Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Conviction (2)
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"My victory, humans!"
The Demon Dragon Karas declared victory, its body drenched in blood.
It had sustained large and small wounds.
But none were fatal.
In stark contrast, only 23 members of the extermination squad had barely survived.
Their stamina and mana were severely depleted.
Worse still, 11 of those 23 were healers.
They had survived thanks to the tanks' desperate protection.
But most of the ones who needed healing had already been wiped out.
"Hmm."
Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha grimaced.
They had put up a good fight thanks to the beastkin boy with Anti-Heal.
But their chance of victory was far too slim.
'We should have defended by clinging to the great city of Baran.'
He had formed the extermination squad to pit the players from other dimensions—affiliated with massive guilds—against the Demon Dragon.
It would have been a successful plan if the Demon Dragon hadn't suddenly grown stronger through some trick.
'Everything went wrong.'
If he set aside political motives?
If the players from other dimensions affiliated with massive guilds hadn't died so pointlessly?
If their forces had been preserved?
If he had requested reinforcements from the Rokto Empire sooner?
A flood of what-ifs brought a surge of regret.
But what was done was done.
And their sacrifices weren't entirely in vain.
'It feels like we're just a little short.'
They were exhausted, but so was the Demon Dragon.
If he, Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf, and Duke Kalmus went all out targeting its vital points?
They might be able to take it down.
The problem was.
'We'd have to risk our lives.'
They might even have to go down together with it.
'I can't do that.'
He wanted to live.
His greatest concern was tarnishing his honor.
'But you have to be alive to enjoy honor.'
Conveniently, there was a perfect excuse.
The emperor of the Rokto Empire's imperial decree that, no matter what, he and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf had to return alive.
The justification of upholding the imperial decree would safeguard their honor to some extent.
The Rokto Empire would desperately defend them as well.
'The issue is holding the Demon Dragon back.'
The Demon Dragon wouldn't let Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf leave peacefully.
Retreat was always harder than advance.
One misstep?
And they could collapse pointlessly and die.
'I need a solid rear guard.'
The one who could fill that role right here.
'Duke Kalmus should be sufficient.'
He hadn't been without some inner disdain for him.
But realistically, Duke Kalmus—having discarded his life and unleashed desperate trade skills—was on par with him.
'And if the Dark Knights join him.'
Only two Dark Knights remained now.
But those on the verge of death had exploded their own mana, inflicting at least some wounds on the Demon Dragon before perishing.
If the remaining two did the same?
It would boost his and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf's survival odds even more.
"Now we see it through. We all attack together and sever the Demon Dragon's lifeline."
At Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha's words.
"Indeed."
Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf chimed in agreement.
"You take the lead."
Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha said to Duke Kalmus.
"Understood."
Duke Kalmus accepted readily.
The vanguard was the most dangerous position.
But Duke Kalmus had already forsaken his life anyway.
If his remaining moments could serve as the opening shot to cut off the Demon Dragon's breath.
He could discard his life without hesitation.
"Can you two join as well?"
Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha asked the Blade King and the Knight of Flames.
The summoned beings who had acted as Dark Knights—like the Sword Ghost and the Magic Knight—had all vanished, leaving only the Blade King and the Knight of Flames.
"We will."
The Blade King replied calmly.
They weren't living beings anyway, so they felt no fear of death.
Even if they were destroyed, their creator, Kang Hyun-soo, could resurrect them anytime.
"Then let's go."
The surviving extermination squad members formed up.
The Demon Dragon Karas had overheard their conversation and prepared fully.
Its wings were severed, and its body covered in wounds, drastically reducing its mobility.
From the Demon Dragon's perspective, its only path to survival was eliminating every member of the extermination squad here.
Ta-thud!
Duke Kalmus took the front.
Behind him followed the Blade King, the Knight of Flames, Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha, Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf, and the other surviving squad members.
Kwaaaaang!
With a massive explosion, the Demon Dragon and the extermination squad clashed in their final confrontation.
At that instant, Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf slipped away from the battlefield as if by prior agreement.
"What is this?"
Duke Kalmus was greatly taken aback.
"These crazy bastards!"
A curse burst from Kang Hyun-soo's mouth.
-Kuhuhu!
A low laugh erupted from the Demon Dragon Karas.
It was their final clash, pouring everything into it.
And in that moment, the enemy's strongest forces had withdrawn.
That meant.
-My victory!
With the Demon Dragon Karas's shout.
Kwachik!
The other extermination squad members' bodies burst apart.
Even Duke Kalmus, who had desperately held out, couldn't last much longer.
"Kuhk!"
He lost his life.
Kang Hyun-soo, Song Ha-na, and the Fighting Emperor luckily survived thanks to the Blade King and the Knight of Flames.
But in exchange, the Blade King and the Knight of Flames were destroyed.
-That was close. With so many strong ones gathered, the level-up came quick.
Shaaaah!
At the spots where the extermination squad had died.
A ferocious storm of mana swirled once more.
Crunch! Crunch!
The Demon Dragon Karas's form changed.
Its four horns grew to six.
New wings—three pairs—sprouted in place of the severed ones.
Its wounds healed considerably, and its depleted mana partially recovered.
Swoosh!
The Demon Dragon Karas's gaze turned to Kang Hyun-soo, Song Ha-na, and the Fighting Emperor.
-I'll kill you lot later.
Whoosh!
With that, the Demon Dragon Karas spread its wings and pursued Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf, who were fleeing desperately.
No matter how strong Kang Hyun-soo, Song Ha-na, and the Fighting Emperor were, they were only ranker level.
Fleeing would be like rats in a trap.
In contrast, Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf were major threats if not killed now.
"Damn it!"
"How is it this fast?!"
Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf panicked greatly.
They knew that if they withdrew, the remaining squad would die in moments.
But they thought it would buy some time.
'And that would be enough.'
They believed a Demon Dragon deprived of wings and covered in wounds—its mobility crippled—couldn't pursue them first.
Yet.
'Who would have thought it would evolve again.'
'We misjudged.'
If they had known.
'We should have risked our lives and fought together.'
'We might have won.'
Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha and Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf felt belated regret as they desperately resisted.
But.
Kwachik!
The Demon Dragon Karas's claw pierced Fist Emperor Grand Duke Chartosha's body, skewering his heart.
Crunch!
Martial Venerable Duke Zdoraf's head vanished into the Demon Dragon Karas's maw.
Regret in their final moments changed nothing.
'I've cleaned up all the troublesome ones.'
It had been close.
But fortunately, two consecutive level-ups got him through the crisis.
'Atlantis dimension truly is blessed.'
He had lost all his subordinates.
And nearly lost his life in a major crisis.
But it was worth it.
Two level-ups, after all.
'Kill the human who used Anti-Heal and then recover from my wounds.'
He didn't know what the humans would decide.
Reinforcements might be coming.
Or they might panic, abandon great city Baran, and prepare defenses from the rear.
But now wasn't the time to gamble.
'I've lost too much blood.'
The Demon Dragon Karas was a living being of flesh and blood.
Thanks to the dragon clan's sturdy body and the close level-up, his stamina and mana had recovered somewhat.
'But I'm nearly at my limit.'
Even in that near-limit state, he had enough leeway to eliminate the one who had tormented him.
'Absolutely can't let him live.'
Anti-Heal.
To the Demon Dragon Karas, it was an immensely lethal poison.
-Hoh, you didn't run.
The human who used Anti-Heal.
He thought he'd be fleeing for his life by now.
Yet he stood there unscathed.
-Have you given up on life? Why didn't you run like the others?
The Demon Dragon Karas asked the human who used Anti-Heal.
Of the humans who had charged at him, all had fled except the Anti-Heal user and his two apparent companions.
Even the forces guarding great city Baran had all run when defeat was certain.
So why hadn't this Anti-Heal user fled?
"Why should I run?"
At the human's question.
-Kuhuhu!
The Demon Dragon Karas let out a hollow laugh.
He had wondered at the fearless glint in his eyes, not seeming like someone who had given up life.
-You're just insane.
That was it—his mind had snapped.
"Insane? I was just waiting here to hunt you."
-Hunt me? You're truly deranged. I'd love to spend ages making you suffer before killing you, but time's short, so I'll grant you a quick death.
No sooner had the Demon Dragon Karas finished speaking than it lunged at the Anti-Heal human.
At that moment.
"Kill it."
The Anti-Heal human issued a command to someone.
Shaaaah!
Vast mana surged around the Demon Dragon Karas's body.
And something in the form of a human and a dragon monster appeared.
-What trick is this?
The startled Demon Dragon Karas activated a defensive skill, shielding its entire body.
That one move.
Kwaaaaang!
Saved its life.
-Kraaaang!
But it only saved its life.
It couldn't prevent serious injury.
If activating the defensive skill had been even slightly slower?
It would have died then and there.
-These guys?
The Demon Dragon Karas was aghast at the thousands of troops surrounding it.
-It was you!
The one who had stolen his dragon monster kin.
The non-human presences among the humans trying to kill him—they were all this guy's summons.
"You just figured it out?"
The Anti-Heal human asked with a composed expression.
-Kugh!
He wanted nothing more than to tear that human apart in one go.
However.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Pajijik!
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Thousands of troops unleashed aura and various attack skills on the Demon Dragon Karas.
Forget tearing the human apart.
He was the one about to be ripped to shreds.
-These are?
The Demon Dragon Karas was horrified by the human-form summons assaulting him relentlessly.
Because.
They were all the humans who had died by his hand.
"You're holding up well. But what if these two join in?"
The Anti-Heal human smiled and moved to the spots where Fist Emperor and Martial Venerable had just died.
"Form legion."
With that short phrase.
Shaaaah!
The two most troublesome humans the Demon Dragon Karas had eliminated.
Revived once more.