with the Squares, or students, were only permitted up to two verses. Beyond that required Square membership or special authorization. Then again, Hong Yuri surely knew what she was doing...
"It's starting."
Just as he said, the dungeon began to collapse. The raging blizzard died down and faded away, and the scenery was overwritten. The vast snowfield finally vanished without a trace, replaced by a forest of towering buildings.
[Destruction Probability 86.03% → 85.92%]
[Karma acquired: 0.11%]
With the collapse of Frost Valley came the corresponding drop in destruction probability and the Karma that followed. Wolf nodded.
'All that's left now is...'
[Lv.20 Achievement Condition: Defeat the Volcanic Horned Dragon]
The message felt like a push at his back, and he quietly steadied his breathing. The moment he'd been waiting for had arrived. The first time he'd entered the volcanic zone, this was the monster he hadn't even dared to think about facing. Except for a few anomalies like Heukrin and the Queen, the Volcanic Horned Dragon was without question the most powerful creature he'd ever encountered. Kang Hoon was strong too, yes — but he was a different type. Even someone like Kang Hoon wouldn't be able to take the Volcanic Horned Dragon down head-on.
'From here on...'
I'm going to fight a monster like that. As Wolf began to make his way slowly toward Namsan, he turned over what needed to be done in the volcanic zone.
'The problem is that the other monsters might slip out.'
Creatures that lived in lava. They usually showed little interest in leaving it, but a battle with the Volcanic Horned Dragon might scare them into fleeing the dungeon in the chaos. If Hong Yuri and I were fighting, the only ones left to stop the lava monsters would be Baekrok and Baek So-yul — which really meant Baekrok alone. I laid all of this out for the group.
"Lava monsters..."
Hong Yuri furrowed her brow, and Baek So-yul wore an odd expression as if struggling to imagine such things.
"I get the situation... but wouldn't it make sense to just deal with them first?"
Once the fight with the Volcanic Horned Dragon begins, nothing is guaranteed. Not the outcome, and certainly not the collateral damage. I'll do my best to lure it in and keep it from escaping the dungeon, but there's no telling if the monsters in the lava will try to flee the battle's aftermath. —If they all pour out at once, not even Baekrok could hold them back alone.
'And if that happens, the phantom beasts will get caught up in it.'
So Hong Yuri was right: we needed to eliminate the lava monsters before taking on the Volcanic Horned Dragon. I'd been thinking the same thing.
"I'll handle that part. I'll clear out every monster except the Volcanic Horned Dragon, absorb their mana, and then engage the Volcanic Horned Dragon."
As I was now, I could manage it without even dropping Stealth. Having anyone else involved would only risk us getting spotted by the real target.
"The issue is making sure you two aren't discovered while I'm absorbing mana."
I fixed my gaze on Hong Yuri. Without a word, she flicked her fingers.
"——Ascunde."
A barrier shimmered into being and then vanished from sight. The effect was like being sealed away. I nodded. I'd need to verify it, but this seemed like it would do.
I would eliminate the monsters, while Hong Yuri and Baek So-yul absorbed mana just outside the boundary — once we'd settled on this plan, just before crossing into Namsan's dungeon, Wolf spoke gravely.
"Take it off."
***
—This place is different. That was the first thought that ran through Hong Yuri's mind as she stepped into the dungeon.
"Fuck..."
Wiping away the sweat trickling down her face, she fanned herself with one hand. Frost Valley had been cold enough to freeze to death, but this was the polar opposite — she felt like she was going to die from the oppressive, sweltering heat. If she hadn't taken off her coat, she might well have collapsed.
'He called it a volcanic zone.'
But the volcano itself was shattered. Moreover, the floor was cracked and broken in places, unmistakable signs of a violent battle. Lava had cooled and formed new ground here and there, but not everywhere.
"So, where exactly is this Volcanic Horned Dragon?"
In answer, Wolf simply jutted his chin rather than speak. She followed his gaze but all she saw was a rocky mountain...
"You've got to be kidding me."
—She'd been mistaken. What she'd taken for a rocky mountain was the Volcanic Horned Dragon itself. She'd seen all manner of monsters in her time as a hunter, but nothing that even came close to this. The flesh-heap they'd encountered in the forest dungeon might have been similar in sheer bulk, but there was no real comparison.
"You actually plan to kill that thing? Are you out of your mind?"
She didn't need Appraisal to know. She could feel exactly how absurdly irrational this monster was. It was on a level beyond even Snowell, the boss of the 2nd Sector. Its size alone was practically a Calamity. She seriously doubted whether even Grand Magic could put it down. Hong Yuri chewed at her lip.
"——Yes."
Wolf's reply was flat.
"You..."
He'd said he would, but maybe seeing the actual thing had extinguished her willingness to fight. Despite both of them trying to hold him back, Wolf was immovable. —Because he was the only one who didn't think they were without a chance. When her eyes shifted, she saw Baek So-yul had also clamped a hand over her mouth, looking like she couldn't believe what she was seeing either.
"My friend, there's no need to push yourself right now..."
At Wolf's growth rate, it was practically a given that he'd eventually be able to overwhelm even the Volcanic Horned Dragon... Baekrok had been thinking along those lines, but soon shook his head.
'No. That's exactly it.'
That was precisely why Wolf wanted to fight it. He hadn't changed at all. He'd been the same in the Dragon's Wasteland, and in the Inverted Skyscraper — he'd pushed forward without ever breaking.
'But still...'
What exactly was he pursuing that would drive him this far? White Deer's deep, sunken eyes held Wolf's image. In the end, nothing would be able to break that will of his.
"......Be careful."
"I'm not fighting it right this second anyway."
First he had to absorb the mana and deal with all the other monsters, to the point that even an immediate dungeon collapse wouldn't be a problem. Only after about ten minutes of waiting was he able to confirm that the magical barrier Hong Yuri had created was secure.
As Wolf's figure receded, Hong Yuri glanced behind her. Baek So-yul had a hand over her heart, and she pulled something from within her clothes, clutching it tightly as if in prayer.
'Fur?'
Black fur, at that. She seemed to be murmuring something to herself, and then her eyes changed. It had been the same earlier with the magic. When Hong Yuri had pointed out her chant had broken, she hadn't shown the slightest sign of being cowed — instead, she'd actively said she wanted to learn more. The drive had always been there, but now it was as if she'd found a concrete goal. Or as if she'd resolved herself to something.
'It probably has to do with Alpha...'
Hong Yuri frowned in thought for a moment, then closed her eyes and began drawing in mana.
"Kyuu?"
—And Perry, who had been watching, soon began imitating the two of them in turn.