Beyond Respawn: A Gamer's Rebirth (Volume 3), page 11
“If the barriers will hold them ignore it. Our underground city is all we need to worry about. We will deal with monsters when we need to go above ground. Our main objective is to use our current base in-game to build farms and resource gathering. We have our work cut out for us. At least with monsters, we will be less likely to have people coming to our location.” I could only hope killing the dragon would reduce the monster waves. When I exited the dungeon, I could hear the roars of monsters close by, and many at that, which was much more than the first time around.
My main worry now is if the dragon has also become mutated. If it did, it would make things a lot harder for me. But I still had an extra life. So, if things got too bad, I would use my skill to make a hasty exit and try to come up with another method of killing the dragon.
“Since our plans are set, have the others continue what they are doing. Angel, you set up a team of people you can trust, preferably from the members of the team we just entered the dungeon with. At least then you will have people who know how you fight.”
“I was planning on that. It would be hard to work with new people in such a dangerous situation. Dungeons are more controlled, but I do hope we can get everyone working together at some point after training more in-game.”
“Then let’s get ourselves in gear.” I stood up, walked over to Angel, and kissed her. I should probably rest, but this needed to be dealt with first. I could see the pout on Angel's lips, which made me feel bad. I took her hand, led her out of the room, and headed back to our place. I made sure to tell Hilde not to disturb us for the next three hours.
After taking care of my pink-haired thing, Hilde and I made our way to the north side of the underground city. Hilde began carving out a new path for us, making our way toward the core guardian. “It’s kind of strange how this is so… boring…”
“Master, I can make it more interesting and stri…”
“Please keep your clothes on!” I chuckled and gave Hilde a playful punch. It was only at times like this that I appreciated her teasing nature.
“But I wasn’t teasing…” Hilde mumbled, which I thoughtfully ignored.
It didn’t take more than an hour to reach our destination, and sure enough, a barrier blocked the path. “How is it, Hilde? Can you detect radiation inside the barrier?”
“No… It seems to be clear, so you should be okay to fight without worry. However, there is a high amount of radiation right above us. I think they might have dropped bombs here too. I will set up a barrier to keep you protected along with the tunnel entrance. Sadly it will not by pass the barrier protecting the core.” Hilde frowned. It seemed she wished she could do more, but she was already doing a lot for me. Not having to deal with the radiation above ground just to get here was already beyond what I was thinking.
“Just keep my retreat safe.” I smiled and patted Hilde on the head before looking up toward the compressed dirt ceiling. Hilde waved her hand, creating a small hole for me and also setting up a barrier to keep the radiation out. I took a deep breath and jumped up through the hole.
There was no doubt in my mind that a nuke also hit this place. The way the area was blasted away was proof of that. The government bombed millions to get rid of the monsters. Then they dropped nukes to try to destroy any chance of anyone rising up against them. But I do wonder if they realized these buildings are not even connected to anything but a quest…
While they did destroy the top half, the bottom half that was with in the barrier was safe. And so was the core and the dragon sitting in front of it.
I took a deep breath and stepped through the barrier where the core was. As soon as I did, a message popped up in front of me.
[Penalty Instated: 300 days added to the End of Trial. Core Guardian level +5. Trial Timer Reset.]
[Hidden Mythic Quest: ‘Worldly Connections’]
[Conditions Updated…]
[You have discovered a connection between the two worlds. To enter the gates, you must overcome the first trial.]
[Trial Now Started! 426:00:00:00]
[First Trial: Survival (Earth)]
[Earth is under attack by a monster wave. Secure your area and find the core, which is spawning monsters. The trial will end in 426 days if you destroy the core.]
[You have found the core. Core defense mode has been activated. Core Guardian will now be summoned.]
[Failure to destroy the core will result in a penalty.]
It seemed the penalty could only be given once I re-entered the core area. Now, three hundred more days have been added to this mess. It's not like it matters. In fact, this might be good. It will make more monsters spawn and spread around the world. I kind of want to try it again, but I am worried that if I do it again, I might get nerfed or die.
Luckily, I had my new skill, which would give me an extra life. Although I hope I will not need to use it, the cool-down was a bit too much at this time. I would rather save it for when I really needed it.
I sighed as I looked at the dragon. It had yet to notice me and was sleeping in front of the core. But that didn’t mean much of anything at this time. I had to come up with a proper plan. However, I hope it forgets that I attacked its sore spot last time.
“This thing now has five more levels than before. Which makes us the same level… I really wish I knew what the ??? skill was.” I scratched my head as I stared at my skills, which all of them were only good for diversions. “Wait… Wouldn’t the boss from the dungeon I just did be of use, plus all the zombies?”
I frowned. I had no idea if the zombies would turn the dragon into a zombie if it was a shadow mimic. I was kind of at a loss! “What do you girls think? I know you are listening to my thoughts.”
“Master, I don’t think it will turn it into a zombie, but the dragon would have a harder time killing the zombies.”
“Why’s that Hilde?” I was a little confused as to what she meant.
“For one, because I killed almost ninety percent of the zombies, you will have access to all of them. And secondly, those zombies are zombies. So unless the dragon actually crushes their heads or destroys them completely in a single attack, they will continue to attack even if they have to crawl across the ground.”
“Oh! That’s kind of overpowered…” I had to admit, it was very overpowered. Like say, I used them against an army of players. The players would be overwhelmed.
“Hilde actually said something smart for once…” Silvie seemed more surprised by Hilde’s knowledge than anything else.
“That’s rude you know!” For some reason, I could see Hilde pouting right now.
“Okay, no fighting. I will do as you suggested, and try to overpower the dragon with too many enemies. While it’s fighting the shadow mimics, I will work on figuring out a way to kill it.”
I took a deep breath and looked at the dragon once more before waving my hand. “[Shadow Mimic].” Why I waved my hand, I don’t know... It’s not like it did anything. Now, I kind of feel embarrassed. I mean, what if someone saw me doing strange poses and gestures? I know the pink-haired thing would never let me off.
Thousands of black humanoid figures spawned around me. There were so many it was as if I was swimming in a sea of oil. They stood there shambling ever so slightly while awaiting my commands. I also decided to cast [Nature’s Embrace] again, along with them. With all of this combined, I hoped I would have a better chance at killing this dragon.
Chapter 8
I took another deep breath and slowly let it out, my eyes now focusing on the dragon ahead of me. “Wasting any more time will do me no good… Attack the dragon’s underbelly. If you can crawl on top of its head, aim for its eyes. All plants should aim to halt its movements.”
At my command, all my minions rushed forward. I was really starting to think I was some kind of summoner at this point. But I had many skills in my bag of tricks, so hopefully, I can make use of all of them.
I quickly rushed forward with my minions. I could not let them do all the work after all. The zombies were the key to this victory since the dragon would have a hard time dealing with an enemy that could continue to attack even if you cut it from the waist down. Maybe even attack with just a head if it was unlucky enough to have the head fall on it.
As I approached, I noticed the dragon lying there sleeping. It irked me to think that it was pretty much ignoring my presence, but at the same time, it was good for me since my floral friends had quickly gotten into position.
They began shooting hundreds of thorn-covered vines at the dragon, trying to entangle it. I knew it would not hold it down, but it was a good distraction, allowing some of the quicker zombies to make their way over. “Zombies, don’t cluster together and spread out! Use your undead bodies to your advantage!”
The one good thing about [Shadow Mimic] was that my mimics would listen to my commands. This made a stupid zombie who could only move toward sound, move to the target I wanted, and even give them precise orders.
It didn’t take long for my zombie horde to surround the dragon. Only now did it raise its head. It blinked its sleepy eyes a few times before its gaze fell on me. I couldn’t help but give it a small wave, which seemed to be the wrong move. Maybe it remembered me because it suddenly stood up, breaking the vines that were holding it down, and let out a booming roar.
“ROOOOAAARRR!!!!!” And… Sure enough, it started right for me but this time, things were a bit different. While the vines on its body had been broken, the legs were still locked into place, and the zombies were now attacking its underbelly and biting it.
The thing about zombies was their instinct to attack the soft flesh. I swear I see a few right under its tail aiming for a certain spot.
“ROAR!!!!!!” And as I thought, it just got bitten in the ass.
I took this chance to use my zombie horde as stepping stones and made my way towards it as it turned to attack the zombies. Many of my floral friends were tossed into the air but what I found surprising was they were being caught by the zombies who were unable to attack yet, saving them from dying from hitting the ground.
It makes me wonder if their ability to do this is due to their human nature. Maybe they have more brains than I gave them credit for.
One zombie stood out the most: Subject 0, the boss zombie. It marched through the wave of zombies as if it had seen a thousand-dollar steak. That thought does make me wonder, though… “Hilde, does the dragon taste good?”
“Beyond your imagination. Master, do you plan to bring home dragon meat? I know a few recipes.”
“I will bring the whole damn thing if I can!” I licked my lips. Sorry Subject 0 but sadly this is my steak! I continued moving forward until I was near the dragon just as it finished turning around to attack the three zombies that had given its tush a nibble and landed on the tail just as it swayed by.
I ran up the back along its spikes, past its wings, and up on top of its head. I got there with no resistance at all. I raised my sword as the dragon was opening its mouth to chomp down on my mimics and stabbed down into its open eye.
By the time it realized I was even there, it was too late. “RARRGGG!!!” it cried out in pain as it flung its head back, tossing me with sword in hand back through the air.
It was only now that I realized that I didn’t plan this out fully since I didn’t have any plan for how I would land. I braced myself to hit the ground hard, only to find myself engulfed in darkness for a few seconds before light once again returned.
I looked up to see my Subject 0 mimic standing there, looking down at me. It strangely gave me a nod before turning back toward the dragon and began sprinting. Its hands turned into long claws as it slid up under the dragon's belly and stabbed them in.
“Umm… Hilde, Silvie, Mati… do shadow mimics have sentience?” I really needed to know because this was just too weird. It was acting way too normal!
“I don’t know…” Hilde answered, but it seemed like she was holding back something. The other two girls stayed silent. But looking at the way this mimic was fighting, it was almost as if it was actually alive and not like the other mimics who would just charge in and listen to orders. It was actually fighting with a plan in mind.
I really don’t know what to make of this. But I do know one thing. Sitting around is not helping me win this fight anytime soon. So I need to go in and help.
I rushed forward once more. The dragon was currently blind in one eye, and its health was now at seventy-five percent. With the dragon being half blind, things were much easier. As Subject 0 fought with the dragon, I could move around in its blind spot and try to aim for the other eye.
Using my own mimics as steps, I climbed my way back onto the dragon's back and made my way to its head. I was aiming for its other eye. Subject 0 seemed to notice my plan because it kept striking at the dragon's head.
To be honest, this mimic was really good at fighting. It seemed to understand the makeup of its new body and was using the fact that it was a shadow to extend its arms and attack with massive claws.
The dragon began to grow angrier by the second, and Subject 0 was learning more and more about its new body. I don’t know if this is a good thing or not, but it was currently my shadow mimic, so it should be okay.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I hurried to the top of the dragon's head. As soon as I arrived, Subject 0 pulled its punches and jumped back as if retreating. The angered dragon looked to be blinded by rage and charged after Subject 0. I, of course, would not let this action go unpunished and raised my sword and stabbed the dragon in its only good eye.
“ROAR!!!!” The dragon let out a pained roar as it began thrashing around.
“Shit!” I couldn’t help but curse as I held on for dear life. I could feel the sword sliding from its eye, but there was nothing I could do. I didn’t want to lose my weapon, and if I let go, I would be sent flying like a dirty rag in the wind, and that was the last thing I wanted.
I looked at the dragon's health and raised an eyebrow. Stabbing the eyes caused a good deal of damage. It was now almost at fifty percent. As I held on, my body was taking a beating. I would sometimes slam into the dragon's head, which was covered in hard scales. It felt like I was smashing into metal plates.
I continued like this for almost five minutes until finally, I felt the sword give way, and my body began to float in the air. Well more like shoot out across the sea of mimics. I braced myself once more to smash into the ground, only to feel my body being caught and being gently placed onto the ground feet first.
“You saved me again.” I looked at Subject 0 and smiled. “If you are willing. Let’s finish this together shall we?”
I waited to see if Subject 0 would nod its head, and surprisingly, it did. I couldn’t help but smile at this as I began explaining my plan. “I want you to attack its underbelly. Dig in as deep as you can. I will go to its weakest point and send a spell right up its ass. If we are lucky with our combined attack, we should be able to kill it once and for all.”
Subject 0 gave me a nod once more before running off to do as I asked. To have such a powerful ally as a shadow mimic at a time like this felt like I was cheating, but when I think about it. This was the real world, and the system itself had long cheated as soon as it made me face a dragon solo. I took a deep breath and followed Subject 0. It was time to end this.
“Master I will prepare some three hundred degree water. This way you can sanitize the arm that you are going to sacrifice.” Hilde’s mental jab entered my mind, making me wrinkle my nose. Did she really need to remind me that I was about to fist a dragon? I mean, really!? Why would she remind me at a time like this?
“Hilde…”
“Yes, Master…”
“Shut up…”
“I will try Master…” I gave up and continued running, deciding it was best to ignore the silly maid.
When I reached my destination, I had to watch out for the tail from slamming down on top of me as I worked my way into its sweet spot.
I took a deep breath and did my best not to think about what I was about to do. I drank a mana potion and brought my fist back. My fist began to glow with a yellow light as sparks and crackling began to fill the air. Slowly but surely, as the light around my fist grew brighter, arches of lightning began to form here and there. I was pumping as much mana as I could into this one single attack.
I didn’t stop until my Mana was almost depleted when I finally decided it was time. With a strong thrust, my fist pushed between the cheeks and into the waiting hole. “[Lightning Burst]!”
[Learned Skill: Lightning Burst]
[A blast of arching lightning that shoots out in a cone in the direction the caster is casting. The arching lightning will spread out in all directions within that cone.]
[Deals: 400-600 damage per second. Can critically hit. Last 1 second per 10 mana used.]
I quickly pulled my hand out of the dragon's ass and retreated as far back as I could. I really, really wanted to take a shower, but right now, I could only sit and watch as the dragon's health dropped quickly.
[Core Guardian Defeated!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
I didn’t even look at my stats as I walked over to the core that hovered in the air in front of me. It no longer had a barrier around it, which was good. This stupid thing had given me so much trouble all this time, and now I could finally destroy it. I raised my sword and slammed it down. A cracking sound was heard as my sword shattered the core as if it were glass.
[Quest Updated]
[Hidden Mythic Quest: ‘Worldly Connections’]
[Conditions Updated…]
[You have defeated the Core Guardian and the Core. Your Trial will end once the timer is up.]
[Trial Now Started! 426:00:00:00]
[First Trial: Survival (Earth)]
[The trial will end in 426 days.]
