The Art of Draconic Diplomacy

Regardless of their level, the Battle Angels of Archisus served their master, Tae-hyun, with absolute deference. It was an incredibly fortunate turn of events for him.

"Thank goodness... Despite their terrifying appearance, they're actually quite polite..." Cain muttered, seemingly sharing the sentiment. But the moment the words left his mouth, one of the angels roared at him.

"Impudent fool!"

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Startled, Cain slammed his forehead against the ground. Just looking at their faces filled him with primal dread. They looked less like holy beings and more like wrathful fiends.

"Looking closely, you appear to be the Slave of Archisus. You are doing well. Growing six arms is quite commendable."

"Keep up the hard work! Though you are still lacking in heads."

"..." Cain felt a sudden surge of indignation. These bastards?! I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but did they really have to call me stupid to my face—

"Cain. You do realize they don't mean you're stupid, right? They literally mean you don't have enough heads."

"?!" That's what they meant?!

"If you truly dedicate yourself, you too may grow more heads one day... and if luck is on your side, you might even become a Battle Angel of Archisus."

'...Cut the crap!' Cain felt another surge of anger at the quest window. What kind of destiny is that!

"A-A Legendary Class!" Cain cried out in shock. He never expected the sudden arrival of Archisus's Army to grant him a quest like this! Besides, even the class name sounded incredibly cool. Slave of Archisus vs. Archisus Battle Angel—obviously, the latter was the only choice!

"I-I will do my absolute best! I will do whatever it takes to grow more heads!"

"Indeed! The number of heads is of the utmost importance."

"While the number of heads is important, do not forget your heart. A heart of devotion! That sincere heart is what truly matters."

The Battle Angels lectured Cain with solemn gravity.

"Still, your heart is remarkably pure and loyal!"

"Yes! Since you are pure and simple-minded, you would never have the wits to betray us!"

"T-Thank you?" Before Cain could fully process the backhanded compliment, the Battle Angels turned their gaze back ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Tae-hyun.

"Master! Our time in this realm is limited. Give us your command!"

"I plan to attack the Red Dragon, Nitinger. Can you assist me?"

"Of course. For our Master, we would gladly charge even a Demon Duke of the Demon Realm!"

"Let's not jinx ourselves. Dealing with a dragon is already headache enough."

Battle Angels with 100% loyalty! Tae-hyun was genuinely touched. Between Bishop Pelmarne and these angels, the Archisus Cult actually has some pretty decent perks.

The old saying that pleasure follows pain was indeed true. After all his suffering, his reward had finally arrived!

Carbanog wiped away a tear as he watched Tae-hyun's emotional display. Just how much had the poor Pope suffered under his cult's management to be so deeply moved by something so basic? What kind of religion didn't have competent angels and archbishops to begin with...!

"True Eye of Archisus! Hostility of Archisus! Path of Archisus!"

The Battle Angels cracked their whips to keep the snarling demons in line as they began casting skills in rapid succession. Though there were only between twenty and thirty of them, their overwhelming aura completely dominated the battlefield.

The gathered raid players swallowed hard, staring at the backs of Archisus's Asuras—no, his Battle Angels. Something... something massive was about to happen!

"Master! We shall escort you!"

"Let's go!"

Tae-hyun soared into the air on Yong-yong's back. The Gold Dragon expanded his body to its absolute limit and let out a mighty roar.

"Heuk-heuk, Golgol-i, flank me! We charge!"

Tae-hyun planned to conduct the initial vanguard strike with only himself and the Battle Angels of Archisus. Once they gauged the dragon's strength, they would mobilize the rest of the party and the raid group!

Whoosh!

The Battle Angels of Archisus showered Tae-hyun with every buff in their arsenal. It was magic dedicated solely to their master! Thanks to their support, Tae-hyun and Yong-yong surged forward at several times their usual speed.

In the distance, a colossal crimson dragon was tearing through the landscape as it marched forward. It was the Red Dragon, Nitinger.

"Master. We estimate the beast's level to be at least 1000. Although it has been severely weakened by the ancient magic and curses of the Asbian Empire, it remains an extremely perilous opponent for you."

The Battle Angels of Archisus were incredibly competent. They analyzed the situation with meticulous detail... which, unfortunately, allowed Tae-hyun to experience a very detailed sense of terror.

...I had my suspicions, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but is his level seriously over a thousand?!

"And what about your levels?"

"We are only in the 700s! Forgive our weakness, Master."

Given that Nitinger still had energy to spare after wiping out multiple cities with his Word Magic, Tae-hyun had expected him to be a high-level dragon even by draconic standards. But a level over 1,000? Hearing that four-digit number laid out so plainly made him feel...

Suddenly, I feel a strong urge to negotiate.

"Hear me, O Great Red Dragon Nitinger! As the King of the Atali Kingdom and the Pope of the Archisus Church, I have come to offer you a proposal!"

Dozens of buffs triggered simultaneously from his titles, skills, stats, and completed quests. Yet, they all bounced off.

"Grrr... Every insolent insect that dared look down on me! I shall sweep you all into the fiery depths of the volcano!"

As the Red Dragon immediately braced for combat, the angels began to grumble.

"What on earth did that annoying oversized lizard eat to make him act like this?"

"Is it any surprise for a Red Dragon? It is bound to be over something trivial. Someone probably forgot to offer him a tribute."

"We really should have wiped out all dragons long ago. Because we spared them, the continent has fallen into this pathetic state."

Listening from the side, Yong-yong spoke up hesitantly.

"Uh... well... actually, some adventurer stole the tombstone of Nitinger's ancestor and ran off. Then, another adventurer called him out under the pretense of returning it, only to launch a surprise attack..."

"..."

"..."

A heavy silence fell over the Battle Angels at Yong-yong's explanation. Okay, yeah, that is actually pretty messed up!

"M-Master. Surely you had nothing to do with that... right?"

"What do you take me for? I'm literally here to return the stone tablet!"

"We never doubted you!"

"Phew. For a moment, I thought..."

Even the fiercely loyal Battle Angels of Archisus proved to be true members of the Archisus Cult in this regard. They were loyal, yes, but they also knew the nature of their Pope better than anyone!

"The beast's attack is coming! Brace yourselves! Protect the Master!"

"Hah!"

"Yah!"

Nitinger immediately unleashed his Word Magic, threatening to obliterate the entire area. In an instant, massive meteors of pure flame began raining down from the heavens.

The only saving grace was that Nitinger was completely blinded by rage! The dragon had not yet realized just how absurdly high Tae-hyun's evasion rate was.

"There's no need to protect me! I'll break through myself! Go! Surround the beast and attack!"

"Understood, Master!"

The Battle Angels followed Tae-hyun's orders without a moment's hesitation. They steered their demonic chariots, scattering in all directions. Even as the massive flaming meteors crashed down around them, they showed no fear.

"You lazy spawn of Demon Dukes! Can you not run any faster?! Do your parents call themselves Demon Dukes with performance like this?!"

"You pathetic excuses for noble bloodlines! Move it!"

"..." Tae-hyun thought he heard some incredibly disturbing verbal abuse as they drove the demonic chariots, but he decided to pretend he hadn't. It sounded like they were riding the actual children of some powerful entities... but surely that was just his imagination, right?

Rumble! Crash!

The Battle Angels shattered, deflected, and dodged the falling meteors as they charged across the battlefield. Brandishing their six arms, they unleashed a relentless assault on Nitinger. Spears rained down like lightning, and the sound of thunder tore through the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Though they were tiny compared to Nitinger's massive bulk, each strike from the Battle Angels carried devastating weight. Already weakened by the ancient spells and curses, Nitinger shrieked in pain with every blow that landed.

"The beast is trying to erect a barrier! Stop him!"

The Battle Angels poured everything they had into disrupting the dragon's Word Magic. If a Red Dragon of Nitinger's caliber managed to cast a defensive spell, it would grant him a near-impenetrable absolute defense. They had to stop it at all costs!

"In the name of Archisus! Let lightning strike! Lightning of Archisus!"

KRA-BOOM!

"We offer the blood of demons! O Archisus! Accept this sacrifice and unleash your divine wrath! Sacrifice of Archisus!"

Flash!

"Disrupt his Word Magic!"

"Stop him, even if it costs you your lives!"

It was a veritable all-star showcase of the Archisus Cult! Though Nitinger groaned and shrieked under the relentless assault of the Battle Angels, he did not stop his spell. It was merely delayed!

And through the chaotic, dazzling clash, Tae-hyun charged. The only thing in his sight was Nitinger's glaring weakness! His attack power was bloated to absurd heights by his own divine Authorities, further amplified by the buffs from the Battle Angels and the priests under the Archbishop. At this very moment, Tae-hyun felt more powerful than he ever had since starting Pan-On.

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

Grip— The Demonic Spear in his hand locked onto Nitinger.

"Archisus's Charge! Archisus's Third Attack! ...Incarnation's Strike!!"

At that moment, a blinding beam of light stretched from one end of the horizon to the other, connecting directly to the tip of his spear. Then, a devastating torrent of light erupted from the weapon, piercing straight through Nitinger.

BOOM! An indescribable explosion shattered the air. Nitinger's colossal body was sent flying backward through the sky. It was a display of power that defied all imagination!

The rewards were pouring in even before the beast was slain! But Tae-hyun had no time to admire them.

"Demer's Time Reversal..."

Though it would undo his level-up and all the rewards, resetting his cooldowns was his top priority. Now, he just had to figure out how to escape the wrath of the furious Nitinger—

Grrr... Having tumbled across the ground, Nitinger groaned as he pushed himself back up. The dragon glared at Tae-hyun with murderous intent. In that split second, dozens of thoughts raced through Tae-hyun's mind. Should I keep fighting? Should I retreat now? Or should I...

"...Lord Archisus. I believe I lost my mind for a brief moment. Let us not resort to violence and resolve this through peaceful dialogue. *Ahem*."