Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Junior Balrog (5)
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35.
Junior Balrog (5)
11.
Junior Balrog.
This monster was terrifying, but it was also one with a clearly defined攻略 method.
And that攻略 method was quite well-known among adventurers.
The reason was simple.
“Anyone who takes down the Junior Balrog that appears deep in Sleepywood can go down in history as an adventurer.”
The title of Junior Balrog slayer was beyond valuable to any adventurer.
Naturally, those who earned that title didn’t hide it.
They shared it freely.
“The first thing I did when I saw the Junior Balrog was one thing.”
How to hunt it.
“Take out its wings.”
Of course, that method wasn’t easy.
“How do you ground that flying beast? If you can’t even manage that, there’s no point going after a Junior Balrog in the first place.”
But for anyone who couldn’t even ground it, hunting was impossible from the start.
“The real fight begins after it hits the floor.”
Above all, what made the Junior Balrog truly frightening wasn’t its ability to fly.
Its strength went beyond what anyone thought or imagined.
“First, its power is on a whole other level.”
Just looking at it, the massively muscled Junior Balrog had absurd strength—as one would expect.
“It can rip a Drake apart barehanded.”
Going toe-to-toe on power was out of the question.
“Naturally, its speed is on another level too.”
The movements born from that insane power defied fair comparison with any other monster.
“How fast exactly?”
People did make comparisons, even so.
“Put it up against a Kappa Drake, and it’ll shred the Kappa Drake into mincemeat in thirty seconds. Tears it apart with its bare hands. Not hyperbole—it really does.”
Those who heard the comparison got the idea.
“And that’s not all. How tough is its hide? A 4th Circle skill barely scratches it. You need at least a Unique-grade skill to draw any real blood.”
That was how terrifying the Junior Balrog was.
“But it doesn’t end there.”
And to those who grasped that much, the storyteller always added this.
“How do you think the Junior Balrog feels after losing its wings and crashing down? Pretty damn pissed, right?”
What adventurers faced wasn’t a grounded Junior Balrog—it was one stripped of flight and driven mad with rage.
Kreeee!
That was the Junior Balrog roaring at full force right in front of El Pam’s party.
Kreeee!
A bone-chilling roar.
But not one person trembled or felt a hint of anxiety.
No need to.
Kreeee!
The cry it let out now wasn’t rage-filled at all.
“Fire Arrow.”
Kreeee!
It was a scream of agony from the relentless magic El Pam unleashed.
That was the level of destruction.
El Pam’s spells tore through the Junior Balrog’s hide with ease.
‘The boss hits 5th Circle, and suddenly it’s another world.’
That was 5th Circle power.
‘That otherworldly magic.’
Of course, it wasn’t solely because it was 5th Circle.
‘Nailing the same spot over and over—thank god it’s not the enemy.’
It came from repeatedly gouging the wound, digging ever deeper.
Kreeeek!
In the end, the Junior Balrog issued its death rattle and collapsed.
The hunt was over.
A mere five-adventurer party had slain the Junior Balrog—that monster.
“We got it.”
It shattered Maple World common sense.
“Wow, we actually took it down.”
El Pam’s party marveled at the result.
“Never thought we’d bag a Junior Balrog.”
“Yeah, I didn’t see us hunting something like this here.”
That was the extent of it.
El Pam’s party showed no sign of the wild frenzy or ecstasy typical of Junior Balrog slayers.
One exception.
“Taking down a Junior Balrog—thrilling!”
Ralph’s excitement was plain as day.
“Yeah? That’s surprising. Thought you didn’t care about titles like this. Well, even you’d want the Junior Balrog Hunter one.”
“Don’t need trash like that.”
“What?”
“The Junior Balrog’s horn fetches top bid—that’s what gets me pumped!”
Naturally, his reason for excitement was worlds apart from a typical adventurer’s.
Another common-sense-defying sight.
Yet El Pam’s party wasn’t surprised they’d slain the Junior Balrog itself.
Of course not.
“More than that, this setup is insane.”
Dibo’s already top-tier wrist now bore the Legendary-grade Hercules’ Bracelet.
Terrifying on its own—and Ralph wielded Asclepius’ Staff to boot.
Now they had a healer who could mend severed limbs.
With those two, pinning down a Junior Balrog wasn’t anything special.
Hunting wasn’t just pinning it down, though.
Hold it forever, and it means nothing without cutting its lifeline.
That was why El Pam’s party stayed unfazed.
“But the boss takes the cake.”
They had El Pam—the mage adventurer with unmatched firepower in the group.
But this held true only for El Pam’s party.
“Uh, where’s the prince?”
“Over there.”
“There?”
Prince Kashan.
From his viewpoint, the whole scene was beyond comprehension.
“Out of it over there.”
“Ah.”
Even he—who’d racked up experiences no ordinary adventurer could dream of—was shocked into mental shutdown.
“Prince Kashan.”
He came to when El Pam approached and spoke.
“Ah!”
Not fully, though.
Still thoroughly dazed.
“A portal has appeared.”
But at El Pam’s next words—and seeing the portal manifest over the Junior Balrog’s corpse—Prince Kashan’s eyes sharpened.
No trace of daze.
They blazed instead.
“Thank you.”
He understood.
“El Pam, I made it this far because of you.”
Exiting that portal meant becoming crown prince.
It meant he’d effectively become Ariant Kingdom’s new king—Abdullah IX.
“You saved Ariant Kingdom.”
Exactly what Prince Kashan had yearned for.
“I’ll repay this debt, one way or another.”
Naturally, Prince Kashan planned to give El Pam fair recompense for delivering his heart’s desire.
“Anything you want—name it. I’ll have it ready.”
El Pam replied readily.
“I want one thing.”
“One—what?”
“The Onyx Dragon’s Gem.”
“What?”
Prince Kashan couldn’t hide his shock at El Pam’s demand.
“The Onyx Dragon’s Gem?”
El Pam asked for the king’s treasure—the singular treasure of Ariant Kingdom.
Something only a king could bestow, and even then, not lightly!
Prince Kashan couldn’t promise it lightly.
So he thought it over.
“Yes—you’ve earned it.”
Then nodded.
“Without you, I’d be dead.”
El Pam had made him the man who could grant the Onyx Dragon’s Gem.
The deal was sealed.
One thing remained.
“Then I’ll guide you out.”
12.
Night.
A moonless, pitch-black night—like a dark veil over the desert.
“When a black sea unfurls over the sands, hold your breath like the dead. Hide all light.”
For Nihal Desert dwellers, it was the deadliest night.
“A distant speck of light shines like the sun.”
Prime time for monsters to spot you.
Any adventurer worth their salt in Nihal Desert never risked a flame.
Fwoosh!
Yet Tah Oasis blazed brighter than ever with torchlight.
Grrr!
Naturally, Nihal Desert monsters didn’t ignore it.
They swarmed.
In huge numbers.
Relentlessly.
Still, the light endured.
“Protect the light!”
Far from dimming, Tah Oasis defenders poured everything into safeguarding it.
A torch snuffed? They ignited bigger blazes.
“Don’t let the fire die until Prince Kashan returns.”
To herald his return.
Ariant Kingdom warriors battled the endless monster waves for it.
Fierce combat.
“Gah!”
Many warriors fell, but none wailed or fled in terror.
All staked their lives to guard the Mystic Gate till Prince Kashan’s return.
Everyone knew, though.
‘He’s not coming back.’
Prince Kashan’s survival odds were slimmer than not.
Challenging a 300-man Mystic Gate with 99 was suicide.
‘So hold on just a bit longer.’
That fueled some hope.
‘We’ll be wiped soon.’
They were sure Prince Kashan’s party wouldn’t last.
That’s when it happened.
“The Mystic Gate!”
Someone yelled.
“The portal’s gone!”
Everyone thought the same.
‘Finally.’
‘Prince Kashan’s dead.’
He’d paid for overreaching.
Many warriors clenched their jaws.
Rage boiled.
‘Damn it.’
Most knew his return odds were low.
Still, many rooted for Prince Kashan.
‘For him to go like this.’
Under Abdullah VIII’s lavish tyranny, Ariant withered—and no one fought harder for its future.
So many wanted him king.
Now hope crumbled.
“That’s why.”
“Uwaaa!”
Warriors facing monsters ignited with unprecedented fury.
“Offer tribute to Prince Kashan’s death!”
Splash monster blood on his grave instead of flowers.
Red blooms.
“N-No, not that.”
“What?”
Their vision didn’t come true.
“Prince Kashan’s back! He cleared it!”
“What?”
The news doused their boiling resolve in ice-cold shock.
‘How?’
‘No way?’
Some went slack-jawed.
They couldn’t stay stunned, though.
Grah!
Monsters raged across Tah Oasis.
“Snap to it!”
That summed it up.
Prince Kashan’s return hit so hard, it blanked out the ongoing battle.
Word spread like wildfire across Nihal Desert—everyone reacted identically.
“Prince Kashan succeeded?”
Shock rippled through all.
Recovering, realization dawned.
“Wait—99 people and he did it?”
“Then?”
No other prince could claim such absurdity.
“Prince Kashan’s crown prince?”
Crown prince all but decided.
“Finally over.”
El Pam’s party felt it too.
“Ariant Kingdom’ll stay quiet awhile now.”
Dibo sighed deeply with the words.
Relief.
Not just him.
“Yeah, quiet.”
“Whew—shaved ten years off my life! Feels real.”
El Pam’s party knew.
One slip, and war could’ve erupted.
A powder keg.
“No big incidents till Prince Kashan’s king. Sand Shadow Group won’t stir either.”
Crisis averted.
Except for him.
“No.”
“Huh?”
“The real uproar’s just starting.”
El Pam spoke.
“What do you mean?”
He answered the question.
“You’ll hear soon enough.”
“Hear what?”
“Queen Areida’s been assassinated.”