8. Dragon Priestess (2)
"...In the ruined city. I will birth a new one. That is the new world I desire."
Choi Yu-na had overcome the depression and helplessness born from countless disasters and misfortunes. A new goal had taken root in her—a fierce ambition she would stake everything to achieve.
That burning craving for ambition could drive anyone to action, and Yu-na was no exception. To witness the world her great Dragon God had spoken of, she found the courage to return to the very city she'd fled to survive.
"I... I'm going back to Gyeongju! And starting from Gyeongju, I'll create the world I envision!"
"Y-yes. If that's the path that satisfies thee..."
The foolish dragon, who had just moments ago seen her sniffling and listless, stared at Yu-na in bewilderment. At her sudden drastic change, Bahamut—no, this idiot dragon—secretly regretted his words of comfort, thinking he'd said something wrong.
"So please, lend me your strength!"
"The contract is already sealed. Through thee, I shall intervene in this world."
'Well, as long as I correct her if she veers off course from beside her... it should be fine, right...?'
But the water had already spilled; there was no putting it back in the cup. At Yu-na's plea to borrow his power, this fool of a dragon naively assumed he could control her from the sidelines. With an unnecessarily cool and grave voice, he only fueled her baseless confidence.
"Yes. In Bahamut's name!"
Emboldened by the dragon's assured declaration, Yu-na set out to prove her thoughts right by retracing her steps. Having sworn to her god that she would run no more, she left Bahamut's temple and headed outside the cave.
"Kahek? Gob? Gob?"
"There you are."
No sooner had she emerged than a noisy voice from a green monster reached her. Yu-na hid against the cave wall and peeked out to see a green creature similar to the one that had chased her before. The monster they called a goblin simply stood watch outside the cave, not daring to enter.
Seeing this, Yu-na mistakenly concluded that the filthy green beast sensed the dragon's presence inside.
"...Yes. Yes! I really wasn't wrong!"
Indeed, the great dragon's aura wouldn't tolerate such lowly monsters' intrusion. And unlike them, she was chosen by the dragon. Brimming with unfounded confidence and a sense of chosen superiority, she stepped forward.
"You green monsters! How dare you defile the entrance to this sacred temple!"
"Gob? Gob gob?"
Unalarmed, she boldly challenged them to fight. Naturally, the green monster—true to form, yet bafflingly flustered—stared at the shrieking madwoman who'd recklessly challenged them.
A goblin might possess endless lust at the sight of a female, but faced with one screaming like a lunatic, even that burning desire would evaporate. Forgetting its own instincts, the goblin gawked at Yu-na in utter disbelief: What baseless confidence brings this crazy bitch before us?
"
Lightning Bolt
"
"Gobuuuuh!?"
But complacency's price was death. Yu-na pointed her finger at the goblin and incanted the spell. The immense mana she'd gained as Dragon Priestess unleashed a powerful lightning arrow, electrocuting the goblin and charring it clean through.
By ill luck, a nearby goblin caught the chaining shock from its electrified comrade. Overwhelmed by the intense current, it stuck out its tongue and collapsed unconscious.
The surviving goblin reeled in shock at this mad bitch turning out to be a powerful mad bitch mage. It tried to flee, abandoning its kin—but escape from Yu-na was impossible.
"
Call Lightning. Magic Arrow.
"
Another incantation, and lightning crashed from the sky with deafening thunder, scorching the fleeing goblin. The direct hit killed it instantly amid black smoke; the others, merely shocked, fell to calm mana arrows for clean finishes.
"Ah. Haha... hahaha!"
These monsters had been unbeatable foes she'd fled from before reaching Bahamut's temple. But now, look at this scene. Hadn't she dispatched enemies she'd normally have to sneak past with ridiculous ease?
"Power overflows! Right now, it's possible! It might really be possible!"
Despite unleashing such mighty spells, Yu-na felt no fatigue—only peak condition. She knew from survivor camps that even specialized mage Awakeners depleted their mana after one or two big casts. Now she realized she surpassed them.
Yes, Choi Yu-na, newly classed as Dragon Priestess, had ascended to a different realm from ordinary Awakeners.
"Boring. So boring."
And these spells weren't even her main arsenal—just byproducts of her class change.
"How far can I go in a fight like this?"
Before heading to Gyeongju, Yu-na wanted to test her limits fully. Goblins were now trivial; she needed stronger foes to affirm her power.
And so...
"Grrrr..."
"Ah. You've come."
Her Call Lightning had drawn aggro from nearby monsters with its sky-shaking roar. Finishing the fleeing goblins had summoned this powerhouse in response.
A densely muscled frame, pig-like face, green skin like the goblins. The monster commonly called an orc appeared boldly before her, leading its pack.
"I'll show you my god."
Unalarmed by the far stronger orc horde's menacing aura, Yu-na defiantly declared she'd reveal her deity to them.
"GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Infuriated by her arrogance, the orcs roared and charged the madwoman. Their axes would split her skull and cleave her in two.
Yet even as the orc pack barreled toward her, Yu-na met them with a manic grin.
"
Summoning Magic. Bahamut.
"
Offering her vast mana as sacrifice, she called forth the great Dragon God to this place. The class-granted power drained away in an instant, leaving her fatigued—but it didn't matter.
He was manifesting. In this world, on this land! Choi Yu-na's god was descending!
"GOAaaaaaaa...?"
The orcs, faces twisted in rage as they charged, instinctively sensed peril. That wrongness soon turned to horror.
A massive magic circle bloomed before their eyes. Instinctively assuming defensive stances against the incoming spell, the orcs soon realized this magic dwarfed anything they'd known.
A colossal claw pierced through the circle and tore into them, shredding their iron-hard bodies to ribbons.
"Uh. U hahahahaha!"
"Go? GOAAAAAAAAA!"
Snapping from her mad laughter, the orcs registered their lost comrade and lunged at the cackling witch. That giant hand lingered, but slay the caster and the magic would fade—they knew this from hard experience. Without hesitation, they targeted her life.
It wasn't a bad call. Indeed, the arm-like appendage was just a partial manifestation, summoned via Yu-na's mana linking to her connected Bahamut.
"GAaaaaaa...!"
But pathetically, the charging orcs were crushed like ants under the claw. Their sturdy bodies, monstrous strength, battle-honed experience, and veteran cunning meant nothing against the overwhelming size gap.
To Yu-na's idiot dragon Bahamut, orcs were no different from ants to humans. A mere flick or press shredded or burst them under the pressure.
"GA! GOGAGRA!"
"Oh? Running away now?"
With their seasoned warrior squashed in an instant, the other orcs finally came to their senses and sounded the retreat. They'd judged no chance against this mad mage. A sound call—perhaps even praiseworthy from their foe.
"You cannot flee from my god."
But from the madwoman's god, escape was impossible. Like swatting flies from beneath his palm, he slammed the fleeing orcs into the ground. Countless met the same crushed fate as their veteran.
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. With this power... this time, for sure..."
As every foe fell to her god's might, Yu-na smiled in true satisfaction, her faith solidified. Lingering doubts vanished, replaced by unshakeable belief. For her, who'd lost all hope, abandoning this faith now meant death.
'...Huh? I only taught her summoning? Never elemental magic? What's this? Scary as hell.'
And her god—this idiot dragon Bahamut—who'd watched it all, reeled in shock at Yu-na wielding not just summoning, but other magics.
He'd gifted her only the spell to call himself—no elemental arts taught or bestowed.
'Placebo effect?'
Faced with the inexplicable, the fool dragon averted his gaze. What had gone wrong? It was supposed to be a perfect plan!
'Did I actually contract with a more dangerous girl than I thought?'
"Come, my lord! Let's head to the city at once!"
Thus, this idiot dragon blamed not himself, but his choice of contractor.
Of course, oblivious to Bahamut's thoughts, Yu-na simply prayed to her great god who'd lent her strength and set off toward her goal: Gyeongju.
What a mismatched pair of lord and vassal.