383. Small Talk with the Dragon Hunter

The Dragon Slaying Champion, Volk, has passed out in front of a dragon.
Well, it’s no surprise considering he did take a beating from my〖Scorching Breath〗followed up by〖Paralyzing Poison Claw〗.
Guess this shows that no matter how strong you are, humans are still a fragile species compared to rank Ａ monsters.

…… Well, leaving that aside, I can’t believe Volk’s still hugging his big sword so preciously like that even though he’s unconscious.
Wait, since the sword hit the wall first, shouldn’t the damage have been suppressed?

That sword’s called〖Moon-Piercing Swing Leral〗, right?
It looks expensive if you sell it, but it’s apparently a precious item to him.
Just looking at how he treats it already shows that. It must mean the world to him.

Nightmare pulls Volk out of the wall he’s stuck in using her webs and places him on the cave floor.
Alo crouches near him and pokes Volk’s cheek using a long stick-like rock that she molded with〖Clay〗.
She’s worried he might wake up all of a sudden.

If you’re that worried, Alo, you can go pick up his sword for me.
It'll serve as a countermeasure if the first thing he does when he wakes up is rampage.
Separating him from his weapon isn’t the only reason, we can also use it as a bargaining chip in case he doesn’t listen to us.

Alo nods and attempts to take away Volk’s sword from his hands.
…… Half a minute has passed, and Volk’s fingers still show no sign of loosening from his sword’s grip.

That sword is glued tight alright. Alo is really struggling.
She bites her lip, looks back at me, and makes an apologetic face before facing Volk again.

Alo places both of her hands on Volk’s grip.
Then, a black light shines from Alo’s hands.
Oh, she’s using〖Drain〗to steal Volk’s strength and weaken his hold on his sword.

At least that’s what I thought would happen, but instead, Volk’s skin slowly turned pale, and his grip hasn’t loosened at all.
What is up with this stubborn old man?
I mean, I can understand not wanting to let go of your trusty sword before an enemy, but even fingers should have their limit.

“R-Ryujin-sama……”

Alo looks at me, crying.

Before I made a reaction, Partner moves her head towards Volk.
What, do you have a plan or something?
Then, as if moving naturally, Partner grabs the sword with her fangs.

In the next second, Partner pulls the sword from Volk’s hold with all her might.
Volk’s arms get stretched from the pull. His body gets lifted in the air as his hands let go of the sword, and Volk gets flung to the other side of the cave.

And I thought the sword would never leave his clutches.
Partner turns to me, with the sword in her mouth.

【“See?”】

Don’t give me that look.
You were way too rough on him.
Yeah, you got the sword…… but, you could’ve also killed him in the process.

Then, even though I didn’t give any orders yet, Nightmare just went and wrapped Volk around with her webs.
She knows how to get things done, alright…… despite her personality.
Nightmare turns and faces Partner, as if saying “Will this do?”.

“Gra~a”
【“Sure, why not”】

Partner answers with a growl, dropping the sword from her mouth.
Don’t tell me the only reason you helped was because you were planning to eat it……?
Listen here Partner, that sword of his is just like the Hero’s sword.
It’ll be hard to replace once it’s gone.

Anyway, I ask Partner to heal Volk with recovery magic, but after looking at Volk, that doesn’t seem to be necessary anymore.
Volk’s wounds are healing on their own.

It must be his〖Automatic HP Recovery〗skill at work.
He also has〖Self-Regeneration〗too.
…… Weird for a human to have that.
Is he really human? His skillset is comparable to someone with a sacred skill.

I actually haven’t met any humans who’ve reached their max levels or at least close to it other than those with sacred skills.
With those high-level recovery skills of his, I can see why he’s fine adventuring alone, and with〖Self-Regeneration〗, he can still recover his arm in case he loses it, so his life as a swordsman won’t end even after losing a limb or two since they’ll just grow back.
He can take bigger risks than the normal adventurer without worry.

That must be why Volk leveled up so fast.
He can just keep on fighting strong opponents and shrug off any injury after the battle.

A few minutes later, Volk’s eyes open.
He looks around confused, and when he moves his body, he realizes that he’s been constrained.
Volk’s face shows an astonished look as he sees his own body wrapped in a cocoon of spider web.
His expression then distorts and makes a scream that doesn’t match his manly body.

“G-Ga~ah?!”

I put my face closer to him.
Good morning.

Thought this would scare him more, but looks like he still has his fighting spirit lit up.
His eyes are burning with fire, as if saying he’s not given up yet.

“Where is my beloved Leral?!”

…… Aah, he’s more worried about his sword than himself, I see.
Then, Volk looks at my other head and sees Partner just playing with his sword in her mouth.
A look of disbelief and misery is seen on Volk’s face.

“This lump of thread will not stop me……”

Alo raises her hand at the back of Volk’s head, while Volk continues to escape the web cocoon.
She intends to release her magic the instant Volk escapes.

“…… Guh, it is my loss, kill me. To think I would lose my life to a dragon in the midst of my path to the sword…… but, as a dragon hunter, I could not ask for a more fitting end”

Your status shows that you’re near max-level……
You’re the strongest swordsman I’ll probably ever meet. Even that blonde Hero can easily be at the brink of death from just one swing of your sword.

Now then, I’m gonna need to use〖Human Transformation〗if I want to converse with him.
Thankfully, I still have enough MP for that.
Sorry Partner, but I’m gonna have to ask you to stay put inside me for now.

I move my tongue to get something out of my mouth and spit out the clothes I brought with me from the Lithuvar Tribe before using〖Human Transformation〗.
My body begins to shrink.
Partner’s head also turns small and disappears in my shoulder.
The more I use this skill, the smoother the transformation becomes.

I touch my face with my hands to confirm if I’ve successfully turned into a human.
It would help if I had a mirror with me. Next, I stroke my hair.

“A, aa, a, a ah……”

Voice seems good too.
Okay, I’ve managed to transform safely.

“R-…… Ryujin-sama!”

Alo’s〖Revana Lich〗white skin blushes and she looks away from me as she hands me my drool-covered clothes.

“Thanks, Alo”

I wear the clothes offered by Alo.
Volk looks up at me, stunned.

“W-……! Why would the legendary two-headed Ouroboros use〖Human Transformation〗before me……?”

I pick up Volk’s sword,〖Moon-Piercing Swing Leral: Ａ〗, and swing it around for a while before letting it lie on my shoulder and facing Volk.
Right, so where do I start.

After eyeing each other for a while, the confusion in Volk’s face disappear and he nods at me, as if understanding what I’m about to do.
So he already understands that I don’t plan on killing him and that I want information first, huh.
He reads the situation fast. His〖Legendary Adventurer〗title isn’t just there for show then, seeing as he can be flexible if need be.

“To take on the shape of a human… I see…… so you wish to challenge me in a sword fight. Very well. I accept your challenge!”

I take it back. He’s dumb.