Rio spoke with a stiff face.
"I'll let my honey go down alone while I stay here and fight."
"No, both of you should go."
"No. My honey can protect the box by herself. Even you, Seo Chaeyoon, shouldn't underestimate her."
Rio stared at Yoon Seo. Yoon Seo let out a sigh.
"Fine. Then Hunter Lawrence, hurry and head down."
"But…"
"Honey, go and protect the box. I don't know what's inside, but Seo Chaeyoon says it's important."
Rio persuaded Lawrence, and eventually, Lawrence descended with a dissatisfied expression.
Yoon Seo immediately gave Rio an order.
"Hunter Rio, join the ice team."
"…Thank you."
Even though he was being dismissed, Rio bowed his head.
Once the two of them left, Hwashim spoke.
"Seo Chaeyoon, you're terrible at acting."
"…"
That box was indeed important. It held something that couldn't be stored in the inventory, so they put it in the box. And what was inside? It was Lee Domin's shoes. Yoon Seo had evacuated a powerful S-rank hunter from the battlefield for a personal reason.
[The God of Life praises your actions.]
"…Hunter Hwashim, please use telepathy to keep me updated on the situation over there."
"So, you brought me here as a relay, not for combat. In the end, you plan to fight alone?"
"I'm more than capable of handling this alone."
"No. Even for you, that's too much. I'll fight while keeping you updated. Don't worry. I can at least time things correctly."
Unlike Lawrence, Hwashim didn't seem like someone who could be persuaded.
Yoon Seo nodded and gripped his swords tightly with both hands.
Now, the final battle was about to begin.
***
The dragon's front paws were so long they could be called arms, and they had five fingers like a human's. The long claws were laced with poison and were as hard as diamonds. Yoon Seo dodged the dragon's extended claws and swung the
Kraaah!
The poison wouldn't work, but the sharp claw tore through the dragon's hide. Yoon Seo threw the 'Existing Spirit' filled with
"Damn it."
Yoon Seo dispelled the 'Existing Spirit', resummoned it into his hand, and used his momentum to leap onto the dragon's neck from its shoulder. He slashed at the neck with two daggers, enraging the dragon, which unleashed its breath in all directions. The crackling electric breath incinerated anything it touched, and the temple collapsed. Deafening noises and screams echoed from all around.
"Seo Chaeyoon! Get out of there! The seed is about to ignite!"
Using
['Hwashim' uses the skill
But vines sprouted from the shoulder again. Though they didn't inflict significant damage at once, if the skill caused them to grow 'eternally' as its name implied, it was a truly cruel ability.
Kraaah!
The dragon unleashed a burst of electricity toward Yoon Seo. He deflected it with a swing of the
[You are using the skill
Seizing the moment, Yoon Seo leapt into the dragon's open mouth. Hwashim's startled voice cried out, "Seo Chaeyoon!" The breath scattered as the dragon was interrupted by what it perceived as an insignificant fly entering its mouth. Yoon Seo stabbed the
Yoon Seo's fine control over
The 'Existing Spirit' was connected to Yoon Seo, and they could sense each other. Inside the dragon's invisible body, Yoon Seo moved his daggers as if he could see, destroying the dragon's internal organs. Unlike the thick skin, the delicate internal organs were torn apart by the Spirit. He targeted and destroyed the long cylindrical organ, which seemed to be the place where the dragon created its breath.
Kraaah!
Gurgle!
Both heads screamed simultaneously. The dragon swung its long necks wildly.
"Ugh, damn it. What's wrong with this thing?"
"Everyone, get back! Something's not right!"
Compared to the size of this dragon, the 'Existing Spirit' was probably no bigger than a toothpick.
But if that toothpick slipped down its throat and started stabbing around inside its intestines?
At that point, size didn't matter.
Even though the dragon had three necks, and the phase changed every time one was severed, it wasn't necessary to only target the necks. Just as a person can die from internal bleeding even if their neck remains intact, the dragon would collapse from the inside.
"Seo Chaeyoon! What are you doing?!"
"Seo Chaeyoon! Something's wrong! Get out of there now!"
"Hey!"
"Answer me!"
Hwashim shouted at Yoon Seo, calling his name loudly.
Yoon Seo was fully aware that something was wrong with the dragon. However, he needed to stay inside because the closer he was to the Spirit, the easier it was to control it.
He needed to explain this to Hwashim, but doing so would break his concentration, making it harder to move the 'Existing Spirit.'
"Seo Chaeyoon!"
Yoon Seo sighed.
'I'll finish the dragon here. Tell everyone to retreat.'
"What?"
'I need to concentrate. Please be quiet.'
"..."
As Hwashim fell silent, the gods sent their messages this time.
[The God of Life says you should retreat.]
[The God of Death says if you want to die, don't retreat.]
[The Watcher quietly observes you.]
Yoon Seo had no intention of dying here. He knew he should stop and leave, especially considering the amount of mana he'd need for the black portal.
However—
Kraaa!
Kraaah!
As the dragon let out its agonized roar, Yoon Seo trembled and smiled.
He was furious. Ever since he learned the truth that day… No, his anger and resentment had been building for the past ten years.
All the rage he had been bottling up, never once relieved, finally exploded at the very end.
Seo Chaeyoon had lost his self-control, and this dragon became the target of his wrath.
As he slashed through the dragon's intestines with his dagger, he felt a surge of exhilaration. Thoughts like, "I should stop," or "My mana is almost depleted," flashed through his mind, but he couldn't restrain himself.
With enough preparation and strong support, this situation could have been handled properly.
But because of this dungeon—
Too many people had died, too many had suffered.
Why did my comrades have to die, leaving only their last words behind?
Why does La Bijina still suffer from nightmares even after escaping the dungeon?
Why did Kangjin hyung have to kill his beloved younger sibling?
Why did Domin have to be killed by the brother he trusted, only to be abandoned in the dungeon while still alive?
Why?
Why did I…?!
The dam that had barely held back his emotions for ten years finally burst, and a flood of feelings overwhelmed him.
[You are using the skill
Even though he knew he had to stop, he continued to channel his mana, again and again. As the 'Existing Spirit' moved more fiercely, the dragon thrashed violently, shaking Yoon Seo's body as he clung to the
Why? Why on earth?
That thought consumed his mind. He was so enraged, he couldn't see anything else.
Kraaaa!
He couldn't tell if the cry was the dragon's wailing or his own.
"Hyung."
Then, a voice he shouldn't be hearing right now reached his ears. Yoon Seo flinched, but thinking it was impossible for the voice to be real, he raised his knife to strike again.
"Yoon Seo hyung."
The voice called again, and Yoon Seo lifted his head.
Kwon Jihan had embedded 'Heavenly Sword' next to the
It was only then that Yoon Seo realized he had nearly been swallowed into the dragon's throat.
"You'd have died if it weren't for me."
Kwon Jihan spoke in a voice entirely devoid of humor.
Yoon Seo slowly blinked.
"That wouldn't have happened… But why are you here?"
"I came in because you weren't coming out."
"Hurry and leave. I'll come out when the time is right."
"That 'time' is right now. Stop using your mana and let's get out of here together."
For some reason, Yoon Seo thought Jihan's face looked unusually radiant, even though they were in a place with no light. Perhaps it was because Jihan had wiped away all the blood.
Jihan gently touched Yoon Seo's face as if he were absentmindedly staring at him, wiping away the blood splattered on his skin.
Yoon Seo's ragged breathing slowly calmed down. The haze in his eyes gradually cleared up.
"What, are you planning to stay here until the dragon is completely dead?"
"…"
"There's no need for you to finish it off. The inside of the dragon is already in chaos. The team can attack it from the outside, and that'll be enough. That was the plan from the start, wasn't it?"
Jihan softly caressed Yoon Seo's cheek, which still wasn't moving, and tucked his hair behind his ear.