It would be the best if chaos ensued until the battle ended, but there was a limit to that. The dragons became wary when their numbers decreased by a significant amount, and analysed the situation around themselves in a more objective way, and finally understood that Yu IlHan’s weakness was exposed as he was assaulting the dragons.
Presence. To bring out the maximum effects of the battlefield he had created, he was moving around all over the place, and could not use his strongest card – his concealment.
From that moment, a portion of the dragons changed their strategy. They became wary to not give into Yu IlHan’s provocation and attacked him with long range magic. From that moment onwards, Yu IlHan’s injuries started increasing.
In fact, Yu IlHan thought that he had done this more than enough. He had taken back much more than he invested since the dragons were more stupid than he had expected!
Amongst them, some 3rd class dragonkin tried to pull out the pillars embedded in the grounds by diving towards the earth and flipping over the entire soil, but Yu IlHan just ignored them. If the pillars and harpoons were something that could be nullified by 3rd class beings, then he wouldn’t have made them in the first place.
[Ugh, how does he endure so well even though he looks so weak?]
[We need to freeze him first! Shit! Why was I born with the powers of fire!]
The right moment arrived. He used his harpoons enough, and the dragons started leaving behind their allies tied by the harpoons and started to act to kill Yu IlHan. Now, Yu IlHan also needed to go to the next stage.
Immediately after he decided, Yu IlHan kicked off the ground into the air. While the dragons tied to the ground couldn’t move, he planned to decrease the airborne dragons as much as possible.
[Now we don’t care anymore. Die!]
A completely intact 4th class dragon charged towards him. The dragon’s grandeur while charging with all sorts of strengthening and support magic cast on itself was very vicious.
However, Yu IlHan checked behind before he took out a pile bunker from his Cross Bag, and shot the pile bunker as soon as the dragon arrived near him and opened its mouth!
[Critical Hit!]
[Khaaaaaak!]
The might of the pile bunker which focused all its power into a single shot, could be called peerless; It broke through all the strengthening and defense magic before piercing through the tongue and the lower jaw. WHen Yu IlHan transferred the weight, the dragon fell by itself.
Meanwhile, due to the rebound from the pile bunker Yu IlHan was shot backwards without the need for a re-leap. He took out another pile bunker. Everything around him were dragons and dragonkin anyway.
“Huu.”
[You’re using it to attack and as a driving force at the same time.] (Erta)
“Hup!”
Ordinary humans, and even humans with exceptional battle power are bound to be ruled by the environment they are living in.
They could only panic when they are suddenly thrown into the air as there was no footing nor was it easy to focus, so be it swords or guns, it was difficult to bring out their proper abilities. On top of that, if they were fighting a monster who had superior aerial maneuverability, it was very easy for them to get hurt.
However, Yu IlHan had in the end, due to the continuous aerial fights he partook in since coming to Dareu, become used to moving around in the way he wants while maintaining situational awareness around him in all 6 directions (front, behind, left, right, up, down) to fight multiple enemies.
Despite not having wings, he was bringing out enough changes in vectors just with re-leaps and pile bunker rebounds!
[Now, capture him!]
[Khwaaaaaaak!]
A portion of the dragons opened their mouths and breathed out violent flames to attack Yu IlHan. At this point, it would be reasonable if they realized that Yu IlHan was strong against fire, but as their innate attributes were based on fire, they had no other choice.
Yu IlHan recklessly went head in towards the flames that seemed like they could eviscerate the entire world. Now that he had experienced the pain of getting burnt so many times, he had gotten used to it.
His eyes shined sharply even within the pouring flames to look at the roof of the dragon’s mouth.
“Hup!”
Yu IlHan re-leaped within the flames. Shooting out from the flames, Yu IlHan held pointed the pile bunker upwards and struck it on the roof of the dragon’s mouth.
[Kyaaaa!]
“Eat this too!”
It was a little disappointing to leave just a single attack, so Yu IlHan threw a few grenades into the punctured hole and on top of the tongue, before quickly leaving the premises.
[This way!]
[If we miss this opportunity more of our kin will die, attack!]
However, the other dragons all started activating magic at that moment as if they had waited for it. Even though their ally dragon will suffer more damage in this situation, they became enraptured in the thought to kill Yu IlHan after seeing so many of their kin dying!
Now, they couldn’t care less about Destruction Demon Army or whatever. To them, Yu IlHan was an archenemy they couldn’t share the skies with! An enemy they had to kill at all costs!
The situation was pretty clear just from looking at the fact that they were using more mana to their magic. Only 3rd class dragonkin died from the friendly fire.
[Yu IlHan, you’re surrounded!]
“Careful not to get hit by stray fire.”
Shields were made for these kind of moments. He called out hundreds of shields to encapsulate him.
Would it sound like this if you fry billions of beans with many different frying pans? Numerous and varied magic hit on the layers upon layers of shields and terrorized Yu IlHan’s eardrums. He could only endure with the thought that this was much better than getting hit head on.
Although the time they could stay in the air was very short, the shields that appeared exactly at the moment when the magic was about to strike, splendidly did their job before returning to the Cross Bag. Of course, as Yu IlHan couldn’t block all the damage from the numerous magic, he had to take out a cheer pack hurriedly.
[You’re drinking ‘Breath’. Health increases rapidly and and rest energy recharges. A little bit of Magic increases. All battle senses become sharper.]
When the hundreds of shields disappeared and Yu IlHan appeared completely intact, the dragons became enraged.
[Y, you monster!]
[We can’t let him live. They’re making a mistake. They got their priorities wrong. We need to erase this guy before anything else!]
Seeing their reactions, Yu IlHan giggled. Seeing that even the calmer dragons were starting to panic, it seemed that Yu IlHan had a talent for taunting enemies.
Yu IlHan deployed re-leap and approached one of them before taking out a new pile bunker.
He still had a lot of weapons left; and the alcoholic drink he made from their blood was recovering his health endlessly.
“You’re too late to realize that, fellows. Well, do your best.”
When Yu IlHan barely landed on the ground, the sky was already coloring red. Not due to the flames from the dragons, nor from their blood – It was becoming sunset.
Yu IlHan collected the last dragon that died to his Cross Bag before calling out a piece of information onto his retina.
[Killing 4th class 1,000/1,000]
“Fuu, that was easy.”
[Hah, yeah right.] (Erta)
[You really did it.] (Reta)
In contrast to Erta’s sarcastic remark, Reta expressed her heartfelt exclamation. Yu IlHan laughed and sucked on the cheer pack. It was not Breath but Bloodrink.
“It’s good that Breath recovers my health and my rest energy, but the problem is that it makes me dizzy.”
[That’s an expected side effect.] (Erta) (P/R Its alcohol)
He filled his health completely, and even completed repairing his equipment temporarily. There was not a single dragonkin corpse on the beach. Only remains of pile bunkers were around, along with ballistas and harpoons without their targets, which were all reflecting the dull light of sunset to reveal a cruel sight.
He was worried that his Cross Bag may really burst, but he decided to believe in Erta’s words that she will increase the capacity even if she had to call out a hundred angels.
Then now, it was time to open the gift box.
[Class advancement quest complete! Will you advance to Blazing Reaper?]
“It’s finally time.”
[It really was a long time.] (Erta)
[Class advancement, eh. So it already comes to this. You really are absurdly fast.] (Erta)
Yu IlHan achieved 2nd class in the fight with Reta. Even though not much time had passed since that had happened, he was now getting his 3rd, which made Reta stupefied.
[I’m not even completely ready yet but……. It can’t be helped.] (Reta)
However, her following words were slightly strange. Yu IlHan asked while tilting his head.
“Can’t help what?”
[If you acquire the same tier as what I once was by advancing then the probability of success for my magic will be infinitely lowered.] (Reta)
Yu IlHan’s brows twitched. This sounded quite worrying.
“Magic?”
[Yes, magic.] (Reta)
The moment Reta said that, everything changed.
Starting from the land that Yu IlHan was stepping on, blue light started reaching endlessly towards all directions – beyond the small island into the seas. Perhaps it may reach the end of the continent.
Seeing that unrecognizable geometric shapes were appearing within the blue light that covered the surroundings, Yu IlHan thought os something.
“Is this the magic formation?”
[Correct. This is the formation that the ancient empire cast over the entire continent. It’s an amazing magic formation that could be considered the essence of elven magic. It’s also the formation that you’ve been using for mere spatial transfers until now.] (Reta)
‘Mere’ spatial transfer… Yu IlHan asked back in a bitter voice.
“So it has other uses.”
[It is said that the emperor of the elven empire pursued eternal life with this formation; casting away the aged flesh, and transferring the soul to another person’s body.] (Reta)
Yu IlHan thought that that kind of magic was an evil magic that beings fit to be last bosses would use.
[I, who was about to become its sacrifice, could kill him with the help of my allies, and became the new master of the formation. It was possible only because the dragons caused chaos in the empire.] (Reta)
However, she could not use it. The power of the dragons were too strong, and soul transfers were difficult to activate against opponents that had similar or higher tiers as them.
At the last moment, she cast soul transfer against a dragon, which made her fall into a becoming a Breaker. However, she was an exceptional deathgod, and gathered her fragmented soul, which should have disappeared naturally, and succeeded in imbuing them into her own body and her artifact.
Then, she finally met a sacrifice; with the name Yu IlHan, and the one that had more talent than anyone else.
As such, all of her words until now, except the fact that dragons were her archenemies, were lies!
Yu IlHan tried to lift his arm, but he couldn’t.
Now, he tried to commence the advancement with just his will alone, but no matter how much he willed it, no text appeared on his retina. His physical body did not listen to him at all.
[You are extremely exceptional, but have no sense of crisis. I think that you will lose your life while focusing on enjoying yourself like that.] (Reta)
Reta laughed coldly.
[I was once a deathgod; one that specialized in handling the power of souls. That was why I could imbue my soul into an artifact, and could activate the elven magic formation despite not having a physical body. Did you not realize? That I was too free? That I could harbor treacherous intentions?] (Reta)
“Would it sound like a lie if I told you that I wanted to believe in you?”
Now, it was difficult to even speak. That was natural, as an enormous magic formation installed over an entire continent was wholly activating in order to bind Yu IlHan.
That was a truly enormous power. Thinking about it, Yu IlHan thought that the magic stones he used to activate the formation may have not been used completely and were used to store energy within the formation.
[Without fear, You poured the life force of many to me who was dwelling within your soul. That made my thought processes more distinct, and enhanced what little powers I had left.
Aah, you should have realized that there was a problem when the elven magic formation recognized me as the master and not you!] (Reta)
Now that he heard it, it was really like that. She was a mere fragmented soul. Even though she was a thought that could not show herself outside even after eating all that lifeforce, Reta Kar’iha could use the magic formation of her own will as the master.
Then, she could also use the formation to go against Yu IlHan’s will.
[It was so difficult for me to hold back my laughter while you were talking about your predictions with this magic formation. Future prediction? Dragons do what? YOU’RE WRONG! This magic formation is something that NO ONE can do anything about other than the elves. It is the grand formation to lead our race into prosperity!] (Reta)
“Ugh.”
The power of the magic formation that bound Yu IlHan started being sucked into his body. An enormous amount of mana that he could not endure whittled away his body and his psyche.
[I will take over your body. I will defeat all the dragons belonging to Destruction Demon Army, and ally with the Garden of Sunset in order to develop Dareu once again.] (Reta)
Reta laughed. As her soul started off within Yu IlHan’s body, soul transfer magic activated successfully.
As she had already started to take control of Yu IlHan’s senses, Yu IlHan’s lips were twitching upwards without his will.
[Please do not believe in others so easily from now on. Oh, your soul will disappear so that kind of realization is no good for you now.] (Reta)
[Well, I’m not so sure about that.] (Erta)
Erta, who was watching until now, finally spoke. It was very strange considering the emotions she had towards Yu IlHan, but Reta was too much im ecstasy to realize at all.
Erta was still on top of Yu IlHan’s head, but her expression even looked slightly proud.
[I don’t think you need to teach him that.] (Erta)
[What?] (Reta)
Just as when Erta spoke, and Reta snorted.
Yu IlHan spoke with difficulty.
“Wake up already.”
When he spoke in a whisper-like voice, a sleeping thought inside him opened its eyes.
The thought that even Reta, who had enhanced her powers through the magic formation and the life force, had forgotten about.
“If you’re up, bite her to death.”
[Kroaaaaaaaaaaar!]
In the two months that didn’t last an instant.
Within the barrier that ‘Reta could not enter’, Yu IlHan let the Orochi eat ‘all’ of the life force of dragonkin he had acquired until now. And now, that Orochi was roaring loudly.
[Orochi……. How? I, it’s the barrier! You, you knew already! You didn’t believe in me! Since the start!] (Reta)
“Heh.”
Yu IlHan laughed at Reta’s shriek. It was a much more natural smile than before.
It wasn’t Reta who had moved. In the process of Reta’s thought being crushed by the Orochi, Yu IlHan had regained control of his body and laughed.
“You should listen to the end, shouldn’t you?”
[Kruooooooooo!] (Orochi)
The last insurance for the opponent that he wanted to believe in, but couldn’t, had finally come into play.
Author’s notes
Yes, Reta was an enemy from start to finish. She wouldn’t have been a threat if he left her alone, but IlHan let her grow so much. Although, he did that because he had something to rely on.
It’s natural, but not all blatant foreshadows come true!
Of course, I threw some baits here and there until now. Oh, and as the title too.
Some might have noticed when Yu IlHan didn’t proceed with the advancement right away and delayed for a moment.
Wait for the next chapter for the deal between Yu IlHan and the Orochi.
Yu IlHan had driven out Reta through the Orochi. However, that was the Orochi’s trap! The Orochi uses the formation that Reta already activated in order to take control of Yu IlHan!? Thank you for loving Everyone Else is a Returnee until now. Tomorrow, it will be the start of ‘Everyone Else is human’ with the Orochi as the main character……… (It’s a lie)