Second Life Ranker

[The player Chimmy has died.]

[You have completed a portion of the quest by killing Chimmy. You have earned a large amount of mana.]

Chimmy’s death came as a great shock to Red Dragon. 

『Second brother!』

『Imun!』

The Nine Dragon Sons were among the strongest in the Tower and ruled in place of the Summer Queen. They had the qualifications of Apostles, Lords, and supernatural beings. How was it possible for one of them to die? The Eighty-One Oculus were greatly shocked. Unfortunately for them, it was only the beginning.

『Dammit! It’s that damned spear again!』

『Run away!』

Each time the Dragon Killer glowed in the sky, the Nine Dragon Sons ran away. Its destructive strength was dangerous enough, but the Devil King Poison and lightning that accompanied it struck terror in their hearts. They had no choice but to evade the Dragon Killers since they had the blood of the Summer Queen in their veins, making them especially susceptible to the Devil King Poison.

『That human doesn’t know his place!』 The fourth-eldest, Triger, kicked off from the ground and dashed towards Yeon-woo. He was a four-meter-long drake, and the ground shook as though there were an earthquake.

However, Shanon, Hanryeong, and Rebecca stepped in front of him. 

『Move, you fools!!』 Triger straightened his back to take care of them with a single blow. A sandstorm lashed at them, and he was about to pierce them with the horn on his nose when Shanon lifted his flaming blade, which was filled with black, demonic energy. Clang!

<Volcano> and <Death Hand>

The fire skill that he’d wrested from Bahal neutralized Triger’s attack, and a black hand burst from the ground, grabbing Triger’s feet. Hanryeong drew two of his swords as he leaped forward. 

Boom! Rumble!

Triger stepped on the two Death Nobles and continued rushing towards Yeon-woo. However, before he could reach him, Rebecca suddenly jumped on his head and the Dragon Killer pierced through the middle of his skull.

<Leather Armor>

While Chimmy had Acidic Poison Breath, and Triger had a tough hide that resisted all kinds of attacks. The Dragon Killer exploded on his head, followed by Wave of Fire, but his skin was only slightly burned. The Devil King Poison didn’t penetrate it at all.

『I’ll kill you!』 Realizing that Yeon-woo’s attacks hadn’t done anything to him, Triger took another step forward confidently, glowering at Yeon-woo. His vertical pupils flashed coldly.

Boom! Yeon-woo threw another Dragon Killer at him, his eyes impassive. 

『Ha! You can try that a hundred more times!』 Triger just scoffed. 『Do you think…』

Boom!

『Things like that…』

Boom!

『will…』

Boom! Boom!

『What…is this…』

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Triger tried to push his way forward but he was beginning to feel as though he were being hit by a diamond-tipped hammer as Yeon-woo continued to barrage him with Dragon Killers. At first, his hide had only been slightly damaged, but now cracks were appearing all over his forehead.

If this continued, his hide would be destroyed, and an alarm went off in his head. He attempted to change direction, but suddenly he couldn’t move his body at all, as though he were bound in chains.

「Mr. Triger, where are you going?」 Shanon whispered in Triger’s ear. His voice sounded like that of the grim reaper to Triger. The shadow around his feet clung to his body, and dozens of Guai held on to him.

『Fuck! Let me go! Let me go!』 Triger cried out. He knew that he was in real danger now as the Dragon Killers continued to fly through the air towards him. Boom! One landed on his forehead with a great destructive power, breaking apart his hide. The shards of the Dragon Killer sank into his flesh, poisoning him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Wave of Fire surged from the sky as lightning, blasting away his horn and forehead. His charred hide fell to the ground as steam rose from his head and smoke emerged from his mouth and ears. Triger collapsed helplessly to the ground. Boom! The ground shook from his weight. 

Yeon-woo lifted a Dragon Killer again with the thought of ending Triger’s life, but just as he was about to throw it, a creature popped up and ran away with Triger in his mouth. It was a wyvern that looked like a bird with a long tail and horns: Tom, the youngest of the Nine Dragon Sons.  

「Dammit!」 He was so fast that he was already far away by the time that Shanon and Hanryeong began their pursuit. The two Death Nobles tried to run after him, but Yeon-woo stopped them.

『Don’t chase them!』

Shanon and Hanryeong stopped in their tracks. 

『It’s a shame they got away, but you need to stay here. It’s important that you block anyone from approaching.』 Yeon-woo lifted his head as he gave the orders. Off in the distance, he could see the Summer Queen and Martial King fighting. The Summer Queen was still destroying the stage even though her wings and a leg had been torn off. The two were the only ones left on the battlefield because the Nine Dragon Sons and the Eighty-One Oculus had fled from the onslaught of the Dragon Killers.

This was what Yeon-woo had been planning all along. With the Summer Queen isolated, no one would bother him. He stretched his hand out to one of the Dragon Killers propped up on the ground. He had only eight left. ‘I’ll catch her on this battlefield.’ He lifted the Dragon Killer. Crunch. The buffs that Brahm and Boo were giving him twisted his body, but he healed himself with Regeneration. He gripped the Dragon Killer more tightly. 

* * *

『Haa…haa…』 Thump. Thump. Thump. Triger breathed heavily as he listened to the footsteps that seemed to vibrate through his entire body. Black smoke continued to billow from his mouth. Half of his head was crushed, and he couldn’t pull himself together. He was only sure that he was still alive because of the youngest of the Nine Dragon Sons. 『Thank you…I survived…because of you.』

Triger was genuinely grateful towards Tom. He used to look down on Tom and laugh whenever he was scolded by their mother, but this little brother had saved him. Although his pride was hurt, he was grateful. If Tom had been in his shoes, Triger would have snorted and called him a fool for being injured by a mere human. Even though they were tied to each other as brothers, they always fought with each other for their mother’s love.  

He’d believed that Tom felt the same about him, but it seemed like Tom thought of him as a real brother.

『No worries. I’m the grateful one.』

『What are you talking about?』

Tom quietly put Triger down after they were far away from the battlefield. Triger forced himself to look at Tom with his head, which was barely healed. He still didn’t have his vision back completely, but he could recognize Tom. 

『I don’t know if you know this, brother.』

He had a strange feeling that Tom was smiling at him. Smiling in a situation where the war was tilting in their enemy’s favor?

『Mother will probably die today.』

Triger frowned at Tom’s words. His expression didn’t change much because he was a reptile, but wrinkles deepened around his eyes. 

『What are you talking about?』

The Summer Queen was a god to Red Dragon, but to the Nine Dragon Sons, she was even more important than that. She was their mother, who shared her blood with them. It wasn’t right to even think of her death. However, Tom only smiled coldly like he didn’t care. 

『It’s already over. How can she win? The Martial King has already torn off her wings. And even if she does win today, the Devil Poison has already entered her body. She’s used so much of her life force today that she only has a day or two left at most.』

『Shut up! Mother won’t die!』

『Dragons will go completely extinct, like the Giant species. And who will be left? Wyverns. We dragon soldiers who’ve received Mother’s blood. We’ll be a new Draconic species, taking over the spot of the dragons. 』

Triger was speechless.

『What do you think is needed for that?』

『Stay away from me. Don’t come any closer!』

Triger realized what Tom was planning to do and tried to step back. However, he was still too dizzy, and he had no strength left in his legs. The Devil King Poison had already entered his marrow, and his body was rotting from the inside. 

『My name is Tom. ‘Tom’ means gluttony, right? I’m someone who is greedy for more. They say that the youngest child is the greediest, and that’s why.』

Stomp! Tom’s footsteps grew louder, and they sounded like the grim reaper’s footsteps to Triger. He tried to struggle, but he didn’t have any strength left. Soon, Tom’s large shadow loomed over him.

『I must have that spot among the Draconic species, and I’ll take away all of my siblings’ strength, the same ones who looked down on me.』

The Summer Queen’s power was split among her children, and because she could take it back at any time, they were always wary of her. Now that her death was imminent, where would that power go? And what of the Dragon’s Blood?

There was only one clear option: finders keepers. Crunch! Tom stretched his mouth open and dug his teeth into Triger’s injured head. His jaw broke through the tough hide and bone, and he began to slurp down the flesh and brains. As he filtered the Devil King Poison out, Tom ate and ate.