Dungeon Predator (WN)
chapter-360

A sand island lay at the center of the Eternal Lake! A giant fortress stood upon its sandy beaches, and a dragon flew all around the fortress!

The sky was filled with the fortress's cannon balls and the dragon's powerful magic.

It definitely wasn't something you could see every day. However, there was no one available to catch this on film. After all, everyone besides Gainus had gone inside the fortress.

The inside of the Immovable Fortress was like an ant tunnel. It looked complex and random, but actually had a strange sense of regularity to it.

It was unlikely, but what if Gainus were shot out of the sky? The fortress would transform into a prison, and Kang Oh's party would be trapped inside.

That's why Gainus had stayed outside, and kept attacking the fortress from the sky.

"Where do we go?" Kang Oh stared at Sephiro.

"Waryong." Sephiro, in turn, stared at Waryong.

Kyaa!

Waryong began sniffing, and pointed at a passageway.

"Let's go."

Kang Oh's party proceeded forward.

* * *

Pew, pew, pew!

Metal shards suddenly shot out of the walls. The Immovable Fortress possessed traps like a normal dungeon.

"Duck!" Sephiro yelled, and everyone laid flat on the ground.

Fortunately, no one was badly hurt. But the fact that traps existed here would prove to be a problem. They were on the clock, so they couldn't waste time finding and disarming every single trap they came across.

"We're going to push through," Kang Oh said stiffly.

"I think that's best." Sephiro agreed.

No one disagreed with them, as they understood why they'd come to that conclusion. Though it'd be a little dangerous, they had to take the risk.

"Go!"

Shards shot out of the walls. Since they pushed through without regard for their own health, they took damage more frequently than before.

But because of Eder's treatment, and Cyndia's healing spells, they were able to keep their HP relatively full.

They also encountered gemstone monsters. If they weren't made of diamond or steel, then it didn't take long to take them down.

Kuah! Gyaa! Kuha!

Whenever they came across a forked road, Waryong would unhesitatingly choose one of them, and Kang Oh's party would follow its decision.

'This is the right way.' Kang Oh was sure that Waryong was putting them on the right path. After all, the road it'd set them on was filled with more monsters and traps than before.

Eventually, they found themselves in a vast room filled with a squad of monsters.

"Look over there." Ruinari pointed at the passageway behind the monster army. "Kragon is behind them. I can sense his presence."

"Let's take care of these guys quickly," Eder said. 'These guys' was referring to the gemstone monsters blocking their way.

"I'll take care of them by myself," Sephiro said.

"What?" Kang Oh stared at him.

"My arrows won't work against Kragon. I don't have that many diamond arrows left either. So leave this to me. The rest of you should go on and kill Kragon without me."

"Will you be alright by yourself?" Kang Oh asked.

"I'm not alone. And besides, the worst that can happen is that I die." Sephiro stroked Waryong's head and grinned.

"Understood."

Sephiro was a player. A player, unlike an NPC, would respawn upon death. Thus, Kang Oh nodded his head.

"Be careful," Cyndia said.

"Yes."

Gyaa!

Sephiro and Waryong replied enthusiastically.

"I'll draw their attention first. Then, sprint to the passageway as fast as you can." Sephiro, with Waryong in tow, dashed away from his party, and pulled out a giant magic arrow.

Whizz!

The arrow left his grasp, arcing beautifully in the air.

Buster Shot!

It was a finisher that shot 100 arrows at once!

Six magic circles formed in the air, and rained a barrage of arrows onto the gemstone monsters.

Whizz, whizz, whizz!

Kyaa!

Thud! Thud!

The 100 or so monsters rushed at Sephiro like a rising tide.

"Now."

Everyone besides Sephiro rushed towards the passageway at full speed.

It was a resounding success. They were able to enter the passageway without any interference.

"C'mon!"

Whizz! Thwock!

Roar!

They could hear Sephiro and Waryong doing battle behind them. However, no one turned back.

Everyone knew the plan. Killing Kragon ASAP was the best they could do for Sephiro, as well as Gainus.

Kang Oh's party kept sprinting forward.

* * *

Meteor Impact!

A giant meteor appeared in the air, and plummeted towards the Immovable Fortress. However, the nearby mineral structures fused together, forming a 'Mayanes Shield' that completely blocked the meteor.

'Kragon! Your immortality has made you most annoying of the Mayanes!'

Originally, there was no need to infiltrate the Immovable Fortress. Because the fortress was essentially Kragon's body, you only needed to destroy the fortress to kill him.

The mineral structures were also part of Kragon's body. Just targeting the mineral structures would reduce Kragon's HP. You could also just completely destroy them. However, that strategy no longer applied now that he was immortal!

Kragon's immortality had completely changed the characteristics of his Immovable Fortress. No matter how much of the outside you destroyed, it didn't matter!

Ultimately, their only option was to go inside the fortress and kill Kragon. And even then, that would only work if you had a way of bypassing his immortality.

'He's no longer an immovable fortress, but an immortal one.'

Thus, Gainus couldn't help them kill Kragon. What he could do, however, was bombard Kragon with spells; this would keep the mineral structures at the entrance, keeping Kragon from transforming the fortress into a prison.

"Do your best," Gainus muttered, thinking of Kang Oh.

Honestly, Gainus didn't think he was reliable. However, they had no other option. Thus, he had no choice but to trust in him.

* * *

Kang Oh's entire body was black, as if he was coated in ink. He'd used Devil Trigger, and had assumed his Jet-Black Demon form. He, with Ruinari's help, attacked Kragon from the left and right.

Although they'd never really teamed up before, they worked well together. It was because their fundamentals were solid. Moreover, Kang Oh and Ruinari were both strong enough to pierce through Kragon's diamond skin!

"Grr!" Kragon's grimace deepened as time went on. "How dare you!"

'You're just a human and a Birdman!' It sounded like he said 'How dare you!' after that.

Thud!

He raised his fist into the air, and fiercely slammed it down.

Mountain Crush!

His fist, coated with brown energy, grazed Kang Oh's side.

Normally, increasing your defense by transforming a body part like Kragon would lower your speed. However, Kragon remained just as fast as ever. Moreover, he also had some annoying skills up his sleeve.

Thud!

Once his fist hit the ground, the inside of the fortress shook. It would've been great if that was all, but they weren't so lucky; the walls shot various shards at them too!

"Ms. Cyndia, Mr. Eder! Get behind me!" Muhawk raised his shield.

Eder created a bone fence, and Cyndia cast Sacred Shield.

Kang Oh and Ruinari dodged the shards and Kragon's attacks simultaneously, and then counterattacked.

Kang Oh was empowered by Devil Trigger and Gluttony, and he had his Hyper Intuition too. That made it possible for him to dodge Kragon's attack from up front, as well as the shards that came flying at him from behind. After all, he'd beaten Ubist a few times already while he was completely blind!

Befitting his title as the Birdmans' greatest warrior, Ruinari's skills were extraordinary. Thus, he too was able to dodge the shards and engage Kragon simultaneously.

"Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword.

Because Kragon wasn't in top-top condition, there were marks left behind by Slash all over his body. His Hyper Intuition pointed one out that Kragon had left exposed.

Bam!

'Oh, yeah. Black shards!'

"Stop it, you pest!" Kragon swung his left fist at him. Dodging it wasn't difficult. However, Kragon's left wing came at him right after...

'I can't dodge this.' Kang Oh made his decision, and shielded himself with his blade.

Clang!

Kang Oh was pushed back. Kragon seized the opportunity, and extended his hands. He created a giant lump of minerals, and threw it at Kang Oh as if he were throwing a dodgeball.

Bam!

It completely flattened the area he'd been standing in.

"You bastard!" Ruinari swung downwards. His attack was so fierce that it couldn't be ignored.

"You're annoying too!" Kragon blocked Ruinari's attack with his wing, and stomped on the floor.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Shards shot out from the ceiling and the walls once more.

Ruinari retreated, allowing him to dodge the shards. However, Kragon rushed forward and launched an uppercut at him.

Mountain Crush!

His fist, coated in brown energy, flew through the air.

Ruinari flipped backwards, dodging the attack.

Kragon focused entirely on Ruinari. Fist, wing, fist, fist, wing!

On the other hand, Ruinari focused entirely on dodging. Eder, Cyndia, and Muhawk couldn't move as they pleased due to the barrage of shards.

'As long as I kill him...!' Killing the rest of them would be easy. Kragon's eyes gleamed.

However, something suddenly got in his way. Surprise! Kang Oh had reappeared using Abyss Transfer.

"What!?" Kragon's eyes widened. 'Where the hell did this guy come from!?'

He instinctively crossed his arms. After all, he knew that Kang Oh had a way of breaking through his diamond skin. However, Kang Oh's blade had already rent flesh.

Transcendent Blade!

Bam!

More and more shards of light fell from his body.

'Just a little bit more!' Kang Oh then unleashed a golden aura.

Tempest Tiger!

Kragon retaliated with his fist.

Bam!

The golden aura broke into pieces. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked.

However, Kang Oh didn't stop there. Ruinari righted himself, and approached Kragon once more.

Kragon was slowly being pushed into a corner. He clenched his fists, as if he'd come to a hard decision.

'I really didn't want to do this!'

Honestly, this method was the best way to deal with these insects. However, he'd chosen not to use it, as if it grated on his pride to do so.

'Fine. I'll kill them quickly and then finish off Gainus. I can't let that lizard leave this place alive!'

Kragon could use a destructive AoE attack called Mineral Bomb.

What if he, who was covered in diamond, was to use Mineral Bomb? Everyone here would die, but he would survive due to his immortality.

'Yeah, you'll all die!'

Mineral Bomb!

There was no warning, no prior sign.

Whoosh!

Boom!

The massive explosion shook the Immovable Fortress.

However...!

This was Kang Oh's best chance at finishing Kragon off, but it'd also be a huge risk.

The second he used Mineral Bomb, Kragon's body would blow up too. At that moment, his Hyper Intuition detected a single, fatal weakness. An object that looked like a star in the night sky: the God of Creation's source!

When he explodes, the God of Creation's source would be exposed for a short period of time.

His body moved before he could even think it over. He aimed for the weakness out of habit!

Kang Oh stretched out his hand...

'Get it!'

He managed to grab it!

Kang Oh held the source, which seemed to glow with bright light, and simultaneously, the explosion rocked the Immovable Fortress.