Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Ghosts of the Past, Ties of the Present (4)
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“Insane…”
With Neti’s mutter, the container box crushed beneath the skeleton dragon’s foot let out a screeching creak.
—Ekaterina, you pathetic thing. Waking my main body already?
“Shut up! I almost died!”
Ekaterina protested, but Kahal Magdu didn’t even spare her a glance as he shoved his head into the sewer.
The blue flames flickering in the dragon’s eye sockets stared straight past Ekaterina at Yeomyeong in the sewer depths.
—Grown stronger already? Impressive.
“...”
Yeomyeong didn’t reply. Instead, he summoned telekinesis—not at Kahal Magdu, but at the two sisters behind him.
—Too cramped to fight here.
In the next instant, the skeletal dragon’s jaws gaped wide.
Blue flames gathered at the corners of its mouth, and the sewer’s mana churned, heating up.
Just as the dragon’s breath poured into the sewer—
Yeomyeong yanked the two sisters to him with his telekinesis and launched himself toward the sewer ceiling.
Kwaaa!!!
The dragon’s breath melted the sewer just as the three burst through the ceiling to the surface above. It all happened nearly simultaneously.
Barely escaping the sewer, Yeomyeong rolled across the street with the sisters tucked under his arms.
The skeleton dragon mockingly ascended with agile grace despite its massive frame. Shards of stone and concrete sprayed everywhere.
The dragon looked down at Yeomyeong rising with the two sisters and spoke.
—Ripe enough now, Cheon Yeomyeong. Time to harvest.
With those words, it moved its foreleg. Twisted mana spread from its talons into the surroundings.
Not an attack—a command spell.
Thud thud thud—
Soon, the pattering of undead feet echoed from all directions: alleys, sewers, even rooftops.
“…You two handle the zombies. I’ll take the dragon.”
Yeomyeong gripped his sword. Hearing him, the sisters drew weapons from their bags.
—Take care of me? Bold words from a dragon slayer pup.
Kahal Magdu cackled as he gathered mana. Twisted mana and draconic mana crushed down together.
—Go on, thrash about. I’ll watch with delight.
At the dragon’s taunt, Yeomyeong unleashed Flying Leg Art and kicked off the ground.
Starlight gathered over his charging sword. Comet Sword—the first strike unleashed at full power.
He knew from experience. There was no such thing as holding back against a dragon.
He had to end it before it took to the skies, while its feet were still planted.
—All-in on the first move? Planning a short burst of fun?
Kahal Magdu whipped his tail, collapsing the building ahead of Yeomyeong’s path.
Debris exploded like a bomb, blocking the way, but Yeomyeong fired his Comet Sword undeterred.
Flash!
A beam of light too massive to believe it came from a sword. The comet’s glow sliced through every obstacle and engulfed the dragon.
The dragon instantly recoiled, raising both hands to prepare different spells.
A shield in his left, an unidentified black magic in his right.
Immense mana from both spells intertwined, forming a pitch-black shield—no, a distortion.
A bizarre defensive spell blending two types of mana.
The next moment, the clash of magic and Comet Sword exploded the entire space, unleashing a shockwave.
Kwaaaaaang—!
The ground quaked, dust storms blinded vision. Yet neither Kahal Magdu nor Yeomyeong faltered, pressing their next moves.
Crimson-black fireballs bloomed beneath the dragon’s wings, met by dozens of ice spears.
!!!
The spells collided and tangled in midair, spewing steam.
Explosions raged on, but Yeomyeong kept closing the distance without pause.
Just a couple steps away.
Milky sword aura bloomed on his blade.
Kahal Magdu flicked a finger.
A concrete chunk shot from his hand like a shell, smashing Yeomyeong’s sword aside.
—Reminds me of Manju’s night. Doesn’t it?
The dragon’s massive tail followed, whipping at Yeomyeong with superhuman speed honed by martial arts.
Clang!
Yeomyeong parried with his sword, but the mass difference was absolute.
His body flew back, unable to absorb the impact—or so Kahal Magdu thought.
But Yeomyeong merely staggered back a step.
—What?
In the next instant, the tip of Kahal Magdu’s tail snapped off with a crack.
Bone fragments rained from Yeomyeong’s sword, infused with milky aura.
Sword aura sharp enough to sever dragon bone in that brief clash?
—Ha!
Kahal Magdu bellowed—a laugh or a roar of rage?—and exhaled his breath.
As Yeomyeong rolled aside, something streaked from behind him and detonated before the dragon’s skull.
Kwaang!
Seti’s anti-tank rocket. Kahal Magdu’s head snapped around, his breath incinerating innocent buildings.
The brief opening created—
Yeomyeong gripped his sword tighter, kicked off, and charged. Target: the dragon’s heart within its ribs.
‘I’ll end it here.’
As his sword neared, the dragon recoiled desperately, spewing fire.
Buildings touching its body shattered, flames devoured everything—but Yeomyeong’s straight-line charge was a fraction faster.
And finally—
Yeomyeong’s sword sliced through a few ribs and plunged inward.
A massive gem spewing blue flames filled his vision. Frail enough to cleave in one strike with the layered sword aura.
Just as his sword met the heart—
—Careless. Both you and I.
Creeeeak—! Vast mana erupted from the dragon’s blue heart.
Yeomyeong’s body was hurled back out through the ribs. Severed ribs thudded to the ground.
—Did you think you could pierce a dragon’s heart so easily?
“…Ptoo.”
For a beast missing ribs, its voice brimmed with confidence. Or perhaps, thrill.
—Now, my turn.
Kahal Magdu flapped his wings.
Of course, Yeomyeong had no intention of allowing an aerial battle.
Zing!
He summoned telekinesis to seize the dragon’s ankle and prepared another Comet Sword. One more shot at the chest could end it…
—Groooar…!
Zombies swarmed in, piling onto him.
***
Kwaaaang!!
Seti’s hammer smashed the ground, unleashing lightning and a shockwave.
Zombies and skeletons caught in it scattered like leaves, but it didn’t last.
Undead from beyond the range quickly filled the gap, charging her again.
“Damn it.”
Neti on the rooftop wasn’t faring much better.
Levitate four automatic rifles with telekinesis, she fired nonstop, reloading endlessly.
Countless casings rained down, but far more zombies surged in. No end in sight.
‘I need to help brother-in-law…’
She bit her lip. Her sister’s anti-tank rocket had barely created an opening.
Fire another? As Neti pondered, the dragon’s wingbeats echoed from afar.
Looking over, she saw even more undead swarming her brother-in-law than here. Damn.
“Sis, emergency!”
No more words needed.
Seti, mid-skeleton smash, withdrew her hammer and leaped to the roof, taking in the same sight.
The dragon starting aerial combat, Yeomyeong bogged down by zombies.
No time for deliberation, judgment swift.
“…Neti, go.”
“What?”
“Support Yeomyeong. You both have telekinesis… you can manage somehow.”
“…What about you, sis?”
To her flustered sister’s question, Seti turned toward the underground warehouse and replied.
“I’ll handle that.”
Two familiar figures approached. An old man with a golden staff and a decadent woman with a spear.
Ekaterina and the South Palace Lord.
They weren’t alone. Countless undead trailed them like an escort.
Neti didn’t ask if her sister could handle them alone.
They’d been together too long for such obvious questions.
“…See you alive, sis.”
With that, Neti grabbed her weapons and unleashed Flying Leg Art toward Yeomyeong.
Seti watched her sister’s back fade, then prayed to her god.
***
—Praying, are we? Ask the gods to send a saintess like before.
Kahal Magdu jabbered from the sky.
Yeomyeong’s telekinesis gripped his ankle, preventing full ascent, but he was already higher than the buildings.
Enough distance to dodge Comet Sword.
Plus, endless zombies pinned Yeomyeong, so it was only a matter of time before the dragon climbed higher.
Once airborne? Drain his stamina with hordes of zombies, then bombard with spells.
—Should’ve brought a helicopter to fight a dragon.
Soon, claim Cheon Yeomyeong’s intact corpse, turn him into a Death Knight, extract the launch codes from his mind…
As the skeletal dragon pondered—
Whumm!
Another telekinesis spell clamped his ankle.
Too weak to damage dragon bone, but enough to drag down his altitude.
—Pathetic.
Turning toward the spell’s origin, he spotted a sky-blue-haired human female bounding across rooftops.
Kahal Magdu reached out and fired a fireball spell at her.
—I’ll burn you alive.
But she dodged with feather-light grace—the same martial art Yeomyeong used.
—Same style?
“Brother-in-law and his sister-in-law, asshole!”
Yelling, the human female vaulted the roof and landed beside Yeomyeong.
“Neti?”
“Explanations later!”
Cutting him off, Neti lobbed grenades at the surrounding zombies.
Kwa-gwang! Zombies toppled in heaps. Seizing the moment, Neti wove a spell.
“Brother-in-law, pull!”
Though sudden, Yeomyeong instantly followed, yanking with telekinesis.
He understood her plan.
—Foolish. You really think two humans can drag down a dragon?
Kahal Magdu sneered and flapped, but contrary to his words, his altitude didn’t rise.
Slowly but surely, the dragon’s body descended.
“We can do it.”
Neti sneered back. Unfazed, the dragon gaped its jaws.
Intriguing resistance, but not enough to bridge the height gap.
Ignore the zombies, incinerate everything—done.
—Pity. I wanted an intact corpse.
As Kahal Magdu’s breath gathered—
Bang!
A gleaming white bullet pierced the dragon’s eye.
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