Ch.441Targeted NPC. (5)

I’m not surprised to see this bastard here.

I had predicted that the Pope of the Holy Nation would move toward the Dragon Mountain Range, based on my knowledge from the game in my past life, even though King Ponia and Ragni insisted it would never happen. That’s why after that meeting, I told Ragni the truth in private at Neti. She did question why there would be something like an ep.6.5. Since I had clearly said the game concluded with ep.8, even Ragni couldn’t have anticipated that a dragon not supposed to appear in the Dragon Mountain Range would intervene in what seemed like a side story. Anyway, that’s not the issue right now.

“So, who are you?”

No one has ever taken a hit from me and remained unfazed. And that shouldn’t be possible. My power, which has already surpassed end-game specs, is close to 3,000. In the game, reaching such stats would require full potion doping, NPC buffs, and player buffs—essentially a state that’s barely achievable when trying to max out. But if someone can take my punch and be fine, something is seriously wrong.

“Didn’t I just say, I am…”

“Play dumb and I’ll hit you again. That wasn’t my full power just now. Even if we fight now, I’m confident I won’t lose.”

It’s a fact that I wasn’t using my full power. But there’s some bluffing mixed in. Honestly, I used about 70% of my strength, and seeing almost no damage, I suspect that even at full power, he might just fly back a bit or rise up slightly. But whether he knew my thoughts or not, he continued as if he understood.

“I never thought the day would come when a human would ask for my name. I am Adiha. The Golden-Eyed Dragon Adiha.”

“……”

Hearing that name, I recall something. The raid boss dragon I knew was definitely named Tiat, a three-headed dragon named after Tiamat. But this one is different. Moreover, he’s a dragon that never appeared in the game. What’s stranger is that despite taking a punch to the face from me, he shows no hostility. Instead, I feel an inexplicable aversion—no, disgust—with every word he speaks. I almost hit him again when he said his name. What’s wrong with me?

“Do you continue to feel hostility toward me, twisted one?”

“My name is Jack. Call me twisted one more time, and I’ll twist your neck.”

When I respond sharply to his question about the hostility evident in my expression and clenched fist, he naturally turns his back, moves away from me, returns to where he was sitting, and speaks while looking at me.

“I doubt my neck would be twisted by your hands, but being hit repeatedly during conversation would test even my patience, so this distance should suffice.”

“What the hell? What are you doing to me?”

“Nothing. Rather, I’m surprised by your twistedness. Normally, no living being can look a dragon in the eye with a normal mind. In tens of thousands of years, no beast with a soul has resisted submitting to my golden eyes. You are instinctively hostile to me as a ‘superior predator’ while enduring it. I commend you, human beast who lives with pride despite being twisted. Jack.”

What the hell is he saying? Every time he speaks, I feel like this brat is looking down on me, making me want to run over and stomp his smirking head with my heel. But judging that his praise of my endurance isn’t a lie, and thinking it would be a waste to attack right after being complimented, I completely relax my feet and ask my next question.

“So, why did such a great predator call me here? You don’t seem to want to get beaten up by me, so why not just let me go? I’m in a hurry.”

“No, that’s not possible. However, it would be boring to just keep you here, so I’ll explain the reason. You must be uncomfortable standing, so why don’t you sit do—”

“Fuck, are you deaf from old age? I said let me g—”

“[SIT DOWN.]”

“?!!!”

At the enormous voice that seemed to shout directly into my ear, my body staggered, and I nearly sat down involuntarily. As I resisted and glared at him, he opened his eyes wide in surprise and let out an impressed “Hoh.”

Fuck, “Hoh”? “HOH”?!

-BANG!!!

“You real bastard!!”

That’s the limit of my patience. Without a status window, I don’t know what effect I’m under, but filled with rage as if my sibling had been attacked, I kicked off the ground with full force and delivered a soccer kick to his face.

-THUD!!!

“I can’t just take this one.”

“Ugh?!!”

He blocked my lightning-fast kick with one hand without even flinching. Damn, this again. Like before, it feels like kicking a rock—no, a thick castle wall. Of course, the hardness is incomparable to any wall; I’ve already brought down Aiti’s walls before the Trial.

Anyway, having confirmed that my attacks barely affect him, I prepare for my next combo—

“[STOP]”

“Kuk?!!”

His voice echoes in my ears again, and as my body momentarily freezes in compliance, he grabs my shin and throws me backward like a twig. Regaining control in mid-air, I manage to land on my feet and glare at him. He shakes his head and continues.

“Even dragon speech only stops your body momentarily. You continue to surprise me. Then, come no closer. Earlier, I approached you because I was curious about how you could look at me directly, but coming any closer will only intensify your hostility.”

The dragon in the form of a boy closed his eyes and spoke as if giving a final ultimatum that this would be his last consideration. Huh? Why did my irritation suddenly disappear? Damn, couldn’t he have just closed his eyes from the beginning?

“I told you, didn’t I? I was experimenting because I found it curious that you could look at me. It seems you’re reaching your limit, so let’s continue our conversation like this.”

“…Sigh, that’s your problem. Even if my irritation has subsided a bit, my urgent situation hasn’t changed. I said let me go right now!”

“That’s not possi—”

“Fuck! My friend is left alone in the dungeon, you crazy bastard!! If anything happens to him, I’ll really rip your head off, whether you’re considerate or not?!!”

I understand now that my irritation and anger were due to his eyes. But just because he closed them doesn’t mean my worries have disappeared. Until just now, I was with Salt Non, and because this guy messed up the dungeon warp to bring me here, Non is now left alone on the 42nd floor.

I did manage to raise Salt Non’s level above 590 today, but from the 40th floor of the dungeon, monsters in the late 400s to early 500s appear, which means him trying to clear the 40th floor alone could be a dangerous tightrope walk. When I briefly shouted this concern to the dragon, he opened his mouth without showing any particular interest.

“That has nothing to do with me. Moreover, that was my purpose from the beginning. Twisted one, Jack. The reason I summoned you here and bound you like this is to eliminate, or at least reduce the number of, twisted beings around you.”

“What did you say, you lizard bastard?”

-Crack.

My fist clenches involuntarily at his infuriating words, and he tilts his head in confusion before continuing.

“I mean exactly what I said. To reduce the number of companions by your side. That is the purpose of bringing you he—?!!”

-THUD⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯!! BANG!!!

“Are you brain-damaged or something? What are you talking about?”

Faster than my voice, faster than the sound of the ground breaking, my soccer kick—which he failed to block this time—hit him square in the face and sent him flying into a distant wall.

*

-Thud.

“Kuk…!!”

“Brother Non?!!”

The one who collapsed after the explosive sound was Salt Non. More precisely…

“I’m fine…! More importantly, are you okay?!”

“Y-Yes! Because you protected me…”

“That’s goo—”

“W-What’s happening?! This smell… ignition stones? Could it be what Jack mentioned…!!”

He had taken a bullet aimed at Ira’s head with his body and collapsed, bleeding from the shoulder. Seeing this, Chikuyo, who had been dismantling monsters nearby, raised her sword in alarm and began protecting everyone. From beyond the monsters, an old, cracked voice began to be heard.

“Ha, I can’t believe it. He said it would be so, but you really can see and block even bullets of this speed. Still, it’s a consolation that you had to block it with your body, having no weapon.”

“Windria!!!”

Grace, protected at Chikuyo’s side, shot a blade of wind toward the old voice without hesitation, slicing through the monsters standing guard and widening their field of vision. Beyond the cleared dungeon space appeared an elderly man in a white suit, holding a pipe emitting smoke.

“Is that Beretta, the one Jack was looking for?”

“Hmm. So you know my name. Yes, I am Beretta, councilor of Aiti.”

“Hmm~? I see. Then die.”

-Swish swish swish!!!

“””KU⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯?!!!”””

“Eh?”

“What a pity, I couldn’t kill you.”

-BANG!! CLANG!!!

“Kut?!!”

Before she could finish speaking, Chikuyo had unleashed phantom sword techniques to turn the old man into a pincushion, but what she saw was monsters throwing themselves to protect the old man and dying in the process. And then, with another explosive sound, a bullet of incredible speed came flying toward her chest.

Fortunately, since she was looking in that direction, she managed to block the bullet with her layered swords, but Chikuyo saw it—the tiny bullet, smaller than a fingernail, flying at a speed impossible to counter without preparation. And then…

“Haha! His words were right—one isn’t enough to kill you. Then, how about this?”

“Are you insane, what are you—”

-RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!

Golem-like creatures with limbs but no faces, each holding pipes, creating explosive sounds of ignition stones aimed at them.