Fired Characters from an Idle Game

17. Storm Dragon Subjugation – (3)

“Fire! Keep firing!”

“How are we supposed to when bullets don’t even scratch it!”

Jo Geon-wook couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

They had thought they’d almost killed the Storm Dragon, but then it enveloped itself in lightning and began to rampage like a mad thing. Its power was on a whole other level than before.

[3★ Wandering Knight Albert is casting Skill «Iron Wall».]

Jo Geon-wook’s Calamity darted back and forth, defending the soldiers’ rear, but it wasn’t enough.

Storm Dragon Tempestora’s claws cleaved people in two, and the lightning crackling around its body no longer allowed the Calamities to strike. In other words, the beast was practically invincible.

“Tch.”

Jo Geon-wook made a quick decision.

This is unwinnable.

“…Director! We need to retreat!”

Jo Geon-wook shouted towards Team 1’s Yoo Jun-seo, but he scowled.

“Are you crazy? What happens if we pull out now? What, are we supposed to make a public announcement that we failed, so Seoul is screwed? Who’s going to take responsibility! Not me!”

“Then how the hell are we supposed to catch it!”

“Somehow!”

Madness glimmered in Yoo Junseo’s eyes.

He was no longer in a state to make rational, calculating decisions.

Jo Geon-wook sighed inwardly.

This was why you couldn’t put someone with a history of mental illness in charge. Cursing the government officials who weren’t present, Jo Geon-wook turned to address the Awakened ones amidst the chaotic nest.

“Disperse! Minimize the damage as much as possible! Buy us time first, and subdue him….”

“No.”

Awakened Nam Joo-yeon cut Jo Geon-wook off.

[3★ Faded Wraith Lucyben uses skill 「Shadow Weave」.]

Nam Joo-yeon skillfully diverted the Storm Dragon Tempest’s attention with the 3-Star Calamity.

A brief reprieve. He looked around and spoke.

“…Since we’ve already entered the nest, it’ll erupt if we don’t kill that thing.”

“…Erupt?”

“Don’t you know about the Berserk state? It’s already past the point of rational judgment. Even if we run away, it’ll chase us to the other side of the earth and tear us to pieces.”

Jo Geon-wook frowned.

He wasn’t much of a gamer, so he didn’t understand, but the other Awakened ones in his team nodded in agreement.

Nam Joo-yeon was disturbingly calm even in this chaotic situation. He gestured with his chin towards the Storm Dragon and explained.

“Somehow, lure that dragon inside the building. I’ll take care of things after that.”

“Take care of things how?”

“I have a method, anyway.”

Nam Joo-yeon spoke with a voice full of conviction.

Jo Geon-wook looked at his face, lost in thought.

Nam Joo-yeon. A suspicious individual. Frankly speaking, he was so suspicious in so many ways that even keeping him around made him wary.

However, in a situation like this, you had to use whatever you could get your hands on, whether it was a last resort or a desperate measure.

That included Nam Joo-yeon. Jo Geon-wook nodded and instructed the Awakened ones in Team 2.

“Everyone, gather the Calamities together and divert the Storm Dragon’s attention. Towards Exhibition Hall 1.”

Fortunately, the place where the Storm Dragon Tempest had nested was the Ilsan Convention Center.

Its size was large enough to hold a dragon.

As soon as he finished giving the order, the Awakened ones began to move in an orderly fashion. Jo Geon-wook turned to Nam Joo-yeon and asked.

“So, Mr. Nam Joo-yeon, what do you intend to do once you get that thing inside the building?”

“Well, I’ll just try to do it with a gamer’s intuition, roughly speaking.”

“A gamer’s intuition?”

Jo Geon-wook tilted his head, and Nam Joo-yeon grinned, replying.

“You gotta know the elemental matchups in these kinds of trash games.”

“Trash…game? Matchups…?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Nam Joo-yeon gave a wry smile and shrugged.

“I’m a total gaming addict, after all.”

It wasn’t the most convincing statement.

As per Jo Geon-wook’s instructions, the Awakened in Team 2 drew Tempestura, the Storm Dragon’s, attention, each using different skills from their respective Calamities.

I had the faded Wraith, Luciven, flitting about in front of Tempestura’s face, then slipped smoothly inside the building.

This place, once called KINTEX. The exhibition hall was plenty big. I checked the ceiling.

‘Good. The stuff I need is here.’

*Kwaang!*

Just then, Tempestura, lured by Luciven, smashed through the exhibition hall wall and charged into the building.

Violet lightning crackled around him.

If those claws got me, I’d be electrocuted before I even got torn apart.

Thinking about it, feeling tense was unavoidable.

From the start, I wasn’t exactly brave enough to jump into something this dangerous.

“It’s Mirien’s doing, after all.”

But whatever the reason.

These are the Calamities I released.

So, I guess I have some responsibility for cleaning up the mess.

Giving a wry smile, I looked around.

Inside the building, just Tempestura, the Storm Dragon, and me. Confirming that no one else was there, I manipulated the status window.

I dismissed Luciven, then tapped the ashen-haired woman etched onto the formation screen adjutant slot.

The Great Calamity that all of humanity fears.

The pinnacle of flame that even burns the gods.

[Summoning 5★ Scorched Saint, Selene.]

*Fwooosh.*

And so, the Scorched Saint Selene descended before my very eyes.

Her ashen hair swirling, Selene forewent greetings and instead drew the Sedge of Infernal Flames, aiming it directly ahead.

“…Master, the situation is rather…urgent.”

“You were watching too, weren’t you?”

“Yes. I debated leaping out at any moment. I restrained myself due to your command.”

“Good. You did well.”

“…Hmph.”

At the praise, the corner of Selene’s mouth quirked upward ever so slightly.

But as if recalling the urgency of the situation, she flicked her blade and continued.

“Master, shall I slay this ungrateful drake that charges forth, ignorant of its place?”

“No, it would be too problematic if traces of your involvement were discovered.”

Just now, Jo Geon-wook had been watching with a suspicious gaze.

“In that case, what shall we do?”

“Just breathe fire. It’s what you do best.”

Selene tilted her head, puzzled.

“Fire?”

“…Preferably towards the ceiling.”

I raised my head, a smile spreading across my face as I observed the fire detectors and sprinklers packed tightly across the exhibition hall’s ceiling.

If this world truly possessed the structure of a game, then elemental affinities should still hold true.

The Storm Dragon Tempest, in its essence a calamity of the skies, was now vulnerable to water, blessed as it was by the Lightening’s Grace.

More than that, Tempest was already heavily damaged.

In game terms, he was at low health, a sliver of red remaining on his health bar.

“Master, are you certain I need only aim the flames towards the heavens?”

Selene still seemed half-doubtful.

“Selene, who do you take me for?”

“Why, you are the perfect and complete Dominator, my Master, Actor-nim.”

Spouting such embarrassing words, Selene raised the Sedge of Infernal Flames.

[5★ Scorched Saint Selene is casting Skill 「Infernal Fireball」.]

With a single flourish of the blade, a massive pillar of fire erupted before my eyes.

The stifling heat must have baked my brain, because I found myself, in a manner utterly foreign to me, spreading my arms wide.

“Let there be light, nay, let there be rain!”

The fire alarm blared, and water began to cascade down like a torrential downpour.

Then, the lightning that coursed through the body of the Storm Dragon Tempestria erupted.

[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestria is howling!]

*

Awakened Management Bureau Director Yoo Junseo could not, for the life of him, comprehend what was unfolding before his eyes.

It had been a mere five minutes since the lightning-clad Storm Dragon Tempestria had charged into the exhibition hall.

[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestria has been vanquished!]

[Reward: 20 Exp]

*Ding!*

[Dungeon “Storm Dragon’s Lair” successfully cleared!]

[Reward: 150 Exp]

In those five minutes, what on earth had transpired?

Why was it defeated, and why was a message declaring the dungeon cleared appearing?

The answer dawned on him the instant a man staggered out of the exhibition hall.

Awakened B-Ranker Nam Juyeon. His hair was singed, and the clothes he wore were so ravaged by lightning strikes that his sleeves were practically gone.

Even so, he lived. He walked out with all his limbs intact.

He simply couldn’t understand it.

“…Impossible.”

How could he have dealt with that calamity – the one that dozens of Awakened couldn’t even contain, only desperately trying to flee from?

Someone placed a hand on Yoo Junseo’s shoulder as he stood there, mouth agape.

“Director, that’s what they call a prodigy.”

It was Team Leader Jo Geonwook from Team 2.

He seemed to find Yoo Junseo’s unsightly frozen expression rather amusing, as he gave a wry smile and continued.

“When we introduced the Awakened ranking system, did we happen to establish any criteria for S-Rank?”

“We didn’t.”

“Is that so? Well, that’s just as well.”

Jo Geonwook grimaced, pointing to the Awakened Nam Juyeon.

“Because that friend over there will now be the standard for S-Rank, you see.”

The face of Jo Geon-wook, as he spoke, was filled with conviction, and Yu Jun-seo, against his better judgement, could only nod in agreement.