HPDBC Chapter 123
Chapter 123
Chapter 123: Aranballon, the Dragon of Greed (4)
“What the—? What is this?!” Delilah, who had been observing the unfolding chaos, cried out, her composure shaken. It was unlike her usually calm demeanor. “A dragon? Seriously?” She turned toward the Arcane Swordsman. “Lucas, that’s a dragon, isn’t it? I’m not seeing things, right?”
“Lady Delilah,” Lucas replied, “I have no idea what goes on in the dungeons you create. Asking me won’t help.”
“This makes no sense! A non-ranker summoning a dragon is bizarre enough... But dragons don’t just appear because humans call for them. How did Joo Donghoon manage this...?” Delilah pressed her fingers to her temples with both hands. “Phew... No wonder he sounded so confident. Lucas, do you understand how utterly ridiculous this is?”
“...” Lucas’s expression plainly said, “No, I don’t understand. Stop asking.”
Delilah cleared her throat, regaining some composure. “A dragon is selfish and greedy by nature. It’s like a wild predator.”
“A predator, you say?”
“Yes.” Delilah nodded. “Think about wild animals. They have their territory and, BAM, kill any other predator that intrudes on it, even if it’s their own species. That’s why there can only ever be one dragon in a given world. And they’re absurdly prideful. They’re pure, uncontrollable forces of nature...” Her excitement showed as her cheeks flushed and she stumbled slightly over her words. “Could Joo Donghoon have understood these traits about dragons?”
“...”
“And if he did, how?” Delilah’s eyes deepened in thought.
Her unique ability allowed her to observe countless worlds, temporarily link them, and “dungeonize” them. She could set “missions” and allocate rewards based on their “difficulty” and “narrative cohesiveness.”
But this process was anything but simple. Each world had beings that resisted “dungeonization.” Dragons were among these beings. The reason Delilah had been able to create the setting for Theme 2 was solely due to her contract with Aranballon.
“Hm? I sense someone’s trespassed into my domain. Who are you? Where did you come from, and what brings you here?”
...
“Hm, another world, you say. Fine. So long as I can claim the greedy souls of the humans who enter this place...”
For Aranballon, it was a low-risk, high-reward deal. The only downside was to spare humans who showed no greed. But that wasn’t a significant loss. It didn’t feel the need to reject an offer to be brought some prey now and then.
As Delilah recalled this, her eyes opened.
He said he’d defeated a dragon before, she thought.
Joo Donghoon had made that claim—and asserted that he could do it again.
If that’s the case...
Delilah brushed back her hair.
It might actually be possible.
Even with the emergence of another dragon, the dungeon’s difficulty remained unchanged. Killing Aranballon was already the most challenging mission she had ever set across all her trials. If it could be done, the rewards would be extraordinary.
In the end...
The method didn’t matter. All that mattered was resolving the situation.
Fascinating.
Delilah’s expression softened into a dreamy smile. “To witness two dragons in the same world... What a rare spectacle.”
There was a mix of astonishment and anticipation in her demeanor.
“...” Lucas gave her a puzzled look.
Though this was only his third time working as a judge, and he had never seen Delilah this excited before.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator – Dawn
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* * *
“Ugh!”
I steadied myself, planting my feet firmly on the ground. I could feel the sheer pressure of the Giant Magic Dragon’s presence, threatening to send me flying.
“Wh-What is that?” Olena’s mouth hung open.
“This is your first time seeing one, right?”
To be fair, I had only seen its polymorphed form before, and facing its true form was the first time for me, too.
Before us stood the terrifying figure of the Dragon of Greed, Aranballon, and to its right, the shadowy Giant Magic Dragon began to take form, its body slowly assembling piece by piece from the black mist. The world seemed to split into two realms—one brown, one black. Standing before these two titans, we were mere specks of dust.
“This is insane.” Olena furrowed her brows. “We can’t run anymore. It wouldn’t make any difference.”
“I agree,” I said, nodding.
Instead of running, it was better to focus on defense.
Boney 4.
I lined up my shieldbearers at the front.
Everyone else, I instructed, emphasizing defense over offense, not that offense mattered anyway. The shockwaves from the two dragons’ auras alone were overwhelming.
“Good lord...” Beside me, Vladimir groaned. “This is the most awe-inspiring sight I’ve ever seen. If the world were to end, it’d probably feel like this.”
He wasn’t wrong. The sheer clash of their presences was enough to bend space itself.
—Sizzle!
The black mist from the Orb of Prohibition gathered, gradually forming a shape—a head, a torso, legs, eyes, claws—all coalescing into one being.
The dragon’s maw filled with fire, ready to unleash destruction.
“What do you think you are doing, intruder?”
The sharp gaze of Aranballon glinted coldly.
—BOOM!
At the same time, an immense burst of energy slammed into the Giant Magic Dragon’s body.
“...What?”
Caught off guard, the Giant Magic Dragon frowned. It was an attack that came in an instant.
“How dare an intruder touch my belongings without permission?”
“What’s this? Are you picking a fight with me?”
The Giant Magic Dragon growled. Aranballon replied.
“They were greedy. They didn’t even realize I was letting them leave alive. But they overstepped and challenged me. That makes them my challenger, one I must personally deal with.”
Aranballon chuckled as it replied.
—Rumble.
The oppressive aura of the two beings shook the very space around them.
“I am the Dragon of Greed. No one takes what is mine. So I suggest you withdraw that energy of yours and leave this world immediately.”
“Ha, how laughable.”
A laugh escaped from the Giant Magic Dragon’s mouth.
“If we’re going to kill them anyway, just let me have this one, and there’s no reason to attack me.”
“Didn’t I just say? That one is mine to kill.”
“What kind of stubbornness is this?”
The Giant Magic Dragon smirked in disbelief. But Aranballon stood firm.
“Amusing, isn’t it? You call my will stubborn, yet isn’t yours the same?”
“Fine. So I take it this is a challenge then?”
“A challenge?”
“Yes, a challenge.”
“It’s not a challenge. It’s a warning.”
“A warning? Do you truly wish to die?”
“On second thought, perhaps a warning isn’t enough. Killing you outright might be better.”
“What?”
“Did you know? Even for a fellow dragon, your corpse would be invaluable. Haha, not a single part would go to waste.”
—Whoosh!
This time, Aranballon spread its wings wide. At the same time...
—Ssssst.
Countless soldiers armed with crossbows appeared all around. What we saw earlier was merely the tip of the iceberg.
“Your body will become my precious ‘treasure,’ and your teeth will be crafted into the weapons to defend my ‘treasure.’”
“You’re insane.”
The Giant Magic Dragon’s face twisted in disgust.
“A greedy dragon, indeed. Your madness has consumed even your brain.”
“Graaaah!”
Now, the Giant Magic Dragon swung its wings mightily.
“Fine then, let’s do this.”
With that, the roars of ancient drakes filled the space. An army of ancient drakes had arrived.
“Your foolish choice will be met with utter devastation! I’ll tear you to pieces, and then that wretched one over there will be my post-battle dessert!”
The monstrous creatures that followed the Giant Magic Dragon charged at Aranballon’s soldiers.
—Clang!
The soldiers unsheathed their swords without hesitation. And so, the chaos began.
“...”
I quietly slid the spell scroll I was about to tear back into my pocket.
“This...” Olena, eyes wide, stared at me. “This is good, right?”
“It seems so,” I replied, equally wide-eyed.
Dragons, as a species, were simpler than I thought.
Anyway, it looked like my hunch was right again. Let’s see who comes out on top, shall we?
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