Chapter 126
[‘Space Separation’ (SSS-Rank) activates.]
Wheeeeing!
Complex formulas filled the empty air.
Duk-koong!
With the faint sound of a drumbeat, the space floated up—
Not all of it, but just the space where I and my team members were.
An alien sensation, as if this place alone had been carved out into another world.
[For 30 minutes, the designated area will be separated.]
[No laws of physics are permitted between the areas.]
Fwoooosh……
The fierce wind died down.
The force that had been sucking us in like a vacuum.
The killing intent radiating from the dragon.
None of it could reach this place anymore.
The two dragons looked as ordinary as if I were watching them on a TV screen.
Ting! Teeing!
Occasional flying rock fragments simply bounced off lightly.
Nothing from outside the space could enter.
“What in the world……”
Olena’s jaw dropped.
The other hunters stared wide-eyed at the scene.
“SSS-Rank… you say?”
“Team leader, is this your doing?”
The skill activation message wasn’t visible only to me.
Everyone saw it.
[Time Remaining – 00:29:40]
“Ooh! A-are we saved? We’re saved, right? This is a skill that gives absolute defense for 30 minutes, isn’t it?”
“Team leader! As expected, you had a plan! It wasn’t reckless after all! How did you even get a skill like that?”
“A-amazing!”
My team shouted in excitement.
Just witnessing the skill was astonishing.
And thanks to it, they had just escaped death. How could they not feel relieved?
At least in this moment, they felt hope.
They felt safety, happiness.
“The magic circle is like nothing I’ve ever seen…”
Of course, someone was delighted for reasons other than survival.
“Hoon? What is this? This is insane. These formulas are insane. How could anyone conceive of this? Ahh!”
Olena’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the formulas filling the separated space.
Like a child visiting an aquarium for the first time.
She spun around in awe, gasping.
“To think I’m seeing this alone… what a shame. If the Tower Master were here, Oxford’s prestige would soar even higher…!”
Is it really that impressive?
Then again, it was an SSS-Rank spell.
To a mage, this kind of reaction was probably natural.
‘But.’
What mattered right now wasn’t admiring magic.
Right before our eyes—
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga!
The energies of the two Breaths writhed, ready to be unleashed.
Paaat!
The Great Demon Dragon, ready first, leaped into the sky.
– Hrrrrrrgh!
Flapping its colossal wings, it thrust its open maw toward Aranvalon.
And then—
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga!
A black energy so intense it refracted light and distorted space shot downward.
A beautiful, swift beam.
Aranvalon didn’t just stand by.
It rooted its feet into the ground, fixing its body, and looked up.
Like an anti-aircraft cannon tracking a missile, it aimed precisely.
Then—
Kuaaaaaah!
A massive brown beam erupted from Aranvalon’s mouth.
The two Breaths collided.
My team froze, mouths open.
“Uh, huhh?”
“…Crazy.”
Words died in their throats.
Silently, they watched the black and brown energies clash, locked in a violent contest of will.
The force was immense.
As if lightning were striking nonstop.
Light flashed dozens of times per second.
All surrounding matter melted away.
The ground had already disappeared, leaving us floating in a void.
“Hmm.”
Vladimir spoke.
“This isn’t something we can feel relieved about just because we dodged the Breath, is it?”
He looked down.
The ground had been gouged out so deeply it was almost impossible to see.
“In 30 minutes, won’t we all just fall to our deaths?”
I responded.
“Mr. Vladimir.”
“Huh?”
“Do you have any energy left?”
“Hmm, a little. Why?”
“In 30 minutes, can you move everyone onto the dragon’s body?”
“…What?”
Vladimir’s eyes widened.
“Up there?”
“Yes. We came to hunt a dragon. To hunt it, we need to go to it.”
“Right. That’s true, but…”
He shook his head.
“Phew… I’ve been thinking this lately, but talking to you scares me, Team leader. I can never predict what you’ll say next.”
“There’s a saying—birds of a feather flock together. The moment we joined this dragon hunt, we all admitted we were crazy.”
Looking now, that was exactly right.
To go mad, you need to embrace madness.
If you don’t become insane, you can’t become a ranker.
Only hunters who endured the impossible were called rankers.
“Tsk, you’re not wrong. We’re all crazy. I mean, who wouldn’t go crazy going through something like this?”
“So, is it possible?”
“Sure, yeah. It’s possible. So where are we landing? Aranvalon or the Great Demon Dragon?”
He muttered like a man resigned to his fate.
“Just a moment.”
I turned my eyes back to the two dragons.
Their clashing energies ripped apart everything around them.
Their tough hides melted grotesquely.
Both were drenched in blood.
– Kraaaaaah!
– Die!
They were in terrible shape.
But if I had to choose—
‘The Great Demon Dragon has the upper hand.’
It still had more energy to spare.
Aranvalon’s expression was more strained.
The snowball effect of us wiping out the Dragon Tooth Soldiers…
…had rolled into an avalanche here.
“My friend, are you truly going to fight? Against that… absurd being?”
Zhang Wei approached.
Thud, thud.
There was no floor, yet it ‘felt’ like one.
Was I stepping on space itself?
“Of course we’re fighting. Why, scared now?”
“It’s not fear…”
He lifted his spear with resolve.
“…I’m excited. I never imagined I’d challenge a dragon rather than a person.”
“If we win, do we all become Dragon Slayers?”
Olena chimed in with a smile.
“I barely just learned dragons were real, and now we’re hunting one.”
Vladimir chuckled.
One by one, my team…
…raised their weapons.
Even after seeing such a monster, no one backed down.
Instead, they trusted me and let their fighting spirit blaze.
“……”
They watched the dragons with unwavering resolve.
Time passed.
[Time Remaining – 00:03:00]
Only three minutes left.
The Breaths had ceased.
Even after exhausting all their energy—
Kwang! Kwaaang! Kwang! Kwang!
They still slammed into each other.
Gulp.
I swallowed.
Then changed my weapon to a spear.
The time had come.
“Let’s start getting ready.”
Simultaneously—
I used my trump card.
In moments of greatest danger.
In moments of greatest desperation.
The one who always guided me—
My master.
[Using skill, ‘Legacy of the Ten Thousand Arts’ (S-Rank).]
[Using 20 Energy.]
[‘The Elder’ appears.]
– “You crazy bastard……”
The Elder muttered the instant he appeared, grasping the situation.
– “Why is it that every time I’m summoned, it’s in some ridiculous disaster like this?”
Come on, Elder.
You complain, but you enjoy this too, don’t you?
I grinned.
My body trembled with tension.
But I chose to enjoy it.
Worst-case scenario? Death.
I had experienced death countless times this year.
I was used to it.
I looked at the Elder.
“I’ll survive this time too, right?”
– “Tsk. Why ask me? Ask the heavens that keep favoring you.”
“So I ‘am’ going to survive.”
– “…You’re a strange one.”
Heavenly Luck.
Yes, if such a thing existed…
The heavens had always smiled on me.
[Time Remaining – 00:00:30]
[Warning!]
[‘Space Separation’ (SSS-Rank) is ending.]
[Please be cautious of the reconnecting space!]
“Vladimir.”
“Yeah, Team leader! Don’t worry, I’m ready. Just move us onto that black dragon’s back, right?”
He grinned and swept his staff.
I looked at my team.
“Everyone. Ready?”
[Time Remaining – 00:00:20]
“Yes, Team leader. We’re ready.”
“I’ll do my best. Even if I die, it was an honor.”
“Let’s do this.”
If everything until now was spectating—
Now came the real fight.
[Time Remaining – 00:00:10]
Ten seconds left.
The air tightened.
[Time Remaining – 00:00:05]
Now.
With the terrifying dragon looming before us—
It was time.
[Time Remaining – 00:00:04]
This time—
I wasn’t fighting alone.
I wasn’t solving this alone.
[Time Remaining – 00:00:03]
With my team.
With my comrades.
[Time Remaining – 00:00:02]
[Time Remaining – 00:00:01]
‘Together.’
We’ll clear this together.
[Time Remaining – 00:00:00]
The timer hit zero.
I tensed every muscle.
[‘Space Separation’ (SSS-Rank) is ending.]
Duk-koong!
The separated space stitched itself back together.
The alien sensation vanished.
Fwoooong!
A fierce wind battered my cheeks.
The immense pressure of the two dragons returned.
[Reconnecting the separated space.]
The curtain rose on the real battle.
“Vladimir!”
“Okay!”
Vladimir Rodygin’s spatial magic activated.
Flash!
The world vanished.
—
I opened my eyes.
Below me was a black surface.
Not a floor—
The Great Demon Dragon’s skin.
Thud!
My comrades and I landed lightly.
As expected of Vladimir.
His spatial magic was flawless.
Despite the short distance—
He had moved this many people perfectly onto the Great Demon Dragon.
“Team leader! We did it!”
“Great!”
I shouted.
“Everyone, grab onto the scales!”
We wouldn’t fall easily.
The dragon was so massive that even rolling wouldn’t knock us off.
But standing still was still dangerous.
The Great Demon Dragon was fighting Aranvalon.
“Everyone, do your best! We’re taking this thing down!”
Woong!
I swung my spear.
At the same time, the skeleton army reappeared.
They materialized mid-air and landed on the dragon’s back.
– Hmm?
Sensing something foreign, the Great Demon Dragon twisted its face.
– What is this? You bastards. Weren’t you dead earlier? How are you here when I couldn’t sense you at all?
“That’s none of your business.”
Kwaduk! Kwad-deuk!
The skeletons launched a coordinated assault.
My team unleashed their strongest skills.
I too drove my spear down with all my strength.
Not just strength—
My weapon’s sharpness made the difference—
Puuuk!
It felt tough, but the attack broke through.
– You cunning bastards! You were helping me before. Taking that bastard’s side now?
“…You didn’t complain when we helped you and you happily gobbled everything up. Shouldn’t you have expected this?”
I stabbed deeper.
– Shut up! No matter how injured I am, your attacks are nothing but stings—Keuk?!
The Great Demon Dragon suddenly choked.
“Hoho. Seems the effect is kicking in already.”
The Elder nodded.
I grinned.
“Glad it helped, this guy.”
Yes.
Like a mosquito.
Through the opening made by my spear—
I let the Toxin Mist flow in.
Drip. Drip.
I hadn’t even asked for its help.
It simply rushed toward the giant prey it found.
That’s right, Toxin Mist.
Go in.
Enjoy your feast.
– Y-you bastard! What are you doing to my body?!
The Great Demon Dragon roared in panic.
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