The Griffons Take Flight
At that very moment, perched on the cliffs surrounding the bandit camp.
Krrreeeeer
Kkik
Two hundred griffons sat lined up at the very edge of the cliff.
With saddles and bridles strapped to their necks and backs like horses, the bandits climbed onto their backs.
As the griffons shifted behind them, Jin Chen took a step forward and said bluntly, “This is the last one. If anyone dares to back out this time, I’ll really pluck every last hair off your head and toss you straight into the meat grinder for Sybel to eat. Got it?”
Krrreeeeeerrr
The griffons nodded with terrified expressions, as if they had understood every word.
The bandits snuck glances at Jin Chen, then gently patted the griffons’ backs in reassurance.
It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.
Even if they do that, he won’t pluck the fur.
As long as we behave, it’ll be okay. Don’t get scared.
Among them, Bbakbbaki and Geunyuk-i were also there.
Each of them affectionately stroked their own griffons with filled-to-the-brim love.
Look at my kids, they’re really excited, Jin Chen chuckled and shouted briefly and thickly.
“Descend!”
Krrreeeeerrr
The griffons lifted their heads and cried out, then kicked the ground and spread their wings in a flutter.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The griffons rose into the air, flapping their massive wings.
The bandits stayed low, not moving a muscle, to give the griffons room to flap comfortably.
This was the twentieth flight.
These bandits had never flown before.
These griffons had never carried anyone before.
Of course they had no idea how to coordinate or what to do to help each other.
Of course they had never flown properly at all before.
But it wasn’t an option to just give up.
If it won’t work, keep trying until it does.
That was Jin Chen’s creed.
He had endured the insane training of his masters with that creed and raised his subordinates this far.
And even the bandits themselves didn’t know what giving up was.
“Let’s go!”
“Let’s fly like true bandits!”
“We can do it! We can do it!”
Their enthusiasm was even higher than when they had first ridden Sybel.
As if sensing the bandits’ shouts and hearts, the griffons that had been moving slowly despite the powerful flapping of their wings suddenly flared their eyes and began descending sharply toward the cliff below.
The griffons folded their wings and dove downward at terrifying speed.
Not a single one screamed or panicked.
Even though the ground was rushing closer in an instant, they didn’t let go of the bridle tied to the griffon’s neck.
The bandits’ hearts raced through the bridle, and just before they touched the ground, the griffons spread their wings with eyes shining.
Whoooooooooosh!
The bodies of the falling griffons barely skimmed the ground before shooting upward.
Kiiiaaaak!
In an instant the griffons soared higher than the cliff.
Krrreeeeerrr
Now that they knew what was happening, they began flying above the cliffs with clear laughter.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kiiiaaaaar!
Unlike before, after a few flaps their speed was building up.
The bandits felt as if they were flying freely in the empty sky, as if the griffons hadn’t noticed they were carrying anyone on their backs.
Khhahahahaha!
Eiyo ho ho ho ho ho ho!
The cheers full of joy from the bandits echoed throughout the entire bandit camp.
“Uwaaak! S-slow down a bit!”
“Uweb! D-don’t spin!”
“Uwaaaaak! S-save the mage!”
Of course there were those who couldn’t adapt, like Jeombaki, Barkan, and Geunyuk-i, but Jin Chen just smirked and said, “It’s their own fate. What can you do.”
He looked at Baek-i sitting off to the side, eyes sparkling with amusement.
“You’re not joining in?”
Krreung
Baek-i gave a disinterested look and didn’t even glance his way.
The massive, cat-like appearance only made Jin Chen’s smile thicker.
Who would think this is one of the most powerful spiritual beasts in existence.
Samsaek-i was the same, but Baek-i was no ordinary spiritual beast.
There were more hidden sides to them than what showed on the surface.
That was why he was all the more grateful for these guys.
Friends and family who had followed him to the end.
Jin Chen walked over to Baek-i and asked, “But why isn’t Samsaek-i showing up again?”
Krreung
“He still has dignity as a spiritual beast. Why are you sulking? You promised to ride Sybel when we went out for banditry.”
Kiaaaang!
“That was a long time ago. You’ve lived a long time, so just endure it. You know kids are simple.”
Baek-i nodded reluctantly after Jin Chen stroked his back and comforted him.
Jin Chen ruffled Baek-i’s head roughly and said, “Since they’re different species and live in their own territories, I won’t force them to be close. But don’t fight. If a fight breaks out, you step in and mediate.”
Krreung
“It’s not just for you. There’s no one else I can trust besides you. Look at Samsaek-i. He’s nowhere to be seen after crawling off somewhere.”
Baek-i glanced at Jin Chen, as if asking if he was serious.
“I’ll be honest, Samsaek-i is the type who causes trouble and runs off. Can you even manage the kids properly? Because you’re steady and reliable, I’m trusting you with him.”
Krrreung
Baek-i nodded vigorously, as if his mood had completely cleared up.
“Yeah, I’ll trust only you. Hahaha.”
Jin Chen was laughing brightly when suddenly Geunyuk-i’s voice came from the sky.
“Chaeju hyung! Chaeju hyung! Chaeju hyung!”
Jin Chen frowned at the urgent shout, and a massive griffon dropped right in front of him.
Kuuuung
The heavy thud shook the cliffs because it had come down so fast.
Geunyuk-i jumped off the griffon’s back and said to Jin Chen, “Hyung, what do I do?”
“Slow down. What’s going on?”
“This!”
Geunyuk-i extended his left arm forward.
A bracelet was on his wrist, completely different from the communication artifact Sybel had made.
“What is that?”
“It’s the bracelet Wolfgang and I shared.”
“What?”
“I begged Geunyuk-i to make it for me and we shared it.”
“You were eyeing me like ‘we’re friends’ and did this?”
Geunyuk-i shook his head roughly at Jin Chen’s slap.
“It’s not about that right now. This dwarf friend seems in trouble!”
“All of a sudden what do you mean?”
“He called for help from the sky just now.”
Geunyuk-i had said that.
These different races have pride that pierces the sky and hate humans to the extreme.
But he called for help?
Jin Chen frowned and said, “Is it a communication artifact?”
“Yeah.”
“Contact him again.”
“It won’t connect. Something really happened.”
It seems the friend he made here for the first time in this world is worrying him a lot.
Seeing him lower his head with a gloomy expression, Jin Chen hesitated for a moment, then shouted toward the sky.
“Everyone come down!”
Before the words even finished, the griffons that had been soaring in the sky dropped in front of Jin Chen.
Kung! Kung! Kung! Kung!
The griffons landed with a rough thud.
Krrreeeeerrr
They sensed Jin Chen’s unusual atmosphere and kept lowering their heads repeatedly.
It wasn’t understanding the meaning.
It was the effect of learning.
Like when they had followed the kogrash while heading to Cologne, it had stuck in their minds.
Ignoring the griffons, Jin Chen opened his mouth.
“Geunyuk-i.”
“Uweb! Yes, Chaeju-nim!”
Geunyuk-i, barely holding back a burp, jumped down from the griffon.
Jin Chen staggered and said to the approaching guy, “The bracelet Geunyuk-i made for me.”
“Heek! Was it wrong to make it?”
“No, but… did you carve any coordinates on it?”
“Ah! I carved the unique coordinates. I remembered what Chaeju-nim told me to do without Sybel-nim knowing!”
Jin Chen’s eyes lit up and he said, “Can you move to the place where the bracelet is right now?”
“If I’m near a place that reacts to teleportation magic, I can go immediately. Let me check right now.”
“Check quickly.”
“Yes! Chaeju-nim!”
After Geunyuk-i answered quickly and stepped back, he cast teleportation magic and recalled the unique coordinates he had carved on the bracelet.
Uuuuuuuuung
While Geunyuk-i was checking, Bbakbbaki approached and asked, “Why is this?”
“The dwarves who came to build the house last time seem to be in danger.”
“Hm, that’s why Geunyuk-i has that expression.”
“You knew?”
“On the day the Chaeju’s place was completed, in the evening I drank with the dwarves. That’s when I saw Geunyuk-i rushing to him with so much excitement and asked what was going on.”
No matter what, he was meticulous, not at all like his appearance.
“If it’s like that, it would be easier to just say it. A communication came from the dwarves. They’re calling for help.”
“Is it really necessary to go?”
“Bbakbbaki hyung! That’s too much! He’s my friend!”
“The dwarf had an unhappy expression. Are you going to help such people? Without knowing the situation?”
“That… I know.”
Geunyuk-i drooped his shoulders with a dejected face.
At that moment Jin Chen interrupted, “No, we’re going.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“I think there might be a connection between the dwarves’ danger and the plague.”
“Could it be that you’re trying to turn a blind eye to our eyes…….”
Jin Chen nodded in response, and Bbakbbaki’s eyes turned cold.
“I’ll prepare the troops immediately.”
“Wait. It seems we’ll have to go by teleportation magic, so let’s check how many people we can bring.”
“Yes, Chaeju-nim.”
Before Bbakbbaki could even finish, Geunyuk-i came rushing forward.
“Teleportation is possible!”
“How many can cross with teleportation magic?”
“As long as I maintain the warp gate, I can teleport as many as I want.”
Geunyuk-i lifted his chin and said proudly.
Seven-circle magic, teleportation magic.
It was impressive that he could unfold it so proudly himself.
Jin Chen, who didn’t even know the letter “ma” of magic, had no chance to know it.
“What are you doing? Open it quickly. Since we’ll cross half, open it as big as possible.”
“Yes? Yes.”
Geunyuk-i stepped back to one side with a sullen face again.
And activating the heart circle, he unfolded teleportation magic.
Uiiiiiiiiing
The eight circles surrounding his heart spun violently, pulling in mana from the surroundings.
The trees around them began to shake violently from the massive mana flow.
In the center of that mana, Geunyuk-i shouted with an expression he had never seen before.
“Warp!”
Jiiiiiiiiing
The surrounding mana gathered in front of Geunyuk-i and began to rotate rapidly.
The mana, gathered like a small dot, quickly swelled in size and at some point formed a size large enough to fit an adult man.
An elliptical entrance filled with swirling blue energy was completed, and Geunyuk-i shouted quickly.
“It’s done!”
Jin Chen nodded and was about to take a step when a sharp scream rang through the space.
Kiiiiiiiiik
Full of urgency, just like Geunyuk-i’s shout earlier.
Jin Chen stopped walking and looked up at the sky.
At that moment, a massive shadow covered the cliffs as if waiting for him.
“This is going to be a lot busier than I thought?”
When his eyes turned cold, the owner of the massive shadow dropped from the sky onto the cliffs.