Chapter 78

"Monster Wave confirmed up ahead! Orcs and lizardmen sighted!"

"Not those! What other monsters are there? There has to be something new!"

At Aitz's shout, the lookout hurriedly swept his telescope over the surrounding area.

"...!"

Then he spotted a monster resembling a gigantic crocodile among the orcs and lizardmen. It had eight legs and green scales. Looking like something between a reptile and a dragon, it repeatedly let out hissing roars toward the village.

"A b-basilisk!"

Tension settled over Thorn Bach at the lookout's cry from the village walls.

"A basilisk... Isn't that the miniboss on the Labyrinth Tower's first floor?"

Aitz ground his teeth at his subordinate's question.

'I expected the Monster Waves to get harder after the tenth floor was cleared... But a basilisk out of nowhere? Are they trying to wipe out the village?'

The Labyrinth Tower's first floor. It was the lowest floor in the tower, but that hardly made it easy. Barely twenty percent of the players on the central continent had ever ventured into the Labyrinth Tower. Unless they were part of a raid team composed of top-tier players with various titles and buffs, the second floor was about the limit for players who had leveled up normally.

GRIND.

As if to prove that point, Aitz was the only person here who had ever entered the Labyrinth Tower. He had only managed to clear the first floor himself, but that meant he knew better than anyone just how formidable the basilisk was.

'Thorn Bach has about thirty militia members. And I brought ten members of the Genesis Corps.'

Their average level was around 55 to 58.

'The minimum level requirement to join a raid for the Labyrinth Tower's first floor is 60.'

And the average tower raid team had about ten members.

'... With this group, even taking down a single basilisk will be a struggle.'

After he worked through the numbers, the situation was even more hopeless than he had thought.

"Captain, can't we get reinforcements? You can't have been stopping every Monster Wave with just these people."

"Well... We sometimes ask the kingdom to send knights, but that would take too long."

"Not that! Give me a practical solution!"

"We could get help from the players. Offer a bounty through the Adventurers' Association to get them to join the village's defense."

It wasn't a bad idea. Aitz nodded at the militia captain.

"Hurry and notify the association. Tell them the Genesis Corps will fund a bounty twice as large as before! We have to defend Thorn Bach, no matter what!"

"Understood. You there! Get to the association, now!"

"Yes, sir!"

Tension hung over the village walls as they watched the militia member run off.

RUMBLE...!

A dark cloud of dust was rapidly approaching.

'Stay calm. Apart from the basilisk, they're all low-level monsters from the Dark Forest.'

SHING!

Aitz drew his sword.

"Archers! Prepare to fire!"

At his command, the NPC guards drew their bows in unison.

"Fire!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Dozens of arrows flew toward the monsters at once.

["GRAAAAH!"]

["KRAAK! KAK!"]

The monsters struck by arrows screamed, but the others ruthlessly trampled their falling comrades without slowing their advance.

"Knights! Prepare to charge! Militia, prepare to provide support from the walls!"

"WAAAAH!"

The village gates opened, and the Genesis Corps members charged toward the monsters.

BOOM! BANG!

They began sweeping away the orcs at the front. There were only ten of them, but even dozens of level-30 to level-40 monsters attacking together couldn't leave a scratch on them.

'Yes, that's more like it!'

'We're not weak!'

'That goddamn monster... '

Having been steamrolled by Woojin just a short while ago, they gradually began regaining their confidence as they cut down the monsters.

"Our target is the basilisk! No one but us can take that thing down!"

Noticing the change in his subordinates' expressions, Aitz quickly shouted.

[Aitz uses Rally on all party members.]

[All party members' stats increase by 1.]

[All party members receive the effects of Lesser Valor.]

"Ooooh!"

His men exclaimed as light burst out around him.

The Rare skill [Rally]. Just as its name suggested, it was a buff skill that raised party members' stats and morale. It was the reason he had become commander of the Genesis Corps' knights despite his lackluster combat ability.

"Break through!"

At his cry, his subordinates tore through the monsters and charged toward the basilisk.

FWOOSH!

The Genesis Corps' mage conjured flames.

BOOM! BOOM! CRASH!

Gripping his sword, Aitz hurled himself through the flames scattering in every direction.

"The basilisk's weak point is the core on its forehead! We just have to break it! Everyone, focus!"

[Mighty Strike activated.]

Aitz's sword aimed for the core.

CLANG!

But the basilisk saw it coming and curled its entire body into a ball, tucking its head inside. Though he had put everything into that strike, it failed to leave so much as a scratch on the hard scales.

["GRRRRR!"]

The basilisk bared its sharp teeth and growled at him, seemingly enraged.

["We'll set traps to the left of the gates. Lure it that way."]

Aitz recalled his conversation with the captain.

"Hup!"

Seeing the basilisk charge at him, Aitz immediately started running.

FLICK!

The basilisk lashed out its long tongue and gave chase.

"Hah...! Hah...!"

He glanced back to find it almost upon him and ran like mad.

"Militia! Get ready!"

As the village walls came into view, he shouted and threw himself forward.

["GRRRRR!"]

Just as the basilisk opened its enormous jaws to swallow him—

THUD!

Its foot sank into the ground, and its body lurched.

"Now!"

At the captain's shout, the militia members loosed their arrows together.

BOOM!

KABOOM!

The traps ignited and exploded all at once.

["SKREEEE!"]

With a grotesque scream, the basilisk was blown to pieces and buried in the pit.

"... W-we did it!"

[Basilisk defeated.]

"WAAAAH!"

"WAAAH!"

The soldiers defending the walls also began cheering at the notification.

Aitz awkwardly picked himself up from the ground and grinned at the basilisk buried in the pit.

"Ha, haha...! That's right! I can do it when I—!"

SPLAT!

At that moment, something crushed him.

"C-Commander!"

His death happened so absurdly fast that the Genesis Corps members could do nothing.

"H-hieek?!"

Those who saw what had killed him could only stare in horror.

["GRRRR... "]

Enormous golden eyes swept the surroundings. The instant that gaze touched them, they froze in terror.

["Primitive creatures."]

A deep voice like scraping metal spread through the air, seeming to pierce it.

"A d-dragon?!"

Everyone in the village stood dumbfounded at the enormous creature looking down on them.

FWOOOOSH!

The breath pouring from the dragon's mouth incinerated the village walls in an instant.

"AAAAH!"

"H-help me!"

Players and NPCs alike, everyone on the walls turned to ash in moments.

"W-what the hell...!"

"How are we supposed to kill something like that?!"

"Shit! Run!"

The players who had joined the battle for the bounty began fleeing for their lives at the Black Dragon's appearance.

"C-Captain! What do we do?"

"What do you think?! How the hell are we supposed to kill a dragon?! Get out of here unless you want to fucking die!"

The militia was no different. At their captain's words, every last one of them abandoned the village and began to flee.

"Hey."

That was when it happened.

"Look after this guy."

Something flew toward the fleeing captain. Catching the heavy object, he stared blankly ahead.

"L-Lord Colson?!"

The captain was startled to see the familiar face slumped in his arms.

"W-why are you...?!"

Then he was shocked all over again to discover that Woojin was the one who had brought him.

"Found him passed out on the ground."

"... What?"

Unable to make sense of his words, the captain asked again, but the Black Dragon gave them no more time to talk.

KABOOM!

The Black Dragon swung its tail, bringing Thorn Bach's walls crashing down.

"Urgh...!"

"H-help!"

As the guards on the walls struggled beneath the rubble, monsters lunged at them.

"AAAAH!"

Screams rang out everywhere.

"W-wait...!"

The captain shouted as Woojin walked toward the Black Dragon.

"You're not planning to fight it, are you? Are you insane? However strong you are, you can't kill a dragon alone!"

"Probably not."

"Th-then how..."

"That's why I need you to do something."

"Me...?"

Woojin adjusted his grip on his sword as he watched the rampaging Black Dragon.

"Post on the community right now that a dragon has appeared in Thorn Bach. I don't care if you spam it."

There had been plenty of rumors, but never once had a dragon shown itself. And now one had finally appeared?

It was certainly something to fear, but to the top players, it was also the most coveted prey of all.

'They know perfectly well there are hidden classes connected to dragons.'

The moment that post went up, they would all come flocking here with eager eyes.

'If all the best players gather here... '

Victory wasn't out of the question.

"Even so... It'll take time for them to get here. How will you hold out until..."

"Leave that to me."

Woojin drew in a deep breath. The Black Dragon, standing atop the walls, seemed to sense his presence too, and their gazes met.

["GRAAAAAH!"]

As though it had been waiting for him, the Black Dragon opened its enormous jaws and flew at him.

SWISH!

At that instant, Woojin launched himself toward the dragon as well, leaving an afterimage behind.

BOOM!

His sword collided with the Black Dragon's tail. A deafening crash rang out, and the tremendous force sent him flying.

[...]

Yet, strangely, the Black Dragon stopped attacking when it had seemed ready to press its advantage.

SPURT!

At that moment, beads of blood appeared on its tail.

"N-no way..."

The onlookers' eyes widened in astonishment. It was only a scratch the size of a fingernail, but his attack had unmistakably wounded the dragon.

[Trait: Dragon Slaying activated.]

▶ Gain 5% additional experience when hunting dragon-type monsters.

▶ Attack power increases by 10% when hunting dragon-type monsters.

"See? It's not immortal either."

Woojin staggered to his feet after being slammed into a wall.

"In the end, it's still prey."

His voice rang out to the players of Thorn Bach, who had been scrambling to escape.