Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: A Dragon's First
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The dragon, having lived for thousands of years, was experiencing this for the first time in its life.
Even its kin, who carried the ancient bloodline far more purely than an Ancient Dragon like itself, bowed their heads in its presence.
It couldn't comprehend what gave this mere human the audacity to act this way.
『Do you have some secret weapon you trust in?』
The dragon never let its guard down, even against these tiny beings that could be blown away with a single breath.
If they had been seeking death, they wouldn't have come all this way.
The elf-like woman had lost her will to fight the moment she saw its face, but the human man who came with her was different.
He had hesitated for a moment, then boldly declared right to its face that he had come to fight.
Incomprehensible behavior, perhaps.
But it was far more to the dragon's liking than groveling excuses begging for their lives.
『I hope you won't disappoint me.』
With the intent to test Kang Jin-hyuk's strength, the dragon began lightly.
『Flames.』
Magical power was infused into the dragon's words.
The so-called Dragon Tongue spell spread through the air, and fierce flames erupted where Kang Jin-hyuk stood.
The moment he felt the heat rising from his feet, Kang Jin-hyuk swiftly moved.
Thanks to that, he avoided being engulfed and burned to death.
『Not bad speed.』
It was no common feat for a human to react faster than a Dragon Tongue spell.
Without the level of a so-called Sword Master—or equivalent physical prowess—such movement was impossible.
『Petty spells won't work, then.』
Judging him sufficient entertainment, the dragon decided to get serious.
『Ice spears, pierce.』
In five seconds, a hundred massive icicles formed and flew at Kang Jin-hyuk simultaneously.
They looked like simple ice, but he sensed an extraordinary energy emanating from them.
Trying to block them carelessly would surely backfire.
Kang Jin-hyuk concentrated his aura into his legs and dashed sideways in one burst.
After dodging each icicle by a hair's breadth, he planned to charge at the dragon.
But the dragon was already preparing its next spell.
As if anticipating his charge, it summoned winds to bind his legs.
“Urk!”
Kang Jin-hyuk, struggling not to be swept away, witnessed a house-sized boulder plummeting toward his head.
It was too late to free his feet while fighting the wind.
Just before it hit, Kang Jin-hyuk swung his baseball bat with full power.
Boom!
With a swing powered by his aura, he shattered the boulder, sending a thunderous roar echoing around them.
At the same moment, the dragon's exclamation rang out.
『Impressive.』
The dragon had expected Kang Jin-hyuk wouldn't be some no-name weakling.
But there was a world of difference between imagining it and seeing it firsthand.
Humans weren't born with mana, nor were they a species gifted with exceptional strength.
Their one extraordinary trait was having no limits.
True to their endless greed, their potential for growth knew no bounds.
『If only you hadn't crossed paths with me, your name would have gone down in history.』
The dragon clicked its tongue in pity.
Impressive as Kang Jin-hyuk's abilities were, they were only impressive by human standards.
It was like an ant being larger and faster—no match for a human.
That was exactly the dragon's impression of him.
『I tried not to underestimate you, but in the end, the gap between our species is insurmountable.』
Hearing the dragon speak as if he were just a flea no matter how high it jumped, Kang Jin-hyuk's temple vein bulged.
“You've been yapping nonstop. Do you fight with your mouth?”
The dragon was undoubtedly strong—a fact Kang Jin-hyuk felt in his bones.
Its casual probes were life-threatening attacks he had to dodge desperately.
He had learned the sheer gap through his body first.
But Kang Jin-hyuk didn't mind.
He had known from the start the opponent was strong. Weak or strong, he had to fight.
Surrendering with hands up or charging with gritted teeth wouldn't change the dragon's intent to kill them.
So the best course was to struggle with every ounce of strength.
Even if the odds were slim, it raised his survival chance by 0.1% over doing nothing.
“Stop posturing and come at me for real, you damn lizard.”
Kang Jin-hyuk deliberately used crude words to provoke it.
If the dragon lost its composure and unleashed a big move, that was exactly what he wanted.
Such techniques always left an opening afterward.
He pinned his faint hope on that.
“You're not holding back just because it's me, right?”
The dragon showed no emotional change to the provocation.
‘A obvious ploy.’
So blatant that it could read his intent clearly.
『Very well. I'll play along.』
Even knowing the plan, the dragon obliged.
It wanted to see with its own eyes how he would escape the crisis he invited.
And what trick he would use to attack.
『If you're so confident, show me.』
Finishing its words, the dragon drew in a massive breath.
Not air, but the mana within it, rushed into its maw.
As vast amounts gathered in an instant, a blue glow emanated from its mouth.
Seeing the dragon inhaling with its mouth aglow, Kang Jin-hyuk instinctively knew from games and novels it was about to unleash its breath.
“Fuck, straight to the ultimate move?”
A dragon's breath was its symbol, its trump card.
Using it on a single human was like a lion going all-out on a mouse.
“Looks like I can't dodge that one alive.”
If its probes were that devastating, how powerful would the breath be?
Running fast wouldn't cut it, he thought.
But there was a path.
Glancing back, he saw Lucia nocking an arrow.
While the dragon focused solely on him, the panicked Lucia had regained her senses.
“If that guy's thrashing around like that, I can't just stand here looking pathetic.”
From the start, Kang Jin-hyuk had trusted her, deliberately keeping distance to draw the dragon's attention.
It worked—the dragon ignored her completely.
‘You won't let your guard down? Bullshit.’
Kang Jin-hyuk sneered inwardly.
He'd heard such nonsense from S-rank Hunters too.
They seemed cautious, but the overconfident always showed gaps.
The dragon was no different.
Born overwhelmingly strong with no equals, it hadn't noticed its own flaw.
“Now!”
Hearing Kang Jin-hyuk's shout, the dragon realized its mistake too late.
They hadn't come alone—by the time the thought hit, Lucia had loosed her arrow.
Her arrow, infused with all her mana as aura, flew straight for the dragon's maw.
‘Th-this…!’
The dragon panicked visibly upon realizing the target.
It flapped its wings hastily to summon winds, but the dense aura pierced through, leaving the trajectory unchanged.
Mid-breath, it couldn't open its mouth for Dragon Tongue magic.
Canceling now risked the gathered mana exploding inside.
It ran through tens of thousands of countermeasures, but none worked.
Overthinking them left it frozen as the crisis loomed.
Finally, the arrow struck its mouth, its aura igniting the amassed mana for the breath.
Boom!!
Lucia's aura acted as the detonator, causing a massive explosion inside the dragon's mouth.
Witnessing the blast up close, the dragon blacked out instantly.
Kang Jin-hyuk didn't miss the moment it tumbled, eyes rolled back.
He leaped with full power, flying toward it.
He converted all the mana charged in his baseball bat to aura.
Regaining consciousness too late, the dragon saw a massive club gleaming golden.
『Th-that power…?! How do you…?!』
It seemed to have words, but Kang Jin-hyuk wasn't listening.
“Die!!”
His bat smashed straight into the dragon's crown.
The overcharged aura exploded once more.
“Guh!”
Caught in the golden blast, Kang Jin-hyuk was flung back, while the dragon plummeted faster.
He somehow balanced and landed safely, but the dragon crashed into the lake surface.
Its massive body sank, sending spray skyward.
Drained of all mana, Kang Jin-hyuk and Lucia collapsed, legs giving out.
“Did we get it?”
Relaxed, Kang Jin-hyuk uttered the one phrase he shouldn't have.
Realizing it, he shrugged it off with a 'no way'.
Reality promptly corrected his naivety.
Another spray erupted, revealing the dragon.
Bleeding from the head, but no fatal wound.
“Damn it.”
Kang Jin-hyuk hurriedly rummaged his inventory for an MP Potion.
He'd just pulled one out when the dragon's foot hit the ground, causing a quake.
He dropped and shattered it.
Too late for another.
The dragon thrust its face toward the seated Kang Jin-hyuk.
Its huge eye and nostril right before him, he wanted to scream.
“Ugh.”
He grabbed his bat to unleash lightning at least.
The dragon spoke first.
『Stop.』
“Funny. Why the hell should I?”
『I mean no fight. Calm yourself.』
Its words left Kang Jin-hyuk baffled.
“You were set to kill us, now what nonsense is this?”
Given its pride, it should rage after that hit.
Yet proposing a truce? Suspicious.
『Lift your bangs.』
“Huh? What the…”
『No chatter. Now.』
Breathing roughly, it urged desperately.
Hot breath blasting his face, Kang Jin-hyuk recoiled and complied.
“Fine, just don't breathe in my face.”
Thinking it might flick him, the dragon saw his forehead and slammed its head to the ground.
『I have greatly offended the messenger of the gods. Please forgive me.』