Chapter 201: It Looks Empty, But It’s Not (3)
This is why you shouldn’t just imitate and buy equipment used by celebrities.
“Uaaah!”
“W-What kind of power is this……!”
“Ah, seriously! It just became even harder to catch it because it’s going crazy!”
The Green Dragon continued its relentless assault despite the powerful barriers put up by the hunters.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, the spear tip crumpled in an instant.
Thud!
When the sound resonated again, the hunter’s arm twisted backward due to lifting the shield half a beat too late.
“Ugh!”
A portion of the log that had been leisurely resting suddenly turned chaotic.
And at that moment, amidst the cluttered roars, a calm voice flowed in unexpectedly.
“…What is it?”
It was only a single sentence, yet the way he spoke oddly captured people’s attention.
It must be due to the distinct clarity of his tone and enunciation.
“Did the Green Dragon have this aggressive pattern?”
It was the appearance of Kim Gi-ryeo.
Along with him stood South Korea’s Ranking No. 1, preparing Fire Magic.
*
A few minutes later.
“T-Thank you for saving me…….”
“Ah, S-Class hunters are indeed different. You handled that in an instant.”
I shamelessly accepted the gratitude of the people despite not even capturing the dragon myself.
Ha-seong was busy ensuring the safety of the surrounding hunters.
By the way, to prevent secondary damage from the S-Class, why did they suddenly spread out?
“By the way, if Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo is here….”
“Yes. I just finished dealing with all the dragons in the southern part of the dungeon. Now, only the leader’s faction remains.”
As you can see, this was the case.
We had promised to regroup after thinning out the minions before entering the dungeon and leaving the boss fight for later.
I mean, I was already quite capable when it came to tracking.
Since the Korean Magic Tower’s exploration team included Seocher with high stealth skills, this plan was feasible.
“Well then, shall we finish our meals and set off?”
“Yes!”
“Wait a moment, please!”
Thus, we set off towards the north of the dungeon where the owner resided.
‘Let’s see, the leader of the Green Dragon….’
According to the info from Choi Jin, in this world, you must call the boss of the dragon species “King.”
Green Dragon King, Black Dragon King, and so on.
It means that the naming convention for specific individuals is already systematized.
And dragon kings possess strikingly similar characteristics.
First, they have enormous bodies.
Second, they have a special organ on their heads resembling a rooster’s comb.
However, unlike the red and protruding rooster comb, the special organ they possess immediately feels like a “crown.”
‘Is that why they call it a king?’
Regardless of the form, that organ gathers a significant amount of mana, and damaging it brings various advantages, so it’s wise to remember this weakness.
“Ah, everyone. Stop. Stop.”
Swipe.
I gathered my thoughts and raised my clenched fist to signal my party.
“There’s the boss up ahead.”
At this, the hunters from the Korean Magic Tower began swallowing hard.
Even in a state of invisibility, just knowing there’s an A-Class dragon ahead created considerable pressure.
The breath emitted by the Green Dragon is highly acidic, and if it hit directly……
“Ugh.”
Until I treated it with a potion, I’d experience tremendous pain.
‘This is why inferior Earthlings are no good.’
I turned to look at the hunters who were groaning, remembering the pain I had previously endured.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and looked ahead again.
A bush tangled in an odd shape as if they had grown together from the beginning, with a colossal reptile curled up quietly inside.
“Hmm.”
As I’d felt in Japan, describing the leader of the dragon species as “house-sized” truly fits.
With a body that size, how much would it weigh, and what would be the mana flowing through its blood?
“Now, let’s execute our previously devised plan.”
Still, I had no need to worry.
The role in the strategy we devised outside didn’t involve me.
With a reliable “real” S-Class hunter here, what meaning is there in the underlings struggling?
“Jeong Ha-seong.”
“Yes.”
As I signaled with my call, the hunters retreated around Ha-seong.
At the same time, external mana began to fiercely gather around a certain mage.
The S-Class hunter inhaled the surrounding mana and soon manifested his burgeoning desire.
We were.
These mages were always beings who prayed for something towards nature.
‘The skill registered with the pixie should be [Hellfire]….’
Soon, the Fire Mage’s attack shot toward the dragon.
It was the intense flames released at full output by Jeong Ha-seong without hesitation.
So, what would the firepower of this be like?
The red undulation flowed forward, boiling the dungeon ground like a river from hell, ultimately engulfing the wooden nest housing the dragon.
“Graaaar!”
Whoosh!
The Green Dragon King reflexively spread its wings in astonishment from the rough initial attack.
But the hunters’ strikes didn’t end there. We were eagerly waiting for it to lift that thin barrier.
“Now’s the time!”
“Right side! Focus on the right first!”
Boom!
As soon as the elite hunters from the Korean Magic Tower caught sight of the dragon, they unleashed their skills at its wings.
It was already bewildered, its body set ablaze; it was as if a lightning strike had hit it.
“Graaaar!”
The green-bodied monarch of the skies couldn’t even make a successful attempt and fell pathetically. Flight failure.
The right wing of the dragon was battered with holes.
However, since the Green Dragon frequently used its breath while airborne, the real danger now would be the ground battle about to unfold.
Growl…
Ack!
“Graaaar!”
Thud. Thud. Thud!
Soon, the minions guarding the nest began to rise one by one, recognizing their foes.
The eerie tension created by such an alien being as a dragon.
But ultimately, the outcome of this fight would unfold as expected.
Because here stood the Great Mage of the Alphauri…
‘Ha.’
…who had cultivated a “true” disciple.
“Now, shall we see some skills?”
I stepped back and spoke to Ha-seong.
At that, the young hero nodded and drew his sword.
For him, it was merely a sturdy red longsword that serves no other purpose.
Yet, that S-Class hunter can still cut down the neck of a myth with that simple weapon.
“I will do my best.”
Jeong Ha-seong left that polite remark and leaped towards the king of monsters.
What unfolded was the scene of Korea’s upper-ranking awakened ones hunting dragons.
*
Crack, crack…
The faint sound of crackling embers that you might hear at an autumn camping site flowed through the air.
“Oof, that’s pungent.”
After quite some time,
I watched from a distance as the now ragged Green Dragon King fell to the ground.
As it met the floor with a dull noise, the dragon hunt finally came to a close.
Twinkle.
As always, the contributors of the high tier received their rewards for the boss raid.
“Cough. Cough.”
But right now, I could barely breathe because smoke kept getting into my prayer.
Huff.
‘Holding my breath can only last so long. I can’t exactly treat Jeong Ha-seong like Kang Chang-ho.’
I covered my nose and mouth with my hand and scanned the surroundings.
Once the hunt concluded, part of the Korean Magic Tower headed towards the exit to call the transporters waiting outside.
And since this team wasn’t just standby to maintain the dungeon, it was a situation where they just needed to sort out the loot and leave.
‘Let’s see, the results I gained next to Ha-seong should be….’
I had diligently gathered spoils but only received this [Compass of Greed] from a regular monster.
After all, with regular mobs, it was rare for the loot to be issued in the form of a glowing orb, so this outcome was somewhat expected.
However, receiving an item this underwhelming left me feeling not-so-great.
The item known as the [Compass of Greed] was something that indicated the location of treasure chests nearby….
Unfortunately, I already possessed the ability to track artifacts without such help.
‘It’s just going to wind up in the market.’
That leaves only the rewards from the Green Dragon King I just acquired.
I checked the orb that continued to gleam and flaunt its presence next to me.
During the boss hunt’s peak,
I had thrown my main weapon, the Hydra, into the dragon’s side, causing it to grapple with a status ailment just enough to barely cross the threshold into the high contributors.
But even for such a hard-fought reward, I had low expectations. The mana density emanating from it was at best around rare-unique levels.
Without needing to see it, I knew it was junk…
【Dragon’s Lung】
…….
“…….”
Pause.
I observed the translucent magic tool again, cloaked in a light halo.
A small orb, semi-transparent, quietly housed a cluster of exquisite lung cells.
Red, blue, bright.
At the same time, they were a delicate structure resembling an actual living lung.
“-Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo.”
I discreetly placed the obtained hunting reward into the Item Box.
At that moment, Jeong Ha-seong, having completed the hunt, approached me with an oddly elated look, but the conversation didn’t extend long.
“Hey, as you suggested, I tried compressing fire while fighting, and the A-Class guys really didn’t take any damage……”
“Ha-seong.”
“Yes.”
“I just realized, but I might have left the gas stove on at home.”
“Yes?”
“So, take care of the magic stones and leather; I’ll get my share later. I’m off now. Make sure you have dinner.”
Zoom!
Having shot out the words rapid-fire, I hurriedly exited the dungeon more swiftly than ever.
.
.
.
One can’t casually predict the fortunes of life.
In some ways, it feels like a fitting example of the proverb “The old man lost his horse, but it turned out to be a blessing.”
The Dragon’s Lung……. A lung, huh?
That long-desired new lung is finally in my hands.
No, even if I did hunt for this, is it truly?
Did this really just drop right into my grasp?
Huff….
The corners of my mouth began to curl up.
This time, I didn’t even get a moment to control my facial muscles.
If I had my way, I’d want to scream and roll around right now, but this old studio has poor soundproofing, so honestly, I’m already holding back as much as possible.
Huff huff.
Aah──
What a long, long wait it has been.
[Version 2.0.00 Changes]
●Penalty for breathing organs removed.
Let’s cut to the chase; I’ll reveal the results first.
Thanks to the powers of the magic tool dubbed [Dragon’s Lung], I restored the exchange function of my damaged lungs.
Now, I could perform a considerable number of spells.
No, in fact, far exceeding the feats of F-Class mages from Earth.
Only now am I finally able to be called a “Mage.”
‘Why did I bother saving the Blueshell?’
Moreover, given my current physical condition, I could also use body-switching magic without additional enhancers.
Now it’s just a matter of procuring a suitable vessel and gradually progressing to higher tiers.
“At last!”
By the way, though I had suspected based on what Brooklyn and Choi Jin had shown me earlier with [Dragon’s Heart], this organ of the dragon didn’t entirely replace the previous one.
Expressing it roughly, it felt more like robust cells were being added, relocating like tumors among the previous organs.
‘I was hoping a bit for the dragon’s breath feature, but considering the extent of lung damage, it seems I can’t utilize that.’
These biological tissues seem removable if I wish.
That’s good news. It means that even if I switch bodies, I can always recycle the dragon’s lung.
So now, with the usable array of spells significantly broadened, what shall I try first?
‘Reviving the corpse can wait; it won’t be an immediate task…’
After a moment’s contemplation, I decided to prioritize creating a dummy to fool Kang Chang-ho.
Since body-switching magic, as a higher-level spell, requires a large space to draw a medium-sized magic circle, even if such conditions were absent, I wasn’t confident I could sneak a vessel from Kim Gi-ryeo’s studio without being discovered.
Planning the place to execute the spell, hiding the corpse, methods to mislead surveillance, and other alibis, etc.
‘Living this way brings about such days as well!’
Hahaha!
Clearly, all the ideas floating in my head were bloody themes, yet my skin couldn’t help but show a bright expression.
