< Ancient Dragon Human Type (1) >

"Yay curses~. I'll put a ribbon nicely on a highest class custom-made prosthetic hand with even an eye patch as a set, and give it to you as a present!"

Riette shouted excitedly. Don't do that. I was having an ominous hunch that my remaining life would get taken as collateral at any moment. On top of that, Noah couldn't calm down as if staring at a mother cow being sold on market day. Like that, he'd cry.

"It's been a while since I've taken a gamble, so I'm shaking."

Sung Hyunjae said, with a face that you couldn't find a single trace[1] of anxiety on even if you looked for it. If he really was shaking, I would've been sorry. He really was the person who took care of my conscience's health more than anyone in the world.

"The person who would have everything he needs taken care of no matter the result, sure is making a big fuss."

"You'll wrap it up, right?"

"I will even print out a receipt."

Of course, the best result for both of us, was the decursing happening safely. Even if something went wrong, there was the elixir and there was support to lean on called the system manufacturers. Though I didn't know if it would work in the aftermath of an L-Rank curse.

I swallowed a sigh and held out my hand.

"Please give me the contract. To rip it up."

Sung Hyunjae took out a contract from his inventory. On a thin black board that was the size of A4 paper, there was text that I couldn't read engraved. He tossed a gaze full of interest as if telling me to try and rip it, holding out that, which wasn't paper nor parchment. Ah, really.

Sure enough, no matter how much strength I put into my grip, the thin board didn't budge an inch. I took out a knife and tried stabbing it, but not a single scratch remained. Was the durability also L-Rank since it was an L-Rank contract?

"…Let's try the method of violating the contract. I do not know the range for the curse resistance so please stoop down a little. Or sit somewhere."

There was no choice but to stick close like using the poison resistance. It was a relief that it was an eye and an arm; if it was a contract that included a leg, it would've been a funny sight. Sung Hyunjae used the wreckage of the buildings as a chair and perched on it. It was right before violating a contract that he had staked part of his body on, but it was still a calm face. Did he really not have a single worry?

'If Sung Hyunjae is unharmed, I could probably release Yoohyun's contract, too.'

It would be a contract depending on the same person, with similar conditions.

"You're thinking of your brother again."

"…Sorry?"

Sung Hyunjae looked up at me with his head tilted, and continued speaking.

"If I'm unharmed, you were thinking of rushing off to release Han Yoohyun's contract, too."

"Please do not read someone else's thoughts as you please."

"What can I do about it all appearing on your face?"

What about my face? I stretched out a hand and placed it on Sung Hyunjae's right shoulder. I had a slight impulse to grab the back of his hair and rip it out as if it was an accident, with the excuse that it has to be while in contact. Would an S-Rank's hair roots also be durable?

"I'm not really inclined to be an experiment for somebody else."

"At any rate, Yoohyun wouldn't know much, right? It seemed like he washed his hands of it in the early stages."

"It's as you said. The young master quickly cut it off. He didn't ignore them like Riette, and the noncommittal attitude was suspicious. If I think about it now, it was because of Han Yoojin-gun."

My fault again? That's right, I was always the problem.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, so please continue talking."

Sung Hyunjae, who scanned my expression, opened his mouth again.

"The way they approach is simple. They hold out information about items or skills first. Something like, what dungeons to attack in which way to gain which thing."

It was similar to what I had heard from Riette. Did they know a lot about the system, like the system manufacturers? But it seemed like they didn't know about me, so it looked like their information fell behind.

Instead, unlike the system manufacturers who could only send expedient messages outside of dungeons, it seemed like they could directly interfere in our world.

"After tossing it out once the first time as bait, the next time, they hold out a contract. The contents are simple. Remaining silent about their identity and the information you get to know. Of course I adjusted the conditions a little more detailedly. To be able to talk about it this much."

"Is it that you can keep on getting advantageous information if you keep your mouth shut? Isn't it a condition that is giving too much?"

"There's a reason for the condition to be light. So, those guys, the self-styled filial duty addicts."

The instant the low, laughter-filled voice spoke, I felt something like a powerful repulsive force as a message window popped up.

[While against the curse and poison dragon king's owner □□□□□, all skill effects are increased by 2 times!]

Curse and poison dragon king's owner. Unconsciously, laughter spilled out. So it was you.

Not knowing at all that it had an owner, I had just thought that it was merely bad luck. Your damn lizard bastard bit my younger brother, so I should meet you face to face and receive the compensation. Isn't that so?

"So how do you meet with that bastard?"

"There definitely wasn't a criminal record. It's certain that you[2] lived normally without getting your hands dirty, but you sometimes have eyes that seem like you've killed a few people."

"…What kind of nonsense are you saying?"

"It's that I like it."

Sung Hyunjae shot up from his seat. A large hand grabbed me, who was stumbling because I wasn't ready for it. It was an intact right hand. The eye was also fine of course. The doubled skill effect had popped up, so it was a natural result.

"The reason why they put the conditions lightly is simple. Without their help, you can't escape this world."

He continued, steadying me right away.

"This world that will disappear soon. In short, should I say it's like 'if you don't want to die, do as we say'? It's tiresome and boring."

"What does that mean?"

Riette, who was sitting on top of a pile of rocks, still keeping a distance, cut in.

"They said Earth is going to fall to ruin? Around when? If I knew that was going to happen, I would've lived more carelessly."

Though it seemed like she had lived carelessly enough.

"If you help those filial duty addicts, they will help you escape – is that right?"

"Something like that. But it can't be normal people. They said that only at minimum stat S-Ranks, and those at high grade at that, could withstand the shock of escaping the world. The young master probably heard that too and left them. Since the possibility of his precious hyung-nim Awakening into stat S-Rank looked nonexistent. He couldn't have known in detail, like Han Yoojin-gun's skill, but stat mid to high ranks stand out to a certain extent even before Awakening. Like how famous sports athletes are all mid rank or higher."

I was normal, and the result was a normal F-Rank. Yoohyun, you punk, really…

"Was what they asked you to help with, making this place fall to ruin?"

"It's falling to ruin without purposely needing to touch it. From now on, the number of dungeons will increase and monsters will get stronger, so when it becomes unhandleable, it'll be the end."

"Then exactly what are they trying to do, that group with the weird name? They wouldn't be a rescue team for capable people."

If they really happened to be a rescue team, did I have to somehow persuade Yoohyun and make him cooperate with them again?

"Leaving it to fall to ruin naturally. You could say that their goal is to eliminate special factors that would disrupt that. The reason why they want that, who knows, I also didn't hear up to that. Since they're filial duty addicts, wouldn't it be that their parent wants something like the collapse of the world?"

I was starting to be curious about how their parent looked like.

Anyways, it seemed like the system manufacturers were on the side of wanting our world to be fine. For the world to not fall to ruin, the dungeons had to keep on being attacked so they didn't burst, and for that, you would need a lot of strong Hunters.

And that seemed to be why they told me to gather S-Ranks.

"Do the special factors that can disrupt, mean solely powerful Hunters?"

"Probably. Even if you just look at the people they approached, they're not normal S-Ranks. As long as they succeed in drawing them in, they get the words that those people would eliminate disruptions, and a special factor itself would disappear, so it's killing two birds with one stone. Would that be why they put their heart and soul into the business?"

"What were they thinking of doing if, after tossing out information and raising them, they betrayed them like Sung Hyunjae-ssi?"

"Just by contracting with them, you can't become a special factor – is what they said."

At those words, I remembered Yoohyun being attacked in the snow-covered dungeon. If you were connected to the filial duty addicts, then you were shunned by the system manufacturers. It seemed to be that, but would it be that you couldn't become a special factor or whatever without the system manufacturers' help?

Anyways, Yoohyun had already contracted, so he would've been made to not be a special factor.

Then why did those bastards try to kill Yoohyun?

"A way to get in contact-."

Tuk

Sung Hyunjae's hand pushed my chest. While I was pushed back hard and tumbling down, I heard the sound of the ground being scratched roughly.

The inside of my head was chaotic, but I reflexively used the Teacher skill. To the safest person, Noah. Right after, I saw the situation.

There was a large scar on the chest of Sung Hyunjae, who had gotten far away at some point. The appearance of him being wet with his own blood was unfamiliar.

And in front of me, where Sung Hyunjae had been standing, someone else was there instead – before I could properly realize that.

Kwadeuk!

"Yoojin-ssi!"

A burning pain raced through my entire body. I soon became dizzy. An attack… or rather than that, somebody's hand had clenched my leg. In that chaos, my leg was pierced on the claws. I swallowed a scream and and quickly shouted.

"Don't come over, Noah!"

If it was an enemy that Sung Hyunjae couldn't properly avoid the attack of, Noah definitely couldn't match up to it. Then, I used the Teacher skill on Sung Hyunjae and Riette, too. Immediately, I felt Sung Hyunjae's combat foresight skill.

"…What is that?"

Riette, who had gotten Sung Hyunjae's skill shared to her, mumbled. She wasn't doubting the skill. The one who had grabbed me… the dragon human type. She was surprised at the fiend that was hard to find a flaw in.

While the three couldn't move easily, the dragon human type raised the hand that was grabbing me.

"…Ugh."

As the pierced wound was pulled, a groan spilled out through my clenched teeth on its own. Wait, Noah. Hold back.

I somehow propped up my trembling body with my arms and turned my head to stare at the dragon human type. Horns and a tail, and scales covering its whole body. It was an appearance where a human and a dragon was reasonably mixed together but didn't have wings, and toward it, I used the Seed-Leaf skill.

[2nd Rank Ancient Dragon Human of Poison and Curses Type – Vicus

Current Stat Rank SS

Possible Awakening Stat Rank S

Optimized Initial Skills

Dragon's Scales(SS) Acquired

Melted City(SS) Acquired

Entire Dragon Transformation(SS) Acquisition failure

Shadow Spell(S) Acquired

Combat Boost(S) Acquired]

…To think it was those stats and skills, and 2nd Rank. It was amazing. The possible Awakening stat rank being S was a surprise. I stretched out my hand and grabbed the necklace that had the Shalos' Bead. Even if I used it, I wouldn't be healed, so should I save it for later? Even if you combined it with Noah's, it was just 30 minutes.

'If it was trying to kill me, it would've already killed me.'

Sung Hyunjae definitely said that that side, the filial duty addicts, wanted to capture me alive. Riette also said it was kidnapping. Before that, if they could send this kind of guy, why didn't they do that from the start? Did they overdo it because they were hurrying over Sung Hyunjae's contract being released?

Just then, the dragon human type opened its mouth.

"□□□□□□□□□□."

…It spoke? Though I didn't understand it. The translation item didn't work either.

Sung Hyunjae, who had healed his wound, and Riette were slowly approaching. Noah couldn't rashly be active and was putting assistance skills on the two people. But it really was disadvantageous. The combat foresight skill was saying that there was no solution here. It wasn't to the point of really not being able to match up, but even if the two of them cleverly collaborated and attacked, the damage to both sides would probably be around 70 to 30. We would be the 70.

Amidst the air that was trembling from tension, the dragon human type bared its teeth in a smile. It was self-confident. Miasma started to waver around that guy's surroundings.

'It can't work like this.'

The Lauchtas skill message popped up and the status window explanation was like that, so this guy should be a curse and poison dragon type, too. One that my skill effects were applied double on.

'...Teacher skill.'

If they had the combat foresight with the dragon human type's sensations received unilaterally on top of that. Then our side would definitely be more advantageous. Neither Noah nor Riette had even a slight resistance to the Teacher skill. That dragon human type would probably reject it, but the skill effect was doubled, so wouldn't I somehow be able to withstand it?

Since there was no other method. As soon as I came to a conclusion, I used the Teacher skill on the dragon human type. I sent that guy's sensations unilaterally to the three people as I used the Shalos' Bead. I did feel a headache, but maybe it didn't know much about the skill, because the resistance was weaker than expected.

As soon as Sung Hyunjae and Riette both received the dragon human type's sensations, they changed their passive stances, and.

Chareureuk!

The chains holding electric currents drove down at the dragon human type's feet. Riette's blades flicked back the movements trying to block the chains.

Pajijijik!

The currents that had narrowed to a localized region and increased the power, paralyzed the dragon human type for an instant and,

Kagagang!

Riette cut off the claws that were piercing my leg. Even before the pain from the shock reached my brain, Sung Hyunjae, who had approached as if it was planned out, fished me out and drew back. Riette narrowly blocked the dragon human type as it tried to chase after us.

"Are you okay?"

"…I am more or less alive."

First, I stopped using the Shalos' Bead. There was a slight crack in the bead that stopped glowing, but it was more or less fine. In order to use the time correctly, I took out a new bead and hung it on my neck, and then looked down at my leg. The cut off claw was still stuck in. Blood kept on flowing out following the tip of the metallic gray tinted claw.

…I needed to treat it to stop the bleeding. I had to take out the foreign object first and a potion… shit. That damn lizard person sprayed poison so I couldn't turn off the poison resistance. I spit out curses in my head and said to Sung Hyunjae.

"If I happen to lose consciousness, whatever you have to do, please wake me up right away."

If the skill turned off at any moment, it was dangerous for Riette. Even now, it was beyond being risky to her holding out with Noah's healing skill, so if there wasn't the Teacher skill, she would be doomed.

"If the young master knew of this, he'd be absolutely furious."

"For each other's sake, let's keep it a secret."

Sung Hyunjae adjusted and held me. Then, soon, with a horrifying sound, the claw that was stuck in my leg came out. It felt like I might've screamed. Still, I didn't lose consciousness. The skill was also being maintained. There was a feverish taste in my mouth.

While I was briefly dizzy, a potion had been poured on my leg, and the wound healed up. That damn lizard bastard, if you were going to catch me, then why didn't you catch me nicely? I'm stat F – I can die from excessive bleeding. Why did that owner bastard send that kind of stupid lizard? Was it because the owner's head was also at the level of a lizard?

"I have two 10-minute damage nullification beads and I used one for a short while, so let's say it is about 17 minutes. If I receive one more from Noah, it is 27 minutes. That is plenty, right? If not, it would be alright if you use one directly and beat it up while safe from attacks for 10 minutes."

It was a good method. I spoke while grinding my teeth, but Sung Hyunjae was staring straight at me.

"Why are you staring like that?"

"Because I feel like I'll fall for you."

"You said you already fell."

"I could fall again."

"It is extremely fun, really, right? Your eye and arm are fine and if it is this much, didn't I pay the price?"

"To think that you put my value that low; I'm sad."

"Whatever, and please catch and kill that bastard instead."

I will catch and kill your second pet lizard for you. So let's at least see your face once, you damned owner bastard.