Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: No Spoon Needed (1)
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[Storm Dragon Sahabut].
The reason Elaine knew that name wasn't because this boss existed in her world. It was because so much information had leaked out that even I knew it.
-Ugh, is this as far as we go...! Everyone, retreat! Any more and the casualties will be too high!
They'd already attempted raids here several times in this country.
The government wanted to record the boss raid on video.
Not just this country—America and everywhere else did the same.
Behold our badass S-Rank Hunters conquering the boss!
Pure propaganda.
If they failed, they wouldn't release it.
If they succeeded, the video would go up on official government channels, the hunters' agencies, and their personal channels—everywhere.
Crude as it sounds, it was all for the sake of raking in those sweet views.
If I'd recorded Elaine taking down Ouroboros and uploaded it, we'd probably be sitting at thirty million views by now, easy.
One S-Rank Tower raid video had hit three hundred million views over two years, so yeah, something like that.
'If only that cross-section of the monster's severed body hadn't flashed by in the footage.'
If it hadn't gotten taken down midway due to some incident, it might've hit three billion instead.
Solo clears especially.
The problem was that only successful raids got uploaded.
Governments and agencies had no interest in posting failures, but in party raids, someone always screwed up.
-It's leaked!
Mini-cameras hidden in glasses frames for secret recordings.
Or decorative grips on sword-like gear that were actually cameras.
Once, an A-Rank Hunter who'd lost an eye and wore a prosthetic joined a Ganghwado S-Rank Tower raid, then uploaded the footage from his eye-cam to his channel the moment he exited the dungeon.
-Korean S-Rank Hunters' failed raid footage! Like, subscribe, and hit notifications!
Classified info leaks.
If you're wondering how a hunter affiliated with a nation could leak raid intel, it was because they'd given up on living in that country.
-They even codenamed it Storm Dragon Sahabut, and the Korean government's incompetent lololol. I'm heading to safe Japan www
That hunter got flamed hard.
The nation issued a public manhunt.
But his family had gone on a "trip" to Japan before the raid and never came back. Extradition requests for an A-Rank were ignored.
Why go that far?
-We'll clear the S-Rank Tower for you, so hand over that land.
...Tower clears had evolved into modern territorial wars.
Of course, eliminating towers was humanity's common goal, but nations often demanded concessions in exchange.
Take the S-Rank Tower on Dokdo—it was deeply tied to politics.
Before Elaine stepped in, Korea's S-Rank Towers were:
Mungyeong Saejae Tower. Ganghwado. Jeju Island. Dokdo.
Ask which to prioritize, and the answer depended on where you lived.
Seoul folks wanted Ganghwado.
Gyeongsang, Gangwon, Chungcheong wanted Mungyeong Saejae.
Jeolla and Jeju wanted Jeju Island.
Ulleungdo folks wanted Dokdo.
So the government had focused raids on Ganghwado.
-Is this the Seoul Republic or what?!
The standard comeback: With twenty million people there versus one or two million elsewhere, doesn't it make numerical sense?
Provincial backlash was fierce, but some muttered, "The phrasing was a bit much," and coughed it off.
-Just clear an S-Rank Tower anywhere quick! I'm getting dizzy!
Raids dragged on.
Attempts failed one after another.
At least they'd cleared the dungeons and mid-bosses before the boss room while climbing.
-Should we just leave it to foreign hunters?
That was the talk now.
At least those complaints would die down soon.
If Elaine and Kiharu succeeded.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Kyaaaaah!!
At the tower's peak, unfolded into sub-space.
A massive green dragon coiled in the sky let out a roar.
With it, burning rocks began plummeting from the heavens.
"That looks dangerous, nya?"
Kiharu, stuck to Elaine's side, pointed alternately at the sky and ground.
This boss room was pretty spacious, but it didn't look sturdy enough to withstand those massive flaming boulders.
"It's dangerous. It's trying to collapse the floor."
Elaine thrust forward a sword that gleamed like forged frost.
"Kiharu. Allow me to show you one of Master's miracles."
Elaine assumed her stance.
Her basic combat pose from the game.
"Kiharu, if my HP drops, heal me immediately."
"HP?"
"You'll understand once you experience it. Here it... comes!"
The moment a massive fireball plummeted.
"...Master, now!"
No sooner had Elaine shouted than her body slid sideways in a burst of light.
"!!"
Kwaaaang!!
The fireball smashed into the ground, unleashing a powerful shockwave.
It shook violently, spreading flames around—but
"My god...! So that's the law...!"
Kiharu's already huge eyes widened further at the 'unbroken' floor.
"Defying physics...! Overlapping one world onto another...!"
"Second one!"
Elaine, having dodged aside, dashed across the ground.
"It's heading our way, nya...!"
"It has homing!"
The fireballs weren't just falling—they arced toward Elaine's escape path.
"...! Now...!"
Elaine halted abruptly.
She drew her sword to her waist, gathered mana, and swung forward.
Sek!
The descending fireball split in half.
Its mass shattered into fragments, scattering as embers behind Elaine.
Ding~.
Golden aura flowed from Kiharu's body.
It enveloped Elaine, who smiled faintly.
"As expected."
"...It works?"
Kiharu let out a hollow laugh.
"What if the heal hadn't worked, nya?"
"Then you'd have summoned another healer. Our side's 5-star healers are... unclear. Hm."
Kyaaaaah!!
"Looks like Sahabut's properly pissed now."
"Whatever you did, 'floor-breaking' failed. So, Master, you still controlling?"
"Yes. And now... it's our turn."
Sahabut opened its maw wide and dove at the ground.
Like a missile bombing the surface, slamming its massive body down.
"Master, now leave it to me."
Elaine crouched low.
A pose impossible in the game.
In reality, like a cat poised to pounce—as Sahabut smashed its gaping jaws into the floor—
Taat!
She leaped sideways, toward the edge.
Kwaaaaang!!
The floor shattered instantly.
Massive rock chunks crumbled, plummeting from the tower.
Kyaaak!
Sahabut's eyes bulged at the prey escaping its jaws, but it soon narrowed them at Elaine's position and smirked.
Midair.
The rooftop collapsed; humans could only fall under gravity—
Taat.
Elaine stepped on a crumbling rock fragment and leaped upward.
Landing atop Sahabut as it dove away below, she plunged her sword into its scales.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted from Sahabut's body.
Like fire to swat a clinging fly—but Elaine endured, sword embedded amid the blaze.
"You don't need to help this much."
"Take the heal first, nya!"
Tadak-tadak.
Before Elaine's hair and skin could burn, the golden aura regenerated her scorched flesh.
"How is it? The difference between direct healing and healing in 'Master's managed world'."
"At least the latter leaves no scars—good thing, nya!"
"Exactly."
Elaine righted her stance.
"The reason Master controls me is because wounds are fewer and less visible. Less pain, too."
Even as they plummeted amid the fall, she used the massive storm dragon's body as footing to run downward.
"But against 'field-breaking' foes like this, there's no helping it—we respond accordingly."
The moment Sahabut twisted to soar back up, its eyes widened at Elaine running along its back.
"Use everything you've got."
Kishaaaak!
Sahabut began spinning wildly.
Like an alligator death-rolling, its huge body spiraled.
"Hmph."
Elaine chuckled lowly.
The flailing looked desperate; she surged forward like a flash.
Toward the glinting red gem at the nape.
"Found it."
The instant Elaine aimed her sword at the red gem—
Pfook!
A green beam shot from it, piercing Elaine's abdomen—
"...Hmph."
Just before, her body 'flashed,' teleporting forward.
Past the gem—but she flipped instantly, aiming her mana-forged sword anew.
Fwoosh!!
True last gasp.
Red flames burst between scales to incinerate her.
"For a brief moment, even this constrained body can endure with its own power."
Kyaak...?!
Her regeneration outpaced the flames; Elaine thrust her mana blade, glowing full, into the red gem.
"As expected."
Kishaaaak!
"Ouroboros could talk, but this one's not that smart, huh."
Pfook!!
Kki, kiahk...!
"Feeling wronged?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Kki, kkihiik...!] A bizarre screech echoed from the cracking red gem.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You... You'll fall with me...! H-Human...!] "Fall, huh."
Elaine leaped skyward toward the plummeting Sahabut amid the collapsing sub-space tower, sword still buried in the red gem.
"Who knows."
Flap.
"I've got the power Master gave me."
Mechanical bird-like wings unfurled behind Elaine.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What.] Sahabut began plummeting toward the ground, wreathed in flames.