The Boomer Dragon's Lecture
Having entered the mine, Tae-hyun and his party rapidly descended. The players who spotted them gasped in surprise.
"Huh? Why is Kim Tae-hyun here...?"
"They said Kim Tae-hyun came to the Auston Kingdom too."
"But shouldn't he be fighting the Guild Alliance? Why did he come to this mine?"
Tae-hyun's level was far too high for a place like this. At best, this mine was meant for players around level 100! On the first and second floors, even lower-level players could wander around without any trouble. There was a reason blacksmith and miner players frequented this place.
"Tae-hyun, I think our location has been leaked," Lee Da-bi said.
"Probably. Heuk-heuk, you should go outside and do some scouting."
—Me... by myself, Master?
"Yeah. I know you can do it."
—...
"If Hakkaras shows up, strike up a conversation and handle it."
—W-well, the thing is, we aren't really that close...
"Use this opportunity to get closer."
—Could at least Golgol-i come with me?
Heuk-heuk was so desperate that he was willing to bring along the undead knight he usually despised carrying!
"Hmm. There's some lava over there. How about it?"
—Kuo!
The golem shook its head. Too shallow!
"...Then how about that lava over there?"
Tae-hyun descended another floor and found another pool of lava. This one looked considerably deeper.
—Kuooo!
Too lukewarm!
"You want me to heat it up for you?"
[Carbanog advises you to hold back.]
No, but this guy is being way too picky.
I'm making time out of my busy schedule to help him, so he should just take what he gets!
However, the newly formed Archisus Artillery tribesmen whispered behind him.
"Is this really a mine?"
"It's so pathetic compared to where we used to be."
"No minerals, not even hot... This isn't a mine."
—I'm a demon, but even I think this is a bit much.
Even the demon trapped in the cage chimed in!
Emboldened, the golem shrugged and spoke.
—Kuo. Kuo.
Tae-hyun didn't know what it meant, but the attitude was incredibly obnoxious!
"Fine, you jerks. We'll go deeper."
Tae-hyun grumbled as he activated his skill. Since he was currently under the effects of Alexeos's buff, keeping the skill active didn't put much of a burden on his MP.
The Guild Alliance executives grimaced. They had already suffered bitterly due to Tae-hyun's slime clones! Rumors had already spread that Kim Tae-hyun possessed a clone skill that was virtually impossible to see through. Most players who had rushed to find Tae-hyun after hearing he appeared in the Auston Kingdom had ended up empty-handed. And now, they were hearing that Tae-hyun had appeared yet again...
The Guild Alliance executives thought they were being perfectly logical. Thanks to their overthinking, Tae-hyun was able to buy some precious time.
Clang! Clang!
"The monsters here are pretty easy," Tae-hyun remarked.
Everyone nodded in agreement. The monsters spawning in this mine were all rock-based! Creatures like Stone Golems, Rock Spiders, and Iron Elementals poured out in droves. The only problem was that Tae-hyun was their ultimate counter!
Boom!
With a single swing of the glowing Ancient Hammer, the rock monsters crumbled instantly. Even large numbers posed no threat. Whenever the Archisus Artillery fired a volley, the monsters collapsed in heaps. Lacking any ranged attacks and relying solely on simple melee strikes, the monsters were nothing but easy prey for the Archisus Artillery!
[The Archisus Artillery sweeps the monsters away!]
[Your Tactics skill has increased...]
[Your Engineering skill has increased.]
Oh.
This was another hidden effect of the Archisus Artillery: leading them into battle granted a bonus to his Engineering skill. They were certainly satisfying subordinates to raise!
Usually, anything with 'Archisus' in its name brings me nothing but trouble, but this is actually nice...
Boom! Boom!
Watching the monsters get swept away so effortlessly, Tae-hyun actually began to feel anxious. Was he really allowed to feel this good?!
[......]
Even Carbanog was utterly speechless at his reaction!
"Ah, these things are ridiculously tough! Look at my weapon's durability dropping! Give me a scroll! I need to reapply my buffs."
"Hold on! I'll use magic—huh?"
The parties hunting on the lower floors were stunned by the sudden appearance of Tae-hyun's group.
*Kaboom! Crash! Bang!*
With deafening explosions, the group obliterated every single monster blocking their path! It wasn't just the sheer power of the players; behind them marched burly dwarves carrying cannons, a demon locked in a cage, a small flying dragon, and a giant golem blazing with fire. The visual spectacle alone was unforgettable.
"K-Kim Tae-hyun?"
"Are you clearing this place?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"...!"
The players brightened up at the news that Kim Tae-hyun was clearing a dungeon that hadn't been fully conquered yet. They didn't know why he was doing it, but this was a golden opportunity!
"Can we follow behind you?"
"What? Sure, go ahead. But you're responsible for your own lives, got it?"
"Of course!"
The permitted parties were overjoyed. Just getting permission was an immense help. Normally, parties clearing a dungeon despised having others follow them. No one liked doing all the hard work only for others to reap the rewards for free. But Tae-hyun didn't care.
It's not like I'm planning to claim this place anyway...
"They say Kim Tae-hyun is clearing the dungeon!"
"What? He's going past the fifth floor?"
"Seriously?"
Players came swarming in! Even those who had been swinging pickaxes on the first floor came down to watch. Lee Da-bi watched the gathering crowd in sheer disbelief. Tae-hyun was like the Pied Piper!
"Tae-hyun, why do you keep gathering crowds even after you try to shake them off?"
"I didn't gather them on purpose..."
—*Sigh.* I really hope I don't run into Hakkaras.
Heuk-heuk thought mournfully as he soared through the sky.
—...This is all your fault...
Golgol-i growled from far below.
—Ah, I already apologized!
—Do you think an apology fixes this?! Go die alone, dragon!
—H-how can you say something so harsh...! This isn't a death sentence, you know!
Having his sore spot poked, Heuk-heuk snapped back. Surely, his master wouldn't have sent him on a suicide mission! Despite everything, Heuk-heuk still placed a decent amount of trust in Tae-hyun.
—I'll give you a ride, so come on up.
—I take damage if I ride on your back, you idiot!
Despite becoming a Dragon Knight, Golgol-i still couldn't ride Heuk-heuk. To be precise, doing so granted him bonuses and penalties simultaneously. He would receive a bonus for riding a dragon, but because Heuk-heuk was a divine beast, Golgol-i would suffer an undead penalty!
—Hmph. A true knight should fight with passion, not constantly calculate conditions. You probably weren't even a great knight in your past life, were you?
—W-what did you say? How dare you—*gasp*.
—...?
Heuk-heuk was puzzled when Golgol-i suddenly went dead silent.
—Ah, so you've run out of things to say!
—Up! Look up!
A massive shadow suddenly cast over them. Heuk-heuk turned his head. A Black Dragon, dozens of times larger than himself, was soaring through the sky. It was the Black Dragon, Hakkaras!
—...
—...
—V-Veil of Shadowy Darkness!
Heuk-heuk immediately cast an invisibility spell to hide himself. However, that was an even bigger mistake. Casting magic right in front of an ancient dragon was a surefire way to get caught!
—Hmm?
Hakkaras, who had simply been flying by, turned his head and peered downward.
—Pretend you didn't see me! Pretend you didn't see me!
—How am I supposed to pretend I didn't see you?!
—...Good luck with that!
Golgol-i quickly hid behind a tree. Flying high in the open sky, Heuk-heuk had absolutely nowhere to hide.
—Aren't you... the third son of Lord Valcaleos?
—I-it has been a long time, Lord Hakkaras.
—Hmm. It certainly has. *Snort!*
Hakkaras stopped flapping his wings and hovered directly in front of Heuk-heuk. Heuk-heuk trembled with terror. He didn't want to die yet!
—How is Lord Valcaleos doing?
—Y-yes... He is doing well.
—Young dragons these days are so ill-mannered; they never visit their elders. But you mustn't be like them. Do you understand?
—...
Heuk-heuk felt a pang of guilt. Ever since he contracted as Sadiq's divine beast, he hadn't once visited Valcaleos. In fact, he didn't even know where Valcaleos was. The parent-child relationship among Black Dragons was never particularly close. Once a dragon became independent, the unspoken rule of the dragon world was: *'We'll each live our own lives.'* However, Hakkaras didn't seem to share that sentiment.
—We Black Dragons may be wicked masterminds of conspiracy, but we must never forget the sacred bonds of dragon kinship. You aren't one of those disrespectful punks, are you?
—Ah... of course not...
—Good. Where are you working these days?
—I... I have formed a divine beast contract with Sadiq.
—Sadiq? Sadiq... Is that god popular on the continent? I heard he isn't... He's certainly not popular in the Auston Kingdom.
—N-no, that's not true. He might not be mainstream, but he's quite promising in his own way...
—There aren't many famous evil gods on the Central Continent, but you still need to do your research before choosing one.
The nagging poured down like a waterfall! Heuk-heuk was horrified. Hakkaras hadn't been this kind of dragon when they met in the past. How on earth had he turned into this over the years? He had escaped the danger of death, but this was a different kind of torture entirely.
—Do you remember Lord Ancalaos's daughter? I heard that dragon went to a far-off continent and is being treated like absolute royalty.
—...
—You should aim for that level too. Don't just settle down; challenge yourself! Back in my day...
When the ultimate boomer phrase, *'Back in my day...'* finally slipped out, Heuk-heuk grimaced even harder.
—...Back in my day, the Auston royal family trembled at the mere flap of my wings. Of course, they still do. Stop wasting your time playing divine beast and go build yourself a proper lair. Become an object of absolute terror to humans.
—Well, all the good spots already have owners, so...
—Ahem! No weak talk! A Black Dragon never shows weakness. Anyone who speaks so weakly is no true Black Dragon!
—Ah... yes, sir...
—Very well. I shall leave it at that.
Whew.
Heuk-heuk let out a sigh of relief. Was it finally over?
—By the way, what exactly have you been doing lately as Sadiq's divine beast?
—...
You said you were leaving it at that! Heuk-heuk screamed internally, terrified that saying it out loud would earn him a beating from Hakkaras.
—I-I was summoned as Sadiq's divine beast, so... um... I am currently adventuring with a human.
—Oh. A human... Is he the Pope of the Sadiq Church?
—N-no, he isn't.
—Then the Grand Paladin Commander?
—No...
—Don't tell me he is the Incarnation!
—Y-yes, he is indeed the Incarnation.
—To think Sadiq's Incarnation is active on the continent. The Sadiq Church is doing better than I thought!
—...
Heuk-heuk flinched. *Could I just let him keep misunderstanding?* The urge was incredibly strong... but he couldn't.
Sigh. I really don't want to say this.
—He isn't actually Sadiq's Incarnation... He's the Incarnation of another god.
—What? What do you mean by that?
—Well, you see, this other god's Incarnation is so incredibly capable...
Heuk-heuk rambled on, explaining that his master was so exceptionally talented that he could even steal and use the authorities of other gods! Hakkaras listened, thoroughly impressed by the explanation.
—What an extraordinary fellow! Stealing the authority of other gods... Yes, only someone of that caliber would dare employ a Black Dragon as a divine beast! I was rather displeased when I heard you had become a divine beast for a god like Sadiq, but it seems you are doing quite well for yourself.
—T-thank you.
—Ah, by the way, whose Incarnation is this human, then?
—...