REAPER SCANS
How to Raise Your Skeletons
[Translator – Dawn]
[Proofreader – BringTheRayn]
Chapter 134: That’s Why It’s Terrifying
“…"
I thought I had lost consciousness, but that wasn’t the case. The Element of Fire had invaded my body. The crystallization of flame, capable of melting even a dragon, had briefly entered me. How could I possibly lose consciousness in the presence of such a force?
Some say that when humans experience unbearable pain, they pass out—it’s the brain’s way of protecting itself.
But the Element of Fire was different.
Fuck.
If I fainted, it would wake me with pain. If I fainted again, it would force me to awareness once more. There was no escape. The pain surpassed unconsciousness itself.
[The power of the Element of Fire is immense. Even hearing its voice alone could strain your body.]
I finally understood why the system had issued such a warning.
—Boom!
Even as I mercilessly struck Aranballon…
It hurts!
—Boom! Boom!
Even as my body moved with strength that defied physical limits…
It hurts so much, damn it!
I screamed internally. I endured and continued to howl inside my head.
Frankly, smashing the invincible dragon should have felt exhilarating, but there was no satisfaction. The searing pain burned every muscle in my body. My organs felt as if they were being ripped out. Explosive pain surged from my toes to the crown of my head.
“Graaaaagh!”
Aranballon wailed in agony. Why did I find that cute?
Because you’re going to die soon. When you die, your suffering will end. But I have to endure this pain endlessly.
—Fwoosh!
At last, the dragon was engulfed in flames.
I wanted to use my Bone Dragon Skeleton (S-rank) skill to recover its bones, but even that was impossible.
—Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
The heat was so intense it liquefied the dragon’s bones. Eventually, they evaporated into gas, disappearing entirely. And finally…
—Ring!
[You have defeated 'Aranballon.']
The dragon died—rather, it was correct to say that it evaporated.
“Is it done?”
Yes, it’s dead. Now please leave my body. I’m in pain, so go away. I’m grateful, but please!
And in that moment, the flames that had consumed my entire body flared intensely for a brief instant, like the sudden brilliance of sunlight before dusk, then extinguished entirely. The Element of Fire that had filled my body disappeared.
“Gah, agh!”
At the same time, I coughed up a torrent of blood.
—Splurt!
My unresponsive muscles gave out, and I collapsed.
—Thud!
It was only natural. After all, the strength I had wielded was beyond reason. I had moved at speeds I couldn’t comprehend, wielding power I shouldn’t have been able to. The aftermath was inevitable. This was causality—a simple truth: where there was a cause, there would be an effect.
“Gehehehe…”
But it didn’t matter. I had been prepared for this.
There was the saying, “If you face death, you’ll live; if you cling to life, you’ll die.” If I had fought while holding back to preserve myself, it wouldn’t have been Aranballon that melted away—it would have been my comrades and I.
I had no regrets.
“Hoon!”
“Are you alright?”
My teammates rushed to me in a panic. I felt a sweet liquid touch my lips.
This has to be the elixir.
Myoi Hana was tending to me. One elixir for me, the other for Vladimir, probably.
“Hah…” I wanted to speak, but my voice wouldn’t come out.
We did it.
I wanted to say, “See? No matter what method, I was right to follow my heart. It wasn’t reckless.”
Even though I could hear the old man’s sarcastic voice in my head, “Oh, so you call blind luck a skill now?”
Heh, Elder. In our world, luck is considered a skill too. You know it better than anyone. Even if you put other hunters in the same position, they wouldn’t have achieved the same outcome as me. Sure, it was luck that allowed me to kill the dragon, but challenging the dragon in the first place was my choice—that wasn’t by luck.
“Hoon! What just happened? Where did that power come from?”
“Are you alright? Huh? Is he not breathing? Is the elixir even working properly?”
Meeting comrades like these was luck, but deciding to protect them was my choice.
“My friend! Don’t tell me you’ve died! Snap out of it!”
“Hoon? Is Hoon dead?!”
“Everyone, calm down! They’re both alive! And keep your distance! No touching the patients!”
Their panicked voices mixed with Myoi Hana’s steady instructions.
—Ring!
[The Dragon of Greed ‘Aranballon,’ who inhabited the Grand Fortress, has been eliminated. Hidden mission completed!]
[Hidden rewards will be provided based on the probability of Theme 2’s story.]
[In 30 minutes, participants will be transported to the location of ‘Theme 3.’]
[Surviving participants: 7]
[Calculating rewards.]
A clear message appeared in my vision.
With Theme 2 complete and even the hidden mission orchestrated by Delilah cleared, I lost consciousness.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Dawn
Proofreader - BringTheRayn
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics
* * *
“Hmm…” Myoi Hana closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, she said softly, “They’re alive… That’s a miracle. A true, honest miracle.”
Joo Donghoon and Vladimir lay side by side on the ground. Their appearances were pitiful. Their cracked skin resembled a parched desert, and their bodies were covered in wounds.
“Thanks to the elixir, we stopped the worst of it, but… how could they endure in such a state?”
“They are truly admirable,” the Spear of Judgment nodded. “They are also beautiful souls. Sacrifice is easy to speak of but hard to act upon. I, too, have learned much from this stage.”
“…In Vladimir’s case, his heart was completely pierced through. Normally, he would’ve died instantly. But using the elixir while the magic circle still lingered gave him just enough time. It’s truly miraculous.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, as for Mr. Donghoon…” Myoi Hana frowned slightly. “He’s simply on another level. If Vladimir was the most devastating case I’ve ever seen… Mr. Donghoon was practically a corpse.”
“…A corpse. I agree,” the Spear of Judgment grimaced and nodded.
“Exactly. He’s alive, but calling him anything other than a corpse seems inaccurate.”
His muscles had melted and his organs had disintegrated. If not for the energy from his weapon holding his body together, he would’ve turned to ashes before the elixir could be applied.
“So will they both recover? That’s what matters.”
“I don’t know yet. Once the seals on my skills are lifted, I’ll begin full treatment.”
Resuscitation. Since they had performed a miracle by killing the dragon, it was now her turn to make a miracle to save them.
“No matter what…”
It was Myoi Hana’s duty, as healer of her seven comrades.
“I’ll save them.” Her voice was resolute.
* * *
“…"
In a mysterious holographic room, a peculiar silence hung in the air. Delilah and the ten judges were at a loss for words.
And then…
“Wh-What did I just witness?”
A soft murmur of awe broke the silence, becoming the spark. One by one, the judges began voicing their thoughts.
“How is that even a participant…? Have the trial’s entry requirements been raised recently?”
“Taking down a dragon? Are you serious? I didn’t even know Theme 2 involved a dragon!”
“Oh, is that so? I didn’t know dragons even existed in this world.”
“Calling them rankers already wouldn’t be an exaggeration, would it?”
This was unprecedented. Theme 2, as the judges knew it, was a test of loyalty. But these participants had taken it far beyond that.
“They brought tears to my eyes. Honestly, this could be a movie. It feels wrong to keep this to ourselves.”
“…Same here. When I went through this trial, it was a chaotic free-for-all. Everyone just tried to save themselves. But these participants were different. It’s heartwarming.”
It was touching. It wasn’t just loyalty. These participants risked their lives for each other, challenging what seemed impossible. Not because the theme demanded it, but because their hearts compelled them to sacrifice. Vladimir gave his life to protect the team leader, and the teammates risked their lives to protect Vladimir.
“Damn. That was something else!”
—Zap!
Electricity crackled around Floa of Thundercry as she clenched her fists. This was a phenomenon that happened whenever she felt excited, regardless of her intentions.
See that? I’m indentured to someone like that!
These words sounded really strange, so she kept them to herself. But since she had started observing Joo Donghoon, electricity surged through her entire body.
See? I told you. That man is special. He’s destined to be a top ranker one day.
Even though she’d incurred penalties because of him, she felt her chest swell with pride.
Besides…
It didn’t even feel embarrassing to lose to him—to be more accurate, it had been embarrassing before, but not anymore.
“Did you see that?” Floa exclaimed. “Did you see him take down the dragon? That speed and power? Even Jack Smith, the Demon King ranked 2nd in the world, wouldn’t have been able to do that!”
“True. The side effects afterward seem severe, but still.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s still impressive as hell. They’re not even rankers yet. The leaderboard will change once this trial is over.”
“Holy shit, man. What rank will they be?”
“I don’t know. Joo Donghoon alone might make it into the top 200.”
“Top 200? Right after finishing the trial? Does that even make sense?”
“After what we just saw, how can you say that? I was being conservative when I said top 200. They still have four more themes to go, don’t they?”
“Wait… That’s true…”
The judges were abuzz. While the unprecedented rookies stirred the room into chaos, Delilah remained silent as Lucas the Arcane Swordsman approached her.
“…"
“Lady Delilah?”
She glanced up in response. “Yes?”
“What should we do about the remaining trials? At this rate, they’ve already exceeded the goal.”
The trial’s purpose was to create rankers. In Lucas's eyes, they had already surpassed that level. Defeating a dragon alone would grant them enough rewards to become Rankers. That’s how extraordinary this was.
“…Of course, we proceed as planned. The remaining themes will continue,” Delilah nodded after a moment’s thought. “You know as well as I do, Lucas. Each person gets six trials, and they must complete them all.”
Her dungeon had a limit. That was why there were six themes. This meant Joo Donghoon still had four more opportunities to grow stronger.
“And besides,” Delilah smiled faintly, “if the earlier themes were merely motivational, Theme 3 is the training ground where they truly transform into rankers.”
The training ground—the foundation of the claim that participating in this trial guaranteed becoming a ranker.
"…" Lucas swallowed hard, and thought to himself, That’s why it’s terrifying. If he grows even more from here… what kind of monster will emerge in the end?
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