Chapter 146
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: To Escape Solo Life (1)
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Dragon Breath.
Commonly known as the Dragon's Breath.
Kwaaaaa—!
The Red Dragon Solitas opened its massive maw.
A horrific heat poured out from deep within its throat.
Utterly unhesitatingly.
Like a raging torrent.
It scorched, annihilated, and surged through the space.
“……!”
Haviel's eyes widened hugely.
That was dangerous.
He had to dodge it right now.
Before thought, instinct.
Before instinct, sensation.
The moment he sensed it, Haviel was already moving.
Shrick!
He thrust out his right hand.
He didn't draw his sword.
Instead, he grabbed Lloyd's shoulder.
He lowered his waist. Extended his left hand. Thrust it firmly into the inner thigh of Lloyd's groin area. Stood up. Naturally, his shoulder now supported Lloyd's upper body.
He hoisted him up just like carrying a sack of rice.
It resembled the casualty carry method taught in the modern Republic of Korea's military.
“Keut?”
Lloyd's startled gasp rang in his ear.
There was no time to respond.
He immediately kicked off the ground.
Thud!
He launched his body forward.
With Lloyd on his back.
Right after, the breath swept through the space where the two had been.
Kukwakwakwa—!
The breath swept past, barely grazing them, obliterating the space.
The overwhelming sight sent chills crawling up his spine involuntarily.
At the same time, Haviel sensed something off.
‘It’s not hot.’
The breath was sweeping right past nearby.
That was why he had been preparing to draw his sword quickly.
He figured he'd need to form an aura blade.
To block at least some of that horrific heat.
He had been gripping the sword hilt tightly amid the rising tension.
‘Why isn’t it hot?’
There was literally no heat at all.
Even though the breath's stream passed just three meters away.
It only felt mildly warm, nothing more.
‘Why?’
It was definitely strange.
Even sitting in front of a small campfire would feel hotter than this.
Even facing a grilling pan could sometimes make your face burn.
But there was no leisure to dwell on the question.
Tadot! Pot!
He landed and immediately kicked off again.
Putting even more distance between them and the pouring breath.
Suddenly, something from about two hours ago came to mind.
‘No way, is it thanks to that cream Lloyd gave me earlier?’
It had been right before entering this Flame Cavern.
He hadn't expected to actually find a dragon's dungeon.
He had been so shocked upon realizing the identity of the grand dungeon looming before him.
Then, Lloyd had held out a large jar.
And said this.
‘Apply it all over your body. Thoroughly, if you don’t want to get roasted.’
He wondered what it was.
When he uncorked it, a fragrance wafted out.
It was Elensia sap from the elves' forest.
‘Not mixed with bean oil? This is pure extract?’
Lloyd had said it like he was doing a favor.
Told him to strip and slather it thickly all over.
On his clothes, his armor surface, even his sword—without sparing any spot.
‘Don’t skimp. It’s precious, but cheaper than your life. So slather it on thick! Not just against the heat—apply it like it’ll block human relationships too.’
So he had applied it.
Not a single strand of hair missed.
Not a single bit of nail dead skin overlooked.
‘So…… that was for this moment.’
Haviel realized.
Now he got it.
The Elensia sap had far greater insulation than he had vaguely imagined or thought.
He could feel it on his skin.
‘That’s why he was so confident.’
He had wondered what gave him the guts to enter a dragon's dungeon.
What boldness let him face a dragon so calmly.
“No way, you calculated that applying Elensia sap would make it safe even against a dragon's breath?”
“Well, something like that.”
Upon landing, Haviel set Lloyd down.
He shoved him hard into a crevice between rocks, hiding them both.
Suddenly treated like baggage(?), Lloyd chuckled.
Whether he trusted the Elensia sap.
It was true.
“I heard about it.”
“Heard what?”
“That the Iron-Blooded Knight used this method.”
“Iron-Blooded…… Knight?”
“Yeah.”
That was true too.
In the novel Iron-Blooded Knight, Haviel had used this method.
He coated his entire body in Elensia sap and wore armor hardened from the sap.
In that state, he directly confronted this very Red Dragon, Solitas.
And then?
Even taking the breath head-on, he was fine.
They fought for three days and nights.
Finally, he severed Solitas's horn.
He sent the Red Dragon fleeing upon sensing defeat.
In other words, coating oneself in pure Elensia sap was a novel-verified counter to the Red Dragon.
“But I have a question.”
Haviel looked at him, eyes gleaming.
“You mentioned it before, but who exactly is this Iron-Blooded Knight?”
“Who’s the Iron-Blooded Knight?”
“Yes.”
Who else?
It was you.
Lloyd grinned.
And brazenly replied.
“Someone way more handsome, stronger, and more popular than you.”
“……Really?”
“Wow, doubting it right away.”
“Even if such a knight exists, this is too reckless.”
“Reckless how?”
“Challenging a dragon.”
Haviel's gaze turned serious.
The dragon's breath was now dying down.
He glanced at the situation there and spoke quickly.
“I don’t know what you’re aiming for by coming all the way to meet a dragon, but dragons aren’t to be taken lightly. No, they’re opponents where staking your life still isn’t enough. Did you not consider the danger at all, Lord Lloyd?”
“Yeah, I thought about it.”
“Then why……”
“Because I figured it’d be fine with you here.”
“Yes?”
Haviel furrowed his brows.
His eyes questioning what that meant.
His expression growing urgent as the breath's eruption nearly ended.
Lloyd spoke to him.
“I get it’s intimidating since it’s your first dragon, but don’t chicken out.”
“What do you……”
“Go fight.”
“Huh?”
Thud.
He gave him a light push.
Caught off guard by the sudden shove, Haviel staggered.
He was pushed out from the crevice where they hid.
“Lord Lloyd?”
Haviel's eyes went wide as he looked back.
So Lloyd clenched his fist toward him.
And gave him an energetic pep talk.
“Fighting.”
“……!”
That crazy young master for real!
But Haviel couldn't hurl abuse at Lloyd.
He wanted to, but there was no time.
Because his eyes met the Red Dragon Solitas's.
Whoooong—!
No need for words.
Like swatting a fly that entered the house.
The dragon's tail whipped toward him like a massive lash.
“Hup!”
Haviel drew his sword.
But he had no intention of facing that enormous tail head-on with it.
‘First, make sure Lord Lloyd is safe.’
Paat!
He kicked off the ground.
Away from the spot where Lloyd was hidden.
As far from the rock crevice as possible.
Fortunately, the dragon's tail followed him.
It came crashing down from above, like a mountain falling, covering the space.
Kwaaaaaang—!
The ground shook.
The entire dungeon interior reverberated.
Dodging the scattering debris and overwhelming shockwave by a hair's breadth, Haviel charged forward.
‘Faster than I thought.’
Haviel tensed.
He felt cold sweat trickling down his back.
That strike from the dragon's tail that had just whipped him.
Its attack timing was a half-beat faster than he had anticipated.
‘If my reaction had been even a bit slower, I might’ve gotten hit while trying to lure its attack.’
Thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.
Getting hit by something like that would be the end.
Swordmaster or not.
That was when it started.
‘Then I’ll move even faster.’
Kiiiiing—!
He fully activated his three Mana Circles.
His movements sped up even more.
Tadadot!
He kicked off the floor.
Raced like the wind, launching his body.
Defied gravity, running along the walls.
Toward him poured the Red Dragon Solitas's attacks.
Kwadududuk!
Tail whipping.
Front paw slamming down.
Wings spreading to unleash gusts.
Leaping on all fours while spamming magic.
Flames froze, ice exploded, gales tore space.
Yet Haviel narrowly evaded the entire barrage.
At the same time, he succeeded in luring Solitas to a point far from Lloyd.
Watching from afar, Lloyd was convinced.
‘As expected.’
Haviel was strong.
Stronger than his novel counterpart at this point.
Even compared to the novel's point where he fought Solitas.
So today, Haviel would never lose to that Red Dragon.
‘That’s why I brought you. Plus, that dragon’s surprisingly manageable.’
The master of this Flame Cavern.
Red Dragon Solitas.
A powerful dragon, yet not that powerful.
‘Dragons are basically strong. To the point no creature dares approach. But among dragons, it’s weak. Near the bottom tier. Simple reason: it’s young. Just out of juvenile stage.’
The novel Iron-Blooded Knight.
Its contents suddenly came to mind.
Was it the episode where Haviel adventured in the elves' forest?
At the end of that episode, Haviel confronted Red Dragon Solitas.
In that process, info on Solitas came out.
‘Young. About 1,050 years old. Only 50 years since leaving hatchling stage. Like a human who just graduated high school.’
A dragon's strength is proportional to its age.
The older, the stronger.
‘Like a person's economic power. Assuming steady employment outside retirement, experience and wealth grow with age. So if we convert that dragon’s combat power to human economics, it’s like someone a month after high school graduation.’
That was Red Dragon Solitas's power level.
‘So, Haviel. You can win. Don’t flinch, crush it. Show your superiority by breaking its spirit.’
Demonstrating the power gap.
Proving the difference in caliber.
That was what Haviel needed to do today.
Because only then could the next phase of his plan proceed.
‘People or dragons, everyone calms their anger and gets humble before someone stronger. So yeah. Break its spirit. Then that Red Dragon will be ready to hear my proposal. That’s where negotiations start.’
The grand canal he was building now.
The sludge to be discharged from the grand canal.
To process it efficiently, he needed that Red Dragon's cooperation.
So to get cooperation, negotiation and persuasion were necessary.
‘Haviel, don’t just dodge—hit it!’
Lloyd watched Haviel like he was waving a cheer stick.
Where his support flew.
There, Haviel leaped between spaces.
Narrowly evading Solitas's relentless attacks.
Determination lit in his eyes.
‘Dragging this out puts me at a disadvantage. Lord Lloyd will be in danger. Unleash a fierce assault. Hit-and-run. Create an opening with a powerful offensive and retreat.’
He couldn’t just keep running.
Of course, a frontal fight with a dragon was reckless.
But passively dragging out time was even stupider.
So in one moment, unleash maximum power.
Interrupt the dragon's offense with a full-force attack.
When the dragon falters, grab Lloyd and flee to safety.
‘I can do this.’
Retreat over direct confrontation.
Decision made, Haviel's eyes flashed coldly.
Execution without hesitation.
Offense without restraint.
Kwoduk!
The moment strength gripped his sword hand.
The counterattack began.
Kiiiiing—!
The three Mana Circles spun.
Drew in surrounding mana.
Amplified it.
Pushed into the Mana Heart.
Kuuung! Kuung!
The Mana Heart pulsed with his actual heart. Thrashed.
Accepted the amplified mana from the three circles.
With the heart's contraction.
Under immense pressure.
Crushed it. Compressed it. Rising mana density. Purity. Without excess. Pressed. Once more kuung, expelled.
Kiaaaak—!
Extremely compressed high-purity mana from the Swordmaster's Mana Heart caught in the Mana Circles again.
Amplified once more in compressed state.
Through the three circles.
Exploded threefold.
Thrashed madly.
Raced wildly.
Surged through his veins.
Through every muscle fiber, every cell gap.
Along skeletal edges and nerve nodes.
Awakened all senses, infused savage vitality.
Tsshaaaa!
Two opposing auras rose from Haviel's sword.
Sharp, clear, icy, light aura.
Soft, vague, scorching, heavy aura.
The two opposing auras intertwined.
Invaded each other's domains.
Mixed, pulled, pushed, repelled.
But the repulsion was brief.
The two auras finally collided.
Tukwak!
A massive explosion centered on the blade.
At that instant, a similar explosion occurred around Haviel's heart.
Blasting.
Kwaaang—!
Two Mana Circles encircling the heart collided.
Vast mana repulsion surged through veins like a torrent.
At the end of the surge, through his hands, swept the blade.
And met the collision of the two auras.
Aura collision.
Explosive Blasting.
The two torrent-like forces merged.
Amplified each other. Synergized. Became an all-consuming current. Poured toward the sword tip. Launched. Extended. Toward the Red Dragon's shoulder. Ferociously. Unstoppably.
Drakwak!
Haviel's Blasting infused with aura.
That trump card pierced the dragon's shoulder in one strike.