Pizza Monopoly and the Dragon Slayer's Fury
Eden Farm — Existence Concealment Wave Influence Zone.
Holy Church, Saintess's Office.
"Ughhh…."
Isha von Estel's hand trembled violently. Her fingertips stretched toward the latest-model smartphone on the desk, drawn like a magnet.
On the screen, the Hunter Inside icon tempted her: Click me.
Did people figure out my plan? Are they praising how big an economic hit I'm dealing Lee Han?
"Just a little… just one comment…."
Her patience at its limit, her finger reached for the screen.
Tap!
A hand appeared out of nowhere and snatched her wrist. It was the Holy Church's chief priest, Yohan.
"Saintess. You mustn't."
"Y-Yohan? Wait, it's not— I'm just checking public sentiment. Reports say opinion on the Holy Church's pizza monopoly is bad…."
"Don't lie."
Yohan confiscated the smartphone with a stern expression. He turned it on with practiced ease.
The algorithm-suggested short-form video platform popped up.
Cat Paw Pressing Compilation.zip
Trendy Two-Thousand-Pound Mukbang
"See this? Public sentiment my foot. You almost lost track of time watching cat videos again."
"No! That was just leftover from earlier…."
"Excuses won't fly."
Yohan scolded her with a strict face.
"Your smartphone addiction is getting serious. Outside training hours, you're holed up in your room bingeing shorts, and at night you're lurking galleries. It's unbecoming of a saintess."
"Agh, enough nagging! Have I slacked off? I ate pizza and doubled my training!"
Isha pouted in protest.
Yohan didn't blink.
"Training the body is as important as training the mind. A dopamine-soaked brain can't hear God's voice. To keep your heart pure, you need self-restraint."
Yohan pocketed the smartphone in his priestly robe.
"Effective immediately, one-week 'digital detox' prescribed. I'll hold onto the phone."
"What?! Hold on…! Hey! Yohan! Give me my phone! My sub barcode's in there!"
"…I'll handle the pizza orders, so don't worry. Now, meditation time."
Yohan bowed politely but firmly, then left the office.
Clunk.
The sound of her world crumbling echoed cruelly.
"Argh, seriously! That stuck-up priest!"
Isha punched the innocent cushion repeatedly.
My blade sliced empty air.
"System open."
Transparent system window deployed before your eyes.
Amid countless items and materials, in the deepest sealed spot—a red icon.
Desolatus.
The greatest spoil and forbidden power from slaying that ancient dragon.
I'd never dared touch it before due to my body's limits. But now, after devouring the Dragon Heart and tempering through battles…
I can endure it.
No—I must.
Rank: S
[Absolute proof granted to one who bathed in dragon blood and claimed its heart.]
Passive: Authority against dragons and the abyss.
Active Effect 1: All stats to maximum.
Active Effect 2: Damage to abyss +1000%.
Penalty: Upon end, rapid HP drain and extreme exhaustion.
A penalty so fragile a flick could kill. Yet the power gained touches the realm of gods.
Title: Dragon Slayer
Equip?
"Equip."
—Thump!
My heart exploded.
The Dragon Heart in my chest ballooned like a nuke detonating.
"Grrraaah!"
Veins burst. Muscles screamed and twisted, bones crushed and reformed—agony hammered my brain.
Forcing an ocean of draconic power into a human vessel.
Instead of screaming, I clenched my teeth and swallowed the pain like ecstasy.
Forcibly expanding vessel limits!
Body collapse risk!
Trait: Devilish Tenacity (Rank: F)
Whoooosh!
Golden aura erupted from my body like a pillar.
The form of an immense, arrogant ancient dragon lording over all life.
A golden dragon silhouette shimmered behind me like a heat haze.
"Wh-what? That aura?"
The approaching giant golem—the elder's—footsteps halted.
Instinctual terror. Sensing a being of utterly different caliber before it, beyond the golem it summoned.
"Too late."
I raised my head. Slit golden pupils burned with world-scorching heat locked on the target.
"Insolent worm!!!"
The elder bellowed to shake off fear. The golem's massive fist blotted the sky, descending—a mana-compressed blow to pulverize a building.
Slow.
No need to dodge. Instead, I gripped my fist and thrust at the falling sky.
Strength stat: Unmeasurable.
—BOOOOM!!!!
A roar shaking all Seoul. Shockwave like a typhoon blasted surrounding debris away.
Dust cleared. Adel lifted her combat goggles, eyes wide.
"No… way."
Lee Han, who should've been crushed, stood unscathed. Instead, the golem's right arm was shattered at his fist—from wrist to elbow to shoulder. Shockwave backflow powdered the steel skeleton.
"GRAAAAAH!!"
Golem and elder screamed as one.
"My arm! My arm!! How could a mere human block this colossal power?!"
"Power?"
My golden aura blazed fiercer.
—Fwip!
The elder's eyes couldn't track me vanishing.
When he spotted me, he craned his neck skyward.
Trait: Flight (Temporary)
"Looking down's my specialty."
I faced the golem's dozens of eyes. Their red pupils quivered in terror as I raised my right leg high.
A dragon tail-whip strike.
"Kneel."
—BOOM!
My heel smashed the golem's crown.
—Rumble rumble crash!
The colossal body crumpled like paper, slamming the ground. Earth split; Gangnam quaked like an earthquake.
I focused my last strength in my right arm. Golden aura spiraled.
"Haven't gotten my delivery tip yet."
My fist pierced the elder's hidden core in the golem's gut.
"GRAAAAAAAH!!"
The elder's true body ejected from the flesh, rolling blood-soaked.
His body was rag-like, arrogant face twisted in terror and pain.
"Huff… huff…."
The elder looked up with trembling eyes. A human shell housing ancient calamity.
"M-monster…."
His eyes sought escape.
"Failure… can't win. Fight doesn't even stand!"
'Run. Survive first.'
His eyes gleamed. He tore subspace, pulling a black orb—HQ-issued last resort escape.
"Lee Han! I won't forget today's humiliation! The day my children are complete, I'll tear you apart!"
He smashed the orb on the ground.
—Clink!
Black smoke exploded, shrouding him.
Shadow Teleport
Leaping dimensions to designated coordinates.
Tracking impossible.
"Farewell! Kuhahaha!"
His laughter echoed as he vanished into smoke.
As planned, I gave the fleeing him a moment.
—Shhrrk.
The golden aura faded.
Title: Dragon Slayer unequipped.
Rapid mana depletion beginning.
"Urgh…."
Legs buckled. Vision spun, heart clenched like it would stop.
The toll of pouring everything in that short burst was brutal.
I staggered and collapsed.
"Lee Han! You okay?"
Adel rushed over the debris.
"Adel. Pulled it off amid the chaos, huh?"
"Huh? How'd you know?"
"That heightened nose wouldn't leave. Pepperoni scent you planted."
Her face blanked, then twisted into a villainous grin.
"Duh. Who am I? Empire's top genius."
Adel pulled out her tablet PC. Map showed a red dot fleeing Seoul at mad speed.
"You bought the time, but I slipped in the mana tracker. Dumb old fart's running clueless with GPS on him. Look—coordinates locked."
"Location?"
"Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do."
I pushed up on my knee, standing. Exhausted, but couldn't stop now.
Where he fled—Eden Farm. Full of what I needed.
"Tail him."
I sent a text, then moved out again.