Chapter 206
Chapter 206
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: Red Drake
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Chapter 206
Red Drake.
Though its name included "Red," its skin wasn't exactly bright crimson.
If anything, it was closer to a deep red wine.
Still, compared to the grayish hue of ordinary drakes, it was reddish enough to earn the name "Red Drake."
Naturally, it was an upper variant of the Demi Drakes they'd faced on the fifth floor.
Standing upright, it reached a staggering ten meters, and the biting force from its massive jaws could pulverize even seasoned tanks into dust.
But the true hallmark of Red Drakes wasn't their unique color, size, or power.
"Watch out for the breath!"
It was their breath.
Much like the infamous "Greek Fire" from ancient tales that burned relentlessly on water, the Red Drake's breath was notorious for igniting in a blaze that was nearly impossible to extinguish once it took hold.
At Ye-rin's warning, the hunters scattered in unison.
As if on cue, the three Red Drakes flung their massive maws wide open.
The dark, cavernous throats glowed brightly for an instant.
Whoosh—
Fierce flames erupted forth.
The breath from the one on the far right shot straight toward where Jeong-hyeon stood.
Wide enough to incinerate a two-meter radius entirely, but Jeong-hyeon dodged it effortlessly.
Fortunately, all three targeted the frontline vanguards, so while Won-ho took a bit of damage, Hwi-gon's immediate healing kept him steady.
'So this is a real breath attack, huh?'
Meanwhile, Jeong-hyeon examined the breath's aftermath with genuine curiosity.
Even on the bare stone floor with nothing to fuel it, the flames lingered, crackling fiercely.
"Anyone else hurt? If you've got even a minor burn, speak up right away."
Hwi-gon finished healing Won-ho's wounds and actively checked for anyone else singed by the breaths.
The picture of an ideal healer.
"According to research by monster biology expert Dr. John Remington, the Red Drake's breath involves ejecting a special chemical from its body while rapidly heating its vocal cords to the substance's ignition point, creating fire. Getting hit by it..."
As always, a bit wordy.
Still, thanks to his useless-but-fascinating trivia, Jeong-hyeon's curiosity was sated.
His gaze shifted from the dying embers to the Red Drakes, eyes gleaming.
'Special chemical, huh.'
Short as his time as a hunter had been, he'd slain more monsters than most could claim.
And when it came to extracting byproducts? He'd confidently rank world-class.
From that experience, Jeong-hyeon knew the hallmarks of valuable monster parts.
First: distinctive features from rare monsters.
Like the horn of a unicorn sighted in Germany.
Second: parts tough enough for gear crafting.
No debate there.
Even weak monsters yielded profit if their hides or bones were durable.
Third: organs storing venom sacs or fluids with unique effects, tricky for gear but perfect for consumables—or, more often, snapped up by industry.
Hunters made bank, but compared to global megacorps?
Not even close.
Gate-exclusive materials impossible to replicate on Earth? Corporate catnip.
What they did with it? Not his problem.
'Meaning that chemical's gotta be pricey.'
Spotting an instant moneymaker, Jeong-hyeon asked Hwi-gon,
"Hwi-gon, any papers saying that chemical's valuable?"
"Huh? Well... the organ holding it is called the 'combustion sac'—"
Caught off-guard, Hwi-gon paused, then quoted an approximate market price.
Flash—
Jeong-hyeon's eyes lit up like they were spitting sparks.
"Kuoo...?"
Even the Red Drake meeting his gaze averted its eyes.
"Kill 'em all!"
One hour later, Jeong-hyeon secured six combustion sacs—one pair per drake—and turned his sour mood around completely.
Breath aside, Red Drakes were just slightly tougher Demi Drakes in a red palette.
On the way to the ninth floor.
"Hmm..."
The party huddled, deep in thought.
'Tower of Repentance': ten floors total.
Red Drakes on mere floor eight?
"Hwi-gon, what's next? Any guesses?"
No clue what ninth or tenth held.
Oddly, Hwi-gon had been quieter since floor seven.
Incredibly, yes.
At Jeong-hyeon's question.
"..."
Even more incredibly, he stayed silent.
"What's wrong?!"
"Did you take a critical hit healing us?!"
Shocked by this Hwi-gon, the party rushed him, checking every inch.
They'd bet he'd chatter even with an arm severed.
Ye-rin hadn't even landed a verbal jab—why the mute act?
Amid the fuss, he stammered, face flushed with shame,
"I don't know..."
"Pardon?"
"I said I don't know!"
"If you don't know, just say so—why the face...?"
Jeong-hyeon trailed off awkwardly.
Everyone hits unknowns now and then.
A simple "no idea" would've earned light teasing, nothing more.
But Hwi-gon's anguished yell soured the mood.
"Why corner poor Hwi-gon like that...?"
"He claims he can predict every monster? Arrogant much?"
"Boss, didn't peg you for that..."
Ye-rin's quip especially painted Jeong-hyeon as the villain.
"He seemed so nice, though..."
"Is that the pot calling the kettle, coming from you?"
Hitting people for noise, then nitpicking this? Unfair.
Though he'd enjoyed her smackdowns plenty.
Just me getting flak?
As Jeong-hyeon squirmed.
"Fourth: Fire Golem. Fifth: Demi Drake. Sixth: Grand Mantis. Seventh: Death Knight. Eighth: Red Drake..."
Hwi-gon suddenly listed every floor's foes.
"Anything next wouldn't surprise me. They're all just gate-boss tier anyway."
"But stronger than these in a level six? Feels like we've seen all the usual suspects."
Jeong-hyeon tilted his head.
Level six had limited monster pools due to rarity.
His mental roster? Covered.
Flying types like griffins existed, but in a tower gate? Massive penalties.
If any, they'd be low floors—not finale bait.
"Or Lizardman Warrior Chief?"
Seung-jun's guess, likely from tracking Jeong-hyeon's hunts.
Nods all around.
Plausible.
Then Ye-rin, bored:
"So overthinking's pointless, right? Why not just go up?"
"But..."
Ji-myeong tried reining her in.
No sharp answers, but strategizing was key.
Ye-rin locked eyes with him.
"I'm no paper-pushing Hwi-gon expert, but so far? Easy. A sudden impossible boss now?"
"..."
Ji-myeong had no retort.
Fair point.
Smiling, she turned to Jeong-hyeon.
"Won't Jeong Hyeon-hunter smash anything tougher anyway? What's to worry?"
"That's not..."
"Agreed."
Won-ho chimed in seamlessly.
Talk kept circling back to him, but Ye-rin wasn't wrong.
"Tch, fine. Let's go."
Post "new monster possible," he'd already leaned that way.
Pre-fight plans were hot air.
Famous fighter quip: everyone's a tactician till punched.
Or: no plan survives first blow.
"But I'll lead this time. Bad vibes."
"Do what you want."
"Keep more distance than before."
At the ninth-floor stairs—identical to prior, yet the aura beyond felt off.
Pros wouldn't admit relying on him, but he was top firepower.
He could tank any opener non-fatally, so vanguard duty fell to him.
With uncharacteristic tension, the party ascended to floor nine.
"..."
In the dim, vast space, a single pair of eyes greeted them.
And.
"Whoever said 'just go up,' step forward."
Jeong-hyeon spoke in a tone blending disbelief, rage, despair.
"Me."
Ye-rin matched it.
"Hwi-gon, you too—who said 'no idea what's coming.'"
"...I didn't expect this."
Hwi-gon, same.
Honestly? Not their fault.
But which hunter stays calm facing that?
Floor nine: one monster, unlike before.
That one's presence? On another level.
"Hwi-gon."
"Yes."
"First time seeing it, so pardon the question—but isn't that a dragon?"
"Never seen one myself, but... it sure looks like it."
"..."
Jeong-hyeon was speechless.
True, technically—but reconsidered a hundred times? Absurd.
A dragon in a level six Mission Gate? What the hell?