Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Revenge Belongs to Those Who Seek It... (5)
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The moment starlight sliced through his wings, the dragon squeezed his eyes shut.
Out of terror from plummeting to the ground? No, that wasn't it. From the pain stabbing at his scars? That wasn't it either.
Self-loathing. Yes, it was self-loathing. The sensation of falling to the earth dredged up memories Orse Tabul never wanted to recall again.
Decades ago, he had proudly carried his noble king and charged headlong into the Soviet air defense network.
Driven by the pathetic ambition to reenact the ancient legend where a hero slays the demon king to restore peace.
It had been a foolish notion, yet the noble king had crossed the dimensional gate at Kaesong with him.
As they traversed the skies of underdeveloped Korea toward Moscow, the dragon hadn't doubted victory for a second.
The anti-aircraft guns couldn't pierce his scales, and the fighters called MiGs were nothing before his breath.
Just like the heroes of old, he was certain he could burn the demon king's castle—what the earthlings called the Kremlin—and slay the demon king named Stalin.
But it hadn't taken long to realize that such thoughts were arrogance.
The Soviet air defenses were qualitatively different from those of China or Korea.
To a superpower that divided the earth in two, a single dragon was nothing more than a target for testing cutting-edge weapons and new defense systems—nothing more, nothing less.
Fighters screaming past at the speed of sound, anti-air missiles filling the sky.
He resisted desperately, but that was all he could do.
Neither the mighty dragon's magic nor the king's magical artifacts could block the barrage of shells.
Orse Tabul and the king were struck by missiles without even glimpsing Moscow's skies.
The horrific fragmentation warheads shattered the barriers, and the explosive flames tore his right wing to shreds.
bereft of wings, the dragon and the noble king plummeted...
Kuwoong!!
The massive body crashed down, shaking the entire valley.
A searing pain raced up the dragon's spine from where it slammed into the ash-strewn ground, but he ignored it, shielding the back of his neck.
[No! I can't let that happen again!!]
The spot where the king would have ridden.
Though the king he had to protect was long in his grave, the dragon's mind was still trapped in that distant past.
The dragon unleashed magic in a frenzy.
He erected a wall of fire to keep fighters and missiles at bay, layering barriers beneath it.
A defense he had run through his mind hundreds of times.
It was the optimal choice against missiles, but the enemy wasn't the Soviet army or fighters.
A superhuman who could cross the wall of fire with his bare body.
Tak.
The one who severed the dragon's wings leaped from the cliff and landed atop the barrier.
He felt mana- and blessing-infused footsteps racing across the barrier. The target: the dragon's head and neck.
Recalling the sword aura that had sliced his wings, the dragon immediately dropped the barrier and rose. The valley shook as his colossal body moved.
Through the dragon's vertically slit pupils, he saw Ye-myeong landing on the ground. Heat gathered at the dragon's maw.
Kwaaaa!!
A breath weaker than before but far faster. Crimson flames surged like waves, engulfing the valley.
In the next instant, Ye-myeong swung both swords at once.
Two blades flashed simultaneously, and azure sword light shot straight ahead, clashing with the breath.
Hwaaaak!
A fierce shockwave erupted, the surrounding air shrieking in protest. The dragon's narrowed eyes glared at Ye-myeong standing firm against it.
The divine blessing enveloping the foe's body, sword aura that couldn't possibly be of this earth.
It was hard to believe, but all the evidence before him pointed to one conclusion.
[The gods... deny my revenge. Through no one else but an earthling.]
Ye-myeong neither affirmed nor denied it. He stood motionless, staring at the dragon as it steadied itself.
[Insignificant worm, thief, and earthling blessed by the gods.]
Mana began to whirl before the dragon. Dozens of spells intertwined at once, filling the burning valley densely.
[Do you also deny my revenge?]
It wasn't a question seeking an answer. Just a blatant self-justification.
But Ye-myeong's response was enough to fluster the dragon.
"No, in my opinion... your revenge is justified."
[...What?]
Ye-myeong raised his sword against the incoming magic. Unlike the sacred relic of the Comet Sword, the mercenary band's iron blade was so battered it could snap at any moment.
He could wield the Comet Sword with both hands... maybe just two times at most.
As Ye-myeong tallied his remaining strikes, the dragon asked.
[Then why do you stand in my way?]
"Because your target's all wrong."
[...]
"If you'd flown to Moscow, I'd have just watched. If you'd raged about killing the surviving Soviets, I might've even cheered you on."
Behind the dragon's oddly twisted expression, Pasun came flying in. Just as planned. For now.
Ye-myeong drew up his mana and drew the dragon's attention one last time.
"But wiping out innocents too... I can't agree with that. That's all."
[...Is that so. Just that.]
No more words passed between them. The dragon swept his claw, unleashing the prepared spells.
The moment countless flames descended on Ye-myeong's head.
Pasun, the Saintess, and the mercenaries all targeted the dragon's rear at once.
***
Hwaruruk!!
A bolt of fire grazed his back. He'd dodged by a hair, but the burning pain in his flesh was unavoidable.
Swallowing the scream leaking from his lips, Ye-myeong kept running.
He was the only one who could split the dragon's scales here and bring it down.
He swallowed pain on the inhale, exploding mana on the exhale. The distance between him and the dragon across the burning valley shrank in an instant.
Gooo—
As if waiting, the dragon opened its maw and spewed breath at Ye-myeong. Or tried to.
In that moment, Pasun dropped from the sky, smashing the dragon's snout.
"Die already!"
The accelerated fist forced the dragon's jaws shut. Incomplete breath leaked from between its teeth.
It didn't end there. Pasun hammered the dragon's head relentlessly. Even to Ye-myeong's eyes, the extraordinary martial arts dazed the beast.
The dragon didn't take it lying down. Reeling, it exhaled a weakened breath just like before.
Kwaaaa!
Pasun lost balance in the sudden blaze. Right as he was striking the nose.
Immediately after, the dragon's thick tail swatted him away like a fly.
"Guh!"
He flew off beyond the valley. His mana suggested he'd survive, but returning to the fight anytime soon looked unlikely.
As if aware, the dragon didn't even check on the flying Pasun and turned toward Ye-myeong.
Breath gathered once more. Clear intent to keep him beyond sword aura range.
Ye-myeong saw the dragon's gaping maw but didn't stop.
His allies would help again.
Tang!
A glowing bullet, blessed and shining, targeted the dragon's mouth. The dragon ignored it and built up breath, but couldn't shrug off the follow-up.
Dududududu!!!
Inferior to the Saintess's but still blessed bullets poured toward the dragon's head.
Unable to endure the shots aimed at its eyes, the dragon turned toward the barrage.
On the opposite cliff, Kwon Captain and the rest of the Seonjuk mercenaries unleashed blessed rifles.
"Fire! Aim for the eyes! Block the breath!"
Vice Captain Kim Mansu shouted as he hurled a hand axe. The gleaming, blessed axe pierced the dragon's scales and embedded in its nose.
Kraaaak!
Unable to hold back, the dragon finally withdrew its breath.
The flames headed for Ye-myeong veered toward the mercenaries instead, but Kwon Captain spewed fire from his hands to block the spells.
In that interval, Ye-myeong closed to sword aura range. Noticing, the dragon inhaled sharply.
Their eyes met, and light burst from Ye-myeong's sword.
The dragon's right leg split longways, blood spraying. Ruby-like scales rained to the ground.
Painful even for the colossal dragon, but not fatal. It merely forced one knee down.
[If you think that pathetic sword can slay a dragon, at least bring a holy sword!!]
Converting pain to rage, the dragon swung its foreleg. Ye-myeong dodged with Feather Steps, weaving around the limb while preparing the next Comet Sword.
Perhaps his final strike.
Kung, kung, kung!
Not content with forelegs, the dragon lashed its tail and flapped its intact left wing.
Unlike Kahal Magdu, whose bones alone remained, it wielded its massive bulk itself as a weapon.
The ground quaked. Winds howled with each movement of its huge body, and fire-heated air scorched his lungs without respite.
'Not yet, not yet.'
Ye-myeong kept evading, straining to find the perfect moment.
Blood Flow Acceleration amplified his blood and mana, stimulating his brain; overflowing adrenaline sharpened his mind.
Soon, accelerated thoughts and cold reason forged a single sword path.
...Hoo.
Ye-myeong inhaled briefly. In the next instant, he poured all his hoarded mana into the sword.
Flash!
Starlight erupted from the blade. The very Comet Sword that had made Pria Khan Australia's hero.
A strike poured with his life's blood, yet the dragon facing the sword aura was certain of victory.
Simple reason: it couldn't kill him.
The Comet Sword aura didn't slash chest or neck—it severed the left leg.
The massive body toppled off-balance, but again, not fatal.
One more aura might be different, but...
[What a pity! To waste your last chance like this!]
Ye-myeong's iron sword, unable to withstand its own aura, snapped.
A blue dagger remained, but could a single dagger produce the same aura?
[My victory. Earthling.]
The red dragon, Orse Tabul, declared triumph, bracing against the ground. Wings severed, unable to walk on two legs, yet his foe had exhausted all means and failed to fell him.
Unless they brought missiles, piercing the dragon's scales was impossible...
[...You never give up.]
Ye-myeong tossed the broken sword and charged at Orse Tabul. The dragon respected his refusal to yield to the end.
So he showered him with every spell.
Hwaruruk!!
Lightning bolts scorched his body. Fireballs blew off his arm, fiery spears pierced his side.
Yet Ye-myeong didn't stop. He regenerated wounds desperately, closing in on the dragon.
Could he be planning a half-baked aura at close range? Pitiful desperation.
[Pointless.]
Immense heat gathered at the dragon's maw. A breath worthy of his final foe, laced with respect.
The instant its jaws gaped wide.
Something glowing flew from the cliff toward Ye-myeong.
"Ye-myeong! Catch!"
Remington MH750. The gun Jang Man had prepared for him gleamed as if infused with divine blessing.
"Finish it!"
The Saintess's cry echoed through the valley as Ye-myeong grabbed the shotgun.
Without hesitation, he fired.
Bang!!
Just before the breath launched, the shotgun blast struck inside the dragon's maw by a hair.
No mere buckshot. Specially enchanted shells layered with every blessing.
[Kraaaa!!]
Unable to endure, the dragon whipped its head away as its mouth membranes tore. The breath sliced empty air futilely.
Ye-myeong leaped onto the shaking snout.
The dragon thrashed desperately to shake him off, tossing its head and swinging limbs.
But a fraction faster, Ye-myeong's shotgun roared.
Bang! Bang!!
With the shotgun's final flames, the dragon's vision went black.
Wings, legs, and now eyes lost—the dragon's scream filled the valley.
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