Chapter 124
The number of Aranvalon’s Dragon Tooth Soldiers was roughly 300.
Compared to the approximately 1,000 drakes summoned by the Great Demon Dragon, their numbers were severely lacking.
But their quality was different.
The soldiers’ swords were sharp, and the crossbows firing in succession were especially fierce.
Swiiish! Swiish!
The drakes shrieked at the bolts that flew, tearing through the air.
Thud! Thud!
As sprays of blood shot up, they fell to the ground one by one.
I shook my head.
‘That.’
I know because I’ve been hit by them.
Seeing those terrifying bolts from a third-person perspective gives me a new sense of appreciation.
– Kiaaaa!
– Kieh, kieeeeh!
But the drakes were no pushovers either.
Dududu!
They didn’t just stand there; they moved in swarms of dozens, snorting red steam.
While taking the volley of bolts, the sight of them parrying swords with their teeth and ramming with their heads was truly a spectacle.
“Hoo.”
I let out a breath at the evenly matched scene.
Indeed.
So they weren’t the low-level drakes I had caught in the elf village in the past?
Well, they were elite drakes summoned directly by the Great Demon Dragon’s main body.
There was no way they would be ordinary.
Kwagagagang!
The two forces clashed.
The Dragon Tooth Soldiers and the drakes collided as if they were mortal enemies.
They stabbed, bit, and tore at each other.
“Whew.”
Vladimir whistled.
“Well, this is like a war straight out of a fantasy novel, isn’t it? Team leader, so who should we be cheering for?”
The smell of blood filled the air.
“No, before that, is it okay for us to just stand here and watch?”
“Just a moment.”
I raised my hand.
I didn’t even turn my gaze toward Vladimir.
My eyes were fixed only on the two beings in front of me.
Aranvalon and the Great Demon Dragon.
Gooooooooo!
The two great dragons, filled with hostility and killing intent, watched each other warily.
That alone caused a gale to blow all around, and my chest felt tight.
“For now, let’s watch and try to figure out who’s more likely to win.”
Judging by their auras alone.
I wanted to bet slightly on Aranvalon’s superiority, but.
You never know until two evenly matched opponents fight.
A momentary judgment.
Or, a momentary mistake.
Could decide the victor.
“Of course, just standing by and watching won’t solve anything.”
I clenched my fist tightly.
“We need to balance the scales and make them wear each other out as much as possible.”
If one of them wins with an overwhelming advantage, our plan to reap the rewards would shatter into pieces like broken glass.
Just as I widened my eyes and observed the situation.
Kwaaaaaang!
The two beings finally began to clash directly.
At the sight of the Great Demon Dragon ramming its head first, the Dragon Tooth Soldiers who had drawn their swords flinched.
The drakes that had been rushing forward also paused.
“Ugh.”
Olena made a disgusted face.
“They just collided once, and it feels like the world is about to be torn apart.”
Kugugugu!
This time, Aranvalon moved.
The Greed Dragon’s sharp foreclaw flew, aiming for the Great Demon Dragon’s torso.
Chwaaak!
A fountain of blood scattered in all directions.
– Khahahaha! Burn! Intruder!
In the air.
Red magic circles were engraved everywhere.
Fwoosh! Fwoooosh!
From each of them, rays of scorching heat shot out and exploded.
A gust of wind rose, and a thick cloud of dust billowed up.
‘Keuk.’
What if I had been in the middle of that?
Wouldn’t I have turned to dust without even thinking of blocking it?
– …….
However, the Great Demon Dragon did not disappear into dust.
It still maintained its large body.
– Hmph. Is that all you’ve got?
Within the dust, a faint shape moved.
– You are quite strong, I admit. But that’s all. Did you display such presumptuous greed with only that much skill?
The Great Demon Dragon bared its teeth.
Not only did it survive that, but it’s acting this relaxed?
I couldn’t get a grasp on how this situation would unfold.
– Hmm, the dragon from the Outer World is quite something. But.
Aranvalon chuckled.
– That’s not something you should be saying in your current state, is it?
The Greed Dragon’s yellow eyes turned toward the Great Demon Dragon’s torso.
The caked-on blood and the scorched, reddened skin.
It certainly looked like it had taken a hit.
– Compared to that, what have you shown? Just summoning drakes? Or mindlessly ramming your head? Your actions and words don’t match, how truly absurd.
– As if. A powerful attack requires an equal amount of patience.
Woooong!
This time, a black magic circle was engraved in the air.
It was much larger than the ones Aranvalon had engraved.
– The ability I mainly use is gravity. You greedy vermin! Feel a weight of a different class!
Flap!
The Great Demon Dragon’s massive weight took to the sky.
At the same time, its outstretched foreclaws carried a different momentum than before.
It was the weight that symbolized the Great Demon Dragon.
– Hng?
Aranvalon narrowed his brow.
– I see, you’re not falling for the provocation.
His teeth also parted in a gruesome manner.
– But, to think you’d try to do something to me with mere weight. How utterly laughable. Gravity only shows its true potential when there’s a large difference. It won’t work on me.
The Greed Dragon did not dodge.
Its eyes shining, it retaliated directly.
At the same time.
Kwaaaaang!
A tremendous explosion that rang in the eardrums tore through the sky once more.
And this time.
The shockwave alone crushed nearby drakes and split Dragon Tooth Soldiers apart.
Such immense power!
“Keuk!”
“Dammit, get down! Keep your heads down and hold on!”
“I-I’ll replenish the shields!”
Even we, who were a fair distance away, were not unscathed.
Once, twice, three times.
With every clash, the incoming shockwaves felt like they were shaking all of our internal organs.
‘Crazy.’
I was impressed.
Not by the dragons, but by Eldrin and Dmir.
Those guys.
They sealed a being like that?
No matter how difficult a task uniting the races was, how could they seal something like that?
Kwang! Kwaaaang!
The two continued to fight.
– Following the Fire attribute, now the Water attribute. Is this a Flame Dragon, or a Water Dragon, or just an ambiguous dragon that only knows how to be greedy?
The ground shook.
– You’re loud. Your body is heavy, but your mouth is endlessly light. Are you just an ambiguously heavy dragon then?
The ground was overturned.
– It seems you can’t do anything, crushed by that weight. So, can you even breathe?
– Well, I’m more worried about your excessive bleeding. I admit your strength is as good as your weight, but you’re too slow, aren’t you?
Even while dissing each other.
Each and every attack was deliberate and sharp.
“……”
I continued to watch the scene.
Focusing, I scouted their full power.
I pictured the two of them in my head, running hundreds, thousands of simulations.
And the conclusion I reached.
‘As I thought, Aranvalon has a slight advantage.’
The Great Demon Dragon’s attack power is strong, but its accuracy is low.
In comparison, Aranvalon’s attack power is somewhat weaker, but its accuracy is precise.
As time goes on.
Wounds will fester, and fatigue will accumulate.
The Great Demon Dragon’s speed, which was already slow, will become even slower.
‘In that case.’
For now, it’s right to side with the Great Demon Dragon.
“Everyone, get ready.”
I said to the team members behind me.
“We’re going to start taking down the Dragon Tooth Soldiers.”
“Have you made a decision?”
“Yes, getting any closer to them will just get us killed, so let’s do what we can from here.”
I looked to my front left.
The drakes and Dragon Tooth Soldiers were still entangled in battle.
More than half of the original drakes had become corpses rolling on the ground.
And only half of the Dragon Tooth Soldiers remained as well.
A truly golden balance.
‘But.’
From now on, we’re the ones who will break that balance.
“Sunny.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Fwoong!
Sunny approached, pulling out his spear.
“Eldrin.”
“Speak, Master.”
“Those things. You two take command and hunt them down. Just like we practiced.”
“I will obey your command.”
“Understood.”
I left the skeletons to the two of them.
“Then let’s get started, too!”
“Right, doing something is better than just standing around watching. For my peace of mind.”
“I’ll go first.”
The team members also drew their respective weapons and started running.
Grip!
I, too, transformed my weapon into a spear and gripped it.
At the same time, I sprinted.
The drakes’ massive bodies blocked the Dragon Tooth Soldiers’ crossbows, making it much easier to approach.
– Grrr!
One drake snorted and lunged at me with its teeth, but.
I rolled under its trajectory and dodged.
‘Sorry, but you guys are for later.’
First, I’ll deal with the Dragon Tooth Soldiers.
“Hoo, hoo!”
I panted as I kept running.
Perhaps it was thanks to all the training.
Or maybe it was the effect of the weapon.
My body felt light.
Almost like I was flying?
Before long, I saw a Dragon Tooth Soldier firing a crossbow in front of me.
It made eye contact with me and hastily tried to draw its sword, but.
I thrust my spear with my momentum unchecked.
Puk!
The spearhead pierced through the underside of its jaw and shattered its head.
Was it thanks to the power of Godslayer, which was said to kill gods?
The dragon’s teeth, said to be so hard, had shattered.
‘Not bad.’
The sensation in my hand felt good.
As a necromancer, I hadn’t done much close-quarters combat.
This has its own charm, doesn’t it?
It must mean my skills have improved that much.
I continued to swing the spear.
And was it just the spear?
When I got too close, I changed the spear into a sword.
When two or more attacked, I changed it into a shield to deflect them.
“Hoh, my friend.”
Zhang Wei, who was watching, clicked his tongue.
“How is it that even your fighting style is so unique? A warrior who fights while changing weapons.”
“It’s called Ten Thousand Arts.”
“Ten Thousand Arts. Does it mean you’re proficient in everything?”
“Well, the meaning is roughly similar. Let’s focus for now!”
Klang!
After parrying a Dragon Tooth Soldier’s sword with my shield, I twisted my waist.
Fwoong!
As I twisted, the transformed spear surged toward the Dragon Tooth Soldier’s heart.
Pagak!
The spearhead pierced through violently.
But even with its heart pierced, the Dragon Tooth Soldier’s attacks continued.
It was just like a skeleton.
It had no fear, and no pain.
‘But.’
I transform the spear still embedded in it once again.
Fwoosh!
The sealed Essence of Fire easily emerged and formed a shield again.
Klang!
As its powerful blow struck the shield, another transformation.
This time, the weapon, changed into a sword, pierced its neck.
“Die, you bastard.”
At the same time, I kicked it hard, knocking it over.
Having already taken fatal blows to the heart and neck, it soon stopped moving.
“Hoo, haa.”
“Are you okay?”
I felt Myoi Hana’s touch beside me.
A warm light erased the wounds and bruises, alleviating the pain.
[‘Bone Seven’ uses the skill, ‘Intermediate Healing’ (Lv.2).]
Bone Seven’s healing also played a part.
Bone Seven and Myoi Hana.
The two had become a team, roaming the battlefield.
The funny thing was.
Bone Four was guarding them.
‘I see.’
It seemed Sunny had given the order with good sense.
“Yes, I’m fine, so you can go to someone else now.”
“Okay!”
Sending her off, I looked around.
The battle between the drakes and the Dragon Tooth Soldiers was in its final stages.
The situation had completely turned around with our participation.
The Dragon Tooth Soldiers were almost all wiped out, and the few remaining ones were surrounded by numerous drakes, taking concentrated fire.
‘Great Demon Dragon, you’re quick on the uptake.’
Strangely enough.
After a certain point, the drakes stopped attacking us.
It knew.
That we were trying to help it.
‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’
Dudududu!
The drakes that were left over after surrounding all the Dragon Tooth Soldiers.
Did not attack us, and instead charged straight toward Aranvalon.
‘It knows.’
No matter how much it hates me.
No matter how much it wants to tear me to shreds.
That’s how desperate the situation is.
‘Alright, then.’
I shook out my stiff arm.
‘Shall I side with Aranvalon now?’
Since the scales have tipped.
Shouldn’t I balance them again?
I put strength into my legs once more.