Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Taking Down the Bone Dragon
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No sooner had I declared I'd take full responsibility than Ramin meekly complied. He looked like a man who'd just offloaded a massive burden.
He's exactly the type I can't stand, but whatever. Once we wipe out this Erosion Core, we'll never cross paths again.
The real headache is scouring this godforsaken cave for teleportation interference devices and Corrupted Idols.
"This is gonna take forever."
I knew Rank 1 Erosion Cores were massive, but this is overkill. It feels like we've been wandering for nearly eight hours, and all we've got to show for it are four teleportation interference devices.
This is shaping up to be a war of attrition. We activated one more of the four devices we'd found.
"The damage is ramping up faster and faster."
I scanned our surroundings, checked the holographic map, and drew my conclusion. It's steadily growing stronger.
We need to neutralize a Corrupted Idol soon, or things could get dicey. — Found it. It's not a teleportation interference device. A message from Han Sang-ah. I shot back right away.
"Good. On my way."
I backtracked up through the cave to our rendezvous point, then raced after the markers she'd left behind. — Enemies here. Really strong ones. Figured as much. The whole point of delving into this cave is to hunt down the Corrupted Idols at its heart.
"Proof you nailed it." — Glad to hear it... but I'm in deep shit here. Can't handle this solo. Han Sang-ah's no pushover.
"What're we dealing with?" — Some skeletal dragon-thing that's up and moving. A bone dragon, huh. Classic fantasy staple, always popping up in novels and games.
According to her, it spews black mist from its jaws that rots anything it touches.
What can I say? One thought crosses my mind hearing that description.
Could it get any more clichéd? No idea who designed this thing, but creativity's in short supply.
"Hang tight. I'm coming."
Jung Noah and I were hot on the trail of her markers. — Got it. But if you're too late, you might find me gutted open, spilling my insides. "Aw, how much for the condolence money?" — What's the point of giving cash to a corpse? Just bring some spicy beef stew and assorted pancakes. But we made it to her position in time.
"Looks like spicy beef stew's on hold."
Han Sang-ah wasn't in great shape. That skeletal dragon corpse must pack a punch.
"Magic resistance. And it's off the charts."
Magic resistance is standard-issue for dragons. Back in that other world, it was a prerequisite for anything called a dragon.
This skeleton's no exception. In a cavern vast enough for its colossal frame to maneuver freely, the bone dragon glared with glowing blue eyes, emitting a low growl.
Han Sang-ah had put up a hell of a fight. Scratches marred the dragon's ribcage here and there.
"Fall back."
She needs a breather. Wounds crisscrossed her body.
I spun my spear and called out to Jung Noah.
"Take her and pull back, then hunt for more interference devices. I'll handle that bony king potato stew."
Jung Noah supported Han Sang-ah and retreated. Right then, a roar erupted from the bone dragon's maw.
Jung Noah's body stiffened mid-stride. Even seasoned hunters would freeze in terror at that cry, legs turning to jelly.
And in a cave, the echo amplified it off the walls. Neither of them were slouches, but it'd still rattle them.
"Quit your whining. Looking for mommy?"
I smirked and charged, kicking the bone dragon's lower jaw upward mid-roar.
The impact slammed its upper and lower jaws together like castanets—crack!
"That hurt? Hope so."
Instead of a reply, the hulking beast whipped around, lashing its tail at me like a flail. Shockingly agile for its size. Well, dragon's a dragon, bones or not.
Each segment of that tailbone was enormous.
My spear clashed with its tail, unleashing a deafening boom that filled the cavern.
The tail strike, powerful enough to shatter the whole cave, ricocheted off my spear and smashed into the ceiling.
Chunks of rock rained down amid a cloud of dust. I swung my spear.
The gust from the blade swept away the debris, clearing my view. In the vast chamber, the crouching bone dragon shifted, swiping lazily at me with its forepaw.
"What the hell is this guy—"
After parrying a few swipes, I jammed my spear into its oncoming paw with deadpan exasperation. Bones cracked and splintered; the dragon leaped back and eyed its limb.
The shattered bones ground back together.
"You think I'm your chew toy?"
Who does this bastard think he's toying with? It must mistake me for a snack.
If I had a pot big enough for that bulk, I'd boil the whole thing.
I glanced at the holographic map, issued orders to Ramin, then dropped into a low stance.
"Alright, been a while since I hunted dragons."
Last time was back in the old world, smashing dragons from nests near the Red Mountains while hunting for artifacts.
Well, technically, this was no real dragon—just a toy stitched from a corpse.
"Starting with halitosis, huh."
The beast retreated, jaws yawning wide. Black smoke billowed from its bony maw toward me.
Touch it, and flesh would rot, bones dissolve. If it touched, that is. In this scenario...
"It's the perfect fuse." ⚡ Paradox Flame ACTIVATED ⚡ Engulfing the body in paradoxical flames The Paradox Flame cloaking me ignited the oncoming black mist, spreading outward. The bone dragon finally sensed something wrong and cut off its breath, but too late.
"Magic resistance."
Back when I was chugging trains across Siberian plains, that level would've been a nightmare. Had to strip magic resistance to use Paradox Flame.
Now? No need. I dug my feet in and charged—a cannon-shot boom propelled me forward in a blur.
The bone dragon's glowing skull loomed right in my face.
"Just! Beat it! Senseless!"
My overhead spear smash caved its head down, slamming it into the floor before it bounced back like a rubber ball.
Each skull-bash drained my mana in a rush, only to refill instantly. The cave shook with every thud.
After five rounds of floor-slams and rebounds, the dragon shook off the daze and swiped with its forepaw.
"Bring it, paw!"
I leaped onto the swinging limb, stabbed my spear in, and yanked upward with all my strength. The blade carved a deep gash up its foreleg.
That bone would heal. My real target: the core in its chest, shielded by its toughest ribs.
"Beat it enough, and it'll crack open."
The dragon charged again, maw agape. Time to hustle. I didn't dodge.
Instead, I whipped my spear in a frenzy, tracing hundreds of blue afterimages in the air.
One, two, three.
Timing it perfectly, I dove into its jaws as they snapped shut. I slipped past the massive teeth into its mouth.
"Undead made of bone? This is their Achilles' heel!"
Empty inside—no guts, just skeleton. I shot through its maw and wedged between its ribs, right at the core's bony cage.
"Shatter! Shatter, you bastard!"
Plastered to the encasing bone, I triggered the blue traces and hammered away. Splintering cracks echoed as strikes blurred into dozens per instant, pummeling the core's shell.
The dragon thrashed, jamming claws between its ribs after me.
"Hahaha! Idiot, you think I'd let that hit?"
Dodging nimbly between the ribs, I evaded its talons.
It writhed to dislodge me, while inhaling deeply. Black rot energy flooded its ribcage interior.
Desperate to counter the intruder inside with its decay breath.
"You know this won't work on me."
Paradox Flame around me incinerated the rot, nullifying it. No way to pry me out now.
"Get ready to die."
I kept pounding the bones until fissures spiderwebbed across the core's enclosure.
Spotting the cracks, I focused my barrage there—flawless, millimeter-precise blows hammering the weak point relentlessly.
The fissures widened, oozing thick resentment. Potent enough to shatter most minds on contact.
But for me? Jackpot.
"Resentment leaking through the cracks means..."
Light the grudge, and it'll reach the core. Paradox Flame flared at my spear tip, compressing into a seething inferno.
"Bye."
Like tossing a lighter into gasoline, the flame surged into the fissures.
"Magic resistance?"
That's just on the exterior bones. Bash through the resistant shell, and the grudge core inside has none.
"Like popping a tank hatch and lobbing in a grenade."
Tough hull shrugs off explosions, but kill the pilot inside? Tank's toast. If you can manage it.
Same principle.
Paradox Flame burned the leaking grudge, burrowing into the cracks. Then it ravaged the power source animating the bone dragon.
I slipped out between the ribs and landed.
Now I watched the bone dragon falter, strength ebbing away.
"Damn, can't loot the bones inside an Erosion Core."
If we'd found it outside, I'd have stripped it clean and sold to Daebak Scrap Dealers.
The thrashing stopped. Its blue glow faded.
"First things first."
I approached the statue it guarded and unleashed a spear barrage, afterimages blurring into a frenzy until the Corrupted Idol shattered completely.
"One down."
I shortened my spear, hooked it to my belt, and neared the corpse. Toughest bones guarded the core.
"Gotta snag a bit of this."
I pried off about 500g of the core-shielding bone. Then a message from Jung Noah. — Hey! Hey! We got one too! Uhahahahahaha! Kek! *cough*... ```