Floor 14 — Defense of the Drina River (4)

Deep jade eyes with a crimson vertical slit at their center. Sarkage's dry gaze swept over me from head to toe. Even a mere glance from him carried the crushing weight of a dragon's power.

Primal fear crawled up my spine and prickled at my neck. And then, at last, Sarkage's eyes fixed on the earring at my ear.

"Kyaaahk!"

"Kiehk!"

"Enough."

Sarkage roared at the wyverns that were belatedly charging toward us. At that thunderous cry, they flinched and fell back.

Good. That was enough for now. He'd taken an interest in the earring — even if he wasn't friendly yet, he wouldn't attack me outright.

With a single beat of his wings, Sarkage, who had shaken off the wyverns, drew near. A colossal dragon came to a stop before my broom.

I could feel Erendil trembling, paralyzed with terror.

"How can anyone possibly control a dragon—"

"It's all right. Trust me — I'll handle this myself."

I gave her shoulder a light pat to reassure her, but it was no use. Her shoulders kept shaking.

Hm. Well, I suppose I should count it a blessing that she hasn't bolted outright?

I turned my gaze back to the dragon who had drawn close. And I could see that Sarkage's eyes were brimming with joy.

"Th-that is..."

"I received it after killing the parasite that was inside Black Dragon Herkest's head."

"Hoo..."

Sarkage let out a long, deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. It was a sigh of relief — and in that moment, I was certain of it.

Yes. This was a jackpot. At worst, I'd planned to simply coax out a friendly attitude... but judging by his reaction, he had a deep connection with Herkest.

Just like with the guardians — could Sarkage be Herkest's parent, as I'd suspected?

I couldn't know for sure. But one thing had become clear: things were different from what Ha Heijeong had told me.

She'd said that while a full-floor trial spanning an entire planet was all interconnected, it never linked back to an individual's personal trial. And in truth, that had held for every other climber's personal floors as well.

But my personal trial, starting from Floor 11, had been woven into the floor-wide trial. Probably because I'd refused the status window...

The dragon's voice broke my reverie.

"The parasite... so that illness was caused by a parasite?"

"Yes. There was a parasite living inside his head."

The illness that had been labeled details unknown. Judging by his reaction, even Sarkage hadn't known it was a parasite.

It surprised me, honestly, that a dragon of such power couldn't recognize it. Then again, these were dragons of the Tower. The Tower is a place where common sense holds no sway. If the Tower so intended, perhaps it simply couldn't be known.

"...I see. And is Herkest well?"

"Yes, he's been doing well. He can breathe venomous fire now, and he's even able to cast simple magic."

"I see."

"However — in order to save Herkest, I had no choice but to kill the guardians."

The moment the words left my mouth, carefully as I'd tried to phrase them, I regretted it.

Should I have kept that to myself? Damn it — standing before a dragon had me a little on edge. I'd been so excited that the earring had actually worked that I'd blurted it out without thinking.

But Sarkage merely shook his head as if it were nothing.

"That is of no concern. It was, after all, part of the process of placing Herkest in the Tower to keep him safe. Such things are no longer needed."

"Hm... I see."

No fitting reply came to mind. But — placing Herkest in the Tower to protect him? So it hadn't simply been a predetermined trial after all. There was something more here that I didn't understand.

Just as my curiosity began to swell, Sarkage spoke first.

"Well then. If Herkest's illness — no, his parasite — has been cured, there is no longer any need for me to remain here."

Did that mean he'd leave the battlefield? Yes — the gamble I'd taken, risking everything, had paid off. The river's water would return, and the wyverns' rampage would end.

Wait a moment.

His parasite was cured, so there's no need to stay? If I heard him right, that meant Sarkage was on this battlefield not by his own will.

Then someone had taken Herkest hostage ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and coerced him? Why on earth? Don't tell me — the Tower itself?

The questions wouldn't leave my head, but Sarkage spoke again.

"Among those I have killed, there may well have been comrades of yours. Age has dulled my eyes — I failed to recognize my benefactor. I am grateful, and I am sorry."

"...No. From what you've told me, it wasn't something you did of your own will."

The dragon — big as an entire apartment building — closed his eyes and bowed his head to me.

Uh... hm. I hadn't asked for anything this grand. Things had gone better than I'd imagined, and when the dragon actually bowed his head, it only left me flustered.

When he raised his head again, Sarkage turned his gaze to my left ear.

"Words alone are too poor a thanks..."

A brief ripple of magic. One of the scales from the dragon's neck wrenched free and floated up before my eyes.

Hm. Looks like exactly what happened with Herkest... And sure enough.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The scale drifted down and settled gently onto my left earlobe. But unlike last time, there was no warmth to it. Perhaps that was the difference of an ancient dragon's magic?

I raised my left hand and touched my ear. There it was — an earring slightly larger than the one on my right.

Wow...

If Herkest's earring had been a gift of joy, Sarkage's was pure, wide-eyed wonder. The earring's options were almost absurdly good.

The boost to all stats was one thing, but the poison and fire resistance were what truly mattered. At this point, I was all but immune to most poisons, and flame could hardly harm me anymore.

"Th-thank you."

"This alone is insufficient. The battlefield I wrecked must be restored as well. And — though late — what is your name?"

"Kwon Suhyeok."

"Kwon Suhyeok... I thank you. I will not forget this debt. I shall await the day we meet again. Survive, whatever it takes — to the very end."

With those words, Sarkage spread his wings and soared into the sky.

At the same instant, a violent surge of magic burst from him, racing upstream along the river. Then came a draconic cry that swallowed the entire battlefield.

"KRRAAAOOORR—!"

"Kyaaahk!"

"Kiehk!"

With the dragon's cry, the wyverns that had ruled the skies above the battlefield wheeled around in unison.

Just as when it had first arrived, Herkest flew toward the enormous moon. Thousands of wyverns followed behind it. A massive silhouette and a scattering of small ones, gradually shrinking — and then, in an instant, dragon and wyverns vanished as though wiped away.

It looked like teleportation.

Erendil, who had been watching the whole thing, stammered out a question.

"Wh-what in the world just happened?"

"Things happened. It's a secret."

"But really... the dragon actually left, just like that?"

"I told you I could do it. I told you to trust me."

Erendil turned her head on the broom to look at me. Eyes glistening. A face washed over with emotion.

Hm. Was victory on this battlefield really that important to her? Well — half the continent had already fallen into enemy hands, after all...

"Thank you... thank you so much..."

"Don't mention it. I only did what I had to—"

RRUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE— The ground-shaking roar cut my words short.

The epicenter was upstream. The river the dragon had been holding back must have come pouring down all at once.

Even held for a short time, it was a colossal river. Releasing it in one go would have the effect of a dam bursting.

So that's what he meant by 'restoring the battlefield I wrecked?'

Damn it — no time for this. The dragon's appearance had pushed the fighting back a little, but the fiercest combat was still hugging the riverbank. One mistake, and our own people would be swept away with the flood.

I had to pull the climbers and the imperial troops back.

I need to make my voice carry across the whole battlefield.

Some had already sensed something wrong and begun withdrawing, but the allies on the front line were too slow about it.

I poured half my remaining mana into my voice and shouted.

"Retreat! Full retreat! The river is coming down!"

"Full retreat! The river is coming down!"

"Fall back! Fall back!"

Raw and hoarse from the long battle, my voice rolled across the entire front. And at my cry, the imperial legion commander on the ground began issuing his own retreat orders to his soldiers.

With both commanders giving the command, our forces turned their backs on the river without a second glance and began pulling away from the banks.

The lizardmen, too, seemed to sense that something was terribly wrong — they surged savagely toward our retreating line.

But it's already too late.

Whether the dragon had worked some masterstroke or not, far in the distance the river was coming into view. The vast majority of the lizardmen were standing exactly where the water used to flow.

"Re-form battle lines! Restore formation!"

"Battle stations! Restore the ranks!"

"Hold formation!"

"Formation, now!"

If the lizardmen charged forward, our soldiers would meet them blade to blade. But falling back wasn't an option either — they'd advanced too deep to outrun the current.

Even if any lizardmen survived, once the river was reborn I could hold it back with the Essence of Lightning.

The lizardmen's defeat was sealed.

Now the flood was at their very doorstep — a monstrous speed and pressure, like a tidal wave.

No — not like a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tidal wave. It's magic.

The onrushing water had taken the shape of a dragon. A wave that bore an uncanny resemblance to Sarkage himself. As if pouring out the fury of a dragon who'd been threatened with his child's life as collateral, the dragon-shaped flood crashed down upon the lizardmen.

Lizardmen were swept away in the raging torrent. Numbers beyond counting vanished beneath the water with them.

"All forces, charge!"

What remained were the lizardmen caught between the flood and us. The climbers and the Deiorn Empire's troops rushed at the few remaining enemies, weapons raised.

In the end, the lizardmen retreated.

Of course, it hadn't been without resistance. They'd numbered over 700,000 from the start, so a fair share of them had survived. They tried to cross the river again, but a few bolts of lightning persuaded them to turn back.

The black door on Floor 11, and the Black Dragon. I knew coincidence could only stretch so far, but...

We just saved over a hundred thousand climbers.

I wanted to shout it out loud to every climber on that field: I saved you — I and Ha Heijeong saved you.

Of course, that was a mad thought. A hollow laugh escaped me on its own.

The climbers stood caught between the joy of survival and the grief of lost comrades. I looked over them slowly, an inexplicable tangle of emotions rising from somewhere deep in my chest.

"Suhyeok."

And then Ha Heijeong called my name.

She looked rough — badly rough, at a glance. Her robe was torn, and her hair was soaked through with sweat.

That's right. She'd been through as much hell as I had. She hadn't been flawless, but she'd kept hundreds of thousands of climbers under control, and raised waves of flame at every critical moment.

She looked exhausted, in body and in mind. But the smile on Ha Heijeong's face was brighter than anyone else's on that field.

"Really... you worked so hard. Really."

"Ha — so did you."

Looking at her, my mouth kept twitching at the corners, and hers was doing the same.

We'd averted a catastrophe. No one would ever know it, but the massacre from Ha Heijeong's first regression — we'd stopped it.

As completely as it could possibly have been done.

In the end, I couldn't hold back my laughter. Neither could she. And so we stood there, facing each other, laughing for a long while.

It was only when the imperial legion commander approached that the laughter finally died.

"I am Cartley Monaca, commander of the Deiorn Empire's Western Legion. Might I have your name, sir?"