Chapter 249

On this day, Ai woke up well, met up with Leah, had breakfast, and spent about 30 minutes quietly drinking tea.

And now, Tatsuro and the others were standing fully equipped in front of a giant door.

"Well then, let's depart. Jeanne, can I count on you to take the vanguard?"

"Neeeigh!"

Already in [True Form] and ready for full-power combat, Jeanne stood at the very front and slowly pushed open the door with both hands.

Following behind Jeanne as she entered, Tatsuro and the others went in, with Athena up in the rear.

The place they emerged into had a vast beach, an endless evening sky painted red, and a red sea.

Besides that, there wasn't a single seashell on the beach, not a single cloud in the sky, and not a single piece of debris in the sea.

While it was a beautiful scene, everyone cautiously looked around this place that somehow felt artificial and manufactured.

Then, directly in front of them, above the sunset-stained sea.

A massive black vortex, probably fifty meters across, appeared.

"Finally making its appearance. Is everyone ready?"

Tatsuro asked while holding his rifle staff horizontally and preparing magic.

"All set!"

"Peewee!"

"Neeeigh!"

Ai readied her Rocket Dragon punch. Cardina prepared her True Dragon Wing Blade Magic Bullet. Jeanne held her Dragon Holy Sword, each ready to strike at any moment.

"Everything's perfect!"

"Ready anytime!"

"Ready to go~"

Nana channeled Dragon Poison Curse Ice Claw Attack into her claws. Leah put on her far-seeing glasses, ready to activate [All-Seeing Eye] at any moment. Athena raised her great scythe, preparing a lightning-wind and dragon power slash using Brilliant Lightning.

As they waited in this perfect state of readiness, the monster began taking shape.

Eventually, it spread its large wings and stood in the water.

It was a dragon, just as they had heard. Its form was closer to that of an Eastern dragon.

With a long, quite thick snake-like body covered in incredibly tough-looking blue scales, it had a total length of about seventy meters.

It had eight horizontally long, hard-textured wings arranged at equal intervals on its back, and as it moved them independently, the resulting wind created waves on the sea's surface.

Then its legs.

While not quite like a centipede, it had a similar arrangement with twenty thick, scale-covered legs growing from its long body, ten on each side.

Each foot had three sharp red claws, and steam rose where they touched the sea, suggesting they were generating heat.

As for its face, if it had to be compared to something, it would be closest to a triceratops.

It had armor-like skull plates extending back as if to protect its neck, and two sharp, straight horns protruding from its forehead.

However, its mouth contained multiple knife-like fangs impossible for a herbivore, clearly visible.

"Kyuiiiirorororouu—"

Contrary to its huge and dangerous appearance, its cry was a beautiful, bird-like high-pitched sound.

However, the pressure it emitted was so intense it could be felt even from two hundred meters away.

It truly announced itself as a being ranked among the upper echelons of dragons.

But without being intimidated by this, Tatsuro and everyone else began moving simultaneously with calm precision.

From the tip of his rifle staff, Tatsuro fired an ultra-compressed, extremely thin, high-output laser, made possible by the staff's calculations, aimed at the frontmost leg on the left side.

Ai and the others also released their stored attacks all at once, deciding to take the initiative before the monster could.

In less than a second, Tatsuro's thread-like laser hit the left leg.

And while maintaining the laser beam, he swung his rifle staff downward, trying to slice it off like a cutter.

"—It's tough!"

The defense was so solid that Tatsuro couldn't help but say it aloud; far from cutting it off, it only managed to scratch the scales, and from the reaction, it hadn't even reached the flesh underneath.

And those damaged scales fell off drop by drop, being replaced by new ones.

By that time, Ai and the others' attacks were arriving as well.

"Kyuurururororoooruruu—"

"—!?"

However, before they could hit, it blew off all its scales while creating a whirlwind around itself, deploying them like a shield for defense.

As a result, by the time the attacks reached the body, they had all been severely weakened.

So they could only manage to slightly scratch the surface of the scales.

"That was a skill called [Dragon Scale Whirlwind.] It forcefully blows off scales while creating a tornado and for about thirty seconds... It deploys hundreds of hard scales around itself for simultaneous defense and attack. And with the [Heavy Scale Armor] skill, it generates layers of scales about one meter thick beyond its actual body, wearing multiple layers. Furthermore, with the dual effects of [Super Self-Regeneration] and [Super Scale Generation], the blown-off or damaged scales regenerate instantly. Because of these two skills, [Dragon Scale Whirlwind] can be used continuously as soon as its effect wears off."

While everyone shared the information Leah rapidly conveyed, Tatsuro organized it in his head.

"For now, its defense is perfect, huh?"

"Too perfect! Without [Level Eater], how would anyone beat this thing?"

"You can't easily generate enough power to penetrate that defense network and damage the body."

While a single scale's defense wouldn't be too much of a problem, attacks are blocked by the numerous scales dancing in the air due to [Dragon Scale Whirlwind].

And even if you get past that, the main body is layered with multiple [Heavy Scale Armor], preventing damage from getting through.

Everyone thought they'd like to see an attack that could penetrate such defensive networks.

However, while these defensive skills seemed perfect, Leah had found weaknesses precisely because they were too perfect.

"No. It seems those scales are weak against life magic. Because its own recovery power is too strong, if it's healed additionally from the outside, it becomes overhealed and causes abnormalities. When that happens, that part will peel off for a while. Well, it would require quite powerful life magic, but..."

"Also, how would we even get close enough to use life magic there? That's not even worth discussing."

"We can only say we'll have to push through with determination... Ahaha..."

"As expected of a Level 10 dungeon. Preparing such a demon-level difficulty—"

"Kiiiiiiiiiiyuu—"

Just as Tatsuro was about to say they had prepared a demon-level difficulty, everyone sensed massive energy converging at the dragon's mouth, noticeable even without using detection magic.

"[Dragon Power Super Convergence Cannon] is coming! Its power is tremendous, but it fires in a straight line and can't adjust its trajectory after firing! So I'll signal the timing, please evacuate from its line of fire at that moment!!"

"Got it!"

"4, 3, 2, 1—Now!"

Everyone jumped into the air, with Tatsuro held by Ai, Leah by Nana, and Athena by Cardina.

At that moment, thanks to jumping with perfect timing, everyone avoided being caught in even the aftereffects and emerged unscathed.

However, the strike released below them, which could be called a dragon power laser cannon, held unbelievable destructive power.

The beach area where Tatsuro and the others had been was merely grazed, yet the sand grains were annihilated without leaving even dust behind.

"Looks like blocking that is impossible."

"If we're going to do this—"

"Kiiiiiiiiiiyuu—"

"Second shot coming! ............4, 3, 2, 1—Now!"

"How much dragon power does it have stored to fire such powerful shots consecutively?!"

Ai shouted while holding Tatsuro and kicking off the air to dive straight down.

The others also descended without problem, dodging the absurdly powerful attack.

"The dragon power issue is solved by a skill called [Dragon Power Conversion – Water]. It can take in water touching its body and convert it to dragon power. And below that dragon is the dungeon's sea water, which springs forth infinitely. As things stand now, its dragon power is effectively infinite."

"Huh!? That's cheating! What other skills does it have...?"

Hoping there weren't anymore when Nana asked Leah whom she was holding, she was predictably denied with a shake of the head.

"[Flame Heat Claw] that constantly maintains high heat in its claws. [Flame Heat Dragon Claw Attack] that releases slashing attacks with those flame-heated claws. [Dragon Bone Spikes] that produces bone spikes from all over its body. [Dragon Water Walk] for moving on or in water. Then the familiar [Bite], [Scratch], and [Dragon Flight]. That should be all of them."

"...Can you tell which skills don't have levels among the ones mentioned so far?"

"Yes. Only three: [Super Self-Regeneration], [Super Scale Generation], and [Dragon Power Conversion – Water]."

"Then if we can just use [Level Eater], we should be able to defeat it."

"But the path to that point seems long."

Listing all the dragon's skills that Leah had investigated this time:

[Super Self-Regeneration], [Super Scale Generation], [Dragon Power Conversion – Water], [Dragon Water Walk], [Dragon Flight].

[Bite], [Scratch], [Dragon Power Super Convergence Cannon], [Dragon Scale Whirlwind], [Heavy Scale Armor].

[Dragon Bone Spikes], [Flame Heat Claw], [Flame Heat Dragon Claw Attack].

They would have to deal with these 13 skills somehow and get close enough to use [Level Eater].

Tatsuro also had a troubled expression, agreeing that it indeed seemed difficult.

"But we won't win if we don't move. —Oh"

"[Flame Heat Dragon Claw Attack coming!"

Perhaps having learned that the convergence cannon wouldn't hit, this time the dragon raised its rear like a caterpillar, standing on its back eight legs.

Then, channeling dragon power into all the claws of its front twelve legs, it slammed its body back onto the water's surface while releasing fifty-four heat slashes.

However, since these were of a power level that Ai's spirit shield could defend against, everyone got behind Ai and had her parry all of them.

Looking at the beach where they were deflected, claw marks in sets of three were carved everywhere, and the parts melted by heat were still glowing red.

"If I took that bare-skinned, it'd be instant death."

"But at this level, I think Jeanne and I would survive."

"Neeeigh!"

"Well, still try not to get hit. It might sound strange to say this in front of something like that, but I don't want anyone getting injured."

"But if someone gets hurt, please come to me or Father right away."

"Counting on you."

Nana nodded happily at Ai's words.

"But now we've seen through all its moves. And we've confirmed the power of its dangerous-looking skills firsthand."

"Then all that's left is to attack!"

"Yeah. But just charging in without thinking would be inefficient—"

Ai parried another incoming [Flame Heat Dragon Claw Attack] to the surrounding area.

"So what should we do?"

"First, I think we should roughly divide into three teams. First, Cardina and Nana's harassment squad."

"Peewee?"

"Harassment?"

While making a calming gesture with his hand to the confused Cardina and others, he continued conveying the other assignments.

"Then Jeanne, Leah, and Athena are the mobile strike force. And Ai and I are the Eater strike team. First—"

"Convergence cannon coming............4, 3, 2, 1—Now!"

By now used to it, everyone escaped into the air without much panic.

During this, perhaps thinking they couldn't dodge in mid-air, it unleashed a [Flame Heat Dragon Claw Attack], but they handled this elegantly as well.

While keeping an eye on that, Tatsuro continued speaking.

"First. What I want to do most right now is disrupt the opponent's pace. That dragon isn't the type to just charge at enemies in front of it; it seems to be analyzing us and launching attacks, just like we are. If this continues, there's a high chance our attacks will be calmly dealt with."

"Like at the beginning, right?"

"Yeah. So I want Cardina and Nana to attack the opponent's scales with a mix of magic bullets and life magic. While that won't make the scales fall off, it might cause them discomfort. What do you think about that, Leah?"

"That's..., yes. While it won't be effective even if it hits properly, I think it will create an unpleasant sensation."

Activating [All-Seeing Eye] through her far-seeing glasses once more to check this aspect, it was confirmed that they could cause a different kind of discomfort from pain, which she reported as is.

"So Cardina and Nana, work together to shoot life magic bullets at its body from various directions to anger it."

"Peewee!"

"Understood!"

"Next—"

Tatsuro and the others landed on the beach after dodging another attack.

"Next, the three of you assigned to the mobile strike force—Jeanne and the others—please support both the harassment squad and our Eater strike team according to your own judgment."

"Neeeigh!"

"Yes!"

"Got it~!"

"That way, when the opponent shows an opening, Ai and I will approach and use [Level Eater]. If that seems impossible, I'll send something to the item box, and when that signal comes, everyone gathers at the beach. Well then, any questions?"

When Tatsuro looked at everyone, there didn't seem to be any questions.

"Then. Operation start!"

"Yeah!"

"Peewee!"

"Neeeigh!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Okay!"

And so each member spread out to fulfill their assigned roles.