Heroes Swarm the Nest
...Should I blast 'em?
"It's gotta be good... right?"
Haring picked her final weapon and left the treasure vault with me. She'd been dead set on grabbing a legendary weapon no matter what after slaying the ogre lord—no compromises, absolutely, never—but my persuasion changed her mind.
A weapon that combines?
Just looking at the dragon sword screamed extraordinary, and it combined. Simply attaching two identical swords made them fuse into one, with specs way better than before.
◈ Physical Attack Power: 45 (+30)
◈ All Stats +2 (+3)
◈ Physical Resistance +5%.
◈ Fire Resistance +5%.
◈ Magic Resistance +5%.
◈ Attack Power vs. Dragonkin +10%.
Of course, the only boosts were +30 attack and +3 to all stats, but it did improve. The fact that it wasn't just fusing but actually powering up had to mean something intentional.
"Attack power-wise, it's quasi-unique tier."
Still no abilities or special stats, though.
My other disciples snagged legendary weapons—even NyaNya got two!!
"Anyway, it's good. Yeah, anyway."
Haring decided to believe that. Otherwise, she wouldn't hold up.
＊
"It's gotta be good... it has to be..."
I came out of the treasure vault with Haring, who was mumbling to herself while clutching thirty practice swords.
Outside, the heroes were beaming ear to ear, grins stretched so wide it looked like their mouths reached their ears. Was it that great?
"That good, huh?"
"Of course!"
"Can't wait to try it out."
"No. Hold back."
Most of what they'd picked weren't for immediate use—more like future-proof gear. Like NyaNya's eye staff: needed at least four stars carved to wield.
They craved raw power and high potential, but that came with restrictions. Sure, not impossible to use—like NyaNya pushing to near-death—but feasible.
These immortals wouldn't die for good, so they could risk it a few times with death as collateral.
"Doesn't mean spam it just 'cause you don't die."
"Why not?"
"Strains the soul."
The body could revive a hundred, a thousand times by the goddess's grace, but not the soul. One strain, and revival might not be fully normal. Recovery would drag on.
The heroes nodded in understanding.
"Ah... Got it!"
"Penalty, huh."
"OP if you could spam it."
"Why me though..."
"Haring, you picked that again?"
"Uh..."
"Why?"
"Yeah, why..."
I watched them pat the deflated-looking Haring and pondered.
What should I give 'em to keep 'em busy?
The ogre lord subjugation, which I'd figured would take a year minimum, wrapped in two weeks. Rewards powered them up, plus relics and legendary weapons—prime for more quests.
But the nastiest threat I knew in this world was the ogre lord. Sure, probably worse demons or demonkin up north, but "go catch one" didn't count as a quest.
Somehow, it felt like it only registered if I specifically acknowledged it.
The most active big bad right now was the Fifth Legion Commander, Kadaver of Servitude...
"Suinjoa."
"Yeah?"
"Go catch Kadaver this time. Generous reward."
Fifth Legion Commander, Kadaver of Servitude. He'd shown up in the present, killed heroes, caused chaos—should work.
I crossed my arms, watching them. Soon, they gawked at thin air.
Reward: 6,000,000 Gold
"Reward's six million...?"
"What?"
"Th-this is insane!"
"Can't beat a legion commander! No way, no how!"
"Why not? You could."
He's not that strong, honestly. Throws big magic, moves all sinister-looking, but kinda lame up close. Beat him like an ogre—bash relentlessly—and five years tops?
Longer meant more nap time. Win-win. Unless they pulled another two-week miracle, then I'd concede.
"If you can't solo, team up with other heroes. Overwhelm with numbers."
"No, he's legit strong. Magic that wipes ten ogre hordes—we all got slaughtered."
"You can do it. At... five cores?"
"We're barely scraping one or two..."
"Soon enough."
Stars weren't that hard. Steady mana circulation and use, and they'd etch naturally.
Three years?
Mass-produced or not, heroes were heroes. Five stars easy by then.
"Three years is plenty. Faster? Two years max."
"Can't even stabilize two yet..."
"Three years is too long..."
"Three years ain't long."
No matter their protests, I was assigning it. I knew better than anyone it was impossible—but who knows? Like the ogre, some weird cheese strat might work.
Clap clap!
"Mmm. Now go snag that legion commander with your new weapons and power."
"Master..."
"Please no."
"Lea, this is really not it!"
"It is it. Depart..."
Thud thud!
"Are you there!!!"
"?"
"Dragon lady!!! Us too, please!!"
I was shooing them out with the quest when a roar echoed. Vibrations from the nest entrance—tons of voices.
Figured more heroes dropping by like usual. Ignored it, but this felt different.
Lots.
Not the annoying few. Curiosity piqued, I hopped to a rock overlooking the nest...
"What the."
I saw it. Heroes packed around the nest—an ocean of them.
＊
The dragon Lea had been world-famous for months. Transcendent powerhouse, owner of a treasure mountain, polymorphs into a cute little girl.
Inevitable spotlight. Early discoverers swarmed, but my blocking the entrance and yelling "get lost" shut that down. Visitors dwindled.
Not from fear—heroes treated this like a game. No way they'd bail from a dragon roar.
No profit.
Quests were brutally hard anyway, and unselectable without prior pick. Lately, only disciples showed—until the bombshell.
Someone claiming disciple-friend ties said dragon quests were "extremely" easy. Pics showed newbie/lowbie clears stacked a hundred deep. All rewarded fully, tons duplicated. Prolazia auth mark—no fakes.
Rankers and bitter noobs mobilized.
And now.
"Lea! Lea! Lea!"
"Lady Lea! Quest for me too!"
"So cute!"
"Lea-chan is kawaiiiii!!!"
"Just 20 quests for me!"
"I rock at goblins!"
Lea stared at the hero sea filling her view. Circling the nest but never crossing the line, hollering from afar. Not a single casual thief in sight.
Lea thought.
"Ah."
Mass-produced heroes might not be just "hundreds." Goddess picked more than imagined—hers was a fraction.
Worst: ...Can I handle this?
No more lazy days, even after sending these off.
Lea quietly closed her eyes.
"...Should I blast 'em?"
Her breath itched.