《Guardians of Diabolus - Echoes of the Dawnstar》 Chapter I Today¡¯s yet another awful rainy day. It seems like every day here in the west is just rain. Fortunately, I¡¯ve found the local guild, perhaps I can find shelter and some decent job to supply my next journey. Entering the building, I find myself in an ordinary guild hall like any other. A bunch of people that proudly call themselves adventurers despite barely being able to hold a sword. I sense a couple mages in there, too, but none of them are strong enough to be worth a mention. All in all, just what I had expected from a place like this. Mission board is also filled with jobs that you would probably expect in an ordinary guild like this ¨C disposing of bandits, finding lost belongings, slaying monsters¡­ One of them seemed a little more interesting, though. A dragon slayer quest. The poster seems to have been on the board for quite a while. No wonder, none of these people would stand a chance against even a baby dragon, not to mention a full-grown one. I immediately pull the poster off the board and walk over to the job applications. The man responsible for adventurers¡¯ jobs seemed like a seasoned adventurer himself, likely enjoying his retirement days helping the young generation in whatever way he can. His eyes burn through me and after a few moments he finally responds: ¡® ¡¯am afraid that job is too hard for you, buddy. Not to mention it does require a party of at least two adventurers.¡¯ ¡®So, if I get someone to join me, there won¡¯t be problems, right,¡¯ I respond with a calm tone, already scanning the entire place looking for someone who might be willing to sign up for the job with me. Everyone in my line of sight is obviously not cutting it, though. If I don¡¯t find someone quick, I¡¯m going to end up doing some petty job like killing wolves or goblins¡­ There! In a corner of the hall, a person hiding under a cape and hood. At first glance, they might seem harmless, but I do sense an elf¡¯s aura. Coming across the elven people in this realm has become so rare that whoever decides to leave their tranquil kingdom must be a worthwhile companion.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The guild¡¯s manager has been trying to tell me something, but I completely ignored it and walked over to the hidden figure sitting away from the rest of the lot. ¡®Excuse me, but it¡¯s so rare to come across an elf these days,¡¯ I approach them. I watch the person take a sip of their juice and patiently wait for a response. ¡®So it would seem,¡¯ a high-pitched girly voice says. I didn¡¯t quite expect the person to be female, seeing that elven ladies have become more of a myth these days. Now I probably seem like one of a thousand men that have very likely approached her trying to earn her affection. I swallow and take a deep breath: ¡®Hello, I¡¯d like to accept the dragon-slaying quest from the board, but it says I have to take a partner for the job. You seem quite skilled, so I thought maybe you would be willing to join me?¡¯ The elf¡¯s face rises to take a look at me. Her sharp emerald eyes scan me briefly, then look back at the juice she had ordered before. ¡®Fine, but if something goes wrong, it¡¯s on you.¡¯ She¡¯s about as beautiful as you would expect from all the stories about elven ladies. Hopefully this pretty face is hiding some skills underneath, too. Without a word, I instantly turn around to apply for the job with my new temporary companion. ¡®It seems I do have a partner, after all,¡¯ I tell the old man while pointing at the elven girl in the back. He appears surprised: ¡®Of all the people around here, Aleiana? That is a very surprising turn of events. She¡¯s never agreed to cooperate with anyone on any of her past assignments. Well, I suppose I have no objections to you taking on the job, but are you sure? It¡¯s a dragon we¡¯re talking about, after all. It might be better to leave it to the dragon hunter clan.¡¯ ¡®There won¡¯t be any issues. We¡¯re leaving in the morning.¡¯ With that, the contract is turned in and all that is left is to depart. Now all that¡¯s left is to wait out the night somewhere in the rain, since I¡¯m broke. In the blink of an eye, the elven lady shows up behind me: ¡®So-! ¡® ¡®We¡¯re leaving in the morning¡­ Oh, I almost forgot ¨C Name¡¯s Sunamar.¡¯ Chapter II Since the earliest morning hour, I¡¯ve been expecting my charming elven companion¡¯s arrival in front of the guild hall. The entire town¡¯s completely silent, it¡¯s not even raining for once. Too early for anyone to get up and work, I suppose. Well, all except us. ¡®You¡¯re late,¡¯ I tell my new friend Aleiana as she approaches me, seemingly still half asleep. Seeing her like this makes me question my decision to invite her to join me. No matter, I don¡¯t really need her to come with me as long as she has signed the contract. She finally stops right next to me and rubs her eyes: ¡®Good morning.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to come with me. I can just do the job on my own and once I return, you get a hefty share of the reward.¡¯ The elven lady shakes her head: ¡®I¡¯m going, after all I¡¯ve signed up this contract as well.¡¯ In all honesty, I did think that would convince her to just stay and leave me to finish the job all on my own. After all, being given a bag of gold just for laying down low for a short while is a pretty good offer for her and I could just do my thing undisturbed. ¡®Fine, just make sure you don¡¯t stay behind.¡¯ As I say that, me and my half-asleep companion begin the adventure. This thing¡¯s off to a great start. The first several hours have been quite relaxing ¨C Walking through an entire dense forest known for being inhabited by various dangerous beasts was quite nice. ¡®It is quite strange that nothing has been attacking us, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ the familiar high-pitched voice resounds. I simply nod in response as she continues: ¡®It¡¯s almost as if there¡¯s something keeping them at bay¡­ Is that your doing?¡¯ ¡®You could say so.¡¯ Naturally, I can¡¯t tell her it¡¯s my aura that the beasts feel and get scared of. To her I seem like just an ordinary adventurer having fun while making a name for himself by slaying a legendary dragon. Honestly, I find it quite hard to believe that an elf trained in the ways of magic cannot sense my aura at all despite my best efforts to dampen its effects on my surroundings. Just to clarify some things; The term aura refers to the amount of magic power any living being emits from themselves that others can detect. It is usually proportional to one¡¯s potency as a mage, thus it also enables those who can sense it a way to gauge their opponent¡¯s strength. The ability to feel one¡¯s aura is tied to the degree of mana control, thus only mages or beings of magical nature can really see and feel auras.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. However, few have become skilled enough to feel auras of living beings unable to control mana and, as such, use magic. Luckily for me, I was born with a great talent in terms of mana control, allowing me to sense pretty much anything that has a beating heart. ¡®Something¡¯s coming for us,¡¯ she quickly states while already reaching for her bow and an arrow to place in, ready to draw at any time. Seems like her ears can really be useful at times. Soon after, an enormous black wolf-like beast with its body almost entirely covered in some unknown glyphs appears. Its blood red eyes are fixated on me, growling in impatience to attack. An arrow is shot, aiming straight for the beast¡¯s head. Upon contact, it merely breaks without even scratching the glyph-enhanced skin on the wolf¡¯s forehead. It turns its gaze at the elf, who seemed surprised by her attack not dealing any damage whatsoever. In only a split second, our foe¡¯s claws were already reaching out for my companion in a deadly lunge. Aleiana has reflexively dodged towards its point blank, getting another shot ready and almost instantly firing. Unsurprisingly, even the second arrow didn¡¯t deal any damage, making her use the time to retreat a little bit. She¡¯s fast and apparently smart, too ¨C I could already sense the focus on finding a way to harm the opponent when its entire body is enhanced to the point where normal weapons cannot hurt it. Once again, the wolf attacks, but even faster than last time. It seems annoyed by the fact its prey has escaped and started taking this fight seriously. Several attacks evaded and retaliated against, but the results have been the exact same ¨C neither of the combatants have suffered any damage. As soon as the elven ranger has created a small bit of distance in between them again, she prepares another arrow and draws. This time, however, she whispers some inaudible incantation as her weapon gets engulfed in a cloud of blue fire-like looking energy. Finally, she starts using magic. Releasing the bowstring, the projectile flies so fast a human eye wouldn¡¯t be able to see it, landing in the beast¡¯s front leg. It did pierce through its defences, although causing only a flesh wound. The wolf howls in pain and turns into a raging state, attacking my partner without a break. She keeps retreating step by step, until hitting a small rocky cliff with her back. The beast has her cornered and prepared for a fatal blow. It growls as if to celebrate its victory and jumps straight towards her. Aleiana closes her eyes, awaiting her death. A cracking sound can be heard as I pierce the thing¡¯s skull with a conjured sword. It stops moving and slowly begins to fade away, leaving nothing but traces of mana behind. Conjured beast. And one this resistant to physical attacks. It seems there is a potent summoner somewhere around, but the question is why they would attack us. We haven¡¯t exactly caused any harm that would make the locals turn against us, so could it be someone else trying to claim the dragon¡¯s head and intends to eliminate any competition beforehand? ¡®How did you do that?¡¯ the familiar female voice breaks me out of my thoughts. I raise my eyes to meet with hers, filled with fear and astonishment as she looks down at the sword I have conjured to slay the beast and then back at me. She seems a little less knowledgeable than I had initially believed: ¡®The glyphs on its skin made it resistant to physical harm, but not resistant enough, apparently.¡¯ That didn¡¯t seem to satisfy her curiosity at all, as more questions followed right after. ¡®What was that thing even? I¡¯ve never seen a beast like that in my life.¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t even expect you to. Every summoner calls upon different beasts depending on their power and personality. For now, it might be best if we find a safe spot where we can take camp, night¡¯s coming soon.¡¯ This adventure might be a little more fun than I had expected. Chapter III It took us a bit more time to find a good spot to take shelter for the first night of this trip. A small cave very close to the Border Peaks, a mountain range that separates the midlands, where humans reside, from the Western territory, sometimes dubbed The Wilderness. Not much is known about this part of the Mortal realm as very few have ever dared enter and even fewer have returned alive. And our destination just so happens to be somewhere far to the west, in the heart of this dangerous region. Aleiana seemed very exhausted by our journey as she fell asleep as soon as we found ourselves in this small cave. It¡¯s a place with a nice view of our surroundings and it¡¯s easy to defend in case of an ambush. One would probably prefer the comfort of a warm and soft bed, but sometimes this is all you can get. All this time I couldn¡¯t get the thought of our last encounter out of my head. Is there someone out there searching for us? If so, who and why attack us without a warning? The only people living this far to the west are just some farmers and, if we go beyond the Border Peaks, the Dragon hunter clan. Considering the strength of that summoned wolf, it could be one of their people, but there are no records of their members attacking other people, nor would there be any reason. Their sole purpose is hunting dragons, after all, right¡­? If somebody is actually hunting me out there, I should send Aleiana back and deal with them myself. My thoughts suddenly get interrupted by a familiar aura moving closer towards me: ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you be sleeping?¡¯ I ask. ¡®Thought you could use a bit of sleep, too, so I came to switch places. Also, I couldn¡¯t really sleep too well¡­¡¯ I¡¯m not quite sure if I have signed for a job that also consists of listening to someone¡¯s problems, but I guess I¡¯m trapped in this situation regardless. An open ear might at least thaw the icy wall that separates us right now. ¡®Bad dreams?¡¯ She nods while shivering. I guess the nights here are cold for an elf wearing nothing but some light leather clothes. Practical during a fight, but not very warming. I untie my cloak and wrap it around her. ¡®It ain¡¯t much but I guess it can warm you a bit.¡¯ At first, she appears surprised, then a little confused and embarrassed. A silent thank you escapes her mouth. ¡®Aren¡¯t you tired?¡¯ she proceeds to ask. ¡®I¡¯m quite fine without sleeping for several days, there¡¯s no need to be concerned about my energy levels. You should try to get some more sleep in, though - tomorrow¡¯s going to be another long walk.¡¯ Her head shakes gently: ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep even if I tried. Mind if I keep you company for a bit?¡¯If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I let out a sigh before I¡¯ve even realised it. ¡®Doesn¡¯t seem like I have much of a choice anyways. So, what is it you wanna talk about?¡¯ ¡®Why did you choose me?¡¯ As she turns around to face me, I¡¯m held aback. I have heard countless people talk about how pretty elves are, but now that I get to see one with my own eyes I can see where all those talks come from. It¡¯s the first time I get to see how smooth her face is, with the familiar emerald eyes blending in with the rest flawlessly. Shaking off the bad thoughts, I finally respond: ¡®You seemed like the only person in that guild capable of making it out of here alive. As much as I would love it, I cannot guarantee anyone else¡¯s safety, thus the need for someone capable of independent action and good survival skills. You just seemed to fit into all the boxes, hopefully I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡¯ I hear a slight chuckle. ¡®Thank you, I¡¯m glad you believe in my skills even after seeing me fight today.¡¯ She buries her face in the cape I lent her, not sure whether she feels embarrassed because of that engagement or if it''s just the cold. ¡®Well, it was quite a disadvantageous fight for a range-oriented fighter like you. An opponent resistant to physical harm isn¡¯t exactly an archer¡¯s dream, not to mention the fact it was an agile melee fighter while you had nobody to protect you.¡¯ ¡®Then how did you manage to cut it? It seemed so casual to you, even with a conjured weapon!¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t volunteer to slay a dragon if I couldn¡¯t beat that thing, you know. I¡¯m not as weak as your impression of me might be.¡¯ ¡®Guess the fact you share your name with the legendary leader of the Guardians isn¡¯t a coincidence, is it?¡¯ Unable to hold it in, I laugh a little: ¡®Yes, I am indeed named after Sunamar Abyssal. My parents have expected great things from me, thus the name. This quest might be one of the many things I¡¯m about to do to fill those shoes.¡¯ ¡®Where are they now, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡¯ My vision turns black for a split second. Remembering my family makes me feel sick and my eyes all teary. I¡¯m brought back to reality by the feeling of her hand wiping off the tears. Our eyes meet for a short moment, making me see a worried look on her face. ¡®Sorry, I shouldn''t have asked. My curiosity got the better of me.¡¯ My gaze turns into the open plains that are visible from our hideout: ¡®My mother¡¯s far away, home, fulfilling the role that our house has been tasked with for generations. As for my dad, he¡¯s¡­ fallen in battle.¡¯ A moment of grave silence follows as we both stare into the calm landscape. ¡®Your house? So you¡¯re of noble birth? Am I supposed to address you sir, then? Or perhaps milord?¡¯ She breaks the awkward moment in a joking manner. ¡®Please don¡¯t do that. Even imagining it is creeping me out.¡¯ Aleiana laughs a little at my response. ¡®Just Sun is enough, then?¡¯ comes out of her as she leans forward and tilts her head a little. I hope she cannot see nearly as well as I can in the darkness, cause my face turned red so much that even I can feel it. ¡®Y-Yes, fine by me.¡¯ Her slim figure then stands up: ¡®I think I¡¯m going to try to get a little more rest before we depart. Are you sure you will be fine without sleep?¡¯ I nod in response: ¡®No worries. Good night.¡¯ ¡®Good night, and¡­ thank you for the nice chat.¡¯ Chapter IV The second day was expected to be the worst part of this quest - A very long walk was ahead of us, after all. In the early morning we passed the Border Peaks, which went surprisingly smooth. Aleiana seemed to be freezing even more than last night, but the view from atop the range definitely paid off. ¡®Hey, hey, I can even see the ruins of Nortwall from here!¡¯ she shouted. Her eyes were filled with excitement. The more time we spend together, the more she reminds me of my sister. I wonder what she¡¯s up to. I miss her. Walking up to her spot I take a look at the scenery below us. You really could see as far as the ruins of the former capital of the Last Alliance. Or, better said, whatever remained of it. ¡®Have you been there back before the Mage wars?¡¯ ¡®No, sadly not. I¡¯ve heard how beautiful the city was, but never got the chance to visit it. I¡¯ve only left our kingdom very recently, after the War of the Ancients.¡¯ War of the Ancients. The conflict between humans and the dark god Mirodius that ultimately resulted in humanity destroying their former deity. Historians refer to it as a war, but it was really more of a massacre - the casualties on both sides were horrifying, and the worst was yet to come. The God-King Gardros was not very happy to hear the news of one of his most powerful servants perishing, thus the decision to unleash the elemental lords upon the Mortal realm. After the conflict, the Guardians have disbanded and parted their ways, except for my parents. They have eventually reformed whatever has remained of the legendary group and not only did they imprison the elemental lords once again, but even took the war directly onto the God-King. Since their disappearance after the Dark Age ended with Gardros¡¯ death, the Mortal realm has turned into complete chaos. Mages have started what would later be referred to as the second Mage war, an all-out clash between various mage clans for supremacy. Many places have been destroyed by these fights, including the then-capital of the defunct Last Alliance. The wars haven¡¯t officially ended, but the vast majority of the fighting has ended and the surviving mages have mostly returned into their lives as adventurers. Aleiana¡¯s answer brought about another question: ¡®What made you leave your family behind and live as an adventurer?¡¯ The girl¡¯s cheerful face turns more serious as she faces me: ¡®My entire family died in the war. I have inherited the smithy after them and used it for a while, until a certain adventurer came to me with a special request on a sword. His demand required collecting a rare gemstone called the Stars¡¯ Voice, which we ended up searching for together. I fell in love with adventuring, so after forging the blade I have sold everything our family¡¯s left behind and since then I¡¯ve been travelling around.¡¯Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡®...Did you say the Stars¡¯ Voice?¡¯ She nods in response: ¡®Yes, a nice name, don¡¯t you think?¡¯ Could it be just a coincidence? No way. A sword shining as bright as the skies filled with stars, named after the gemstone socketed into its hilt. A blade powerful enough to rival even the Godswords. ¡®Is something wrong?¡¯ her shining eyes give me a worried look. ¡®Do you by any chance remember the client¡¯s name?¡¯ ¡®Of course, I couldn¡¯t forget one of the most important people in my life! His name ss Kretiros. Kretiros Pendra-!¡¯ ¡®Pendragon. And the blade was forged as a gift for Eilena Icefell.¡¯ She seemed surprised: ¡®Yes, but how do you know all that?¡¯ A moment of hesitation. I¡¯ve said too much, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s too late at this point to say something like just a coincidence. I was supposed to keep my identity a secret, what a blunder¡­ ¡®I am the son of Kretiros and Eilena.¡¯ For a moment, she just stares at me speechless. ¡®I think we should get going, otherwise we¡¯re not making it tonight,¡¯ I say, looking down as I start descending down the mountains into the rocky wasteland known as the Wilderness. I¡¯m starting to regret taking her, of all the people, with me. The following hours have been very silent, we traversed the hollow landscape without saying as much as a single word. This awkward silence has been very unpleasant, but it was my curiosity that had caused it, after all. I just hope this quest is over soon so we don¡¯t have to see each other again and she can forget everything about me. A large cliff has stopped our walk. A massive gorge filled with dead vegetation and small ponds has entered our view. It seems as if there is no way over the large chasm. For a moment, we just stand there trying to figure out a way to traverse this enormous obstacle standing between us and our goal. Suddenly, I feel a very unpleasant aura just a bit behind us. ¡®Watch out!¡¯ I shout and push my companion aside. An arrow barely misses her ear. Turning around, I see a quartet of people standing there. One is armed with a bow, another holding a book. Two of them are heavily armoured, one wielding a greataxe and the other holding a shield. All their faces are hidden under hoods and helmets. The blood-red colour of their equipment could only mean one thing - dragon hunter clan. Chapter V Taking a closer look, I realise they barely look human. Even their auras are resembling something very inhumane, it¡¯s almost as if they are demons rather than humans. Tension levels keep rising as both our parties stare at each other. I¡¯m afraid they haven¡¯t chased us down to have a nice chat, so the only question is which one makes the first move. Another arrow is pulled out and the bowstring drawn. If they intend to make a move, it¡¯s going to be right after firing. I take a brief look to my right, where Aleiana is standing. Her hands are shaking. Not a single word is said. Instantly after the archer releases their arrow, everyone else gets moving, too. The axe-wielder is charging straight towards me with his huge weapon flying around him, backed by the shield-and-sword user. My companion quickly dodges the arrow and returns fire. Apparently they underestimate her, letting her fight just the way she likes. Now¡¯s not the time to observe others, though. The axeman gets repelled by a magical barrier I¡¯ve set before they have closed the distance. He¡¯s knocked away a few steps and almost gets thrown down the gorge. Hastily conjuring a blade, I clash with the other one, exchanging a few blows to gauge his strength. He¡¯s strong and fast. But not fast enough. Blocking my blows with his shield seems to give him an impression of dominance in this fight. He grows more and more confident and eventually attacks me in a deadly strike from above, leaving himself open. A quick sidestep avoids the blow, getting right between his shield and himself. With barely any effort whatsoever, I let his leg run straight into my blade. Something resembling growling could be heard from underneath the helmet as his plate armour reflects the blow with ease. He swings at me again, forcing me to parry his attack in defence. His attack doesn¡¯t stop here - rather than retreat back into a safe position, he keeps pressing on my blade, trying to force me on the ground. That is when the axe-wielder reappears and swings his giant weapon at me from behind. ¡®Sunamar! Behind you!¡¯ I hear the elven ranger shout at me. They may have a decent bit of coordination, but compared to me they lack something very fundamental - Power. Suddenly, a burst of strength enters my body as I easily push the swordsman away and turn around to face the other opponent. Evading such a massive and slow weapon isn¡¯t very hard. Enhancing your physical capabilities with magic is a very common method of combat for many mages. There¡¯s a lot of us out there that exclusively use this type of magic in combat. Thanks to these spells, I can make myself very fast, strong or durable, depending on what is needed. Unfortunately, as melee combat isn¡¯t my specialty, using this magic puts lots of stress on my body and exhausts my mana in massive amounts. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Having the opportunity, I cast a binding spell on the latter of the two warriors and leave him there standing motionless with his giant axe in his hands. This gives me plenty of time to deal with the first one. The tank appears to be angered by my little trick, growling in anger and charging at me full speed, leaving himself full of openings. I close my eyes in concentration for a short moment, holding the right pose as he closes the distance. When he¡¯s in range of my blade, I open them again and slash at the dragon hunter. My blow slices the shield in two, piercing straight through and leaving a large crack in his armour. He¡¯s left there in blank amazement, giving me the chance for a fast follow-up - a stab straight towards his chest, piercing it with ease. Making the sword disappear I jump back to a safe distance and observe. My opponent seems to be heavily, if not fatally, wounded, as he falls on his knees and coughs up some blood on the ground. The red liquid scorches the land wherever they come into contact. As I had thought - They are no ordinary humans. My sense for auras wasn¡¯t wrong, as only demons¡¯ blood runs this hot as to scorch anything it touches. You could argue it appears more like an acid rather than boiling blood. The situation appears to be under control now, so I can afford taking a peek at how my comrade¡¯s doing. Aleiana¡¯s been exchanging shots with the hunter, apparently both of them getting hurt a couple times in the process seeing that their arms and legs were all scratched and bleeding on both sides. Seems like victory is ou-! A familiar figure appears in front of our eyes. The wolf-like beast we have fought yesterday is here, but not just once - twice. The last enemy of ours - the caster - has been given enough time to summon a pair of these beasts to win them the fight. There is no time for making decisions. I instantly charge at him, knowing that a summoner¡¯s weakest spot is his low combat prowess. One of the wolves steps in my way, but that doesn¡¯t stop me - a quick jump and a skillful blow right into its head makes it disappear in an instant. Only two steps between me and the enemy mage. I tighten the grip on my conjured sword and plunge it straight into the mage¡¯s chest¡­ And then the body disappears. As if it was a mere shadow, the figure of the wolf summoner simply fades into nothingness, leaving no traces behind. ¡®Ah!¡¯ That was Aleiana. Drawn out of my confusion, I turn around to see her being cornered by the other summoned creature. A few centimetres is all there is between her and the deep gorge, falling into which would mean a certain death. Without a second thought, I teleport right next to the beast and cut it in half. Now the only thing left is getting rid of the archer. As soon as I think about this, I feel sharp pain in my belly. I hiss in pain and just barely hold the tears. The dragon hunter ranger has successfully hit me with one of his arrows. ¡®Sun!¡¯ the elven girl shouts in horror. Losing her focus, she runs towards me. I barely turn my eyes around in time - The mage has rejoined his archer comrade and has charged a large spell, ready to blow both me and Aleiana in one fell swoop. There¡¯s no time to think. I don¡¯t have enough time to charge a strong enough defensive spell to protect both of us and with this wound my innate protection has been weakened, too. Only one option remains. ¡®Huh?¡¯ can be heard as I pull the elf close and, holding her in my arms, throw myself down the gorge. Chapter VI A freefall. Retreat seemed to be the only option left for us considering the odds that both of us make it out alive, so I had to jump down along with Aleiana to get out of their range. The gorge might seem deep, but a mere second has passed and we¡¯re close to reaching its bottom. I hold the elven girl in my arms even closer and prepare for a landing. Concentrating all the mana inside me into defence is the only chance we have to survive this. Our landing was sort of silent. Just my body hitting the floor and instantly releasing my friend in the impact, letting her roll away and get up pretty soon. Despite my best efforts, I feel very intense pain all over. It is quite surprising that nothing is broken. That¡¯s not important right now, though - I immediately look up to see if the dragon hunters intend to chase after us somehow. No signs of motion above. Either they believe we haven¡¯t survived the fall or they have already given up on us. ¡®Safe, for now,¡¯ I utter silently. ¡®...Sun? Sun! Can you hear me?!...Sun!¡¯ I hear a familiar voice in the distance, seeing a silhouette of a person approaching me as I lose consciousness. I open my eyes. Checking my surroundings I realise I¡¯m in a cave. Most of my body feels numb, except for the intense pain in my head. Very intense pain. With a lot of effort, I somehow manage to sit. As soon as I do that, a sudden nausea takes over me and I feel like vomiting. The sounds of me coughing resonate in the small place. Towards the exit, a small, crouching figure turns around in my direction, alerted by the sounds. ¡®Sun, are you awake?¡¯ Aleiana rushes to me the instant she notices that I¡¯m awake. ¡®Does anything hurt? Can I help you somehow?¡¯ I carefully shake my head, which apparently puts her at ease. She looks down and sits there in complete silence for a few moments. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ she finally whispers in a crying voice. My response is just a confused look as I notice tears running down her face. ¡®I haven¡¯t been anything but a hindrance. I was nothing but a hindrance and now you¡¯re hurt because of me¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡¯ Using up what little strength I have in me right now, I raise my hand to wipe the tears off her face. ¡®You don¡¯t have to apologise for anything. It¡¯s not your fault they¡¯ve been chasing us in the first place. You¡¯re trying your best, nobody can ask for more.¡¯ Despite all the pain, I try smiling at least a little to cheer her up a bit. As her sobbing slowly stops, the glow in her emerald eyes is restored. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Once she calms down, her fatigue catches up to her and she quickly falls asleep right next to me. I mean, carrying me all the way here must¡¯ve taken a lot of her strength seeing her physique. A well-deserved rest. It¡¯s been about two, maybe three hours since Aleiana¡¯s fallen asleep. My body has mostly recovered from the damage caused by that fall. Healing this heavy damage has consumed a large portion of my mana, though, meaning I either need to rest properly or finish this task without using too much magic. At this point, both options are next to impossible. Given our situation, there is no way we can both get a solid sleep and if I hold back in a fight against a dragon, I¡¯m dead. I reach out my hand to the hilt of the sword on my back. The feeling of holding it is enough to make me feel comfortable. ¡®I might have to resort to using you, after all.¡¯ It feels almost as if the blade responds to my voice, flooding my whole body with mana. The blade on my back - the Godsword Exarian, never fails to both amaze and frighten me at the same time. No wonder dad was so reluctant to depend on its power. Even when sheathed, the sword is powerful enough to drive me crazy. ¡®Do you think they will show up again tomorrow?¡¯ ¡®Awake again? They probably will, yes. I¡¯m expecting them to come avenge their fallen comrade.¡¯ The elven figure gets up and sits close to me. She seems a little restless. ¡®Sun, why did you want to go on this quest?¡¯ she suddenly changes the tone. ¡®You don¡¯t really need the money reward, do you? A man of your birth, that is.¡¯ I¡¯m still very reluctant to tell her everything, but she probably deserves at least that much. ¡®Have you ever heard of the Shards of Eternity?¡¯ The Creation of the Nine Worlds was a very exhausting process. The Eternii were only capable of creating three worlds, which we now know as ¡®The Old World¡¯. The remaining six - including the Mortal Realm - have come to being thanks to Eternal Crystals, artefacts created to concentrate mana within themselves in order to create new worlds for more species to live in. Unfortunately, after expending most of their powers, the crystals have shattered into countless pieces, scattered all over the six worlds they have created. She nods in response: ¡®Kretiros has told me they are scattered all over the Nine Worlds and that they hold great power. Why?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m searching for one of them around here. Seeing that dragons are creatures attracted by magic, something made of such high-quality mana should practically function as a magnet. Before his demise, dad has been searching for them for quite some time, saying that their power might be needed in the ongoing conflict for our survival. I¡¯ve continued the search ever since I¡¯ve left home. So far, there are two shards currently in my possession, and I have high hopes this dragon might know the location of a third one.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it dangerous carrying something this powerful around the world? What if someone robs you?¡¯ I can¡¯t help but chuckle: ¡®The thing I¡¯m carrying on my back is far worse than one or two shards.¡¯ As I say that, I can feel a pleasant aura from the godsword. Prideful as always, huh. ¡®So, tomorrow you¡¯re going to slay the dragon to obtain the shard from it?¡¯ ¡®Not exactly. My plan is to ask them whether they know of the shard¡¯s location. Violence is my plan B.¡¯ A moment of silence follows. We both just sit there and watch the night sky without saying a word. ¡®There. It¡¯s the Dawnstar!¡¯ Aleiana suddenly says as her eyes shine. I remember hearing a story about it from my mother, back when I was a kid. She said that the Dawnstar is only visible to the elven people and that they only see one when something good is about to happen to them. I have no idea whether it¡¯s based on legends or if there is a good reason for it, but just seeing this elven ranger so happy makes me glad this myth exists. She is indeed a little too pretty to live a life as an adventurer. I have to protect this delicate flower that Aleiana is. Tomorrow, I won¡¯t be playing games anymore. It¡¯s time to go all-out. Chapter VII Several hours have passed since we both fell asleep. Feeling safe enough I saw no reason to watch so I got to rest a bit, too. Aleiana is still dead asleep. Good, she¡¯s going to need that energy soon enough. I wonder if it¡¯s morning already - everything around here is so dark and gloomy that I can¡¯t actually tell. Should it ever come to an ¡®end of the world¡¯ scenario, I would imagine it just like this - desolate landscape with nothing but small bits of dead vegetation, no signs of life anywhere around you and the only survivors being a violent bunch like the dragon hunters. The dragon¡¯s lair - our goal - is very close. In fact, it¡¯s so close that I can sense its aura. It has to be either a very powerful creature or just the proximity, but considering the fact we are in the Mortal realm, it has to be the latter. Still, it¡¯s powerful enough to fill even the bravest warriors with fear, otherwise someone would¡¯ve already slain the beast. There is a good reason why there are still some dragons alive, despite the titans¡¯ rampage against my kin. Morning or not, it¡¯s time to get on the move again. I grab my partner by her shoulder and shake with her a bit, trying to be as gentle as I can. ¡®Aleiana, wake up. It¡¯s time to go,¡¯ I call out to her. She murmurs something and turns over to the other side, facing away from me. Lazy butt¡­ ¡®Hey, wake up! We have no time for games!¡¯ I raise my voice. Few moments later, the familiar emerald eyes shine at me. ¡®Heard you the first time, so stop shouting!¡¯ Still half-asleep, her slim figure slowly gets up and stretches. Guessing she¡¯s hungry, I throw whatever food we have left on us. It¡¯s nothing but crumbs and tiny leftovers, but better than making her spend the day with an empty stomach. With her gratefully munching on everything edible left, I use the opportunity to speak: ¡®The dragon¡¯s lair is very close, I can feel its aura even from here. It is very likely that our pursuers will be waiting for us there, too, so stay on guard the moment we leave this cave.¡¯ A nod in response. A simple yet effective signal to show me she understands. With that, our last day of our joint questing begins. Thinking about it, I might miss the company of this adorable person. It is to preserve the smiles of those like her that we keep fighting. Being reminded of that motivates me for the battles ahead. Despite the freezing cold, the elven ranger somewhat keeps up with me while constantly observing our surroundings. What remains of the dragon hunter clan party we met yesterday could show up any moment, so it''s for the best that she¡¯s ready. I can sense a great deal of determination from her, possibly the desire to even the score with their archer? Just that thought alone makes me chuckle in silence. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The scenery of a grey wasteland with a couple dead trees has quickly changed into a mountain range with a small rocky staircase. ¡®This way,¡¯ I declare while pointing towards the stairs. Aleiana gives me a pained look, but eventually starts following me upwards. ¡®Do elves cope that bad with high places?¡¯ We have traveled about a third of the way towards the lair entrance when I stop, seeing how hard Aleiana¡¯s been trying to catch her breath. ¡®Not all of us, probably, but the air around here is different from the usual.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve got a point. The mana concentration in the air around here is much higher. I guess it pushes the oxygen out, making it hard for beings like you to survive around here. We can take a break if it helps you.¡¯ ¡®No, no, it¡¯s alright. Do you think the concentration is the reason for the dragon settling down here, of all the places?¡¯ I nod in response: ¡®It has to be the shard emitting some of its power, which subsequently made this place a lot easier to detect for creatures sensitive to mana, like dragons. Some of the shards are said to emit the magic inside them in order to not overcharge themselves and - as a result - explode. If this is one of those, it has to be the strongest one I¡¯ve seen so far. It might even be more potent than both of mine.¡¯ As we''re conversing, a pair of new auras appears ahead, or, more specifically, above us. Not very strong ones, though, and - most importantly - familiar. It seems the dragon hunters really have decided to make camp around here, expecting us to show up. Kind of ironic that instead of killing the dragon alongside us, they attack us, effectively protecting the dragon. Oddly enough, I can only feel two of the three survivors above us. Did something happen to the archer from their party? ¡®Let¡¯s keep going,¡¯ my partner declares and resumes the ascension. She¡¯s right; There¡¯s no time to waste. I follow her in silence for a while, carefully sensing the hostile auras in case they get on move. So far they have only been sitting in one spot with us getting closer and closer to their position. After a few moments our surroundings start being covered by a very thin layer of snow. No wonder she¡¯s been cold in her current clothes, which are designed for the warm climate of the mainlands. I wish I could conjure her something warmer, but unfortunately I do not know such a magic. At best I could light a fire near her, but that means risking either her hair or clothes catching fire and that wouldn¡¯t be a very pleasant experience I¡¯m afraid. A sound not natural to this place - like an arrow being fired. I scan the area around us quickly and see nothing. A strong murder intent can be felt coming at us from our right. Of course! The archer must have hidden his presence for a sneak snipe! How careless of me to underestimate our foe like this. There goes my proud ¡®I¡¯m going to go all-out¡¯ right off the start. Thanks to sensing the threat of a fatal blow, I act on reflex and pull Aleiana towards me. ¡®Hey, what are y-!¡¯ Before she even gets the chance to get upset at me for grabbing her suddenly, an arrow barely misses her leg. She doesn¡¯t respond any further, focusing on the enemy ahead of us rather than engaging in small talk. He¡¯s located above us, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t see him before. Finally being able to sense his presence, I do not hesitate and call a lightning down at the place where I believe him to be. Hearing no reaction, I assume he has already changed position. ¡®Try to get up there!¡¯ I shout and teleport to the spot the lightning struck. Blink. A very handy spell, especially for someone who mainly depends on his mobility during combat. It allows the user to teleport a short distance. The only downside is its very impractical incantation, however, that can be bypassed by leaving your mana at a certain spot, allowing you to travel there in an instant with just a thought. Chapter VIII I find myself on a small platform made out of the mountain¡¯s grey mass. There¡¯s space of about six times six metres square in here, making it hard for a ranger to find any good position to fight around here. It is from this place that I could feel both auras of the other two dragon hunters as well. One is somewhere behind my current opponent and the other to my left, coming from the staircase leading up towards the peak. The familiar figure of a bowman dressed in red appears before me, about four steps away from me, immediately shooting another arrow at me. I dodge it with ease and conjure a sword. Another blink to close the distance and the dragon hunter¡¯s head gets cut off by my blade. Aleiana finally manages to connect to us, with her bow ready to fire at any time. She gives me a surprised look upon seeing the scenery. ¡®How did you do that back then?¡¯ ¡®A blink spell. Very handy to move short distances during combat, although it consumes a lot of mana. Useful against ranged combatants like this one used to be.¡¯ ¡®Where''s the rest?¡¯ As soon as she asks, two summoned wolves appear and lunge at me, recognizing me as the bigger threat to their master. A single blow defeats both of them, leaving their creator completely defenceless a few steps away in the direction from where they jumped out of. Overcome with fear, he turns around and runs, trying to find shelter behind a nearby rock. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡®Not so fast,¡¯ says my comrade, releasing her arrow and landing it right into the dragon hunter¡¯s heart. He drops dead without any sound. The last remaining one was an axe warrior. I can sense him taking cover behind the large rock his magician friend tried to run towards. Probably realizing the futility of his situation, he walks up from behind the rock. Boiling with rage, you can see his breath coming out from beneath the large plate helm cowering his head. A sound almost like a wolf¡¯s growling comes out as his grip on the axe tightens. Without further delay, he charges towards the elf, violently lunging at her in hopes of taking out the weaker one of us with him. At first, she intuitively steps back a bit in fear, but then realizes she¡¯s standing on the edge of this small platform where we have been clashing. The berserker closes the distance with his attack, his huge axe getting closer to her head every moment¡­ And she steps aside. The dragon hunter cuts the air with his weapon and, overwhelmed by the weight of his massive armour, he falls off the edge. His loud scream in a strange mix of desperation and rage slowly fades as he gets closer to the ground. After a few seconds, a loud sound of his body dropping dead down there echoes through the mountains. There is no way he could have survived that fall, even a demigod would most likely suffer fatal damage in his situation. Now we can finally assume our way into the dragon¡¯s lair is clear. Exchanging a few words, our party then ascends the mountain all the way to its peak to finally find ourselves at the mouth of the dragon¡¯s lair. The entrance is just an ordinary crack in the mass of this grey mountain. Well, it would seem ordinary if not for the obscene size of the hole, making it large enough for even a dragon to enter and leave whenever it wants to. The wind is really strong here, blowing both of our long haircuts all around and almost shoving us in various directions. ¡®Now, our final stage is finally set.¡¯ Chapter IX We enter the cave with caution. Despite the enormous entrance, almost no light gets inside. The same goes for the strong winds that are raging outside - no more than a small breeze makes it into the dragon¡¯s lair. ¡®It¡¯s so dark here, I can barely see anything,¡¯ says my partner. I guess elven eyes aren¡¯t that good when it comes to night vision, after all. Fortunately, there is a spell for that in my memory. Gathering mana from the surroundings so that nobody will notice our presence, I form a ball-shaped spirit in my hand and let it fly around the place. A few moments later, the spirit starts glowing enough to fill the space we are in with light. It¡¯s not the same as daylight outdoors, but definitely better than complete darkness. ¡®Better?¡¯ ¡®Much better. Thank you, Sunamar.¡¯ With that out of the way, we can finally descend further into the cave. The path ahead of us is very challenging to say the least. Every few steps we have to climb over obstacles or jump over some holes. I¡¯m pretty sure we would be lost by now if not for the very linear layout of the entire cave. Luck is on our side, it seems. It must¡¯ve been hours since we¡¯ve entered this place. With each step down the tunnel, I can feel the dragon getting closer to us. Its power has to be quite impressive now that I think about it. Judging by its aura alone, they might be stronger than even myself. Hopefully we can settle this without a fight, although I¡¯m not very optimistic about that. Dragons are very proud and greedy beings, after all. ¡®So, how exactly do you plan on convincing them to give us the shard?¡¯ I can hear a great deal of fear in her voice, which is very understandable. No mortal has ever defeated an adult dragon. The difference in power (and size) is just that great. If anyone has even the slightest chance at causing harm to a fully-grown dragon, it would be the former archmages, although only two of them are still known to be alive and one of them has never left his kingdom after barely surviving a battle with the mighty beast. Even the elven people, revered among all the mortals to be magically gifted without equal, stood absolutely no chance. I can imagine Aleiana¡¯s mind is full of worries that if the dragon refuses to cooperate, we¡¯re both done for. Stolen novel; please report. Well, that might just be the case, but better not say that out loud. ¡®I have a trick up my sleeve, don¡¯t worry. And in case the negotiations fail, I still have this.¡¯ The worried look on her face quickly changes to one filled with curiosity. ¡®I¡¯ve been wondering why have you been conjuring swords while fighting when you¡¯re carrying one on your back?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not exactly meant to be used for fighting mortals nor magical beasts. Say, have you ever heard the word Godsword?¡¯ She shakes her head in silence, probably expecting further explanation. ¡®Back when the Eternii have still inhabited the Nine Worlds, one of them forged several powerful weapons. Unlike any others, the blades were created as vessels for souls of their fallen kin, great warriors of the past. Upon dying, their souls were bound to the blades in order to continue using their powers against the Void. As such, they hold more power than you or I could probably imagine. That is what the Godswords are.¡¯ ¡®And the black blade on your back is one of them?¡¯ she asks more. ¡®Not just one of them - Exarian is the strongest even among the highest grade of the Godswords. Partially due to its different nature in comparison to the others.¡¯ Yes, it¡¯s better not to explain that any further. Exarian, or as you would translate the name into common language, ¡®The Bane of Saints¡¯, wasn¡¯t made as a vessel for an Eterni¡¯s soul. The thing bound within this blade is something else, something so evil that everything miles away from us recognizes it as a threat and keeps its distance, so vile that when I tried communicating with the soul once, hearing its voice almost made me go crazy from all the negativity surrounding it. It is also the reason why I¡¯d like to avoid using it unless it is absolutely necessary. This thing is just too strong for me. For anyone, really. Only my dad knew how to handle the madness that floods into your soul the moment you unsheathe the blade and then use it in combat. I wish you had told me, dad. Or that you never left us in the first place, so that I didn¡¯t have to do this. ¡®We''re almost in the mountain¡¯s heart.¡¯ Not long after me briefly explaining the plan to the elven ranger, we finally make it to the end of the road. The colossal space, hiding behind a small crack we¡¯re allowed to see through the thick mountain mass, that you could call the central room, or the heart of the mountain, opens right in front of us. It is the perfect place for a dragon to nest itself in. A large space, wide enough for even such a huge thing to freely move around, wide enough for it to hoard various treasures made of gold, gems or rare metals. Or, perhaps, a Shard of Eternity. ¡®Just stay close to me and don¡¯t provoke the dragon. I will handle the rest. Can you trust me with this thing?¡¯ She takes a moment, then responds with an ¡®Okay.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s just hope the thing agrees to hand the shard over peacefully so we can run away without risking our lives any further.¡¯ That being said, at last we enter the large central room of the cave. Chapter X A bright red light fills the massive space we have entered. The place is quite empty for the most part, except for some bony remains of various things scattered everywhere. A grotesque scenery, but not nearly enough to scare us anymore. Finally, a solid distance away from us, on the other side of the big space, glitters a golden hoard. Coins, jewelry, anything valuable you can imagine. It¡¯s so large we cannot even see the end of it. Truly a dragon¡¯s treasure, just like in old fairy tales and legends. To our right, next to the large hoard, there¡¯s a large fire burning, showering the golden artifacts with light that is then reflected into the whole place, making it seem like there are some lights switched on. A truly beautiful scenery, if not for the owner lying on top of the treasure. A massive creature of green colour, with its skin covered by scales, enormous claws and - most importantly - the majestic wings. Even though they are my kin, I will never get tired of this sight, especially considering how rare it is to come across one of us. There are barely any more dragons in all of Nine Worlds. This dragon is dangerous. I sense an aura of such a crushing level that I¡¯m getting a headache from just being close to it. If this thing went rampant, the entire Mortal realm would turn into a wasteland. There is no way I can defeat this thing in a battle. We should turn around and run as fast as we can-! Too late. The monster wakes up and stares at me with its golden eyes. We spend several seconds in this stalemate, staring at each other without even the slightest bit of motion. I could swear even my heart had stopped beating for a moment there. Gathering up whatever is left of my courage, I pull a ring out of my pocket. The golden accessory bears a dragon engraving on it, the emblem of house Pendragon, the Dragon King¡¯s family. I hold it as close to the dragon as I can and speak out loud: ¡®You are in the presence of your sovereign, mighty one! Greeting me while lying down is a token of disrespect.¡¯ It raises its head and then gets up with an angry look. A growl echoes through the entire place. ¡®I have come here searching for the Shards of Eternity! It has been known to me that one is in your possession. I ask of you with utmost respect to give it to me.¡¯ Inhaling lots of air from the room, the dragon then spreads its wings and roars at me so loud that it would rupture the eardrums of an ordinary person. Judging by the voice, the male dragon is apparently trying to scare me with his pose, looking as if ready to strike me down. Did he perhaps not understand me? Or is he intentionally ignoring my request? Perhaps this thing before me is a wild dragon, one of our older brethren that have not learned any languages nor developed the ability to speak whatsoever? If so, this is going to get much worse than I had hoped. Violence is inevitable. My doubts are cleared out by his next move - he immediately starts inhaling air into his mouth again, preparing to burn us with his fiery breath. ¡®Sun?¡¯ I hear in almost a crying tone from behind me. ¡®Hide, Aleiana! Quickly, run!¡¯ Just after I shout at her, the dragon breathes a massive wave of flames towards us. The elven girl screams in terror and begins to run back to where we came from. I turn to face the incoming attack. Reaching out my hand, I hold the flames away from my body so that it doesn¡¯t cause me nor my belonging any harm. The heat of this thing is strong enough to make even me feel its warmth. I¡¯m pretty sure it could melt down steel weapons and armour with ease, if not even more heat-resistant materials. Once the wave subsides, I waste no time and immediately retaliate - Gathering up a large amount of mana, I give it the shape of several lightning bolts and throw them at the giant monster. Seemingly not expecting me to survive his flames, he eats the attack full force, roaring in pain. Despite his natural resistance to magic of all forms, there is an exception to that - Dragon magics. It¡¯s kind of ironic that our own magic is our weakest point, however other species have obtained the knowledge necessary to cast spells of this type, too. Many titans, specifically their priests and thaumaturgists, have used these magics to slay many dragons, both wild and intelligent, before. A selected few mortals have been taught this by their ancestors, referring to them as ¡®Dragon slayers¡¯ for their sworn duty was to get the world rid of our kin. Fuming with rage, my foe roars and then tries breathing fire at me again, much to the same outcome. Seeing the same simple pattern, I hastily chant another lightning strike to hurt the enemy furt-! The thick cloud of flames is suddenly pierced by the dragon¡¯s massive tail, hitting me from the side and launching me away. Overwhelmed by the sheer force of that blow, I crash into the rocky wall before even realising what exactly happened. ¡®Sunamar!!¡¯ I can hear a scream faintly. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. My whole body screams in pain and I instantly vomit some fluids mixed with my blood. I can¡¯t properly breathe, most of, if not all, of my ribs must be broken. Trying to look up and face my opponent again, my head feels dizzy as I cannot see very well. Down on my knees, probably the only part of my body functioning properly is my left arm. Shaking like crazy from the shock and surprise, I need to react somehow before he finishes me off. Move. Move, damn it! No matter how hard I try, my body needs a little more time to regenerate to the point where I can at least stand up and walk. All I can do is watch the dragon close in on me with the intention of wrapping this up. I can¡¯t just become dragon food here! Not today, not tomorrow. My quest has barely started here, I do not have the right to back down just yet. ¡®Accel¡­erate¡­three!¡¯ As I barely manage to spit the incantation out, my entire body enters an accelerated state. Thankfully I have learned the Time magic, allowing me to slow down or speed up everything happening around me. Right now, I¡¯m using it to make my body function three times as fast, speeding up the regeneration process significantly. The nausea immediately gets even stronger, making me vomit again. My body almost instantly heals up to a state in which I can move, allowing me to evade the monster¡¯s claws trying to tear me into little pieces. Before he realises it, I use my Blink spell to get onto his back and, clenching my fist, I channel all the magic I can in this state and hit the dragon¡¯s rear with it. Finally releasing the Accelerate in order to save mana for my next spell, I can finally breathe freely. It seems most of my wounds have healed to the point where they won¡¯t limit my combat capability anymore, although the blood loss is already quite significant. This fight needs to end with one or two more strikes, otherwise I¡¯m going to die. While trying to figure out a good battle plan, I feel as if something pats my shoulder, asking for attention. I gasp. Is there really no other way? As terrible as this situation is, I had high hopes that there might be a way to finish this quickly enough on my own, however, seeing how much damage I took because of underestimating my opponent, there is no time for a second chance. ¡®Please, help me this time,¡¯ I whisper as I pull the black blade on my back from its sheath. interlude ¡®...Quickly, run!¡¯ a loud scream keeps echoing in my head as I run. Faster, faster, faster! I need to find shelter somewhere! Right off the start, the dragon attacks us with a fiery breath strong enough to turn an entire army into ash, leaving not even bones behind. I know Sun is strong, but even he cannot get out of this unharmed, right? What am I supposed to do now? Panic takes complete control of me as I hide in the small crevice we entered from. Feeling safe enough, I take a quick peek into the large room to see what is happening. Sunamar¡¯s holding off yet another wall of fire flying in our direction, seemingly effortlessly. He truly is on a whole different level compared to me or any of the dragon hunters we met earlier. Now that I can see him fighting with an evenly-matched opponent, I finally realise how much he resembles his father, Kretiros. You cannot hide your connection to a genius mage like he was, no matter how hard you try. However, suddenly the beast¡¯s tail appears from the flames and strikes my companion into his side, sending him flying. ¡®Sunamar!!¡¯ I scream before I even realise it. Fortunately, the dragon doesn¡¯t pay me any attention, but that is not the problem right now. Is he even alive? Taking a blow of this magnitude would kill even a giant, let alone such a fragile young man! I can very faintly hear some sounds like vomiting as he¡¯s violently shaking. The damage from that blow might be a bit too much, even for him. As the monster closes in on him, the mage then appears on its back, as if teleporting around. I can barely even keep up with what is happening, let alone contribute to the effort in any way. The dragon roars and bends in pain from the blow to its rear and, shortly after, the entire place is filled with an aura of such vile that it makes me feel sick. Taking a closer look, I can see it. Sunamar has pulled out his Godsword. He stands up and grips the sword tightly in his left hand, then proceeds to run all the way to the dragon¡¯s tail, cutting its back along the way. A wave of blood instantly bursts out of the long cut, making the beast go into a mindless rage. It shakes him off and flails its deadly tail at him once more. One more hit like that and death is certain, even for someone as strong as Sunamar. This time, however, the outcome is quite the opposite. Rather than the mage being hurt, his pitch black sword cuts through the spikes on the creature¡¯s tail, almost severing the whole thing from the rest of its body. The beast retreats with the wounded part, following up with its razor-sharp claws. In a similar fashion, the Godsword easily breaks the deadly weapon and proceeds to cut off two of the dragon¡¯s fingers. A pained roar of such magnitude that it makes the whole place tremble resounds in here. Making use of the opening, Sunamar then charges forward, towards the now unprotected chest of the beast. A quick slash opens it, creating a large pool of hot blood underneath. Running up all the way to its rear once more, he cuts the monster in several places before he stops at its nape. The black blade suddenly starts glowing in similar colour as the artifact itself and, like a knife cutting butter, decapitates the dragon. interlude out The blood inside me feels as if it''s boiling like hot water. At first, I felt the urge to breathe heavily to vent the heat out, but then I realized there is no need. As if the feeling is nothing but an illusion. In front of me appears a nauseating scenery - the dragon¡¯s corpse, covered in countless cuts and with its head severed from the rest of the body, lying in a large pool of blood. Exarian did it. As soon as my thoughts get on the sword in my hands, I sheathe it back as fast as I possibly could. The insatiable feeling of anger and hatred suddenly fades away and I am left there, exhausted, but victorious. Wounded, but alive. What about Aleiana? Is she all right? I start turning around searching for anything that might even resemble the elven beauty that has been my travel companion these past few days. There! I can see her figure appearing out of the small crevice that we used to enter the heart of the mountain, running towards me. Thank the Seven, she¡¯s unharmed. As relief fills up my mind, I lose all the strength in my legs and collapse on the ground.