A Dragon's Lament
Tae-hyun adopted a deadpan expression. "A punishment? How could you say that? This is a leader's consideration."
"...??" Lee Se-yeon tilted her head, utterly baffled. What consideration?
"Ah. The kind of 'consideration' you show to Cain on your team?"
"...I don't know what you're implying, but it's definitely not that," Tae-hyun said, sounding deeply offended. Whatever she meant, he certainly didn't view Ryu Tae-su and Ryu Da-young the same way he viewed Cain!
"She's right, Se-yeon. No matter what, he wouldn't treat them the way he treats Cain," Lee Da-bi chimed in supportively.
"Is... is that so?" Se-yeon muttered. Then what on earth was he doing to Cain? Was that not training, but just straight-up bullying?
"Listen closely, Se-yeon. Those two were having the time of their lives fighting in the arena, but they had to pull out because of their skills."
"But they got an Arcane Swordsmanship skill in return, didn't they? They have no right to complain about that." Se-yeon still couldn't wrap her head around Tae-hyun's logic. If someone offered to help her get an Arcane Swordsmanship skill, she would gladly forfeit a nine-game winning streak in the arena and walk out immediately...
"But as players, having their battles cut short must have left them feeling unsated. As the leader of this team, I felt it was only right to show them some consideration."
"...!" Se-yeon gasped. To hear the words "as the leader of this team" come out of Kim Tae-hyun's mouth! Was this really the same Kim Tae-hyun?
Right. He's changed a lot since he founded Team KL. The ultimate solo player had started a company, formed an esports team, and taken on all sorts of responsibilities. It seemed he had softened up quite a bit.
"I suppose that's not a bad way to look at it..."
"Right?"
"Fine. If that's the case, I'll yield as well." Se-yeon nodded readily. If it was for the sake of the team, she could afford to make this small concession.
"...What are they whispering about over there?" Ryu Da-young asked, watching the three of them huddle together.
Ryu Tae-su answered without much thought. "Probably planning our strategy for the quest."
"But they keep glancing over at us while they talk."
"They're probably just worried about whether our skills are up to par."
"Ugh." Da-young couldn't argue with that. The only reason she had held her own earlier was because the arena scaled down the level gap. In any normal high-level zone, her level was far too low to be of any real use to a party like this.
"Don't worry, little sister. Even if you fall short, I'll be right there to back you up."
"..."
You have discovered the Cloud City of the Garuda Kingdom!
Your Reputation has increased significantly!
"!"
As the party soared through the sky, the surrounding clouds parted to reveal a massive royal palace. It was a breathtaking structure, several times larger and far more beautiful than Tae-hyun's own Sky Castle!
Whoa...
Carbanog says you must not steal that.
I-I wasn't thinking of doing that. Seriously.
Carbanog asks why you are stuttering, saying it is highly suspicious...
But truth be told, he really did covet the cloud city of the Garuda Kingdom. The technology to solidify massive clouds into landmasses and build a city on top of them was incredible! Tae-hyun's Sky Castle required complex magic circles and unstable engineering devices just to stay afloat. If he could simply rest it on a cloud like that, it would be infinitely easier.
How do they do that?
Carbanog says it is made by gathering special clouds as raw materials and applying the secret techniques of the Garuda.
Oh. As expected of Carbanog... You really know your stuff, like a true guardian spirit.
Carbanog says it was just a wild guess.
... So it wasn't even based on actual knowledge?
"Tae-hyun! Enemies ahead!" Da-bi shouted.
"!"
Near the royal palace, which was drifting serenely through the clouds, several massive flying beasts were closing in.
Dragons?!
For a split second, the monsters looked so similar that he almost mistook them for dragons. However, unlike dragons, which possessed sleek, majestic bodies despite their massive size, these beasts resembled giant loaches or serpents. Their bodies were incredibly long and slender, undulating through the air as if swimming through water, looking very much like colossal sea serpents.
"Phew. For a second, I thought it was Heuk-heuk."
—...Master!?!
Heuk-heuk, who had been working diligently, was utterly bewildered by the sudden verbal abuse. What did he do wrong?!
You have spotted the flying beast of the high skies, the Kaojedacha!
Your Reputation has increased!
You are entering a state of Fear...
You have successfully resisted the Fear status!
You possess the Highest-grade Tactical Skill. Your party members successfully resist the Fear status!
"!"
So that was the Kaojedacha. The Garuda NPCs had been relentlessly mocking Baudouin for failing to hunt it, and now Tae-hyun finally got to see what all the fuss was about.
It looks pretty tough.
Giant monsters typically boasted high levels and massive health pools to match their size. On top of that, since this one could fly, the difficulty of hunting it would be exponentially higher.
"Kim Tae-hyun, we should be careful. They're over level 600," Se-yeon warned.
"Oh... wait. Now that I think about the enemies we've faced recently, level 600 suddenly feels kind of weak."
Se-yeon couldn't even argue. They had indeed been dealing with nothing but absolute monsters lately.
"Even if their level is lower, some monsters are far more dangerous than they look."
Just as there were players under level 300 who ranked among the absolute elite, the same applied to monsters and NPCs. If they possessed unique skills or items, they could be far more lethal than their level suggested.
"True. Apparently, that rising ranker Baudouin got ridiculed by the NPCs because he couldn't hunt one of those."
"...Where?!" Se-yeon asked in surprise. Where on earth had he run into the French national team player?
"Just a bit ago..."
"You two! You can chat later! Give us some orders, orders!" Lee Da-bi shouted urgently.
Tae-hyun nodded. "Are there only three of them? It wouldn't hurt to take them down. Good chance to test their strength."
At his words, a pleasant tension settled over the party. Hunting high-level monsters was always highly lucrative.
"First, we lure one over."
—And how exactly do we do that?
"Well, that's for you to figure out."
—...
Heuk-heuk instantly regretted asking.
Tae-hyun grabbed Da-bi's hand, lifted her up, and sat her behind him. "Ah. Riding on Yong-yong might be uncomfortable. Should I pull out the motorcycle?"
"No, riding on Yong-yong is fine."
"Why is your back so bumpy anyway? It should be flatter so it's easier to sit on."
—Master... I cannot reshape my own bones at will...!
—Kyaoo.
Yong-yong felt deeply wronged. To be scolded for something completely out of his control! Bulbul-i let out a soft cry as if trying to comfort him. Yong-yong was deeply touched by the little gesture. Ah, is this the pure innocence of a young dragon?
—Master. My back is actually quite flat. Why don't we let Yong-yong do the luring instead?
—...
Yong-yong glared at him. As expected of a Black Dragon...!
"Then we'd have to switch mounts again. Too much hassle. You go lure it."
—Heuk-heuk...
"Is he saying his own name?"
"No, he's just pretending to sob. Da-bi, hold on tight just in case."
"Ah, oh, uh, yes!"
"Is that some kind of secret code? Oof."
"..."
Da-bi quietly shut her mouth and wrapped her arms tightly around Tae-hyun's waist.
—My Lord, that is an excellent judgment. A Black Dragon is far better suited for drawing the enemy's attention...
"Right. Golgol-i, hop on Heuk-heuk's back and go draw their attention together."
—...
Golgol-i, who had just been trying to suck up, found himself ordered to ride Heuk-heuk. Dejectedly, the Death Knight climbed aboard.
Ryu Tae-su watched them with wide, admiring eyes. Whatever the internal bickering, the sight of a fully armored, elite Dragon Death Knight like Golgol-i riding atop a majestic Black Dragon was undeniably epic. It looked exactly like a legendary dragon knight!
"Wow. That is truly a magnificent sight."
—Do you want to die?? Heuk-heuk snapped.
—Watch your tongue, living one. You never know when you might join the ranks of the dead... Golgol-i threatened.
"!?"
Ryu Tae-su was thoroughly bewildered after receiving a double dose of hostility from a dragon and a Death Knight just for paying them a compliment.
"Why are you taking your anger out on him? Hurry up and lure them over."
—Heuk-heuk... Why did I have to contract with Sadiq of all gods... I should have contracted with Archisus instead...
He deeply regretted mocking the Gold Dragon for being a pushover. Looking back, wouldn't contracting with Archisus have been much better? Even among slaves, the senior slave always got better treatment!
While Heuk-heuk and Golgol-i flew off to bait the monster, Lee Se-yeon began summoning undead around her to prepare for the clash. A Necromancer was a one-man army. From baiting to tanking and dealing damage, they could handle every single role using their undead minions.
"Where did the black dragon go?"
"Sent him out as bait."
"Ah. I see..." Se-yeon glanced at Da-bi. Da-bi had originally been riding Heuk-heuk, but now she and Tae-hyun were sharing Yong-yong's back.
"Would you like to ride behind me instead?" Se-yeon offered.
"Oh! Would that be alright?" Da-bi asked, her face lighting up.
Tae-hyun, however, felt a sudden prickle of irritation. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't care, but this was Lee Se-yeon!
"Are you saying my piloting skills are worse than Se-yeon's?"
"No... that's not what I meant."
"Then are you saying Yong-yong is inferior to Se-yeon's gloomy, probably foul-smelling undead beast?"
It was an incredibly biased and petty remark. Se-yeon cursed him in her mind. They don't smell, you jerk... Just because it was an undead beast summoned by a Necromancer didn't mean it smelled bad!
Yong-yong looked back at Da-bi with pleading eyes.
—I trust you do not think so, Bishop of Archisus.
"...I'll just stay here," Da-bi sighed, giving up.
Tae-hyun nodded with a satisfied smirk. Se-yeon glared at him, thoroughly annoyed. To stoop so low as to slander her undead with fake odor complaints...!
"She only chose you because you're her boss," Se-yeon muttered.
"...!" Tae-hyun choked. W-was that it?
"That's not true, Tae-hyun," Da-bi quickly corrected, but Tae-hyun was already overthinking it.
"...Wait. Now that I think about it, what employee would ever say 'yes' to that question in front of their boss?"
"Tae-hyun, stop talking nonsense and just look ahead."
"Got it."
Is it just me, or is Da-bi starting to sound exactly like him...? Se-yeon wondered, a chill running down her spine.
—Dark Vision, Sadiq's Advanced Fireball Barrage, Wall of Fire, Gaze of the Malicious Curse, Curse of Confusion...
Heuk-heuk chanted rapidly, unleashing a barrage of spells as he closed the distance. Dragons were, by nature, exceptional mages. True to his black dragon heritage, Heuk-heuk specialized in highly irritating curses and debuffs. Combined with the power of Sadiq, his combat capabilities were easily among the top tier for any mount.
The Kaojedacha is afflicted with Dark Vision!
The Kaojedacha dispels the curse with its innate power!
The Kaojedacha is hit by Sadiq's Advanced Fireball Barrage!
The Kaojedacha absorbs the damage...
—!!!!
Heuk-heuk was flabbergasted. He had launched his attacks with absolute confidence, but the enemy had absorbed them as effortlessly as a sponge soaking up water.
—What are you doing?! Why are your spells so weak! Golgol-i barked.
—N-no! That thing is weird! It's using some bizarre power!
—Excuses. There is a reason our Lord ranks you below the Gold Dragon.
—Shut up and try attacking it yourself! You'll see!
The two bickered as they soared through the air. Golgol-i drew his spear. Heuk-heuk flinched the moment he saw the weapon. It looked incredibly familiar.
—W-wait a second. You... where did you get that spear?
—Our Lord gave it to me to test out.
—Hey, wait! Wait, wait! Stop!
—What are you talking about? Ah. I see.
Golgol-i paused and nodded. Heuk-heuk let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, this bonehead actually has some common sense now that his level has gone up! He realized what that thing is!
—You are jealous that our Lord gifted me a weapon, aren't you?
—No, you absolute bonehead!
Ignoring Heuk-heuk's desperate screams, Golgol-i thrust his arm forward and hurled the spear with all his might.
—Highest-grade Explosive Defense Barrier!!
Heuk-heuk frantically cast his strongest defensive magic. At this point, the guy riding on his back was far more terrifying than the Kaojedacha.