CH 50

Chapter 50 – The Dragon

An exploration quest around the dragon mountain with abnormal amounts of mist.

Raven Alban, the greatest Adventurer of the west, sighed with admiration as he looked at the faces of those who had been gathered.

(It’s impressive that they were able to gather all of these people.)

These were the most prominent names in the surrounding territories.

Including himself, there were three who had the S-Rank license.

However, even after seeing their incredible fighting force, Raven did not let his guard down.

More than anyone, he knew how dangerous the situation in front of them was.

(If the dragon were to descend from the mountain…)

The amount of damage that could be caused was beyond his imagination.

(We can only pray that it is a groundless fear.)

They advanced through the western forest and crossed the border.

And into the undeveloped lands where monsters lived.

There, they explored the foot of the dragon mountain, which was shrouded in fog.

(This…)

What they discovered was traces that suggested that matters were much worse than he had been expecting.

Large monsters that had a threat level of 4 had been torn to shreds and savagely eaten.

“I am a licensed Magic Physician. May I inspect the bodies?”

And so a B-Rank Adventurer by the name of Nina Lawrence, carefully inspected the corpses.

While working as a Magic Physician, she was also an accomplished Adventurer, and had become a valued member of the team.

That was the reason that she had been added, in spite of being the sole B-Ranker present.

What the results of the inspection revealed was that the predator was a monster that was large enough to hold down its prey with a single arm, and had teeth that could tear through thick skin with a single bite.

A dragon.

So the lord of the dragon mountain had come down to ground level.

The situation only got worse from there.

“It continued to bite until the bones were crushed, and there are traces of it continuing to attack even after its prey is dead. Normal monsters would not do such a thing. This is a trait unique to monsters who have gone mad.”

Once monsters go mad, they are overcome with a powerful urge to destroy, and they will attack every living creature around them, regardless of them being friend or foe.

They felt no fearful emotions, which meant that even ordinary monsters could be quite dangerous when in this state.

But when it came to a dragon, this could lead to an unprecedented level disaster.

(Perhaps this will be my last battle.)

And so Raven wrote a will for his wife and daughter.

He dined at the best restaurant in town, cut his hair and shaved his beard.

He was not afraid.

As long as he was an Adventurer, he knew that his time would come eventually.

And now, the strongest living creature was in front of him.

If he defeated it, then his name would be carved in history as a Dragon Slayer.

There was nothing that made the heart soar more for an Adventurer.

And so Raven had prepared to be able to fight in the best condition. And he had not balked when the news about the dragon in the western forest had reached him.

(Come. I will face you.)

Running.

The ground shook and the roar echoed from the depths of the forest.

And what appeared was a giant, jet black dragon that destroyed everything in its wake.

(So this is a dragon…)

Raven could not help but be taken in by it.

What a magnificent, beautiful creature.

It was so massive and fantastical. It did not look like something that a mere mortal could battle.

(Well, I have no complaints about this opponent.)

He raised his sword and rushed forward at a speed that the eye could not follow.

The intersection of attacks.

The sight of him challenging the dragon without fear gave courage to the other Adventurers.

And so they followed after him and joined the fight.

The chain of attacks from twenty of the best Adventurers.

The tide seemed to favor them.

They might be able to win.

It was just as such hopes began to grow in their chests.

The bloodshot eyes fixed on Raven.

“…!”

There was not even a sound. Just a flash through the air.

He did not even understand what had happened.

But before he knew it, he was thrown to the ground.

The taste of dirt was in his mouth.

He had to get up, but his body would not move.

Raven was shocked by this realization. That he had already lost the power to continue the fight.

He had not been reckless or let his guard down.

He should not have stayed within range of those arms.

However, by the time he realized this, it was all over.

One after another, his fellow Adventurers fell.

And the battle was finished in the blink of an eye.

(There is that big of a difference…)

As the jet black dragon crushed the earth beneath its feet, it raised its head to the sky and roared.

The giant claws cleaved the ground

The wings spread and blocked out the sky.

Light began to pour from the back of its opening mouth.

The amount of pressurized mana was so unbelievable that Raven was speechless.

(…The breath.)

The legendary beam of light that dragons unleashed.

They stored an immense amount of mana in their bodies, and then converted it into energy as they unleashed it. It was enough to erase mountain ranges and turn cities into piles of ash.

He had always thought these stories were exaggerated, but he now realized that it was the truth.

The air around him seemed to warp. That was how compressed and thick the mana was here.

He, his comrades, the forest, the town…

All of it would be gone in an instant. When he understood this, the last thing that went through his mind was his wife and daughter.

(…Forgive me.)

The breath was unleashed.

At the same moment…

“Wind Blast.”

Raven did not understand what had happened.

There was an explosion.

It blew away all of the compressed air.

Raven shuddered at the abnormal amount of mana.

This was on a different level with his understanding of magic.

It was not outclassed by the dragon, and there was so much that the air seemed to warp.

The massive explosion of air caused the giant dragon’s head to be knocked upwards.

Just as the beam of light left its jaws.

Its breath cut through the sky.

The shockwaves tore down trees and burned Raven’s skin, even though he was far from it now.

The clouds in the sky were blown away, leaving a clear blue circle above their heads.

The light of the sun shone down.

A pillar of light enveloped the forest.

And what descended to the ground in front of him, was a small girl.

She almost looked like a child as she stood protectively in front of them.

(She is the one who just did that…?)

He could not believe what he had witnessed.

As everyone was at a loss for words, he heard a muttering voice coming from somewhere.

“It’s been a while. My hero.”