Chapter 80

'Wh-what? Who the hell is this bastard?!'

'How dare he? Does he even know who we are?!'

'His kind always dies first.'

Woojin's remark left many of the raid members unable to hide their disbelief.

"... Level 50?"

Once someone apparently used Insight to check Woojin's level, that disbelief turned to sneers and mockery.

"Who does a low-level punk like you think you are?!"

"Hey! Cut the crap and get out of here unless you want to die!"

"Count yourself lucky. If that Black Dragon weren't here, we'd have cut you down on the spot!"

No one had said it aloud, but they all knew they had been waiting for someone else to move first. Stung by Woojin's rebuke, they seized on his level as though they had been waiting for the chance.

"If you're good enough to show off in front of us, why don't you lead the charge?"

Woojin gazed steadily at Suzuki Hana.

"That's the plan."

She flinched. The utterly matter-of-fact way he answered wounded her pride.

"Move. Find somewhere to set up the magic circle."

"Y-yes!"

Sensing her ominous mood, the Red Tower mages hurriedly scattered.

["So it was you."]

At that moment, Bensina's voice rang out.

["The one who dispelled the black fog."]

"...!"

At the Black Dragon's words, everyone gathered there turned toward Woojin.

'That guy?'

'He cleared the unexplored region?'

'No wonder...'

["But your efforts were pointless. The Bolton family dug their own graves when they brought that curse upon themselves."]

"I've said this before. There's no reason later generations should suffer forever for their forebears' mistakes. They have the right to break that curse in their own way."

["No. A mere thousand years is far too short a price for that transgression. Their descendants have a duty to share in their forebears' suffering."]

"Don't tell me... You were behind the black fog?"

["I was."]

Bensina answered Woojin's question after a brief silence.

'No wonder...'

The curse had been far too powerful to be mere magic. If a dragon was behind it, that made sense.

["They coveted a place they should never have coveted."]

Woojin instinctively knew which place he meant.

"... Golden Paradise?"

["Yes. A place no being may set foot in."]

"Why? What if humans find it?"

["Even if you find it, you will accomplish nothing. The moment you set foot there, everything will turn to ash."]

GULP.

Woojin swallowed involuntarily.

'I distinctly heard that a last bastion was being built on the island of the Northern Wall in the other world... '

If Bensina was right, humans should never go there.

'Were those collectors right? Are the rumors about the island of the Northern Wall a lie?'

Woojin worried about Ruen in the other world, but he had yet to find a way to get there. All he could do was stew in frustration.

"What is there that makes it so dangerous?"

["Go and see, if you are curious."]

"What?"

["Even if the price is death... You Outlanders do not fear death, do you?"]

Something was strange. There was something inexplicably unsettling about Bensina's attitude toward players.

["I came here for one reason."]

WHOOSH!

He spread his enormous wings, casting a shadow over the surroundings as though darkness had fallen.

["GRAAAAAARGH!"]

Bensina unleashed a roar that seemed to pierce the heavens.

"G-ghh?!"

"Hah... Hah...!"

[Greater Fear activates.]

[All living creatures within range fall into a panic.]

"S-save me..."

"I can't breathe..."

With a single roar, the top players of [Evil Tale] crumpled to the ground, their heads pressed into the dirt, unable even to resist.

["Do not try to subjugate dragons."]

Bensina spoke to Woojin while looking down at the fallen players as though they were insects.

But Woojin replied, "I'm afraid that's not an option."

Even as the top rankers lay paralyzed, Woojin stood astonishingly straight, facing Bensina.

[Trait: Valor activates.]

▶ You are protected from fear.

["... Insolent wretch."]

Bensina bared his fangs and growled at the sight.

"Haaaaah!"

As if to shake off the crushing fear, Woojin shouted and swung his sword at the Black Dragon.

"Start now!"

At his cry, an arrow flew from behind him.

FWOOOSH!

Flames blossomed at the tip of the arrow as it sliced through the air.

CLANG!

But it failed to pierce the Black Dragon's scales.

"Keep going!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH-WHOOSH!

Volley after volley of arrows struck the Black Dragon. Not one penetrated his hard scales; every arrow bounced off. But that was enough.

"... Fire!"

The fighting spirit kindled by Ruen's arrows had spread to the militia below the ruined walls.

BOOM! BOOM!

The militia righted the toppled ballistae and fired at Bensina.

"We're dead either way...! Fuck...! Shoot! Let's kill that dragon and get back the experience we lost!"

Had something in Woojin's actions moved him? His chest burning with fervor, the captain urged his men on, waving his sword again and again.

BOOM! CRASH!

Ballista bolts rained down on Bensina from all sides.

THUNK!

One enormous bolt tore through the edge of an outstretched wing and buried itself in the ground.

["... Grrh?!"]

The skin stretched between his wing bones was relatively vulnerable, but Bensina found the mere fact that a human attack had hurt him utterly intolerable.

["GRAAAAAARGH!"]

Bensina swung his tail with all his strength.

BOOM! BOOM!

His tail lashed like a whip into the ballista positions. The single blow killed the militia members there instantly.

"Damn it...! Keep firing! What are you doing?! Bring the traps—bring everything!"

The captain shouted as he watched his men die.

SWISH!

In the meantime, Woojin had managed to reach Bensina's feet.

WHOOSH!

The moment Bensina spotted him, he raised a foot and slammed it down at him with all his might. His long claws bore down on Woojin.

WHOOOSH!

Woojin curled up and hurled himself sideways.

BOOM!

He narrowly dodged the Black Dragon's attack, but just as he tried to rise—

FWOOOOSH!

The dragon's breath engulfed the spot where he was.

[Using Mist Step.]

Woojin's body blurred, then vanished just before the breath reached him.

[Using Sprint.]

He reappeared on Bensina's knee and immediately began running as fast as he could.

TAP! TAP-TAP-TAP!

[Using Hungry Brand.]

Climbing the Black Dragon's body as though it were a staircase, he leaped into the air and extended a hand. A mark appeared above Bensina's head.

["Not a chance! "]

Bensina immediately folded his outstretched wings around his face.

ZZT! ZZZZT!

Sparks flew from the folded wings, and the brand above his head shattered.

[Bensina's mana nullifies Hungry Brand.]

[Hungry Brand has been destroyed.]

"...!"

A dragon, indeed.

Woojin frowned slightly at the shattered brand, but he couldn't afford to stop.

[Using Cold Wave.]

Bitter cold engulfed Bensina. The wings shielding his head froze white.

SWISH!

Woojin thrust his sword at the dragon's neck.

["KRAAAAAH!"]

Bensina's neck twisted at an unnatural angle, and his sharp teeth clamped down on Woojin's sword.

WHOOSH!

Still gripping his sword, Woojin was flung along with it.

"Master!"

Karlan rushed to catch him as he fell.

"Stay back!"

Karlan hesitated at Woojin's shout, and Weden pulled him back, yelling, "Get out of the way!"

WHOOOOSH!

At some point, a black aura had spread from beneath the Black Dragon's feet, gradually expanding until it reached Karlan's feet.

HISSSS!

As they hastily retreated, foul-smelling black smoke billowed from the ground.

[Bensina casts Dark Zone.]

[Remaining in the Dark Zone for a certain duration activates various debuffs.]

[Greater Flame activates.]

[Greater Curse activates.]

[Greater Poison activates.]

[Greater Incapacitation activates.]

"A-aaaargh...!"

"Help me!"

Players who had stepped inside the zone began screaming everywhere. An endless array of debuffs took effect: some people burst into flames, others broke out in hideous blisters all over their bodies, and still others lost the use of their limbs.

CRACKLE!

Just before Woojin fell into the Dark Zone, a translucent platform appeared beneath his feet.

"Are you all right?!"

It was Nissen's magic.

HUMMM!

Transparent platforms formed before him like stairs.

[Using Acceleration.]

Woojin picked up speed, racing across Nissen's platforms toward the Black Dragon once more.

[The Dark Zone spits out the lives it has swallowed.]

[Nightfolk are born within the Dark Zone.]

["Grrrr... "]

The dead players' corpses turned black, and humanoid monsters that looked as though they were made of black mud appeared in their place.

"Hah, hah..."

Karlan panted as he watched people die.

"Are you all right?"

Seeing his pale face, Weden asked in a worried voice.

"Yes... Yes. I'm sorry."

It was his first time seeing people die.

'Father... must have seen this so many times.'

He had never considered the bloody road his father had walked to become the Sword Emperor. He had simply resented him, crushed beneath the weight of that title. Now he felt utterly ashamed of himself.

Karlan tightened his grip and readjusted his sword.

"I'll help too."

For some reason, Weden felt that something about him had changed.

[Karlan has overcome 'Self-Doubt.']

[The curse weakens.]

[Stats suppressed by the curse are restored.]

[All stats +10]

[Karlan awakens Trait: Chivalry.]

Trait: Chivalry

▶ Attack power increases to 1.5 times its normal value when fighting an opponent of a higher level.

▶ All stats increase by 1 when fighting an opponent of a higher level.

"HAAAAAH!"

With a shout, Karlan swung his sword at the Nightfolk born within the Dark Zone.

"... We're going in too."

"What? But isn't it still too dangerous?"

"It'd be one thing if he were a ranker... but a level 50 is leading the fight. We can't just sit here doing nothing like a bunch of cowards!"

Charles, captain of the [Norn Raid Team], bit his lip as he watched Woojin and the villagers' desperate resistance.

"Everyone, equip your resistance gear sets! Ranged units, attack Bensina! Melee units, rescue the people in the Dark Zone first!"

"Yes, sir!"

At Charles's command, the raid team's archers and mages attacked Bensina in unison.

WHOOOOSH!

As flames and arrows streaked across the sky, shouts rang out.

"Let's go!"

"Everyone, attack!"

That was the signal for the other raid teams to launch their own attacks on the Black Dragon. The teams that had been angling to steal the final blow and monopolize the rewards now joined forces, one and all, to hunt him down.

'The mood has changed.'

The raid teams began swiftly subduing the monsters emerging from the Dark Zone.

["You wretch... "]

At eye level with Bensina, Woojin lowered his sword into position and took his stance.

Dragon Heaven, First Gate — Severance

ZZZZT!

At that moment, searing lightning erupted like the thunder of the battlefield.