Chapter 81

“Raaaaaagh!!!”

Woojin shot upward as though sprinting through the air and thrust his sword at Bensina. Brilliant white lightning, unlike anything before, poured fiercely from the blade, aiming for the Black Dragon’s reverse scale.

‘A dragon’s only weakness.’

He darted between the Black Dragon’s legs, his eyes on the scale growing backward beneath its neck. He recalled how Raoul had cut away Belian’s reverse scale when he read the sword’s memories.

[“Raaaaagh!!!”]

Realizing that Woojin was targeting his reverse scale, Bensina opened his jaws at him.

[Setsuna uses Phantasmal Barrage.]

Just as Bensina was about to unleash his breath, white orbs poured into his mouth and exploded.

[“Ghk...?!”]

While the unexpected attack made him falter, Woojin drove his sword at the reverse scale.

SHUNK!!!

Imbued with the power of Dragon Heaven, the sword pierced the dragon’s tough scales and sank deep.

‘Damn it.’

But his joy at landing the blow was short-lived. Woojin’s face hardened. In that brief instant, Bensina had twisted, making the blade narrowly miss his reverse scale.

“Look out!!!!”

At Ruen’s cry, Woojin yanked his sword free with all his strength and shielded his face with both arms.

[You use Barrier.]

Bensina swung his enormous foreleg, tearing through the Barrier around Woojin like paper.

-“Master!!”

[Setsuna uses Hardened Skin.]

The claws smashed through the broken Barrier toward him. Just before they pierced his body, Woojin’s skin turned stone gray.

THWACK!!!!

Woojin’s body doubled over at a right angle.

“... Gaaagh!!!”

The gray coating covering him shattered like a shell, crumbling into dust and vanishing.

[You have sustained lethal damage.]

▶ Hardened Skin dissipates, allowing you to escape death.

▶ You have 1 Health remaining.

[Trait: Indomitable activates.]

▶ All stats increase dramatically.

▶ The Trait’s effects disappear when Health recovers to 5% or higher.

[Trait: Coldhearted Winter activates.]

▶ Attack power increases by 10%.

▶ The Trait’s effects disappear when Health recovers to half or higher.

“Raaaaagh!!!!”

Having returned from death’s door, Woojin clawed at the ground and hauled himself up with a scream.

[Your Health is critically low.]

[Trait: Tenacious Life is available.]

▶ When Health falls below 3%, consumes mental energy to instantly restore 10% Health.

His entire body felt as though it would break apart, but Woojin shook his head.

‘If I use Tenacious Life, I’ll lose Indomitable.’

He took his remaining lowest-grade potions from his inventory and poured them down his throat. After about three, he had recovered roughly 3% of his Health.

‘... That’s enough.’

Danger warnings still hammered at his ears, and his vision remained red, as though blood were running over it. Even so, Woojin stopped drinking.

[“A gamble with your life? Tsk, tsk. Nothing but a fool’s desperate flailing. You thought you could stand above dragons with so little strength?”]

Bensina sneered at Woojin, but Woojin refused to rise to his taunts.

“Heh. That’s rich coming from the one who got scared and came looking for me first.”

[“... You wretch!!!”]

WHOOSH!!!

The moment Bensina spread his imposing wings, a shout rang out.

“Begin the attack!!!”

Charlson of the Norn Raid Team charged from the rear, cavalry lance in hand.

“Waaaaah!!!!”

“Waaaaah!!”

Countless players rushed at Bensina with him at their head.

BOOM!!

KABOOM!!!

Explosions erupted from every direction, engulfing the Black Dragon.

“Hey! You’re amazing!”

“Fighting like that at level 50!”

“Leave the rest to us!”

The players charging past Woojin toward Bensina each called out to him. Some gave him a thumbs-up; others put their fingers to their mouths and whistled encouragement.

Despite the dragon before them, there was no longer any trace of fear in them.

“Let’s go!!!!”

Instead, they raced one another to reach the Black Dragon.

“Boss! Are you all right?”

Weden ran up to him from the rear.

“... That won’t work.”

In contrast to the battlefield’s renewed energy, Woojin watched the charging players with a grim expression.

“What?”

The mood had certainly changed. The fear that had weighed them down was gone. He was probably the reason. Watching him fight must have given them hope that they, too, could slay a dragon.

But that was precisely the problem.

“They’re underestimating the dragon.”

Overconfidence was poison on a hunt. That was the lesson Woojin had learned most deeply while hunting monsters with Raoul.

‘That’s probably my fault too.’

Not a single person gathered here was lower-level than Woojin. Everyone who had checked his level with Insight had come to the same conclusions.

‘Even a level 50 can hold his own, can’t he?’

‘This looks doable.’

But all they knew was his level. None of them could properly see his stats.

His stats were already boosted not only by his titles, but by the effects of [Mad Demon]. Adventurer, Solitude, Dragon Slaying, and more... The various active Traits also made a significant difference.

He could not be judged by level alone, but the others apparently thought otherwise.

KABOOOOM!!!!

And their rash attack...

“Gaaagh!!”

“Aaaaaagh...!!”

...brought horrific consequences.

The ground shook as though an earthquake had struck, and an unbelievable scene unfolded before Woojin.

“Guh... gaaagh...”

“Help...”

A single blow from Bensina had mercilessly cut down the charging raid teams.

‘Wh-what... is this ridiculous strength...?’

‘He took a hit like that and survived?’

The people who had barely survived stared at Woojin in bewilderment, their eyes all but demanding an explanation. But there was no time for explanations.

CRUNCH!!!

Bensina crushed the fallen beneath his enormous feet, one by one, as though stomping on insects.

“Hah... hah...”

Charlson of the [Norn Raid Team], having survived the Black Dragon’s attack, barely managed to grip his lance with trembling hands.

‘The survivors...’

He turned around. Not one of the teammates who had been following him moments earlier was in sight. All he saw instead were red pools. Ash scattered on the wind above the blood.

They had been wiped out.

“Impossible. What the hell...”

He had never imagined that his raid team, which had fought its way as far as the seventh floor, could be wiped out in an instant.

“Raaaaagh!!!!”

Adjusting his grip on his lance, Charlson charged madly at the Black Dragon.

[You use Steel Leap.]

CRUNCH!!

His lance struck the Black Dragon’s leg.

GRRRRIND!!

Spinning like a drill, the lance bored through the dragon’s scales with a terrifying roar and embedded itself.

But that was as far as he got.

Bensina looked down at him impassively.

CRUNCH!!

Without hesitation, the Black Dragon swallowed him.

“Run...!!!”

“Aaaaaagh!!!”

Witnessing the raid teams’ annihilation, the citizens of Thorn Bach finally succumbed to panic.

“Ugh...”

Colson opened his eyes, apparently coming to his senses where he lay in a corner of the chaotic village. He pressed his temples, troubled by a throbbing headache.

BOOM!! KABOOM!!!

“Oh, shit!! What the hell?!”

The sight before him shocked him so badly that he forgot his mounting headache entirely.

“A d-d-dragon?”

He stared blankly around, as if asking why that thing was here.

“Hey! What’s going on?”

“You’re awake? You need to get out of here, now!!”

A Genesis Corps member standing nearby shouted urgently, pulling at Colson.

“Forget getting out! Tell me what happened first!”

“Well, a Black Dragon appeared during the Monster Wave in Thorn Bach. The raid teams joined the battle, but they’ve all been wiped out!” the member shouted. “Everyone’s fleeing. We need to hurry.”

“This is insane...”

Colson hurriedly searched for Woojin. When he spotted him facing the Black Dragon beyond the annihilated raid teams, he let out an incredulous laugh.

‘Why the hell is that crazy fuck over there now?’

[Dead Soul’s Fare] was important, but surely that did not mean he had to go anywhere near a dragon.

‘I can’t throw my precious life away.’

Grinding his teeth, he slipped into the fleeing crowd.

RUMBLE...!!

It happened just then. As he crossed the square, the cracked, weakened buildings began collapsing all around him.

“Gaaaaagh!!”

“Aaah!!!”

Screams erupted everywhere as fleeing citizens were buried beneath the rubble.

“Waaaaaah!!!”

A child who seemed to have lost their family in the crowd sweeping away like an ebbing tide sat sobbing in the square.

CRACK! CRACK-CRACK!!

Beside the child, a cracked building swayed precariously.

“Mommy... Mommy...!!”

Sobbing, the child caught hold of Colson’s trouser leg as he passed.

“Fuck...! Get the hell away!!”

Startled, Colson viciously kicked the clinging child away.

“Waaaaah...!”

The child fell facedown on the ground and began to cry.

KABOOM!!!

At that moment, the cracking building came crashing down.

“H-hey...!!”

The Genesis Corps member fleeing with him looked at Colson, appalled by the sight.

“Why all the fuss over one NPC?! Shut up and run unless you want to fucking die!!!”

Colson only grew angry, grabbing the man by the back of the neck and dragging him into a run.

KABOOOOM!!!

The building crumbled, and debris engulfed the child.

“... No!!”

At that instant, someone leaped into the falling rubble. Colson frowned at the lemon-colored hair flashing past him.

‘That bitch... Isn’t she the elf who was with that bastard?’

CRASH!!!

“Catch!!”

From amid the collapsing building, Ruen threw out the child she had barely managed to rescue.

RUMBLE...!!

“Ghh!!”

She hurled herself after the child with all her strength, but one of her legs was trapped beneath the rubble.

“Well... Looks like luck’s still on my side.”

The person who had caught the child Ruen threw was none other than Colson.

“Aagh...!!”

STEP. STEP.

He carelessly tossed the child aside and walked toward the fallen Ruen.

“Well, look at the grand hero. You think you’re something special too, just like that obnoxious master of yours?”

“You...”

The moment she saw Colson, Ruen struggled desperately to pull her leg free. But the rubble pinning her was far too heavy.

“Never thought we’d meet like this, did you?”

“... Stay away. You don’t know that Master saved you when you collapsed, do you? You’d be dead if not for his kindness!”

“Dead? That bastard already killed me once. Kindness, my ass...”

He glared at Ruen and growled.

“Ghh?!”

“Besides, if we die, all we have to do is resurrect. But I wonder about your life. How do you think that bastard will react?”

SHING.

He picked up a sword lying on the ground.

“Be grateful for my kindness. Losing one leg won’t kill you.”

Colson gave her a nasty smile.