“Y-You're Going to Burst Open Lanselro's Belly?!”
Kawara nearly fainted upon hearing my plan. The other hunters reacted the same way.
“Aishira. You know a dragon's weakness.”
Her face hardened at my words.
“When I went to see Lord Gullak, he told me the most important thing in dragon hunting is a single arrow.”
I nodded at her response.
Reverse scale.
Among the 81 special scales on a dragon's body, there's just one attached backward. Striking it first stiffens the dragon's body, but a second hit sends it into a berserk rage that could make it lose its mind.
“You only get one shot. The paralysis from the reverse scale only works the first time—after that, it goes berserk instead.”
“Just once...”
I looked at Aishira.
“Your arrow can do it. I'm counting on you. Remember, the success of this hunt rests entirely on your shoulders.”
“If I planned to leave it to someone else, I wouldn't have come. I was aiming for its reverse scale anyway.”
She replied boldly, brushing off any pressure. I paused, hand in my pocket about to pull out the divine beast powder, and said to her,
“Great minds, then. So, mind sharing your plan next?”
“What, getting cold feet?”
“As if. I'm just curious how you planned to hunt a white dragon without divine beast powder. You didn't come here with some reckless 'just shoot arrows' plan, did you?”
I pulled the powder from my bosom as I spoke. She knew what it was—her eyes narrowed slightly.
“In that case, I'd love to hear your plan first. You're the one who gathered us.”
“As you can see, we'll use the divine beast powder.”
“From Uento?”
“Yes.”
“Hmph. He wouldn't give me any when I asked... You must've sweet-talked him good.”
Aishira clearly knew about the powder.
Maybe that's the real reason her dragon hunt failed—no powder.
I began piecing together bits of continental history I hadn't known, like a puzzle.
“Uento probably wouldn't give you any because you couldn't use it even if he did.”
“Why?”
“To use divine beast powder properly, you need two things: a full moon night and mana.”
“Mana...”
Aishira bit her lip in regret.
“Unless you're a mage, you can't have mana. Northern hunters obviously don't use magic, so they can't use this powder.”
“Hmm.”
“Instead, coat your arrowheads with it. It's not as good as using the powder directly, but the spirit power inside will clash with the dragon's anti-magic scales, piercing its defense for some damage. It won't wound it deeply, but it's great for suppression.”
Aishira took an arrow from her quiver, coated it with powder, and handed the rest to Kawara and the others.
“Tell all the hunters to coat theirs.”
“What about the rest?”
“One's enough. If it fails, it'll notice anyway. Then we can't catch it. No second chances.”
Kawara shrugged and went off with the powder to collect the hunters' arrows.
“I get shooting the reverse scale. But that won't open Lanselro's belly.”
“If the first strike stops its movement, I'll climb onto its head next.”
“...What?”
Aishira frowned.
“That's suicide.”
But her expression was oddly intrigued.
“Suicide, huh. But weren't you thinking the same?”
Her face stiffened at my question.
“To maximize the powder, you put it in your mouth and activate your mana. That turns your mana into spirit power instantly. If you can get that power to the dragon's heart, it'll awaken the dormant spirits inside.”
She nodded.
“The problem is getting the spirit power to its heart.”
“After the first reverse scale hit paralyzes it, every hunter with powder-coated arrows focuses fire on one spot. That should do it.”
It was possible thanks to the northern hunters' precise marksmanship.
“If we pour arrows like you say, we might dislodge a scale. But it'll take too long—the paralysis will wear off.”
“If we can peel off a scale, leave the rest to me.”
Woooong...
I drew up my mana. A faint flow brushed across my palm, flickering in and out.
“No way?”
“Exactly. Mana. It's weak, but if I convert what I have using the powder into spirit power, I can land a real hit.”
Half true, half lie—actually, more lie than truth.
Thanks to Memory Keeper, I had mana without a magic tower, but without spells, I couldn't cast properly. And my mana stat was a measly 5.
All I could do was visualize mana flow for Aishira by pooling it.
To actually hit the dragon, I'd have to risk death.
But players resurrect with penalties—not true death. Better not to die if possible... but I have to be prepared.
If we succeeded, penalties were worth it.
“Embarrassing. And you're not even northern, yet you're risking your life.”
Aishira is moved by your courage.
'Naba's Black Hawk' is applied to your affinity slot.
Affinity effect: Aishira's reputation toward you greatly increases.
“Maybe that's why Lord Gullak said the time wasn't right. You have the divine beast powder I lack, and I have another way to peel scales you don't.”
She nodded decisively, murmuring,
“I won't waste my comrades' lives. If there was no chance, I wouldn't have started. And this... it belongs with you.”
Shring—
Then she drew a small sword from her bosom. Midway between shortsword and longsword—a small sword—with unusual engravings on the scabbard.
“...That's?”
“Lord Gullak gave it to me. A sword that cuts dragon scales.”
I examined the sword in her hand.
Grade: Heroic
Durability: 100/100
Equip Level: 10+
- Sword bestowed upon Amur, fourth of War God Gullak's Five Heroes. He inherited Chil-ya 4 Swords and was Gullak's finest disciple, but fell to an incurable disease. Knowing a dragon heart was needed to cure him, Gullak forged this small sword for the hunt. But by completion, Amur's heart had frozen cold; he died young, and the sword returned masterless to Gullak.
Attack Power (Dragonkin Special): 100 (30,000)
All Stats +1
100% Hit on first strike vs. Dragonkin
Skill: True Chil-ya 4 Swords (Locked)
Unlock skill by succeeding in dragon hunt with small sword
“...!!!”
I couldn't hide my shock after inspecting it.
That's really Gullak's sword?!
Beyond stats, it was key for the world quest Chil-ya Sword.
Same disease as Bazarr.
Frozen heart—I instantly knew it was Blue Blood.
Gullak prepared a dragon hunt for his disciple, but he died before the sword was done. Then Aishira must've sought him out.
The northern civil war puzzle was coming together.
“My plan was to drive this into its reverse scale.”
“But Aishira, you need to shoot the arrow. Whether climbing its head or stabbing its neck comes after hitting the reverse scale perfectly.”
“...”
“The north has great hunters, but you're the only perfect one. You said it yourself—one chance. Miss the scale, and we just enrage it. We're all dead.”
I lowered my voice toward her.
“That's why you only coated one arrowhead, right? One chance.”
She nodded.
“You're right. So I'm entrusting this to you. If I shoot the reverse scale, stabbing it with this sword is your job. Maybe these ten years weren't about honing my skill, but meeting you.”
Thump— Thump— Thump—
I took Amur's small sword from her.
Stat-wise, inferior to Tesaro's sword, but its value went beyond attack power.
Dragonkin-specialized power, guaranteed first-hit accuracy. And...
Unlock skill by succeeding in dragon hunt with small sword.
I read the bottom description, lips curling slowly.
Tesaro's sword needs swordsmanship level for Chil-ya 1 Sword, but this only requires the hunt—no level limit. Even with low sword skill, if I succeed, I can learn Chil-ya 4 Swords.
Chil-ya styles have no order—each is independent. Mastering one made you a powerhouse.
Even Kael, Gullak's last disciple called such, hadn't perfected Chil-ya 1 Sword yet ruled as northern barbarian strongest.
Finally, I can fill that skill slot.
I smiled faintly at my empty skill slot, skipping Yong-gong Geom-sik and first job change.
Difficulty-wise, raising sword level for 1 Sword vs. hunting a dragon? No contest—dragons were near-impossible.
They didn't limit sword level assuming years away, just the hunt.
But no one expected a level 35 player to hunt dragons.
Grip—
I clutched Amur's small sword.
“Dragon hunt begins.”