Flutter, flutter.
Whoosh!
Along with the wyvern’s rough wing flaps, a gust of wind whirled inside the cavern.
My small body staggered as if about to be blown away by the gust.
“Ugh!”
I lowered my stance and resisted the gust to prevent my body from collapsing.
Kaaaa!
The wyvern’s massive body soon soared to a dizzying height.
Flutter, flutter.
Flapping its wings majestically there, it stared down at me, who had my feet on the ground, with arrogant eyes.
Receiving that gaze, I quickly raised my sword.
“Ee-eek!”
It was frustrating, but my attacks couldn’t reach up there.
20 meters? 30 meters?
At this height, even ranged class attacks probably couldn’t reach.
If I could shoot sword auras like in the old days, I could have shot it down.
I could only bite my lip and wait for the wyvern’s next action.
Kieek.
“…?”
Kieek, kieek, kieek.
What’s this?
It’s not the roar of the wyvern I was facing.
A smaller but sharp cry.
Before long, I could identify the source of those cries.
Kieek, kieek, kieek.
Holes opened all around the cavern walls.
Small wyverns started crawling out from there.
[Level 25 Baby Wyvern]
[HP 11,000/11,000]
Clang clang clang!
To make matters worse, out of the frying pan and into the fire.
As I blocked the attacks of baby wyverns constantly ramming their bodies against me, I couldn’t help but recall those phrases.
In a situation where I couldn’t damage the named boss, add monsters started appearing.
Still, if I dealt with all of these, maybe the named boss would come down.
Should I be grateful that I don’t have to face the named boss and adds simultaneously like in the previous elite dungeon?
But I soon realized that thought was just my wishful thinking.
Flutter.
Kaaaak!
Thwack thwack thwack thwack!
The massive wyvern floating in the air flapped its wings once greatly while letting out a roar.
Thud!
Feeling an ominous sensation from the air-ripping sound that came with the wing flap, I quickly activated the backward evasion skill.
Thwack thwack thwack thwack!
The wyvern’s scales embedded themselves where I had been.
“Th-this is!”
Kieek. Kieek. Kieek.
The baby wyverns charged at me again as I created distance.
Clang clang clang!
While blocking the attacks of baby wyverns ramming into me from all directions with my whole body, I glared up at the sky.
Now, I had to pay attention to both the baby wyverns’ attacks and the named wyvern’s scales.
Flutter.
Thwack thwack thwack thwack!
The second scale attack plunged down.
Kieek, kieek, kieek.
It was difficult but I could avoid it.
I just needed to keep my eyes on the named boss while dealing with the baby wyverns.
The interval between the named wyvern’s scale attacks was about 10 seconds.
The cooldown of the backward evasion skill was 8 seconds.
I had 2 seconds of leeway.
Simultaneously with activating the backward evasion skill, I transitioned to Sword Drawing Stance through ‘Moonlight Slash’.
Slash slash slash slash!
The consecutive Moonlight Slashes activated in Sword Drawing Stance rapidly chipped away at the baby wyverns’ HP.
Kieek! Kieek!
And the third scale attack flew in.
Thud.
Thwack thwack thwack thwack!
The third scale attack embedded itself where I had been, having quickly moved my body.
10 seconds from now.
For 10 seconds, I need to focus on chipping away at the baby wyverns’ HP again.
Just as I was thinking that and readjusting my stance.
Sparkle.
A red light flashed in the air.
Shiver.
Cold sweat dripped down my forehead as I saw that.
Because I could predict what kind of attack the named wyvern would make.
Whoosh.
That flame that ignited instantly, burning the air, gathered in front of the wyvern’s mouth.
Kieeek!
With a roar, it spewed out, covering the entire wide cavern.
The wyvern’s breath attack.
The interval between the last scale attack and this was just 5 seconds.
The cooldown of the evasion skill still had 3 seconds left.
I can’t avoid it.
I was enveloped in flames with my bare body, unable to move.
“Aaaaah!”
“Hee, heeek.”
Drip. Drip.
Tears kept falling from my eyes.
It hurts. It hurts.
It hurt so much.
What should I do? What can I do?
The pain of my body burning, even for an instant, was beyond imagination.
Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long.
Because I met death immediately after consuming all my HP from one breath attack.
This time I wasn’t kicked out of the game.
But to think I’d have to feel such pain every time I die.
[Synchronization Rate 100%]
“Hic. Hiic.”
I trembled, hugging my shoulders, from the pain that still seemed to linger.
I didn’t want to give up on ‘Astria Online.’
Because now, I could only feel alive here.
Should I just not tackle elite dungeons?
Just hunt safely in the fields and leisurely travel the Astria continent.
Since big sister Chris seems to like me, I might be able to receive items occasionally, too.
There’s no need to suffer pain to tackle elite dungeons.
As I hung my head and looked at the relic floor, an out-of-place brick entered my view.
“…?”
Swish.
I lightly brushed away the sand covering the brick.
And what entered my eyes was.
“Ah.”
An emblem engraved on the brick.
An emblem of some family with an eagle drawn on it.
I remembered seeing that emblem on someone’s scabbard.
-…That’s how our family’s ancestor sealed a demon somewhere in the desert!
-Sister Melissa’s family was an amazing family!
-As a knightly family, I think it’s a proud family worthy of being a hero’s companion!
The female knight, sister Melissa.
A reliable companion of the hero party who adored me.
A companion who sacrificed her life to send me to face the Demon King.
Her traces were here.
I silently caressed that brick for a moment.
If I hadn’t come in here, I wouldn’t have seen something like this.
It wasn’t just the scenery that ‘Astria Online’ and the Astria continent resembled.
Traces of my companions remained here and there.
Wipe wipe.
I wiped away the tears I had shed like a child.
I stood up.
And again, I moved my steps towards the huge cavern.
Not for some grand mission.
Just to feel that I had been here.
* * *
[1st Named]
[Level 27 Black Wyvern]
[HP 157,000/210,000]
The wyvern that had flown up to a height where even ranged dealers couldn’t attack.
Kaaaa!
Thwack thwack thwack thwack!
With the wyvern’s roar, scales flew down from the air.
The second scale attack after entering the special pattern.
Thud.
I used backward evasion to avoid those scales, and faced the baby wyverns again.
Kieek, kieek, kieek.
If I deal with all these, the named wyvern will come down to the ground again.
Anyway, they must have made it so it can be cleared, so I have no choice but to bet on that.
I counted time inwardly while dealing with the baby wyverns.
7 seconds, 8 seconds, 9 seconds, 10 seconds.
Kaaaa!
Thwack thwack thwack thwack!
With the wyvern’s wing flap, the third scales flew in.
5 seconds after this pattern, a breath containing instant-death level damage will fly in.
The cooldown of ‘Backward Evasion’ is 8 seconds.
Then.
Thwack thwack thwack!
I didn’t avoid the third scales.
The wyvern’s scales embedded themselves all over my body, and my HP fell below half.
“Ugh!”
I gritted my teeth.
It’s very painful, but this won’t kill me if I take it.
Whoosh.
Flames swirled around the named wyvern’s mouth.
3 seconds, 4 seconds, 5 seconds.
Whoosh!
And, it spewed out towards the cavern.
I smiled as I saw the breath covering my entire field of vision.
[Backward Evasion (E)]
[Quickly propel your body 8m backward to avoid frontal attacks (Invincible during casting)]
[Cooldown 8 seconds]
[(E rank) Movement speed increases for 5 seconds after skill activation]
The cooldown of ‘Backward Evasion’, the skill I saved by taking the third scales with my bare body, had already returned.
The moment the breath touched my body, I activated the ‘Backward Evasion’ skill.
Thud.
Whoosh!
The breath swept over my body in an instant.
But this time, I didn’t die.
It wasn’t even hot.
‘Invincible during casting’.
As expected, this was it.
Although the wyvern’s breath looked incredible, it was under the control of the game system.
Twirl.
Slash slash slash slash!
Kieek! Kieeek!
Moonlight descended on the tip of my sword, and the baby wyverns started falling one by one.
Kaaaak!
Wounded all over its body, the wyvern let out a final roar.
Thud.
The massive pterosaur’s body laid itself on the cavern floor.
Plop.
At the same time, I sat down on the spot.
It was as expected.
When all the baby wyverns were dealt with, the named wyvern came down to the ground.
But, three times.
The ‘Black Wyvern’ flew up at 75%, 50%, and 25%, a total of three times.
Scale pattern at 10-second intervals 3 times, and 5 seconds later, breath pattern once.
You could avoid the breath if you save the evasion skill’s cooldown by taking the third scale pattern with your bare body.
I let out a sigh.
“Haah.”
They really made it brutal.
A dungeon structurally designed with party play in mind.
If I had been with party members, the scale pattern would have been dispersed among targets. I could have received protection from a Mage’s ‘Mana Barrier’ or Yin-Yang Master’s ‘Protection Talisman’ skill that protects party members from ranged attacks.
To clear a party play dungeon solo, I had to think about sacrificing flesh to gain bone.
Since the potion cooldown was 30 seconds, I could cover the damage from one scale hit during the special pattern with a potion.
But I consumed 10 potions just to clear the 1st named once.
It’s not profitable.
I made a tearful face while checking the remaining amount of potions in my inventory.
“I used too many potions.”