Last Vacation (5)

-The hidden threat of the [Rose Garden (A)] has been revealed! You have awakened the Alaune named Spine Rose!

-There has been little damage to the rose seeds. The level of the Spine Rose has increased.

-No damage to rose seedlings. The level of the Spine Rose has increased.

-No damage from the Great Worm. All the great worms nourish the Spine Rose, further enhancing its abilities.

-The Great Rock Worm has been absorbed by the Spine Rose, further increasing its abilities.

-All conditions have been fulfilled to maximize Spine Rose’s ability. [Spine Rose (S)] has awoken.

Kang Shin-hyuk was the first to notice the messages overflowing from the Gaia system. He had been expecting that the gate’s difficulty might increase, but this was a bit too much.

“I didn’t think the Great Worms would go like that.”

“The Great Rock Worm has already died…” The two went silent as they watched the great worms dry up and die below in the red fog. They were drained dry, down to the bone marrow.

-Vwooom…

A rose bloomed on top of the tree. Something that took the form of a human began to open its eyes. A pure white, soft-skinned beauty with red hair and green eyes with rose petals wrapped around her body like a dress. She blinked several times before bursting into laughter.

-I feel great. Everyone wake up! You late sleepers!

She held a whip of thorns with a rose-covered hilt. She lifted it and struck the air once, causing monsters in the same shape as her to awaken from the rose flower garden blooming around her.

-Queen!

-Finally, our time has come!

-It’s a human!

-What is that? The savage wyverns are alive!

The monsters began making loud noises as Eleanor trembled. Even the weakest among them was still A+ rank, according to the message from the Gaia system.

“Alaune are monsters who use plant magic…if we had been on the ground, we would’ve been torn apart by their garden.”

“No, before that, we would’ve been killed by that red mist.”

“Like them.” It became clear that using a wyvern was mandatory in this dungeon. Kang Shin-hyuk unsheathed his sword and looked at Eleanor.

“Senior Eleanor, can you do it?”

“If you’re okay, then I can try my best.” Kang Shin-hyuk nodded as she raised her lance and turned his gaze towards Spine Rose. He knew he could rely on Eleanor; she had grown even stronger since their duel.

“So let’s go do it. Everyone get ready!”

-Quoooooooooh!

-Gruaaaah!

The fourteen wyverns raised their cries in response to the flame wyverns. They weren’t simply shouting but rather were using a distinct skill to pressure the Alaunes on the ground. Spine Rose noticed it and called out with her own shout, raising her whip in the air.

-Guys, tear down, and kill the sparrows that bothered us!

-Tear and kill!

-Die!

Women who looked like pretty flower fairies began to shoot thorns from the tree trunks. They rose hundreds of meters up without difficulty, and the wyverns were forced to perform evasive maneuvers.

“Attack them! Breath!” But the wyverns were silent. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if there was a limit to his leadership, but no, it was just that these normal wyverns couldn’t breathe fire. The flame wyvern he rode, and Meloy in the back row began to draw energy into themselves.

“The rest of you guys, take care of the junk mobs!”

-Kuoooo!

-Kiiii!

The group of wyverns descended upon the Alaunes.

-Ahhhh!

-The sparrows!

The wind they generated as they descended together twisted the trajectories of the Alaune thorns.

-Quoooooh!

“Fire at will.” At that moment, the wyverns’ breath was ready. A sparkling fireball began to form in the flame wyverns mouth, and Kang Shin-hyuk empowered it with his own abilities. The moment his eyes shone with golden light, the size of the fireball swelled up to three times in size. The flame wyvern felt its amplified power and let it soar, turning the world red for a moment.

-Kwaaaaaah!

-Ahhhhhhh!

The flame erupted with enough momentum to light up the rose garden, only empowered further by Meloy’s own breath attack joining the fray a second later. Spine Rose hurriedly made a shield out of tree trunks to block it, but the other Alaunes were incapable of stopping it. A quarter of the enormous garden burned down in an instant, and the flames showed no signs of stopping. Kang Shin-hyuk was overwhelmed by the HP notifications appearing before him.

-Quoooooh!

“Good job.” The wyvern who had been reluctantly obeying him fluttered his wings and trembled, recognizing that Shin-hyuk had strengthened his breath. Kang Shin-hyuk stroked his head and laughed.

-I can’t forgive it!

However, Spine Rose seemed less than pleased about the fireworks that had gone off in her garden. She cracked her whip in the air again, causing hundreds of twigs to spring out of the rose garden and soar at the flame wyvern.

“Let’s go!”

“I’m behind you!” Kang Shin-hyuk held on securely to the wyvern’s neck with his sword in hand. He cried out, as if waiting for this moment, then immediately folded his wings to dive down. It deftly avoided the branches thrown out by Spine Rose by twisting its body around in mid-air.

‘Is this guy named?’ If he wasn’t, it felt like the flame wyvern was on the verge of it. Shin-hyuk noted he would have to investigate that later as a sharp blade of wind wrapped around his sword.

-Quooooh!

-This cheeky sparrow!

The flame wyvern spread his wings out as a whip made of trees came right for its head. Kang Shin-hyuk didn’t try to avoid it but instead swung his sword to face it.

-Ahhhh!

There was a sound like a chainsaw cutting through the wood as his wind blade tore through the whip. The pained voice of the Rose Spine rang out as it cut through the tree. Perhaps she shared her life with the tree she was born from, and cutting the branches would damage her.

-How?

The branches he cut through fell miserably down to the ground, scattered by the wind, and Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at his enemy from the back of the flame wyvern.

-Gururuuuuaaaah!

Meloy passed right by where they were, taking advantage of the opening Kang Shin-hyuk had created. Eleanor was lying on Meloy’s back, holding her lance firmly as the wyvern charged. It looked so natural for her that it was like she was born riding a wyvern.

“Haaaah!” Eleanor threw her lance with a loud roar. Rose Spine trembled as the lance swooped through the air with the momentum of a giant’s fist.

-You!

-Kwaaaaang!

The shield made of the tree trunk created by Spine Rose in an instant clashed against the lance thrown by Eleanor.

“Kh…!” The edge of the lance pierced through the defensive wall created by an S-rank boss monster.

-Something like this monster…!

The enormous magical power flowing out from Eleanor’s small form lifted her dark hair up. Her purple eyes were glaring at Spine Rose as the lance stabbed through her abdomen.

-Kahak!

“Hah, crap!” Blood began to spurt out from Spine Rose, soaking Meloy’s and Eleanor’s body as she let out a short scream. Kang Shin-hyuk’s eyes narrowed at it.

“Is it poisonous?”

-You weren’t careful enough.

The administrator spoke up, which meant that even if it wasn’t poison, it was something bad. He spurred the flame wyvern on towards Spine Rose. Eleanor was plucking her lance out of Spine Rose, turning to face him with Meloy.

“I’m sorry, Shin-hyuk.” Her purple eyes were gradually turning red, as was her ebony hair.

“The Alaune…”

-Gurururuu!

Her lance raised toward Kang Shin-hyuk, flashing bloodily. Meloy let out a sad cry and opened her mouth to prepare her breath attack. The flame wyvern realized the situation belatedly and began to fly vertically.

-Pay the price for hurting me!

Spine Rose’s voice echoed out sharply.

-Tear and kill them all!

“I’m sorry!”

-Gururu!

Spine Rose’s whip cracked in the air once more as Meloy’s body filled with magical power. Shortly after, that power was fired out of her mouth.

Only

-Member, take this chance to bury that fox!

“Administrator, aren’t you too happy right now?!”

-Quaaaaah!

The flame wyvern flapped its wings angrily.

“It can’t be helped.” He had been hoping to keep it hidden, but it would be needed to ensure Eleanor’s safety. Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out a shiny bead from his inventory. It was the Great Heavenly Spirit, the first thing he made with All Craft when he was in Gromas. Without hesitation, he placed it in the center of the hilt of the Godslayer sword.

It was the moment when the legend of Shin-hyuk would arise.