(EP-292.1) #1

292 – Fall #1

The flying dragon, wyvern.

A fire-breathing monster that could tear through stone walls with its claws. Such a creature was modified by Demon King Solomon, transforming it into an even more terrifying abomination.

Its status was equivalent to that of a modern fighter jet. Both could unleash unilateral devastation from the heights far above.

━━━━━───!!!

When the deafening roar echoed again, we forgot our earlier panic and scanned our surroundings.

Though I couldn’t predict what would happen next, I knew instinctively that we had to act.

Ding, ding, ding, ding-.

━Everyone, arm yourselves! It’s an attack! We’re under attack!

━Send a messenger to Sandora City! Light the beacon! A wyvern has appeared!

Alarm bells rang from all directions. The steady rhythm of the chimes intensified the tension brewing in everyone’s hearts.

As my breath quickened and excitement filled my chest, all senses—sight, hearing, and even smell—became sharper and more focused.

It was unknown if it’s the adrenaline kicking in or the effect of Calm Thinking. But whatever the reason, I found myself able to observe my surroundings with a clearer mind amid the chaos.

━Wow, it’s my first time seeing a wyvern…!

━You there, soldier! Stop standing around and bring more ballistas!

Soldiers were running all over the place, while Countess Redney shouted commands.

━This Tartar is scared…!

━Garrrr, garrrr…!

The imps had their heads buried in the ground out of fear, Stella aimed her bow in all directions, and Mirna blinked in confusion.

At that moment, someone suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Th, Theo-nim. I need to speak with you.”

It was Professor Balan.

I had a vague sense that Professor Balan had been keeping a deliberate distance from me because of my relationship with Mirna. But now, she was suddenly grabbing my arm.

“In such a dire situation, what is it?”

“This… this roar. It feels familiar. It’s impossible, but this sharp cry… Ah, it might be the fear dragon, Nightfear….”

Just as Balan was about to explain further—

Swoosh.

A shadow loomed above our heads where it shouldn’t have been. When I looked up, I saw a massive figure cutting through the sky with its enormous wings spread wide.

Countess Redney was the one who reacted the most strongly to the sight.

“A black body… It’s him! Solomon’s flying dragon…! Solomon’s flying dragon has appeared…! The night fear has come!!!”

Night Fear.

I realized that she was referring to the creature’s name. It had a body as dark as the night and a terrifying, piercing cry.

━━━━━───!!!

And that creature was diving straight toward us.

“It’s coming this way! Prepare for battle!”

Redney shouted swiftly, like a seasoned commander. But before she could even finish her sentence, the massive body had already crashed on the wall.

Boom!

A body as big as a truck flattened the ballista in an instant.

━Grrrrr…

Two legs as sturdy as temple pillars, and wings as wide as a roof. Its front legs connected to the wings ended in terrifying, hook-like claws.

But the most striking was its long tail, and just as long of a neck. Its sleek face was decorated with countless sharp teeth and four eyes.

━…….

The creature stared at me.

Instinctively, I knew it was targeting me. In those pitch-black eyes, only my image was reflected.

━Grrrrr…

Its eyes were completely black, devoid of whites. It was impossible to understand where it was looking or what it was thinking, a quality that strangely reminded me of Aira.

But the monster was ferocious.

Whoosh, crash-!!!

━Aagh-!

━Ha, Hans-!

As it swung its tail and wings, the soldiers clinging to the wall plummeted into the abyss below. But there was no time to worry about them.

“I didn’t bring anything to take down a wyvern!”

Stella clicked her tongue, reaching into her pouch.

To escape the wall, we needed to board the gondola. But the monster was firmly guarding the entrance, leaving us no choice but to confront it.

At that moment, Balan, who had been hiding behind me, spoke up.

“It looks different from Night Fear. The flying dragon that the Demon King cherished had a lot of scars on its face. But this one… its scales are smooth….”

I didn’t know exactly what she meant, but it didn’t seem like a good situation.

“How strong is a wyvern?”

“T-Their strength varies, but they can unleash flames comparable to a Rank 5 mage. If… if that thing is a fear dragon or a close relative, it could spew fire up to 7th Rank….”

Rank 7 flames?

My Rank 6 spell Frozen Zone had frozen an entire river. A wyvern could breathe fire stronger than that?

Wasn’t that akin to a living, flying volcano? Why was such a creature wreaking havoc in front of me today? I had no clue.

“…….”

It seemed likely that it was because of me.

Whether it was due to the tragic karma I carried as the Little Demon King, or because of Angmar’s red magic, one thing was clear—the beast had its eyes on me.

━━─!!!

Thud, thud.

With a deafening roar, the beast charged at me with its massive truck-sized body. Even its simple rush carried a terrifying weight.

─Mana Shield!

I erected 12 layers of mana walls. It was the most mana shields I had ever put up.

It was a testament to how much my magic had grown. But the satisfaction was fleeting. The wyvern’s head collided with my shield, and the impact was tremendous.

Boom!

Thanks to the shield, I barely survived the blow. But I could hear the sound of its enormous fangs gnashing against the shield. If this kept up, the shield would break.

“… It’s terrifying! Is everyone okay!?”

Feeling the presence of the shivering imps, Professor Balan, and all others behind me, I quickly prepared to cast another spell.

There was no time to let fear take over.

“… Open chant.”

From now on, all my thoughts, reasoning, and actions would become magic.

A dragon that could spew flames of the 7th Rank. A foe on a completely different level from Tefer, whom I had faced not long ago.

Since this was a monster, I wouldn’t hold back. I would strike with my most powerful magic from the start. After my battle with Tefer, I realized the need for overwhelming magic, and I had crafted a secret technique for such situations.

The first spell I created for killing.

Rank 6.

—Star Slayer

* * *

Clang.

The Queen, who had been leisurely lounging at the table, paused. Her teacup had suddenly shattered.

Though it had been an item she had used for quite some time, it was weird for it to suddenly break.

Drip, drip, drip…

Tea poured out from the broken cup, soaking the table and papers.

However, instead of clearing the drenched papers and books, Queen Aira simply stared at the drops falling from the table.

Unable to watch any longer, Elga, the eldest daughter of the Lioness family, spoke up.

“What are you doing? The documents are getting soaked. Having to rewrite them would delay the martial festival by a day… Is that okay with you?”

“…….”

Edit by: faker