My Catastrophic‑Level Summon Devours Gates - Chapter 277

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 277
Delaying actions unfolded across Gando.
Three weeks had passed since our departure from Incheon.
We abandoned the final defensive line and retreated to the Yalu River.
“Hahahaha. Mage, it seems I’ve won this round.”
“What are you talking about? When did we ever have a competition?”
“Of course we must settle who slaughtered more monsters.”
“Hmph. I never agreed to any such wager with a madman like you.”
Ingrid averted her gaze.
She was clearly provoked and possessed a competitive streak of her own.
If she showed it, she’d be admitting defeat to Sir Isra’s interrogation, so she endured instead.
Had the situation been reversed, she would have taunted Sir Isra relentlessly.
“Hahahaha!”
Sir Isra, fully aware of this, continued laughing and needling her.
Hmm.
Sir.
It seemed Ingrid’s skill at needling was at least two levels above his.
It wasn’t only Sir Isra whose nose flared with tension.
【Krahahahaha! I have never experienced death.】
The Malnourished One’s telepathy spread far and wide.
He held one flank of the front line.
When we retreated, he always stood at the rear, enduring the Monster Waves until the very end.
【Even the Familiars my Master boasts of cannot match my exploits. Krahaha!】
“Zaugg. What are you doing?”
“Dropkick!”
【Yikeeeee!】
“Schne! Youngest! You! Can’t! Manage! Him! Getting! Scolded! By! Me! Won’t! Help!】
【I won’t just take it lying down!】
Crackle.
A chain condensed with mana moved deftly, targeting Zaugg.
After evading by a hair’s breadth, another dropkick connected.
【Yikee!】
“You should learn through your body, not your mouth.”
【P-please… spare… me…】
“Stop your whining.”
【Yikeeeeeee!!】
Despite the minor scuffle, we held the line well.
We regrouped with the Domestic Big Five Hunters who had been defending other sectors near the Yalu River.
“Younger Sibling!”
Guild Leader Yang Seo-yeon waved her arms enthusiastically.
“You’re unharmed, I see.”
“Yeah. Thanks to my younger sibling, we held the line without breaking a sweat. Even our guild leader couldn’t stop praising us.”
I couldn’t gather my thoughts amid the barrage of words pouring out like machine-gun fire.
He wasn’t exactly a man of few words to begin with.
But had he ever been this talkative?
“When the Frost Condor arrived, things became quite difficult. Without Hunter Park’s assistance, we would have suffered severe casualties.”
Sub-Guild Leader Jo Yeong-hwan interjected from beside him.
I’d always thought of him as taciturn, but it seemed he could speak at length too.
“Hey. You should talk that much more often.”
“The guild leader talks too much unnecessarily.”
“You—?”
The two of them bickered back and forth.
The Phoenix Guild Members averted their gazes.
I understand your feelings perfectly.
There are quite a few moments when the embarrassment falls on me.
Guild Leader Lee Won-taek of the Hwarang Guild also approached and bowed deeply.
“Truly. I owe you greatly for this delaying action.”
“Why is everyone acting like this?”
“Without your help, we would have all died one by one.”
Guild Leader Yang Seo-yeon nodded in agreement.
“Really, thanks to my younger sibling, we at least had time to catch our breath. Otherwise, we’d have collapsed mid-swing from exhaustion.”
Even now, it looks like they’d topple over with a slight push.
Their hollow eyes suggested they’d been doing all-night work for days.
Department Head Jeon Hye-yeon clapped her hands sharply, drawing attention.
“Everyone has worked hard. The nation will surely remember the dedication of the Big 5 Guilds’ Hunters.”
“Department Head Jeon, you worked alongside Hunter Park Min-ho, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I’m envious.”
“?”
A peculiar hostility flickered across the faces of the Domestic Big Five Hunters.
Were they glaring because they thought Department Head Jeon Hye-yeon had an easier time?
No way.
Surely not.
The Domestic Big Five of our country have their pride.
“Preparations to meet the Monster Wave at the Yalu River front are complete, we’re told.”
The Domestic Big Five Guild Leaders clicked their tongues.
“Hmph. Of course it should be—look how much time we bought them.”
“If it weren’t for Hunter Park Min-ho, we’d have had to retreat to the Yalu River long ago.”
Everyone’s responses were rather sharp, likely from exhaustion.
“Are you well, my Lord?”
“You all did the work. I’m fine.”
I harbored a faint hope that an opportunity might arise to wield my sword.
I waited for the moment when I could exchange the Chaos Stone for a blade.
But.
That chance never came.
I never had the opportunity to apply the Swordsmanship I’d learned while being worked like a dog under Sir Isra in actual combat.
“I would have liked to try using Magic at least once.”
The Ring Cage that Emilia inherited.
Since I’d trained Magic under Ingrid to master it.
There were times I’d considered launching attacks or support spells from the rear.
【Your Majesty must not act recklessly.】
This time, Pines blocked me.
Something about how a misdirected spell would draw aggro?
Ugh.
In the end, I just focused on Hammering.
Thanks to the Heavenly Martial Body, even a little sleep restored my condition to near-peak performance.
“Pines. You performed your duty well.”
【It was naturally what I had to do in the First Sword’s absence.】
“Your duty?”
“When I fell into my frenzied state and could not protect my Lord, I transferred the responsibility to Pines.”
Trembling.
These two.
They were in on it together!
“Still, having the Yalu River should make defense easier.”
“Not necessarily. The Yalu River doesn’t have the water level of the Han River.”
Department Head Jeon Hye-yeon shook her head side to side.
The upper reaches were about one meter.
Even the lower reaches, where several tributaries converged to increase the volume, barely exceeded two meters.
“Kobolds and Orcs won’t be able to cross.”
“Once the corpses of monsters pile up on the riverbed, that changes.”
Department Head Jeon Hye-yeon replied cynically.
“Shall we cross then?”
We moved to the Yalu River Bridge.
We boarded the vehicles that had been waiting in advance, one by one.
“Why do you wait, my Lord?”
“Everyone’s exhausted.”
Look at those hollow eyes.
They’re the type who need a full day’s sleep.
Isn’t it only natural that I, the one in the best condition, watch our backs?
“Your Master’s warm consideration will surely move them all.”
“The great lord’s mercy is evident even in how he indulges his unruly youngest. Such is his nature.”
【I apologize. I apologize. I apologize. I apologize. I apologize….】
The Malnourished One repeated the same words over and over.
What kind of training had I given that the creature fell apart in less than an hour?
Meanwhile, many of the Domestic Big Five Hunters moved beyond the bridge.
Our turn had come.
The moment I reached for the handle.
A ferocious mana wavelength snapped my head northward.
“My lord.”
“Am I thinking what you’re thinking?”
“It appears so.”
A gulp.
A massive mana wavelength undulating from the north.
It was a presence I had encountered countless times during the delaying action.
A long shadow cast across the mountain slope drew steadily closer.
“Drakes. And there are two of them.”
Sir Isra spoke in a grave tone, loud enough for everyone to hear.
* * *
Shhring—
Sir Isra drew his sword.
Concern clouded Department Head Jeon Hye-yeon’s face.
“Drakes at a time like this.”
The Response Department Hunters preparing to withdraw exchanged confused glances.
“They’ve been watching us all along, haven’t they?”
“I’ll contact the Director.”
Undisguised fear trembled in the Hunters’ voices.
The timing was terrible.
The Domestic Big Five Hunters’ condition was nothing short of abysmal.
They had barely slept, felling monsters while slowly retreating.
Contributing strength to a Drake battle was impossible in this state.
And with them already crossing the Yalu River Bridge, returning would be difficult.
Ingrid approached my side.
“We can withdraw now.”
“No. We intercept.”
If we didn’t cover the Domestic Big Five Hunters’ retreat, catastrophic losses were guaranteed.
Those exhausted wretches could barely lift a finger—how could they possibly fight Drakes?
We had to hold this line.
“And if we obtain Drake corpses as well, wouldn’t that be the cherry on top?”
Gulp.
Ah. My mouth was watering.
The Drakes roaming the battlefield always moved in groups of at least three.
One was already overwhelming, so with three of them, there was no hunting opportunity.
The Monsters swarming across the ground were just a bonus problem.
“To hunt the Drakes, we need to make them come down.”
“Malnourished One. How did you deal with them before you died?”
【They came to the ground and crunched, crunched me to pieces, yes.】
A resentful mental projection.
Being chewed up seemed to be quite the regret.
May the Deceased’s soul find peace in the heavens.
“They’re predators. They’ll come down on their own.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Didn’t you say you’ve hunted Drakes before, Sir Isra?”
“I severed their wings with the Isra Style Swordsmanship so they couldn’t fly anymore.”
Ah.
I see.
Right, right. For flying-type Monsters, you just cut off their wings so they can’t fly again.
How about that? Quite simple, isn’t it?
“…will do.”
I was about to get angry while chewing over Sir Isra’s words.
“Big boss. Should I prepare some Popcorn?”
“No. This isn’t an enemy we can afford to be that relaxed about.”
Popcorn, of all things.
If things went wrong, we’d be dead.
“You keep watch around us. If other Monsters swarm in besides the Drakes, it’ll be troublesome.”
“Understood, sir.”
“If you think you can handle it, clean it up on your end.”
“Kyiiieeeek!”
Zaugg let out a shrill scream.
The guy who delivers drop kicks even to S-Rank Monsters like Liches, yet he acts weak.
Whoooosh!
Two Drakes crested the mountain slope and descended slowly before their feet touched the ground with a heavy thud.
“Roooaaarrr!”
“Roooaaarrr!”
[Dragon Fear]
[You face an opponent you cannot resist. Fear grips your soul.]
[Your Mana application ability decreases.]
[Fear prevents you from making sound judgments.]
My vision warped.
Nausea washed over me as if I might vomit.
“Ugh.”
“Tighten your core.”
The warm energy enveloping my abdomen brought my senses back into focus.
Following Sir Isra’s instruction, I tensed my core, and my distorted vision snapped back into clarity.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Sir Isra cradled me with his hands, supporting my weight.
Thanks to him, I managed to stay on my feet without collapsing.
“We’ll join you as well.”
“Will you be okay?”
“We just need to hold out until the Director arrives.”
One S-rank Hunter and four A-rank Hunters committed their full power to the fight.
If the Drakes didn’t take to the air, we might actually have a chance.
Strength flooded into my hands.
“Good. Let’s create a true Dragon, shall we?”
I glared at the two Drakes, my fighting spirit ablaze.
* * *
Rustle—
A faint sound echoed from the dense undergrowth.
“Huff, huff.”
A man swept his anxious gaze across his surroundings.
Zhengxianhe.
Once a rising star of the Holy Guild, he had defected to China after being promised a Sub-Dragon Heart and an enormous sum of money.
‘Damn the Superhuman Bureau.’
Grinding his teeth.
Zhengxianhe’s jaw clenched.
Being deployed to the Great Rift Battlefield was one thing.
But luring Drakes that had become threats lurking near Jinzhou City?
When I first received that order, I nearly lost my mind.
‘They’re using an S-rank Hunter like me for such menial work?’
I felt my life threatened.
My pride was wounded.
I naturally wanted to refuse, but the Superhuman Bureau presented me with a contract.
―Twice a year, I would fulfill the Superhuman Bureau’s clearing requests.
―If I felt my life was in danger, the number would be reduced to once a year.
Damn contract!
I had confirmed that clause existed before signing.
‘I thought it meant something like Gate Clears.’
But the scope of that ‘request’ was broader than I’d imagined.
Even this insane order to lure Drakes fell within the contract’s category.
I wanted to refuse.
But.
‘The contract has activated.’
The contract that Zhengxianhe had written was no ordinary paper.
It was a document inscribed with [Contract], the unique ability of Ling Shamei, the Director.
If it was an agreement made with genuine sincerity,
then binding force was exerted in this manner.
As a result.
Leveraging the Dragon Knight ability to lure the Drake,
he crossed Gando and came near the Yalu River before concealing his presence.
It had been no easy journey.
Monsters filled the roads, so he moved primarily along mountain slopes where navigation was difficult.
‘Once I return, I won’t sit idle!’
Murderous intent gleamed in Zhengxianhe’s eyes.
The Dragon Knight ability [Dragon Form] was also released.
He suppressed his mana and observed the situation.
‘One more push and the contract’s binding force will disappear.’
A formidable enemy he could not face alone.
He had to reveal his presence to the monstrous Drake and flee with his tail between his legs.
Rage surged within him, but there was no choice.
The binding force attached to Ling Shamei’s ability.
He could not resist it.
Zhengxianhe had no options.
As he ground his teeth,
‘I’ve discovered something, haven’t I?’
Someone was watching his form from beyond the undergrowth.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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