Dragon of Lang-a's Bulwark

"I have no idea what you're talking about. We simply leave the tribute we've brought and perform the ritual for the Soul White Wolf, former master of Lang-a's Bulwark, then depart. That's all."

Kawara spoke up amid the darkening faces of the hunters, as if to cut off my words.

"You all know why the three great divine beasts, called the Three Great Majesties, vanished."

"……."

'One misstep, and it's all over.'

I kept my eyes on the warning alert and pressed on.

"The North has always been land blessed by the Soul White Wolf. As you know, Roarbrok was the mightiest and most noble of the three divine beasts called the Three Great Majesties."

Fortunately, the tribesmen's reputations didn't shift further.

"In the era called the Empire, the continent brimmed with mana. People were born with mana from the start. But the Empire fell, and no one is born with mana anymore. Even Eltia Kingdom, heir to the Empire's legacy, took up the sword instead of mana and named itself the Iron Kingdom."

I continued.

"Thus, mana became a privilege held only by the mages of the magic towers."

Honestly, from a player's perspective, mana or spirit power were just game settings to give classes unique flavors—nothing to overthink.

'How many players even read the fine print on the lore anyway?'

After all, NPC histories and kingdoms would crumble over time, overtaken by players. I was one of those players too.

That is, if I hadn't lived through those blood-soaked wars in my dreams, breathing the same air as those who felt utterly alive.

That's why I couldn't see NPCs as mere programmed characters like others might. Maybe it seemed ridiculous to some, but I spoke with a serious face.

"What does that have to do with us?"

Aishira frowned as she asked.

"Spirit power is the same. It existed in the past, but now the wildfolk and druids who wielded it have vanished, and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lineage of spirit shamans has been severed."

"No way……."

She murmured softly.

"Why those once-abundant powers dwindled exponentially—unlike the vanished ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spirits and divine beasts, why do only the magic tower mages still wield mana."

Aishira lifted her hardened face to meet my words.

"The reason the magic towers alone retained mana."

"Impossible…… Only the elders and a handful know that……."

Unlike her shock, the other hunters just tilted their heads in confusion.

"Aishira. Do you know something?"

Kawara asked her.

"It's fine. That secret was your reward for investigating that monster despite the elders' opposition. And it's tied to the beast that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠comes for the tribute, so it's not hard for you all to guess."

All the hunters fixed their gazes on her at my words.

"Among the continent's lifeforms, only one species bears the name Predator."

"Dragon."

She intoned it low, like a chant.

"N-No way…… You mean there's a dragon in Lang-a's Bulwark?"

"Lies! Impossible!"

The hunters cried out in horror.

They were elites selected for the ritual, yet even they didn't know the full truth. Makes sense—Kawara and the rest who came here were skilled, but young hunters.

"……As a child, I sought out the Kalun Tribe to slay that monster."

Unlike their shock, Aishira spoke calmly through their shouts.

She slowly removed her hood, revealing a face with fierce eyes. A vivid scar twisted one cheek, like a burn, but what stood out more was the seasoned aura amid these young hunters.

'Looks about Kael's age…… Probably over forty.'

Yet unlike Kael, who had retired, she joined the ritual herself. Sure, no archer in Naba Tribe surpassed her, and she still held her position as strike captain—but above all, it was her burning will to kill the dragon.

"I believed only one man in the North could slay it: the War God, Gullak."

"You met Lord Gullak……?"

"When……."

"Not surprising. When you were taking your first steps and drawing your first bowstrings, I was already strike captain of the tribe."

They fell silent, convinced.

'……What?'

Setting aside her age, her words caught me off guard for another reason.

'Aishira's connected to Gullak?'

An unexpected link. I knew from my dreams she was a seasoned, elite hunter and warrior during the North conquest, but not like this.

'Maybe…….'

Her ties might not end with this quest—could hint at the world quest Chilya Sword.

"The divine beasts vanished because of dragons. They claimed the beasts' lairs as their own, stealing their domains. When the continent was one vast Empire, humanity rebelled against the dragons and waged war."

"But they lost, and dragons stripped mana from humans. Only a few who sided with dragons, not humanity, preserved their mana."

Aishira looked at me.

"Those became the founding mages of the current magic towers."

"You look young, yet you know the continent's hidden histories well. Kids these days ignore dusty old tales."

I gave a wry smile at her words.

'You wouldn't know. The Iron Kingdom royal archives are piled with secrets far deeper than this. Royals start education by memorizing those ancient tomes.'

And with my memories of future events, those records were as good as a strategy guide.

"But Gullak refused my proposal."

"Why?"

"He said the time wasn't right—no reason given. Probably deemed my skill lacking then. He told me the moment would come in exactly ten years and gave me one method to prepare."

Aishira's eyes gleamed as she faced me.

"This year marks exactly ten years."

"……."

'Gullak left her a dragon-slaying method? Then why was the White Dragon alive in my dreams?'

Simple: She failed.

'Her dragon hunt might've sparked the intertribal wars in the North.'

When my Iron Kingdom warred with Deus Union, the North was in civil strife for some reason. The Duchy had long clashed with the massive Crimson Tribe in the Land of Savages.

The continent was a Warring States era, wars everywhere.

By my North conquest, their wars had ended, leaving them weakened.

'Her solo dragon hunt failed, tribes blamed Naba, sparking conflict.'

I looked at her.

"My resolve to slay the Bulwark's monster for the North's freedom hasn't wavered. I've planned and prepared all these years."

Krunch—

She gripped her greatbow as she spoke.

"And today. I execute the plan."

"W-Wait……! Aishira! You mean to hunt the dragon? Without tribal consensus, on your own? If……! You fail, the North will burn!"

Kawara couldn't hide his shock, shouting.

"Kawara's right."

I slowly opened my mouth, watching them.

"……What?"

"You'll fail, Aishira."

Her face hardened at my words, eyes like a beast ready to devour me.

"Without my help, that is."

"Insolent."

But I smiled faintly at her.

"You need bait, don't you?"

I eyed the system window, sensing Aishira's heart wavering.

The Social Skill was a double-edged sword, but her Gullak link alone justified raising her rep.

"Aishira."

I said to her.

"I'll help you. You'd planned to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bait it yourself, right?"

Her eyes widened.

"I'll be the bait."

"……!!"

That moment, a clear bell-like chime rang in my ears.

Atop the blizzard-swept hill, the alert thrilled me.

Thump— Thump— Thump—

My heart pounded wildly at the updated quest window.

Difficulty: Immeasurable.

It wasn't just hard—it meant brute force wouldn't cut it. Standard hunting methods failed; specific clear conditions were required.

"The night of the full moon."

Of course, I knew the key.

"We'll slay the dragon."

My voice echoed through Lang-a's Bulwark.

"This is insane! Not content with starting the Night Hunt quest, now he's going after a dragon?!"

Han Se-hyun gripped the monitor displaying Kim Do-hyun's quest progress, shouting.

"Jeong, Section Chief! Check hidden classes tied to Night Hunt."

"Already did. Here."

Quick-witted Jeong scanned Dimension World's database swiftly.

"No direct job quests linked to Night Hunt."

"Good?"

Han Se-hyun sighed in relief at the report.

"But the first player to slay a dragon gets a chance at the Legendary hidden class Dragon Slayer."

"Dragon Slayer…… A job for post-100 level second job change, possibly now? Thought it'd wait for the update……."

Han had hoped for a shakeup among the eight great clans, but not this outlier event.

'Kim Do-hyun…… You're really stirring things up.'

"Not hacking, right?"

Jeong knew it was absurd. No one could breach Choi Hyuk-su's security.

"Never saw this coming. No need to—it was impossible. Even the CEO didn't predict it."

Han murmured lowly.

"Operators don't know all hidden classes or quests, so no leaks possible."

He bit his lip slightly.

"Operator rights can't directly penalize players; personal security limits us to quest progress alerts."

"Just watch, then."

"Kim Do-hyun's level now?"

"35."

"Job?"

"That's…… No first job change yet."

"What? No skills? Bare-handed dragon hunt quest?!"

Unbelievable.

Han just shook his head, speechless.

"Team Leader. Honestly, no way he slays a dragon, right? Pre-Renaissance patch, early game—dragon levels scaled down to player levels, but still 100. Even elite NPCs can't take it."

"……Yeah?"

"Plus, the Spirit Devourer Dragon in the North can't be killed normally. Don't worry."

Han nodded reluctantly at Jeong's words.

"Uh……."

Then, a subordinate scanning the database spoke cautiously.

"One more thing."

"What?"

"N-No, it's…… practically impossible……."

"Spit it out."

Under Han's urging, the subordinate awkwardly turned his monitor.

"One in a thousand—no, one in ten thousand chance, but…… If Kim Do-hyun somehow completes Night Hunt, gets first dragon kill without taking Dragon Slayer, and keeps meeting prereqs…… He'd unlock the one currently locked class."

"A Locked class……."

Han's face grew uneasy at the words.

Hidden classes existed in the system, hidden by quests. Locked meant sealed entirely.

"No way……."

Han muttered unwittingly.

"Mythic class?"