Arund's Tear
“The reason the Storm King needs the phoenix egg is the Balrog that broke free when the Kaztan beast tamers died.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Skutum told me.”
Lugal stared at Adel in disbelief.
“Skutum? Can't trust that bastard. White Claw rider, you mean? Kelrop, maybe, but that guy's no pushover...”
Sagael looked just as taken aback by Adel's words.
“How'd you get him to talk?”
“Eh, just put a hole in his leg.”
“What...?”
“Of course, just like you said, the Storm King didn't spill easily. Got it in exchange for sparing his men's lives, though.”
“A life for a life, huh?”
“Rules apply everywhere, right? Though not quite in the way you're thinking.”
“What a ridiculous stunt. Sagael, we didn't even need to help in the first place.”
“...You're right.”
“Solve the Balrog problem, and no need to hunt the phoenix egg or rack your brains over Ulan relations.”
“And you'll take down the Balrog?”
“Yeah. Got to head to Cove with Leviathan first thing tomorrow morning. Kaztan's not far, thankfully. Mind if I borrow the Storm King's gryphon?”
“Pfft... Puhaha!!”
Lugal stared blankly for a moment before bursting into absurd laughter.
“Sagael, you hear that? The kid wants to borrow my gryphon. And says he'll bag the Balrog in half a day.”
He wiped at imaginary tears from his eyes, laughing like it was the funniest thing ever.
“We've been tearing our hair out for ages, and this punk hands us the solution in less than a day.”
“...”
Sagael gave a wry smile at his words.
“Impressive... No wonder Hien took you in. You're one hell of a find.”
Snap!
With that, Lugal flicked Adel's forehead hard.
“Ow.”
Adel clutched his throbbing skull and glared up at him.
“You messing with me, kid? Everyone knows dealing with the Balrog fixes it.”
Lugal said.
“I get you're confident after fighting Ardragon riders, but a Balrog's no White Claw lizard. Don't do anything stupid.”
“What if it's not stupid?”
Lugal flinched. In that instant, the glint in Adel's eyes made his fist clench involuntarily.
“Heard the rumors from Cratel? About a black dragon getting hunted.”
“What?”
Shing!
“Don't do anything stupid.”
Sagael whipped out his spear in a flash, aiming it at Adel's throat. As expected of the Red Citadel's elite, he'd sensed the killing intent rolling off Adel.
“Don't tell me... You're Cratel's dragon hunter.”
“Curious? Come check it out yourself.”
Adel flashed a meaningful smile.
...This kid?
Lugal eyed his boldness with growing interest.
Hien's eighth son is the dragon hunter...?
As far as he knew, Ulan was still in the thick of succession struggles. And for hunters, dragons were the ultimate prey.
Wonder if his brothers know.
He chuckled at the thought.
“Clever little shit, aren't you? Life debts and all that, but you're using me to snag the title of Balrog hunter too.”
“Well...”
Adel just smirked.
“The Balrog's gathering beasts in the Kaztan base forest. Three thousand of 'em, from what I hear. You sure about this?”
“The Kaztans set up there for safety. Only trolls and goblins infest it.”
“Hm, true—no strong beasts in that forest.”
“The real issue's the hundred or so beasts the Kaztans tamed. But Red Citadel could handle that easy.”
“So just the Balrog?”
“Yep.”
“Hm... Possible? How do you lure it out from all those beasts?”
“Carve a path.”
“...Who?”
Adel grinned meaningfully.
“Kraaaah—!!!”
A bellowing roar echoed with a dull thud. A massive hammer crushed a beast's skull.
“This... your plan?”
Panting raggedly over the mangled corpse stood none other than Lugal.
“The Eight Lords live up to the name.”
“Shut it, you raccoon dog. You hang back watching while we do the work... Tuck that thumb before I break it.”
Bathed in beast blood, Lugal shot an incredulous glare at Adel trailing behind him.
“What can we do, boss? Who knew the little guy's contracted to an ancient god.”
Sagael yanked his spear from a goblin's nape beside him. He looked more alive than back at the castle.
[Grrr...]
[Grk, grk...]
Dozens of beast corpses littered around the three, but far more glowing eyes watched from the darkness.
“Yeah, shocked me too. Wouldn't believe it without Yona's word.”
Surrounded by beasts, Lugal shouldered his hammer nonchalantly and strode forward.
Whoosh—a faint light enveloped him, steadying his ragged breath.
“Let's go.”
Not just him—Adel and Sagael brimmed with renewed vigor too.
Yona, high god of abundance.
An odd match for a lifelong mercenary king. The goddess of abundance granted thick life force, usually for bountiful crops or healthy livestock.
But Lugal twists her blessing entirely.
He turned that vitality inward for himself. That was Yona's power in full.
Warriors crave gods boosting strength or speed.
Yet Lugal bound himself to her—irrelevant for battle, only restoring stamina.
Everyone laughed at first.
A baffling choice, but when he hit the battlefield as her contractor, shock replaced their mockery.
He didn't need more power.
He just needed endless stamina to fight without tiring.
Boom!
Lugal's hammer shook the forest.
[Kek! Kekek!!!]
[Gurrk...! Gurk...! Gwehk!!]
The dark night woods filled with beasts' dying screams.
“...Now what?”
The three hid inside a ruined building. They eyed the Balrog slumbering in the village center.
[Grk... Grk...]
Despite the beast slaughter nearby, it ignored them like flies.
“Balrogs are born of hellfire, wielding both fire and shadow. At night, shadow dominates, so it sleeps like that.”
Adel pressed a finger to his lips.
“Move quiet, it won't notice. Now we find the necklace the Kaztan riders used.”
“Arund's Tear?”
“Yes.”
“But it's probably broken. That's how the Balrog got loose. Can we even use it?”
“Don't need the necklace. Just the thorns on it.”
“Got it. Aim for its heart with the thorns?”
“Only Divine Poison stops its heart besides Garuda's flame.”
Adel nodded at their words.
“But Divine Poison needs direct heart injection. No blade survives hellfire long.”
“Hm. Trouble.”
Sagael stroked his chin, face darkening.
“Looks like your mistake. Even if we find it... Arund's Tear needs three Divine Poisons. Shame, but I'm no god contractor.”
He shook his head.
“Just a common merc with low-god blessings.”
Modest words, but wielding only low-god power at this level made him a monster like Lugal.
“Problem... Even ancient god contractors can't hold two Divine Poisons.”
Valid concern. But Adel just smiled at him.
Fwoosh!
In that moment, Kalderet emerged from the shadows.
[The collar's in three pieces. Balrog's work, probably. Street-smart for a human world beast?]
“Where?”
[One's in that half-ruined building behind it. One in the well. The last's around its neck.]
As Kalderet said, a thick chain collar hung on the sleeping Balrog's neck, ending in a half-shattered blue gem.
Hummm.... The gem pulsed faintly—its seal not fully broken.
Lucky. Still works. True ancient seal.
Legend said Akala, Arunasar's third leader and Hajatum's builder, crafted it from the eyes of her disciple Arund, Kaztan's founder. Cruel as her mad moniker, but supremely effective—holding for centuries.
“I'll spirit-fetch the well shard. Sagael, you grab the building one.”
“Hm, got it.”
“Guess that leaves me on Balrog duty. Kid knows how to work a guy.”
“Use blessings, it'll alert. Harder to recover shards then.”
Adel said.
“Only you can face it without blessings here.”
“If you're lying, Balrog crushes me.”
“No way. I'll handle the Divine Poison. Let's gather the broken chain first.”
Adel shook his head at Lugal.
“Fine. Let's see your skills. Botch it, and I'll smash your head instead.”
“Smash the Balrog's first.”
“That ain't hard.”
With that, Lugal's massive frame launched like a gale. His huge hammer smashed the Balrog's crown.
Splat—!!!