Volume 56 Chapter 5.3: The Decision For The Continent (3)
Weed soon realized that Geomchi's advice was boundless.
< Critical Strike! >
< You crushed Kalamu's head. >
< Critical... >
< Critical... >
- The best sword technique? I don't know. As I aged, no one could defend against swings guided naturally by my will.
When Weed heard this from Geomchi the first time he was taught the sword, he understood it as if he could win against any opponent without trying.
'It wasn't what I thought. Truly my heart guides me. This is a boundless sword technique in its entirety.'
There was no specific form to this sword technique.
Certainly experience and skill was its foundation, but the user would unconsciously feel the righteous path of the sword.
Tuned to the enemy, the most optimal attack appeared naturally.
100% of attack and 100% of defense: it was the perfected form of the sword.
A presence that transcended the idea of driving one's physical limitations.
'Well, I just did it.'
Weed's sword began to show its power, rapidly cutting down on the Kalamus.
He raised Strength through Sculptural Destruction and stormed away.
"Sword of Regeneration!"
He even activated the secret sword technique meant to defend himself and the dwarves. Even after he broke through the Kalamus, he searched relentlessly for items.
< Armory >
< Large Armory >
< Warrior items >
< Long-range weapons >
< Consumable >
< Treasure >
< Blacksmith ingredients >
"Everyone equip yourselves with better gear."
Weed consistently swapped their gear for more advanced items.
His unimaginable generosity had a back story.
'I will exploit them right down to their marrows.'
It was to keep as many of them alive for the battle against Kaybern.
"Huugh. I feel like dying. I need to rest for just a bit..."
The dwarven warriors began falling apart after having been overworked.
They were deployed to battle without reprieve, exhausting even the healthiest dwarves.
"You all can do it. Think of our kin that are suffering at this moment."
"Kaybern exploits us, yes. But, most dwarves are doing just fine in their respective villages."
"Pride! Do you not all bear pride after being born as a dwarf?"
Weed was blinded by the dwarven made equipment.
He poked away at their pride and continued his exploit.
'I just need to keep them alive. I can cure their wounds and illnesses later.'
The touch of the evil, exploitative commander had reached even the world of the dwarves!
Weed emptied out the dwarven special storages down to just one remaining location.
Whilst clearing the dungeon, he gathered clues and already knew about the final boss.
< Kracore the Storage Keeper
It is a monster with a gigantic body composed of special cells. It was the ruler of Woodgorn in the past.
After it was pushed from its throne by the demonic beast Baharant, it grew in power in order to take revenge.
It is extremely intelligent and spews sickening acid in all directions.
It also utilizes its own cells to commit modified attacks.
Caution!
It can grab hold of nearby foes and absorb them.
Physical damage is mitigated by 95%.
It possesses near immunity to fire magic but is considerably weak to cold. >
10 forbidden locations.
The final boss that defends the secret storage of the dwarven race!
Brockhand who was under Weed's exploitation shivered as he spoke.
"You know too, yes? Kracore is an absolute danger for us all."
"How come?"
"Dwarves absorbed by that thing number in the hundreds."
"Absorbed?"
"They become a part of his body. I thought it was hiding somewhere in Agoldia, but for it to be here of all places. Weedhand, let's fall back."
"I cannot turn away after all this way."
"Even if we do not loot Kracore's equipment, it will be enough for us to confront the dragon. You don't need to overdo it."
Those words did not convince Weed even the slightest.
'They spoke like bold dwarves, but they have so many things to be afraid of.'
He couldn't just leave without the dwarven equipment, especially not equipment of the best quality.
"I'm going to fight."
"Alright. Then let us rest plenty before opening the door."
"We will just have gear inspection and go inside."
"Damn it!"
It was when he took the dwarves to the armory where the final boss waited.
- Mapan: Weed-nim! Urgent news. Landony's lair has been breached!
"Seriously?"
Even Weed stopped in his tracks.
- Mapan: There is incredible news from the adventurers who explored the lair. It is related to both Kaybern and Landony.
"Could it be... Is Cletta the demon king involved too?"
- Mapan: Unfortunately, you are right. It says there was a conspiracy behind the dragons' movement. Since I only heard a brief explanation, it'd be best for you to watch the video yourself. In 5 minutes, the adventurer Dedron-nim's footage will be released through KMC Media.
Weed gave the dwarves time to rest and took out the crystal ball.
He practiced sewing as he waited and soon enough KMC Media began their broadcast.
- We are interrupting the regular broadcast to inform everyone of important news. The adventurers exploring the Ring of Fire have entered Landony's lair.
Joowan Oh, the exclusive anchor of KMC Media was the conveyor of this news.
Just moments before they were live streaming Weed's dungeon hunting with the dwarves.
- Firstly, we will show you a short clip of the adventurers' footage.
The scene of the adventurers climbing the Great Volcano and passing through the lava cave was edited into a simple clip. Parts of the footage were not clear but it was evident that they were entering with their lives on the line.
A lot of time was consumed in advancing through the monsters of the lava floor.
Three adventurers survived until the very end.
Even though they arrived inside the lair, they couldn't take the piles of treasure and head back.
"Let's find something at least."
"Yeah. As bad as this situation is... It would be nice if I can find some skills that I can pick up right away."
The adventurers attained the adventure achievement called 'Lair Breach.'
"Be careful of the traps."
"We got this far, so let's not die in vain. We don't know if we'll get another chance of coming back to this place."
What they discovered was surprisingly Landony's old diary.
It was a record of the dragon and it contained an incredible secret.
- Kaybern and I learned how to fly from the great demon butler Zepent-nim.
- The food that the demons bring us is reallyreal delicious. They are kind and take good care of us.
- The demons are very wise and virtuous. Humans and dragons have a certain prejudice against demons, but they aren't true. It is perhaps because they are jealous of demons.
- I learned dark magic. They are incredible spells. The most destructive! Far greater than fire magic.
In the diary were stories of young Kaybern and Landony.
They weren't raised by dragons, but demons.
- The king of demons, Cletta is said to be a benevolent individual.
- It is a shame that I cannot meet him. Useless humans, elves, dwarves and their sealing stones. If all of them disappear, Cletta-nim could reign...
- Demons are so nice. They left. Is there a way I could bring them back?
- Sealing stones. If I can destroy the sealing stones...
- It must not end with just destroying the stone. I need to drench the continent with as much blood as possible. Then Cletta-nim can appear with his powers whole.
- The more deaths, the more powerful Cletta-nim will be.
The records in the diary were fragments but it wasn't difficult to deduce the context.
"The demons were involved in the reason for Kaybern and Landony's hostility towards humans."
If he proceeded with the savior or race quest he would have discovered the same truth.
The adventurers' discovery of the diary answered the mysteries. But, the solution was yet to be found.
Dragons were beings that could not be persuaded by words.
They were classic examples of stuck-up boomers!
'In the savior quest there was an option since the beginning to bribe. Though there was no chance of success. If I tell the dragons they were deceived by the demons, would the war end? Never.'
The dwarf race quest urged the players to bet the fate of the entire race on the battle against Kaybern.
There was no choice but to overcome the two dragons with power.
- Additional information has been uncovered about the sealing stones. The Great Library of Morata is said to have words about the sealing stones. Up until now we did not understand what they meant, but we do now.
The broadcast screen shifted to the Great Library of Morata.
A man in a traveller's outfit showed the stone with engravings.
- Humans preserved their sealing stone somewhere inside the city that erected their civilization.
- The sealing stone of the elves is inside the World Tree.
- No one knows who seized the Orcs' sealing stone. It will be extremely difficult to find. It might even be quicker to just kill all the orcs instead.
Kaybern will destroy cities. Landony is searching for something among the orcs.
The sealing stones explained the movement of the dragons.
- Mapan: I will begin an investigation about the sealing stone.
"Please make it quick."
- Mapan: But chances are that Weed-nim's adventure might be related to the sealing stone.
"There may be an answer at the end of the savior quest. However, it's overburdening to carry it out along with the Orc race quest... I guess we will leave it up to luck.
- Mapan: What would happen if all the sealing stones are destroyed?
"Then the Versaille Continent will be nearing its doom. If demons spawn on top of all this, there is no way out."
- Mapan: So many cities have been destroyed already. Perhaps that day isn't far.
A long time had passed since the initial rampage of the dragons.
If the demon king were to be freed, it would be a disaster.
- Mapan: The worst day imaginable may be unleashed.
"The best method is to hunt the dragon but..."
Weed's brain was quickly at work.
As a savior as well as the emperor of the Arpen empire he had to determine the right protocol.
Completing quests to gather weapons, armor, trusty allies and skills was ultimately necessary for taking down Kaybern.
'Morata will be destroyed. What if we gather all our strengths now and fight the dragon?'