Chapter 309
Chapter 309
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 309
Chapter Title: The Red Dragon's Arrival
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Pshaaa-!
A thick veil of black poison smoke blanketed the city. The ground and buildings melted away, and everything within its radius vanished.
Fortunately, the damage didn't spread any further. The Hydra was pinned down by the rankers, after all.
They had succeeded in halting the Hydra's advance.
But that was their only accomplishment.
"Kraaa!"
Phyllis grabbed one of the Hydra's legs and shoved it aside. Despite its monstrous strength, toppling its center of balance made the beast stagger for a moment.
The opening was created out of trust in Ye-ryeong. A flash lit up the sky as her dagger gleamed.
Pshaaa-!
One of the dangling Hydra heads finally severed. It was the fruit of several hard-fought attempts.
A fountain of blood erupted from the stump, and the head crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom. Ice flowers then bloomed across the writhing neck.
Kyaaaah-!
The remaining six heads let out deafening roars. Three heads down so far.
But there was no time to celebrate the feat.
"Incoming!"
Ye-ryeong shouted a warning at the blood gushing downward.
Hydra blood was an extreme poison rivaling its venom spines. No ranker below would survive a direct hit from that deluge.
Thankfully, those who heard her cry weren't just the rankers on the ground.
A translucent barrier sprang up between the cascading blood and the rankers.
It was Hye-min's handiwork.
"Haaah."
"W-We... survived..."
Bwoooong-.
That was when the Hydra's tail whipped through the air.
In the fleeting moment of relief after dodging death, the tail pulverized the rankers in an instant, turning them into bloody pulp.
And amid the chaos...
"Gasp!"
One barely surviving ranker heaved for breath. He realized he was airborne and looked up.
Ye-ryeong had saved him, grabbing his collar mid-leap to yank him skyward.
Whish, thump-.
Ye-ryeong dropped the rescued ranker unceremoniously to the ground.
"Don't drop your guard!"
Her scream-like shout carried mana, echoing across the battlefield.
It wasn't just for the one she'd saved—it was for everyone there.
"Every second is a brush with death! Relax for an instant, and you're dead, you moron!"
"S-Sorry..."
Flash-.
Without waiting for a reply, Ye-ryeong dashed off again.
She hadn't rested for a moment. Her clothes were soaked through with sweat as she ran, looking out for others.
She couldn't save them all. Facing the Hydra, zero casualties was impossible.
But Ye-ryeong and the other two were giving their absolute all to save even one more.
'What the hell are they?'
The question naturally arose in the minds of those whose lives they'd saved.
Ye-ryeong was the culprit behind the Sacheon Tang Clan raid and the Poison King's death. The Murim world branded her an enemy, and other guilds eyed her and Si-woo warily, even if they didn't say it outright.
They feared she might spark an incident like Hwang Gyu-seong's assault on the counteroffensive. Or rather, with the Poison King dead, the incident had already happened.
As a result, public perception of Blue Eyes was that of a potential criminal syndicate.
Hwang Gyu-seong's raid on the counteroffensive. Kim Ye-ryeong's strike on Sacheon Tang Clan.
The narrative was that these once-hidden figures had emerged, allied with demons to turn against players.
And yet...
'Allied with demons? These people?'
No way in hell. They were certain.
Demons were obsessed with killing as many as possible. Aligning with them meant sharing that bloodlust.
But the three before their eyes were the polar opposite.
No—
If they were that kind, they wouldn't have come here at all.
While every major guild hung back, watching, these three had charged in without hesitation.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Kyaaaah-!
The Hydra raged with its six remaining heads after losing another.
Crackle-.
The ground beneath its feet froze over once more. In that instant, one head shot a venomous glare at Si-woo.
Pfshhh-.
Black poison smoke billowed out. Si-woo countered by spreading pure white frost, freezing it solid.
Si-woo's role was to lock down the Hydra's movements and block its poison clouds.
The other heads turned on him. As more smoke gathered, Ye-ryeong's daggers flew from the heads, stabbing into the eyes of those glaring at Si-woo.
Kyaaaah-!
The shrieking heads whipped around in fury, searching for Ye-ryeong. It gave Si-woo a moment to breathe.
"Hoo, ha-."
"Si-woo, you okay?"
Si-woo's back was drenched. His face had gone ghostly pale.
The result of pouring mana nonstop. With his reserves running dry, his stamina was crashing.
"I'm sweating buckets."
"It's so damn hot."
"I can handle that much."
Hye-min scooped up the snow piled at her feet and pressed it to Si-woo's face. The steam rising from his skin eased as the cold touched it.
"Feels nice and cool."
"How much longer can you hold?"
"Beats me."
Si-woo was burning through the most mana here.
Sealing movements, shielding other rankers, conjuring ice spikes for attacks.
He was handling offense, defense, and support all by himself.
"Don't push yourself solo. You'll burn out first."
"Gotta save one more."
"You can't shatter yourself saving them. If you—"
"It's not for them. It's for us."
Even mid-conversation, Si-woo's hands never stopped. An ice barrier rose to block the poison smoke, followed by fresh white frost blooming across the Hydra's body.
Sweat beaded on his barely cooled face again.
"Us?"
"We're rebuilding the guild."
To rescue Hye-min, Ye-ryeong and Soo-hyuk had stormed Sacheon Tang Clan. The Poison King and countless rankers and high-rankers had fallen there.
That incident birthed fear of the Blue Eyes name.
"It's not just revenge. We have to carry the honor and pride of the dead too."
Hwang Gyu-seong's name, in particular, had become synonymous with humanity's traitor.
Tarnished honor. Defiled legacy.
To redeem them, they had to embody honor now.
"...That's heavy."
Just hearing it weighed on her shoulders. Hye-min turned from Si-woo to Ye-ryeong, who panted as she dashed about.
These two had shouldered that burden for the 20 years she'd slumbered peacefully. The weight must have crushed them, yet with her as leverage, they couldn't even stretch.
Hye-min's grip tightened. One Hydra head mid-spew froze upright.
Keeeeng-.
A red glow enveloped the head. Its venom-laced maw trembled.
In that moment, Ye-ryeong's dagger danced once more.
Kraaaack-.
Shriiiip-.
One blade stripped scales; the next carved flesh.
It was less a slash than a dissection. Racing across the head, Ye-ryeong put on a dazzling display to sever the neck.
And at the finale, another head tumbled.
Pshaaa-!
They'd overcome raw power deficits with Hye-min's buffs, support, and flawless control.
From afar, Ye-ryeong flashed Hye-min a thumbs-up.
But then.
"Watch out!"
Hye-min startled, yelling as she watched from distance.
The remaining five heads gaped from five directions toward Ye-ryeong. Lost in decapitation, she hadn't noticed.
Si-woo's hand thrust forward. To save her, he'd freeze the entire body, strain be damned.
But.
"Urk-."
Si-woo retched, yanking mana desperately.
"Blech!"
Regurgitated blood spewed out. Forcing depleted mana had torn his internals.
"No!"
With Hye-min's scream, the heads unleashed poison smoke in unison.
It surged from all sides. In that dire moment, Ye-ryeong sensed she couldn't evade.
If dodging was impossible, no choice.
Charge through with body.
Grip-.
Resolving as much, she clenched her dagger tight.
Flash-!
Kaboom-!
Bolts of lightning crashed from the heavens.
Fwoooosh-.
The spewed smoke ignited on contact. Like oil aflame, the blaze raced into the Hydra's maws.
Kyaaaaaaa-!
The Hydra shrieked, swallowing searing flames. No matter its size or toughness, it couldn't endure that agony.
Ye-ryeong's death-resolved face lit up as she prepared to charge.
"Lee Soo-hyuk-!"
Battlefield eyes shifted skyward at the lightning and her cry.
Above the strike point.
A familiar red dragon hovered.
"Gr-Grand Mage!"
"The Grand Mage is here!"
"It's Hailz and Vulcanus!"
Red Dragon Vulcanus.
Riding atop: Hailz and Lee Soo-hyuk.
The exhausted rankers' faces brightened instantly. Grand Mage support was the most reassuring of all.
And sure enough, Hailz proved why she bore the title.
Keeeeng-.
Her raised staff blazed with light. Above the fire-choked, writhing Hydra torso, space warped visibly.
Kuuuuu-.
Kaaaa-!
The colossal frame buckled under crushing pressure. Six heads, body, tail—all compressed by targeted gravity.
Precise and overwhelming force. One spell sealed its movements.
"The Hydra... in one shot..."
"She's on another level."
As rankers chanted Hailz's name, Si-woo and Hye-min smirked.
"Soo-hyuk's totally benched."
"One more thing to tease him about later."
"Can't tease Ye-ryeong though."
"Why not?"
"She nearly died—he saved her. She'll be the one teasing him."
Unlike the others, Soo-hyuk's arrival was the biggest relief for the three.
It wasn't about skill. It was bedrock faith: this guy would make it work.
Si-woo's pallid face lifted to Vulcanus. With Soo-hyuk here, they could finally breathe.
"Can't lose, right?"
Rumble, craaaack-.
Thunder rolled from the sky. As Soo-hyuk's stage was set, Si-woo called out.
"You gotta show 'em too. Who's back."