NOVEL WEB Chapter 131
“This is more chaotic than I thought.”
The Frost Dragon was quick to judge upon seeing the massive flames of hellfire covering the vast sky. It held back its breath attack to prioritize dodging, but the Wolf was quicker on the draw.
Even while fleeing, Frost Bon saw the mirage. It was a smart move to not overlook it, but it gave the fire demon time to catch up.
‘I’m sharp today.’
Just like when I targeted Hong Yu-ri earlier, I was definitely avoiding the Void. I’m not sure if it’s instinct or certainty, but as the Frost Dragon attempted to escape by flapping its wings—
“You think I’d let you go?”
With a clenched fist, Hong Yu-ri caused a vast range of flames to converge and compress. The encroaching fire could break through this magic armor, scorching the Frost Dragon’s bones black—but still…
‘But.’
The moment Frost Bon’s jaw slowly opened, the flames turned a striking blue.
“……!”
The breath dissolving into flames had lost its vigor compared to before, but it was still powerful enough. The snowstorm, turned into steam by the flames, fell down as hard hail. Spotting the incoming breath, I shot up while holding Hong Yu-ri with my tentacle, leaping off the ground. By the time the breath subsided, the snowfield and frost valley had frozen solid into a tundra.
‘……That did some damage.’
Just looking at those blackened bones tells the story. Right now, even a little shock might just break it. I glanced back at Hong Yu-ri, but there didn’t seem to be much to worry about. Rather than dwell on this, casting the next spell is the natural instinct of a Mage. Plus, with a Fairy around, there’s no way anything can go wrong. Creating a platform, I jumped and initiated the Transformation, and the frozen ground slowly began to melt.
‘…Running away, huh?’
Frost Bon didn’t seem to want to engage me directly. Yet, it wasn’t fully fleeing, instead keeping its distance, looking for a chance to strike at Hong Yu-ri. It looked incredibly irritable, likely due to my earlier spell. I shot out some thorns, anticipating its movements, but it skillfully dodged them.
‘We need to close the distance more.’
I created a platform and threw myself at it. As I soared dozens of meters through the air, its eyes widened as it slowly began to retreat. Displaying its teeth towards the fleeing dragon, the Wolf unleashed numerous black flames that hindered Frost Bon’s movement, yet it still just barreled through. It wasn’t merely dodging; it put itself in harm’s way as if my approach was the greater threat. Despite having spikes stuck in its body from not donning the magic armor again, it ignored them utterly.
‘……!’
Capturing a fleeing Frost Bon appeared nearly impossible. Just when I thought there was no way,
“Multiplexare cu lanț de flacără!”
—Hong Yu-ri’s spell, countless crimson chains. The countless red lines laced through the sky, moving in tandem with her hand to chase after Frost Bon. While surely the chains were slower than the Frost Dragon, its escape route was blocked by the Void just like last time.
‘Gotcha.’
It had nowhere left to run—eventually, the red chains closed in, enveloping Frost Bon, and in an instant, flames ignited in its eyes, glowing blue.
—The cursed gaze of freezing. A glance that freezes whatever meets the caster’s eyes in an instant.
The Wolf’s mitigations were nullified, and the black flames effortlessly melted away the freezing gaze’s power. It was just a repeat of earlier results but utterly useless against ‘the Wolf.’
“……!”
Strapped by chains, Frost Bon tried to move but was caught and rendered immobile. The countless chains ensnared it, and it writhed in desperation, spewing out a mass of magic—not quite fitting to be called breath. Nevertheless, the chains pulled the floating Frost Bon down to the valley floor. Sure, it could still unleash a storm and escape, but with those blackened bones—right now, it didn’t have the stamina to endure the backlash of a collision. If it tried, it would definitely shatter into pieces.
The Wolf dove towards the fallen dragon.
***
“It fell…”
I saw the dungeon’s boss, once soaring in the skies, crushed under a multitude of chains, finally plummeting to the earth. —Despite the undeniable victory, the White Deer did not look pleased.
“……This is dangerous.”
Surprised by this unexpected remark, Baek So-yul turned her gaze, and the White Deer frowned.
“It’s collapsing.”
—The black flames and fire magic used until now meant the frozen ground and snow were melting. And crucially, the mass of magic unleashed by the trapped Frost Bon collided, causing an avalanche to surge toward the valley. Moreover, the valley itself was crumbling. Monsters sensing the danger tried to crawl up the cliffs towards the snowy expanse above, only to be swept away instead. In the midst of that natural disaster, neither the Wolf nor the Mage could be seen.
“……We need to get out of here.”
If the avalanche grew larger, this place wouldn’t be safe either.
“Are you seriously considering leaving it like this…!”
With disbelief in her eyes, the White Deer nodded.
“That’s the right call.”
With the ground trembling underfoot, the White Deer, seemingly unable to wait any longer, launched itself towards the exit, while Baek So-yul, biting her cheek, caught her last sight of countless snowflakes emptying into the valley below.
***
Drawn down to the ground by the crimson chains, Frost Bon tried to stretch its wings to take flight again but quickly realized it didn’t have any. The essence of the Void enveloped it entirely, consuming it whole. —Staring into the Wolf’s red eyes, Frost Bon realized it had no chance at survival.
“―――.”
—In that case, at the very least, Frost Bon brought forth the remaining magic it had hesitated to use, believing it couldn’t withstand the shock. A strange black mist suppressed its magic. But the part in contact with the floor—the floor wasn’t covered by mist. The storm caused a significant shudder and shattered the ground. A heavy impact hit where the snow had piled up, collapsing under Hong Yu-ri, and the Wolf swiftly extended a tentacle to drag her back, wincing at the chilling sensation.
‘Damn it…’
“―――!”
Thus, in its last-ditch effort, Frost Bon was entirely swallowed by the shadow.
[Frost Bon consumed. Experience and fullness increased]
[Experience reached maximum. Lv.17 → Lv.19]
Despite the ample experience gained, the Wolf sighed.
“Kyuwoo!”
As the Fairy cried out, the Wolf nodded solemnly. Just before being ensnared by the red chains, Frost Bon had used that gaze technique, which did nothing against the Wolf. —At least not against the Wolf. The gaze was powerful, and the Frost Dragon’s magic was formidable, but in truth, it wasn’t enough to freeze Hong Yu-ri. If only she had given up the chains and resisted with her magic, she could have done it. Instead, she firmly chose to bind Frost Bon.
‘Stubbornness? Or something else…’
Grinding my teeth, the Wolf regarded the frozen Hong Yu-ri and prepared to leap, only to see countless snowballs tumbling down the valley. The enormous avalanche made me scowl.
‘If I use Blink…’
Although I had moved up to a C rank, the distance for Blink wasn’t that long. The Wolf locked eyes with the Fairy, and as if understanding each other’s thoughts, we both used Blink.
—Into the cave where Frost Bon had been hidden.
***
Kugugugu—!
The avalanche eventually engulfed the valley. The cave that Frost Bon had made its nest. The passage sloped from the ground downwards so even amidst the avalanche, the snow couldn’t invade, but the entrance was completely blocked.
‘That doesn’t really matter.’
Though there was no space to escape via Blink, as long as I could initiate Transformation, I could ultimately break free given time.
“Kyuwo.”
The problem lay with the frozen Hong Yu-ri—while the black magic had erased the ice covering her, her lost body heat was not coming back. Hong Yu-ri wasn’t the only one, the Fairy exposed to the blizzard was also complaining about the cold. I initiated Transformation, awaiting the cave to warm up, while the Fairy huddled by the warmth of the flames, taking a moment to breathe. The cave soon began to warm up.
***
Another blackout—it now felt rather routine.
“……?”
Just then, feeling an oddly cozy sensation, I opened my eyes to realize I was cradled in something. A familiar rough black fur—dazed, I reached out, brushing my fingers through the coarse texture. Suddenly startled by the Fairy poking her head in, I let out a sigh of relief.
“Kyuwo~!”
With a cry that seemed to relay information—I recalled at that moment that I had succeeded in bringing down the Frost Dragon. Even as the chill seeped in, the only thought in my mind was to capture it. Since arriving at the dungeon, I had felt this sense of inferiority, thinking I must not let it hold me back anymore…
‘Did I take it down?’
So it should still be alive. After all that effort, if I couldn’t catch it, I might just be a fool. Perhaps Alpha would handle the aftermath…?
‘……?’
Suddenly, I recalled the black fur I was holding. …It was surprisingly long and coarse, almost like the kind a massive wolf would have…? Just as that thought crossed my mind, a low voice resonated in my ear.
“You awake?”
—The voice was lower than any I had heard before, echoing through the cave. I froze up. Realizing whose fur it was and whose voice it was shot my mind blank.
“Don’t move yet. Your body hasn’t thawed out.”
Though I had beaten the Frost Bon, an avalanche had occurred, forcing us into the cave, and I was still cradled to warm up from the freezing gaze. Outside, the snow completely covered everything… The Wolf’s explanation failed to penetrate my confusion, leaving Hong Yu-ri’s eyes spinning in bewilderment.