Dragon Raid
The pain from the large entity raid kept surging in, as if it would be better to die, yet my resilient body showed no signs of letting go of consciousness. It faints just fine when my energy runs out because of the summons, but at times like this, my body acts up again.
〈Heal〉 "......"
〈Heal〉 〈Heal〉 〈Heal〉
No movement. Something seems wrong with my body. With no limbs attached, there's nothing I can do. I feel death slowly approaching. As I blankly stare at the pitch-black sky and slowly close my eyes, a burning heat washes over me.
Blessing of the One God - Body Regression
The heat that had burrowed into my heart spreads throughout my entire body. Tick. Tick.
After melting even time with its intense heat, it pours it into a mold and forcibly reshapes it.
"Haa......"
My body is forcibly reconstructed. With every breath I exhale, scorching heat pours from my mouth. As time passes and I slowly open my closed eyes, I see my limbs fully attached once more.
"Ah."
My voice, which had been as dry as cracked rice paddy, has returned to normal. Pulling out a cigarette from the pack, I finally feel like I've returned to reality.
"Hoo-"
Fwoosh!
Blowing on the tip of the cigarette, the remaining heat in my body ignites it, sending up smoke.
"Haa—"
The cigarette smoke rises into the pitch-black sky.
It was the shabby item called "Gungsang-i's Sword" that Baek Seol's father had given. Thanks to that, I survived. I didn't see his face when he gave it, but it was probably full of dissatisfaction. Just thinking about it makes a wry smile leak out.
"Hoo— I miss our little one."
The body had been torn into such fine pieces, as if it thought human flesh was jerky. At the end, that Zeus guy said something about suffering eternally, but I have no idea where this place is. The sky is pitch-black, as if heavily polluted. The air seems to contain some strange gas, stinging my nose with every breath.
"Hoo— Where is this."
〈Heal〉
Still no response. The pocket dimension won't open either. All I have now is the hair tie, another form of the Ilwol Shinchang, and the Yeoui hairpin stuck in my hair instead of the hairpin. Lastly, a pack of cigarettes in my pocket and the lighter in the case. That's it.
Creak.
Clenching my fist, my physical abilities are intact. It's fortunate that I didn't rely on abilities from the start.
"Hoo—"
I periodically feel my body floating. The inability to use skills seems related to this. Since I'm originally a physical fighter, it doesn't matter much, but not having the pocket dimension hurts. Ariel nagged that it was a trash pile, but it's a precious space where I stored a lot of necessary things.
The biggest problem is that I only have one pack of cigarettes.
"Damn it."
This place looks completely devastated. I don't know about anything else, but one thing is certain: it doesn't look like a place to stay for long.
Tick.
As I flick off the ash from the smoked cigarette, vibrations echo from the ground.
—Chik, chik.
"Hoo—"
Strange things are rushing in from afar. As they get closer, their appearances become clearer.
"Sacrifice!"
"The sacrifice is standing up!"
"These bastards are at it again."
They're alien friends with eyeballs instead of hair sprouting all over their scalps. I wondered where Zeus sent me, but it seems this was their home.
"What's your relationship with that crackling grandpa?"
"Sacrifice!"
"Shit, are you lacking intelligence?"
"The sacrifice looks fine."
"The sacrifice has no mana. It's okay."
"Sacrifice!"
The alien friends swarming in mutter among themselves. Unfortunately, I can hear everything.
"I have no mana."
"The sacrifice speaks Karak!"
"Sacrifice!"
Even more unfortunately, they seem to have very low intelligence. One piece of information I gained is that this place is called Karak.
"The one I met last time was sharp, why are you like this?"
"Sacrifice!!"
"Damn it."
And that the sacrifice they're talking about is me.
"Do you know that grandpa who uses lightning?"
"Sacrifice!!"
"Aw, shit. Don't you know the flashing one?"
"Jupiter!"
"Oh! That's him."
If it's Jupiter, it's definitely Zeus. Gods who have built their divinity over long years have various names, just as their myths are diverse.
"Jupiter sends us mana sacrifices!"
"We offer mana sacrifices!"
"To whom?"
"Je-muuuul!!"
"Shit."
It's clear these guys are in cahoots with the flashing dick grandpa. And these bastards were definitely beaten by mana when they were young. That guy back then also kept going on about mana.
"Hey, let's go."
"Sacrifice, keeps speaking Karak!"
"Want to die? Let's go to the one I'm going to offer to."
"The sacrifice's condition is strange."
The alien friends keep pointing fingers, making me feel weird. At least, I don't want to hear that I'm strange from them.
"Let's go, I said."
The alien friends who were glancing at me mutter among themselves again.
"Sacrifice-muuuul!"
As if a conclusion has been reached, one representative jumps forward.
Bang!
"The, the sacrifice isn't properly prepared."
When I thrust Yeoui in, the head of the alien friend who was charging with eyeballs plucked out turns into a handful of blood and disappears.
"Hoo— Friends, let's go when I say it nicely."
"Go, going."
"Yeah, let's go."
As I take a step toward them, they take a step back.
"One more step and I'll rip your heads off."
"U-understood."
As I approach them, the eyeballs on their heads move frantically.
"Let's go."
The place we arrived at looks like a hut village. As the guys busily clear the straw on the ground, a pitch-black entrance is revealed.
"Ugh."
The smell of blood stings my nose. Even though a strong stench that makes me frown wafts out, the guys move their steps nonchalantly.
—Chik, chik.
"Hoo—"
As we enter, the tunnel widens. It's dug so deep that the end isn't visible.
"Do you guys live here?"
The alien friends who were leading the way quickly turn around as soon as I ask.
"Sacrifice, you must be quiet."
"Hoo— Why?"
"There's a large entity that eats mana."
"If we make noise, we all die together?"
The alien friend answering nods.
"Then shouldn't I make noise? Since I'm a sacrifice anyway, I might as well take you guys as companions on the way."
The eyeballs of the alien friend who nodded spin around. Seeing him break into a cold sweat, it seems he hadn't thought that far. They're lacking but kind friends in their own way.
"Got it, I'll be quiet."
The alien friend who breathed a sigh of relief starts walking again.
"Hoo—"
As we advance, the cave grows endlessly larger. I can't imagine what kind of large mana-eating entity would need such a vast space.
The alien friend leading suddenly turns back and shakes his head frantically.
"Now what."
Pushing the guys aside, I come to understand what the large entity means, whether I want to or not.
"A dragon?"
"S-Sacrifice. You have to come later. If you wake it while it's sleeping, the large entity will get angry."
Even though its black body is curled up and lying down, its length easily exceeds 100 meters. It's an overwhelmingly massive body. I can't even imagine how big it would be if that thing stood up.
After staring at the dragon for a while, I look back at the alien friends, and they nod rapidly. It seems like they're asking if I now understand what I'm saying.
"Shh."
As I try to approach the sleeping dragon, the alien friends are startled and back away. Even as I approach slowly, the dragon remains asleep. According to the alien friends, it's not in a deep sleep. It seems to wake periodically to eat sacrifices like me, so I need to finish quickly and get out. If I get crushed by that huge body, my body will probably be torn to pieces again.
Even after approaching a certain distance, there's no sign of it waking. I pull out the Yeoui stuck in my hair and throw it the moment the dragon inhales, and it gets sucked into its nostril.
Even as I slowly back away after finishing the job, it doesn't wake.
"Alien friends, run."
As I gesture toward the outside, the alien friends dash away.
"Grow longer, Yeouigeumbong."
Now it will slowly grow longer. Since the Yeoui has reached its durability limit, it grows slowly, lengthens slowly. Now either its head will be pierced or its body will be. I can expect one of the two.
"Dragon raid is sweet."
"Yoovis Pater."
In Zeus's gaze, Ariel's eyes shine brightly. Zeus was extremely flustered. He couldn't understand why an angel would be so enraged over a mere human. Even more bewildering was being overwhelmed by the presence. No matter how lacking Astrafe was, this level of power difference was beyond common sense. He felt anger rising inside at his own cowering self before even fighting.
'Did I, of all people, get scared?'
Grind.
"If you harm me, you will never find your friend again."
"Is that all your last words?"
"What, what? Isn't this because of that human! And you say 'all'?"
"My friend is probably doing something strange right now and is fine, so you don't need to worry."
Ariel felt the trembling in the soul held in her hand growing stronger with time. If a little more time passes, she would be able to pinpoint the coordinates.
"Why did you have to send Han Ga-eul of all people."
"There's a Demon Dragon there. Let's make a deal, Scribe of Light. It's not too late even now."
"Whether it's a Demon Dragon or Demon Dragon Grandpa, worry about your and the dragon's lifelines."
The scribe Zeus had heard rumors about was obsessive but had a quiet and calm personality. But the scribe before him now had a quirky personality aside, and his way of speaking was enough to make neighborhood thugs back off.
"Nonsense! Do you think a mere human can defeat a Demon Dragon that has lived for thousands of years! Don't abandon your friend's life with a wrong choice, Scribe."
"Stop spouting bullshit and offer your neck. I'll cut it painlessly."
