The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 157

123. Bone Dragon

“A… Bone Dragon?! That’s beyond an S-class monster! It’s listed as SS-class in the bestiary…! How is something like that still alive on the continent?”

Aidan shouted, staring at the massive monster flying in from afar.

The Bone Dragon, almost as large as the City of the Dead, would have been a fully grown adult larger than any existing dragon if it were alive.

“It’s not alive. It’s dead.”

Aidan gave Gordon a look that said now wasn’t the time as Gordon nonchalantly corrected him.

“It would be nice to have some Holy Water… but there’s no way there’s any in the Wildlands. Hmm, Kairn. You can use fire magic, right?”

“Yes.”

“Miliana, you have dragon magic like Kairn, so you should be able to use at least a little fire magic.”

Gordon pointed at the two of them.

“Fire is effective against the undead. My earth magic isn’t suitable, so I’ll be the shield. I’ll leave the attacking to you two.”

Slightly surprised by Gordon’s words, Miliana looked at him.

“Why are you so surprised? Anyone who’s lived as long as I have knows that dragon magic can use all attributes, and conversely, pure magic can create Mana Blades.”

“No, that’s not it…”

But Miliana was surprised for another reason.

It was because of his nonchalant attitude, being able to speak so casually even knowing about Kairn’s magic.

‘He didn’t know?’

Kairn was just as surprised as Miliana.

‘As expected… he’s the leader of the Gordon Mercenary Group. He must have experience with dragon magic. I should have just used Arcane Power.’

Kairn looked at Gordon.

“I knew it right away after seeing his sword energy. To be honest, I initially thought he was a descendant of Digon… but his magic is even stronger than the Queen’s.”

“So…”

Gordon interrupted Miliana, who was flustered and didn’t know how to explain.

“It’s fine. Everyone has their own story. Dragon magic isn’t a non-existent power. Isn’t that right?”

He looked at Kairn.

The extraordinary label that always followed Gordon Fabian might also apply to this kind of open-mindedness.

“Does that sword energy have a name?”

“Aura Blade.”

“Not a bad name. But there are many things to improve. The sword energy made with pure magic is strong, but it lacks sharpness.”

Gordon accurately saw through Kairn’s sword energy.

Kairn gave a faint smile at his words.

Because he knew it well himself.

That’s why he had completed the Arcane Blade containing Arcane Power.

‘It would have been troublesome if I had shown Arcane Power in front of him.’

Kairn smiled wryly.

Because that was a unique power that only Kairn possessed, one that no longer existed in the world.

If Kairn had used the Arcane Blade in the battle with Gordon, he might have taken an even greater interest in him.

“But strangely enough, the flames you used were so fierce that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call you a fire-attribute Sword Master. It was the first time I’d seen such intense flames other than from that guy, Kwell.”

Even Gordon Fabian couldn’t sense spirit energy.

In the first place, spirit energy itself was a rare power in this era.

He didn’t expect that Kairn had the power of the Flame Tyrant, so he simply thought that he was exceptionally skilled at using attribute magic.

“It would be better to use fire as a smokescreen if possible. I don’t care, but the others will say all sorts of things.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kairn replied with a wry smile at his words.

“A Sword Master with dragon magic… how old are you now?”

“Fourteen.”

“I’m curious about what you’ll be like in three years. Your body will be perfectly complete by then.”

Miliana frowned slightly at Gordon’s words and asked Kairn.

“You still have three years before you become an adult?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“No… nothing.”

She counted something on her fingers, then sighed softly.

‘Master’s magic is dragon magic…? No wonder… his inhuman strength must be because of that. Is he really a dragon, as Dushala said?’

Aidan also looked at Kairn.

Only one person in the group was troubled by strange thoughts.

[Krrrrrrrr—!!!]

They felt the dragon’s roar, which had been echoing from afar, gradually getting closer.

Gordon swept away the surrounding undead and said.

Kwaaaang…!!

He swept the floor as if drawing a circle with his foot, and fragments scattered in all directions, creating a clear open space.

“We must have been talking too casually after coming to the forbidden area. Everyone needs to focus now.”

Thump…!

Gordon took out the Mauler [a heavy war hammer] he had been carrying. He said that, but his expression didn’t seem any different from the beginning, and he looked relaxed.

“Is that the one? The guardian of the barrier. We can’t waste time in a place like this when we haven’t even reached the City of the Dead.”

And that was the same for Kairn.

Because they had crossed swords before, it seemed that a strategy had already been completed in their minds without needing to say anything.

“Have you ever hunted a Bone Dragon before?”

“Not that, but I’ve caught something similar.”

After the oracle was given and Pharel [a fortified city] was built on the continent, there were creatures with dragon forms among the corruption that poured out from within.

Corruption and the undead were clearly different, but they had similarities in terms of darkness and death attributes.

‘Besides, those with bones are easier to deal with than corruption, which is difficult to grasp.’

“Is that so? You’ve done all sorts of things at such a young age.”

Gordon didn’t bother to ask in detail, as if it didn’t matter. Instead, he said to Miliana and Aidan.

“The head. It regenerates infinitely until you destroy the head. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Aidan shouted in a tense voice, and Miliana slowly drew her rapier and nodded.

Kuuuuuung…!!!

The Bone Dragon, which had flown in with huge flaps of its wings, landed in front of the group and opened its massive maw.

The inside of its mouth was clearly visible.

A green light was condensed inside its skull, and smoke was flowing out of the holes in its eyes.

With an enormous height that seemed to be at least 100m, it looked down at Kairn.

Ssheek…! Ssheeek…!

Each time it exhaled, a highly toxic smoke was emitted along with a severe stench.

“Hey, kid. Don’t be scared.”

Gordon tapped Aidan on the shoulder, who had stiffened at the Bone Dragon’s tremendous presence, and said.

“At best, it’s just a small fry that couldn’t even enter the City of the Dead. Being a leader among sheep is still just being a sheep.”

“…Then what kind of monsters are in the City of the Dead?”

“Who knows? Probably stronger than that thing.”

Gordon said with an indifferent face as he looked at the monster in front of him, and Aidan shook his head.

“That’s not comforting at all.”

Gordon chuckled at his words, rubbed his palm once, and grabbed the Mauler on the ground with both hands.

Paat…!!!

Aidan’s eyes widened.

Because he concentrated magic power on his legs despite his large size, he shot out with unbelievable speed.

‘What…?! Even with Shukuchi [a speed-enhancing technique], I don’t think I could be that fast….’

Shukuchi, a speed-oriented footwork technique learned in the Dark Forest, was one of the techniques that Aidan was confident in.

But that’s why he once again realized the difference in skill between Gordon and himself.

“Hoo…”

Gordon Fabian inhaled and pulled the Mauler back with all his might.

As his back bent, the battle hammer roared and swung horizontally.

The Bone Dragon, which had failed to react, tried to spread its wings to fly, but his hammer struck its leg even faster.

Kwaaaaang—!!

The Bone Dragon’s left leg was crushed as it was.

Huge bones tumbled and fell at Aidan’s feet.

“See?”

The Bone Dragon, which had lost its balance with one leg broken, flapped its wings and fell.

Gordon pointed at it nonchalantly and said to Aidan.

“Yeah, it’s nothing to be surprised about. Aidan. Honestly, there are many more amazing monsters than Bone Dragons in this world. Like real, living dragons…”

Kairn’s voice was heard.

“…!!!”

It was because Kairn, who had been next to him just a moment ago, was standing on the Bone Dragon’s head, looking down at him.

Hwareureuk…!!

Kairn pointed at Gordon Fabian with Agniel [Kairn’s sword], flames erupting.

“Or that man.”

“Hmph.”

He chuckled at his words.

But looking at Kairn standing confidently on the Bone Dragon’s head.

‘Master is more like a monster!’

Aidan wanted to shout that right away.

[Kuaaaaaaa…!!!]

With the Bone Dragon’s roar, Kairn’s sword struck down on its head as if pressing it down.

Kwang!!!

But unlike other undead, the Bone Dragon twisted its body and barely avoided his sword from breaking its head.

As Agniel was embedded in its shoulder, the green flames that made up the inside of the monster’s body intertwined with the flames, and a foul, burning smell vibrated.

[Kak!! Kaaak!!]

With a cry of pain, it spread its wings wide, and a strong wind blew between the wings that were only bones.

“Keuk?!”

Kairn’s body floated up for a moment.

At the same time, the broken leg regenerated, and the Bone Dragon quickly flew into the sky.

“Tsk, step back.”

Gordon Fabian clicked his tongue as he watched the scene and said to Kairn.

Kairn, who had fallen to the ground by the Bone Dragon’s flapping, shook off the dirt-covered clothes.

“I did that on purpose.”

“What?”

Kairn pointed to the Bone Dragon in the sky.

Surprisingly, Miliana, who was riding on its back, was using Agniel, which was embedded in its shoulder, as a stepping stone to stab two rapiers into the monster’s neck with all her might.

Kwaga gagak…!!

Kwagak…!

The flames spewing from Miliana’s rapiers dug into the Bone Dragon’s skull, and the monster’s eyes, which had been emitting a green light, turned red.

[Keureuk… Keureureuk…!!]

The sharp roar turned into a groan, and the monster, which hadn’t even been able to launch a proper attack, began to writhe in the sky as if in pain.

“Miliana is an excellent warrior.”

“That bastard…”

Gordon realized that Kairn had deliberately avoided the fight to show him Miliana’s battle.

“Will that be enough? You have to catch a Lich [a powerful undead sorcerer] living in the City of the Dead to be considered useful.”

[Kuaaaaaaa…!!]

The Bone Dragon writhed to shake off Miliana and roared, and a cold breath filled with poison was sprayed in all directions as it opened its maw.

“Look at that.”

Every place the breath touched froze white. Gordon stepped back to avoid the breath and swung the Mauler he was holding with all his might.

Buuuuung…!!

The Mauler spun around like a boomerang and soared upwards, hitting the Bone Dragon’s head head-on.

Peok!!

With a dull sound, the Bone Dragon’s head staggered and about half of it was destroyed.

“Hey, finish it quickly.”

Miliana mustered all her dragon magic and stabbed her sword into the monster’s head, aiming for the spirit body inside.

Kairn smiled at Gordon.

Kuuuuuung…!!

Kukung…!!

The huge Bone Dragon could no longer maintain its form and fell to the ground, and the impact shattered its heavy body, scattering bones in all directions.

“Hoo…”

Miliana’s figure was visible through the dust storm. She looked slightly tired, as if she was using magic properly for the first time since her meridians had been opened.

“Wow… at this rate, you could even catch a real dragon, right?”

Aidan brushed away the shattered remains of the Bone Dragon that had poured out in front of him with his foot and said with a dazed face.

“Really? Then should we catch one while we’re at it?”

“…Yes?”

Kairn chuckled at his words.

“Isn’t there a lair near Miliana?”

“There is.”

She answered quietly to his question.

“The lair of the Platinum Dragon.”