Chapter 196
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 196
Chapter Title: Dragon Hunt
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"Alright, let's move out. Follow right behind me for now."
"Okay!"
I grabbed the reins of my Draco and leaped down the mountain. Shin Seo-yeon, Ri Eun-jeong, and the North Koreans followed close on my heels.
Thud thud thud.
Year 10 of the Selection Process.
Fortunately, I had plenty of experience hunting dragons.
'Dragons fall into three main categories.'
Earth dragons, water dragons, sky dragons.
Of course, there are more subdivisions, but it all boils down to whether they burrow through the ground, swim in water, or soar through the skies.
'And the mountain terror dragon is an earth dragon type. That's why it can tunnel through the soil at will.'
It also gets massive buffs when on the ground. Just moving triggers special effects—like the earth itself coming alive, surging like waves.
Rumbling...!
I spotted a 20-meter wall of earth surging toward us and yanked the reins hard.
My Draco hopped nimbly, bounding up a slanted fallen tree and leaping from branch to branch.
Thud thud thud thud.
The other Dracos kept pace without missing a beat. I tore my eyes from the tsunami of soil rushing beneath us and fixed them on the apocalyptic beast tearing through the forest ahead.
Kraaaargh!
'The mountain terror dragon is a monster capable of destroying the world.'
It evolves endlessly by devouring living creatures. According to myth, the reason a hero's party traveled from distant lands to this place was a prophecy from the gods: this beast would one day consume not just a continent, but the entire world.
And it was living up to that hype.
A single twitch of its body snapped 40-meter trees like twigs, sending waves of dirt exploding outward.
Rumbling...!
'That's raid boss level already.'
Judging by its size, it'd take a 50,000 to 100,000-man raid.
Luckily, its evolution had bloated its body without boosting speed, defense, or magic/special abilities. It was basically just a giant lizard with no frills.
You could call it a building-sized hatchling. As the mountain terror dragon closed in, I shouted,
"Everyone, stay sharp and don't get swept up! Don't get too close—it's dangerous!"
"Okay!"
"You all be careful not to get hurt!"
Seo-yeon and I had spirits shielding us from flying rocks and debris, but Ri Eun-jeong and the North Koreans didn't.
Fortunately, the Dracos dodged the big chunks on their own, leaving only pebbles to worry about. But even those couldn't be ignored.
'Drip, drip, and you're soaked.'
Prolong the fight, and those minor scratches would turn fatal.
'We can't rely on the Saintess's healing right now.'
For one, range issues. But mostly, the air was thick with dust like fog, making it hard to even see the faces of the people trailing behind me.
Finding us in this mess would be like plucking stars from the sky for the Saintess.
If not for the mid-tier Riding skill from [Song of the Wind Saddle], even the Dracos might have bolted in this chaos.
Our expert riding was the only thing keeping their shaky resolve in check.
"Whew, we're here. But... that tiny thing? It's fucking huge."
The spirit swept away the dust cloud, revealing a sight like a massive skyscraper—a few buildings—come alive and stomping around.
This wasn't a creature. It was a natural disaster incarnate.
"Looks like it's over 250 meters long."
"Whoa, what the... Dickhead, can we even take this? Feels like it's still growing."
"We need to stop it from getting any bigger now."
"How?"
"Seo-yeon, go wild. Thrash around however you want."
"Ah? Leave it to me!"
Whoosh!
The Selection Process's strongest flame erupted from Shin Seo-yeon's hand. The all-consuming blaze. The [Primordial Flame] manifesting in her grasp formed an orb in an instant and rocketed toward the beast's front leg.
[Primordial Flame]
Boom!
Kraaaaaargh!
The beast screamed in agony. A clear wound opened where the explosion hit, blood spraying out.
"What? That fucker's a pushover?"
All bulk, no substance. Its defense was trash. Scales shattered, blood pouring out and soaking the ground. And the flames from the blast spread rapidly.
They engulfed the mountain terror dragon in seconds.
"Shin Seo-yeon! Mana management! We can't get heals from the Saintess right now!"
"Oh, right."
Shin Seo-yeon dialed back the blaze and conjured another fireball.
Pure damage-wise, letting [Primordial Flame] spread and burn was optimal. Safest way to maximize DPS.
'But it guzzles mana.'
Pairing fireballs boosts efficiency.
"Dude, at this rate, you'll burn through your mana in 20 minutes!"
"That's why I brought this."
"Ah!"
I pointed to the junk shop owner, tied up like luggage on my Draco's back.
Junk shops sell everything. Mana potions included.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Crimson fireballs poured from Shin Seo-yeon's hands, relentlessly hammering the mountain terror dragon.
Whenever she cracked scales or melted them, the North Koreans and I bought monster spears from the junk shop and hurled them.
Whoosh! Crunch!
Kraaaaaargh!
One-use, tiny against a 250-meter behemoth—like poking with a toothpick—but consistency mattered. We were steadily wounding it.
Each hit made it flinch, hindering its hunt.
Our plan: harass it nonstop while Seo-yeon piled on damage until it dropped.
"One more!"
Boom boom boom!
And smart Seo-yeon targeted only its left front leg. Cripple mobility first, stop the hunt.
"Don't forget to buy potions midway and spray them on the Dracos' heads!"
We dogged its flank, pouring attack after attack.
Pain throbbed.
But the mountain terror dragon ignored it.
Not yet, it thought. Not enough. Those pesky followers weren't a real threat. It vividly remembered the hero's power.
The divine might that felled its mother in one strike.
Knowing that terror, it ignored the harassment, pressing forward and devouring everything in motion.
To grow stronger. Tougher.
Kraaaargh!
Its jaws snatched another monster. No rivals left in this forest.
But it itched.
Chasing bite-sized pests was tedious. Worse, the flames on its left leg were bad news. It was regenerating through evolutions, but this felt risky.
As it pondered escape, something caught its eye.
The mountain terror dragon suddenly went berserk.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
"Whoa! What the hell?!"
The mountain terror dragon broke into a mad sprint. The forest quaked, winds howling. I eyed its direction and scowled.
'Damn, it's heading for its parent's corpse.'
Yeah, straight for Dracalon's body. Its tough scales had kept it intact so far. If it ate that, game over.
"Hey, what do we do?!"
Shin Seo-yeon hurled a massive fireball to stop it—useless. Even limping from the leg explosion, it charged desperately toward its mother's remains.
Kroooaaargh!
Roaring as if devouring that would flip the fight entirely.
"Stop it!"
"Hup!"
Shin Seo-yeon, Ri Eun-jeong, and the North Koreans raced alongside, blasting away—but its charge didn't slow.
"Shit, no good!"
"It won't stop!"
No stopping a beast at full speed, no matter the damage.
As despair set in, I pulled an item and activated it.
Flash!
"Ugh, what...?"
A brilliant glow. The tiny paper scrap spun, shooting skyward and unfurling a bluish barrier around us.
Thud!
It barely blocked between Dracalon and the terror dragon, unmoved by its fury.
"What was that just now?"
"A barrier."
"Barrier?"
[Heaven-Sealing Barrier]
Seals heaven and earth, allowing no one to enter or exit.
A one-use mythic tool that could hold even a colossal beast.
A gift from Taladrath via Versia.
Never thought I'd actually use it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The mountain terror dragon thrashed to break free, but it wouldn't shatter easily.
"Dickhead, use that shit sooner! My heart skipped a beat!"
Couldn't. Even sturdy barriers have time limits. Ideally, save it for when it tries fleeing after we corner it.
[Remaining Time: 59 minutes 51 seconds]
Better than letting it chow down on Dracalon, though.
'Crisis averted for now.'
Realizing it couldn't break out, the dragon gave up and turned to devouring monsters inside the barrier.
The Heaven-Sealing Barrier was vast enough for colossal beasts, and prey overflowed within.
I'd only temporarily blocked easy evolution.
Kraaaargh!
And suddenly, its movements grew wilder, faster.
"Whoa! What the fuck is it doing?!"
"Trapped and panicking?!"
Yeah, desperate now. 25% HP gone. First phase engaged. Our steady damage paying off.
Boom...!
"Whoa?! The ground's going even crazier!"
"Dickhead, screw this up and we'll get buried alive!"
Faster, wilder movements wrecked the surroundings worse.
"Ugh, aaagh!"
One North Korean got caught in a dirt wave and vanished.
"Comrade Min-chul!"
"Everyone, pull back from me to avoid getting swept! Follow my lead!"
We distanced ourselves and resumed DPS.
The adult mountain terror dragon's first phase wasn't just speed— it trashes the area, forcing players back and reducing incoming damage.
Whoosh!
Forty percent of our spears missed wounds, hitting intact scales.
Still, we focused on damage. I gripped a spear tight and hurled it with all my strength.
Screeeee!
It pierced deep, drawing blood amid a sonic boom.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The North Koreans targeted wounds too, stacking damage. Over 200 spears stuck in its body already.
But slowly...
They slid out as wounds regenerated.
Its evolution-granted healing outpaced our damage—barely. Movements slowing again.
'Damn.'
First phase ended, HP over 75%, back to pre-phase. Leisurely for it now.
Worse: it was even bigger than before.
'...Normal weapons won't cut it.'
Seo-yeon's flames would help, but...
Her low mana meant short range and small AoE. Best would be Saintess here to spread the blaze, but...
'Can't risk the Saintess.'
No matter what, she can't die. Humanity won't reach late-game, let alone final trials, without her.
[Recovery Authority] belongs to one out of 4 billion.
'Exclude her from high-risk frontlines at all costs.'
But dragging this out was iffy.
This barrier held even the Destruction Dragon briefly—huge space meant ample food for it.
No telling how big it'd get.
'Relying on Seo-yeon alone won't work.'
Shin Seo-yeon chugged mana potions like drinks, tossing empties, and yelled,
"Dickhead! This'll take forever! It's getting too big!"
"......"
"No Plan B?!"
Boom...!
"Kyaaah!"
Growing terror dragon.
Bigger AoE effects.
'No choice. Was saving to shorten later phases, but gotta use it now.'
I drew special gear. Too massive for a human spear.
From the last rest area challenge, alongside the portal stone. Only these 10 could turn the tide without closing in.
I gripped one tight. Then paused and called,
"Ri Eun-jeong!"
"?"
"Catch!"
Thud thud, her Draco raced up. She snatched the [Dragon Slayer Spear].
A mid-trial reward weapon—insane attack power, effects aside. Dwarf-made, low durability except tip; shatters on hit.
Shards embed, causing bleed. Plus agony that locks movement.
Pure malice to kill its nemesis.
Why her? Simple.
Her throws outdamage mine.
[Throwing God]
Grasping anything enables optimal throws without training. +300% to all throwing stats.
My Strength: 367.
Hers: 209.
Mine should hit harder, but [Throwing God] amps her to over 600 effective Strength.
Numbers don't capture it—real damage is higher.
That's why she's one of humanity's top 100 heroes, an S-Rank.
"This..."
Ri Eun-jeong's eyes widened at the description.
"Can you throw it?"
"Of course."
She gripped the shaft firm. Her sharp gaze locked on the burning left front foot.
Waist twisted—and the javelin shot like lightning.
Craaaack!
A sky-shaking sonic boom. Straight-line flight.
No miss possible. [Throwing God] is broken—perfect throws always.
Bam!
Ripples surged across its hide like a water drop on a pond.
Normal spears sink halfway; this vanished inside.
Effect? Crystal clear.
Kraaaaaargh!
Unprecedented pain. It screamed, rolling wildly on the ground.