Chapter 213: Gongbok
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 213: Gongbok
“Gek-gek-gek!”
I scanned the battlefield at high speed.
“Awooo!”
A swordsman’s blade was about to strike Chillang-i, but a shield of frost materialized just as the wolf lunged forward and bit his neck.
With Baek Rang roaming the battlefield and supporting the believers, I didn’t have to worry about their safety.
Poison, spiderwebs, and cold energy.
She was focusing all these powers on defense.
“Polygamyyyy!”
“Mono… gamyyy…”
I spotted the unicorn, whose battle cry seemed to have grown a little timid.
Its voice may have gotten smaller, but its combat power hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
It rampaged across the battlefield, leading the bicorns. If I were its enemy, my legs would have given out in terror.
Could anything possibly survive that headbutt?
A few bicorns tried to grope the unicorn in the middle of the fight, but thankfully, their attempts seemed to have failed.
“Mo… mono… gamyyy…”
“Polygamy… hehe…”
I had no idea what they were saying to each other, but I figured it was some kind of battle cry.
I didn't need to worry about the unicorns and bicorns anymore.
“Such cowardly sorcery!”
I saw the Iron Head Dragon let out a roar.
He was fighting a Ceratosaurus, and it looked like he was struggling.
It made sense, considering most of the Snow Mountain’s power had been diverted to defense.
“Krarararak!”
Although it was called a Ceratosaurus, for some reason its skin was a familiar green, and it was a spirit beast that could freely use Void Grasping.
Its Void Grasping was powerful enough to lift the Iron Head Dragon into the air.
CRASH!
See? He was sent tumbling to the ground again.
“Kuaaak!”
The Iron Head Dragon shook its head from side to side as it got back up.
If the Ceratosaurus kept using Void Grasping, the Iron Head Dragon wouldn't even be able to get close.
But it was the Ceratosaurus, not the Iron Head Dragon, that was growing anxious.
CRASH!
It couldn't damage the Iron Head Dragon’s Adamantine Body.
To hurt him, it would have to either break through his defense or use his own headbutt against him.
But the Ceratosaurus’s Void Grasping didn’t seem capable of that.
Only someone on my level could figure out a way to take him down.
“Hero! I have this under control, so don’t worry and…”
Why would I be worried?
“Gek-gek-gek!”
I immediately moved past the Iron Head Dragon.
“H-Hero?”
What? You were the one who told me to go.
He seemed to be struggling a bit, but I had no doubt the Iron Head Dragon would win.
I could see the Ceratosaurus’s stamina draining.
And the moment our eyes met, I sensed the fear in the creature. For some reason, its psyche had clearly wavered the instant it looked at me.
I could leave this to the Iron Head Dragon.
Even if he just held his ground, the bicorns or the unicorn would eventually come to help.
Fwip-fwip-fwip!
So far, no casualties on our side.
We had practiced endlessly for this.
How to coordinate so that everyone could survive.
How I would rampage to gauge the enemy’s strength and decide who would face whom.
How to use the resources we had.
All that effort was now paying off.
But I couldn’t let my guard down.
There was still a massive wall left to overcome.
One of the Nine Sons of the Dragon, Gongbok.
If we couldn’t defeat him, the tide of battle would turn against us once more.
CRRAAAAAASH!
In the distance, I could see a giant rock snake slowly approaching.
It was so enormous that it made the Snake Queen look small.
It was literally as if an entire rocky mountain was walking toward us.
“Kigigigik!”
“Sssaaat!”
Small rock fragments and dust falling from its body quickly transformed into smaller rock snakes.
KWAGAGAGAGAK!
They were literally torn to shreds by the storm summoned by the King of Birds, but Gongbok paid them no mind and continued its steady approach.
CRRAAAAAASH!
The Snake Queen’s destruction ray slammed into its head.
It was a blast powerful enough to vaporize most living things in an instant, but Gongbok merely staggered.
Seeing that even the Snake Queen couldn’t easily pierce it, it must be incredibly tough.
This wasn’t ordinary rock.
These were Dragon Scales, refined to the absolute limit of rock-like hardness.
That had to be the source of its formidable defense.
“Grrrrr…”
But it was fine.
I had been saving my strength for this very moment.
“My companion. You’ve come sooner than I thought.”
The Snake Queen’s tail gently caressed me.
I wanted to embrace the Snake Queen, who had rushed here for my sake, but now was not the time.
“My son-in-law made an absurd request. If I’d known it would be like this, I would have let Old Man Little Dragon go instead of me.”
Old Man Compy and Argentavis.
I could only hire one of them.
We needed a spirit beast to look after Swish-Swish, Chirpy, and the other little ones.
Looking at the situation now, choosing Argentavis was the right call.
Old Man Compy was strong, but at his size, he wouldn’t have been able to damage Gongbok.
It was far better to have Argentavis summon a storm to block its approach.
Gongbok stared at me with empty eyes.
Woooong.
The fox marble trembled slightly.
“I thought it was a creature without emotion, but it seems to have taken an interest in you, my companion.”
CRACK!
The Snake Queen and Argentavis attacked simultaneously, halting Gongbok’s advance.
And now, it was my turn.
[Deactivating 「Miniaturization LV5」.]
[Status: Gigantification is applied.]
I had maintained Miniaturization for a month, so my body had been growing continuously.
Even so, I was still smaller than Gongbok.
But this would be enough to give it a try.
The first strike would be…
KRA-KOOOOM!
The Gaegaek Death Beam, of course.
CRASH!
The blue ray struck Gongbok’s body hard.
“Ghhh…”
Gongbok, who had been silent until now, let out a groan.
There were no visible wounds, but I was sure I had dealt some damage.
Kudududuk!
Gongbok stopped simply trying to approach.
The rocks piled up around it began to fly about wildly.
This was the power of its Dragon Gate.
“As expected of my companion. It seems that thing is feeling some pain.”
“My daughter certainly has a good eye for husbands! Son-in-law, the Snake Queen and I will intercept them, so get in close!”
The Snake Queen didn’t look pleased with Argentavis’s words, but she continued to unleash her attacks.
KWAGAGAGAGAK!
CRRAAAAAAAAASH!
The storm and the beam intercepted the massive, flying boulders.
I had to settle this while they provided support.
“Ghhhh…”
【Gongbok LV???】
It was a powerhouse whose level I couldn’t even see.
There was a high chance that even my claws, clad in sword aura, wouldn’t be able to pierce its scales.
But its power was Earth.
My power was Wood.
I had the elemental advantage.
I focused my mind, causing the plants to run wild.
PWAAAK!
CRASH!
Enormous vines, moving as if they had a will of their own, surged forward like a tsunami.
Kwagagagak!
The minions it created were annihilated the moment they touched the plants.
Gongbok’s empty eyes stared right at me.
“Guaaaak…”
I didn’t know if it lacked the ability to speak or if its intelligence had degenerated from occupying the Dragon Gate for too long, but it only made beast-like cries.
No matter how strong it was, if its intelligence was low, I had a good chance of winning.
Pabababak!
I charged at Gongbok, my hands clad in the aura of Wood.
Gongbok’s expression changed.
Even an idiot would surely know that this aura was its natural enemy.
Kudududuk!
Just as the ground began to twist to its will, the earth started to rumble.
KWARRRRRRRUMBLE!
A sound like thunder rose from deep within the ground.
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
The earth split open, and the entire mountain shook.
Its power made it impossible to even stand still.
It was a power similar to what I had instinctively used when fighting the Red Dragon.
CRRAAAAAAAAAASH!
This phenomenon could definitely be called an earthquake.
Plants, by their nature, need soil to grow.
By pulverizing the earth, it had neutralized the power of Wood.
It had blocked my approach.
I wouldn’t be able to get near it without touching the ground.
But that only applied to an ordinary lizard.
Using the principles of the Little Dragon Ascending Heaven Steps, I launched my body into the air.
Pak!
I leaped into the air, stepping on falling rocks.
It was a physically impossible phenomenon.
Considering my size and weight, such a movement shouldn’t have been possible.
But since when could this world be explained by such logic?
I drew up all the internal energy from the depths of my dantian.
It couldn’t possibly use a massive technique like an earthquake repeatedly.
Now that I was this close.
I had to land the strongest possible blow I could muster.
I focused the blue sword aura and the aura of Wood into a single point.
Swiiiiish!
Not missing the opening, its tail whipped toward me like a lash.
PAAAANG!
A speed that seemed to tear the air itself.
Just from the swing of its tail, I could feel the surrounding air heat up rapidly.
But this attack was somehow familiar.
The young Titanoboa I had fought to the death with in the Silver Dragon Cave.
Its technique was similar.
Of course, if I tried to catch that tail with my hand like I did back then, my arm would be blown right off.
This was a foe beyond comparison to that young snake.
And the me of now…
Was also beyond comparison to that young lizard from back then.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV5」.]
[Temporarily acquiring 「Grand Shift of Heaven and Earth」.]
Chwaaaaaak!
I raised my left hand to meet the incoming tail, and at the moment of contact, I shifted the axis of power.
Even using the Grand Shift, I couldn’t disperse the force elsewhere.
I was currently airborne.
Since I wasn’t touching the ground, I couldn’t disperse the force externally.
Right.
Not externally.
Kudududududuk!
The place I redirected the force with the Grand Shift wasn’t outside, but inside.
Directly into my right hand.
A mighty energy that felt like it would break my bones and burst my muscles gathered in one hand.
The slightest mistake, and my arm would be gone.
Paaaaat!
All my internal energy gathered at a single point.
The Dragon Scales rebelled madly, their form becoming sharper and more ferocious, and my claws transformed into a weapon purely for attack.
The Grand Shift of Heaven and Earth was a martial art that could be called a divine art without exaggeration.
If mastered to the extreme, one could change the axis of power at will.
Of course, for me now, it was an incredibly risky technique.
I had to pour all my resources just to attempt it, and the success rate wasn’t particularly high.
But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t do it.
All preparations were complete.
I swung the extremely unstable claw in a very familiar trajectory.
The technique I used to finish off the Human-faced Bird, my very own technique.
The Gaegaek Divine Claw.
KRA-KOOOOOOOOOOM!
The claw, combining the principles of Gaegaek and the aura of Wood, struck the creature’s head hard.
CRRAAAAAAAAAASH!
Its body flew back several meters, and at the same time…
Jjeo-eo-eong!
Kwagagagak!
The attacks from the Snake Queen and Argentavis rained down.
“Haaah… Haaah…”
I gasped for breath.
I was the one who had landed the attack, but a pain that felt like my arm would shatter at any moment washed over me.
Rock dust rained down.
If my arm was in this state, the creature’s condition was obvious without even looking.
That attack must have dealt a fatal blow.
I felt the aura of Wood seeping into its body.
Plus, with the help from the Snake Queen and Argentavis, it must be in a sorry state.
My arm feels like it’s going to break, but I can manage.
I slowly walked toward where it had been thrown.
“Ghhhk…”
As I expected, its body was a wreck.
I had turned its own power against it, used an opposing element, and hit it with my strongest technique.
It wasn’t strange for a single exchange to produce this result.
But it seemed its life hadn’t been extinguished.
“Ghhh…”
It made an unintelligible sound and looked at me.
It was time to finish this.
I swung my arm again.
TOOOOOONG!
But my claw couldn’t pierce its broken skin.
Jjeo-eong!
The Snake Queen quickly fired another beam, but it was also ineffective.
“Ghhh…”
It was as if an invisible barrier was protecting it; the attacks didn’t even reach it.
A silver light began to glow in Gongbok’s eyes.
“…True Dragon. Why have you come to see this sinner?”
It wasn’t a beast’s voice, but the sacred voice of a spirit beast that came out.
Kudududududuk.
I knew instinctively.
This… something was going very wrong.
Its origin was surely earth and rock. The power of Earth.
How could it still be emitting such an aura?
“Is that your will?”
It looked at me, but spoke to another being entirely.
“G-get away!”
I heard the Snake Queen shout from a distance.
“To a sinner who could not create the Yeoui… you show me this?”
I felt an urgent need to escape.
But I didn’t have that much stamina left.
“Very well.”
Something was different.
“If that is your will, then this humble one can only obey.”
It had merely spoken, but I could feel the internal energy of everyone in this space tremble.
Jjeo-eo-eo-eong!
The Snake Queen’s destruction ray flew again, and at the same time, Argentavis’s storm pushed me back.
“How can this be…” Argentavis, who had rescued me, muttered in despair.
“My companion. We must change the plan.”
The Snake Queen also swallowed dryly, staring at Gongbok.
Gongbok’s silver eyes stared at me for a long time, then it slowly opened its massive mouth.
“Steel, dwell within my body.”
It wasn’t a normal language.
Neither human nor spirit beast.
But I knew instantly what it meant.
Tududududung!
Gongbok’s form changed.
Its essence remained the same, but something new sprouted in place of its rock scales.
“…To think it could use the Dragon’s Word.”
The Snake Queen muttered in disbelief.
A voice imbued with magical power.
The authority of a dragon, able to enact its will just by speaking.
The Dragon’s Word.
My hand trembled.
I had miscalculated.
My plan to fight Gongbok was only possible because I was exploiting its elemental weakness.
That was the only way I could land an effective blow.
In fact, until a moment ago, I thought I had the upper hand.
But I was wrong.
My attack hadn’t done much damage.
The power Gongbok wielded wasn’t Earth, but Metal.
Metal is steel, and Wood is wood.
And steel cuts down wood.
Even the elemental matchup was against me.
It surpassed me in every way.
“Father. I will surpass you.”
…Except for the fact that it was out of its mind.