Ja-ryong’s Divine Might

Bone Dragon.

Using dragon bones as materials and a mana stone comparable to a Dragon Heart as power, the reactions of each race to this beast resurrected as undead by necromancy would all be different.

For humans, mages would want to investigate it and might even be afraid. Would knights or warriors first think about how to knock it out of the air?

But one race shows the same reaction regardless of age, sex, or attribute. Dragons. If the Bone Dragon caught a dragon’s eye, you would meet a dragon that was truly enraged.

A race that lives for ages regards scattering back into nature after death as a blessing.

To such dragons, a Bone Dragon is not only an interference with rest, but also an insult and humiliation.

Then what would a Bone Dragon be from the perspective of the Ja-ryong, purple dragons’ natural enemy?

Because Ja-ryong are so rare, little is known about them.

But seeing Ja-ryong looking at the Bone Dragon now, I could tell it was no different from other dragons.

Rather, it seemed even more enraged.

Ja-ryong was no longer the Ja-ryong that had focused only on popularity or cuteness until now. It was revealing, without hiding anything, the true face of the combat race, the Ja-ryong.

Even though it was directed not at us but at the Bone Dragon, it was pouring out such dense killing intent that the skin exposed outside my armor prickled.

As a result, Merus had long since passed out.

‘…Doesn’t it look angry?’

As Arun worried, Ja-ryong was angry. Truly.

Kroararaaah――!!

The moment Ja-ryong’s presence burst out, it vanished into the air. No, it only seemed to vanish.

Ja-ryong, which had disappeared as if blinking, reappeared above the Bone Dragon’s head.

Appearing in a position where it could look down on the Bone Dragon, Ja-ryong dropped swiftly without making a sound and, baring its sharp claws, seized the black skull.

Only then did the Bone Dragon realize where Ja-ryong was, and it began thrashing.

Power surged from its massive body. Using the unique strength of its mutated divine power, it flipped itself in the air. And then the Bone Dragon plunged downward.

The two dragons wrestled and tumbled through the air. Until the moment they hit the ground, it was impossible to say which one held the advantage.

KWAANG――!!

With the sound of the ground splitting, a roar crashed over us as if it would tear our eardrums apart. Dust billowed up heavily, blocking our vision.

‘Ja-ryong!!’

‘Ja-ryong!’

Their worried voices seemed as if they could reach Ja-ryong through the roar.

As the dust cleared, the first thing to surge up from the ground into the air, writhing, was the Bone Dragon. And almost at the same time, Ja-ryong got up and glared upward.

With all four feet on the ground, Ja-ryong crouched and lightly sprang upward, rising quickly.

A thick purple line was carved from the ground toward the sky, and the booming sound and shockwave created as the two beings collided at its end washed over us.

The members who had not yet fully recovered rolled backward several times, and the undead remains scattered on the ground were blown everywhere.

‘A dragon specialized in melee combat, huh…….’

Feeling my hair and cloak flutter in the shockwave, I stared absentmindedly at Ja-ryong and the Bone Dragon fighting fiercely in the air.

The Bone Dragon cannot use draconic language magic, which is a dragon’s exclusive domain. Instead, it is a beast that relies on inexhaustible stamina, resistance to magic, and above all, rapid recovery.

The Ja-ryong is much the same.

It has excellent elemental resistance and breath resistance, and its magic resistance is exceptional too. Above all, it is a race specialized in hand-to-hand combat.

In fact, both could be called specialist melee dragons.

Since those two beings had met, a battle erupted that could be seen only in the territorial struggles of dinosaurs in the primeval age. And in the air, no less.

They rushed in with their mouths open, aiming for each other’s throats, or disappeared and reappeared in an instant. Folding their wings midair and making sharp turns, they also crashed bodily into each other.

Even more astonishing were the masses of energy draped thickly over their claws and wings. Their destructive power was enough to call it force.

Graceful movement, along with force filled with destructive power. It was the battle of a seasoned martial artist. It just didn’t feel that way because their momentum resembled wild beasts, and their bodies were so huge.

The movements of Ja-ryong and the Bone Dragon grew even more ferocious.

They repeatedly wounded each other with the force in their claws, or bit at each other’s necks and wings. And as time passed, more and more large and small injuries accumulated on Ja-ryong’s body.

Even at a glance, the difference in bone size was enormous. Before becoming undead, that dragon must have been an ancient dragon. It had definitely been stronger than Ja-ryong now.

As said before, the Bone Dragon cannot breathe fire; instead, it is strong in melee combat and curses.

Also, the Bone Dragon’s body consists only of bones without flesh. It retains the undead trait exactly as it is: wounds are repaired quickly.

But Ja-ryong is undeniably a living creature with flesh and blood flowing through it.

If Ja-ryong had not been a Ja-ryong with exceptional combat sense, if not for the skill ‘The Gate—Stage 3 [Ex],’ Ja-ryong would have been at a disadvantage in pure melee combat to the point of suffering serious injuries.

‘Tsk.’

I felt sorry for Ja-ryong, who was focusing on battle with full force for the first time in a while, but I couldn’t just make it lose against an enemy it could beat.

‘Ja-ryong, I told you to wipe it out.’

At my voice, the members who had been worriedly cheering for Ja-ryong, as well as Lee Hyo-ju and Naruan, who had been clutching their weapons ready to jump in if necessary, looked at me with puzzled eyes.

No one else may have known, but Ja-ryong would have understood. The talent ‘Communion’ is not verbal communication, after all.

‘Of course, the metaphorical expression of wiping it out wasn’t wrong.’

Ja-ryong delivered a powerful attack with its torso, pressing in at close range, then pulled back far away and took a deep breath.

Even if I speak terribly, it really understands perfectly.

As its chest swelled, a flash burst out and engulfed the Bone Dragon. A pure white flash. It was divine breath.

The time from the body attack to the release of divine breath—one, two seconds? Watching it link the attacks together as if that had always been the plan in that fleeting instant, I nod unconsciously. You could call that outstanding combat sense.

The Bone Dragon’s body, struck head-on by divine breath, the worst possible counter for the undead, lost strength and fell. Just that alone made it feel as if the battle were over.

All the members shouted in cheers.

Ja-ryong’s attack was only just beginning.

Ja-ryong moved again, looking down at the falling Bone Dragon and repeating the process of inhaling, swelling its chest, and unleashing flashes.

But this time it wasn’t divine breath. It was flame breath.

I’d have to ask about it later, but from what I’d felt a little earlier, could it be that it can’t use breaths of the same attribute consecutively?

I don’t know what form a Red Dragon’s breath takes, but Ja-ryong’s flame breath did not spread like a thick laser; it shot out in a piercing line and struck the Bone Dragon’s black torso.

Most of the Bone Dragon’s black smoke and aura that had painted the surroundings ominously disappeared.

As the dust cleared, the Bone Dragon’s condition was revealed. Panting, it lifts its head and looks at the Ja-ryong gazing down at it from the air.

Slowly moving its wings, Ja-ryong descended and, like a victor, seized the Bone Dragon’s head with its forepaw and lifted it up.

With a rattling sound, the Bone Dragon’s body shook, and when Ja-ryong’s and the Bone Dragon’s heads rose to the same height, Ja-ryong’s mouth opened wide.

And once again, a flash burst forth.

A pleasant feeling, as if its bodily condition was returning. Divine breath again.

Everyone turned their heads away from that bright light, closed their eyes, and opened them again.

Then the headless body of the Bone Dragon lay alone on the ground, and beside it Ja-ryong, now somehow smaller, was hanging its head down exhausted, as if it had used up all its strength and died.

‘Ja-ryong!’

‘Ja-ryong!!’

Lee Hyo-ju and Naruan ran in, one after the other, picked Ja-ryong up, and fussed over its body, inspecting it here and there.

Not as much as they were, but I too was startled and quickly approached.

Ja-ryong, which had been motionless with its head drooped as if dead, noticed me and fiddled with its forepaw.

I rescued Ja-ryong from the women, who were at a loss because they thought it was cute, and carefully lifted it as if holding a child, placing it on my head while checking its current state with the ‘Check’ power.

After giving the fellow sleeping soundly on my head a gentle pat, I approached the remains of the Bone Dragon whose neck had vanished.

It was quite large. It was full of malevolent energy, but depending on how and by whom it was used, it became an entirely different material.

The moment I put the Bone Dragon’s bones into my inventory, I felt a fierce gaze.

Jeol and Shumix.

The third reason I came to the land of death. It was to strengthen the undead and death knights those two controlled.

They themselves would never know that was my intention, and I never imagined I would obtain Bone Dragon bones. The undead bone I had originally wanted was something else, after all.

There was something intense in the eyes of the two as they looked at the place where the Bone Dragon’s bones had been.

‘Why, do you want it?’

At my offhand question, an ‘oh no’ look crossed both of their eyes at once, and they shook their heads awkwardly.

This was clearly Ja-ryong’s solo achievement, and Ja-ryong is my pet. For the two of them to ask for it or covet it would be to desire it, just as I said.

‘Of course, I’ll give them a little, but I can’t just hand it over.’

Accepting Shumix’s apology as she bowed her head and said sorry, I casually brought it up.

“Do well on this expedition. Then I might be able to give you a little under the name of a special bonus.”

“Really?!”

“Really?”

The two asked back in surprise. And Lee Hyo-ju and Hazel were staring this way with their eyes wide open.

“Yes.”

“Oh!”

“Yes!!”

Shumix clenched his fist firmly, and Jeol let out a screech, exuding dark energy.

Separate from the two’s shared enthusiasm, all the members except me were exhausted.

They had recovered a little thanks to divine breath, but only enough to move around.

“Elastra, Noeaden, please set up the barrier. Saleana, Selesthin, please stand guard. Give us a hand.”

—Leave it to us.

Noeaden answered for them.

The highest-grade water and earth spirits made the stale land of death feel as comfortable as if we were in Exorsus.

After confirming that the highest-grade fire and wind spirits were watching all around, I looked back at the members.

“You did well. I saw more than I expected from you. From here on, until we clear the ruined kingdom’s royal castle, battles like this will continue. No, even worse battles will break out. And I believe those battles will make you stronger. So rest well whenever you can.”

“Yes!”

While everyone answered and settled in comfortably to rest, I made food for the first time in a while and served the members.

By the time those tasting it for the first time were amazed and those who had had it before finished their meal full of satisfaction, one by one they had fallen asleep.

Hazel and Lee Hyo-ju carefully came over and sat beside me.

“What’s wrong?”

I ask the two, who are suddenly careful in their manner, why, but no answer comes.

As time passed in that awkward silence, Hazel’s calm voice, full of unease, came to me. It carried unexpected words.

“Companion… are you perhaps thinking of going somewhere and leaving us behind?”