Chapter 51
The Bone Dragon roared with sheer might. Its aura and prestige overwhelmed Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s soldiers, who found themselves taking a step back. Faint hints of fear had now seeped into their faces, erasing their determined expressions.
In the sky, unsettling sounds of laughter began to creep out of Bannis the Bone Dragon’s mouth. “Keh, keh, keh, my dear humans, all the way out here to greet m—”
Before Bannis could finish, a grenade round exploded in his eyes.
Kw.a.n.g Hwi yelled after unloading all his grenade rounds on the new foe, “EVERYBODY GET YOUR F*CKING s.h.i.t TOGETHER!”
The Bone Dragon’s roar paled in comparison to his roar. His leadership aura broke the overpowering image in the soldiers’ minds. They jumped in shock, and their s.h.i.t and their wits were shoved back into their heads.
“You dare!”
Bannis was enraged when a mere mortal dared challenge his majesty. He spread his wings wide, as if he was going to cover the whole sky. The wings were made up of hundreds and thousands of bones tightly weaved together; they were a terrifying sight to behold.
A powerful wind buffeted around the surrounding. It was strong enough to push the heavily armed troops of the Kw.a.n.g Hwi Faction.
“Dragonflies, intercept the dragon.”
– Roger!
Unfortunately, the Stinger missiles were already used up on the Giant Bett. The Dragonflies had to face the dragon with a limited amount of autocannon ammunition. Bannis let off a crooked smile as he scanned his surroundings.
“Flying machines… quite amusing you are, humans of this world.”
As the Bone Dragon’s ma.s.sive body lurched forward, the choppers gathering to fire autocannons quickly turned to dodge the dragon’s body slam. Fortunately, his speed wasn’t as superior due to his huge size.
The Dragonflies continued to dodge Bannis by a hair’s breadth. When the Bone Dragon noticed this, he became irritated, lashing out in anger.
“You’re nothing but mere mortals!”
The Bone Dragon’s mouth opened once more. Inside was nothing but darkness, but all of a sudden, a faint silhouette began to emerge.
Amid sharp whistles, bone arrows zoomed past the Dragonflies. Although the arrows merely grazed the choppers, the impact was strong enough to rip away their armor. These arrows were on a completely different level from the bone arrows shot by the Skeletons.
The pilots were struck with a sudden wave of fear.
– Flare!
The decoys covered the Bone Dragon’s sight, halting its pursuit. These were no ordinary decoys, though. They were flares with enough heat to deceive heat-seeking missiles. Even a Bone Dragon couldn’t help but pause slightly in caution.
The choppers took this opportunity to distance themselves from the dragon. The Chinook, which was already positioned far away, started raging fire at the dragon, getting its attention.
However, the 4000 rounds per minute lost all weight against the mighty Bannis. The bullets bounced off of his bones and fell into the pond. They were like needle p.r.i.c.ks to the dragon.
Having caught sight of the Chinook, Bannis opened his mouth and fired his bone arrows as if he was swatting away a fly. The heavy-lifter did its best to avoid the incoming attack, but a slightly delayed reaction resulted in catastrophe.
An arrow penetrated the front main rotor, causing it to explode.
A Chinook was a transport helicopter lifted into the air by two sets of rotors. If one of the rotors lost its functionality, then the aircraft would fail to stay in the air. The pilot tried to restart the rotor, but this caused another smaller explosion, entirely separating the rotor from the body.
– Mayday! Mayday! We’re going down!
The Chinook pilot desperately pulled the control stick to reduce the upcoming impact. His effort and desperation were enough to move even the heavens, as there was a miracle. The helicopter avoided the troops and landed on the west pavilion of the museum.
A deafening sound rang across the battlefield, followed by a wave of dust rising from the ground. The Dragonflies turned around and started firing back at the bone Dragon.
Against Bannis, the autocannon rounds proved superior to their 7.62mm counterparts. His expression darkened since the impact definitely felt stronger. A much angrier Bone Dragon was now rushing towards the choppers. However, the choppers retreated after exhausting their ammunition.
Grinding his teeth, Kw.a.n.g Hwi yanked the receiver.
“Jackson.”
– Yes, boss!
“We need close air support.”
– ETA 2 minutes.
Two minutes. Kw.a.n.g Hwi instantly issued new orders.
“Dragonflies! I don’t care what you do, but stall that beast for two minutes. TWO MINUTES! The rest of you, get the f.u.c.k out of here! All remaining ground forces, retreat NOW!”
As he was hurling out orders, the Light Tactical Vehicle pulled up in front of Kw.a.n.g Hwi. He then began to shove his soldiers into the vehicle. “Squeeze in as much as you can!”
Following their leaders, the Kw.a.n.g Hwi Faction soldiers hastily fled the battlefield. Kw.a.n.g Hwi also jumped onto the vehicle, hanging on its side, and took out a small stick from his pocket.
The laser automatically detected and transmitted the Bone Dragon’s coordinates.
– Target Confirmed!
Accompanied by an ear-piercing noise, the cross-shaped aircraft pierced through the skies. An angry lion, Kw.a.n.g Hwi Faction’s symbol, was drawn into the c.o.c.kpit. Even the Bone Dragon was startled by the sharp whistle and turned around.
The Dragonflies were quick to flee the scene. It was risky enough for multiple helicopters to engage in battle together, and if a jet was to join the fray, the airs.p.a.ce would turn into a disorderly mess.
[A-10C Thunderbolt II]
[An attack jet aircraft of the US Air Force, the A-10C was the first one of its kind to be designed for close air support. It is not only compatible with a mult.i.tude of armaments, but it also possesses superior maneuverability at low alt.i.tudes. The high durability and ability to carry out long-duration flights make the A-10C an exceptional model that satisfies various needs for carrying out missions. The aircraft can be equipped with a 30mm GAU-8 gatling autocannon and up to 11 explosive missiles at a time.]
[Cost: 1,260,000 MP]
– h.e.l.looo! You motherf.u.c.ker!
It was an A-10C Thunderbolt, aka the ‘Warthog,’ making an appearance. The GAU-8 gatling gun equipped at the front of the jet started to spit fire. The recoil shook the jet’s interior, almost powerful enough to slow down the aircraft to a grinding halt.
The recoil reflected the gun’s firepower, though. Bannis’ bones, which were able to withstand 25mm autocannons without a scratch, began to fracture.
“Kwwwaahhh!”
After completing its strafe, the A-10 casually flew past above the Bone Dragon’s head. Which, of course, given Jackson’s exciting personality, was no casual stroll by any means.
Under each wing, a land attack missile was conveniently placed. When the thunderbolt was going past the dragon, both missiles were released from their shackles. Their timing couldn’t have been better.
Even the Bone Dragon wasn’t able to withstand a direct hit from the missiles, and his bones began to break. Realizing the danger he was in, Bannis quickly opened his mouth, muttering inaudible words.
Several surviving Skeletons near the pond shattered into smaller bits and flew towards him. Although it was minor at best, some cracks and wounds were healed.
“Dammit!”
His minions were all disposed of, which meant that he wouldn’t be able to restore his wounds any further. Bannis glared at the A-10 making a semicircle in the distance. He wasn’t able to respond aptly since such weaponry didn’t exist in his world. On top of that, he wasn’t able to cast magic since he wasn’t a real dragon.
He only had one ranged attack in his a.r.s.enal. The Bone Dragon’s jaws opened once again. Within the depths of his mouth, bone arrows started materializing. This time, there were several dozens of them.
Bone arrows rushed out of his mouth in a wide spread. A shotgun of bones. But it was nothing more than mere child’s play for the A-10. The warthog shifted sideways and dodged the arrows with ease.
At the same time, Stinger missiles were launched at the Bone Dragon. Bannis instinctively sensed the threat and spat out another round of bone arrows. His goal was to use the arrows to counter the strange projectile. It wouldn’t have been a bad response…
If the Stinger missiles weren’t exponentially faster than the bone arrows.
It was apt to say that the missiles were swift like lightning. Flying at twice the speed of sound, the Stingers rushed past the bone arrows and landed squarely at the dragon.
One missile even landed inside the Bone Dragon’s mouth and exploded, scattering large shrapnel of bones in the air.
“Kwwaargh! You d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!” Bannis swung his claws at the air.
However, his struggles were futile when confronted with the A-10. The jet used this as a chance to close in and rain down 30mm rounds. Vicious ballistic roars echoed throughout the atmosphere.
Glowing red streaks of light stabbed the struggling Bannis. His st.u.r.dy bone plates gave way eventually. It was too much firepower for them to handle. The thing was, these bones were components of the wing. And once Bannis lost his thrust power, he sank to the earth.
The ground caved in, and a large pit formed where he landed. The impact was so big that a shockwave swept the surroundings, raising dust into the air. Despite being entirely made up of bones, his weight was still overwhelming.
– Dropping all remaining explosives!
The A-10 grazed past the skeletal claws and dropped its remaining bombs. The drop might seem careless, but these explosives were equipped with precise guidance capabilities. Every single one of them hit the Bone Dragon.
Flashing lights and shockwaves swallowed the Bone Dragon whole. The carpeted strike rose clouds of dust, making it impossible to see. Jackson stayed vigilant and continued to fire the GAU-8 into the dust.
Soon, a blood-curdling shriek faintly resounded. A new notification popped up in front of Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s eyes.
[You have defeated ‘Bannis the Bone Dragon.’]
[You have obtained 1,000,000 MP.]
[You have defeated a member of the ‘10 Kings.’]
[The Undead will trouble you no more. You have been rewarded another 1,000,000 MP.]
The haze slowly cleared away and presented a graveyard of bones—bones that belonged to Bone Dragon Bannis—where the National Museum once stood. It was quite the sight.
Enjoying the new scenery, Kw.a.n.g Hwi thought of an idea. ‘Maybe we should build a museum here.’
It was the founding step for the that would be built in the future.
Kw.a.n.g Hwi strolled towards the Mirror Pond as he thought of future plans. However, this battle wasn’t over yet. The inter-dimensional portal was still open, and Armata was yet to be apprehended.
The A-10 streaked across above Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s head.
– Boss, Armata stepped out of the gazebo.
“Dragonflies, surround Armata. Smoke his a.s.s if he tries anything weird.”
– Roger, commander!
Unlike Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s concern, Armata seemed to be having a hard time moving. As a result, the choppers encircled him without any trouble. Armata, as if showing his will to surrender, nonchalantly sat still on the ground. Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s soldiers quickly raised their guns.
When Armata saw Kw.a.n.g Hwi, he raised both hands into the air. “Beaten. By a mere human.”
Kw.a.n.g Hwi wasn’t sure how, but he fully understood Armata’s words. The man wasn’t speaking Korean. The language that came out of Armata’s mouth was definitely alien and unheard of. But for some reason, the gibberish became clear in Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s head.
To confirm his suspicion, Kw.a.n.g Hwi spoke in his own language to the monster, “In our world, humans are considered the most supreme of all creations.”
“Hah! Supreme of all creation, you say?” Despite being spoken to in Korean, Armata understood every single word and responded in his own language, “To think that I’d run into more humans after running away from them. My luck seems to have run out.”
“What do you mean?”
Armata kept his mouth shut, not bothering to entertain Kw.a.n.g Hwi.
Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s gaze shifted from Armata to the pond. The portal was still active there. Fortunately for the Kw.a.n.g Hwi Faction, nothing was traveling through the portal. Unfortunately for Armata, however, the portal had to be closed.
Kw.a.n.g Hwi pointed at the pond. “Shut it.”
“Kuhk, you dare command me?”
“Need a bit of motivation?”
“Do what you want. You’re mistaken if you think my death will cause the portal to close.”
For a brief second, Kw.a.n.g Hwi almost believed him. However, it was almost only, as texts popped out in front of his eyes.
[Emergency Mission!]
[Slay Armata to destroy the inter-dimensional portal.]
[Reward: 2,000,000 MP]
[Failure: Complete annihilation of Kw.a.n.g Hwi Faction and accelerated levels of chaos across the Republic of Korea]
An emergency mission was given to Kw.a.n.g Hwi. ‘Why is this coming up now…?’
‘Oh.’
Kw.a.n.g Hwi firmly shut his mouth. The answer was obvious.
“Motivation it is.”
Kw.a.n.g Hwi swung around, his back facing Armata. Both Armata and Kw.a.n.g Hwi’s executives were fl.u.s.tered by his response.
“Dragonflies, turn him into powder.”
– Roger that!
The choppers immediately spewed fire as if they were waiting for the command their whole life. The soldiers weren’t the ones to be left behind. Their fingers squeezed the triggers of their rifles, and RPG rockets flew across the air, accompanied by the glorious music of war.
“s.h.i.t.” Armata smiled helplessly. He had used all his strength powering up the portal, so all he could do now was watch as his demise came closer.
Armata’s body was ripped apart into pieces. Black blood showered the earth, and chunks of flesh flew into the sky.
[You have defeated ‘Armata the Golem Master.’]
[You have obtained 1,000,000 MP.]
[You have defeated a member of the ‘10 Kings.’]
[Your deeds are still unknown to the remaining members of the ‘10 Kings,’ but they will eventually be aware. You have been rewarded another 1,000,000 MP.]
[You are the first person in the world to defeat 1100 ‘Mud Golems’.]
[You have obtained…]
[You are the first person in the world to defeat 1200 ‘Mud Golems’.]
[You have obtained…]
[You are the first person in the world to defeat 1300 ‘Mud Golems’.]
[You have obtained…]
The black flame dissipated.
The pond found its pure color.
The blue skies returned to shine down once more.
The inter-dimensional portal was no more.
[Emergency Mission Complete!]
[You have slain Armata and destroyed the inter-dimensional portal.]
[You have been rewarded 2,000,000 MP.]
— Ω —