Chapter 81

Infernum tried to dodge the hook, but it was useless.

Je Hyun-oh had already calculated even the movements he would make to avoid it.

“Kuaaaak!”

Infernum, pierced by the hook, screamed and stood up.

As he staggered backward while blood poured from his body, red scales began to grow across his skin.

When Infernum transferred damage to the person he selected, he entered a temporary invincible state.

The only tool capable of attacking him during that time was the hook.

During the briefing, I had clearly asked Je Hyun-oh to swing the hook because I would definitely be the selected target, and the plan proceeded perfectly.

After confirming that the hook had pierced Infernum, the captains immediately increased their distance.

Infernum, who had lost a huge amount of health in one blow, let out a vicious roar.

Having lost his human voice, he began transforming into a Fire Dragon.

The beginning of Phase 2.

I checked the remaining buff time.

‘15 minutes and 34 seconds.’

Because we had not been able to start the battle immediately after entering, a little more time than expected had been consumed during Phase 1.

Je Hyun-oh quickly equipped the Crow Gauntlet, lifted me up with one hand, and flew as far away from the Fire Dragon as possible.

This was because if we were nearby while Infernum transformed into a dragon, more than 90% of our health would be lost without fail.

Pillars of flame shot upward, completely covering Infernum.

The intense flames spread all the way to the ceiling, enough to completely erase the gentle darkness that had hung over the area.

As the flames that seemed capable of devouring everything around them died down, the true form of the Fire Dragon appeared.

A massive dragon that looked as if it had been made from black volcanic rock and red lava.

A being like a mountain looked down from an impossibly high place.

The dragon’s voice, filled with anger, caused the entire space to tremble, and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling fell.

Getting hit by the falling chandelier was an instant-death attack, so we immediately avoided it.

The loud background music became even more violent.

The melody broke apart, and metallic drum sounds mixed with shattered noise erupted explosively, making the song rampage chaotically.

The Fire Dragon opened its mouth.

All the air in the area began being violently sucked in, and a red glow gathered inside the dragon’s mouth.

The light changed from red to blue, and then into a pure, brilliant white of extreme heat.

Heat haze violently distorted around the wide-open jaws.

The space itself was burning from the heat of the concentrated magic power.

The Fire Dragon’s breath.

“Roasted Chestnut. Is it polite to wait until it fires that?”

Hanging from Je Hyun-oh, I ignored Dominic’s question and shouted.

“Captains!!”

Hearing my shout, Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein ran toward Infernum this time.

A stream of flame erupted from the Fire Dragon’s mouth.

The ultra-high-temperature flames shooting straight forward spread out in a fan shape following the Fire Dragon’s head, covering the entire space.

Touching it meant immediate death.

However, there was one tiny blind spot where it could be avoided.

Right beside the Fire Dragon’s feet.

Je Hyun-oh and I took position by the dragon’s left foot, while the captains positioned themselves by the right foot.

The blind spot was only large enough for one person to barely stand.

Je Hyun-oh continued holding me under his arm, while Kwak Hanmuk lifted Mo Haein up.

The brilliant white flames grazed dangerously close to the tips of their feet.

And the moment the breath passed, they immediately rushed out again.

Because the stomp was coming next.

The Fire Dragon, enraged that it had failed to defeat even a single person despite firing its breath, stomped its foot.

KUUUNG!

A heavy sound erupted, and the ground split apart.

Boiling lava was revealed between the cracks in the floor.

If we had been close to the Fire Dragon, we would have fallen directly into the lava.

The bubbling lava rose up and covered the entire floor.

To stay safe, we had to stand on broken stone fragments. Touching the lava caused health to rapidly decrease.

It was a mechanic that completely restricted our range of movement.

From the gaps where the lava flowed out, Hellfire Lizards and Hellfire Hounds crawled out.

Unlike ordinary monsters, these direct subordinates of the Fire Dragon had bodies black like charcoal, with lava dripping from their eyes and mouths.

The Hellfire Lizards used ranged attacks, firing fireballs from a distance, while the Hellfire Hounds rushed forward at high speed with close-range attacks.

Monsters that were individually equivalent to dungeon bosses charged toward us.

Mo Haein swung the Black Moon Blade toward the black hounds.

The Black Moon Blade flashed as it drew a massive half-circle.

The heavy crescent blade struck the hound’s head.

With a rough crushing sound of breaking bone, the hound scattered into flames.

Mo Haein did not stop and immediately rotated her body.

The Black Moon Blade, carrying centrifugal force, cut through the waists of two hounds charging from the side.

KWADEUDEUK!

The hounds’ tough volcanic-rock-like hides were sliced apart, and they scattered into flames as well.

Mo Haein caught her breath for a moment and showed a faint smile.

She did not express it, but she seemed frustrated from having to use an ordinary sword all this time.

“Hyaaap, saving Captain Mo!”

Kwak Hanmuk swung his greatsword and knocked away a hound flying toward Mo Haein’s back.

When the greatsword infused with the white light of holy power touched it, the hound exploded.

Mo Haein, avoiding the flames from the explosion, glared at Kwak Hanmuk for a moment.

It meant he was making things unnecessarily distracting.

Kwak Hanmuk chuckled and struck the fireballs shot by the lizards with the broad side of his greatsword.

Swinging as if hitting a baseball, the fireball bounced away and fell onto the hounds.

While the hound staggered after being hit by the fireball, he drove the greatsword vertically downward.

The hound exploded, and flames burst outward.

“Hyaaah, Holy Judgment!”

Kwak Hanmuk used the Paladin’s Judgment skill.

The sword of light, boosted by the level increase and buff effects, multiplied into ten swords, spread across the sky, and rained down.

Watching the hounds pierced like skewers, Mo Haein asked while still busy swinging the Black Moon Blade.

“Why do you shout the skill name?”

“It feels different when you do. Captain Mo, try it too.”

“…….”

She looked like she regretted asking and focused on the battle again.

Thanks to both of them eating the course meal, their various stats had increased greatly, making the battle much easier.

In Kwak Hanmuk’s case, because of the holy bonus, he was using a Paladin’s greatsword instead of rosary beads, and his swordsmanship was skilled.

Feeling reassured, I looked forward again.

Je Hyun-oh was flying upward while holding me under his arm.

He intentionally slowed down to lure the Hellfire Lizards into targeting him.

The lizards all raised their heads toward the slow-moving target, and blazing red fireballs were fired directly at Je Hyun-oh.

Amid the pouring fireballs, he folded his wings and flew like an acrobat.

I curled my body as much as possible.

A fireball narrowly grazed my right cheek, and I smelled the ends of my hair burning.

Then Je Hyun-oh twisted his body in midair and rotated, avoiding the projectiles attacking simultaneously from the left and below.

The high-temperature masses exploded behind him by a paper-thin margin, scattering volcanic ash.

Another fireball flew toward Je Hyun-oh’s front a moment later.

Je Hyun-oh only tilted his head slightly, letting it pass beside his ear.

After avoiding every fireball, he threw me downward before the lizards could fire another round.

While my body flew through the air, I did not take my eyes off Je Hyun-oh.

The moment he threw me, Je Hyun-oh folded his wings and rapidly descended.

BANG!

The metal hand he slammed down shattered the lizard’s hard scales and tore deeply into its flesh.

Instead of hot blood, bright red lava poured out.

Before the lizard could even collapse while screaming, Je Hyun-oh swung his lava-covered metal hand toward the next target.

I turned my gaze away from Je Hyun-oh and prepared to land.

The place I had asked Je Hyun-oh to throw me toward was Infernum’s ingredient storage.

I planned to obtain an item there to fight Infernum, and also, perhaps….

Check whether there was a small Fire Dragon horn.

My body gradually approached the ground.

THUD!

I rolled across the floor messily.

I wanted to land stylishly with a breakfall, but I had never learned how.

‘Though I did it a lot in the game.’

If I had been a different class instead of a chef, I might have had basic martial arts techniques or passive skills that allowed me to perform a breakfall.

Thinking regretfully, I took out food for recovery. Since chefs were physically weak, a single fall caused a considerable loss of health.

When I put it in my mouth and chewed, it shattered with a crisp sound and melted like cotton candy.

Along with the rich sweetness, warmth filled my body.

It was especially effective for restoring health, and its recovery speed was faster than a potion.

I swallowed the sticky meringue crumbs left in my mouth and ran toward the ingredient storage.

This time, there was something I could ask Dominic for help with at the perfect moment.

“Dominic-ssi! Could you perhaps find the Fire Dragon horn with magic?”

However, Dominic, who I expected would immediately agree, said something unexpected.

“Did you not say you would serve me using only your own strength, Roasted Chestnut?”

His question left me speechless.

The words I had said to Dominic came back with perfect clarity.

“Isn’t this the first dish I’m making for Dominic-ssi, my most trusted and relied-upon companion? I wanted to serve you entirely with my own strength. Please wait just a little longer.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

And answered with a smile.

“…Yes. You’re right. I was just saying it. It’ll be soon, so please wait.”

I knew where the item I was looking for was.

The ninth storage case from the left.

When I ran there, an unusually cold chill swept out compared to the other storage cases.

Inside the enormous storage case was a single item.

The horn of an Ice Dragon.

The transparent, ice-like horn shimmered with a sapphire glow resembling the deep ocean.

I put on one of the Crow Gauntlets I had borrowed from Je Hyun-oh.

At that moment, a dragon’s roar was heard.

KIAAAAA!

Along with the roar that shook the entire space, an enormous pressure pressed down on my entire body.

It felt as if the air had become thin and gravity had grown heavier.

A paralysis state caused by the roar.

Once the debuff was applied, I could not move. It was even more dangerous because a chef’s physical abilities were poor.

I clung to the glass of the ingredient storage case while gasping for breath.

After waiting briefly, I heard Kwak Hanmuk shout from far away.

“Holy Purificationnn!”

Then white light surrounded my body. Thanks to the Paladin skill Purification, the debuff was removed.

The paralysis suddenly disappeared, and I almost fell before barely regaining my balance.

Fortunately, the glass of the ingredient storage case was weak enough that even a chef’s abilities could break it.

I took out a meat tenderizer from my inventory, smashed the glass, and obtained the desired item.

It was an essential item for defeating the Fire Dragon.

I held and hugged the Ice Dragon horn, which was as large as my torso, with one hand.

The moment it touched my body, a chill cold enough to make my hair stand on end spread through me, but the surrounding heat made it bearable.

Pressing the cold horn against my pounding heart, I ran again.

I quickly scanned the endless rows of ingredient storage cases, but I could not find the Fire Dragon horn.

The twins seemed to be safe.

I then checked the battle situation.

The captains were skillfully stepping across the small platforms above the lava while dealing with the lizards and hounds.

And Je Hyun-oh.

He was tearing apart the Fire Dragon like a mad crow.

Moving his six metal wings freely, he attacked and retreated swiftly, leaving the massive Fire Dragon helpless as its health continued to fall.

The endless attacks created a constant clanging sound.

The sound of the metal hand targeting the dragon’s scales.

The Fire Dragon was bleeding from various places.

Since its scales were too hard to easily break even with the metal hand, it seemed he had simply ripped several off.

By relentlessly attacking the exposed areas where the scales had been torn away, the Fire Dragon let out painful groans.

The number of hounds and lizards endlessly created from the lava began to decrease.

It seemed we would soon enter Phase 3.

‘6 minutes and 12 seconds.’

The remaining buff time was dangerously close.

If things went wrong, we would have to endure being roasted by the heat of the Fire Dragon’s nest for several minutes.

It seemed we had to finish it as quickly as possible.

It was while I was running toward the position we had agreed on beforehand.

I heard the sound of chains being released.

There are no hook mechanics in Phase 2, I thought.

Then, I saw two hooks descending from the ceiling.

The fluttering pale pink hair shone under the light.

The ones caught on the hooks were the twins.

I stepped forward to run toward them.

However, the two small bodies immediately fell.

Into the wide-open mouth of the Fire Dragon.