A golden streak sliced through the sky like a hot knife through butter.
The streak pierced the sky and struck the head of the serpent.
– Saaaak!
Moments after the streak hit, the gold spread around like spilled paint.
Shockwaves and thunder reverberated in all directions. The toxic mist that surrounded the two-headed dragon rippled violently.
The dragon’s head tilted awkwardly.
A roar erupted from its gaping maw.
Amid the tortured screams of the necromancer, shards of broken scales danced in the air.
‘Tough as nails.’
Landing briefly on the serpent’s head, I frowned.
Not exactly what I had in mind.
I had leaped through space to the optimal spot and hit it hard with my punch packed with the power of the “White Night.”
But all I managed to do was strip off a layer of its scales. I sure didn’t expect to kill it in one hit, but hey, less damage on my end!
“Ahhhhhhh─!”
At that moment, a frantic scream came from above.
It was Choi Ji-yeon, plummeting from the sky.
Even as she shrieked about flying, she was already crashing down towards me.
In her hands, she wielded a rock axe.
With both hands gripping the extended handle tightly, she raised it above her head. An ominous aura crackled around the blade.
I immediately smashed the serpent’s head.
At the same time, Taesan’s mighty axe sliced through the air.
– Kwaarang!!
– Saaaaak!
The two-headed dragon, lost in its stupor, jerked its head once more.
More scales shattered and scattered than before.
As the scales ripped off, greenish-black fluid gushed out like a fountain.
Even that was poisonous. That blood poison was deadly enough to end a life just by brushing against it.
The dragon roughly shook its head.
Ji-yeon, who landed on top of it, was flung upwards.
“Ah.”
Ji-yeon blinked, wide-eyed.
Below her was a sea of toxic goo that had melted away any trees or rocks, swallowing the ground whole.
“Ah, waaaah!”
She shrieked again.
“…Huh?”
Her screaming suddenly stopped.
Pushed over to my side by the wind spirit, she stared at me, dumbfounded.
“…No! Senior! How can you kidnap someone without warning!”
Then she raised her voice angrily.
“I was suddenly thrown into the sky! I almost drowned in that poisonous sludge!”
[Apologies!]
[I had no time to explain!]
As I tried to defend myself, she subtly shifted her gaze.
There was the Free City, where people were still evacuating, caught in the poisonous mist that was already creeping in.
This place wasn’t really deserving of the title ‘city’—it looked like a ruin. And now, its citizens were getting drenched in poison.
‘……’
Ji-yeon’s expression softened as she took that in.
“Ugh, I guess there’s no helping it… But how on earth did you use spatial magic…?”
Ji-yeon suddenly asked in disbelief, as if she just thought of it. It seemed she assumed I had used space magic to cover this distance in an instant.
[I accidentally learned it from the vice president.]
I replied nonchalantly.
– Sssss…
My moment of relaxation was over.
Ji-yeon also hardened her expression and turned her gaze.
The poisonous sludge churned and bubbled beneath us.
The blackish-green fluid foamed as it spewed forth terrifying toxic gases.
In the midst of it all, the two-headed dragon raised its head again.
Two heads?
It didn’t fit the name at all since it only had one head left now.
Originally, it should have two heads as its name suggested.
The currently attached head breathed deadly poison, while the one that was missing had formerly exhaled a noxious gas laden with disease.
At least that was a relief.
If it had both heads, the combined poison would have meant instant death just by stepping into the area.
In the original story, both heads were fully restored upon revival.
That would have resulted in widespread devastation, especially during the monster resurgence in the magic realm.
If things had escalated, even China could have turned into a magic realm.
Compared to that, the current two-headed dragon was pathetically weak.
‘…As expected, mediocre.’
I was sure of it from the information gathered through my observation powers.
Most necromancers are weaker than they were in life.
This monster was no exception, having been weakened when it was raised as a necromancer.
And it was poorly prepared, further diminishing its level.
– Clack!
A scale that had been cracked fell off.
That was the spot where Ji-yeon and I had just pummeled.
‘If it were unscathed, it wouldn’t even have a scratch.’
The two-headed dragon, with poison and disease as its innate abilities, was a necromancer at its core. Its physical level barely scraped the third tier.
The four eyes twitched, and soon enough, the lifeless eyes familiar to lions glared at me.
– Saaaaaaak─!
Then, with a roar that dripped with poison, it lunged at me.
I unleashed the wind spirit to its fullest. The wind swirled around me and Ji-yeon and guided the dragon away from the city.
The dragon didn’t pay any mind to the city.
It only had eyes for me, shooting straight down the line.
‘It’s fast.’
For a snake, it was surprisingly quick. At this rate, I’d be caught.
Moreover…
Crack! Its maw split open. The magical energy surged forth, and poison gleamed beyond its throat.
It was the breath of poison.
Just as I was about to counter, clicking my tongue…
– Kuuuuung!
Suddenly, a wall of rocks erupted in intrusion.
Toxic sludge poured from its mouth. Wham! The wall that was hit by the poison couldn’t hold and melted away in an instant.
Ji-yeon squinted and reached out her hand.
With that gesture, more walls of rock rose swiftly one after another.
The breath of poison was cut off just before it obliterated the last of the barriers.
The two-headed dragon closed its mouth and thrust its head forward.
Bam! The wall it rammed into crumbled like a cookie.
– Kuuuuuung!
The wall didn’t end with just one.
Barriers of rock erupted in real-time, blocking the dragon’s path and the onslaught of poison.
Moreover, a clump of earth shot up like a hand to grab the dragon’s body, while rocks were shot like bullets, striking the remaining head.
The wall crumbled immediately upon impact, and the earth’s grasp could hardly hold the dragon for a moment.
It was due to its tough scales, and the poison melted whatever touched it beforehand.
But it was enough of an obstacle to keep us just out of reach.
Ji-yeon blocked the ranged attacks with her magic.
Thanks to that, I could concentrate purely on staying airborne.
“…Ji-yeon, just hold on a little longer. With this level of chaos, the emergency signal has definitely been sent, and the strike team will be here soon.”
She gritted her teeth, trying desperately to slow down the two-headed dragon.
“And can’t you use your detection abilities to find the main body?”
Ji-yeon asked, swallowing hard as she eyed the two-headed dragon, which seemed intent on devouring us.
“If we can just kill the main body… then that monster snake and all the rampaging necromancers will collapse on their own.”
One of the major downsides of summoning types, including necromancy, is that if the main body dies, everything crumbles like a sandcastle.
The hybrid summoner from the 12th cycle met a similar end.
If that hybrid summoner had been able to release all of its summoned beasts, they could have not only survived but also pushed back the allied forces.
“…If we can just do something about the main body.”
Although she said that, Ji-yeon didn’t really seem to expect anything optimistic.
The drawback of summoning spells is that if the main body suffers, then all the summoned creatures fall apart.
It’s such a notable and obvious weakness.
That’s why summoners typically hide away, holed up in fortified places to avoid being found.
They are notoriously hard to track down. Even with detection abilities, it requires a lot of effort and time, making an instant search a challenge.
[I found it!]
“Really!?”
Perhaps that was why Ji-yeon’s face lit up with hope.
I nodded and pointed at the location of the main body.
Her gaze followed my finger.
“…Where’s the main body?”
My finger pointed at the two-headed dragon.
The powers of observation indicated that it was the main body.
Just like how a spirit mage makes a pact with their spirits, a necromancer connects similarly with their summons.
Such links surely exist, but while that’s what the theories say, it’s not visible.
The power of observation can track it down.
It took some mental energy, but it’s definitely doable.
Through the information collected with observation, the thread extending from the necromancer’s two-headed dragon seemed to lead back to itself, as if winding its way back.
‘…Tsk.’
Some questions began to clear.
How was the necromancer able to invoke the two-headed dragon in such an unstable manner despite lacking both skills and preparation?
‘The necromancer sacrificed themselves.’
What a crazy idiot. Even if they weren’t fully fused, at the very least it couldn’t be excised normally.
Ji-yeon’s eyes quivered.
Her gaze yearned for answers different from what I was providing.
Unfortunately, I had to deliver the news.
[Main Body]
[That’s it.]
“…Shit.”
[Excuse me?]
“Error.”
No excuses were given.
She locked her jaw and glared at the two-headed dragon.
“…?”
That gaze was clearly aimed at me.
Ji-yeon wasn’t in that line of fire.
She followed the dragon’s gaze.
At the end of it, there I was.
‘It’s targeting me.’
For reasons unknown, it was openly glaring at me.
Right next to me was Ji-yeon, who had just bashed its head twice, yet it showed no concern.
It was hellbent on trying to kill me.
‘……’
After a moment of narrowing my eyes in thought, I said.
[Senior!]
[I’ll lure it away!]
“No way!”
Ji-yeon yelled back as if it was an absurd thought.
“It could catch up at any moment! We need to stick together and endure! Reinforcements will arrive soon! If we just hold out until then…!”
[Instead, please help the civilians!]
My urgent plea fell silent.
Ji-yeon closed her mouth, staring blankly at my face.
[Many people have yet to evacuate.]
[There are dungeons rampaging under the influence of the necromancer.]
[If it’s you, there are so many people you could save.]
I subtly turned my gaze.
I didn’t meet her eyes, but I turned my face toward her.
[I’m fine.]
“…You’ll die if you keep this up.”
[Don’t worry!]
[I won’t die!]
[Please trust me!]
I shook my head.
[I’m doing this to not die!]
…
…
…
The wind spirit carrying Ji-yeon drifted away.
After confirming that, I observed behind me.
The two-headed dragon was still fixated on me, ignoring Ji-yeon.
The distance between us was closing. The magic swirling within its maw rippled dangerously.
Initially, it seemed intent on chasing Ji-yeon madly; why was it now so determined to get me?
I exhaled heavily and loosened my robe.
I roughly stuffed the robe into the air.
The space rippled as my robe was sucked into the void.
At the same time, the serpent’s mouth completely opened. The magic it had been hoarding lashed out like a laser.
It wasn’t pure poison; it was a magic blast infused with toxins.
– Kyaaah!
The emerald-green magic blast barreled toward me. The shockwave followed in its wake, flipping over any unyielding shrubs and soil.
If I took a direct hit, there’d be nothing left.
In response to that magic blast, I thrust out my right arm.
I clenched my fist.
– Krrraaack!
Just before it hit, the green magic blast split apart.
The verdant line cut through the empty space, skimming past my sides and tearing into the ground beneath me.
Boom! The magic explosion came a moment later.
Amidst the decaying vegetation, jagged V-shaped marks were carved into the earth.
– Saaaaak…!
The two-headed dragon froze, having witnessed something it had never seen before.
It curled up defensively, scales rubbing against each other with a resonating sound.
It raised its neck straight and both pairs of eyes wiggled as they glared at me.
‘……’
Although it was merely a digital illustration from a game, the memories blended with the information I was currently faced with.
A massive body capable of encircling a skyscraper, comfortably filling the void.
With awkwardly protruding dragon wings protruding from the center.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes surveyed the surroundings from heads adorned with three thick horns.
Countless teeth were revealed through a gaping maul, and serpentine tongues bifurcated into dozens of splits.
A dragon that never became a celestial dragon but remained a terrestrial creature.
‘The master of the Tower of Necromancy.’
There were certainly many differences, but for some reason, that scene came to mind.
I had heard it from the Gop-hwa Clan.
The head of the Gop-hwa Clan, Hong Yeon-hwa’s father, was stationed deep within the magic realm.
He should have been attending the regular banquet, but due to certain circumstances, he hadn’t been able to emerge from the magic realm.
In the original story, those reasons were potentially revealed.
‘He discovered the tower.’
The Tower of Necromancy.
Here, it wasn’t a game, so it could be an unexplored tower.
Which side would it be?
I wasn’t exactly sure.
But most likely it was the Tower of Necromancy.
And nothing really changed.
‘Someday, I must fight.’
The two-headed dragon I was facing might be of a lower grade, around tier 4 level or so.
The naturally occurring tier 2 monsters that might come later.
And even the tower’s master and their army that could invade.
I had no idea about my chances of winning.
I could run away if I just wanted to live a mediocre life.
But if I wanted to live happily with those who cared for me, running away wasn’t an option.
If I merely fled, I would eventually come face to face with a steep cliff.
So, I stopped.
I turned my body around.
I faced it.
‘Summon Spirit.’
With a loud whoosh, the space behind me rippled.
Not just the wind spirits surrounding me, but spirits I had contracted with poured out in droves.
In an instant, the surroundings were brimming with countless lights.
– Wowaaaah!
The winged feathers of the Sky transformed.
The wings of the sky, drained of the mana from the Lake of Mana, boasted more vivid and intense colors than before.
I, too, had absorbed pure mana to the fullest.
The density, purity, and capacity of the magic had increased tremendously within the wings of the sky.
The wings unfurled like a carpet.
Split into three pairs on either side, they resembled a set of wings.
Whoosh! As the magnificent wings opened, spirits crashed against them, one after another.
Like towels soaking up water, the spirits filled the wings.
The wings, imbued with magic and spirits, expanded outwards.
The brilliance intensified.
The wings grew larger and stretched further.
The pristine white became tainted with other colors.
– Flap!
With a single flap of the wings, a whirlwind of radiant colors swirled around.
Red, blue, green, yellow, brown.
A colorful glow bathed the dead earth below.
*
[Player Adjustment System: Affection]
Lee Ha-yul → Choi Ji-yeon
●●●●○○○○○○ (31▷40/100)
“Successor of Taesan” “A good person”
…
[Unleashing the true power of the artifact “Wings of the Sky.”]
…
[Mental state “???” undergoes a change.]
…
[The Savior Adjustment System: Doom Slayer.]
[The system exhibits strong resistance against the necromancer!]
[Main Quest “Tower of Necromancy” confirmed for linkage.]
[Quest “Two-Headed Dragon” confirmed for linkage.]
[Quest “China’s Magic Realm Transformation” confirmed for linkage.]
[Helping the Savior!]
…
[The Savior Adjustment System: Rescue.]
[Mental state “Rescue,” “Virtue,” “Sacrifice” confirmed.]
[Helping the Savior!]
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
