Entering the Dragon's Lair
Dozens of Blaze Worms were cut down in a single volley.
Souls drifted lazily through the air.
Beneath them lay heaps of Blaze Worm byproducts.
The sheer force of the strike froze the minions in place.
“Not bad.”
The obsidian arrowheads performed remarkably well.
“Speed’s excellent too.”
Obsidian arrowheads were proper equipment, not mere consumables, and carried special options as a result.
“Life drain, plus a property unique to the obsidian itself.”
Its extreme sharpness caused the arrow to accelerate once more just before impact.
With that speed conversion, whoever gets hit has to be completely thrown off.
Jinwoo grinned.
“Obsidian. This is some seriously fine material.”
Watching from behind, Mortus rattled his bones. That was far beyond “not bad.” It was magnificent. To unleash power of that magnitude with a ranged attack—Mortus, a ranged-type undead himself, understood exactly how overwhelming it was. His master was clearly a legendary craftsman first and foremost, yet moments like this, when overwhelming combat power surfaced without warning, only deepened the minions’ loyalty.
Fourteen obsidian arrowheads remained.
These will sell.
Every previous shortcoming had been erased.
Perfect for firing one at a time when I need raw power.
He had originally planned to sell every last one, but Jinwoo decided to keep four and put the remaining ten on the market.
“Bundle them with the Blaze Worm Chitin Bows and they’ll move nicely.”
Through Pin he reclaimed every last Blaze Worm byproduct.
Whoosh—
Jinwoo also harvested the floating Blaze Worm souls.
“High-level monsters always drop high-grade souls. Love that.”
This one… yeah. Better save it.
He intended to stockpile the reserved souls and hand them over to the Attendant or 2-ho-gi when they returned from their assignments.
I still have Basago’s soul left, too.
Jinwoo’s gaze settled on Pur. Pur carried Purpur’s soul and had been the strongest of the minions at the moment of creation. Now, however, both First and Mortus surpassed him on pure specs.
The soul you start with matters, but…
How you raise them matters just as much.
Time to grow him properly.
Soul Sight proficiency has increased!
Rumble—! The ground shuddered again.
A fresh wave of Blaze Worms surged forward. This time Jinwoo planned to leave them to the minions.
“What? Where do you think you’re going?”
But the charging Blaze Worms suddenly wheeled around and fled.
“I thought they had no intelligence.”
They did. That single devastating strike and the total annihilation of their kin had been more than enough. Sensing something far beyond their measure, they simply ran.
“Let’s go, Pin.”
Jinwoo swung onto Pin’s back.
“These things could threaten Iron Helm someday.”
Of course they never would.
“Since we started the job, we finish it cleanly.”
After clearing the Obsidian Golem, the Blaze Worms, and a host of lesser monsters, Jinwoo finally reached the far edge of the Barren Lands. He had pushed hard the entire way, yet the journey still took far longer than expected.
“Is this a trap?”
The thought crossed his mind that the dragon might simply be dangling itself as bait, hoping to make him its next material.
Rattle—
The minions said nothing. Of course they didn’t.
How long they flew after that, no one could say.
Then the earth heaved once more.
The volcano’s crater detonated.
Boom—!
Right beside the ruptured crater, something vast loomed in the distance—an enormous, living mass.
You have entered the Barren Lands — Dragon Lair.
Pollution constrains you.
The mighty power of a dragon gazes down upon you.
“……!”
“…….”
“……Pin!”
A being swathed entirely in pitch-black darkness. Only a single eye, drowned in madness, remained visible. That eye swept left and right, taking in its surroundings. Chains as black as the darkness itself bound its body; every movement set them clanking.
Clank—. Clank—.
Jinwoo’s minions shuddered under the crushing presence. The terror of a true dragon had settled into their bones. Even though they converted ordinary debuffs into buffs, this fear was no mere status effect; they could not help but tremble. Instinctively they glanced toward their master. If they were affected this strongly, Jinwoo should be suffering worse.
Yet Jinwoo looked perfectly at ease.
“Bigger than I expected.”
He was smiling.
If I hunt that……
Hide, wings, bones, soul, claws—everything.
“Blood into potions, hide into leatherwork and sewing……” He mustn’t forget the teeth either.
To Jinwoo a dragon was a tree that gave without limit. Discovering one standing right in front of him made smiling the only natural reaction.
“…….”
The terrified minions stared at their master. He was not afraid. That single fact restored their composure—and lifted their morale.
Then the dragon’s eye locked onto them.
A violent energy storm erupted around the dragon. Pollution flooded outward in every direction.
“I expected only dwarves…… yet a human has come. So those dwarves finally swallowed their pride and begged humans to save them. And yet…… you are an enemy. Deeply so.”
There was only one human present—Jinwoo. The rest were undead.
“Human who toys with the dead. Do you truly believe the corpses dancing at your fingertips can harm me?”
The dragon’s roar shook the air.
Your body freezes under the intense power!
“Do you mean to desecrate this great existence with mere shells of life?!”
It was the strongest Fear Jinwoo had ever faced. Dragon Fear was the original of every lesser fear, and it was no ordinary debuff.
None of a dragon’s skills are treated as debuffs.
Therefore the effect of Rune: Bone Heart never triggered. The minions edged backward. First alone held his ground without yielding an inch.
Clatter—!
The chains on the dragon rang again.
“If not for these sealing chains I would have swallowed you all in a single bite. But very well. The chains will break soon enough.”
The dragon’s gaze settled on Jinwoo.
“Until then, you will remain there forever.”
It stamped one massive foot. Something took shape directly in front of Jinwoo.
Whoosh—
“To the undead, the undead. To one who toys with the dead, I answer with the dead.”
The dragon’s voice rolled across the crater.
“You will spin round and round in that place for all eternity.”
Then the dragon vanished. Only the erupting crater remained—and a single figure.
“……A miner?”
A miner gripping a colossal pickaxe stood before Jinwoo’s eyes. Before anyone realized it, the landscape had changed. A towering mountain now rose ahead, and the miner walked toward it in silence.
Clang—! Clang—!
He began to dig.
Jinwoo studied him for a moment. Since a corrupted dragon owned this place, a test attack seemed prudent.
“First.”
First swung the Orichalcum Light Sword in a clean arc.
Swoosh—!
The miner was sliced cleanly in half. An instant later he regenerated, completely whole.
“Immortal.”
Jinwoo understood at once.
So that’s why the dragon said those words.
Remain here forever.
“We can’t leave.”
This miner was clearly the master of the space.
“Domain Declaration.”
Domain Declaration
He used the same method that had worked against the Evil Incarnate Basago. This space was a domain of its own. If he could claim it, he might seize control and force an escape.
“Hmm.”
Nothing changed. The miner continued swinging his pickaxe at the mountain without pause.
“Miner-nim. What exactly are you doing?”
“…….”
Only when addressed did the miner turn his head.
“Digging…… through the mountain.”
With a single pickaxe?
“Why are you trying to dig through the mountain?”
“Because a path is needed.”
That was all he said. Silence returned.
Jinwoo folded his arms, then activated another skill.
“Soul Sight.”
Soul Sight
The miner’s soul was thick with murk—regret and despair layered so densely they nearly choked the air. And the sensation felt strangely familiar.
I’ve felt this before.
That lingering, bottomless regret.
Hepales.
Jinwoo sensed the same imprint on this miner that he had once felt from Hepales.
Is the act of digging through the mountain itself filled with regret?
“Why do you need a path?”
The miner offered no further answer. His silence made it clear he felt no obligation to speak.
“Master.”
First tightened his grip on the Orichalcum Light Sword, ready to cut the miner down for good. Pur stepped forward as well, World Tree’s Judgment in hand.
“I shall handle this.”
Yet Jinwoo felt something else entirely. This miner did not feel like a servant of the corrupted dragon.
And I don’t think brute force is going to solve anything here.
He waved both minions back.
“There’s a reason for this.”
He needed to understand the miner’s actions. Nothing else would free them. The conviction settled deep.
In that case…
Jinwoo sat down.
Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!
He watched the miner with careful eyes. Having forged countless pickaxes and learned proper mining technique himself, he could read every motion.
Clumsy.
And the purpose felt wrong.
He’s no professional miner.
Obtaining rare ore did not seem to be the goal at all.
He said a path is needed.
Jinwoo rose to his feet in a single motion.
“I’ve got it.”
He stood and summoned his workshop.
“I know how to solve this.”