Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Dragon Slayer's Legacy
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"Impossible."
But contrary to his expectations, Raoul's reply was curt.
"Why?"
Woojin asked, his face full of bewilderment.
"My swordsmanship isn't something just anyone can learn. It's a legacy skill. Still want to give it a shot?"
'A legacy skill? What's that?'
"...Of course."
Woojin answered cautiously.
A chill ran through him—
In that instant, the killing intent radiating from Raoul made Woojin's body tremble involuntarily.
"Looks like you really have no idea."
Raoul withdrew his murderous aura and nodded.
"I couldn't believe that wild tale about you coming from another world. But seeing you now, it's clear you're no native here."
"...Pardon?"
"A legacy skill can only be learned by one person. It's unique."
Shing—
He drew his sword.
"Come to think of it, you didn't even bat an eye when I mentioned you were a Rank 1 Adventurer. Makes sense now."
Despite all the wolves it had slain, the blade was still sharp as new.
"A Rank 1 Adventurer..."
Raoul said in a low voice.
"...is a title granted only to those whose dragon hunts have been acknowledged."
"...A dragon?"
Woojin couldn't help but be shocked by his words.
Dragon Slayer.
It was info only on the official site, since no players had even done their first job change yet.
A unique class unlocked after advancing to the third hidden class, Dragon Hunter, and completing a specific quest.
One of the twelve classes in Evil Tail that hadn't been revealed yet.
To think the owner of that ultra-rare class was standing right in front of him.
He never could have imagined it.
"I had no idea you were such a legend."
"Heh, hardly. It's all past glory. These days, wolves scare me more than dragons."
"...Pardon?"
"Greed brings disaster."
As he unfastened the straps of his armor,
"...!!"
A festering wound from his collarbone down to his chest and side came into view.
"I let my foolish desire for more power lead me to something I should never have touched."
"Something you shouldn't have touched..."
"A dragon's heart."
Raoul let out a wry chuckle.
"Its mana is slowly eating away at me. Someday, it'll devour me whole..."
Dragon Heart.
Known as the elixir containing the world's mightiest power, yet no one had ever found a way to refine it.
"Wasn't that too reckless? You had the strength to hunt dragons—why...?"
"It still wasn't enough."
"..."
"You're no different from me."
Woojin was at a loss for words.
The only difference was their measure of strength.
Their desires were the same.
Click—
He pointed his sword at Woojin.
"Grab it."
Grip—
Woojin's trembling hand carefully grasped the blade.
Kraka-kaka-kang!!!
Kagang!!!
In that moment, his mind rang out like thunder had struck it.
Then, countless scenes flashed before his eyes like a panorama.
One by one, those scenes embedded themselves into his memory, as if they were his own.
"...Hah?!?"
He jerked back in shock.
"Th-this is...?"
Woojin stared at Raoul with wide eyes.
"Memories of the thirty years I spent hunting dragons. That's what a legacy skill is. It's not just learning a technique—it's absorbing the person's entire experience and recollections."
Raoul smiled faintly, as if he'd foreseen Woojin's reaction.
"Dragon Heaven. The swordsmanship of my life."
Woooom...
His sword began to glow softly.
"Heh... There's only one case where someone inherits another's memories."
Raoul brushed himself off and stood.
"When that person dies."
"Ah..."
He patted Woojin's shoulder lightly and headed out of the cave.
"Sorry, but that means I can't teach you my sword yet. I'm not ready to die."
The morning light pouring into the cave entrance silhouetted his back.
A stranger met on a lonely journey.
Without his kindness, Woojin might have died forgotten in this otherworld.
'Yeah, coveting a life like his would be childish greed.'
"Is there no cure?"
Raoul shook his head.
"Who knows. They say High Priestess Loren is on the northern island with the Lion King. She might be able to help."
Though the dragon's mana was slowly killing him, the fire in his eyes hadn't dimmed.
"Got a destination?"
Woojin shook his head.
The goal in Evil Tail was conquering the Labyrinth Tower, but this world had no floors left to clear.
The only one remaining floated brazenly in the sky, and he still hadn't found a way back to the game.
"How about traveling together? You've got sharp eyes and quick learning. I can't teach you Dragon Heaven, but... I can show you the basics on the way to the Lion King's bastion."
It wasn't a bad offer.
The Dark Forest was vast.
Not just gray wolves—goblins, orcs, and worse monsters lurked everywhere.
Could he survive alone?
Even the weakest wolves were a struggle now...
Recalling the bite wound, Woojin nodded.
Next time, those fangs might sink into his throat.
"Thank you."
The best way for the weak to survive was to stick by the strong.
An endless forest path.
As the sun set, the woods crushed them under darkness once more.
[...Kekeng!!!]
Woojin's sword cleaved the troll's neck.
"Lower your stance more. Your blade tip's still wobbling. If you crave my swordsmanship, master the basics first."
Woojin gritted his teeth at Raoul's words from behind and swung at the remaining troll.
"Hah... hah..."
In an instant, three trolls lay dead before him.
'This is just beginner territory, and it's this brutal...'
The towering trees and occasional beast cries created an oppressive pressure that made breathing hard.
"No runes..."
Woojin slit the monster's belly familiarly, checked, and stood.
"Looks like I used up all my luck on day one. Not a single one since."
Raoul smirked at his regret.
"Like you said, good luck that day. The moon was bright. Full moons bring out more runes."
'An effect tied to time, huh.'
Evil Tail had something similar.
Daytime meant less EXP but weaker monsters; night boosted EXP at the cost of stronger foes.
"We'll rest here tonight."
At Raoul's word, Woojin quietly gathered branches and started a fire.
"Your grip's looking solid now, at least."
Raoul skinned the troll meat Woojin had hunted and skewered it over the flames.
"Still can't use any skills, though."
"Heh, no need to rush. Once the basics are down, it'll come naturally."
Three days trekking through the Dark Forest.
They'd hunted plenty of monsters in that time.
Most kills were Woojin's.
Since that day, Raoul had taught him everything: how to hold the sword, footwork, stance—every essential for hunting.
"Your world just started tackling floor 10, right?"
"Yeah. Unlike before, multiple big alliances are hitting it together."
He recalled the community buzz: Keruga of the Phoenix Unit leading, plus the Red Witch of Red Tower, and five clans uniting.
"They might have cleared it by now."
"No one here's obsessed with conquering the Labyrinth Tower. The faster it's done, the darker the world gets."
Woojin gazed silently at the sky.
The last floating 100th floor drifted far off.
'The game's ending won't play out like this, will it?'
The thought made him shudder involuntarily.
'But how is any of this possible?'
A world identical to the game.
He couldn't wrap his head around it, no matter how many times he thought it over.
'Unless I'm not crazy...'
One question lingered.
How did Evil Tail recreate this world perfectly?
'Evil Tail isn't a game made by humans.'
He remembered the huge launch ad.
The world's first autonomous AI, Ethan, presents the VR game Evil Tail.
'A game made by AI, not people.'
Rumors and skepticism abounded at launch, but they all vanished once the game dropped.
It was too perfect a world.
But Woojin could see it now.
If this otherworld was real...
'The AI didn't create a perfect world.'
Evil Tail had merely copied a real one flawlessly.
'Then...'
Gulp.
Woojin swallowed dryly, tense.
The answers to all this might lie there.
'The AI Ethan.'
It connected the game, this world, and reality.
'I can see a path forward.'
But...
The issue was getting back.
In reality, you logged in via capsules.
'If this is just another reality...'
He'd need a connection device to log into the game.
But what was it? No capsules here.
"I've got a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
Woojin asked Raoul, snapping from his thoughts.
"By the time they hit floor 10... you might run into him."
"...?"
Raoul hesitated unusually, tilting Woojin's head in curiosity.
"If you make it back. When you reach the Central Continent, there's a small village called Yorka. Could you stop by?"
"Central Continent... Sure. Though I'm levels away from getting there."
"Look for a small house with a green roof. A woman named Lea lives there."
Woojin nodded.
"Tell her to watch out for colds?"
"...Pardon?"
Woojin blinked at the random request.
"...My mother suffered from pneumonia her whole life."
Woojin nodded quietly.
"I'll make sure she gets it."
Fifty years apart.
Just as he felt anxiety in this unknown future, those lingering in the future had messages for the past.
Whether the game he returned to was truly Raoul's past, Woojin couldn't ignore the heartfelt plea.
"Thanks. That's all I could ask."
Raoul sighed in relief and leaned against a tree.
"Don't talk like you're leaving a will."
"Heh, sorry. From here on, we gotta stay sharp."
Raoul gave a wry smile at Woojin's chide.
Western Dark Forest.
'Goblin territory, right?'
Not strong individually, but cunning.
Unlike most aggressive monsters, they knew to keep distance and flee.
Probably the most persistent pests in the game.
"Don't worry. I've handled goblins before."
"Goblins? That's not what I'm worried about."
Raoul's face hardened at Woojin's words.
"The Faceless Monster."
A memory Woojin had forgotten resurfaced.
"Be careful. This is the Faceless Monster's domain."
Raoul's words when they first met.
"Forty years ago? Not long after the tower appeared, a Müllenga black mage created that thing here."
He lowered his stance and moved cautiously.
"At first, we thought it was just some basic black magic summon... But it's survived even after floor 99 was cleared. What does that tell you?"
Raoul's voice was heavier than usual.
"No one can kill it."
Gulp.
Woojin swallowed involuntarily.
"You don't mean..."
His voice shook.
"That's the Faceless Monster?"
[Krrrorrr...]
A grating rasp like scraping metal.
From a shadow blacker than night, a knight with a rusted sword stood behind them.
Creeeak—
Its face—mouth and nose melted black like burned—stared with glowing red eyes.
"...Damn it!!!!"
The forest erupted in chaos once more.