The Sea Dragon Temple (9)

“……”
“Y-Young-ah…”
“Meow…”
“Meep…”
“…Ugh…”

Various onomatopoeic sounds echoed in my ears.

Under normal circumstances, I might have enjoyed watching the scene unfold, but…

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury to be amused.

I couldn’t take my eyes off for even a moment.

Swallowing dryly, I stared at the enormous eye in front of me.

‘…Unexpected.’

It was unexpected.
This was supposed to be just a B+ grade Trial.
System-wise, it was no different from the .

No matter how much the difficulty differed, I didn’t expect it to be this much.

I could say for certain.
I could be sure.

The ‘fallen dragon’s descendant’ in front of me was such an overwhelming powerhouse that it could devour a mere foreign turtle in one bite.

Moreover, I didn’t expect a real to appear.

To infer from the Trial name…

The species was a rare existence even in ‘GAL’.

At best, I had predicted that the boss would be a long-revered guardian.

‘…Sigh.’

Stop, stop.
Calm down.

I stopped my endless chain of thoughts.
I took a small breath.

The breathing technique my father taught me cooled my brain.

‘Discussing what has already happened is foolish.’

I overcame my fear and opened my eyes wide.
I had to find some clues for the strategy.
With the addition of [Unwavering Insight], I could observe the in detail.

I soon realized.

“Everyone, just listen and don’t say anything. That guy is sleeping right now.”
“…!”

Though its eyes were open, the Sea Dragon had not regained consciousness.

The reason for this phenomenon could be found in the that had just popped up.

“It’s labeled as . As long as we don’t attack first, it won’t attack us.”

It happens occasionally.

When the is deemed too powerful for its grade, a kind of restriction is imposed.

“Don’t be scared. As you can see from the message, it is indeed a . But it can’t use magic, its intelligence has been downgraded to that of a wild animal, and its stats have been reduced by 30%.”

Calmly and methodically, I instilled confidence that we could win.
As a leader, the most important thing is cold, rational judgment.
And boosting the morale of the party members who trust and follow you.

Well, of course, that’s just a fancy way of putting it.
I was trembling inside too.

‘…Damn.’

What kind of boss that you’d expect to see in endgame content is just standing there?

[Sea Dragon].

As mentioned in the system, it was the ‘descendant and remnant of a fallen dragon.’

According to the settings, it was no exaggeration to say that there was no [Dragon] who properly thrived in ‘GAL.’

The reason stemmed from ancient history.

A total of 72 Demon Kings descended and waged a great war over this present world.

As you might guess from the number 72, these Demon Kings were inspired by Solomon’s 72 demons, and each one was strong enough to threaten the [Dragons].

Skipping over the tedious history.
In the end, it concluded with the victory of the [Dragons], but true to their name as Demon Kings, most of them cast a powerful curse on the entire species right before their annihilation.

The specifics of the curse were not revealed in ‘GAL,’ so it was not well known.

However, as a result, all that remained today were half-blooded descendants like Ju Na-young or artifacts infused with dragon power.

Seeing a complete in this era had become nearly impossible.

“Perhaps that is a descendant of the that fought against the Demon King.”

In the past, their ancestors were the brilliant rulers of all the seas.

But their descendants inherited a curse, losing their limbs, being unable to speak properly, and eventually devolving into .

Yet, a dragon is still a dragon.
There was no doubt about its strength.

I spared no effort in analyzing it.

The ample preparation time given by its nature made it possible.

While looking for any weaknesses, I noticed something.

‘…Huh?’

A peculiar-shaped scar engraved on the ‘s side.
A deep scar that exposed its bones.
The scar itself wasn’t important.
The real problem was that I had seen this mark before in ‘GAL’.

No way…?

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Seha?”
“Yu Seha?”

Despite the calls from my companions, I was too preoccupied staring at it.

Its size, its skeletal structure…
Everything clicked into place.
There was no doubt about it.

The in front of me.

‘…The clan master of the criminal clan …’

It was the familiar of ‘Tang Seoran’.

.

The leader of the criminal organization clan, and an unofficial S-grade hunter.

Naturally, because she held such a high position, she was one of the main bosses in the story.

Although her would change according to the character she formed a party with, there was one common point in any situation.

That was, she was a character who excelled based on the powerful undead dragon called .

Usually, Tang Seoran, notorious for incessantly using <Dragon’s Magic> to cast high-level [Poison] and [Blood] spells, was feared as a mage.

‘Also known as <Disaster’s Dragon Mage> Tang Seoran.’

Thinking this far, I naturally looked at the [Slasla] on my hand.

I felt a chill on the back of my neck.

Everything made sense, even as I wondered why I only realized it now.

‘……’

I was convinced.

From the [Slasla] to the before my eyes.

All of it was the providence of .

How they had managed to approach the Academy’s heart, capturing a [Sea Dragon] with a party strong enough to do so, I couldn’t begin to guess.

But one thing was clear: Tang Seoran must have slain this [Sea Dragon] and extracted its power.

That way, the already strong Tang Seoran grew even more and, along with the [Tartarus] clan members, launched an assault on the [Gonis Hunter Academy].

‘It will probably continue with a story like that.’

I grasped the hilt of my sword at my waist so tightly it might break.

I had already planned to do so, but thanks to this, I was determined.

‘I will definitely clear it.’

I would prevent this opportunity from falling into Tang Seoran’s hands at all costs.

“…Y-Yu Seha.”

As my thoughts ended, a frightened voice was heard.
Ju Na-young, who approached while swallowing dryly, was trembling, holding a [Pendant] in her hand.

It was the first time I’d seen her like this.
Normally, she was confident and bold, but now…

It was probably because she could sense it, being of the same dragon bloodline.

How different the presence of the [Sea Dragon] in front of her was.

“Y-Young-ah… c-can we win?”

I pondered for a moment over Ju Na-young’s words.
What should I say in response?
Should I boast that such a thing is trivial?

No.

‘That’s not the right way.’

My father would’ve said something inspiring to boost morale.

But even as his son, I didn’t have that kind of eloquence.

But it’s alright.

Because sometimes, there’s no better example than proving it through actions rather than words.

Tap.

I placed my hand on top of Ju Na-young’s head and stroked it.

“What are you talking about? Haven’t we always done this?”
“…What?”

Ju Na-young blinked in confusion.

Yu Seha, smiling faintly, walked forward without a word.

Soon, she was startled by the sight of a girl following beside him.

Ma Hana.

She, who always stood beside Yu Seha as a reliable shield, naturally followed him this time, too.

“……”

Ma Hana’s eyes were filled with determination and resolve.
The trust directed at him shone brilliantly.

‘……’

Ju Na-young, feeling an inexplicable sense of defeat, clenched her fists and turned her.

“Moon Bora! Should we join the fight—”
“……”

Shiver.

Ju Na-young couldn’t continue her words.

Moon Bora’s face had turned pale, and she was trembling like a tree swaying in the wind.

“M-Moon Bora?”
“…I-I’m fine.”

Forcing a response, Moon Bora stepped forward.

However, her limbs trembled like those of a newborn fawn.

Yu Seha, who was watching, made a decision.

‘…It’s impossible.’

All were greatly influenced by the magical entity known as .

Since Moon Bora was a mage specialized in , she was even more affected.

It was only natural to have such a reaction.

Originally, I intended to request delicate battle coordination as usual, but that would be too much to ask.

It’s fine.

Moon Bora had already done her part well enough to get here.

“Meow?”
“Meep?”

I placed my hand on top of Meowi’s head.

“Can I ask you a favor?”
“…Yes!”
“I will fight, too.”

Choi Mari, holding a mace, stepped forward confidently.

I nodded as I watched her.

I took a deep breath.

“Moon Bora!”
“…Y-Yes?!”
“Don’t hold back your mana; unleash the most powerful skill you can!”
“…Understood.”

Moon Bora, grasping the intent of my words, closed her eyes tightly and prepared the spell.

At the same time, our entire party was bathed in a soft divine glow.

[Blessing], [Dot Heal], [Painkiller], and so on.
It was the best support Choi Mari could provide at the moment.

“[Big Snowman]!!”

Moon Bora’s clear voice resounded.

It was the signal for the start of the battle.

As proof, two gigantic ice pillars rose on either side of the .

Crack!

The ice pillars that shot up instantly transformed, morphing into two enormous ice golems with only a left arm.

‘As expected of Moon Bora…’

A wise decision.

Right now, Moon Bora was too terrified to aim properly.

Summoning golems that fight automatically without any emotional influence was a perfectly correct method.

However, being wise doesn’t necessarily lead to victory.

Bang!

The freezing punches of the two [Big Snowman] landed.
But that was it.

The thick scales of easily withstood such physical force as if it were nothing.

Roar!!!

The roar of the gigantic dragon.

The [Sea Dragon]’s tail was as sharp as a greatsword.
It swung like a war hammer, heavier than anything.

In an instant, it smashed two ice golems on the spot.

I put strength into my legs and ran forward.

All of my [Movement Speed] enhancement abilities activated, making me the fastest among the group.

‘I have to do it.’

Among the group, I was the one most free from the fear of the dragon.

I was the one who had brought us to this point.

Even if I died, I had to show them.

―Son, listen carefully. Being the leader, the captain, is about…

‘Being the leader…’

It’s not a position to be exalted by everyone…

It’s a position to prove to everyone.

“…Kkrr.”

The [Sea Dragon] blinked its enormous eyes as it noticed me, a small mouse in comparison.

It reared its head, gathering vast amounts of magical energy.

Rumble!!!

The water that had pooled on the ground shot up.
A vortex formed according to its will.
A total of two vortices approached us.

I had a gut feeling.

Even one hit would carry enough power to wipe us out completely.

Normally, I would have to unleash all sorts of skills to stop them, but that wasn’t necessary.

I pulled out a new sword tied to my waist.

A longsword with an impressive blade that seemed to swirl with a blue light.

It was the sword that Hyeja noona had forged with the [Touch of Vulcanus].

‘Thank you, Hyeja noona.’

Thanks to you, I think I can land a blow on the right from the start.

I gripped the sword tightly, timing my move.

Propelled by [Strange Strength], the tentatively named [Whirlwind Sword] flew.
The sword that Hyeja noona made and the approaching vortices clashed against each other.

I witnessed a surprising phenomenon.

Evaporation.

The [Whirlwind Sword], which literally evaporated two vortices, pierced the body of the Sea Dragon.

Boom!!!
Khhiiiiii!

The Sea Dragon’s scream burst out as loudly as the exploding roar.

I cheered inwardly.
As expected of Hyeja noona!
It was a performance worthy of a broken NPC.

Thud!

The sound of thick blue scales falling could be heard.

Good.

It was a perfect start.

But there was still a long way to go.

‘The is a descendant of dragons.’

With the boss enhancement of the , it was no exaggeration to say it possessed virtually unlimited magic power.

A long battle would be disastrous.
We had to press the attack now while we had the advantage.

I quickly calculated that now was the time to unleash everything and turned my head.

My gaze fell on Choi Mari, who was looking at me with a “Sh-Should I use it now?!” expression.

“Senior Mari! Now’s the time!”

“As a servant of the Lord, I offer this prayer. Please grant me the strength to vanquish the evil before me!”

With a bang! the golden [Lucky Machine] appeared.

I immediately ducked at the sound of footsteps rushing from behind, “Meow!”

Thud!

A tiny foot landed on my shoulder.

I quickly stood up.

“Meowi, go!”
“Meow!”

With a powerful leap, Meowi grabbed the lever of the [Lucky Machine] in an instant.

As she pulled it down forcefully, a ‘Drrr!’ sound echoed.

And in an instant, three of Choi Mari’s faces lined up perfectly, completing a bingo.

Whuaaa!

A brilliant and extraordinarily holy manifestation of divinity.

The observing instinctively realized the danger.

Though less powerful than before, it projected four vortices at Choi Mari, each several times faster.

“Senior Mari!”
“Meep!!”

Choi Mari faced the approaching vortices boldly.

Shivering in fear, she closed her eyes tightly and knelt on the spot.

Finally, with a radiant halo, she unleashed her power as the variable-producing .