Chapter 38 : Beyond expectations

Dragons, weary from their long lives, occasionally indulge in what they call ‘amusements’ – outings they take a few times in their lives.

While they might choose various forms like elves or goblins, they most often opt for the appearance of humans, with their diverse

civilizations, to enjoy life as another species.

Perhaps because they too favor special privileges, cheats, or monopolies, the names they use during these amusements often end up recorded

in the pages of history.

However, there has never been a single instance of them using their true names during these amusements.

‘Orquiel.’

A name I’ve never heard.

How would I know someone holed up in such a remote place?

The guy stood before me, his polymorph half-undone.

He looked like a broken chimera, a bizarre fusion of human body parts and dragon flesh.

The suddenly enlarged body could hardly be called human anymore.

‘It’s not bad news.’

Naturally, a polymorphed body isn’t stronger than a dragon’s original form.

The polymorph magic itself was created for them to personally experience the lives of lesser races.

In other words, that guy changed his form to fight me.

Is this what you’d call Phase 2?

As if yielding the first move, the guy didn’t charge, instead standing perfectly still and gesturing slightly with his hand.

Truly arrogant behavior.

But for one with the ability to back it up, it’s an honorable act.

‘Can I do this?’

Honestly, my physical condition isn’t great.

Perhaps because I used a lot of mana, my whole body feels drained, and my joints ache.

The other two seem to be out of commission, half-unconscious after being hit by the Fear.

But I can’t just wait around doing nothing until they wake up.

I had to do something before his interest waned.

“Here I go then.”

Phew, taking a deep breath clears my dizzy mind.

Being granted the first move is a big opportunity.

Even if it’s not a full spell formula, there’s enough time to prepare a technique like the one before.

While gathering mana, hundreds of simulations run through my head.

It’s amazing how many things mana can do, yet how limited it feels.

‘Decided.’

I recall the one attack that worked on him.

A focused piercing attack, not area-of-effect.

Let’s see if he can still laugh calmly after having his heart pierced.

Having finished my thought, I softly began the incantation.

“Vast, vast, and vast spear.”

A mass of mana, incomparably larger than the mana arrow I shot earlier, compressed, taking the shape of a spear.

The spear grew longer and longer, increasing its size.

Of course, this alone is far from enough.

The spear itself is large and hard, but not significantly different from an ordinary spear.

I continued chanting, applying enhancement spells.

-Spin.

-Pierce.

-Shatter.

A ranged piercing attack, like before.

But unlike that time when I was rushed, I have ample casting time now.

Drip, a capillary burst, and blood flowed from my nose.

The cause was forcefully drawing out mana in a short time.

I want to collapse right now, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

Stacking, stacking, and more stacking.

As the spell formulas stacked, surprise flickered in the dragon’s eyes.

The spear, composed of all sorts of mana formulas, looked powerful enough to pierce through anything.

Even if it were an adult dragon.

“Go.”

The mana spear shot upwards like a rocket.

Ascending so high it became invisible, the spear gradually fixed its direction and rained down like a meteor shower.

Orquiel spoke with a completely indifferent face.

“Impressive, but I can just dodge it.”

He’s right.

Even if the spear has tracking magic, if its direction changes, its destructive power will decrease significantly.

But that was naturally one of the expected outcomes.

“You won’t be able to dodge.”

Dozens of mana threads, slithering across the floor like snakes, constricted his body like vines.

“What!”

Orquiel strained with all his might, struggling to break free from the binding, but the tough mana threads didn’t break, tightening around his

body like roots, immobilizing him.

“Th-this mere…!”

Incomprehensible Dragon Language words flowed from his mouth, his muscles bulged, and the power infused in his body grew even

stronger.

Jjiiiik, a few strands of the taut mana threads finally snapped, but it wasn’t enough for him to move freely.

My mana was running dangerously low.

Leaving him bound, I grabbed the two still-dazed individuals and escaped outside the barrier.

Lest they get caught up in my magic.

These useless things.

The inside and outside of the barrier were completely different places, so no sound from within could be heard.

We emerged into the flower garden we had seen before entering.

‘Is he dead?’

I used incredible magic, but not seeing the result made me a little anxious.

Still, even if he wasn’t dead, the spell formula should have at least inflicted serious injuries.

I wanted to open the barrier immediately and check inside, but wary of potential debris, I decided to postpone it and check on the others first.

“Wake up, you freeloaders.”

I nudged the two fallen individuals to wake them up.

Amiter regained her senses relatively quickly.

Although she only opened her eyes after the battle was over, barely five minutes had actually passed.

Quickly assessing the situation, she looked around and asked.

“That man?”

“Well, he should be in there.”

This year is definitely cursed.

Leaving the now-fine Amiter, I went to check on Teperi’s condition.

Is she unconscious?

Her eyes seem to be swirling like vortexes.

‘Come to think of it, I really used a lot of magic.’

At this rate, I feel like I might exhaust all my resources.

Now that the tension’s gone, all sorts of strange thoughts are popping up.

Fatigue washed over me rapidly, and my eyes closed, but I forced my eyelids open.

“Are you okay?”

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to have any major problems either.

Supporting Teperi’s back as she sat up, I looked behind me.

“It should have quieted down by now, right? Let’s go take a look…”

Paat!

As I was supporting Teperi, Amiter rushed over and hugged me.

A truly baffling pose, wrapping around me with open arms as if tackling me.

But before I could even ask what she was doing, the barrier shattered, and its remnants engulfed us.

A groan escaped Amiter’s lips.

A sustained barrier isn’t simply magic made of mana.

Unlike typical magic that reverts to mana immediately after use, the remnants of a barrier become sharp, glass-like fragments.

Sharp fragments, like shrapnel from a grenade explosion, embedded themselves in Amiter’s back, wounding her.

A voice came from within the barrier’s location.

“Truly, truly beyond expectations! Hundreds of years of amusement cannot compare to today.”

The guy’s appearance was hideous.

Who knows where he ditched his mother’s bones, but his fully transformed dragon form looked like, frankly speaking, a ragged mess.

One arm and wing were tattered, and no part of his body was unscathed.

His face also struggled to maintain its shape, flesh drooping.

For a member of the noble and wise Gold clan, his state was deplorable.

But his life still held, and he moved properly.

Even in that state, he had more than enough strength to finish us off as we lay fallen.

[Amiter!]

Teperi ran out and checked Amiter’s fallen body.

Badly injured on her back, she lay with eyes closed, breathing heavily.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I don’t know where to look.

One part of my brain tells me to check on my injured friend, while the other shouts to block the incoming attack.

“Ami.”

There was no reply.

Of course, I saw her fall earlier.

It’s natural she can’t answer.

I got angry at myself for asking such a stupid question.

The guy’s throat bulged, and intense heat could be felt.

It’s the most representative technique that comes to mind with dragons: Breath.

“As thanks, I’ll tear you to shreds, you worms!”

“Dodge!”

Though it’s doubtful if we even can dodge.

Squeezing out my remaining mana, I forced a shield to deploy and tried to block the breath, but perhaps due to insufficient mana, the shield

melted away easily.

It seems its durability ran out.

Teperi was summoning spirits and tending to Amiter’s condition.

Little spirits gathered one by one, attaching themselves to Amiter’s body.

I need to get over there quickly.

My mouth feels dry, and I’m getting anxious.

A wave of self-blame washes over me, thinking it’s my fault.

“Alright.”

With a determined expression, I brought my hand up into the air.

My fingers traced a square, opening a subspace.

The space, once filled with jewels, was now empty except for a few items.

“To hell with honor.”

I took out two items from there.

What I took was a pitch-black ring and a jet-black necklace.

Even in this urgent situation, I put on the necklace and slipped on the ring.

Me, beyond expectations?

“…Yeah, I’ll really be beyond expectations.”

Black mana flowed from my fingertips.