Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Dragon Slayer
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The airship scraped against the ground. Instead of carving through the earth, the bottom of the airship was ground away, and parts of the fuselage broke off from the immense frictional heat.
Thanks to Yang Jun-gyu's god-like piloting skills, they managed a belly landing instead of a crash, but they couldn't maintain the airship's balance until the very end. The airship tilted to the right, and various parts, including the wing, shattered and scattered across the ground.
A thick cloud of dust and smoke from the burning parts of the airship.
It was some time after the airship landed that Kang-seok lifted his head.
The inside of the airship was a complete mess. Players and adventurers were strewn haphazardly across the floor, and even those who had found something to hold onto looked utterly exhausted.
“Ugh…”
A voice from his arms made him look down to see Choi Yu-ra. The three of them—Kang-seok, Seong Yu-jin, and Choi Yu-ra—were tangled in a rather peculiar position. It was as if Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin were connected, with Choi Yu-ra serving as the link.
Kang-seok, letting go of Durandal, stifled a groan. He forced his stiff left arm to move a few times before checking on Seong Yu-jin after Choi Yu-ra.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, ugh. I think so.”
Seong Yu-jin retrieved Almas as well. Choi Yu-ra slipped out from between the two and lay flat on the floor, while Kang-seok looked over to where Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong were.
He saw Kim Kang-san, who seemed to have secured the bed so firmly that he was in a more stable position than Kang-seok himself. Park Han-yeong was slumped between him and the bed.
“Hunt! Jun-gyu! Is everyone okay?”
Choi Yu-ra shouted as she staggered to her feet. Groans from all around served as a reply.
Although Kang-seok was a complete novice when it came to the airships of this world, he could tell that flying any further in this vessel was impossible.
After a quick look around, Kang-seok unleashed a Lightning Kick at the wall without a moment's hesitation. The wall and debris shattered simultaneously, creating a large hole.
“Everyone, get up! We need to get out of here, quickly!”
Most hadn't noticed due to the shock of the crash, but the ninth Awakening had occurred.
Only two more remained until the Earth Dragon Andras would awaken.
[Still, you’ve flown a relatively long way. If you hurry, you should be able to escape the nest's territory before Andras awakens.]
[Are you alright? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?]
Guidance and concern came at the same time. Kang-seok responded with a simple nod and exited the airship.
Pushing through the dust and smoke, he saw plains and a mountain range. The plains led to Ahen, and the mountain range was the Sauerland Mountains, which they needed to escape as quickly as possible.
Just as Iris said, they had traveled quite a distance. He didn't know the exact extent of the nest's territory, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were on its border.
Following Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra, the other Players and adventurers began to emerge from the airship one by one. Kim Kang-san carried Park Han-yeong on his back, and a few other Players also carried those who couldn't move.
Kang-seok drew Durandal and glared at the sky. The three drakes that had shot down the airship were watching them intently, beating their wings. He could also see monsters on the now-distant mountain range.
If their goal was to drive out the intruders before their ‘master’ awakened, then the creatures had no reason to attack the party any longer.
How would they react?
Seong Yu-jin, clad in the magic armor Arnak, stood beside Kang-seok, while Choi Yu-ra raised her anti-materiel sniper rifle.
The tenth Awakening shook the atmosphere.
*Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble!*
It was violent, yet it felt distant. Kang-seok stared fixedly at the drakes.
Their ‘master’ would soon awaken.
Suddenly, one of the drakes let out a high-pitched cry. As if on cue, the monsters turned in unison. They ignored both the expedition and the rescue team and headed deeper into the mountain range.
[Quest Cleared]
[Quest: Rescue the Expedition.]
[Well done. The minions of Andras have moved to pay their respects to him. Please exit the Sauerland Mountains quickly.]
Iris seemed more urgent in her recommendation to leave than in announcing the quest reward.
Kang-seok sighed in relief as he watched the monsters retreat, then nodded. Even if the final, eleventh Awakening were to ring out right now, a clash with the Earth Dragon Andras was unlikely. The party was simply too far from the Sauerland Mountains for that.
“Thank you, truly. I’ll make sure to contribute to the airship’s repair costs. I’ll collect from the other expedition members as well, so don’t you worry.”
Abigail approached unexpectedly, patting Kang-seok on the shoulder as she spoke. Kang-seok didn't understand at first, but a bitter smile soon formed on his lips.
It wasn't completely wrecked, but the airship's state was so tragic that it was questionable whether it could be salvaged, and for now, it had to be abandoned.
Kang-seok did not make the mistake of asking Hunt how much the airship cost. He decided to put future worries aside and focus on the present.
“We need to return to Ahen. Let’s hurry.”
The leader of the rescue team was originally Curios, but Kang-seok had long since become the de facto leader. Even now, with the five-star adventurer Abigail joining them, that fact remained unchanged.
Even the fledgling Players, who were only one or two-star adventurers, were seasoned veterans who had survived the life-or-death trial of the tutorial.
Since everyone understood the situation, they all agreed with Kang-seok and began to move.
And so, after they had traveled for about ten minutes…
The final, eleventh Awakening came from behind them.
It was different from before.
It was certainly a violent tremor, yet Kang-seok found it majestic. It felt like facing a wave rolling in from the distant sea.
His heart pounded. Instead of taking another step forward, Kang-seok turned around.
The distant Sauerland Mountains.
Its summit.
The highest point.
It appeared in an instant.
The distance made even its forty-meter-tall colossal body seem small, but Kang-seok, as well as all the adventurers and Players present, knew instinctively.
A majestic being.
There were no more Awakenings.
There was no deafening roar that tore through the ears.
Its mere presence was enough.
A colossal body shimmering silver. Six horns that seemed to pierce the sky.
It had no wings. Four large, sturdy legs supported its massive frame like unshakable pillars.
The monster that had destroyed the city of Ahen two hundred years ago.
The Demonic Beast—Earth Dragon Andras.
It had returned.
* * *
Kang-seok’s party arrived in Ahen just as the sun was setting.
They were greeted not by a welcoming party, but by the city’s regular army, staff from the Adventurers Guild, and the mayor of Ahen, his face a mask of shock and terror.
“Abigail!”
The mayor of Ahen, George II, was a nobleman but belonged strictly to the royalist faction. As the second son of a count, he had only been able to ascend to the position of city ruler because Ahen was a direct royal domain governed by an appointed official.
George II, nicknamed ‘the Reed’ for his tall, skinny frame, approached Abigail with a pale face. Though they were of a similar age, George II’s terrified demeanor made them look like a child and an adult.
Cliant, an employee of the Adventurers Guild, rushed to Curios with the Ahen branch manager.
Although Kang-seok was the de facto leader of the rescue team, that was only among themselves. To those who had remained in Ahen, Curios was still the head of the team.
Thanks to this, Kang-seok was freed from dealing with both the mayor and the Adventurers Guild. Instead of collapsing like the other adventurers, he surveyed his surroundings.
‘They know Andras has awakened.’
The distance from Ahen to the Sauerland Mountains was about twenty kilometers.
Observation should have been impossible, but somehow, they seemed to have sensed Andras's revival. The words George II was showering upon Abigail and the state of the fully armed regular army proved it.
“Siege weapons?”
Seong Yu-jin blinked, her eyes fixed on the massive war machines positioned among the regular soldiers. Choi Yu-ra, who had collapsed as soon as they arrived, claiming she had no strength left to stand, lifted her head in surprise.
Two ballistas capable of firing bolts nearly the size of a person and three large catapults stood out distinctly among the fifty or so regular soldiers.
Looking around, he saw it wasn't just the regular army. Adventurers who hadn't participated in the rescue mission and many unfamiliar faces were gathered beside the city's forces.
“It looks like they’re preparing for a full-blown battle with Andras.”
Kim Kang-san, still carrying Park Han-yeong on his back, approached Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin. As if on cue, Curios came over with Cliant and the Ahen branch manager in tow.
Curios scowled.
“It seems we took different paths.”
“With Andras?”
Kang-seok asked immediately. Cliant explained in his stead.
“The Earth Dragon Andras and its monsters are approaching Ahen. Their advance is extremely slow, so we should be fine today… but it seems a clash tomorrow will be unavoidable.”
After confirming Andras’s revival, Kang-seok’s party had headed straight for Ahen. In the meantime, Andras had also been leading its minions toward the city.
That was why siege weapons and fully armed soldiers were waiting at the city gates, and not for a welcoming ceremony. Ahen's walls were low and not suitable for a defensive battle.
Curios spoke.
“The mayor seems to be planning for a field battle. The idea is to strike before that thing reaches Ahen.”
The idea itself wasn't bad. Seong Yu-jin interjected with a question.
“Is it impossible to request reinforcements from elsewhere?”
Andras was moving with the intent to destroy the city of Ahen.
Ahen was a city belonging to the Kingdom of Britannia and, moreover, a direct royal domain. It was only natural for reinforcements to come from other cities.
But Curios shook his head.
“We've sent word to the Knights Templar, but it seems time is short. If we don’t intercept it, the battle for Ahen could break out as early as tomorrow morning.”
Reinforcements had already been requested. But there wasn't enough time for them to arrive.
Cliant added.
“We’ve contacted all the nearby Adventurers Guilds, but very few can join the battle immediately. For now, the people gathered over there are all we have.”
He was referring to the group of adventurers standing next to the regular army. There were about twenty of them in total, including some three and four-star adventurers, who would be a great help in the fight against the monsters.
[Chain Quest: Defeat the Demonic Beast Andras]
[The Demonic Beast Andras is leading its minions to attack Ahen.]
[Defeat the Demonic Beast Andras and protect the city of Ahen.]
[* High chance of obtaining a clue for the World Quest.]
[Andras is currently waiting about 10km away. A monster army, composed mainly of numerous goblin units, accompanies Andras.]
[The people from the Adventurers Guild, Curios, and Abigail have high expectations for Sir Choi Kang-seok’s party. Clearing this quest has a high probability of yielding many human and material rewards, in addition to the rewards from System Yggdrasil.]
[But it is dangerous. You have many allies, but the enemy is also numerous. Please consider this carefully, okay?]
It was Iris's voice, laced with her usual earnestness.
The Players each saw the luminous text appear in their minds. Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra, who had heard Iris's voice just as Kang-seok had, held their tongues and waited for his decision.
The Earth Dragon Andras.
One of the 72 Demonic Beasts.
A clue to the World Quest.
The forces gathered here were sufficient to handle the monster army. The real problem was the strength of the Demonic Beast Andras itself.
Kang-seok closed his eyes. He exhaled slowly, picturing the image in his mind.
The Earth Dragon Andras, standing tall on the summit of the Sauerland Mountains.
“Dragon Slayer.”
Kang-seok muttered quietly. Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra blinked.
Curios and Cliant looked at Kang-seok with a mixture of anxiety and expectation. Kang-seok ignored them and looked directly at Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra.
“Competitiveness, rewards, the first clue to a World Quest, defending the city… there are many reasons. But I can't make this decision alone. What do you think?”
Kang-seok had already decided to accept the quest.
But as he said, he had no intention of dragging the two of them into his decision.
More important to Kang-seok than the city of Ahen or a clue to a World Quest was the safety of Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra.
Seong Yu-jin’s eyes sharpened. She raised the shield of her magic armor, Arnak, and said:
“I want to protect Ahen.”
An answer so very like her.
Choi Yu-ra’s shoulders relaxed as she smiled.
“We've come this far, might as well see it through. And a certain someone needs to earn money to pay for that airship. Besides, its name has 'dragon' in it, so it's bound to drop some cool rare item, right?”
It was decided.
Kang-seok clenched his fist, a cool smile replacing his bitter one.
“Let’s do it.”
This was different from when they had fled the Sauerland Mountains in a hurry.
They had a short time to regroup and rest, and they had fifty regular soldiers and new adventurers on their side.
Dragon Slayer.
The defeat of the Earth Dragon Andras.
It was the formation of a raid party to face a giant boss monster.