Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Final Boss (Not Really) Solo Raid
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“S... Spare me! Please... Please just let me live...”
The first words out of her mouth weren't gratitude—they were desperate pleas. It was so absurd that my brow furrowed on its own.
“Spare you? That's a weird thing to say.”
I pointed to the pile of cultist corpses sprawled behind me, reduced to bloody messes.
“You should've begged those bastards who were about to sacrifice you until just a moment ago. I'm the one who came to save you. Can't you read the situation? You're a spiritist—where'd you pawn your common sense?”
“Hic...!”
But despite my kind explanation, Alice's reaction only grew more frantic. She burrowed into the corner of the iron bars like a cornered rat, trembling violently.
Her eyes looked at me like I was something even more vicious than the cultists who had kidnapped her.
Well, fair enough. They had only gagged her and dragged her off, but I'd burst in after popping their heads like overinflated balloons.
“What a prickly reaction.”
I glanced down at my leather gloves, blood dripping from them. White brain matter was mixed in with the red blood.
“Hey, Dane.”
“Yeah?”
Dane replied in a muffled voice from behind, where he'd been covering his mouth.
“Are all romance fantasy heroines like this? Even after you save them, they just bitch.”
“Sunbae-nim... If you have any conscience left, please look in a mirror. Or at least check your reflection in the blade.”
Dane scanned me up and down with a look of utter exasperation.
“Your face is caked in other people's blood, your eyes are gleaming with killing intent, you're holding a demon sword dripping gore, and you're smiling... If it were me, I'd be praying to God in thanks for not getting eaten alive.”
“People just don't appreciate sincerity. You can't judge by appearances.”
I clicked my tongue.
“That's why I believe in human depravity. Human nature is inherently evil—they view others through colored lenses. Mistaking pure goodwill for terror? She's poorly educated.”
“It's not depravity—it's survival instinct!”
Dane burst out in frustration.
This is so unfair. I'm just a normal, peace-loving guy.
At that moment, Alice—who'd been trembling in terror—glanced around. Her eyes widened in fresh horror.
“Even... even if they're bad people...”
Alice covered her mouth, her voice choking with sobs.
“How can you... do this to people? They're human too... This is too cruel...”
Classic protagonist dialogue. Mercy even for enemies—life is precious, and all that. I'd heard it endlessly from Kyle back in the day.
“You could've at least tried talking them down...”
Alice teared up, on the verge of saying more.
Pzzt.
A spark of blue lightning crackled from my fingertip.
“Ugh...”
Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped forward in a heap.
“...”
Dane stood there with his mouth hanging open, staring at the scene.
“C-Crazy...! Sunbae-nim?! What the hell did you just do?!”
“Shut her up. Physical mute button.”
I shook out my hand nonchalantly.
“She was gearing up to keep whining. We need to head deeper—how long you gonna spend coddling her? I'd die of stress first.”
“But you came to save her? What kind of rescue squad tases the damn rescuee?!”
“I did save her. She's alive. Never said I'd carry her out.”
I poked the unconscious Alice with my fingertip.
“Besides, the male leads will barge in soon enough, per the original plot.”
“Huh? Oh, right. The mage tower lord's son and the sword-prodigy young duke are coming to save her...”
“Perfect. We'll just leave her here. There's a mat over there—lay her on it.”
“Whaaat?!”
“Male leads show up, see she's alive and safe, and carry her off happy.”
“But that's...!”
“We're here for the final boss. We get all the exp.”
“...”
“Let's go. By the time Alice wakes up, the male leads will tote her out and give her all the therapy she needs. Leave the cleanup to the stars.”
I turned away without a second thought.
“I'll specially yield the final boss to you.”
“I don't want that kind of yield...!”
Dane glanced back and forth between the fainted heroine and my retreating back before following me with a pout.
We abandoned Alice and pressed deeper into the cave's darker depths. The fishy stench of blood grew thicker, mingled with a heavy demonic aura that pricked at our skin like needles.
Almost demon realm levels. And this dangerous setup was right under the academy's back mountain, where students studied? The security chief deserves the noose, not a write-up.
Well, academy genre national rule, I guess. The darkest spot is under the lamp.
“Boring. Let's review the mook. That so-called final boss—what's his deal exactly? Can't just be some black mage scrub. It's a final boss.”
“Ah, that guy's an executive in the Black Dawn Society cult. Name's Malekis or something...”
“Don't care about the name. Specs?”
Dane racked his brain.
“Actually, the guy's not the real issue—it's the thing he summons by sacrificing his life. An otherworldly being.”
“Otherworldly? Demon? Low-tier? Mid?”
“No. Worse than demons. You know the usual endgame boss in fantasy novels?”
Dane glanced fearfully at the ceiling.
“Black Dragon. He opens a passage to the otherworld and drags one out in a last-ditch frenzy. In the original, the four male leads do a united raid and barely take it down.”
“Oh...”
My footsteps halted.
“Black Dragon, huh.”
“Yeah, scales tougher than steel that bounce magic, breath that melts mountains—demon realm dragon. Original says they'd struggle without the heroine.”
Dane sneaked peeks at my expression.
“Honestly... even if you're crazy strong, a dragon's a bit much... right? Different species altogether... We should bail now...”
Even a 500-year-old hero party—dragons are the apex predator in any fantasy world. She looked ready to nod vigorously if I showed even a hint of backing off for a tactical retreat.
But my reaction was nothing like she'd expected.
“Know what this is made of?”
I flapped the hem of my coat in front of her eyes.
“That? Just... fancy leather coat? Kinda glossy—luxury brand?”
Dane touched it, puzzled. It was cool and smooth, with an oddly tough texture.
“Black dragon leather.”
“...Huh?”
Dane yanked her hand back like she'd been shocked.
“Your ancestor bagged it.”
“...!”
“Took... seven sword strikes? Five? Anyway, butchered it clean. Got this coat without a scratch. He gifted me this too.”
I patted Dane's stunned shoulder.
“So don't chicken out. Getting scared of something like that? No face to meet the ancestor.”
“But that's his story... I'm just your average citizen transmigrator...”
“Blood don't lie. Trust the violence lurking in you. Let's go.”
“Uwaaa...”
Dragging the whining Dane along, we finally reached the massive cavern at the cave's end.
[Wooong- Wooong-!]
A vast space lit by dozens of flickering torches. On the floor, a massive magic circle drawn in crimson blood glowed ominously, with an altar at its center.
And atop the altar stood a man in black robes—the kind with "I'm the villain" written all over him—arms spread wide as he chanted in manic fervor.
'Damn... crazy bastard...'
My eyes narrowed. Does he even know what he's unleashing? And where the hell did he get that magic formula?
Small size, but... that ominous, sticky mana is unmistakable.
“That's a dimensional gate.”
The one we'd busted our asses to seal 500 years ago. A direct tunnel linking the demon realm to the mortal world—one of the old humanity extinction scenarios. So that's where the demonic energy was coming from.
Small for now—no issue.
Does it grow when Alice graduates and the romance arc ends, spilling demons everywhere?
“Goddamn...”
The world's end trigger, buried under the empire's premier academy. Good luck or bad?
“Hey, you said he summons the black dragon right before dying?”
“Yeah. The male leads swarm him, so he pulls a drowning ghost move and summons it.”
“Good.”
Sensing our presence, he turned to face us.
“Ooh... young sacrifice delivered itself. Welcome. I am the great leader of the Black Dawn Society, Male—”
His monologue didn't get to finish. I wasn't patient enough for villain intros.
Slashslashslash-!
Crimson-black sword aura tore through the air.
“Gaaaaah!!”
A horrific scream erupted. His arms and legs were cleanly severed, tumbling across the floor. He collapsed onto the altar, spurting blood, just a torso now.
“Eh...?”
Dane rubbed his eyes. No fight had even started, and the boss was already in pieces.
“These guys always talk too damn much.”
I slung my demon sword over my shoulder and approached slowly.
“There—deathbed time. Do your summon thing.”
“Grrrh... gruk... you... how dare you...!”
Staring at his own pooled blood on the altar, he burst into mad laughter.
“Yes... I offer my flesh...! I'll erase you... and this cursed academy with it!!”
Severed limbs, overflowing blood, seething grudge. No better catalyst.
“Come forth!! Beast of Destruction!!”
Rumblerumblerumble-!!!
The magic circle went berserk. His body was engulfed in black flames, crumbling to ash as the circle turned pitch black.
From the inky darkness emerged a house-sized head. Golden eyes, jet-black scales, and the sulfurous reek of its breath.
-Grurrrr...
A real black dragon. Not an ancient wyrm—just a standard adult specimen. But a dragon's a dragon.
“It's out.”
Satisfied, I took a step back and shoved Dane—who was still dazed—forward.
“Go on, Dane.”
“You really gonna fight that? It looks pissed...”
To Dane's question, I dropped some basic common sense.
“You level up by hunting high-level mobs when you're lowbie. I'll save you at the brink—go wild.”
“Crazy! Insane! How the hell do you catch that?!”
“Well.”
“You son of a—!”
I snapped my fingers.
Blink
In an instant, I was perched safely on a rocky outcrop near the cavern ceiling. Prime viewing spot.
-Roooaaar!!!
“Kyaaaaah!!!”
Dane's desperate scream echoed through the cave.
The final boss solo raid had begun.