The Eldritch Dragon's Demise
My eye level suddenly dropped. A crushing weight settled on my shoulders and back a beat too late.
“Partner! How dare you shrink so suddenly!”
“I’m buried in the ground, that’s how.”
I managed a reply. The force behind the Eldritch Dragon’s foreleg far exceeded my expectations. I had blocked it with Mountain Lord’s Blue Wave Claw, yet the impact still drove me waist-deep into the earth. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had been so completely overpowered in a contest of raw strength. Without Demon’s Wrath, I would have been flattened.
Still, I had my reasons for taking the risk.
Jet-black energy rained down from above. In pure strength I was outmatched, but when it came to the sharpness of attacks, I held the advantage. Strikes woven from dark fighting spirit and inner energy left long gashes across scales harder than steel.
“Kwaaaauuuu!”
The Eldritch Dragon roared and withdrew its foreleg. The marks left by Mountain Lord’s Blue Wave Claw ran deep. Its sheer size kept the wounds from being fatal, yet the damage was comparable to a full-power blow. The fusion of dark fighting spirit and inner energy was something I had never attempted in my previous life; it offered fresh inspiration. Under different circumstances I might have paused to reflect, but contemplating enlightenment while an Eldritch Dragon loomed overhead was pure luxury.
I did not stop attacking. Even with my waist half-buried and my body still reeling from the shock, I had already prepared the next move.
Earth Escape — Earth Dragon Emerges from Water
The ground heaved as a stone dragon burst upward and sank its jaws into the very spot I had struck earlier.
“Khat!”
Tagarion’s seedling, fused with the Eldritch Dragon, let out a dry scream. Cursed flames clinging to its scales coiled around the stone dragon, corroding and burning everything they touched. I poured additional Seon energy into the construct, reinforcing it. Seon magic was the art of commanding natural energies according to one’s will—distinct from magic that bent the laws of reality. It resembled holy incantations more than spells.
“To think I would be pushed back by a mere mortal’s technique!”
The moment Tagarion’s cursed flames met the stone dragon, they lost their power and rapidly cooled. The stone dragon clamped down hard on the Eldritch Dragon’s ankle.
“Kwaaaauuu……”
Already battered by accumulated shocks, the Eldritch Dragon staggered backward and toppled. Its mangled ankle could no longer support its weight. A thunderous crack echoed as its right leg snapped, followed by the massive yellow body crashing to the ground. The earth shook as though struck by an earthquake.
Lexy leapt onto the Eldritch Dragon’s torso and opened its jaws wide.
“I shall carve it so that it fits in one bite.”
Nyx extended her hand with elegant grace.
Chrarararak!
Jet-black blades raked across the yellow scales, sending plumes of dark energy skyward. Lexy drove its fangs into the gaps created by the power of Polar Night. Though still small compared to the Eldritch Dragon, Lexy was far more imposing than I was. With the mass and strength of a primordial species, Lexy roared like the dinosaurs that once ruled the Earth and began tearing into the Eldritch Dragon’s body.
Blessing of the Night
After absorbing additional orichalcum, the cooldown on Blessing of the Night had shortened enough for me to cast it on others. Lexy’s movements grew even more ferocious.
“Kwaaaauuuu!!”
The Eldritch Dragon unleashed another roar. The draconic bellow, the presence of a predator that reigned over all things, momentarily dulled everyone except Nyx. Its tail lashed out and struck Lexy in the side, sending the summon tumbling off its back and onto the ground. The blow was not severe.
Shrink
“We cannot give it time to regain its stance.”
Thanks to Lexy’s efforts, I had gained enough breathing room to collect myself. My body had recovered enough to move again. With several essences related to sustained combat still active, the only lingering issue was the pain running up my spine; otherwise I was at full strength.
“Let’s turn this into a mud fight.”
I climbed onto the Eldritch Dragon’s belly as it rolled on the ground with a broken ankle and stomped down hard. White Tiger Dominion Kick shook the massive body violently.
* * *
Two hours had passed since the battle with the Eldritch Dragon began. The battlefield had been warped beyond recognition. Scorching winds born from the clash of Solar Explosion and Avalanche had been followed by absolute-zero cold. That was not all. Even stripped of most of its authorities, the Eldritch Dragon’s sheer physical power could reshape the terrain. Every swing of its tail made the ground quake, and each step sent tremors through the area as though an earthquake had struck. The blue vegetation that once covered the DMZ had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a wasteland reminiscent of the Age of Ruin.
“Huff, huff.”
I drew in a deep breath. I had used Demon’s Wrath twice in succession and even activated Uraz Berserk. Breaking its ankle early had given me the upper hand, yet the monster that had slaughtered countless players in my previous life was no easy opponent. Even layered with every buff I possessed, I was still being pushed back. Wrestling an apartment-building-sized creature head-on left my bones aching and every muscle screaming.
Anything below Avalanche or Solar Explosion—in other words, skills under four stars—barely scratched its scales. It was fortunate that Seon magic remained effective.
“Kwaa……”
The Eldritch Dragon let out a roar. Its yellow scales were so mangled they were barely recognizable. Dark energy leaked from countless wounds, staining its body a murky hue. Its movements had grown sluggish. Its end was near.
“O great one, rise and judge these foolish beings who defy the natural order!”
“What the hell are you babbling about?”
I scratched my ear with my right hand. Judgment? From something already dying? We had not escaped unscathed either. Lexy, pushed beyond its limits during the fight, had been forcibly unsummoned. Nyx, having lost mobility, had retreated to the rear and switched to support tactics. Even cloaked in the power of Polar Night, she could not compare to the Eldritch Dragon.
“I can see the end now.”
“Yeah. This was relatively easy, all things considered.”
“Had the contractor’s subordinates joined the fray, the tale would have been different.”
“Hmm, then there would have been casualties.”
Even after fully analyzing the Eldritch Dragon’s strengths and weaknesses, the fight had been grueling. I could not share my regression knowledge with the guild members. Attempting a standard raid would have cost us the forces we had worked so hard to gather.
“Goddess.”
“I am prepared.”
“Then let us finish this.”
Void Mirror
God’s Wrath
The ultimate technique born from fusing Uraz Berserk and Demon’s Wrath. I also deployed the Void Mirror I had been saving. While manifesting Lexy, I could not transform into the primordial species even if I used Void Mirror. A minor penalty of Void Encounter, I supposed.
Void mana spread through my body, reshaping it into the form of a devoured essence. It was a transformation I had experienced many times. As always, the essence extracted from Lord Naeshan served as my trump card, reserved for decisive moments.
“Kraaaara!!”
Roaring with all my might, I charged the Eldritch Dragon. Despite its repeatedly regenerating and breaking ankle, the creature dragged itself forward to meet me head-on. The gap in specs was so vast that no buff could close it. Yet when I activated both God’s Wrath and Void Mirror, everything changed.
“Kwaaaauuu?”
The moment we collided, the Eldritch Dragon was hurled backward. It tried to brace itself in confusion, but its long-ruined body could no longer endure. Black energy streamed from every wound like dry ice.
“So this is what it takes.”
I gave a bitter smile. In my previous life I had never faced an Eldritch Dragon. More precisely, I had not been strong enough to participate in the final battle that decided Seoul’s fate. Back then I had only heard rumors while being mocked for turning gold into dung. Experiencing it firsthand surpassed every tale. If I had not struck it with Eclipse right after it was summoned, the fight would have been far more difficult.
Mountain Lord’s Blue Wave Claw
I raked the Eldritch Dragon’s body with arms lengthened by mixing in an orc essence. While the primordial species essence was not limited to orcs, the balance with the original species worked best with orcs, so I maintained both manifestations.
Crack!
The Eldritch Dragon’s scales shattered, exposing rotten flesh. Its ribs lay bare, and between them the Dragon Soul—the birthstone that served as the Eldritch Dragon’s heart—came into view. Tagarion’s seedling frantically chanted an incantation. The spirit curse struck my eardrums, but the power of Polar Night quickly restored my calm.
“Leave that one to me.”
Nyx leapt onto my head and absorbed every curse. The Eldritch Dragon swung its forelegs wildly, driven by instinctive fear. The attacks lacked precision, yet each carried enough force to shatter mountains and cleave seas. My waist was lowered from using Mountain Lord’s Blue Wave Claw. The body manifested from the orc essence could not chain techniques repeatedly. In that case—
“Just bite it off.”
The Tyrannosaurus’s pride. With its tremendous bite force, I seized the Eldritch Dragon’s foreleg and chewed it to pieces. The monster’s guard was now wide open. After severing the limb, I spat it out and raised my upper body.
“No!!!”
“Yes.”
I drove my clenched fist into the Eldritch Dragon’s chest. Ribs snapped, and the Dragon Soul pulsing within shattered into dozens of fragments.
Massive experience points acquired.
The system’s voice announcing the Eldritch Dragon’s end lingered in my ears.