NOVEL WEB Chapter 138
As soon as they landed, Fairy rubbed her head and lifted Hong Yu-ri with her tentacles, prompting Baek So-yul to rush forward with outstretched hands.
“Be careful. Your ribs are broken.”
“Okay.”
Baek So-yul cradled her teacher, stroking Fairy while still riding the high of their reunion. At that moment, their eyes met, and Fairy nodded as if to say she understood. It was comforting not needing to share words to know each other so well.
“You’re back safely… I really didn’t think you’d take him down.”
I couldn’t help but agree with Baek Rok’s quiet reflection. Even now, I still felt the weight of Volcano Ceratops’s power from our battle.
It was multiples stronger than I had anticipated. An overwhelming, incredible monster that exceeded all imaginations. Just recalling it made me shudder.
[Experience has reached maximum. Lv.19 → Lv.20]
[Destruction probability decreased from 85.92% to 84.15%]
[Gained an advance of 1.77%]
The system did a great job of illustrating just how monstrous it was. Even in Frost Valley and Dragon Wastes, we barely saw a 0.1% reduction, yet this time it was almost 15 times that.
‘Honestly a bit deflating…’
I couldn’t help but feel a little let down. To defeat the Volcano Ceratops only to end up with this? I knew the rewards for clearing dungeons aren’t often generous, so it wasn’t completely unexpected. Especially not in the Fantasy World.
“…Right.”
I masked my disappointment and looked at Hong Yu-ri, who had fallen. Without her casting those three Great Magics, defeating the beast would have been an impossible task. Most of her magic had gone to recovering from the damage of the first two spells. The only time the beast had used its magic was when it unleashed its breath attack. Could I have beaten it alone?
‘Absolutely impossible.’
No matter what I tried, it would’ve been grasping at straws. The gap in power was far wider than I had imagined.
Yet, we had survived and brought down the monster. As we waited for the heat from the lava to cool, fairy-type monsters began to gather around. The wolf let out a chuckle at their curiosity toward the ceratops’s carcass and glanced at Hong Yu-ri.
Not only Fairy, but the wolf’s transformed fairy-types sprinkled dust as they flanked her, quickly soothing her twisted expression and pale complexion.
‘Looks like there won’t be any problems.’
Now the remaining issue was what to do with the ceratops’s body… First, I started removing the well-cooked meat with lava from the exposed wounds, and the fairy-type monsters and dragon worms swarmed in.
“Baek Rok.”
The weight of the meat was nearly one ton. If the 30 kg from Bichunmang had transformed that many dragon worms, what could we achieve with the volcano ceratops’s flesh? Given this amount, we could probably summon even more.
“…Do you think it’s safe?”
Baek Rok asked again, and I nodded. The total weight of the ceratops was 1.7 kilotons. Of course, some had been lost during combat, but one ton was still a mere fraction.
‘That’ll do. And now…’
It was finally time to feast on the ceratops.
***
“Are you awake?”
At the warm voice, Hong Yu-ri clutched her throbbing head. Just as someone offered water, she gulped it down, and only then did her headache start to fade away.
“We’re still in the Fantasy World.”
Fantasy World… I see. So, it seems Alpha took down the Volcano Ceratops. After hammering away those three Great Magics, I couldn’t believe it hadn’t fallen. Even recalling it now, that monster was absurd. But even more than that, my pride was bruised.
“…Damn it.”
I knew that such beasts existed in this world. But still…! Hong Yu-ri closed her eyes tightly.
“…Are you alright?”
When asked, she gingerly placed her hand on her side, but felt no pain. A bit puzzled, she nodded at the sparkling dust scattered across her clothes.
“I’m fine. What about Alpha?”
“Over there…”
All Baek So-yul could point to was the ceratops’s body. Its size was truly terrifying… I was amazed it had been brought down, but it seemed to be shifting slightly. Startled, I instinctively flinched as Baek So-yul grabbed my shoulder.
“It’s okay. It’s dead.”
“I know, I know!”
“I think half a day has passed.”
“Half a day?”
Had it really been that long? I guess it made sense. What on earth was it doing? Hong Yu-ri opened her bleary eyes to realize that the ceratops seemed to have shrunk. More precisely, it was hollow inside.
“You can’t be serious, are you eating it?”
“Yes…”
I had the skill of predation but… this seemed a bit excessive, didn’t it? To eat that enormous creature, I mean, for half a day?
‘Where do I even begin to be surprised…’
Whether it was the fact that it was still eating after consuming that much, or the fact that it had already eaten so much in just half a day? Either way, it was completely outside conventional thinking. While chuckling to myself, something massive emerged from within the ceratops, causing Hong Yu-ri to jump in surprise.
“Did you finish it all?”
“…Not even close.”
“You’ve grown really, really big.”
“Right.”
Eating over a thousand tons was no small feat, even for the wolf. It was only thanks to the void that made it possible to speed up the process. Blocked senses, keeping quiet—it made it seem like time was standing still.
“What about your share?”
“What?”
The wolf inquired again, seeming unaware of anything else.
“Your share. You have a right to it.”
Shares. The word coming from the wolf’s mouth felt oddly out of place… but wasn’t it fair? As Hong Yu-ri pondered, the wolf spoke again.
“The tendons or the horn. Isn’t that what you need?”
“Well…”
In reality, there’s not much that can be used from a monster’s remains. The meat can be questionable, and while bones or claws may provide some immediate use, they will ultimately rot away. Ironically, metal-based monsters like Steel Skeletons tend to be more useful.
But perhaps a lava-forged Volcano Ceratops with dragon blood might be different. Its remains could be likened to an unimaginable treasure. To think of willingly giving that up. While technically we’d come to an agreement, it was hard for me to assert any rights as someone who had come along uninvited.
“…”
After much contemplation, Hong Yu-ri ultimately nodded. One long horn almost ten meters tall and some of the ceratops’s blood—that was what she received.
***
Finally, as the Volcano Ceratops disappeared, the wolf let out a long breath. In summary, it took the entire day to consume the beast. Meanwhile, Baek So-yul and Hong Yu-ri were still asleep—though I had mentioned it was fine to return first, they insisted on spending their time absorbing magic in the Fantasy World dungeon. It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. If they didn’t know if they could return to the Fantasy World, they’d want to absorb as much magic as possible.
—In fact, now that the existence of the Fantasy World was known, I expected to benefit several times more, primarily focusing on magic absorption.
[Tyrant (The Swallower) Lv.28]
[EXP 811,663 / 1,474,670]
[Progress 4.75%] [Void Volume 41.88m³]
[Body Length 6.62m] [Height 2.12m] [Weight 1.14t]
[Strength 365] [Agility 404] [Endurance 441] [Magic Power 517] [Persistence 30]
Not only had my physique increased but my previously lacking stats were now on track. At least in terms of magic, I could say I reached Class A without needing the assistance of Great Magic. I wondered if I could reach level 30, but the increased experience didn’t allow for that. Even after accruing more than ten million experience points. But ultimately, it was just a matter of time.
—And surprisingly, I had gained something unexpected. It wasn’t stats, but skills.
[Skill List]
[A] – Void (1)
[B] – Dragon Blood, Invisibility ↑ (5)
[C] – Super Sensitivity ↑ (7)
[D] – Thorn Tentacle (12)
[E] – Weak Sixth Sense (5)
[F] – Fairy Speech (1)
[Remaining Skill Points 35]
Perhaps due to constant drinking of dragon blood, my affinity with it awakened. I hadn’t expected this at all.
‘Dragon’s blood…’
It felt weird that dragon blood flowed through someone who wasn’t a dragon, but right now, I didn’t notice anything. Maybe it was just a sense of familiarity with magic now?
If pushed to the extreme, I might feel something. But… would that ever happen? Just using the remaining skill points could immediately grant me an A-grade skill. While I’d often heard the term ‘monster,’ I was really starting to grasp it. But there was no room for complacency. That’s merely a general standard. Hunters like the Seven Heroes could topple it, for sure…
‘But I’m still far from that.’
The wolf already had its sights set beyond that.
If only. If I faced the Volcano Ceratops again right now, would I be able to win? I could confidently state that it was impossible. Just consider the Volcano Ceratops; how about the plague and disease that humanity was struggling against? And what about the Purple Black Tiger, which was deemed impossible to defeat? Not to mention the ocean deity I couldn’t even begin to confront?
Moreover, there existed transcendent beings whose powers were beyond comprehension, like Heilin and the Queen.
A cataclysm that even those beings could not prevent was looming as well. I couldn’t afford to stop or be satisfied. I needed to keep moving forward.
Realizing this once more, the wolf shook its head forcefully.
‘No time to rest.’
First, I needed to go to the Square. I had reasoned that I’d have Hong Yu-ri accompany me under the pretext of curing her phobia. To prevent the Butterfly of Covenant of the Purple Square Master from becoming involved. But if it was already too late…
‘Killing might be the only option…’
Though it wouldn’t have recruited her yet from the original viewpoint, Baek So-yul might have adjusted her schedule. The wolf decided to silently wait until the morning when the two would wake.
***
“Are we finally going back?”
Baek Rok’s question prompted me to nod. Although it was just under ten days, it felt like I hadn’t stayed this long in the Fantasy World before.
“Be careful. And come back anytime.”
“Sure.”
Nodding in response to the usual farewell, the wolf turned to look at the side.
“The way back is…”
“I heard it in the morning.”
It appeared conversations with Baek Rok were already finished. To avoid commotion regarding the ceratops’s horn, they were already concealed underground at dawn. Watching Baek So-yul and Hong Yu-ri place their hands atop the horn, the wolf nodded.
“Then…”
While Baek Rok observed the four figures who had vanished from the Fantasy World, a fairy approached him, prompting him to turn his head.
“Hey there! What are you going to do with this fur?”
The dark, coarse fur held by the fairy—he was collecting the wolf’s fur he had prepared in advance.
“I need to show it to the other summon beasts. He’s not a terrifying existence. We need his help desperately.”
“Wow~!”
Seeing the fairy completely thrilled, Baek Rok shook his head. As it was essential, even in anticipation of his potential return, the wolf’s assistance was crucial. Surrounded by fairies, Baek Rok slowly walked away.