Chapter 276

The sudden change in terrain and the dragon’s behavior was a clear signal that the first phase was over.

In that case, I’ll have to reset the board.

Keeping his distance from the beast, Sa-yoon took a long, deep breath, inhaling heat and exhaling frost. He tried to gather the energy of the frost in his chest to deploy his Frostlands skill, but his veins only throbbed violently; no system notification for the domain declaration appeared. The resistance was stronger than he’d anticipated.

This is tough.

Unlike Adelia’s tomb, where the specters had been relatively manageable, the Bone Dragon’s domain was teeming with powerful monsters that served it. With hundreds of such formidable creatures thrashing about, suppressing them all at once was impossible, even for Sa-yoon—especially now, with his stamina drained from wielding Gram.

Even embedding Dawn of Spring to supplement his power wasn’t enough. As beads of cold sweat trickled down his face, Geon-joo grabbed his shoulder and helped him up.

“Don’t. If you pour all your stamina into that, there will be no one left who can beat the dragon.”

Sa-yoon let out a hollow laugh at the gentle scolding.

“There’s no one who can win with hundreds of specters on their back, either.”

“Why are you worrying about the specters? You’re not fighting this battle alone.”

The rebuke was tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction. Geon-joo pointed out that it was impossible to chase two rabbits at once—the specters and the Bone Dragon—even for someone as strong as him. He then switched his weapon, his sword transforming into a pair of knuckles, which he proceeded to wrap with a chain. Sa-yoon watched with interest.

“Haven’t seen that weapon before.”

“I don’t favor hand-to-hand combat,¹ so I’ve rarely had a reason to bring it out.”

Geon-joo extended his hand as if inviting him to appraise it. Sa-yoon didn’t refuse, checking the name of the chain wrapped around the pale hand.

[Hopan’s Pocket Chain (S)] The adventurer Hopan, who lost his wife to the darkness, always carried a pocket watch containing her photograph. The chain of that pocket watch, which connected the deceased wife to the living Hopan, possesses a mystical power. Carry it, and the luck of the adventurer Hopan will be with you.

• When equipped by a living being, attack success rate against the undead increases by 100%.
• Increased damage when striking the undead.
• ‘Hopan’s Blockade’ can be used once per day.
• Divinity stat increases by 10% when possessed; provides resistance to curses and dark-attribute abilities.
• A keepsake of the martial artist Hopan. Its effects are only active during hand-to-hand combat.

Not bad.

Based on the description, it was a weapon ill-suited for Han Geon-joo, but it was something Sa-yoon could find quite useful. As he sent a covetous glance, Geon-joo finished wrapping the chain and gave Sa-yoon, whose dragon scales were fading as the duration of his Dragon Body ended, a persistent once-over. He then extended his hand.

“Do you want it?”

“…Do you see me as some kind of item beggar?”

To be honest, it was a weapon he didn’t have, so he was tempted, but not so much that he wanted to snatch it from the kid. Han Geon-joo also had to survive as a Hunter, and he would need a weapon or two to deal with Gates like this when they opened. It was a tempting offer, but the duties of a lover prevailed, and he refused. Geon-joo chuckled, a sound that seemed to say he’d read his thoughts completely.

“I may have talked big about helping, but the skill I copied is about to expire, so I think you’ll have to handle the dragon itself. But I’ll take care of the specters for sure, so don’t worry about them.”

Even with nearly a thousand specters swarming the field, he showed no sign of intimidation. Lee Jaehee, who had been listening, added his support.

“I will lend you Rai and Shiro as well. Shiro’s charm should be quite effective and will be a great help. We will handle the specters together.”

“Sounds good.”

In short, they were going to create a stage for him to fight freely, leaving him to a one-on-one duel with the dragon. Since Han Geon-joo had completely blinded it, dealing with it would be easier than before. Sa-yoon readily agreed, switching his main weapon from Gram to Half-a-Belief. Dawn of Spring remained floating by his side as his secondary weapon.

—Krrrrrr.

The Bone Dragon, which had been in a frenzy, creating blade-like gusts with its wings and blasting its Fear aura, finally seemed to settle, a low growl rumbling in its throat. Recognizing the right moment to engage, Sa-yoon called Rai to his side.

“Let’s go!”

Kkang!

At his command, the Fenrir, with the nine-tailed fox whose tails had multiplied running alongside, charged across the land of the dead. At the same time, Han Geon-joo and Lee Jaehee began their assault on the specters.

Shadows stretched out, creating a barrier to contain the specters. Inside, Lee Jaehee, mounted on his griffin, soared through the air, pouring down holy water. Geon-joo and Maru finished off the creatures who shrieked and left openings in their defense. Sa-yoon, taking note of Geon-joo’s rarely seen martial prowess, turned his attention to the biting wind that felt sharp enough to flay his skin.

The dragon was right in front of him, having instinctively sensed his location. A murderous smile touched Sa-yoon’s lips as he leaped from Rai’s back.

Kwaaaaaang!

Sa-yoon and the Bone Dragon clashed once more. He used the flat of his blade to block the sharp claws that shot toward his face. Kagagagak! Sparks flew, and light flashed. Black lightning struck the Bone Dragon from above. It seemed to be some kind of buff, as the specters’ morale rose and their eerie wails intensified, but Sa-yoon paid it no mind.

He had entrusted the situation below to his allies.

All he had to do was deal with the dragon head in front of him.

Ignoring the bolts of lightning that rained down, Sa-yoon put his strength into his sword. The power he’d lost with the expiration of his Dragon Body was compensated for by the weapon effect of Half-a-Belief. As if that wasn’t enough, he occasionally used his Moonlight skill to set wire traps, all while chugging stamina potions. He bet everything on defeating the dragon within the next hour.

An hour and thirty minutes, at most.

That was the total combat time he had calculated with his remaining stamina. Even with the potions, his stamina wouldn’t recover to the level it was before he’d used Gram.

—Kraaaaaaak!

He shoved his sword between the teeth that were trying to bite him, and the dragon roared, grinding its teeth.

<The Bone Dragon has used ‘Dominator’s Authority.’>

<Resistance is insufficient due to low stamina. All physical abilities will decrease by 10%.>

Though it was only a 10% decrease, his body felt as heavy as if it were laden with lead. He nearly plummeted from the air, but Rai was there to catch him.

Pyawoo!

Shiro, rushing in from behind, wagged her tails and used her Charm skill. It didn’t work the first time, but the indomitable nine-tailed fox moved in various directions, desperately trying to draw the Bone Dragon’s attention. After a painstaking effort, the Bone Dragon’s head finally turned slightly. Thanks to that, the dragon’s foot, which had been moving to strike Sa-yoon down, lost its accuracy.

Slipping past the attack, Sa-yoon shot back up with Rai.

“Merhan’s Spirit.”

As he activated the skill, a massive wave of energy surged from Half-a-Belief, and a sacred aura washed over his body. The status effect resistance activated, clearing his mind. Sa-yoon immediately drove his sword into the head of the Bone Dragon, which was still distracted by Shiro.

Kagagagak!

The sensation of the sharp blade scraping against bone and digging inside was chillingly vivid. The startled Bone Dragon tried to change the direction of its wings to descend, but Sa-yoon pulled with his left hand.

Kiiiiik.

The pre-laid wires went taut, catching the dragon’s wings. The hard threads wrapped around them like bindings. Rai charged in and bit down on a wing bone, causing the dragon to thrash violently and spew its breath weapon.

“Get back!”

At the sharp command, the two summons quickly retreated. The breath attack targeted Rai, then Shiro, and finally Sa-yoon, but he pulled on the wires, controlling the direction of the blast.

—Kraaaak!

As if realizing it couldn’t continue like this, the dragon let out a short roar and tore itself free from the wires with all its might. Padeudeuk! In the process, the wires snapped, but not before leaving fine cracks all over the dragon’s body. Sa-yoon fed his own blood to the Moonlight skill, reconnected the threads, and set the trap once more. Face to face with the blinded dragon, the clash resumed.

Kwaaaaaang!

The shockwaves were brutal, but in truth, the moment the Bone Dragon had been caught in the wires, the tide of battle had already turned. Though it might have appeared to be an even fight, the more times Sa-yoon dodged the breath attacks, the wider the gap between them grew. There was a limit to what the blinded dragon with its damaged body could do against Sa-yoon, who was now supported by Jaehee’s summons as well.

—Kirrrreuk!

After leaving a deep gash on Sa-yoon’s chest, the Bone Dragon staggered. Sa-yoon was also covered in scratches and bleeding from a deep wound he’d allowed, but the Bone Dragon’s condition was far worse; its wings were on the verge of falling off. Bathed in sweat, Sa-yoon continued the fierce exchange until he saw his chance and took a sharp breath.

“Haa.”

A trembling breath escaped. His entire body was numb. The passing graze from the breath attack had killed some of his nerves, slowing him down. The same was true for the dragon. He had to finish it before the sluggishness became too obvious.

With bloodshot eyes, Sa-yoon had Shiro and Rai draw the dragon’s attention, then gripped both Half-a-Belief and Dawn of Spring and leaped from the air.

His body descended toward the dragon. Unwilling to let him go, the Bone Dragon answered with its Fear aura. A gray energy surged towards him. Sa-yoon crossed his arms to block it and channeled all the force of his descent into his two swords.

Padeudeudeuk!

The two blades plunged into the Bone Dragon’s body.

—Kieeeeeek!

As the dragon shrieked and began to fall, Sa-yoon deployed his Moonlight skill. Wires shot from his hands, creating a multi-layered net at the dragon’s landing point. He cut his hand, letting his blood flow, and the reinforced wires cruelly dug into the dragon’s bones.

Seogeogeogeok!

At last, both of its wings were severed.

This is the end.

Watching the crumbling body, Sa-yoon turned his gaze to the dragon’s face, still right in front of him, and switched his weapon.

Heris’s Dagger.

For the sheer satisfaction of the kill, nothing beat the sword he had used the most.

Taking the final, desperate blast of the Fear aura, Sa-yoon fought not to be pushed back and thrust the dagger into the creature’s face. His health plummeted. 11%, 10%, 9%… And it seemed the dragon’s health was dropping at exactly three times the rate of his own.

Pinned beneath the dagger, the dragon could no longer even scream, only twitch. Looking at its agonized face, Sa-yoon spoke.

“Heris’s Repentance.”

As he uttered the activation word like a eulogy, a brilliant light exploded.

“Cough!”

The recoil sent him staggering. Having fought until his strength gave out, Sa-yoon fell from the dragon’s body, only to be caught by Geon-joo, who had rushed to his side. His depleted stamina was shared with his Pairing⁴ partner through physical contact, and Sa-yoon’s breathing slowly stabilized. The dragon, however, had no one to catch it. It crashed onto the corpses of its own minions and shattered.

Its wings, its legs, its torso—all flew apart. Left with only its heart, the dragon finally met its end amidst its own disintegrating remains.

[91st floor cleared. Returning to the starting floor.]

As the creature’s breath ceased, the bodies of the three men grew faint, and they returned to the 0th floor. Sa-yoon, still disoriented, coughed up blood several times before lifting his head.

“Dammit. That was insanely tough… Time, what’s the time?”

He gasped for breath, checking the clear time. Lee Jaehee looked at the Tower’s system and inhaled in awe.

“1 hour and 22 minutes.”

“…That’s impossible.”

Geon-joo muttered as if he’d seen something unreal, then pulled Sa-yoon into a hug. Despite having been in the battle himself, his tone was one of disbelief. Sa-yoon’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Why is it impossible? I just showed you it’s possible.”

“Still, this is… this is a little unbelievable, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

He just stared at his younger lover, who wanted to argue but had no words to do so. Han Geon-joo sighed.

“It really is unbelievable, but seeing the state of your remaining health, maybe it makes sense…”

Muttering to himself, he took a health potion. Thanks to the shared stamina, Sa-yoon’s health also rose slightly. Once his health started to climb, the 0th floor’s recovery system took care of the rest.

In the silence, Lee Jaehee tended to his hard-working summons. True to the rule that damage to a summon affects the summoner, his shirt was stained red with blood he had coughed up.

“At this rate, we can definitely finish within three days.”

They had taken down the boss of the 91st floor in under an hour and a half. There was more than enough reason to be confident. As Jaehee acknowledged this, Sa-yoon chuckled and lay down on the floor—or rather, since Geon-joo had been holding him since the 91st floor, it was closer to using him as a cushion.

His lungs trembled with a long exhale. The aftereffects of the battle still lingered, and he closed his eyes, which were still twitching slightly. Geon-joo patted his body.

“…What are you doing, pretty boy?”

“I don’t know… Cheering you on?”

“‘Cheering me on,’ my ass.”

He let out a short laugh at the absurd response and felt the tension finally drain from his body. He would need about thirty minutes of rest for his stamina to fully recover and for his more useful skills to come off cooldown. Then, they would immediately start the 92nd floor.

The clear time, faster than he had planned, brought a hum to his lips.

It’s definitely easier when you’re conquering with competent people.

Support came when he needed it, and someone else took the offensive when his strength waned. It was a synergy he had never experienced before, and he felt a sense of ecstasy. Sa-yoon smiled.

He found himself looking forward to the battles that remained.