Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Finale
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The three who had split from Luke headed straight for the Volcanic Horned Dragon. The path was littered with falling volcanic bombs and magma. There were also trees that, despite their best efforts to protect them, had melted away due to the forest's inherent vulnerability. Watching this, Yui asked Luna a question.
"What do we do now?"
"Let's leave the monster to the elves and Mr. Gideon. How about we handle the byproducts of the volcano's attacks?"
The elves were focusing all their firepower on the Volcanic Horned Dragon. This meant they couldn't deal with the fallout, like the volcanic bombs.
Gideon had stepped in to destroy some, so there hadn't been any significant damage yet, but he couldn't handle everything alone.
So, couldn't the three of them, including Luna, take care of the byproducts while chipping in with attacks when they could?
"That sounds like a good idea."
"Alright, let's each take a section. I'll take the opposite side. Yui, Liche, please attack from a distance."
"Okay."
"Got it!"
After their brief discussion, Luna kicked off the ground and leaped. Just before she began to fall, she created a foothold of wind in mid-air and jumped again. As Luna was passing over the Volcanic Horned Dragon...
*BOOM!*
"......!"
The volcano erupted once more. Luna swerved hastily and was unharmed, but the volcanic bombs from the eruption flew in all directions. As they had planned, each took their position and began dealing with the falling bombs and magma.
Luna imbued her dagger with mana and flung it, slicing the volcanic bombs to pieces. Yui created large spheres of blood to counter them, and Liche blocked the flowing magma.
But despite their diligent efforts, there was a limit to what humans could do. A single volcanic bomb they failed to intercept fell toward the elves. The elves crushed beneath it died instantly, unable to even scream.
It was, in the truest sense of the word, a catastrophe. Every single blast was a disaster for humanity. The only saving grace was the presence of the S-rank adventurer, Gideon. He threw his javelin and simultaneously swung his mace with great force, striking one of the Volcanic Horned Dragon's eyes.
"KRAAAAAAAAWK────────!!!!!!!!!!!"
And so, the Volcanic Horned Dragon lost one of its six eyes. But it didn't go down quietly. Thrashing in agony, the dragon opened its mouth wide.
Lava bubbled within its maw. Then, a moment later, it didn't just spew out lava; it fired it in a straight line, like a breath weapon.
Everything in the breath's path melted away, leaving no trace, and the World Tree erected a barrier to block the beam that shot straight toward Alfheim.
Of course, it only protected Alfheim itself, not the surrounding area. The lava that spread out along the barrier laid waste to the land around Alfheim.
Afterward, seeing their homeland melt away, the elves' morale surged. They squeezed out every last drop of mana they had to unleash powerful attacks. As the damage from the focused fire accumulated, the Volcanic Horned Dragon curled its body inward, using the volcano as its shell. And then.
*RUMBLE──.*
As it moved, the ground was scraped away with it. The Volcanic Horned Dragon had suddenly brought its legs together. It looked as if a quadrupedal creature was about to jump.
"Yui! Liche!"
At that premonition, the moment Luna called out to Liche and Yui...
*KWAAAAAAAAAAAA──────!!!*
A tsunami suddenly crashed down upon them.
***
I opened my inventory. What I took out was water. Not water in a container, but water in its natural state.
A precious... no, an utterly common resource I had specially procured for this raid.
The water began to pour out like it was from a broken dam. Trees were swept away by the pressure, a second disaster that did not distinguish between friend and foe.
Of course, the demons loitering near me were also caught in the disaster and swept away, as was Arthur's crew, who had been watching from behind.
Naturally, I was swept away too, but I plunged my sword into the ground and held on with Iron Body.
*Heh heh... grow big and strong...*
Is what I said, but with my face submerged, all that came out was a gurgling sound.
If only there was someone here to marvel, "To use a water-style jutsu of this level where there is no water!?"
It was a shame that not a single person here would get the reference. Not that I could have said it in this situation even if they did.
Do you have any idea how far I traveled to get this water? I even built a carriage and traveled for three full days.
A lake or some mediocre well wouldn't be nearly enough to draw this much water, so I took a carriage to the nearest sea.
That trip taught me one thing: the more you explore the inventory, the more profound it is. In fact, putting water in the inventory was something I did half out of curiosity.
What would happen if I put water in my inventory? Thankfully, it went in. And when I took it out, it came out whole, just like now.
Then could fire or lightning work too?! If possible, I could store magic in my inventory and use it like a scroll. So I experimented.
I couldn't test lightning because there was no one to cast it for me. I tested fire with Liche's help. It was possible to store it, but it vanished the moment I took it out, like flicking a lighter on and off.
While I was lost in such trivial thoughts, the inventory continued to spew water. If I had intended to just wash away a few people, I wouldn't have bothered with a three-day carriage ride.
I had filled it to the brim with water, blessed by the infinite grace of the sea. Even I didn't know how much water was in my inventory.
The artificial tsunami I created swept away everything in the forest. Even a sturdy, deep-rooted tree was nothing more than a weed before the tidal wave.
The World Tree was some distance away, so it cast a barrier over all of Alfheim, saving the town from being submerged. But the Volcanic Horned Dragon was right in front of me, making it impossible for it to counterattack.
*THUD─!*
Even the colossal Volcanic Horned Dragon swayed, its body tilting before it fell onto its side. When a turtle flips over, what happens next is obvious, isn't it?
Ten minutes later, the seemingly endless supply of water ran dry. The flow had started to dwindle at some point, and then it stopped completely not long after. Since the water had spread throughout the forest and been absorbed by the ground, its disappearance was only a matter of time.
In the aftermath of the disaster, the forest was unrecognizable. All that remained were uprooted trees strewn about, soggy earth, and puddles dotting the landscape.
"Tsk... I should just hunt normally from now on."
I had to do this because I thought it would make things easier, but now my clothes are soaked, and the squelching ground feels disgusting with every step.
It would be better to just hunt normally next time. Besides, using this method on small fry is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
"So you actually did it......"
As I shook the water from my hair, Luna, carrying Yui and Liche on either side, landed in front of me from the sky.
"Well, I brought it to use it."
I answered with a shrug. Of course I was going to use it; what's the point of bringing it otherwise? If you save it, it goes to waste, Luna. Shouldn't you be grateful that I made the raid so much easier?
At this rate, I'd probably get a Nobel Peace Prize for defeating the Volcanic Horned Dragon, a threat to the continent, and bringing peace.
"By the way, where did the demon go?"
I saw it get caught in the tsunami, but I didn't have goggles, so I couldn't see what happened after. It must have been washed pretty far away, so I widened my view to check the distance.
Thankfully, with all the surrounding trees washed away, the flattened forest made it easy to find things.
"Ah. Found it."
Near the toppled Volcanic Horned Dragon. The demon was pinned under several layers of logs. As I approached, it coughed and looked up at me, able to lift only its head.
"Kihik... Kehek! Cough! You really are a crazy bastard...!"
"Thanks for the compliment."
Even in this situation, the demon's lips were curled into a grin, as if something was amusing. I grabbed its arm and pulled it out from under the logs. Its legs were crushed flat, like dough rolled out with a rolling pin. Even if I left it alone, it wouldn't be able to taunt me like before.
"Any last words?"
"Kihihi... Entertaining──."
"Yes, I heard you~"
*Slice.*
The demon, about to say something, couldn't finish its sentence. Its head had been separated from its body.
[ You have defeated the demon Belocid! You have acquired the skill Berserker! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your...... ]
Mmm~ Sweet! The experience from a demon is always top-tier. It's a real shame there's no Hyperbolic Time Chamber filled with demons. If there were, I would've stayed in there for a few hundred years.
"Weren't you going to listen to its last words?"
"When did I say that?"
I asked if it had any last words, not that I would listen to them. Besides, what's the point of listening to a demon's final words? It would've just spewed curses or some other nonsense anyway.
"KRAAAAAAAAWK────────!!!!!!!!!!!"
*BOOM─!*
Just then, a massive roar echoed as the ground shook. I had been distracted by killing the demon, but the raid's objective was not yet complete. The toppled Volcanic Horned Dragon was thrashing about, trying to get back on its feet.
The constant sound of explosions, the lava breath it spewed while lying on its side—the Volcanic Horned Dragon was flailing desperately. If I didn't kill it quickly, the landscape would change, just like that fief I saw before. As I pondered what to do, a voice came from behind me.
"Luke. Aid me."
The speaker was Gideon. He seemed fine, apparently having avoided the tsunami.
"I will sever its neck. Now, while it cannot move, is our chance."
"Do you have a plan?"
"If I focus, just once, I can sever its neck. However, I need time to concentrate, and the shell around its neck is a nuisance. I need you to take care of it."
"That's fine by me."
If I could get carried through this for just that much, I'd gladly help. Contributing something is better than standing around idly, and it would earn me more experience. With the deal struck, I immediately took action. But first, I checked to see if my newly acquired skill, Berserker, would be useful.
◈ Skill Information
Name: Berserker
Rank: A+
Description: The user's strength increases according to the severity of their injuries. This ranges from minor cuts to near-fatal wounds.
It was the perfect skill for the situation. The only problem was that I had to injure myself, but that depended on how I used it. So, I took the claw the demon had dropped and began scratching myself all over.
"L-Luke?!"
"Mr. Luke?!"
Yui and Liche cried out in alarm and rushed to stop me. Did they think I'd suddenly gone mad and was trying to kill myself? In contrast, Luna calmly assessed the situation and asked a question.
"Did you get another defense-related skill?"
"No, the opposite. Luna, a foothold."
A light scratch didn't do much, but a long gash deep enough to draw blood made my body heat up. I couldn't tell if it was from the pain or the skill activating.
'If you're going to give me something, give me pain immunity, not this shitty skill.'
Just like a sadistic demon to drop a skill as twisted as itself. As someone who had never self-harmed in my past life, the pain was one thing, but my mind felt unsettled. And yet, as the buffs steadily stacked, the thought of the damage I was about to unleash made my lips curl into a smile.
In any case, I stepped onto the foothold Luna created and took my stance. A quadruple stack of buffs: Charge, Berserker, Yggdrasil's Blessing, and the foothold. There was no way this could be weak. With Gideon concentrating behind me, I charged ahead toward the Volcanic Horned Dragon.
I reached its neck in an instant. Up close, I could really feel its immense size. Its head alone seemed to be a hundred meters long.
"Alright─ let's get this EXP─!"
I gripped my sword with both hands, swung it wide, and slammed it into the dragon's neck. *CLANG!* The sound of my sword colliding with the shell rang out, and a shallow cut appeared along the path I had drawn.
"KRAAAAAAAAWK─────────!!!!!!!!!!!!"
As its seemingly impenetrable defense was breached, the creature cried out in agony and began to thrash even more violently. Then, the Volcanic Horned Dragon's body began to glow red before it suddenly exploded.
*BOOM─!*
"Sheesh─ what a violent death throe."
Its desperate struggle reminded me of a certain game. I hadn't been able to finish it cleanly, but it didn't matter. There was one more person behind me, after all.
The moment I spoke, a voice, strangely clear amidst the chaos, could be heard.
One Blade, Mirrored Reversal.
The calm voice passed by me. Following it, two large circles appeared. They were two different sword paths; one circle rotated to the left, and the other to the right, both spiraling outward. The Volcanic Horned Dragon's neck, caught in these paths, began to twist violently before it was severed cleanly, contrary to its chaotic appearance.
*THUD─.*
The mere impact of its head falling kicked up a cloud of dust and made the ground tremble. It all happened so fast that the light in the Volcanic Horned Dragon's eyes hadn't faded, but soon, the red glow subsided, and then the light vanished completely.
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your...... ]
And so, with the notifications heralding my level-ups, the raid on the S-rank monster, the Volcanic Horned Dragon, came to a close.
***
After the raid, we headed to Alfheim to receive our reward. The elves seemed busy treating their wounded and cleaning up, but that was none of my business. When we arrived at the audience chamber together, the World Tree was waiting for us with the doors wide open.
[It seems I have brought forth a calamity......]
"A Volcanic Horned Dragon is definitely a calamity."
[...That is not what I meant.]
The World Tree's eyes were still closed, but their corners were drooped slightly more than usual, and its lips were turned down in a way that clearly showed its displeasure. A moment later, it gave us a small bow.
[In any case, I thank you for your help.]
"Forget the thanks. What about the reward for this raid?"
The World Tree offered its gratitude, but I couldn't care less. I needed to secure tangible benefits rather than empty pleasantries.
We had helped out by chance, but this wasn't an official request from the Adventurer's Guild. Nor had we negotiated a reward with the World Tree before the raid began.
So, we had to negotiate now. I trusted the World Tree would be generous. If the offered reward wasn't satisfactory, Alfheim would be the next thing to disappear.
[First, I will give you a portion of the materials from the vanquished Volcanic Horned Dragon, Sir Luke.]
"That's a given."
The first reward was materials from the dragon. Naturally, with my large contribution, I would get a large share, but that was a given. Considering how much I did in this raid. More importantly, it was time to receive the World Tree's personal reward.
[Indeed... The greatest reward I can offer you, Sir Luke, is this.]
What would it give me? As I waited, a green light emanated from the World Tree's body. Simultaneously, a green light began to shine from my wrist. I rolled up my sleeve to see a small, leaf-shaped drawing etched onto my skin. And then.
[ You have acquired the skill Yggdrasil's Blessing! ]
"Oh...?"
A notification window suddenly appeared before me. I had gained a skill without even killing a demon. It seemed to be the World Tree's doing. I stared at the window in fascination.
[Will this be a sufficient reward?]
"You got any other skills?"
[......That is all I can give you.]
That was a shame. If it had other skills, I would have wanted to squeeze them all out. In any case, I was satisfied, having received a reward far better than any material possession. The money from selling the Volcanic Horned Dragon's materials would be enough for me to live idly for years.
"Burp. Thanks for the meal."
[What are your plans now?]
"Who knows."
I'm not exactly the type to plan my moves. I guess I'll have to think about it now.
[It will be difficult to transport you today. If you are not in a hurry, how about staying one more night?]
Well, it didn't make much difference whether I left now or tomorrow. I had nothing to do if I left right away anyway; I'd just laze around and sleep.
"Sure, why not."
With the discussion about the reward over, and since we had to stay another night anyway, we left the audience chamber, thinking of grabbing a bite to eat while we rested.
But unlike when we entered, someone was waiting for us at the entrance to the audience chamber.
"Liche. Can we talk for a moment?"
As you could tell from his words, it was Arthur, his arms and legs covered in bandages. Liche, in contrast, said nothing, seemingly having nothing to say to him. As the silence stretched on, Arthur spoke again, growing impatient.
"Just once, please. Can you?"
"Alright. Let's talk privately this evening."
"......!"
A wide smile bloomed on Arthur's face. Ugh, what an eyesore.
"Alright!"
He immediately turned and left. He was probably going to take a nap while wishing for evening to come sooner. Watching Arthur disappear, Liche looked up at me as if she had been waiting.
"So. Luke, can you help me with something tonight?"
"Why should I?"
She was the one who agreed to meet him, so why drag me into it?
"I guarantee you'll be satisfied too. How about it?"
"What is it?"
"Lean in a little closer."
What could be so important that she had to whisper? What Liche told me made my lips split into a grin that nearly tore my face in two.
***
That evening.
Arthur was ecstatic. Liche had agreed to talk. Thinking this might be his last chance, Arthur planned to slowly steer the conversation toward convincing her to return to the academy. Dressed up and sitting alone on a bench, Arthur...
*CRACK!*
...was knocked unconscious by a surprise attack.