Just Bad Luck
It was simply that his opponent was too strong. Grenfell Landria Gaster. His true identity was a Red Dragon straight out of legend. Not an ancient dragon, though—just a hatchling barely three hundred years old. In human terms, a hatchling was still a child who needed protection. Stronger than any human and capable of slaying even ogres, the so-called apex predators, a hatchling was still considered a being that required safeguarding from a dragon’s perspective. At least until it grew strong enough to stand on its own.
This custom had arisen because humans who once dreamed of becoming dragon slayers, unable to hunt the mighty ancient dragons, had taken to tormenting the comparatively weaker hatchlings instead. In the end, it was another consequence of human malice. There had been some initial resistance, but Lord’s firm stance had eventually won out. Honestly, there was nothing to be done about it. There was no need to train a hatchling to make it stronger. All one had to do was wait. Simply wait for time to pass, and the body would naturally reach maturity. The incomplete dragon heart would grow more solid. They were a fraudulent race. While others shed blood, sweat, and tears, overcoming countless trials and hardships to grow stronger, dragons could become stronger simply by closing their eyes and sleeping. After a hundred years, two hundred years, they would naturally be able to wield magic. Their scales would harden until ordinary attacks no longer worked. One had to wonder whether the gods had even been thinking when they created such a species.
Gaster had grown up under the protection of other dragons during his hatchling years. Three hundred years passed once more. The dragons guarding him gradually departed, and though still a hatchling, Gaster was left alone. It was not a problem. At three hundred years of age, it was time to foster independence. They could not protect him forever. He had to soar through the skies on his own and hunt for his own prey. Dragons had their pride; they could not expect to be cared for indefinitely. Knowing this, Gaster became independent the year he turned three hundred, and after half a year he had grown accustomed to living alone.
Then, an unexpected guest arrived at Gaster’s lair.
“Lord……”
“Yes. Gaster, you’ve been well.”
Dragon Lord had come. He wore the form of a human—an old man with a long, bushy white beard that nearly touched the ground. The other dragons had made a fuss, begging him to do something about that beard, but none could break Lord’s stubbornness.
“This is only the second time I’ve seen you since you were born. Do you remember me?”
“I do. Especially that beard—I could never forget it.”
“Hohoho. Of course. You wouldn’t forget this beard.”
Lord stroked his beard at length. Gaster carefully lowered his body and asked,
“What brings you here……?”
Normally, no one visited hatchlings who had just begun living independently. The proper way was to wait until they had finished establishing themselves and built their own lairs. Lord’s visit at this stage was unexpected.
“I have a task for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
“Why me?”
Gaster could not understand. Assigning a mission to a hatchling who had only just begun living on his own made no sense.
“Where are the others?”
“They’re all asleep.”
“What?”
“Unfortunately, most of the dragons have entered their slumber period.”
“But Lord Grenzel was awake.”
“He’s gone to the southern edge on a mission I gave him. Strange monsters have appeared there, devouring people like mad, or so I heard.”
“Ah, I see.”
Gaster nodded.
“In this area, you’re the only dragon who hasn’t entered slumber. You know this already, don’t you? Once a dragon enters slumber……”
“Nothing can wake them.”
“And the slumber period is crucial for us dragons, so we cannot disturb them.”
The slumber period was the most necessary time for dragons. It was not mere sleep; through slumber they organized the mana within their bodies and used the overflowing mana as nourishment for growth. If one compared it to humans, it was like digestion time—except it took far longer.
“Truthfully, I feel bad giving a task to someone who has only just entered the independent phase, but you’re the only one left.”
“Not at all! Please entrust it to me. I will succeed no matter what the mission is.”
Gaster bowed his head, and Lord nodded.
“Your mission is……”
The single task Lord assigned Gaster was to investigate a dimensional rift. If left unchecked, an opened dimensional rift could bring about an uncontrollable disaster. Therefore, it had to be confirmed, and if still open, closed. A grave responsibility. Gaster burned with a sense of mission.
After all—
‘I was so incredibly bored!’
Once he entered the independent phase and was left alone, there was nothing to do. Hunt for prey, return, sleep, hunt, sleep—repeating the same cycle. The mission that had fallen like sweet rain into his monotonous routine was more than enough to relieve his boredom. And if he could earn Lord’s recognition, there could be no greater honor. Furthermore—
‘I can pull ahead of the other hatchlings born around the same time.’
Seeing this as an opportunity, Gaster located the opened dimensional rift. There he found a slime. A mutant slime. Thinking it would bring calamity to its surroundings if left alone, he tried to kill it. A mere slime—he thought a single spell would suffice and approached lightly. Yet he suffered an unexpected counterattack, and the creature’s strike left a penetrating wound in his body. A fatal injury that would have killed him had he not been a dragon. Worse still, the slime did not kill him; it paralyzed him with lightning and dragged him away.
‘How dare…… a mere slime…… do this to me, a dragon……’
His pride was wounded. Dragons were the guardians of the middle realm, the strongest beings standing at the apex of all species! To think that he, of all dragons, had been defeated and dragged about by nothing more than a slime! Such a thing must never be allowed.
“Kuaaaaaagh!!”
Self-loathing and rage. With his pride injured, Gaster knew he had to restore it no matter what. For the honor of dragons. For everything entrusted to him by Lord!
Caught by Gluttony and moments away from becoming roasted dragon, Gaster dispelled the Polymorph magic cast upon him and returned to his true dragon form.
—I’ll kill them all!
With a powerful flap of his massive membranous wings, Gaster soared into the sky, his voice thick with fury.
—To think you would make me, a dragon of the supreme race, suffer such humiliation!!!
Whether slime or anything else—perish in the flames of my annihilation!
Still a hatchling, his composure was lacking. Enraged, Gaster prepared to unleash absolute annihilation magic—his breath—upon Legrian Territory at once.
“A-a dragon!”
“O-oppa!”
Elena and Hans, present at the scene, could not help but be horrified. Dragons were beings that existed only in legends. Elena had never seen one and naturally believed them to be fictional creatures invented by people. Still, she had harbored a fantasy—the dream of riding a dragon’s back and soaring through the sky. Even knowing dragons did not exist, dreams were something one could still have. She had wanted to meet one at least once, but—
‘Not like this!’
Moreover, the dragon was enraged, flames brimming in its maw. And those flames were aimed at only one place: Legrian Territory. Elena frantically searched for Albert. It was instinct. No matter how strong she knew Albert to be, that strength was only among humans. The opponent was the guardian of the middle realm, the strongest race, standing at the apex of all life. Even Albert could not possibly handle a dragon. Yet she found herself seeking him anyway.
And Albert—
“O-oppa?”
“How annoying.”
He was picking his ear. A dragon on the verge of spewing flames that could annihilate everything stood right before him, yet he remained perfectly calm, not a trace of tension in his demeanor. Suddenly, Albert looked at Elena and smiled. Then he gently patted her head.
“No need to worry so much. Leave it to your big brother.”
With those words, Albert stepped forward.
“A hatchling, huh?”
Analysis complete.
This hatchling is barely three hundred years old. It should have just entered the independent phase.
“Well, doesn’t matter.”
Would you like me to analyze its rank?
“No need. Dragons are S-rank by default.”
That’s right.
Even as a hatchling, it should still live up to the name “dragon.”
In any other place, stopping a dragon would have been impossible.
“Yeah. Any other place, that is.”
Albert grinned. System chimed in agreement.
That’s right. This hatchling picked the wrong opponent.
Albert had no idea where Gluttony had picked up that thing, but that was not important right now. Even if it was a hatchling, a dragon’s attack would be extremely dangerous to the people here.
Fire Breath.
Its power is A-rank.
It seems to prioritize range over power. Legrian Territory lies within its range.
“Even a hatchling is still a dragon, after all.”
It posed a threat to the territory. This was the place his mother and father had risked their lives to protect. The home he shared with his sister. The land where he would live with his nanny.
“System.”
Yes.
“Assist me.”
Switch to Kill Mode?
“No need to go that far.”
Understood.
Albert lightly kicked off the ground.
Powerful Jump skill activated.
His body sprang upward like a coiled spring, soaring into the sky in an instant. An enormous leap. He rose far higher than Gaster, who had been flying in the air.
Summoning sword from subspace.
As Albert extended his hand, a longsword with a crimson blade emerged from a black void.
Dragon Slayer, summon complete.
Dragon Slayer. This sword was no ordinary longsword. In the other world, while clearing gates, he had hunted a dragon in an SS-rank gate. The sword was forged from that dragon’s bones and teeth. Despite its appearance, it was an SS-rank item. In particular—
Dragon detected.
Dragon Slayer’s buff effect activated.
All stats increased by 30%.
Deals 40% additional damage to dragons.
Attack power increased by 30%.
Defense increased by 50%.
Attack speed increased by 50%.
Ignores 20% of a dragon’s defense.
Even special buffs were applied. A deep smile spread across Albert’s lips.
Absolute Gaze skill activated.
Thousandfold Killing Intent skill activated.
Gaster’s body trembled violently. Sensing a powerful threat, Gaster jerked his head up. Killing intent so intense it threatened even a dragon. The pressure was beyond words, and for an instant Gaster mistook the human Albert for—
‘Lord……?’
He mistook him for Dragon Lord. His draconic instincts screamed.
‘Dangerous. That must be killed! Without fail!’
As a guardian of the middle realm, that being had to be slain no matter what. Someone had issued a strong command, and Gaster accepted it. The flames once aimed at Legrian Territory now targeted Albert alone.
Range reduction confirmed.
The breath has been concentrated on power rather than range.
It appears the priority is to eliminate Albert first.
“Guess I pulled aggro properly.”
You’re the number-one tank.
“Shut it.”
Facing the dragon’s attack, neither of them showed the slightest tension in their exchange. After all, there was no reason to feel tense. No matter how one looked at it, it was only a hatchling. In contrast, Albert was the strongest being who had reached the pinnacle of the other world—an EX-rank Hunter. To him, a mere hatchling was no threat at all.
Fwoooosh!
Gaster unleashed his breath. Its power was so immense that the very atmosphere trembled. In terms of human magic, it carried the force of the sixth circle. Had the breath struck Legrian Territory, the land would have vanished without a trace.
—Die! Human!!
The dragon’s merciless roar. The absolute annihilation magic capable of erasing all things—his breath—exploded forth. Gaster believed this magic would surely kill the man. After all, it was absolute annihilation magic. However—
‘How……’
Gaster’s eyes widened. He had used his breath. A human should never have been able to withstand it; the moment one was caught in it, they should have been erased at the molecular level. Yet—
“Why so surprised? You didn’t actually think this would kill me, did you?”
What unfolded before him was anything but normal.
“Whatever.”
Albert swung Dragon Slayer and erased the absolute annihilation magic that was his breath. No matter how strong a dragon might be, before Albert the title of “strongest” had to be surrendered. The gap in power was overwhelming.
—B-barrier……
“Too slow.”
Falling skill activated.
Weight Enhancement skill activated.
Focused Slash skill activated.
Since he had no intention of killing, Albert struck Gaster’s head hard with the flat of his blade.
BOOOOM!!!
—Kuhk!
A single blow. An enormous shock transmitted directly to his brain, and his eyes rolled back. Gaster wanted to cry.
‘Damn it…… Losing to a slime…… and now getting knocked out by a human’s head strike……’
Grenfell Landria Gaster. Three hundred years old. A hatchling. It seemed puberty would arrive before independence.
“Don’t look at me like that. You just picked the wrong opponent. And—”
Albert frowned as he watched Gaster plummet.
“Ah, and if you’re going to fall, fall smaller. At your size, you’d cause a disaster down there.”
Shrink skill activated.
The target’s resistance is strong.
Effect reduced by half.
Gaster’s body shrank to one-fifth its size. Normally it should have been reduced to the size of a dog, but even so, being a dragon, his resistance was considerable. After shrinking him with the skill, Albert lightly dusted off his hands.
“Causing me trouble.”
* * *
“W-we won……?”
“Against a dragon……?”
Elena and Hans wore expressions of utter disbelief. The opponent had been a dragon—the strongest race created by the gods to protect the middle realm. Standing at the apex of all living beings, no one could kill a dragon. If someone could kill a dragon, they would achieve the glorious title of Dragon Slayer and have their name recorded in history. Until now, only three individuals had ever accomplished the feat of becoming a Dragon Slayer. Three people in thousands of years. That was how difficult slaying a dragon was, by any common sense.
“How on earth……”
Words failed them. They had known Albert was strong, but they had never imagined he could defeat a dragon.
“Elena!!”
At that moment, Albert called out to Elena. She answered without thinking and approached him. Albert was prodding the fallen dragon with a satisfied smile.
“You said it before, right? That riding a dragon and flying through the sky was your dream. This one’s a hatchling, but……”
“Surely not……”
“Looks like you’ll finally get to fulfill that dream.”
Watching him smile contentedly, Elena cried out without realizing it.
“I don’t want to!”