Chapter 142

Chapter 142

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 142[Name: Transfer Platform][Rank: Normal][Type: Consumable][Description: A transfer platform used in dungeons. Upon use, moves you to the upper floor.]

This Hallasan is recognized by the system as an external dungeon and is treated the same as a dungeon.

Then, what happens if you use a Transfer Platform at the bottom of Hallasan?

“Exactly this.”

In an instant, my vision rippled violently and the surrounding scenery began to change.

Ssssss─A scene unfolded that made me wonder if this was what the world would look like if it became corrupted, and at the same time, a chilling aura wrapped around my body.

Pitch-black roses and thorny vines covered the surroundings.

And in the middle of them, a purple pond bubbled.

As far as I knew, there was only one place with scenery like this.

Baengnokdam.

We'd arrived at a place that normally could only be reached after passing through countless monsters and traps along the Olle Trail without anyone getting hurt.

“...

What the hell is with this poison? If an ordinary person came here, their lungs would start rotting first.”

The bishop grimaced and muttered that while covering her nose with her sleeve.

“That's why I said we needed Ascalon. The only thing capable of purifying poison this strong is Ascalon's sanctuary.”

“...

That's certainly true.”

The sky had been clear when viewed from below, yet only this place was overcast.

Heavy gray clouds that felt oppressive just to look at, as though rain might pour down at any moment, and the ominous sound of the wind.

Now that we'd climbed to Baengnokdam, Fafnir could appear from anywhere at any moment, so everyone carefully watched their surroundings without letting down their guard.

Meanwhile, the bishop clasped the rosary in both hands and began praying.

Golden ripples began leaking from the rosary held in her hands and gradually spread across Baengnokdam like fog flowing along a mountain ridge.

And just as our surroundings began to turn yellow.

Bubble─Bubble─ Bubble─Bubble─Bubble─Bubble─Bubble─Bubble─Bubble─The purple pool of Baengnokdam began violently boiling as the ground shook.

“Father Johann! Barrier!”

“Ah, yes!”

And the moment Johann stretched a hand toward the sky and deployed a shield of holy power──────────!!

The pool exploded, revealing the massive purple body that had been sleeping inside it.

-einhvern stóðstu upp ég úr svefni!

A gigantic dragon roared with an incomprehensible cry.

The purple liquid sent flying by the impact released red smoke the instant it touched the ground, staining everything with death.

-kottur? nei nei nei. lítill stjarnan guðunum hlúa að!

A moment later, it shook its head and turned its gaze toward us.

Some people trembled, fell backward, or shed tears in fear, and the creature, seeming to smile with its eyes at the sight, slowly opened its enormous maw toward us.

-So this was the language. Right, what are the damn gods' pets doing here?

Even though we were openly spreading the holy power it hated most inside its nest, Fafnir asked a question first instead of immediately attacking.

Considering its personality, that wasn't particularly strange.

Because right now, in its eyes, we probably looked like insects it could kill with the movement of a single finger.

That was precisely the nature and personality of the Ancient Dragon race.

And.

That also meant it was letting its guard down more than ever right now.

“Bishop.”

No answer came, but instinctively, I knew she was listening to my voice.

“...

Crush its head.”

At my words.

Boooooom──!!

A gigantic golden cross formed in the sky and slammed down as though it would pierce straight through the creature's head.

-Graaaaaaaaaaa!!

The cross struck Fafnir's head directly with an enormous roar.

At that, Fafnir let out a monstrous cry and swung its neck limply.

It was only possible because Ascalon could deal tremendous damage specifically against Fafnir.

-viðbjóðslegur Ascalon! So you brought that detestable sword!

After taking the bishop's attack head-on, Fafnir let out an enormous roar.

“Ghk!”

“Hngh...”

In front of the creature's fear, the people preparing for the operation trembled and looked ready to collapse, unable to keep their senses.

The powerful torrent of malicious intent came crashing in like a wave, striking them in order from those with the weakest mental strength.

But then a clear voice rang out.

“Get a hold of yourselves! Its whispers are no different from Satan's!”

With Maria's powerful shout, the people whose minds had gone hazy began coming to their senses one by one.

A skill faith-based Awakened could use.

‘Shield of Faith.’

Its effect of increasing mental immunity had activated.

“Now's our chance while it hasn't recovered! Charge!”

At my shout, Yoon Gwang-su regained his senses first, wrapped both hands in aura, and rushed toward Fafnir.

“Senior Uncle said this would definitely work!”

Yoon Gwang-su drove his fist, flickering with blue aura, straight up into Fafnir's jaw.

Fafnir's neck shot upward along with the movement.

-Garrrrrrrrr!!

The creature let out a pained cry and trembled violently.

“It worked! Senior Uncle!”

“You really are worthy of leading a branch.”

Dragons like Fafnir, whose entire bodies were covered in thick scales, were generally classified as heavy armor, so naturally Yoon Gwang-su's fists, which were practically blunt weapons, would work.

More than anything, his fists were hammers forged by breaking and shaping countless materials.

There was no way they wouldn't work against it.

“Bishop!”

“My prayer's done!”

The creature spread its wings wide to take off into the air, but two crosses fell onto its wings and stopped it.

At the same time, golden waves spread from the crosses across the entire ground.

The poison filling the surroundings gradually began to diminish, and the expressions of our suffering party members improved.

-How dare you! You let the gods' blessing take root in my nest!

“You planning to reimburse me for the remodeling cost?”

“I've memorized all your patterns.”

The debuffs created when Fafnir appeared were powerful.

The poison of Baengnokdam, fear, wind pressure, and the curses that followed.

That was why beginners were guaranteed to fail their first attempt.

If you were strong enough to challenge Fafnir, you'd obviously have been raising that character for a long time, and seeing it all get erased in one attempt made me wonder whether to call it faithful game design or simply the developers' ‘malice’...

That was why, from the very beginning, I focused thoroughly on restricting its movements.

And the result was just as seen above.

The atmosphere reversed in an instant.

“So just think of yourself as being ‘hunted’ right now.”

-Hunted? You dare say mere mortals will face this Fafnir?! Do you truly believe you can kill me merely because you have Ascalon!

“Believe in Ascalon? What are you talking about?”

Just as it said, at my current level, it might not have been strange for it to refer to me as ‘someone like you.’

Most of my abilities were still designed around many-versus-one combat, and they only produced proper efficiency against Calione's enemies.

Even judging by my current specs, aside from aura output and control, I probably had plenty of shortcomings.

But.

“What I believe in is something far greater than that.”

If I lacked something, I simply had to fill the gap.

Here, I had my experience from countless playthroughs of CS, the items I'd gathered until now, and the companions who had come here with me.

Boom──!!

The moment I pulled the trigger, the shotgun muzzle erupted with an enormous roar and explosion that struck directly around the creature's eye.

Even if it wasn't Ascalon, it was still a weapon with enough damage to instantly tear apart something as fragile as its lens.

-bölva þér. You will not leave this place alive!

Writhing from the shotgun blast, the creature shouted toward the air and let out a bizarre cry.

Another debuff skill, different from Dragon Fear.

But it was useless against me.

Remembering the angle of its neck and the pattern of its cry, it wasn't difficult to guess which skill it had used.

“We've already entered Phase 2.”

Phase 1 consisted of simple fear attacks followed by physical attacks.

But because we'd bound it from the start, beaten it senseless, and even blown out one of its eyes, it hadn't managed to properly resist even once before being forced straight into the next phase.

And... the main attack method of Phase 2 was.

“What. Surprised your subordinates aren't coming?”

It gathered monsters spread throughout Hallasan at Baengnokdam, creating chaos through a forced monster wave.

Because its summoning pattern was far wider in scope than other bosses, the key point of the Fafnir raid was splitting your forces.

While maintaining enough strength to defeat Fafnir, you also had to properly clean up the incoming trash mobs.

“All right, maintenance is finished... shall we go?”

Normally, after its roar, a wave of monsters would come rushing in.

But no matter how long it waited, not even an ant appeared, much less a monster, so the creature looked around in confusion.

-Mortal! What exactly have you done!

“Nothing much. I merely asked some trustworthy comrades below to stop the monsters for me.”

Well, I didn't know if those bastards trusted me, but with the strength of those two factions, I was confident they could handle the incoming monster wave.

In other words, all we had to worry about right now was the bastard in front of us.

Our chance would come at the moment the creature whose Phase 2 had been skipped transformed into Phase 3.

-How dare you, how dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you!! Unforgivable!

At its cry, its body began becoming enveloped in purple flashes.

“Now!”

At my shout, everyone began moving into their respective positions.

Because the sanctuary had been declared, we were no longer affected by Fafnir's nest, allowing this maneuver.

The cathedral members moved to the rear, while the craftsmen and apprentices surrounded it with us and gradually closed the distance.

“Pour everything into it!”

In the game, we'd have no choice but to stand around waiting because of the cinematic cutscene, but the world I'm in now is reality.

There are no cinematic cutscenes.

Which means this is the best time to dump damage into it.

Golden crosses fell from the sky, while attacks from every direction continued striking the creature.

It still hadn't finished transforming.

I repeatedly pulled the trigger toward its body, and from behind, the blacksmiths including Yoon Gwang-su hammered away at its frame.

The priests and nuns continuously restored the stamina we'd spent pouring out attacks, allowing us to keep attacking endlessly.

And as the creature's body, after enduring our fierce assault, gradually shrank and transformed completely into a human form.

-dauða! You will not escape unharmed!

Energy from the surroundings suddenly began gathering toward its body.

“Bishop! Deploy that right now!”

“Everyone gather!”

At the order, everyone gathered around the bishop, and the priests and nuns began chanting prayers one after another.

And standing at the center was Bishop Augustus.

Her lips began moving rapidly.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for...!”

-Disappear, all of you!

A moment later, a purple wave spread widely from the creature's center and engulfed the surroundings, dyeing everything it touched in death.

The flowers and thorny vines turned brown, proclaiming complete death.

The gloomy sky spewed transparent blood, chilling everything.

But.

Wooooooooong─At the center of them.

Beneath an artificial sun radiating a noble golden light as if boldly proving that we were alive, I looked at Fafnir, now covered in blood and glaring at us, and solemnly declared.

“Our Phase 2 starts now too, bastard.”