◈ Episode 407. Four Days (2)

“Your tasks for the next four days are as follows.”

Trying to mimic Hoyeol as much as possible.

Frostnax puffs up his fur and speaks.

Because it looked like a newborn chick, it didn’t really make a big impression.

“Nash, Emilio, and the three senior mages will take the lead in monitoring Antonium’s movements. However, hasty entry will not be permitted.”

Nam Taemin and Leonie whispered.

“Which side are we supposed to join?”

“I’m hoping it’s not the blonde one.”

“If it’s the Magic Tower blonde, then senior Bensch William?”

Shithead.

Leonie shook her head in disbelief.

For some reason, Nam Taemin wanted to avoid Bensch.

Why, look at him now.

“Woohoo, it’s finally time for me, Bensch William!”

He was the only one excited.

Hisagi remained silent.

Whichever side he ended up joining, it was probably good.

‘Because they’re all better than us.’

There was a bigger question than that.

The chick in front of him, the self-proclaimed Ice Dragon Frostnax.

Why did Frostnax disappear with the light?

Why did Frostnax appear in the form of a chick?

‘Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.’

He didn’t know exactly why, but it didn’t matter.

Hoyeol, the Commander-in-Chief, was alive and well in the real world.

For now, it was enough to know that his guess was correct.

Matisse’s gaze shifted to Bellier.

“Did you have a guess, Senior Bellier?”

“When you say guess, you mean Chief Lee, right?”

“That’s right.”

Matisse Dean Karl, senior in black magic.

Matisse had been monitoring Antonium’s movements from the south, as opposed to the north, and had been the last to hear about the situation. But he understood the gravity of the situation as well as anyone else.

A blackened ring.

Suitable magic from the past.

There was no shortage of it in the north, in the region.

Not even a few hours ago.

This much Suitable Magic Power?

That means something intense had happened.

And that meant it had to be serious.

Matisse opened his mouth.

“I was concerned about Chief Lee because of his anger.”

Bellier smiled slightly.

“Is it the same for me?”

“Are you sure?”

“Because I even asked Chief directly.”

Before the Cataclysm.

The power of resurrection that was only given to adventurers. Does Chief still possess that power, and if not, why is he willing to sacrifice himself?

Bellier asked directly.

Bellier spoke up.

“Of course, I didn’t get the right answer. No, I didn’t. Maybe you gave me the right answer, and I just didn’t understand it……? But it’s clear.”

Bellier smiles.

“Four days from now. Chief Lee gave us quite a few tasks. Senior Matisse knows this too, right? If we disappoint Chief Lee, what kind of harsh words will come back?”

Bensch, who had been silent at Bellier’s words, nodded vigorously.

“I know, and this Bensch William, knows better than anyone.”

Nash’s eyes sparkled.

“As expected, Brother Bensch, you know everything!”

What does he mean, four days?

The question could not be answered by those who did not know the title, the effect of the Last Adventurer, but it must be accomplished. Considering the last words Frostnax had added.

“The Dark Dragon will enter the Arcana Continent with the Knights of the Lionheart in exactly four days, Arcana time. So humans, hurry up and get moving!”

Nang Taemin glanced at the little chick.

“Isn’t that a little disrespectful?”

He was just trying to kill us a moment ago.

Are you saying that you spit out the evil fruit and did good deeds? How can you change your attitude like that? What, you really treat Mr. Hoyeol like a mother chicken……. No, you think he’s the boss?

I wonder if he noticed Nam Taemin’s gaze.

Frostnax turns its tiny head.

He opens his beak and answers.

“At this age, you grow up fighting, human.”

“Growing up fighting? How old are you to say that…….”

“Anyway, I can’t see a single human.”

A fierce hatchetling.

Shamelessly turning away, Frostnax remembered Hoyeol’s words. Others have been given great tasks. Frostnax was about to accept one of his own.

-“Find the Dragon Knight.”

Frostnax was genuinely impressed.

Indeed, the all-seeing Dark Dragon.

Its reputation was not exaggerated.

“How you can look down on a single, insignificant human is beyond me, but……. It’s your command, Dark Dragon, and I will faithfully carry it out. So where are you, you arrogant human who claims to be a Dragon Knight!”

A Dragon Knight, Skal?

“……That’s right!”

Frostnax snarled.

The Great Alliance remembered Skal’s existence in hindsight.

He was like a nuisance, and his absence was belatedly realized.

“Just stay put, That bastard is unlucky.”

Nam Taemin scratched his head.

“He……. He’s probably searching all over the Arcana continent by himself, looking for the Dragon. I don’t know where or what he’s doing, but he’s probably still having a hard time.”

*

[Class Quest: Dragon Blood]

Dragon Knight, if you wish to ascend to the heights of Dragons, you must smell like them, for only pure dragon blood can make that possible. Drink it and be recognized as one of their own.

-Acquire Dragon Blood. (Ongoing)

Nam Taemin’s prediction was correct.

“Where should I find such a precious thing?”

Skal was unlucky.

There was no way for him to know that the dragon’s blood had oozed from the wound Hoyeol had left on Frostnax, or even that thanks to Hoyeol, there was no need to bother ingesting dragon blood to win the dragon’s favor.

“First, let’s fly a little faster.”

The griffin, Skal’s favorite pet on the Arcana continent, sliced through the sky.

First, he headed for the Zero Mountains.

To look for signs of the dragon.

“I hope there’s something left.”

Massive regular update.

As you know, the Zero Mountains have been updated to reality.

As such, nothing existed on the Arcana continent, where the Zero Mountains once stood. But Skal remembered the advice of the romantic explorer, Lorenzik.

-“The king of all things leaves a strong presence. In the mountains, in the fields, on the ground, and even in the air! If I were you, I’d start with the Zero Mountains.”

The top of the Zero Mountains.

It’s a place where dragons have been for a long time, so there might be traces of them. Sure enough, Lorenzik was right. The Zero Mountains were there. As they climbed higher and higher, the griffin began to grunt.

It was obviously frightened by the King of All Things.

“It’s okay, there are no dragons here.”

Shhh.

Skal stroked the griffin’s head.

Steadying the griffin, he flew a little higher.

And he saw it.

A rift, a gap in the dimension.

[Hidden Piece: The Dragon’s Shrine].

“……Found.”

A resting place for dragons that transcends dimensions.

But Skal did not dare to enter.

The message was enough to make him suspicious.

[Appropriate Level: Transcendent]

[Collapse: 100%]

A collapse rate of 100% was not surprising. Dragons weren’t allowed to appear in reality and on the Arcana continent for nothing. But then.

“……Transcendent.”

The appropriate level was strange.

From the early days of the Arcana Continent until recently.

A word that even he, who was at the top of the official rankings, had never heard of.

‘Although there was a similar phrase in the Zero Mountains.’

Not recommended for anyone.

A phrase that describes the appropriate level of the Zero Mountains.

‘Zero Mountains,’ he thought, wondering if there could be more warnings.

“This is worse……?”

Indeed, the warning of the unknown was more dangerous.

……gulp.

Skal swallowed dryly.

‘Sir Hoyeol, I wonder if the Commander in Chief knows something?’

The question was suddenly relevant.

Even if it was just a trace. The King of All does not show the Dragon Face to just anyone. Skal grabbed the reins of the griffin that had been fidgeting earlier.

“Anyway, I found a clue, That’s enough for today.”

The goal of locating the dragon was accomplished.

Although he did get greedy for the newly updated class quest…….

He couldn’t even bring himself to look the dragon in the eye.

To take dragon blood, he’d have to wound a dragon, and it is not strange for the current dragons to turn into evil dragons at any time. Skal muttered to himself as he suppressed the urge.

“These aren’t the days when they were just piece of data, Skal.”

Make no mistake, this is Arcana.

If I die, I really die.

Skal flew through the air, muttering to himself.

‘I must spread the word.’

Of course, there was no telling how useful the information would be now.

A transcendent, that is. No matter how much you are Commander-in-Chief. Maybe I should spend some time getting to the right level, fulfilling the requirements of being a Transcendent.

Skal swallowed a sigh.

“Kkiek!”

The griffin began to twist and turn.

Swing-!

The saddle shook violently.

But a masterful rider.

Skal quickly regained his balance.

At the same time, he demonstrated his understanding of his mount.

Griffin’s vision quickly followed.

“……What is that?”

Then he saw “something” flying across the ground.

kwadeudeudeug─!

To be precise, a bizarre tentacle that advances at breakneck speed.

“Kkiek!!”

Griffins are considered a spirit animal on the Arcana continent. In terms of rank, they are considered a [Unique] pet. It has the mental strength to face any monster.

pudeudeog─!

Skal couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘He’s even more anxious than when we found the dragon’s traces.’

What the hell was that tentacle?

For one thing, its power seemed destructive. It seemed like it could cut through the earth like soft sand, crushing anything in its path.

But the tentacles seemed to have a clear destination.

“Calm down, Griffin, it won’t hurt you.”

It was simply going ‘somewhere’.

Because it wasn’t chasing a creature that was fleeing from it.

But Skal’s relief was short-lived.

As he stared at the tentacles, he realized something.

“……?”

Wait, that’s the direction of the Imperial Capital, Antonium!

*

Frostnax.

Suddenly, the chick opened its beak.

“Oh, I forgot one thing.”

“What? You forgot?”

“No. Is that really Ice Dragon in the first place?!”

Could it be that due to polymorphing into a chick, the brain size and intelligence of a chick have become that of a bird’s head? It was the moment when Nam Taemin and Leonie exchanged serious looks.

Frostnax didn’t seem to mind.

“It was your duty to protect the newly sprouted seed of the World Tree. Dark Dragon said that you humans would definitely keep in mind the seed of the World Tree and its characteristics……….”

“……!”

Upon hearing those words, the players realized something.

They realized that the [Garden of World Trees] was originally a [Predator Swamp].

Moreover, Nam Taemin, Hisagi, and Leonie.

The three of them were experienced in the Predator Rift.

“Weren’t there all kinds of Named Mobs?”

“They were all after the great blessing of the World Tree Seed.”

“But I think they stopped fighting after it sprouted, didn’t they?”

Then, now that the World Tree Seed has sprouted.

There’s no reason for the monsters to gather, is there?

A questioning glance toward Frostnax.

Frostnax, the one in question, flapped his wings shamelessly.

“No, this is an enemy of a different order. To put it simply, it is the one who corrupted my mother and my brothers, and what it wants is not a blessing, but the new World Tree itself.”

The one that corrupted the World Tree and the Dragon?

A creature whose purpose is to devour the New World Tree?

That such an ignoble creature would come……?

No, why are you saying that now?!

Did he notice the resentful gaze?

Frostnax opens his beak.

“Didn’t I tell you? You can do that when you’re young.”

There he goes again with the age thing.

That’s a little too shameless.

What’s the point of being young in the first place?

“Didn’t you say that dragons are at least a thousand years old?”

Leonie chimed in.

“I want to take a look at that damn World Tree’s genealogy.”

Sure enough.

That level of shamelessness must run in the family.

But there was no room for grumbling anymore.

Because I was starting to feel it.

kwadeudeudeug─!

Primordial Evil.

Its tentacles reaching for the new World Tree.

A great malevolence.

[The Demon, a ‘byproduct of primordial evil’, appears].

At this moment, the Great Alliance was frankly resenting Frostnax. The little chick had completely forgotten, and there were no senior mages, no Imperial Mages, and no King of the Scavengers around.

Under such circumstances, the World Tree Sprout had to be protected.

But the Great Alliance did not know.

That there was an inexplicable reason for Frostnax’s shamelessness.

Yes, it was the nature of a being born to be king of all things.

Naturally, one would pay dearly for crossing such a king. And now, a chick rising out of thin air. An uncontrollable surge of magic began to emanate from Frostnax.

“It’s you.”

A chill began to flow from the Ice Dragon.

“My mother, the one who corrupted the World Tree and deceived me and my brothers. I, Frostnax, have been waiting for you. At last, I can take my revenge.”

A fierce chill swept through the air.

“Freeze and remain frozen.”

Everyone gasped in horror.

“Before I beat you to death.”

Oh, my God.

What a chick with such a rough mouth.

No, there are Dragons!