Waking the Sleeping Drake
"They're going fast."
-For real, super fast lol;
- Kill each other off.
- Black Dragon, you not heading out?
- The cheetah's laughing its ass off right now.......
- Race over:
The players scattering like ants scrambling for second place made for quite the spectacle. Now that the legacy's location was marked on the map, everyone wanted to make it their top priority. But not everyone bolted.
"Hey, why aren't you going?"
Blood asked, arms crossed. Despite her hot-blooded personality, her eyes watching the situation were ice-cold and calculating.
"And what about you? If you're late, you'll miss it forever."
"If it was something we could take down, you'd have charged first. Spill it—what's your plan? And info on this castle too."
"Who'd think you were put in charge or something."
Riwei chuckled as he cut in, listening to their exchange. That only poked at Blood's temper again.
"Yeah, let's kill you first."
Swoosh—
She took a step forward, black energy rippling from her wrist. Riwei raised his spear to counter, but once more, no clash happened.
Thud—!
A massive man slammed his shield down between them: Mars. He eyed Blood and said, "Don't waste time on pointless fights. Our goal is just the Snow Drake."
"You're clueless, old man. That Black Dragon guy's definitely hiding something."
"You planning to rely on some trickster? Uphold the vanguard's dignity. We break through with our own strength."
Clunk—!
Mars yanked his shield free and strode toward the castle's interior.
-That bastard?
- Spying on streams for info smh;
- Vanguard my ass.
- If Black Dragon's all tricks, vanguard should all bite their tongues.
- Fr, strip their ranks.
The chat exploded over his bold words. Blood reacted the same way.
"Tricks, my ass."
She clicked her tongue, glaring at Hanbit before trudging after Mars.
"You sure it's okay to just let them go like that?"
Once the surrounding players had all vanished, Kim Jaeha asked worriedly. Hanbit walked to where the Department Head had stood and crouched down.
Swish—
A pristine white orb and a gauntlet tossed on the ground. The Department Head had figured the White Wyvern's heart was useless. But that was a massive miscalculation.
"Let's get moving too. First, everyone have some of this."
Hanbit pulled lava seed soup from his inventory—enough for all six of them.
"Ugh... what’s with this taste?"
"Lava seeds aren't normal ingredients. It's soup purely for performance."
As Avant-garde explained, the soup was ruthlessly optimized for effects alone. And those effects were rock-solid.
"Been a while since I've had this."
"Hm."
Zenon and Gorik downed it matter-of-factly, like old pros. Hanbit, last in line, brought the reddish liquid to his lips.
[Effect: Lava Heat buff applied.]
[Cold resistance gradually increases.]
Confirming the message, Hanbit felt the heat building inside him. It wasn't intense yet, but given time, it'd blaze fiercely.
"Let's move."
They headed inward slowly. The castle's true scale revealed itself bit by bit. Sighs escaped everyone naturally.
"...They can render maps like this?"
"Didn't expect it to be this big...!"
The castle space was too vast to take in at a glance. A cylindrical fortress ringed by ice walls like a stronghold. Inside, sculpted icebergs jutted everywhere, forming a labyrinthine maze.
Grrr—
Then, irregular breathing echoed from afar. Zenon, ears perked, said, "No signs of movement."
He heightened his senses, gauging the source. Spot on.
"It's sleeping right now."
"...Even the legendary records mentioned something similar, but it sleeps with intruders around?"
"To it, we're less than flies. It'll keep snoozing till something pisses it off."
The Snow Drake was strong. Its nonchalance stemmed from that unshakeable truth. Basic skills wouldn't even get a blink from it. But there was a surefire way to wake it.
Grrr—
The breathing grew closer with each step. Nearing the center, they spotted the backs of a dense crowd. And then.
Whoosh—!
In a temple-like space sprawled the Snow Drake, eyes shut.
[Boss: Snow Drake (Lv.500)]
"...We gotta take that down?"
"A level 500 boss..."
Its peacefully sleeping form triggered primal dread. Five times the White Wyvern's size, covered in razor-sharp white scales. Its tail dragged on the floor was impossible to gauge.
-We're screwed;
-How tf do you kill that?
-I'm out.
-Anyone who can take a 500?
-Need vanguard #1 asap.
-Whoever you are, come prove it.
Viewers instinctively sensed the subjugation difficulty. The aura seeped through the screen. No one knew the vanguard leader's identity, but even if he showed, could he beat the Snow Drake? Hanbit was skeptical.
'Their combo's decent, at least.'
Blood's hidden skill Blood Oath could chip away at its health. Add tank-specialist Mars, and they might trade meaningful blows. Killing it was still impossible, though.
Whoosh—!
The castle's master exhaled deeply, spreading aggressive chill outward.
"Ugh!"
"What kind of cold is this...!"
The breath-mixed frost slashed like ice blades. Not just the vanguard—even other players couldn't move rashly.
"The legacy's in there, right?"
"Should we sneak in?"
"Are you nuts? If that wakes up, it's a wipe!"
All eyes locked on beneath the Snow Drake. Amid piles of gold and jewels gleamed a hammer radiating brilliant light.
Crunch—
Gorik clenched his fist, glaring at the drake. But rash moves meant death.
"The records were accurate."
Zenon said warily, eyeing the monster. Ifrit legends mentioned the Snow Drake, dismissed as exaggeration—until now.
"That's a calamity. Best to pull out fast before it stirs. Asking other cities for help might boost our odds."
Zenon suggested retreat again. Wake the Snow Drake, total wipe. That was the obvious outcome.
Hanbit eyed the surrounding players and asked, "What about grabbing it without waking it? We're this close and no reaction."
"Hmm..."
The hammer under its belly was eye-catchingly placed. Move right, maybe snag it stealthily.
"I won't say it's outright impossible... but my opinion stands. Head back to the city first."
-Fair.
- But could sneak it?
- Tons of vanguard, why not just kill it?
- Yeah right.
- We're doomed anyway, snag some broadcast kills?
Viewer opinions split.
"Ha."
Then Kim Jaeha behind him furrowed his brow with a sigh and approached Hanbit.
"Department Head messaged."
"Message?"
"Hold on. Sending it over."
Kim Jaeha forwarded it right away.
「Taeyul Corp - Department Head Lee Ihojung」
「Hey, can you really steal the legacy on the sly? Why's Black Dragon just standing there? Speak straight or I'll sue your ass.」
The habitual threat was laughable now. If he actually sued, Juyeonu on standby would countersue instantly. Hanbit wondered what face he'd make when his petty scheme crumbled.
'Time to send it off.'
He'd planned to torment longer, but even that stressed Kim Jaeha. Perfect moment to boot him.
Hanbit tweaked system settings and messaged the Department Head directly.
「Black Dragon」
「You could steal it, but you're too chickenshit to try. You just screamed your lungs out when the vines grabbed you earlier? Thought you were gonna cry.」
Ding—
「Taeyul Corp - Department Head Lee Ihojung」
「Who you calling chickenshit? I've been through hell and back in life! Some punk who hasn't tasted real society barking nonsense...」
A poke, and the Department Head flipped with a heated reply. For a "battle-hardened" vet, his mindset was pathetically petty.
Ignoring the wall of text, Hanbit replied.
「Black Dragon」
「Don't push it and just give up. You couldn't beat the vanguard, let alone a kid. Your real body's got zero athleticism anyway.」
「Taeyul Corp - Department Head Lee Ihojung」
「Keep talking shit and see. What if I pull it off? You taking responsibility?」
「Black Dragon」
「If by some miracle you snag the legacy, I'll hand over all the hidden skill info I know. Won't happen though.」
「Taeyul Corp - Department Head Lee Ihojung」
「You little shit, I screenshotted everything. Try backpedaling later.」
The messages cut off there. A quick glance around—the Department Head had vanished into the crowd.
"Fighting the Snow Drake sounds fun. Could settle things with Blood too..."
Riwei's blood was already boiling. Blood's gaze, meanwhile, stayed locked solely on the Snow Drake.
"What now?"
"...Hm."
Even to that, Mars just stroked his chin in thought. Level 500 boss. Debuffs mitigated max with items, but no solid strategy came to mind.
"Hold position for now, map the castle structure first. Look for debuff counters or combat aids..."
"Huh?"
Mars's words cut off at someone's voice. Irritated, he turned. Then.
Rustle—
Suddenly, someone emerged near the Snow Drake's tail tip.
"What the—?"
"A player?"
"Isn't that the guy with Black Dragon?"
All eyes zeroed in on a frivolously sprinting man: Department Head Lee Ihojung from Taeyul Corp.
-?
-What’s that idiot doing?
-Troll mode ON
-Pls stay tf still;
-Looks so goddamn stupid lmao.
"...Huh?"
"What's that guy doing?"
Kim Jaeha panicked, Avant-garde watched curiously. Most reactions were similar, but the vanguard differed.
"No way that's...!"
"Tch. Stop him."
They barked orders at their underlings. Thud—!
Men charged toward the Department Head per command. To the coward, it felt like massive doom.
"Eek!"
Startled, he flailed under the Snow Drake's belly and grabbed the silver hammer on the floor.
"Got it, got it! The hidden skill's mine...!"
Splat—!
In an instant, a white something engulfed him with a deafening crack. His form vanished in a blink.
Grrr—
The guttural rumble echoed huge in the silence. Boom—!
Footfalls shook the ground, tail lashed. The awakened Snow Drake slowly rose its colossal body. Blue eyes flashed, facing the intruders.