Snow Drake's Reverse Scale Fury
Kyeeeek-! The Snow Drake's screech shook the entire fortress. Avant-garde, watching the scene, could only widen his eyes.
"The reverse scale…!"
The flames bursting from the arrow lodged near its jaw clung stubbornly, refusing to fall off. That had provoked the beast's violent reaction.
Thud-! Boom-!
Twisting its entire body wildly, it smashed the terrain indiscriminately.
"Ugh!"
"Where'd you hit it?!"
The players battling it panicked at the enemy's sudden change. But it wasn't entirely a bad turn.
"Its movements have simplified! Focus on Blood's strike points!"
Mars quickly assessed and issued orders. Against such a powerful monster, losing its cool actually made it easier to exploit openings.
Thud-!
The players charged back at the Snow Drake. Black Dragon and Riwei, who had pulled back, rejoined them, diving into the fray.
Krunch-!
Mars and Blood's preemptive strikes continued carving cracks between the scales. Seizing the timing, Riwei hurled his spear with full force.
Whoosh-!
The spear hurtled forward, scattering waves of energy with tremendous momentum. Piercing through a scale gap, it embedded in the Snow Drake's foreleg.
Kyeeeek-!
Already writhing from the reverse scale's agony, it took the impact full-on, triggering an even fiercer response.
Krunch-!
Ice spears began manifesting chaotically in the air above—hundreds of them.
"Shit…!"
"Dodge them all!"
The players' eyes bulged as memories of the earlier massacre flashed back. Getting hit by those meant certain death. They had to evade, no exceptions.
Shiiiik-!
The magic spears launched immediately, faster than before.
Kabooom-!
They rained down randomly on the fortress floor. Strangely, the three who had retreated per Black Dragon's orders completely escaped the effect.
Boom-! Kaboom-!
The ice spears plunged with immense force, demolishing cover everywhere. Amid the chaos, Black Dragon dodged the magic with uncanny precision, as if reading exactly where each spear would land.
"Urk!"
"What the fu—!"
The other players tried to evade too, but it wasn't enough. Casualties piled up too fast to even tally.
"This is ridiculous…!"
Gorik ground his teeth, glaring at the ground beneath the Snow Drake. Even in the mayhem, the legacy remained vividly clear to his eyes.
Ding-
Then, an alarm rang in Avant-garde's ears. A message popped up before him.
「Black Dragon」
「When the floor under the Snow Drake collapses, please use the first card with the star mark. It will take you to the legacy's location.」
"…?"
Avant-garde was baffled. The message's simple instructions sounded impossible.
'You solved it after all….'
This card was an item obtained from a rural village called Bananba. Its fatal flaw was random teleportation—a fact confirmed by circulating info and personal tests.
Yet Black Dragon's explanation implied pinpoint coordinates.
Ping-!
As he pondered, a sharp whistle cut through the wind.
Kyeeeek-!
The eerie screech that followed was the Snow Drake's. Avant-garde turned and checked under its jaw. A new arrow was lodged there.
Thud-! Thud-!
Overwhelmed by pain and rage, the Snow Drake rampaged even harder. Its wildly swinging tail naturally slammed the ground too.
Thud-!
Black Dragon darted through the gaps, evading attacks by a hair's breadth under the debuff's influence. His movements were flawless, predicting the enemy's every motion.
Avant-garde, gripping the card, shifted his gaze.
"I'll explain Black Dragon's plan."
He relayed the message's contents to Kim Jaeha and Gorik.
"…You think that'll work?"
"A magic tool like that exists?"
The two stared at the card in surprise. The message conveyed certainty, not mere possibility. Black Dragon wasn't one for empty talk.
Boom-!
Gathered within the card's effect range, they watched the Snow Drake's rampage. Repeated stomps and tail swipes. As the power grew uncontrollable, another arrow flew.
Thwack-!
This one targeted the reverse scale too, striking true into the scales. It was Zenon's shot from behind an ice wall.
Kyeeeek-!
The Snow Drake bellowed in agony once more. Suddenly, it spun its body and whipped its tail wide.
Whoosh-!
A massive arc traced through the air, slamming down toward the ground unlike before.
Boom-!
The tail pierced deep into the ice and stilled. Then, faint light seeped from the cracks.
Kaboom-!
Sharp ice erupted across a dozens-of-meters radius.
Krunch-!
An enormous area attack blanketing their entire view. Avant-garde faced ice sprouting right in front of him. Had they strayed even slightly from Black Dragon's evacuation spot—or moved prematurely—they'd be dead.
"What kind of bullshit is this…!"
"Survivors, heal up first!"
The players' losses were catastrophic. Unlike the earlier ice spears, no one could react in time.
Kaboom-!
Then, the Snow Drake, twisting from reverse scale pain, stomped again. The ground shifted simultaneously.
Rumble-!
The uneven ice floor, unable to hold its unstable structure, collapsed. Something tumbled into the fissure beneath the Snow Drake's belly—the dwarven legacy.
"Moving now!"
Confirming the sight, Avant-garde activated the first card without hesitation.
Flash-!
Light burst out, drawing a magic circle on the floor. As it completed, their visions blurred.
Swish-
A brief black screen. A new scene appeared right after.
"It… worked?"
"This place…."
Kim Jaeha and Gorik looked around. Shattered ice and floor structures everywhere. Combat noise and vibrations echoed from above.
"…The legacy!"
Gorik spotted the upside-down silver hammer first. He approached swiftly, crouching carefully.
Hummm-
A resonant hum like vibrating metal. The closer Gorik got, the stronger the legacy reacted.
"Hoo."
Memories of his desperate search flooded back. With a deep breath, Gorik gripped the handle.
Flash-!
Prismatic light enveloped him, as if acknowledging its true owner. Watching, Kim Jaeha felt mixed emotions.
'…He couldn't have done it alone.'
He'd been the first to find the token and achievements, chasing dwarven blacksmithing on that basis. But looking back, it was all futile without Hanbit. Who else could orchestrate this?
No one came to mind.
"Mission accomplished. Reporting to Black Dragon now."
Avant-garde typed a message immediately. Glancing at the still-moved Gorik, Kim Jaeha scanned the surroundings again.
Kaboom-!
A massive roar and tremor from above.
"Ugh!"
Sudden collapse of ice chunks. Kim Jaeha lost balance, plummeting into a crevasse.
Thud-!
He fell a few meters, sprawling on the bottom. Deeper, and it'd be instant death.
"You okay?!"
Avant-garde called from above.
"Body's fine, but climbing's tough! Everything's slippery…."
Then, mid-sentence, Kim Jaeha's eyes caught something on the wall. A snowflower-shaped crystal buried in ice shards. Tilting his head, he reached out cautiously.
The mystical chill registered vividly.
Ding-
An alarm and message appeared.
[You have stolen the Snow Drake's treasure.]
[The master of the snowfield rages.]
***
"…?"
In the heat of battle, Hanbit was puzzled. An unfamiliar message had popped up.
"What? Someone ate it?"
"Someone snagged the legacy mid-fight?"
"Wasn't it those guys from Black Dragon's party?"
-haha;
-That's how it is.
-Gotta be us, right?
-Don't suspect us.
Other players thought of the dwarven legacy. Since the boss died trying to touch it, assuming it was treasure made sense.
But Hanbit knew better.
'Not the dwarven legacy.'
Snow Drakes obsess only over beautiful, radiant treasures. The legacy held great meaning, but it was just a hammer visually. Not enough to trigger a rage warning like this.
Ding-
Then, a message arrived with an alarm.
「Avant-garde」
「Black Dragon! We secured the legacy safely, but how do we handle this warning message?」
Good news on the legacy per plan, amid the confusion. But the message needed more info to judge.
"It says it's raging? What happens?"
Riwei, who had landed nearby, asked. His fervor burned hotter despite the intense fight.
"That's…."
Swish-
Suddenly, the wildly thrashing Snow Drake wrapped itself with its massive tail. It reared its head, mouth gaping wide.
Flash-!
A pure white orb materialized above, spinning rapidly while stirring gentle winds.
"What's that?"
"A sphere?"
Players' puzzled voices rose. But seeing it, Hanbit exhaled in relief.
'Good.'
He'd worried about a new variable, but the Snow Drake used the exact skill he'd anticipated. Normally triggered when reverse scale rage maxed out. The extra cause just amplified it—no plan disruption.
Hanbit replied to Avant-garde.
「Use the second card. Prepare to exit the fortress.」