NOVEL WEB Chapter 130
With the ground shaking beneath them, the Wolf and the White Deer leaped onto the platform without a second thought.
“――!”
A whale, swimming just below the snow, suddenly burst forth, its massive mouth wide open, but it was too late to swallow the already leaping Wolf and White Deer. As the whale retreated back into the snow, a startled Baek So-yul covered her mouth, and at that moment, a Sasquatch, resembling a snowman, sprang from the cliff, prompting the Wolf to extend its tentacles and ensnare it. Despite its hefty weight of at least a ton, the heightened strength of the tentacles was more than enough to hold it.
The captured Sasquatch thrashed about, trying to tear free, but it was impossible to pull apart hardened tentacles. Harnessing magic, the Wolf lifted the Sasquatch high into the air and hurled it toward the whale that had opened its mouth earlier, causing the snow below them to explode like a bomb.
“Ah.”
In the midst of the surprise, Baek So-yul, who had been preparing magic, abruptly halted her spell. From the Wolf’s high vantage point in the air, it spotted a dragon’s skeleton beneath—its eyes fixated on the Frostborn lurking within the cliff. Before long, it would need to clear the area before the creature emerged…
―――!
The roar of the dragon without vocal cords echoed through the Frosty Valley, causing the monsters to shrivel in fear. Even those still in hibernation awoke at the monarch’s call. Baek So-yul shuddered at the sound, while the White Deer narrowed its eyes.
“Kyu…?”
Unlike the curious Fairy, the Wolf nodded at the fleeing monsters in panic. It would take a little more time for the Frostborn to appear—
“White Deer.”
“Got it.”
Baek So-yul might not be aware, but it was necessary to evacuate her. No matter how hard she tried, she would pose no threat to the Frostborn. But Hong Yu-ri was different. The Wolf turned to the red-haired girl sitting on the White Deer’s back.
“Are you going to fight?”
—Their red eyes locked, and unlike the trembling Wolf, the Alpha looked directly at her, devoid of fear or panic. The magical energy felt horrifically immense. Even if it gave its all, the chances of winning were slim. Yet, if the Alpha really was as strong as a boss-level monster, defeating the Frostborn wouldn’t be a concern.
Here was the Alpha, asking if they would fight. In other words, if she didn’t, they would handle it themselves. For Hong Yu-ri, that was nothing short of an insult—her crimson eyes started to darken, and the Wolf nodded.
‘Alright then.’
It was expected of Hong Yu-ri. The provocation had worked well. Even though she was preparing to fight, caution was necessary. After all, this was not the time to reveal her true self.
“…Be careful.”
The Frostborn began to show itself from the cave leading into the cliff, and the White Deer took Baek So-yul away.
“Kyu!”
“Help Hong Yu-ri.”
When she softly spoke, the Fairy flew over and wrapped its body around Hong Yu-ri’s neck like a scarf. Although startled by the Fairy’s embrace, Hong Yu-ri surprisingly didn’t resist. With her temper already flaring, she thought she might bite back at the Fairy, but perhaps she still felt a tinge of regret or maybe she wasn’t as foolish as she appeared.
As they swallowed the fleeing monsters and stayed satisfied for a moment, the Frostborn finally revealed itself from the cliff, and Hong Yu-ri started to form a beast pact.
“The Great Magic is…”
“I know.”
If they used Great Magic and annihilated the remaining monsters, the dungeon would collapse. As the red-hot chains flew toward it, the Frostborn flapped its wings. The wind whipped up the snow, obstructing the chains, and the Wolf unleashed spikes.
―――!
The snow managed to block the chains, but not the spikes. However, the magicked spikes couldn’t penetrate the magical armor surrounding the Frostborn and fell away. The terrain was not optimal. Though casting shadows, as it pushed toward the Frostborn, eventually the landscape would be destroyed, and shadows would scatter. The snow-covered ground was the worst possible scenario in that regard.
‘This is more troublesome than I thought.’
As Hong Yu-ri began to chant her second spell, the Frost Dragon flew upward, and the weather worsened steadily. The flurries transformed into a full-blown blizzard, yet Hong Yu-ri continued her precise pronunciation for the incantation.
The Wolf chased after the Frostborn, leaping up the cliff. She needed to step onto the platforms to approach it, but the blizzard was an obstacle. If the distance grew too wide, they couldn’t attack, and if they got too close, danger lurked. If they could reveal their true form, there would be no need for such silly worries.
‘For now, coordinating our movements takes priority.’
If the situation became desperate, there was little they could do…but the Wolf glanced down at Hong Yu-ri below the cliff.
***
The spell-casting was complete, but aiming was the problem. The fierce blizzard obscured visibility… They had to clear the snow somehow. Hong Yu-ri ignited red magical power and rose into the air.
‘Where are you?’
If she couldn’t see it, she would have to feel it. Hong Yu-ri spread her magical energy, her eyes wide open. Right in front of her—was the Frost Dragon’s jaw, opened to the limit, and Hong Yu-ri’s lips curled into a grin.
“Alb pur Stelele sunt să explodeze―!”
If it came on its own, she would be all the more grateful. As the final incantation echoed from Hong Yu-ri, magic burst forth, exploding in a blinding white light. In that moment, even the raging blizzard melted away, evaporating instantly into steam. Pushed away by her magic, Hong Yu-ri stared in disbelief at the blue flames still burning in the Frost Dragon’s hollow eye sockets.
‘No shock at all?’
—No, it was just that there was magic armor. The magic she had unleashed earlier had merely clashed with the armor and been extinguished. The Wolf realized that the Frostborn’s magical power was lower than Hong Yu-ri’s, but because it possessed Great Magic, it could fend off the third spell chant. In truth, she believed the Frostborn’s magical power exceeded her own.
“Damn―”
Just before the curse escaped her lips, Hong Yu-ri landed on the snowfield. Remembering the Fairy only now, she sighed in relief.
“…Thank you.”
“Kyu!”
The Fairy nodded as if that was only natural. In stark contrast, the Frostborn, thwarted of its prey, soared through the sky, howling in frustration.
―――!
The sound of its roar reverberated and echoed, causing an avalanche to begin answering its call, while Hong Yu-ri once again lifted herself on her magic. With crimson magical energy swirling around, the Frost Dragon sensed it and wheeled around.
The Frostborn, flying at high speed, quickly closed the distance, and Hong Yu-ri bit her lip. Even if she formed a beast pact and stretched the chains, it would be utterly meaningless. When she thought she could only count on her blinking, the Frostborn screamed in agony and began to veer away.
‘……Why?’
She didn’t know the reason. All she could tell—was that she seemed to glimpse a mirage through the blizzard. Dismissing it as an illusion, Hong Yu-ri prepared her magic. If three chants weren’t enough, then four… The snow dyed in crimson started to read the magical energy, and her focus sped up the incantation.
“Vopsiți totul în roșu.”
***
Baek So-yul, who had made it far enough from the dungeon’s border, couldn’t hide her anxiety. When the white light had shone earlier, she had witnessed the massive skeleton of a dragon. The terrifyingly overwhelming magical power still loomed around them. Trembling with anxiety more than coldness, her lips clenched, and the White Deer spoke to her.
“Don’t worry. The Wolf is much stronger than you think.”
“……? Really?”
“Is there any awkwardness? It’s been quite a while since I spoke human language…”
The unsure voice was unmistakably that of the White Deer from earlier when it spoke with the Alpha. Baek So-yul, startled at making eye contact with the white deer, could barely contain her surprise.
“You… can talk?”
“I just forgot how to after not speaking for so long. Certainly, things have changed since then.”
“…….”
She felt a sense of unease from the words “forgot.” Baek So-yul stared vacantly at the White Deer.
“Anyway… you don’t have to worry.”
“But.”
How could one not worry against such a monster? Especially in a freezing environment where it felt like they’d freeze to the bone just standing still…
“…Is there anything I can do to help?”
“There’s nothing. All you can do is absorb magic.”
With that firm reprimand, the White Deer continued.
“Didn’t I say you don’t need to worry? Because…”
The Wolf still had the upper hand here.
***
‘It keeps running away…’
The more she chased, the more it distanced itself. Being fast, it was simply impossible to catch up. —If she couldn’t catch it, she’d have to get ahead. Surely, its target was most likely Hong Yu-ri. Redirecting and breaking into a run, she still found it faster. Even as she changed directions a second too late, the creature passed her in the blink of an eye. She regretted not having targeted it more decisively when she had the chance.
“Sunt stăpânul flăcării. O lume arzătoare de proeminență.”
She unleashed a gust of wind as she pursued the Frostborn. The gap had closed in an instant—yet it was still faster. Hong Yu-ri was still chanting, and in that critical moment, the Fairy’s blinking energy provided a breakthrough, allowing her to extend her tentacles and pull Hong Yu-ri closer, the blue flames still flickering in the creature’s eye socket.
‘The freezing magic eye.’
—As the body started to freeze, her transformation ignited into a puff of steam. Hong Yu-ri, who had been pulled towards her, surprisingly didn’t faint and continued to chant, leaving the Wolf slightly impressed.
‘Even underwater, she wouldn’t drown.’
The Frostborn finally opened its jaw, gathering fearsome magical energy. Instead of inhaling, the blizzard was sucked into the power. Watching this, she frowned.
‘Even so, that seems excessive.’
Even the Void or Black Magic would struggle with that output. The breath of a hybrid dragon—especially with Great Magic and over 600 in power, should never be underestimated. Yet before that could happen, Hong Yu-ri completed her final incantation.
“Flăcări nesfârșite se vor ridica și o vor acoperi―!”