Chapter 220
Chapter 220
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: Death Knight #4
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Me, Paranoy, and Luna got to work, and the massive wyvern was dismantled in no time flat.
Scales and bones, claws and muscles, fat and flesh. Organs.
It must have been in a long hibernation, because its stomach and guts were completely empty, which spared us a bit of the gross factor. At least that was a relief.
Normally, you'd want to wash everything off in water before storing it, but given the sheer size and the unsuitable location, we'd decided to break it down right here and haul it out piece by piece.
"This fat could make for some great candles and soap!"
"The scales look like they'd be perfect for armor too...!"
Luna and Paranoy couldn't hide their excitement, their mouths curling up into big grins. The sight reminded me of my little sister glued to her computer, shopping online.
That pure satisfaction of browsing whatever you want.
And honestly, the current situation wasn't all that different.
Adventurer rumors claimed that a dragon's corpse had no wasted parts. Scales, claws, and even the muscles, tendons, and miscellaneous bits all had their uses.
Even if this was a wyvern that had fallen from true dragon status, the materials from this giant beast seemed more than enough to upgrade gear for me, Luna, and Paranoy—with plenty left over.
We could process it for long-term storage, or just sell off anything useless.
Was this how a party's overall strength ramped up?
Gear up with good equipment to hunt fiercer monsters, then use those materials to hunt even fiercer ones and rake in more cash. That was adventurer basics.
Luna and Paranoy knew it well, which explained their joy.
Plus, word of us slaying another wyvern would spread, earning us serious achievement points toward Silver Tier promotion. All upsides.
Emotions you could only feel after surviving. Damn, we nearly died.
That said, tasting this sweet reward made it hard to break free from the adventurer life's allure, risky job or not.
I was lost in those thoughts, staring at the wyvern's razor-sharp claws, when Paranoy—busily stuffing scales into her pouches—grinned and spoke up.
"Heh heh, nothing goes to waste...! Dragons are basically born to be materials...! They just die nice and obediently for the taking...!"
She had a point.
Coming from Paranoy, a nymph who'd been overhunted for materials herself, it was kinda hilarious. Made me see the similarities between nymphs and dragons.
Dragons were at least hard to hunt. If all nymphs were like Paranoy, no wonder their numbers had dwindled.
That thought made nymphs seem a bit pitiful.
"But it's too damn big; we can't carry it all. We should mark it, head back to the city, and grab the rest later?"
"You're right, Luna... Our bags are stuffed full; no more room...!"
A beast the size of a massive van naturally produced mountains of byproducts. Even splitting the load three ways, we were short on space.
Luna's idea made sense: return to the city first.
In RPGs, there were return scrolls or portals. Apparently not here, since I'd never heard of them.
"You two go on ahead, Luna and Paranoy. I'll stick around here. Can't have beasts dragging off our haul."
I volunteered to stay behind while sending them to the city. But Luna glanced around, worried for me.
"Hassan, you sure you'll be okay alone? Who knows what might pop out."
"No one else to watch it, though."
"True enough. Here, take this."
She unhooked something from her belt and handed it over. A small glass vial with a cork stopper—potion, maybe?
Nope. Inside were tiny bugs.
Glowbugs, emitting light from their tails. Like fireflies, but slimmer and smaller, almost like a cluster of mayflies.
"What's this?"
"Sky glowbugs. If you get lost alone, shake 'em up and release them into the air! They'll find their way to the surface path on their own."
"Ah, got it."
"Luna, we should head back now...! Meat and fat are all about freshness; gotta move quick...!"
Paranoy and Luna hoisted their heavy loads and scrambled back up the tunnel we'd come through.
As their figures faded from view, even their presence vanishing, Luna's voice echoed faintly from afar.
Hassan, wait there! We'll be back soon! Might take a full day if we're late! Be careful!
"Got it!"
That wrapped up things with Luna.
It had taken half a day from Sodmora to here. Round trip would be about a day.
A whole day, huh.
Stuck alone in this dark, creepy cliffside cave? Kinda unsettling.
On the flip side, finally some alone time.
I eyed the wyvern remains Luna and Paranoy hadn't fully stripped. The premium bits like scales and claws were gone, leaving just the heavy, sturdy bones.
It looked like a well-picked chicken. I placed a hand on its skull and stroked it slowly.
Nice bones.
But surprisingly hollow inside.
Bird bones were often like this, lightened for flight. Same deal for wyverns with their wings?
"Not dead yet. Wyvern."
My hand paused on its forehead.
And then...
A bluish glow ignited deep within the wyvern's empty, gaping skull.
Grrr...
A bone dragon?
No, bone wyvern.
The once-lifeless corpse now oozed blue energy from every joint, unfurling its skeletal wings.
RAAAAAWR!!!
That earth-shaking roar made my hair stand on end. The bone goblins I'd raised from scattered bits had their own eerie vibe.
But a bone wyvern's presence was on another level.
"...Figured as much."
Couldn't show this to Luna, so with her and Paranoy gone, perfect time to test my Necromancy.
Grrr...
Chunks of flesh and muscle still clung in places—gross and terrifying. But thinking I could command it? Kinda badass.
Placing a hand on its wing brought up text.
『Name: Hassan's Bone Wyvern lv. 22 + 1
Status: Grace-Enhanced Domination Strength》Fear Emission》』
Level 22. Not insanely high. According to Paranoy, this meant it wasn't fully grown.
That explained how our ragtag trio took it down. Earthquakes and cave-ins helped, sure...
Grrr...
But now that it was up, what to do with it?
Dragging it outside would cause chaos in the city. Dismissing it felt wasteful.
Who knows if I'd ever get another shot at a wyvern corpse.
Might as well test its power. I climbed onto its neck and said lightly,
"Let's take a stroll. Scout the area."
Grrr.
It creaked into motion, carrying me.
Bones only, but its original bulk made every step thud heavily—boom, boom.
"This is awesome."
They say a good ride changes your view of the world. Spot on.
Overlooking everything from up high.
Squeak!
Hiss, hissss...
Rats and snakes scurried from my feet.
Felt like a well king.
Curious about its combat power, I wondered aloud.
"Any other monsters around besides you?"
...
The bone wyvern halted.
Its blue glow fixed on a deep black hole ahead—the tunnel plunging further into the cliff cave.
Straining my ears, I caught weird beastly laughs and cries. Almost human laughter.
Hee hee hee hee...
Chills.
Mountain—
"What the fuck."
Thought I misheard. But no—someone deep inside called my name.
Hassan—
At first, I dismissed it. But the echoing voice persisted, thin and familiar.
Hassan, wait there! Hassan, wait! Hassan—!
"Shit."
Something creepy crawled up my spine, and I cursed. Luna's voice from that darkness.
No way the Luna who'd climbed to the city was down there.
Imitation, then.
Something lurked in the shadows, mimicking her to lure me.
Elma, Gorgas, where are you? Don't leave me. I'm here, right here—
Mom, save me. Mom, it's scary—!
One voice split into many, babbling nonsense.
Pitches varied, words jumbled like a broken radio. But all tugged at the heartstrings.
Grrrrr...!
The bone wyvern under me tensed, blue eyes flashing as it snarled at the void, teeth bared.
GRRAAAA—!
Instinct screamed trouble.
From the dark emerged a pale human face.
Smooth, genderless, with shark-like teeth jutting below—inhuman.
I recalled the valley's name.
Manticore Valley.
Why the name? Manticores lived here, obviously.
Human face with sawblade teeth, lion's body. Mane flowing, flesh-craving horror.
It grinned, splitting wide to reveal triple rows of serrated fangs.
Hassan, don't leave me. Mom—
"Fucking hell, that's terrifying! Smash that bastard!"
I leaped off and commanded.
RAAAAA—!!
The bone wyvern roared fearlessly, charging the dark.
Hassan—!
The saw-toothed monster burst out, lunging back.
Revealed: grotesquely long neck, quadruped body, scorpion tail. Hideous.
Lion-based, smaller than the wyvern, but no less repulsive.
"Kill it—!"
RAAAA—!
The bone wyvern pinned its neck with wing-forelimbs, jaws clamping the throat.
KIIIIII—!
The human-faced manticore shrieked like nails on glass.
Attacks connected, at least.
Wyvern's badass!
"You little shit! Scaring me like that!"
I spat curses to shake off the fear-frozen panic. Crude, but it steadied my nerves.
Not that I was fighting.
RAAAAK—!
The wyvern twisted, intent on crushing the neck.
Crunch—The manticore slumped, twitching.
『Minion battle settled.』
『Karma Value + 10』
『Current Karma Value + 65』
My bone wyvern took down a nightmare manticore. Big game, big points.
Impressive.
"You fucker, Agumon! You're one badass motherfucker!"
Victory hype: I named it Agumon.
Maybe the name, or surviving together, but the ugly bone wyvern felt kinda endearing now.
Short-lived peace.
Hassan—
Hassaaan—
Saaaaan, heh heh heh, ha ha hee hee—
Manticore after manticore emerged from the dark. Laughter gone from me.
This place was pure hell.
Felt like a noob adventurer trapped in Ludibrium.
Lost in a maze, desperate to escape.
Did we win?
No dying here. Hand on my club—
Keng, kekege—
Keng—
The manticores—growling for my blood moments ago—bolted like whipped dogs.
What the...?
Dazed, I spotted glowing eyes from the corner, clattering toward me.
Bone wyvern... Necromancer...? But still a newbie... Scared of manticores...?