Chapter 123: Aranballon, the Dragon of Greed (4)


    “What the—? What is this?!” Delh, who had been observing the unfolding chaos, cried out, herposure shaken. It was unlike her usually calm demeanor. “A dragon? Seriously?” She turned toward the Arcane Swordsman. “Lucas, that’s a dragon, isn’t it? I’m not seeing things, right?”


    “Lady Delh,” Lucas replied, “I have no idea what goes on in the dungeons you create. Asking me won’t help.”


    “This makes no sense! A non-ranker summoning a dragon is bizarre enough… But dragons don’t just appear because humans call for them. How did Joo Donghoon manage this…?” Delh pressed her fingers to her temples with both hands. “Phew… No wonder he sounded so confident. Lucas, do you understand how utterly ridiculous this is?”


    “…” Lucas’s expression inly said, “No, I don’t understand. Stop asking.”


    Delh cleared her throat, regaining someposure. “A dragon is selfish and greedy by nature. It’s like a wild predator.”


    “A predator, you say?”


    “Yes.” Delh nodded. “Think about wild animals. They have their territory and, BAM, kill any other predator that intrudes on it, even if it’s their own species. That’s why there can only ever be one dragon in a given world. And they’re absurdly prideful. They’re pure, uncontroble forces of nature…” Her excitement showed as her cheeks flushed and she stumbled slightly over her words. “Could Joo Donghoon have understood these traits about dragons?”


    “…”


    “And if he did, how?” Delh’s eyes deepened in thought.


    Her unique ability allowed her to observe countless worlds, temporarily link them, and “dungeonize” them. She could set “missions” and allocate rewards based on their “difficulty” and “narrative cohesiveness.”


    But this process was anything but simple. Each world had beings that resisted “dungeonization.” Dragons were among these beings. The reason Delh had been able to create the setting for Theme 2 was solely due to her contract with Aranballon.


    “Hm? I sense someone’s trespassed into my domain. Who are you? Where did youe from, and what brings you here?”


    …


    “Hm, another world, you say. Fine. So long as I can im the greedy souls of the humans who enter this ce…”


    For Aranballon, it was a low-risk, high-reward deal. The only downside was to spare humans who showed no greed. But that wasn’t a significant loss. It didn’t feel the need to reject an offer to be brought some prey now and then.


    As Delh recalled this, her eyes opened.


    He said he’d defeated a dragon before, she thought.


    Joo Donghoon had made that im—and asserted that he could do it again.


    If that’s the case…


    Delh brushed back her hair.


    It might actually be possible.


    Even with the emergence of another dragon, the dungeon’s difficulty remained unchanged. Killing Aranballon was already the most challenging mission she had ever set across all her trials. If it could be done, the rewards would be extraordinary.


    In the end…


    The method didn’t matter. All that mattered was resolving the situation.


    Fascinating.


    Delh’s expression softened into a dreamy smile. “To witness two dragons in the same world… What a rare spectacle.”


    There was a mix of astonishment and anticipation in her demeanor.


    “…” Lucas gave her a puzzled look.


    Though this was only his third time working as a judge, and he had never seen Delh this excited before.


    * * *


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    * * *


    “Ugh!”


    I steadied myself, nting my feet firmly on the ground. I could feel the sheer pressure of the Giant Magic Dragon’s presence, threatening to send me flying.


    “Wh-What is that?” Olena’s mouth hung open.


    “This is your first time seeing one, right?”


    To be fair, I had only seen its polymorphed form before, and facing its true form was the first time for me, too.


    Before us stood the terrifying figure of the Dragon of Greed, Aranballon, and to its right, the shadowy Giant Magic Dragon began to take form, its body slowly assembling piece by piece from the ck mist. The world seemed to split into two realms—one brown, one ck. Standing before these two titans, we were mere specks of dust.


    “This is insane.” Olena furrowed her brows. “We can’t run anymore. It wouldn’t make any difference.”


    “I agree,” I said, nodding.


    Instead of running, it was better to focus on defense.


    Boney 4.


    I lined up my shieldbearers at the front.


    Everyone else, I instructed, emphasizing defense over offense, not that offense mattered anyway. The shockwaves from the two dragons’ auras alone were overwhelming.


    “Good lord…” Beside me, dimir groaned. “This is the most awe-inspiring sight I’ve ever seen. If the world were to end, it’d probably feel like this.”


    He wasn’t wrong. The sheer sh of their presences was enough to bend space itself.


    —Sizzle!


    The ck mist from the Orb of Prohibition gathered, gradually forming a shape—a head, a torso, legs, eyes, ws—all coalescing into one being.


    “…”


    Aranballon no longer looked at us. Its attention had shifted to the forming figure of the Giant Magic Dragon.


    Imagine seven ants before you. Then imagine a ferocious tiger crouching beside them. Which would you focus on? You’d prioritize the tiger, wouldn’t you?


    “Did it work?” I muttered.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    “Huh?” Myoi Hana nced at me.


    “For now, let’s keep quiet and hope the Giant Magic Dragon doesn’t look at us.” I swallowed hard.


    The Giant Magic Dragon bore a grudge against me. I had shattered its 500 years’ worth of effort to break the seal that Eldrin and Demir had painstakingly ced. If it recognized me, it mighte for me, tiger or no tiger, to stomp on this ant.


    —Grip.


    I clutched an S-rank scroll in my pocket.


    [Item: Wish-Granting Scroll]


    [Rank: S]


    [Type: Scroll]


    [Description: Use in moments of crisis, and it will provide exactly what you need.]


    [Effect1: Ancient magic aids you in critical moments.]


    I had to be prepared for anything, just in case.


    “…”


    Staying low, I kept my eyes on the battlefield.


    The silence was deafening, but tension crackled in the air. Just the presence of these two beings seemed to silence the world.


    Then, the stillness broke. The Giant Magic Dragon spoke first.


    “Mm… Who are you?”


    —Fwoooo…


    Its breath shook the ground and made me feel weightless. The dragon’s mere exhale felt as though the world itself was breathing.


    “Where is that damned little pest? And why is this stranger ring at me instead?”


    “That is my question to ask, intruder.”


    The two titans locked eyes, their breaths pushing against each other without either of them blinking once. Even though they merely seemed to be standing, both showed no vulnerabilities while doing so.


    Aranballon broke the silence.


    “Hah, it’s been a while since I’ve seen another of my kind. I thought I had crushed you all beneath my ws long ago.”


    Anyone who invaded its territory would be killed. A dragon’s territory was so vast that it could contain the entire world. The only dragon that could exist there had to be itself.


    “Did those puny humans summon you?”


    “Puny humans?”


    The Giant Magic Dragon tilted its head in question.


    “Yes, those ants clustered together over there.”


    “Ants, you say? Where?”


    The Giant Magic Dragon’s gaze turned, and its golden eyes fell squarely on me.


    Man, fuck.


    A chill ran down my spine with every hair on my body standing up. My entire body bristled as though I’d stepped into a horror movie.


    “Ah? You’re…?”


    The Giant Magic Dragon’s nostrils red, shooting a gale that whipped my hair and shook the earth.


    “There you are! The pawn of an otherworldly being! I told you, didn’t I? You would never fully seal me away! And now, we meet again!”


    —Whoosh!


    The Giant Magic Dragon spread its massive wings wide. Then it began channeling all its energy toward us.


    “Ugh!”


    “What kind of pressure is this?”


    The team members were horrified.


    “I… I can’t breathe!”


    An overwhelming killing intent enveloped us.


    Damn it. So this is how it ends, huh?


    I furrowed my brow and ced both hands on the spell scroll. Please. Let this spell be the one to break through this situation.


    “Hahaha! You fool! Excellent! As promised, I’ll burn your soul to ashes!”


    The Giant Magic Dragon roared.


    “Look forward to it! Really, I’m looking forward to it! I’ll make you suffer in endless agony, trapped in torment for all eternity! Neither alive nor dead!”


    —re!


    The dragon’s maw filled with fire, ready to unleash destruction.


    “What do you think you are doing, intruder?”


    The sharp gaze of Aranballon glinted coldly.


    —BOOM!


    At the same time, an immense burst of energy mmed into the Giant Magic Dragon’s body.


    “…What?”


    Caught off guard, the Giant Magic Dragon frowned. It was an attack that came in an instant.


    “How dare an intruder touch my belongings without permission?”


    “What’s this? Are you picking a fight with me?”


    The Giant Magic Dragon growled. Aranballon replied.


    “They were greedy. They didn’t even realize I was letting them leave alive. But they overstepped and challenged me. That makes them my challenger, one I must personally deal with.”


    Aranballon chuckled as it replied.


    —Rumble.


    The oppressive aura of the two beings shook the very space around them.


    “I am the Dragon of Greed. No one takes what is mine. So I suggest you withdraw that energy of yours and leave this world immediately.”


    “Ha, howughable.”


    Augh escaped from the Giant Magic Dragon’s mouth.


    “If we’re going to kill them anyway, just let me have this one, and there’s no reason to attack me.”


    “Didn’t I just say? That one is mine to kill.”


    “What kind of stubbornness is this?”


    The Giant Magic Dragon smirked in disbelief. But Aranballon stood firm.


    “Amusing, isn’t it? You call my will stubborn, yet isn’t yours the same?”


    “Fine. So I take it this is a challenge then?”


    “A challenge?”


    “Yes, a challenge.”


    “It’s not a challenge. It’s a warning.”


    “A warning? Do you truly wish to die?”


    “On second thought, perhaps a warning isn’t enough. Killing you outright might be better.”


    “What?”


    “Did you know? Even for a fellow dragon, your corpse would be invaluable. Haha, not a single part would go to waste.”


    —Whoosh!


    This time, Aranballon spread its wings wide. At the same time…


    —Ssssst.


    Countless soldiers armed with crossbows appeared all around. What we saw earlier was merely the tip of the iceberg.


    “Your body will be my precious ‘treasure,’ and your teeth will be crafted into the weapons to defend my ‘treasure.’”


    “You’re insane.”


    The Giant Magic Dragon’s face twisted in disgust.


    “A greedy dragon, indeed. Your madness has consumed even your brain.”


    “Graaaah!”


    Now, the Giant Magic Dragon swung its wings mightily.


    “Fine then, let’s do this.”


    With that, the roars of ancient drakes filled the space. An army of ancient drakes had arrived.


    “Your foolish choice will be met with utter devastation! I’ll tear you to pieces, and then that wretched one over there will be my post-battle dessert!”


    The monstrous creatures that followed the Giant Magic Dragon charged at Aranballon’s soldiers.


    —ng!


    The soldiers unsheathed their swords without hesitation. And so, the chaos began.


    “…”


    I quietly slid the spell scroll I was about to tear back into my pocket.


    “This…” Olena, eyes wide, stared at me. “This is good, right?”


    “It seems so,” I replied, equally wide-eyed.


    Dragons, as a species, were simpler than I thought.


    Anyway, it looked like my hunch was right again. Let’s see whoes out on top, shall we?