Chapter 219
Chapter 219
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 219
Chapter Title: Death Knight #3
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Dragons.
Fearsome scales and claws, and massive bodies.
Flying bombers that soared through the skies, spewing fire or beams from their mouths.
In any case, dragons were something like the incarnation of terror for the people of this world.
Just look at the fairy tales of the Gaia continent—stories of evil dragons kidnapping princesses were everywhere, painting them as wicked beasts.
I'd only seen a dragon once in this world. Was it the time one flew onto the roof of the city hall in Calcutta, and the mages gathered to chase it away?
I had no idea why it perched on the city hall roof, but with its dark red body and enormous wing membranes spread wide, screeching fiercely, the whole city was in chaos.
A natural disaster, through and through.
You never knew when or where they'd appear, or what damage they'd cause.
"H-Hiii... It's... a d-dragon..."
So when one was sprawled out right in front of us, it was no wonder Paranoy was trembling in fear, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
He was frozen like a mouse before a snake, feet glued flat to the ground, unable to move.
But it wasn't just Paranoy—Luna and I were also rooted to the spot, speechless.
Who knows if our lives were flashing before our eyes.
You bony little shit. You said it was safe inside, you son of a bitch—.
We'd thought it was just some ordinary cave and walked right in, only to run into a dragon.
A ruby-red body, and including its tail, about the size of a mid-sized car. But if it spread its crouched wings and body, it might be half again as big.
Grrrr...
Its eyes were closed, and it was breathing steadily, so it seemed to be asleep.
"Hoo..."
I took a tiny breath, small enough not to alert it. They say even if you enter a tiger's den, you can survive if you keep your wits.
Maybe the same went for a dragon's lair? Dragons and tigers were rivals or something, right? Probably similar.
So, with a clear head, I seriously assessed the situation.
And I seriously realized our party was fucked.
If this thing woke up, we were all dead.
"Now that I look... it's not a dragon, it's a wild wyvern... And it's small, doesn't seem very old..."
Right then, Paranoy calmed down enough to explain properly. The thing in front of us wasn't a dragon, but a wyvern?
Luna chimed in.
"I've never seen a dragon before. What's the difference between a wyvern and a dragon?"
"Fifty years ago, in the Giant War, the Titans and dragons who lost stripped of their status—most were imprisoned or killed. A few made deals with Hypnos to cling to their positions, like the Furnace Dragons..."
"Furnace Dragons?"
"The high temple of Vesta goddess is guarded by dragons tending the primordial hearth flames. They're bound by contract to Vesta and her grand champions, spared from decline. But the others fell, lost their powers, and became mindless wyverns like this..."
So the once-mighty ones, defeated in war, devolved into wild beasts? Listening to Paranoy, I could see the difference from the dragon I'd seen before.
Lying there dozing, it looked like it had no front legs.
Were those small claw-like things at the ends of its wing membranes serving as front feet?
Anyway, I got that it wasn't a fearsome dragon but a wyvern. Still, if this sleeping beast woke up, we'd all be in danger for sure.
Like realizing the beast in front of you wasn't a tiger but a wolf.
Wolf or tiger, both are predators. Fucking dangerous either way.
I lightly tapped the backs of the still-frozen Luna and Paranoy.
"Don't wake it. Let's back out. This must not be the cave."
You two-headed snake bastard. Leading us to a place like this. Should've known better than to trust snake talk.
"Ah."
Right then, Luna let out a small exclamation.
"What?"
"Look over there. Eggs. Unhatched eggs... a few of them!"
I carefully peered where she pointed, and sure enough, behind the massive wyvern were a few round eggs.
Round like quail eggs, dark-shelled, a bit bigger than my head. Impressively powerful-looking eggs.
"Wait. I'll grab just one."
"No, you're taking one? What if the wyvern wakes...!"
"I don't think it will. Ideope crocs sleep through the summer. This one's doing the same."
Snap, snap—.
Luna flicked her fingers, making a pretty loud noise. Paranoy and I tensed our jaws and necks, hunching involuntarily.
But the wyvern was in such deep sleep that even her snaps didn't stir it.
"Still too risky. Luna, let's just go."
"Really...? Well, if Hassan says so, no choice."
Maybe my persuasion worked—uncharacteristically, Luna gave in and turned to leave. That was the moment.
Rumble—.
The ground shook violently from deep underground. The cave we were in started quaking like it would collapse.
Luna, Paranoy, and I grabbed nearby stalactites to steady ourselves. The real problem came next.
Grrooo...
I spotted its green-slitted pupil staring right at me. My nape prickled like a migraine. Every muscle tensed rigid.
Only one thing came out of my mouth.
"...We're fucked. Run—!"
Grraaah!
The wyvern fully rose, spreading its wings wide. Up close, it was at least the size of a van.
A van with claws and teeth charging, hungry for our flesh instead of fuel—dizzying thought.
"W-We might as well steal an egg!"
Somehow finding courage, Luna charged toward it at full speed. Faster than I imagined—I couldn't even stop her.
Grrooo!
Seeing her as a foe, the wyvern swung down its raised wing.
Oh no, Luna's done for, flattened—.
Whoosh.
But Luna ducked her waist like a boxer slipping a punch, sliding between its wing and leg.
Her agility stat reaching superhuman levels was no lie. She dodged acrobatically between wing and body.
Swoosh—.
"Heavy—!?"
Grabbing an egg as big as its torso was the issue. The wyvern egg heavier than expected, Luna hesitated a moment.
Graaah!!
Furious at that, the wyvern roared, mouth gaping desk-sized.
The cave rang like it would collapse; I grimaced and hunched instinctively.
"Hassan, help Luna...!"
"I know!"
I didn't want to fight a monster like this if possible.
Part of me wondered what it'd be like to raise its bones after killing it. Am I thinking like this? Really steeped in necromancer ways?
Another part wanted to test my strength against such a beast.
After leveling up and pumping vitality to 9, my body brimmed with magma-hot power.
"Luna, hang on!"
I drew my club and charged the wyvern.
Sensing my bloodlust or mana, it tried turning, but the narrow cave limited its movements, exposing its nape to me.
Thud thud.
I climbed its tail and back, then from above, smashed down on its head with a bisecting strike.
Boom—!
Gaaack—!!
A loud impact—wyvern's balance shattered, tumbling to the floor. Its hind legs and wing-claws couldn't handle the shock.
"Hassan, watch out!"
Luna's shout snapped me alert. The stalactites dangling above me were cracking.
Crack.
I rolled off the wyvern swiftly.
Awkward and ridiculous pose, but it got me out of danger.
Crash crash—.
I dodged the falling stalactites easily.
Graaaah—!
The wyvern, crushed under the heavy rocks, could only thrash and scream.
I didn't know how tough its scales were, but it took major damage for sure.
In game terms, the groggy phase all giant monsters get—time to pile on the DPS.
"Screw it up—!"
My yell jolted Luna and Paranoy alert.
Luna yanked out her massive silence totem with both hands; Paranoy grabbed nearby stones.
I hammered the wyvern's body relentlessly wherever I could reach.
Crack, crunch—.
Its pretty ruby scales shattered and cracked. Agonized screams from the wyvern.
Gwaaah—!
Like a human with broken nails? Yeah, that hurts.
"Then this'll hurt more—!"
I dashed to its thrashing head on the ground and bashed it repeatedly with the club.
Bang, bang—, bang—!
Heads are weak points for most creatures, even this scale-armored wyvern.
"A bit more and we can take it down...! Ah—! Watch out...!"
Paranoy's voice made me check the wyvern. Its red scales glowed like heated glass.
"It's gonna breath...!"
"Breath—!?"
Startled, I leaped back—just as it gaped wide and spewed flames.
Fwoosh, roar—.
Weird gas smell and heat swept the area instantly.
Fwaaah—!
Wyvern stood, spinning and blasting fire all around.
"Aaaahot—! So hot...!"
"Not normal fire!"
Paranoy rolled on the floor, robe ablaze. Luna flailed amid the spreading flames.
At this rate, we'd all be roasted. I needed to plug that wyvern's mouth, like stifling a hangover burp.
No more thinking—I charged.
"Shut it, you fuck!"
Clinging to its head, I dodged the flames barely and crushed its upper and lower jaws from above.
Reptiles have strong bite but weak opening force, usually. This wyvern too.
Grooo...
Its jaws slowly closed. It struggled, but my gritted endurance and grip held.
"Die—!"
As its jaws fully shut.
The backed-up flames exploded inside its mouth and body.
Boom—!
Kek, keh-hek-hek, kek.
Tormented by its own blast? The giant lizard wyvern hacked dryly.
It twitched its tail a few times, then slumped limp.
Feeling its strength drain away against me, I knew we'd won this duel.
We killed the wyvern.
"I... I fucking killed a dragon!"
An insane rush hit me. I fucking killed a dragon. I was Dragon Slayer Hassan now!
Arms raised high in triumph, sweat-drenched Paranoy approached, patting out flames on himself.
"Not a dragon, a wyvern. And a young one...!"
"Shut up, asshole."
"Still, taking a wyvern with raw physical prowess, no tricks. Truly becoming a fearsome warrior...!"
But no time to bask.
The wyvern's weird gas fed the scattered flames, billowing toxic smoke everywhere.
What now? Bail first?
Then.
Luna, flung far by its tail, staggered up and pulled a bizarre potion vial from her waist.
She sprayed it from a dwarven sprayer—chiiik—even the raging inferno weakened and died out.
"Fire suppressant—good I brought it...! Anyway, Hassan! We got a wyvern! Quick, loot it!"
Thanks to Luna, dodged a mess.
I pressed my palm to the wyvern's huge body.
From my elfriede slave days butchering corpses, I could feel bone and hide structure just by touch, croc or wyvern.
As its skeletal layout formed in my mind, I suddenly realized.
This thing... might actually raise as a bone unit if I play it right....