ALL NOVEL Chapter 54
The level of demon creatures becomes more distinct as you climb higher.
This time, the boss is the once mid-game appearance boss from the original game, the Armored Dragon – Black Armor.
Far behind the war hero Dustin, who magnificently defends against the breath, I opened the ‘Black Armor Pattern Details’ while watching them.
—————————————————
[Black Armor] (Weakened State)
[Skills Held]
[Destruction Aura (Passive)]: Reduces the stats of enemies within a 10m radius by 0.2
(*Effect is multiplied by 5 on humans cursed by the Seven Deadly Sins)
[Black Armor (Passive)]: 7-level resistance to all status ailments. Reduces physical damage taken by 70%.
The figures remain until the Black Armor is damaged or destroyed.
[Ground Shatter (Active)]: Strikes the ground with its superalloy tail.
[Death Breath (Active)]: Fires a dark-elemental breath.
[Black Wing Flap (Active)]: Flaps wings to unleash a dark-elemental magic spear.
(*Due to the current weakened state, the frequency of use significantly decreases.)
[Black Dragon’s Vessel]: Cast only during Berserk. Targets the most recently attacked player.
Injections of unrefined, indiscriminate dark magic into the target lead to its annihilation.
[Special States]
[Berserk – Rampage]: Activates when health drops below 33%.
Under berserk state, all skills’ power stacks increase, and regardless of current state, the Black Dragon’s Vessel is cast.
[Groggy]: [Black Armor] receives status ailments based solely on dragon-type impacts when hit by light-elemental attacks. If conditions are met, it enters a groggy state for 10 seconds, increasing damage taken by 30%.
—————————————————
Unlike the Flame Demon, who has no changes noted in the fanfic story, this boss appears unchanged.
Although I knew it well from playing the original, the tricky part about it is that ‘Black Dragon’s Vessel.’
When health reaches half, it unconditionally takes one party member to the underworld.
That must have been the skill that led to Adrian’s death.
‘Light-elemental attacks make it groggy… Then the timing relies on Dustin.’
I’m at a level one circle, and Scarlet, being a magician focusing on lightning and water, can’t fulfill the groggy condition that requires a light-element hit.
In the end, as a paladin, Dustin must conserve his sacred power and aim for the groggy moment in accordance to health.
If it’s a weakened version, then I might be able to deal enough effective damage if that’s all that’s possible.
–flap!
–splash splash splash!
Every time the Black Armor flapped its wings, tendrils of black, claw-like magic began to envelop Dustin.
The tentacles constricted his range of movements like a spider’s web…
“Wait, move aside!”
–bang! bang!
–crackle!
Scarlet’s lightning magic began to shatter them.
–clang clang clang!
With the fierce chain lightning, black and white magic collided in succession.
It was hard to say our side was prevailing, no matter how you looked at it.
‘What the heck, is it impossible to win?’
Of course, charging in is the norm for an A+ rank boss, but I thought the two heroes could make it work…
But variables changed everything.
With Umberto unable to join, Scarlet was completely enraged.
“Scarlet, just focus a little!”
“I got it, shut up!”
–crackle!
Despite Dustin’s attempts to calm her, she was fully engulfed in anger, flooding her magic and losing control.
When magic is released that way, mana efficiency drops drastically.
It’s all about combinations and positioning, typical of the original game.
But our party was devoid not only of a healer but of any additional personnel.
‘What to do…’
—————————————————
(Scarlet): Lev Denec – Survival
—————————————————
At this rate, survival points might show up…?
“Lev! Are you okay?!”
Just then, Dustin’s voice rang out in front.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
–clang!
The conversation abruptly ended.
He was continuously deploying the Seongyeok Barrier to protect Scarlet.
In other words, he too was in a crisis.
“Ugh.”
Judging from the situation, it was the classic cliché of strength-to-him.
The existence I thought was a burden in the party, ‘me’, turned out to be a munchkin, solving problems like a Deus Ex Machina.
But I barely managed to defeat the Flame Demon…
Could I really do this?
*
Dustin.
Born into humble beginnings, he had no renowned family name or title.
Reflecting on his childhood, he simply lived a slightly unfortunate life compared to others.
But the reason Dustin was able to grow correctly was that he always believed in something.
Even the distant cousin claiming to be related, the pickpocket friend he met in an alley, and that neighbor who occasionally brought food to bully him…
All of them turned their backs on him when everything crumbled.
Yet, Dustin never doubted.
Even if the divine wasn’t right before him, he knew the Saint would come to serve him in time.
So, if he diligently cultivated his knightly virtues with unwavering faith, he would someday host the divine envoy.
When everyone mocked him for not being from a knightly family, they used to say a flower can bloom even in a mire.
As Dustin reassured himself a hundred times not to betray the beliefs he upheld,
–Dustin, come this way!
It was then Dustin could finally inherit ‘salvation’.
The Savior Dustin.
–thud!
His long-time weapon was now raised straight.
And all his sacred power began to focus on his sword.
–shuaaa…
An aura, the language of the body that can only be felt at the peak of swordsmanship.
What he used was the Aura Blade.
Regardless of his background, Dustin was deemed one of the closest to the swordmasters… And his character matched that reputation.
No one would dispute this.
For a knight, it is the belief to uphold against adversity.
‘You dare test me once more.’
Several years ago, the Saint Psyche, who gave Dustin the power to transcend, vanished.
Could he win this colossal dragon, now without her?
After the breath ended, as the Black Armor caught its breath,
–shing!
Dustin’s sword aura was already surging towards the beast.
‘Expose your weaknesses…!’
–kakakakaka!
The crescent-shaped sword aura forcefully struck near the Black Armor’s neck.
At that sharp blow, it flinched, and then,
–flap!
It seemed to want to create distance and began to rise from the ground.
‘…!’
As its wings flapped, the beast began to reveal its only flaw.
Its left shoulder was starting to show.
Just like that day when Adrian was lost.
Normal attacks couldn’t deal effective damage to the beast.
But there was something different this time: the creature had a weak point.
While the frontliner Dustin stalled for time, the rest of the party could target the Black Armor’s weakness using the straightforward method.
“Scarlet, focus! Target the left shoulder, the weak point! If we keep this up, our revenge will dissipate into nothing!”
“I know that…!”
–splash crackle!
Scarlet, having finally regained her composure, unleashed a barrage of magic, all directed at the left side of the Black Armor.
–kakakakaka!
Slicing through its surface, the Lightning Storm flowed with vigor.
–
!!!
The Black Armor, the most nonsensical of dragons, began to howl in pain.
Was it aware that its left shoulder was its weak point?
It tried late to cover it with its wings, but already, its aerial maneuverability was limited from the slight elevation.
–boom!
Ultimately, it slammed down hard with its left side to the ground.
“Everyone move away!”
The Black Armor was evidently enraged, swinging its tail wildly.
–ka-wham!!!
–bang!
As its tail struck the ground, Dustin seized the moment, climbing up the tail and delivering a blow to its shoulder.
–crack!
–!!!
The sword imbued with aura, it wasn’t lacking in inflicting damage on the Black Armor.
As the beast writhed, Dustin safely landed on the ground.
He had bought time.
“It’s okay! We just need to hold out until it exposes its weak point again…!”
–bang!
“Ugh!”
Dustin said this to reassure his party, but he knew that without a healer, prolonged warfare would be detrimental.
Dragons possessed health far exceeding humans.
On the contrary, if even one party member grew fatigued, the balance would crumble.
‘If only there were at least a support class, or an additional attacker…!’
–shuaaaa!
Then, Scarlet began to emit runes all over her body.
–whirrrrr!
“Scarlet! You… no way!”
In this blistering environment, the impossible draft of ice began swirling around the Black Armor like a top.
“Ugh!”
As the grand magic ritual unfolded, it instantly began to consume her mana.
She was casting two 8-circle spells: ‘Ice Crystal of Storm’ and ‘Frozen Tempest’, using the already memorized incantation.
8-circle magic is a skill that can be used by a lich-level grand magician.
Scarlet had already surpassed the 7-circle grand magician level but realistically, casting 8-circle spells was beyond her.
Yet there’s a saying that if a woman harbors resentment, frost will fall even in July.
–whirrrrrrrrr!!!!
The freezing gale that could turn summer into winter began engulfing the Black Armor entirely.
–shchrach!
–!!!
The once-impenetrable black dragon’s body began to freeze, even if just for a moment.
“Such mindless defenses can be broken when frozen…!”
It wasn’t entirely incorrect.
Strong defenses like plate armor are disadvantaged against bludgeoning weapons that can deliver stunning blows rather than simply sharp and precise strikes.
Regardless of the effectiveness, it was certain that the Black Armor’s movements had significantly diminished.
“If we don’t attack now…!”
–shhizz!
Scarlet was already drained of mana.
In the end, with his last remaining sacred power, Dustin squeezed it into his sword and struck.
–crack!
–!!!
The blow lacked the power to induce even a groggy state.
–whiiir–ing!
“?!”
At that moment, a straight line of arrows began to rain down on Dustin.
“What is this?”
Before him, a blue wind seemed to draw clouds of black mist across the trajectory of the arrows.
All the arrows traced a subtle parabolic curve like a single beam of light.
Dustin recognized this as something he had previously seen from Adrian… but it was a completely different archery style he had never encountered.
There shouldn’t have been reinforcements.
It had to be just a first-year student behind him, right?
The accuracy wasn’t bad either.
It was evident from the Black Armor’s pained reactions.
The arrows relentlessly targeted only its weak point.
Clearly, the target’s body was frozen and stiff, unable to move freely.
–crack… crack crack crack…
The impact added onto the once armor-like scales began to create cracks.
Ultimately,
–!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It began to let out a monstrous roar to initiate its berserk phase.
–grrrrrrrrr!!
Dark clouds gathered, and the black mist grew denser, obscuring the view.
‘No way…?’
Dustin felt it intuitively.
That the dark magic which had claimed Adrian would come now.
‘What do I… do?’
The vision of Adrian flickered through his mind.
Consumed by that dark magic.
Sacrifice.
Yes, the noble sacrifice of a knight.
In its innocence, Dustin’s mouth opened wide once more.
“Everyone, cease your attacks!”
He didn’t want to die here, yet there was no need for cost-benefit analysis.
He was the sullen former hero, while the ones behind him were students with bright futures ahead.
And nearly reached the level of a grand magician.
Dark magic was fatal to humans.
Still, Dustin saw his lone sacred power as an advantage, considering himself capable of handling it.
‘If the saint is watching, then I will find the strength to overcome this curse…!’
–!!!!!
Yet the Black Armor still writhed in pain.
It was due to the arrow remnants that lingered on it.
“Lev! Stop! You’re getting swept away!”
“You brat!!”
Even with their shouts…
The first-year student from Clarice exhibited no concern amid this situation, merely displaying skilled movements.
.
.
.
–swooosh!!!
[Critical Hit!] [Weak Point Hit!]
[Critical Hit!] [Weak Point Hit!]
[Critical Hit!] [Weak Point Hit!]
[Additional Damage Proportional to Dexterity]
[Water Dragon Poseidros’ Vein Effect Grants Water-Type Additional Damage]
[Damage Multiplier: 1100%]
[Aggro +99]
[Aggro: 100]
[Hideaway Passive Effect Deactivated]
‘Nice impact.’
[The ‘Black Armor’ enters berserk mode!]
The ‘Black Dragon’s Vessel’ is a curse that automatically casts on the most recent attacker.
No matter how much Scarlet uses high-tier magic, it can’t surpass the multi-hit of this glitched arrow blast.
In other words, that curse would be cast on me.
And that’s the winning condition.
[Black Dragon’s Vessel Cast, Target – ‘You’]
A black mist emitted from the Armored Dragon – Black Armor began to envelop me in a spherical form.
“Danger…!!!!”
Along with it, the voices of Scarlet and Dustin were swallowed.
[Alert: Remaining Time until ‘Dark Magic’ Injection: 3.378 seconds]
“Let’s go big or go home.”
In that moment, I was completely cut off from the world, as if sealed in a dark room.
I silently recited the magic incantation in my heart.
‘Demon Transformation.’
–zzzzzzzz!!
The familiar demonic magic flowed through me like water inside the ‘Black Dragon’s Vessel.’
–ding!
[The Ashen Ebonwing reacts to your Demon Transformation]
‘Go ahead and devour it all.’
–ding!
[Alert: ‘Dark Magic’ Injection Starting]
[Erosion Level +12]
[Erosion Level: 12/100]
[Erosion Level +21]
[Erosion Level: 33/100]
[Erosion Level +14]
[Erosion Level: 47/100]
.
.
.
The state window spinning before my eyes.
–kkiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!
The Ashen Ebonwing, like a greedy demon with its mouth wide open, began to voraciously consume it all.
‘I see you figured out how to use the Ashen Ebonwing…’
–zzzzzzzzzz!
–drop.
—————————————————
[Erosion Level: 78/100]
[The Ashen Ebonwing has consumed Dark Magic]
[Erosion Level Restriction Raised by +10]
—————————————————
Satisfied after a long time, the Ashen Ebonwing unfurled its wings, displaying itself like a ballista.
[Wind Archery – Apply the Shadow Shot?]
[Expected Damage Multiplier: 2880%]
‘Apply.’
Thus, all that remained was my index finger, ready to pull the trigger.