The Divine Hunter

Chapter 487: Slaying a Dragon

[TL: Asuka]

[PR: Ash]

The sky was overcast, with nary a ray of sunshine piercing through the clouds. Cold winds howled across the plains, ravaging the lands. A few miles west of the keep stood a watchtower, and a great beast circled overhead.

Its back and head were grey, covered in thick, rough scales. Its belly and underwings were almost white, and the flaps of its wings roused a gale as it moved through the air. A pair of horns protruded from its forehead, curling backward. Its head was elongated and resembled the visage of a crocodile, only more menacing. It growled and hissed, revealing its haphazard, drool-covered incisors.

The dragon stopped and breathed a stream of orange fire at the ground. The fire—hot enough to melt metal—ignited the shrubs and trees around the ground. The flames grew as the wind blew, spreading across the ground. A stream of flames blew from a window on the watchtower, and black smoke billowed into the skies.

The dragon flapped its wings and took off higher into the air. At the same time, the keep’s army came to the watchtower.

“The fires are still burning. It must be nearby. Take cover!” Irileth unsheathed her sword and solemnly shouted, “Prepare for battle!”

The soldiers quickly took cover behind the rocks and boulders as they made their way toward the watchtower. The trio was among them as well, their armor glittering.

The witcher, once again, cast Heliotrop and Quen over himself. He then uncorked Thunderbolt and Petri’s Philter and downed both of them. Black veins crawled up his cheeks, turning him into something that looked almost inhuman.

Flynn turned to him and saw what was going on. “Are you poisoned?”

Roy shook his head and looked at the sky. “No. I’m feeling great. That was something to excite me for the battle.” That was his first time taking decoctions in this world, and his witcher senses kicked in, battle lust flaring in his eyes.

Even back in the witcher world, only Geralt had experience in slaying a dragon, and the dragon he slew was far weaker than the one Roy would be facing.

“Can I have some too?” Arvel crouched behind the stone staircase of the watchtower.

Irileth and a few soldiers went into the watchtower to search for survivors, while the Companions held their weapons up, staring at the skies cautiously. The keep’s soldiers quickly drew their arrows and surrounded the watchtower, their eyes filled with trepidation and anticipation.

“Yeah, sure. Not my fault if this takes you to Oblivion right away.” Roy grinned and held down on his crossbow’s trigger.

Arvel shuddered and quickly downed his fire resistance potion. “I’d rather die fighting a dragon. Sovngarde is a damn sight better than Oblivion.”

Farengar—who’d changed into light attire—cast Courage on the soldiers, light raining down upon them. Courage could increase focus and a bit of Strength and Constitution.

***

A roar came from the skies as the beast came hurtling down at the tower. It had apparently seen the new insects that appeared on the scene, and it could finally vent its fury at them. A great gale blew across the field, and shadows loomed over the watchtower.

“Take cover!” Farkas shouted as he hid himself under the staircase. Farkas and Vilkas couldn’t do anything to the dragon until it came closer.

The soldiers quickly retreated and fired off at the dragon. Arrows arced through the air, raining down on the enemy, but alas, they failed to inflict much damage. Some missed their mark, some were deflected by the dragon’s scales, and only a few managed to graze the dragon and remain lodged within it.

Roy concentrated his mana into his fingertips, and the Conjuration rune in his head glowed brightly. He then pointed at the ground beside him. A purplish-blue ball appeared out of thin air, and it melted away, revealing a beautiful yet deadly flame atronach within.

The atronach spun around and waved its hand. A beautiful fireball flew across the air and slammed into the dragon, charring part of its scales. The dragon screeched to a halt and glided parallel to the ground, breathing fire at the soldiers.

Its flames burned the ground, its light blinding the eyes of the fighters. Even though they weren’t even close to the flames, the heat it radiated still almost suffocated everyone. Three soldiers caught fire, and they rolled around, screaming and shouting in agony. And a few minutes later, they were nothing but charred corpses.

Roy pulled the trigger, and a silver bolt arced through the air, hitting the dragon squarely in its wings. The bolt exploded, and a patch of blood shot up high in the air. The impact from this attack forced the dragon to stop and hover in the air as a layer of beautiful gem dust covered its body.

Roy tossed his crossbow to the clone. The clone kept up the attack while Roy himself cast Observe on the dragon.

‘Mirmulnir

Age: ?

Status: Dragon

HP: ? (Mark of the Gemstone)

Mana: 230

Strength: ?

Dexterity: 18

Constitution: ?

Perception: 14

Will: 15

Charisma: 6

Roy downed a dose of Swallow and stopped his HP from falling further.

“Fus Ro Dah!” Mirmulnir roared Unrelenting Force, and the three soldiers attacking it were sent flying away. They fell with a sickening thud and stopped moving, but that didn’t stop anyone’s attacks.

The remaining warriors surrounded its head and left flank, giving their all with every swing and thrust. Arrows rained down on the dragon as well, assisting the warriors in the front line. Still, even with the Skyforge’s best items, it was hard to break through the dragon’s scales, much less inflict any damage.

Only Farkas, Vilkas, Arvel, Flynn, and Torvar managed to damage the dragon, and it was thanks to their extraordinary skill and strength.

Mirmulnir looked at the quartet before it, and it raised its neck before slamming it down. First, it went for Flynn. Noticing the dragon coming at him, Flynn held up his shield, but the dragon easily clamped down on it, and he held the Dragonborn high up in the air.

The Dragonborn shouted and thrust his sword ahead, puncturing the beast’s left eye. Arvel quickly thrust his dagger into the dragon’s neck, and Vilkas slammed his blade into its chest, while Farengar commanded his atronach to blast the dragon’s wings with some fireballs. Farkas held his blade high over his head, glaring at the dragon, and with all his might, he swung his blade down.

A gash opened itself on the dragon’s neck, and blood spilled forth, while sparks flew. In pain and anguish, the dragon flung Flynn away and flapped its wings, pushing the other warriors off it. At the same time, it raised its tail.

Roy shouted, “Look out for the tail!”

Too late. The dragon swiped its tail across the battlefield. Like a great hoe, it left a deep mark on the ground, and five soldiers were hit. They flew into the distance and fell with a thud, coughing up blood and innards. Their bodies were bent at unnatural angles, and they had not long to live.

The dragon breathed fire again, and the moment the flames touched anyone, they screamed, blisters breaking out on their bodies. Quickly, they downed healing potions and scrambled to take cover.

Now that the insects were gone, the dragon turned its eyes to Roy again.

“By Talos, why me?”

The dragon held itself up with its wings and hind legs, then it leapt a great distance ahead, but Roy fired off a bolt and blinked out of the attack. However, the soldiers behind him were not so lucky. Before they could do anything, the dragon had slammed them into the watchtower’s walls. The ground rumbled, and the soldiers exploded like tomatoes getting slammed to the ground, and the walls were painted with their blood and innards.

***

Roy’s breathing was labored, and he quickly made two Signs with both hands. A clone leapt out of the void and took the crossbow from Roy to keep up the attack. The atronach was still firing off fireballs, yet that wasn’t enough to kill the dragon.

When Roy was done, the injured dragon turned around again. It flew into the air and dive-bombed the witcher. The dragon’s landing created a crater on the ground, and dust flew high up into the air.

Irileth roared at her soldiers, telling them to shoot, while Flynn and the Companions rushed to Roy’s aid.

The dragon turned its attention to the witcher, who was recovering from the attack, and it opened its mouth. At the same time, the witcher took a deep breath as well, the power of Thu’um rising in his mouth, and the silhouette of a black dragon appeared behind him, breathing at the enemy.

The witcher met the dragon’s eyes, and sparks flew.

At the very same moment, at the very same time…

“Fus!”

“Fus!”

The earth itself rumbled as its bones resonated with the Shouts. The shockwave went hurtling by each other, and the witcher felt like a siege weapon just slammed into his chest. He flew high into the air, coughing up blood, and his armor caved. The moment he landed, the life in his eyes seemed to disappear, and pain filled his body. His bones and innards felt like they’d been crushed, and the only sound he could make were hisses. The pain was killing him.

Activate. A surge of warmth swam across his body, and his life—that was so close to zero—climbed back up to ninety percent. His innards and ribs were healed by the element of water, stopping the damage from worsening. The witcher’s eyes refocused, and he got up.

The dragon was suffering from the Shout as well. It didn’t get blown back, of course, but the dragon was lying on the ground, stunned and unable to move. Knew it. Shouts are effective.

The warriors who came quickly attacked the stunned beast, especially its head. They knew the dragon had shouted, but they didn’t realize that Roy had used a Shout as well.

Farkas and Arvel made it a point to attack the dragon’s eyes, and its eyeballs started to bleed. The pain woke the dragon from its stupor, and it chased the maggots away with a flap of its wings.

Roy blinked again, appearing beside the dragon’s throat, but this time, the beast did not notice him right away, and Roy’s eyes flashed crimson. Fear.

Crimson tentacles danced and wriggled, this time, their numbers far higher than the last time they appeared. It looked as if a red forest had appeared right where the dragon was standing, and the tentacles quickly turned the beast into a big, red ball of tentacles. Even the beast looked friendlier than this horrifying scene, and the fighters were stupefied.

The tentacles dragged up their deepest, darkest memories, and Roy leapt into the air. He swung his crimson blade down, the stars on the blade’s body losing their light. A red beam of energy appeared on the edge of the blade as Roy swung it down on the dragon’s neck.

The energy cut through its scales, skin, and even its flesh, but the bones stopped its progress. Still, the dragon’s neck was cut open, and blood spilled like a fountain, and the soil was drenched with hot liquid.

The dragon roared and howled, struggling to break free of its entrapment, and yet the octopus was far stronger than it was. No matter how it tried, it couldn’t break free.

Roy switched his blade out for Gwyhyr and cut down at the same spot again. The attack eventually came to a stop, but the dragon’s bones were still standing strong, yet there was barely anything left of Mirmulnir’s neck.

Roy felt a chill run down his spine. This was the first time his energy attack failed to cut down something. These bones are a lot harder than I thought. He held up both swords, ready for the final strike.

The tentacles kept the dragon ensnared, and the beast glared at his killer with bloody, hate-filled eyes, cursing him with the worst agony possible.

Roy slammed his swords into the dragon’s eyes and pierced its brains, and all life was snuffed out of the dragon. Mirmulnir’s head slumped as it fell before Roy, seemingly prostrating itself at its executioner.

Blood from its neck and eyes flew into the air and rained down on Roy. Mist floated up from the ground, and Roy stood proudly in the mist of blood. The dragon’s blood was pricking his skin, searing it, but he quickly collected the blood and tucked it away in his inventory.

His character sheet seemed to be bugging out. There were a lot of messages jumping around, though the first one read, ‘You have killed a legendary creature—Mirmulnir the dragon. You… You have gained…’

And the Dragonborn charged at his comrade.