Ch.9494. Dragon King (5)

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“Hee, heeeeek-!”

From far away, I can hear Krun, who had been floating as a sacrifice, screaming in terror.

Of course, this time I don’t even feel like calling him a coward.

Talion and Riru’s mouths were also hanging open at the sight before them, with no intention of closing.

“…Is that a dragon? Like from creation myths?”

“It’s called a water dragon, but strictly speaking, it’s not that kind of dragon species.”

In the Sera worldview, dragon species aren’t just… such ‘lightweight’ creatures.

They play a kind of trigger role in maintaining the entire world, so even in the game, they rarely reveal themselves directly except in truly special cases.

Of course, that doesn’t mean…

A water dragon is by no means an easy opponent.

At least in terms of ‘combat power’ specs, while inferior to the real thing, it’s still at a level that wouldn’t shame the dragon lineage.

The scene unfolding right now proves that.

[ A crisis situation has been detected. ]

[ A powerful entity that could become hostile is watching you. ]

[ Skill: Life or Death is applied at A-grade. ]

—!!!!

As soon as the water dragon, revealing its enormous form, opened its mouth and roared, a sound like air being torn apart reverberated around us.

It was such a terrifying ‘wave’ that Talion and Riru beside me covered their ears in terror and fell to the ground.

“Howling, this, damn it…! Just this alone at this level…!”

Riru gritted her teeth and let out those words.

The roar of certain high-level magical beasts carries special effects. Usually, it’s an effect that reduces stats before combat begins.

And if it’s the howling of a dragon species…

< System Message >

[ Physical defense is reduced! ]

[ Magic resistance is reduced! ]

[ You feel instinctive fear due to the difference in power. Your body’s movements are slowed! ]

At this point, this isn’t just a roar but might as well be considered a curse skill.

It just created with a single loud shout what would take an average magician dozens of minutes of investment to barely produce in terms of debuffs.

‘…No, it actually is a curse, isn’t it?’

In the game, the howling of dragon species is judged as such.

And fortunately…

I have a skill that can somewhat counter such judgments.

[ Unique Skill: Curse Resistance ]

[ Those who have long faced curses naturally learn ways to counter them. ]

[ ◆ Unlocks the ‘Curse Resistance’ stat against curse-related effects. ]

This one. The skill I extracted from Yuria.

< System Message >

[ ‘Curse Resistance’ stat roll… ]

[ Resistance successful. You are not affected by negative effects! ]

That’s right.

While Riru and Talion are lying face down on the floor, gasping for breath, I’m the only one who can move normally, so I activate the boat’s emergency safety device.

A blue barrier forms around the boat. The howling that had been pounding our ears is blocked, allowing Talion and Riru to barely get up.

“…How can you move so normally against something like that…?!”

“Because I train diligently on a regular basis.”

“…”

I received a look that seemed to say ‘is that something someone who was gasping for breath after just a little running should say?’

But it’s true that people benefit from planning ahead and preparing in advance.

If I hadn’t extracted the Curse Resistance stat, I’d be frozen in place like these two.

“…But what about him?”

Talion pointed at Krun, who was lying motionless some distance from the boat.

He seems to have fainted from the howling, as he’s not moving at all.

“Hmm.”

Nodding, I pull back the fishing rod connected to him.

With Life or Death applied at A-grade, it’s not difficult to send someone of his size flying with all my might.

He flew in a large arc far behind the boat and fell into the sea with a splash.

Good. This significantly reduces his chances of being killed by the water dragon.

“…Is that enough?”

“People don’t usually die just because someone shouts loudly in front of them.”

“…”

“He might develop some trauma though.”

Being unconscious and floating in water, well…

Still, as the next chief, he probably has at least one item that can protect him when he falls into water.

As long as he doesn’t die, it should be fine, right?

“As expected of you, brother. You show no mercy to the same gender.”

“…Somehow that sounds like I give special treatment to women?”

“Don’t you?”

“…”

Tsk.

“You guys, if you have time for idle chatter, think about getting out of here right now!”

Riru whispered quietly, seeing our behavior.

She clearly didn’t want to provoke the being in front of us.

“It doesn’t seem to have any intention of attacking us yet.”

Indeed.

The water dragon, having lost its sacrifice right before its eyes, was blinking its enormous eyes, looking alternately at where the sacrifice had been and at us.

It seems unable to understand where what was just in front of it went, or why it happened.

“…Isn’t it dumber than it looks?”

Talion said with an incredulous voice.

“It is. It’s powerful but its brain is worse than an ordinary magical beast.”

This is where the biggest difference between dragon species and water dragons comes from.

Intelligence level that’s worlds apart from dragon species, who have mastered knowledge of even Pandemonium and the Celestial Realm through their super-intelligence.

I’m not disparaging it by calling it a native creature rather than a magical beast for nothing.

The fact that it emerged now after seeing the sacrifice is just because this is around the time it wakes up, and it saw something that looked edible floating in the water.

It doesn’t seem to have any immediate hostile intentions toward us.

“Right. Then we should escape while it’s still disoriented…!”

“…I agree.”

Talion echoed in an equally hushed voice to Riru’s whispered suggestion.

They both clearly agreed on the point that they absolutely shouldn’t provoke the being in front of them.

Certainly, that’s right.

Considering the spec difference between that creature and us, it doesn’t make sense that Life or Death is showing up as A-grade right now. It’s probably correct to assume it currently has almost no interest in us.

“No, I have something better.”

I say, scratching my cheek with an indifferent expression.

While the water dragon remains calm, I kick the lever to deactivate the barrier around the boat.

“Talion. Did you bring spears? Not the family ones. Disposable throwing spears.”

“I did bring them, but why…?”

“Good. Give me one.”

Though he looks puzzled, Talion hands me a spear.

“Hup.”

I throw it with all my might at the water dragon.

The spear hit its nose bridge and bounced off with a dull thud.

Talion and Riru turned to look at me with blank expressions.

“…”

Hmm.

Surprisingly, it didn’t do any damage at all.

The Tristan-style swordsmanship I use gives some damage correction regardless of weapon, so I thought it would at least make a dent.

However.

I did succeed in getting the creature’s ‘attention’.

Its eyes, which had been blinking and looking around for the sacrifice that had been nearby until just now, were now fixed on us.

“…Didn’t you just say its strength is comparable to dragon species?”

“I did.”

“And you just provoked it?”

“That’s right.”

“…Why?”

Riru asked in a dejected voice, and I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“You said you wanted a high score, right? That it was important.”

“…”

“Isn’t a dragon species enough?”

“…”

Riru quietly closed her eyes.

A transparent expression characteristic of someone who has given up everything appeared on her face.

“…I’ll go first, old lady.”

“…”

While she was muttering something like a last will…

[ A crisis situation has been detected. ]

[ It is judged to be a direct threat to life. ]

[ Skill: Life or Death is applied at EX-grade. ]

The water dragon’s fierce roar poured down on us.

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A tidal wave surges.

There was a storm raging until just now, but this is a massive tidal wave that doesn’t compare to that. It’s dozens of times higher than the boat we’re riding in.

One of the water dragon’s most effective abilities is controlling water currents. This much is as easy as breathing for it.

“Wait, the boat is going to capsize at this rate…!”

You shouldn’t panic this much over just this.

I grab Talion’s shoulder as he tries to scream and shove him into the control booth.

“Take the helm.”

“…What?”

“I taught you how to steer the boat all the way here. You need to control it.”

I smile at Talion, who is looking at me with a blank stare.

“Focus. I’m counting on you.”

Among those I could bring into this situation without burden, Talion is the only one who can properly handle this kind of situation.

Good at improvisation, good concentration, good with his hands, good memory, and above all, someone I don’t have to worry about cleaning up after.

It’s not for nothing that I picked him from the start.

“…If you trust me, couldn’t you consult me before doing such crazy things, brother!”

Indeed, even while screaming like that, he faithfully grabs the helm at my instruction. He performs evasive maneuvers to avoid the oncoming tidal wave.

As we slide down the center of the wave like surfing, Riru and I are thrown around on the rocking boat.

“Are you really planning to fight that thing?!”

“Would I have provoked it otherwise?!”

Riru bit her lip and looked at me.

“…So this is why she entrusted the future of the style to you, old lady.”

“What did you say?!”

What are you muttering about in this situation?

I can’t hear you, speak louder!

“Nothing! More importantly, what’s the way to win?!”

“The way to win?”

“You wouldn’t risk your life doing something like this without any thought, right?!”

I’m sorry to disappoint Riru, but…

“We can’t win!”

“…”

I continue speaking to Riru, who has a blank expression.

“How could we possibly defeat something like that? It’s a dragon species! We could never win even if we were reborn!”

“…Then why did you pick a fight in the first place, you crazy b-!”

“Because it’s necessary!”

I like building plans step by step from the beginning.

Bringing Talion to the Tribal Union in the first place was to use him now, and extracting the Curse Resistance stat from Yuria was because it would be useful both now and later.

And what I’m trying to do with the water dragon now is…

Not a fight, but how should I put it…

To ‘imprint’ on it.

So that it will definitely produce a ‘specific reaction’ whenever it sees me.

And that work too…

Will definitely provide me with crucial help later. At the end of this chapter.

“That’s all well and good, but at this rate we’re all going to die! We need some way to fight…!”

“Of course I have one!”

Saying that, I knock on the door of the control booth.

“Talion! Slow down!”

“What?! If I slow down now, the boat will capsize…!”

“It’s fine, hurry!”

“…Really, I don’t know about this!”

As Talion slows down with that scream, the boat is exposed to the massive tidal wave and rocks.

But, it creates a brief moment for Riru and me to move.

“Hup!”

So, in that time…

I grab Riru and climb to the top of the boat.

Since it’s a boat with a mast, climbing up there in one breath gives a different sense of altitude than before.

I can feel the anger in the water dragon’s eyes.

The water dragon raises its front paw upon seeing us. It seems to intend to strike us down.

If it hits, not only us but the boat will be shattered to pieces.

And what I need to do here is…

“Riru.”

“What! If we don’t move quickly, we’ll get hit by that-“

“Stay still for a moment.”

I adjust Riru’s position.

I bring her slightly behind me and adjust her position delicately.

So that…

It looks like I’m covering her with my body to ‘protect’ her.

And I embrace her tightly.

To make it look like we’re lovers.

“…”

“…”

Riru spoke in a voice that seemed to be holding something back to the limit.

“…What are you doing?”

“I’m figuring out a way to fight the water dragon.”

“…This is it?”

“Yes.”

I answer with conviction to Riru, who is questioning me in a voice drained of spirit.

“…”

Of course, on the surface, it might look like nonsense.

But this is the only way to overcome my current ‘situation’.

Not just the water dragon.

But also for ‘something’ that will come after.

I slightly open the system window.

And read through the ‘records’ written there.

< System Log >

[ An emergency event may occur soon! ]

‘…They say people develop learning abilities when they experience something multiple times.’

What I’ve realized over the past few days is that the obsession of demons is more tremendous than I thought.

Just look at how even Elnore, who was so gentle toward me, went berserk like that as soon as the situation got complicated and exploded.

In other words…

At this point, I know through learning, without anyone having to tell me, that it’s time for ‘something’ that’s much more sensitive to my ‘relationships’ than that side to arrive.

With that thought in mind, I naturally pull out one of my countermeasures.

Seeing it, Riru momentarily forgot the situation and blinked blankly.

“…What’s with the mask now?”

“I’ll die if I don’t wear it.”

“…”

“Seriously. Without even a kiss.”

Because that kind of being is coming.

More terrifying than the water dragon causing this natural disaster-like phenomenon.

By tens, hundreds of times more terrifying.

While thinking that…

–!!!!!!!!

A ‘white slash’ clearly swung by someone who was furious to the extreme…

Severed in one blow the front paw of the water dragon that was about to strike down on us.

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