Chapter 603: Dragon Raid (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 603: Dragon Raid (1)
Dragon.
A colossal monster whose size varies with its stage of growth, boasting a length of at least ten to dozens of meters.
Its tough hide cannot be pierced without Sword Aura, its sharp claws and teeth can mercilessly crush even the finest armor forged from the pinnacle of human technology, and from its mouth, it spews a breath powerful enough to wipe a small town off the map without a trace.
And that’s not all.
With the abundant mana in their bodies, they can command the laws of nature with their will alone.
What does that mean?
It means that the miracle of magic, which humans can only produce by painstakingly drawing dozens of lines to interfere with the laws of nature, is something those beasts can perform as naturally and easily as breathing.
Isn't it often depicted in fantasy novels?
That dragons are the true masters of magic, creating it with their own words—the Dragon Language.
Naturally, the grade assigned to this monster is EX-rank.
Yet, surprisingly, there was one who fought against this calamity and seized victory.
That would be our very own Francis Meyer, who is now lying in a hospital bed.
It is said that he fought a great black dragon—a Dark Dragon—that had plunged all of Europe into terror, battling it for three straight days before plunging his sword into its heart to claim victory.
It was from that moment on.
That Francis Meyer truly established himself as a beacon of hope for humanity.
It was only natural.
Had he not subjugated an EX-rank monster, a designation given to creatures that humanity’s current power could not eliminate?
That historic moment blazed with hope.
It allowed them to dream of one day unsealing the gates of the dungeons, defeating the EX-rank monsters, and reclaiming the territories they had lost.
And, of course, people believed that Francis Meyer would be standing at the forefront of that charge.
That was why they couldn't help but be deeply shocked by the Pope's words.
To think that the first person to slay a dragon wasn't Francis Meyer, but the Pope standing right before me.
“Did you… really fight a dragon?”
“Heh heh, it seems you find it hard to believe.”
Honestly, yes.
If he had fought against such a massive creature, rumors should have spread one way or another, yet among his long list of achievements, there is no mention of fighting and defeating a dragon.
That meant the battle must have taken place in a dungeon where no one could see, and the Pope had deliberately hidden the fact instead of telling others.
The gentle old man's wise, seasoned eyes seemed to see right through me.
“You wish to ask why I did not publicize such a great deed.”
“…Yes.”
He answered.
“That is because… this old man is not very good at lying.”
I was puzzled.
What did being a poor liar have to do with publicizing such an achievement?
“As I told you, after I killed the dragon, I let its child, who was crying while hugging its parent, escape.”
“…Ah.”
So, setting aside the fact that he killed the dragon, he didn't want to make people anxious by telling them that the remaining dragon had escaped and was hiding somewhere in the world.
“So I kept it a secret. I thought it wouldn't be too late to speak of it after I had hunted down the escaped dragon and eliminated any future threat, but…”
It was obvious where this story was going.
“You couldn't find it.”
“Heh heh… that is correct. I searched for quite a long time, but in the end, I could not find it.”
He probably never even considered asking for help.
The more people who knew, the higher the chance the secret would leak out into the world.
He must have scoured the globe, but he ultimately failed to find it and ended up retiring.
But something is strange.
“…You’re saying you’ve now found a creature you couldn't find even after searching for decades?”
Isn't that a bit too coincidental?
To find the beast he couldn't track down no matter how hard he looked in his youth, only now when he's on the verge of death.
This feels like…
“It probably let itself be found on purpose.”
That seemed highly likely.
And if the Pope and I were right.
“That dragon… it’s more cunning and intelligent than I thought.”
It must have heard from somewhere about the lifespan of a human—no, the Pope’s lifespan.
And it probably didn't want to see him die of old age.
So it revealed its existence.
To finish its decades-old quest for revenge.
But the Pope had a different idea.
“Heh heh… I see it differently.”
“Differently…?”
“I see it as a creature blinded by a decades-old thirst for vengeance, making a foolish mistake.”
“Is there a reason you think so?”
He told me something I hadn't considered.
“Dragons are known to live much longer than we do. Do you know how long it takes for a whelp to become an adult?”
“I do not.”
He held up five fingers.
“A full 500 years.”
“……”
I didn't know that.
I knew dragons were a species that grew stronger the longer they lived, but I had no idea it took 500 years just to grow from a hatchling to an adult.
At the same time, I realized the young dragon’s mistake.
“But that creature broke its silence and revealed itself to me after only a few decades.”
“…It certainly seems like a mistake.”
For decades, the young dragon must have relentlessly trained, its heart set on revenge.
But it was still young.
The fact that it needs 500 years to reach adulthood means its body matures just as slowly.
While that is a blessing, for the dragon, it must have been a curse.
A human’s lifespan would end long before it had a chance to fully mature.
“Therefore, this is an opportunity not just for me, but for you as well, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
My eyes widened.
An opportunity.
“An opportunity for what, exactly…?”
He replied.
“I hear that Angela is making something at your request. I have no idea what that child, who can whip up anything in a flash, is creating, but the sound of her hammering for three days and nights straight has led to countless complaints from the residents here, heh heh.”
“Ah…”
Right.
The people here were very quiet and tranquil.
For them, who went to bed early and rose early, the sound of hammering all night must have been unbearable torture.
It was probably similar to having constant noise from the apartment upstairs.
“You must know this as well, Hunter Kim Do-jin. A dragon's body is a treasure in and of itself.”
“……”
As mentioned before, a dragon's hide cannot be pierced without Sword Aura, and its claws and teeth easily shatter our armor.
That’s how tough and powerful it is.
Moreover, a dragon's body is optimized for containing mana.
If I were to implant a fragment of Gluttony into it and absorb its mana…
“I do not know what you are making, but a dragon's corpse would be of great help.”
I trust Angela.
With her talent and personality, she would one day create a mineral that was perfectly to my liking.
Yes.
One day.
Unfortunately, I don't have that much time.
And a dragon's corpse would be a material she would surely want to work with at least once.
Finally, the fact that the dragon being tracked was young also played a part.
After considering everything, I came to a conclusion.
“Your Holiness, I will eliminate your last remaining threat.”
A deep smile formed on the Pope's lips.
But that was that.
“Now, let’s talk about payment.”
“……?”
The Pope looked at me as if to ask what I was talking about.
Hey, come on now.
“A dragon’s corpse belongs to the one who killed it, so it’s naturally mine. You’ll have to pay me separately for taking care of your final lingering problem, right?”
You have to grab as much as you can when you have the chance.
* * *
After several rounds of bickering, the Pope, unable to overcome Kim Do-jin's ox-like stubbornness, made a promise.
He said that since it was a personal request, he could not offer the assets of the Orthodox Church.
Instead, he would give him one of the items he had collected in his younger days.
It was a little disappointing, but Kim Do-jin decided to be satisfied with that.
If he pushed any harder, the request itself might be withdrawn, and besides, he believed that an item a legendary 1st Generation Hunter had collected and stored separately would be quite valuable in its own right.
And so, after settling on a satisfactory reward, the next morning arrived.
It went without saying, but no matter how young the dragon was, facing it alone would be absurd.
It might not be impossible, but it would come with great risk.
‘There’s no need to take that risk.’
I was sick and tired of it now.
Getting my body wrecked while fighting monsters that threaten humanity.
So, I would form a team with meticulous care.
A dragon is a dragon, no matter how young.
The optimal lineup to thoroughly crush this calamity of humanity.
“First, Angela is a must.”
With her defense, which was like a small fortress, she would be able to withstand a dragon's attacks.
“Next… Ju-yeon.”
My next choice was Han Ju-yeon.
As an S-rank buffer and healer, she could provide support in many ways.
I’d love to take the Saintess, but she’s the busiest person in the world.
“The dealers will be me, and…”
This was the trickiest part.
Who should I bring as a dealer to finish off the dragon?
The Pope had told me that the dragon he killed and its offspring were both crimson Red Dragons.
That meant it was a fire-attribute monster that spewed scorching flames.
“Hmm… there is one person who comes to mind.”
As soon as I heard that, one person popped into my head.
The best dealer I knew, capable of unleashing the most powerful attacks against a fire-attribute enemy.
The only problem was that I had no connection to this person.
No, wait a minute.
“…It’s not like I have no connection at all, is it?”
I remembered.
A thin thread connecting me and that person.
“Hmm, it’s been a while. I wonder if this will work.”
I calmly gathered my thoughts and drew up my mana.
A pure white chill settled over the transparent mana.
The temperature in the room dropped as if it were the dead of winter, and the mana gathered in my fist turned into a block of ice.
I endlessly compressed the still-unsolidified mass, again and again.
And then, I transformed it.
Into a blade imbued with a chill that froze everything it touched.
The frigid blade, cold enough to freeze the very breath I exhaled, put to rest any concerns I had about being out of practice.
I carve a name into the blade—one as cruel as it is beautiful—and bestow it with its existence.
「Snow Bringer.」
As the white frost grew thicker and the transparent blade became even clearer, almost fading from view…
A powerful presence settled within it.
『Hoh… To think you've grown this much since I last saw you.』
The ego dwelling in the sword, Snow Bringer, spoke in admiration.
To think the man it had once met out of curiosity had grown so much in such a short time.
『I can no longer call you a whelp.』
The blade that had drawn out his presence was that outstanding.
In some ways, it felt even superior to the real blade in which it was housed.
His senses scanned the surroundings.
A cozy space that seemed far removed from blood and slaughter.
He asked.
『Why have you summoned me in a place with no battle?』
To be summoned in a place like this surely meant there was a reason.
Kim Do-jin answered his question.
“I need you to put me in touch with your master, Boris.”
『Boris… you mean that child?』
“That’s right. When you return, tell him this.”
A deep smile spread across his face as he continued.
“Ask him if he's interested in challenging a dragon raid.”
『……!』
The immense presence dwelling within the sword shuddered with excitement, causing the entire blade to tremble violently.