Chapter 2
5 years later in Battleon City.
"Today suuuuuuuucks!"
A childish whine echoed in the only guild hall of Battleon City. It was a slow day with only a few people inside, sitting and eating or drinking at their tables while chatting with one another.
It was a typical day in the guild.
Now, we look at the source of the childish whine. It came from a party of rookie adventurers sitting on a table. There are 7 of them.
The source of the sound came from one of the party's male Rogue,
Joseph or he liked to be called Jojo.
The resident sneaky Rogue (in his opinion). Clad in classic Rogue attire, he is pretty basic. With a head full of unruly short dark hair and brown skin, he looked like your typical background character (which he likes cause he is a Rogue, being sneaky and all that jazz).
His weapon of choice is dual-serrated daggers that he liked. This young man 19 years old joined the adventurers guild this year in chasing his dreams of adventure and women. Sadly he is a rank E adventurer and the climb up to ranks is pretty hard.
"Stop your whining, Joseph! It's unpleasant and uncouth, just be glad the guild receptionist is trying to find us a job right now."
An aristocratic voice reprimanded Jojo for his whining.
It came from the group's richest person.
Mary Anne Farkland or Anne in short as the group preferred to call her. The only female Warrior in the group. Age 18.
The girl is your stereotypical rich girl. Blonde hair is done in twin pigtails shaped like drills. A smooth baby face and skin. The girl literally says rich girl without speaking. Her attire even reflects that as she wore a replica of Arturia's Saber armor (unknown to her and much to her companions' mirth).
Her weapon of choice is a giant buster sword akin to the famous black swordsman, a crude and barbaric weapon for someone like her. A direct contrast to her aristocratic image. As to why this girl volunteered as an adventurer? Well, she just wants to try it. Rich kidz imma right?
"Oh, Shut it blondie." Jojo waved her away, annoyed. His annoyance stems from the fact that the guild had no exciting quest but only E rank errand quest which he views unworthy of his skill.
"You better listen to her, Jojo. Will can't waste her healing on you every day you pick a fight." a blonde young man warned the childish Rogue.
This is the group's leader,
Steven Hawk. The Warrior leader of this party. Age 19.
Damn, even his name gives a leader appeal. He even looks like your prince in dashing armor. Being a blue-eyed blonde, our leader here is like a model. His armor even looked like a prince's as it was modeled after King Alteon's armor but plated in shining silver making him look like a white knight.
His weapon of choice is a Swordhaven knight sword and shield. This guy is also the current mayor's son of Battleon City. His reason for becoming an adventurer is to help. The goddamn guy is your typical goodie two shoes. Boring.
"Nah, Will will heal me always. Right, Will?" Jojo looked at the resident Healer and tomboy of the party.
Said Healer is giving him a middle finger in response while eating.
Will Vandel, the tomboy Healer of the party. Age 18.
A short-tempered redhead, the tomboy is the local healer of the group. She had short red hair and a small face. She is wearing the basic Healer robes which she finds nice.
Her weapon of choice is surprisingly a buckler and mace combo. Her motto is " No enemies means no injuries to heal". I liked it. She is also the voice of reason of the group when they do something dumb resulting in her healing. She became an adventurer for money and women. Especially women.
" Will, no." a dark-skinned dainty hand pulled the offending appendage down with a disappointed tone.
This hand belongs to the only Mage and mother hen of the group.
Dimitri Rowan. Age 19.
She was a beautiful example of an African-American descendant. Her long curly dark hair flowed behind her back like a river. Also, her Mage outfit failed to hide how big her weapons were (much to the girls' envious chagrin). Sunny and kind, she took the mother role of the group proudly. It's also why she took adventuring as a profession, to keep her tomboy friend safe and sound.
She also had a magic staff by the way. An oaken staff with a heavy tip for bashing some heads. Serious stuff.
"*snort* Will would most likely injure you more than heal you dumbass." a snort came from beside the chiding Mage.
This is Brad Agustin. Age 20.
A dark-skinned young man with a buzz cut, Brad imposed an intimidating image. His deep voice is scarier.
Brad is also huge, like an NBA star kind of huge. At 6' 11, he towered over everyone in the guild hall. Clad in his standard Warrior armor, he looked like an armored giant. But secretly he is a softy, he took adventuring just to look after Dimitri whom he had a crush on. Shhh I didn't tell you that.
Surprisingly, his weapon of choice is a claymore.
Jojo then went on a huge rant about being abusive teammates after Brad's words. The Dark giant shook his head in exasperation at the male rogue's childishness. He is grateful that his female counterpart is behaving quietly.
Said female Rogue is eating quietly with sophisticated manners.
This is Elizabeth von Krieg. Age 18.
A beautiful albino-haired girl with doll-like features. She is also stoic as a doll, even her voice has a dull tone in it. But with all of that, she became the darling of the guild due to her appearance. The entire party also suspected her to be a rich kid but she lives alone apparently in an apartment, leading them to speculate that she came from a rich background.
Her outfit is your typical standard Rogue. It hugged her body tightly, showing all of her curves much to everyone's joy. She didn't mind though. Her reasons for becoming an adventurer are also unknown.
Unlike Jojo, her weapon of choice is a short sword. Perfect for parrying and stabbing.
This group is a rookie party, just formed this year. At the moment, they are all E-rank adventurers. But they are striving to get by and go up to the higher ranks. Each one had goals and reasoning. All have different lives and stories. Quite a cast of characters eh?
The group is also used to one another with how they currently bicker with one another. Jojo is a whiny ass child with Ann and Steven reprimanding him. Will gives no shits to the male Rogue while Dimitri fusses at the group's quarrel. Brad and Elizabeth meanwhile quietly watched the chaos unfold.
We were too innocent by that time. Too young and brash, we all thought it was just all a game. But the world is cruel and we are about to see it.
It arrived through an innocent-looking guild administrator.
"Steven! Is Steven here?! " came the cry of a cute guild administrator.
"Boss, that's us! Get to it!" Jojo giddily pushed the blonde towards the administration table. He totally forgot the blonde's enhancements as he struggled to push his leader without any result.
Sighing, Steven walked away towards the administrative staff much to the joy of the Rogue. Giving his trademark charming smile (something he doesn't know about) to the female staff, he asked if she had found a job for their party.
"Oh, I ah- I found one for your party!" The female staff stammered with a huge blush on her face.
"That's great. " Steven ignored her stammering. He is quite used to the unfortunate effects of his charm.
"Ah, Willow Creek is asking for an extermination team. The Zardman tribes had pillaged the creek and had stolen much livestock and attacked the defending villagers. Fortunately, there were no casualties. This is a D-rank mission." the female staff said after getting her composure back. She handed the papers pertaining to the request which he signed to accept it. Looking at the reward, he concluded it was decent for an extermination request. 10,000 gold.
" Thanks," he said before leaving the counter, much to the young staff's disappointment.
"So boss, what are we gonna do today? Save a princess, kill a dragon, or find some ancient artifact?"
He was greeted by Jojo's excited questions. It made him snort at how cliche the ideas the Rogue gave. Pushing the Rogue away, he delivered the news.
"Good news, we got a D-rank mission. Bad news, it is a Zardman tribe extermination mission."
After telling the news, most of the group groaned in dismay.
"The hell boss! Those guys are like the goblins of this world! Augh!" Jojo groaned.
"I agree with the caveman. Killing Zardmen is an insult to our skill. And we have been doing these lowly chores for 3 months. Also, Zardman blood is disgusting." Anne huffed in annoyance while crossing her arms.
Meanwhile, the other members of the party agreeingly nod at the female warrior's words.
Steven grimaced at his team's reaction. It was through after all. Since the beginning of their team's formation 3 months ago, they have been stuck to E or D-rank missions which are all chores.
Capture some slimes.
Clean up the fields from rats.
Gather some herbs from greenguard.
And so many more menial tasks.
It was demeaning and humiliating for the group. Everyone in the group knows each other and what they can do. They know they are ready for the heavy stuff.
We are not.
Sadly beggars can't be picky.
"Sorry guys, but it's the only job they had available. All are taken except for the rank-restricted jobs. " Steven winced in telling them the truth.
"Augh, let's just go with it. I need the money to pay the bills."
Rolling her eyes, the redheaded Healer stood up. Grumbling under their breath, the entire party soon followed as they walked out of the guild.
Walking down the streets of the city, we can all see the changes it has gone through. Gone are the dirt roads of the small town, replaced with cobbled roads. Battleon old buildings were thankfully preserved but are now accompanied by various houses and buildings designed with modern architecture. It was jarring to see an old wooden inn of yulgar sandwiched in between 2 concrete buildings which is a Cafe and a shop. Old Yulgar had no bad feelings at the 2 owners sandwiching his inn though as his inn is booming in business with the other 2. The reason why is simple:
Immigrants.
With the guild's presence, Battleon City became a trading hub and melting pot for all kinds of different species from different areas in the continent.
Dwarves came to the city for its rare monster parts for smithing. Their craftsmanship had welcomed them into the city with open arms by the guild. Adept in metallurgy, they became the prime supplier of the city in exotic metal works and jewelry. They had also partnered with the guild by arming the guild members with their products for a good price.
Merchants had also flocked to the city from everywhere. From Sandsea to Yokai, they came to the city for wealth and connections. However, due to how many merchants flocked to the city, competition with locals became heated. It led to the creation of a merchant union in order to organize and approve what was allowed in the city.
Drugs and various illegal goods also came with the Merchants, much to the local police's ire.
But what truly made Battleon City great was the development in both science and magic they had done.
Can you imagine what a scientist can do with access to magic?
Everything.
Combining magic and science, these researchers became the backbone of their current society. From bringing electricity to communication relays, they had done everything to recreate all the common commodities from Earth.
This also led to various cabals of magic users and researchers to flock to the city. They turned the city into a huge hub where they researched, recorded, and shared their findings. Some thought about hoarding their findings but it was a rule to share what they discovered. The only exception to this is if their research and findings led to a dangerous route.
The development of magical guns was the first to get axed. This world is not yet ready for the horror guns can unleash. Flintlocks might be common but it is underdeveloped enough not to pose a threat.
We do not need an arms raise to this world.
Soon, the party of seven arrived at their destination.
The nexus portals.
It was Warlic's greatest work with the help of various Mages.
It is a platform capable of teleporting anyone across the world where another portal is located. This is just one of the innovations the city has produced. Everyone is free to use it as long as they follow the rules and pay the toll of 500 gold.
Suddenly, Jojo stopped making the others look at him weirdly.
"Guys….. I have no money to pay the toll," he said with a sheepish smile.
"Really? Have you already wasted last week's pay? " Dimitri said with disappointment.
"Not cool, man. " Brad chimed in.
"Oi, princess lend me some." Jojo clasped his hands, begging to the noblewoman.
"Oh, and when will you pay me back? You still have a tab, mister?" It didn't work.
Steven sighed at the sight of his friend begging for money from the others who constantly rejected him.
"Jojo, stop it. I'll pay for you. " he took pity on him when Will was about to bash his head in for his pestering.
Immediately, he was engulfed by the Rogues hug.
"Thank you, boss. You're the best," he said before going on top of the platform.
"He wouldn't learn his lesson if kept on letting him get away from his hubris, leader." Will's voice came from behind him.
Turning around, he was met by the disapproving gaze of the redhead.
"I know but I just want to help. I can't help it." Steve said with a sheepish smile. A hand came to the back of his head, rubbing it.
Will rolled her eyes at his answer before leaving him.
Damn, noblesse oblige.
She soon followed the rest who were already waiting on the platform.
Steven can only blink in confusion about her reaction.
Did I do something wrong?
He thought in confusion before dropping it. The thoughts of women are beyond the scope of men.
After paying the officer managing the portal, he joined the others. Not soon after he joins them, they are swallowed by a blue light before vanishing.
Destination: Greenguard Forest.
Greenguard forest.
What a nostalgic place that was.
It was where we started as adventurers. I remember it was an E-rank mission about collecting herbs.
Oh sorry, I got lost in thought.
So Greenguard forest. It was the biggest forest in Lore. Nobody knows how big it was exactly due to how magical it was.
Why?
Because it was the home of various magical creatures that aren't found in any other parts of Lore. Due to its abundance of magic, the forest itself is a magical nexus. A center point of a huge magical reserve.
The high elves lived in this forest but were hidden from any outsiders.
Otherworldly entities sometimes appear in this forest, attracted to high concentrations of magic.
Sometimes, animals mutate for the better or the worse.
(Fuck you, Jojo. That werepig deserves to die and you know it.)
Good thing for us, it became the best starting ground for new adventurers. The forest also had so many resources that the guild happily acquired. From slimes to wolf pelts, to exotic herbs and magical gems.
The forest had it all.
It was also here our story truly began.
Tracking down the Zardmen tribe was trivial to Jojo and Elizabeth. With their combined skill, they found their camp immediately.
What followed was a slaughter.
The Zardmen tribe can be compared to the early stages of mankind's evolution.
Primitive and wild but capable of thinking.
They had built primitive tents and weapons akin to ancient mankind.
Made of stone and wood, their tools are no match against the group.
They died quickly.
Their frontline fighters, Brad, Steven, and Anne, stormed the camp. The trio immediately gathered the attention of all the Zardmen as they armed themselves to fight the intruders.
They are no match.
Zardmen are bipedal lizardmen. There is one crucial mistake in their evolution.
Their soft underbelly is exposed.
Brad and Steven are trained by the guild in sword fighting. So it was easy for them to take out the Zardmen whose weaknesses lay in front of them.
Anne meanwhile doesn't need such a thing.
As the strongest member in the group, each swing of her sword cuts down as many Zardmen as she can reach. It was like watching a barbarian princess wreak havoc.
Soon Zardmen blood pooled in the camp.
As the fight grew on, Zardmen archers and Elites tried to join the fight.
Tried.
Zardmen archers find themselves clutching their necks as their lifeblood pools under them.
Jojo might be a loudmouth but he is still a Rogue. Assassination is just one of his specialties.
Zardmen elites and commanders drop down dead one by one as Elizabeth blitzes past them. Each one has their throats slit.
Both Rogues had done their jobs very well as flankers.
Meanwhile, Zardmen sentry towers and armory explode in fire as Dimitri does her job of destroying key structures in the camp. From sentry towers that double as archer spots to armories. Following her is Will, making sure she is safe and supplied with Mana.
For 30 minutes, the entire party had slaughtered the entire camp.
"Thank you very much, Young man."
The mayor of Willow Creek, a small village in the forest, thanked the group for their efforts.
They had successfully exterminated the Rogue Zardmen tribe.
The main Zardmen tribe doesn't attack humans. They know they are no match against the humans so they leave them alone. Humans in the forest tolerated the Zardmen tribe, even trading with them.
The tribe that attacked Willow Creek was a Rogue tribe led by an upstart Zardman. Said Zardman died choking in blood by Elizabeth who didn't even notice she had killed the tribe leader.
"My deep thanks to you for taking care of my Rogue Kin, human."
Steven nervously smiled and looked at the bowing Zardman leader. He still had blood on his armor and sword, making it awkward to be in front of the Zardman leader.
After the extermination, the group pilfered the camp of any items they stole from the village.
The stolen livestock are easily found with how loud they are but some cows and horses got spooked and fled deep in the forest. Fortunately, the mayor flagged it down and said those animals would come back for food and would be caught immediately.
They also gave back the ornaments they had found to the Zardman leader who was relieved to see the stolen artifacts.
"We're glad to help, Mayor," Steven said.
Meanwhile, his party is already preparing to leave after refreshing themselves after the fight.
"Boss! Let's go! We're wasting daylight here!"
Hearing Jojo's impatient call, Steven said his goodbye to the two leaders who happily returned the gesture before joining the others.
Walking back to the teleporter just southeast of the forest, our small group leisurely walked through the forest with no issue. Save for the occasional curious monster here and there, they hadn't encountered a fight.
" That was boring." Jojo suddenly broke the silence.
The entire group looked at the Rogue with curiosity about what he said.
"Aren't you the one who's whining about not having a job? Well, we just had one and it's a good one." Will said.
The others nodded at her but Jojo had another idea in mind.
"Yes if you're a goddamn gopher!" he screamed in irritation.
His scream made the group stop as they looked at the Rogue in surprise. He is clearly agitated and annoyed. They looked at each other in question as to why he was acting up now, particularly to his female counterpart. Elizabeth merely shook her head when she saw their questioning gaze.
Luckily, their leader stepped up.
"OK Jojo, what's the problem? Why are you acting like this?" Steven said with a frown as he confronted the Rogue.
Shaking his head, the Rogue answered his leader.
"Don't you see, Boss? The guild is acting like we are dumb children!" Zardmen, seriously? That's bullshit! I saw a rookie team just like us walk away with a werewolf subjugation quest just today! And the only thing they gave us is a Zardmen extermination job which a goddamn freshest training rookie can do!"
Steven frowned at his friend's point. Zardmen in Greenguard are notoriously weak and also friendly to the locals. This might be a D-rank job in the book but it's menial labor at best.
" Oh, do you know what's best? I think they do this because they don't want the precious mayor's son and the princess to get hurt! " Jojo is not done yet.
"In all the rookie teams in our batch, we are the only ones who had VIPs! I respect you boss truly but goddamn they are baying us!"
His words hit the party hard. They had started 3 months ago but had made no progress in job ranks.
The jobs might be ranked but it doesn't mean that you need the same rank to get a high-ranking job. Jobs are given based on a party's ability so even an E-rank party can get a C or B rank. But for them, they have been stuck with E and D-rank jobs, menial chores.
" That's not true right, Hawkins?" Anne looked at Steven with a hopeful look. She wants to be an adventurer but she doesn't want to hold back her friend's career. It would be devastating to her.
Steven grimaced at her look. He always knew the guild tread carefully on him by being the mayor's son. His father and guild had clashed more than he could count. Becoming part of the guild was a hard process for him due to his father's disapproval and the guild's animosity toward him.
"See, you see it too!" Jojo pointed out. Anne's expression fell as if it was the confirmation she needed.
"And what about it? We can't go against the guild, remember? " Will said, finally having enough of this conversation. Meanwhile, the rest kept quiet but with concerned faces.
"I say fuck them and go an adventure ourselves. " Jojo said before going in a random direction.
"What the hell?"
"Jojo!"
"Where the hell are you going, man?!"
They cried out as they hastily followed the Rogue.
Jojo didn't listen nor stop as his friends shouted for him to come back. He had a mission now to prove the guild wrong.
Using his speed, he easily traverses the forest with ease as if he was born in it. Following just close by to him is Elizabeth who has the means to stop him but doesn't.
She too is not happy with the guild's attitude to her team. And right now, she is quite curious about what Jojo has in store.
Not far from them are the rest of their friends. Poor Dimitri needed to be carried by Brad (much to his embarrassment and hidden joy) as she was the least athletic in the group. Leading them are Steven and Anne who are running like a chugging train as they cut through the brushes in their path in hopes of catching up to the Rogue. Close by to them is Will who fortunately had the stamina to keep up with the 2 while Brad lugged behind carrying Dimitri.
For half an hour, Jojo took them on a wild chase. Steven then noticed their surroundings.
He took us to Greenguard West. What is your game, Jojo?
After a few minutes, the Rogue finally stopped in front of a huge cave. The cave itself is human-made as it has wooden beams at the mouth. They think it's a mine shaft.
"Huff huff finally huff you little rascal." Anne struggled to say after the huge marathon she just run.
Meanwhile, Brad put down Dimitri who quietly thanked the giant man for the help. Will meanwhile took the opportunity to sit down on a log to rest and catch her breath.
Huffing, the blonde leader confronted the Rogue well, Rogue.
"Alright, enough of this. What is this Jojo?" he said with an authoritative voice, a skill his father taught him.
This made the Rogue turn around to them with a huge grin.
They didn't like that grin.
" I thought they were just joking but damn it's true!" Jojo said with a shit-eating grin while rubbing his hands like an evil villain.
With a gleeful smile, he turned around to address his somewhat tired friends. Seeing their glares, his smile turned sheepish but he encouraged himself.
" Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, a drum roll, please. " Jojo mimed a drum roll. " A Dragon's cave!"
"!" seeing their look of surprise, Jojo smiled. So worth it.
"Huh? So that's why I smelled gas. " Elizabeth said quietly with a head tilt. Will's heart almost exploded at the cute sight but she kept in.
Studies in Dragon biology (a zoologist's wet dream) have revealed that Dragons produce flammable gas in their stomachs. This gas is then regurgitated and ignited by a special organ in the throat to create a Dragon's signature fire-breathing.
"Joseph, what the hell! " Steven exclaimed.
"Oh, real name." Brad winced. Steven only uses the Rogue's real name when he fundamentally fucks up.
Jojo winced as Steven slowly walked up to him with a huge frown on his face. He held his hands up in surrender as he tried to think how to escape his wrath.
" Boss, I know this looks bad but I had good info-gah. "
Whatever he was about to say was cut off as Steven grabbed him on his leather shirt and pulled him close to his face.
"We are leaving. " Steven simply said before letting Jojo go.
He turned around and started to walk back in the direction of the portal. The others were about to follow him but Jojo then said something relevant.
"The cave is full of gold. "
They all paused.
"What do you mean by that?" Will asked. Her greed had been tickled.
"Ehem. " clearing his throat, Jojo began. " I got this info from some vets talking about a dragon's den in greenguard west. Naturally, I didn't believe it but they insisted it existed. They also said it was old and had collected a horde of treasures in its den."
"So I gambled. I led you all to a merry chase while I tried to track down the den and here we are."
"That still doesn't answer why you brought us here, Jojo," Steven said with a frown.
Jojo let out a huge groan. Sometimes, he hates his leader's density.
"Because this is our chance. We kill the dragon and take back all the gold to the guild. Aren't you tired of being a damn gopher, this is it. If we do this, the guild has no choice but to rank us up."
Jojo smiled as he saw their expressions. He can see their minds going high gear in thinking. His words had surely affected them.
Meanwhile, the group is certainly thinking about their circumstances, especially Steven. Due to his position, Steven knew he was the one keeping the team down from ranking up or getting good jobs. It was certainly gnawing on him. Anne also had the same thought. She became an adventurer to get some sort of freedom in her life. Meeting her friends was just the icing on the cake. Yet now, she's holding them because of her origins. She hates it.
Will meanwhile is thinking about the pros and cons of tackling a dragon's den. On one hand gold and on the other, possible death. She can't decide. Dimitri and Brad meanwhile watched their friends in silence. They will support their decision whatever it is.
"We take a vote," Steven announced after some thought.
Jojo sighed in relief. Voting is their go-to decision-maker when it comes to hard choices where Steven can't decide for the team. In this case, Jojo's suggestion has a 50/50 chance to succeed.
"Who wants to tackle the dragon den, raise your hand. " Steven said.
Immediately, Jojo's hand shot up. But what surprised them the most was Elizabeth's hand following his. They didn't expect that from a quiet girl. Secretly, Jojo cheered in his head. He knew the Albino was quite competitive which he discovered accidentally when they teamed up.
The next hand to raise is Will's. Reluctantly, she followed Jojo's suit. The gold (if there was) would greatly help her and her mother.
That's three. One more and it's over. Steven thought grimly.
Then Anne's hand came up.
"We need this." She simply said.
She needs this.
It was an unspoken statement.
"Woooo, go Princess!" Jojo whooped in joy at winning the vote.
Sighing heavily, Steven rubs his forehead.
This is going to be a huge headache. I'm sure.
Slowly, the group entered the den with weapons drawn. Lighting the way with Dimitri's magic, they went deeper into the den.
Venturing inside, they can tell it was an abandoned mineshaft. The cave had wooden pillars and old lamps on the walls.
There's still no sign of the dragon.
Then suddenly, they saw a glittering light in the distance. They all looked at each other in confusion of what it could be.
Using some impromptu hand signs, he ordered the two Rogues to scout ahead which they both nodded. Both Rogue bolted ahead with nary a sound in their footsteps. Using the shadows as cover, they approached the source of the light.
Their eyes bulged out of their skull upon seeing what the source was.
"HOLY SHIT! GUYS! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS! " Hearing his shout, the rest quickly followed in their footsteps. Their hearts pounding in their chest. What had they found? Dragon or gold?
As they approached the opening of a huge enclave, they were blinded by glittering lights. Covering their eyes, they approached the enclave following Jojo's voice.
Adjusting their eyes to the light, they finally saw what was in front of them.
A glittering pile of gold and jewels.
With the most girlish squeal they had ever heard from her, Will jumped into the treasure pile and started swimming. Dimitri deadpanned at her friend who is currently doing a real-life rendition of Scrooge McDuck. Two blurs passed Dimitri, making her blink in surprise. Brad and Jojo had joined Will in swimming in gold. At the sight of her friends clearly enjoying swimming in gold (which she thinks unsanitary), Dimitri chuckled in mirth.
Steven and Anne meanwhile looked at the room in awe. The room is huge, the size of an open soccer field. The ceiling is also high, about 30 or 40 meters tall in their estimate.
Then there's the treasure inside of it.
The room is jam-packed full of valuable gems and gold. It was like the scene with Smaug the dragon. A bed of gold. From gold coins to valuable gemstones. They also saw ornaments with beautiful craftsmanship.
"All of this….. are priceless. I don't know if we can even get all of this. " Anne whispered with awe.
Steven agreed with her. They needed help in getting all of this out.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who had been keeping her ears open, heard something.
The flapping of wings and a sudden huge crash from above.
" It's coming! " She alarmed the rest.
Upon hearing her alarm, the group swimming in the gold pulled themselves up and went battle-ready. Steven and Anne nodded at each other before taking their position.
"Alright, this is it. You all know the plan, stick to it and we'll succeed." Steven said.
He was met with a chorus of affirmations from his party. Steven can't help but smile. Finally, after 3 months, they're going up against a worthy opponent.
We fuck up.
We all followed the plan. It was a good plan.
Steven and Brad are the frontlines, taking the Dragon's attention. Their natural durability and strength meant they could go toe to toe with it but not solo.
With the Dragon's attention on the two male Warrior, Anne would serve as the main weapon. Her strength, which is much more than the normal Warrior, can easily cut through the Dragon's tough scales. It was her job to do the finishing blow if possible.
Meanwhile, our two Rogues would use the Dragon's bulk against it. They will strike in its blindspots, irritating it and taking away its attention from the frontlines if needed. With their speed, they can easily hit and run without worry against the Dragon inside the cave.
Mine and Dimitri's job meanwhile is support. Whenever someone gets injured, it's my job to pull them out and heal them. Dimitri is also helping me while casting spells focused on hindering its movements.
It was the perfect plan to overwhelm a Dragon.
But we fucked up.
We underestimated it.
He revealed that the dragon had lived in the forest for almost a hundred years. It had the experience of fighting back against humans and Dragonslayers.
A bunch of rookie adventurers won't cut it.
The moment their plan failed was when Anne was taken out of the fight.
When she looped off its left horn from a missed killing blow, the Mossgreen-colored Dragon now saw her as a threat.
A threat to be taken out.
They didn't see it coming. Out of nowhere, its tail came. It hit Anne square in the belly. It had launched her away from the group, towards the end of the cave. Hitting the cave walls, she hit the ground and lay still.
Will was about to rescue the blonde female but the Dragon had other plans.
With a huge bellowing roar, it let out its fire-breath.
Towards Dimitri who is frozen in shock, thinking Anne has died.
"DIMITRI!"
Brad came to her rescue. He pushed the two girls away from the incoming flames.
But not himself.
"BRAD!" Will screamed in horror as the giant man burned.
By the end of the torrent of flames, Brad's badly burnt body was revealed. He collapsed soundless on the ground.
Will immediately went to him, accessing his injuries and healing whatever she could.
Shit, 3rd degree burns! I needed help!
"DIMITRI! HELP ME!" She called out to her friend.
But Dimitri could not help her. The Mage had gone catatonic upon seeing Brad burned alive. She had seen her two friends die (possibly).
"BASTARD!" Jojo screamed in rage upon seeing the two downed teammates.
Using the walls of the cave, he jumped on the Dragon's back who didn't even register him as it slowly walked towards Will.
He then started slashing wildly on its scaled back.
"GET OFF THERE NOW, JOJO! " Steven shouted at the raging Rogue.
Jojo didn't hear his warning, lost in his rage. His blades have already broken in slashing at the Dragon's tough scales with minimal success. He only managed to scrape off its scales in one part of its back.
But it will be punished.
Feeling its scales being shaved off, the Green Dragon's eye turned red in anger. It charged toward the cave wall with the intent to take off the Rogue on its back. The Rogue meanwhile clung on its back using its broken daggers, wedging them in the scales to keep himself on as the Dragon moved.
With a huge crash, the Dragon hit the wall.
But Jojo is still on its back.
Safe.
Until a huge rock dislodged from the ceiling fell on his head, knocking him out.
Luckily, Elizabeth pulled him out of danger and deposited him to Will who is still healing Brad.
Elizabeth looked at the dragon with a determined look. She never knew Dragon's could be such a challenge. But it doesn't matter. She is the most powerful in the group when it comes to swordplay. Her technique is flawless.
She loved the challenge and she will succeed.
Looking at Steven, she gave him a nod which he answered back.
A plan was made unspokenly.
With his shield held high, Steven charged with a roar. The Dragon answered back with its own plus fire. Fortunately, Steven's shield can withstand dragonfire, much to his relief.
Slowly, he continued to move in front of the flames.
Keeping its attention to him.
From the shadows, Elizabeth came. Launching herself up, she positioned herself just on top of the Dragon at the spot where Jojo had sheared off its scales.
Your mine.
Then gravity pulled her down. Elizabeth angled her downward thrust to strike in the middle of the sheared spot.
She hit it.
Then her sword broke.
Elizabeth's eyes widened at the shock of what happened to her sword.
She then followed the same fate as Anne when its tail lashed out again.
"Elizabeth! " Steven screamed in horror at the unmoving form of his last fighting member.
His attention was then pulled away when he heard a loud huff.
The Dragon is standing in front of him.
Looking down on him.
He can't help but fall to his knees.
He is helpless.
They had lost. Badly.
They thought they were ready when in reality they are not.
Anne is knocked out with her condition unknown.
Brad is in critical condition after being burned badly.
Dimitri had gone into shock.
Will is also out as she tried her best to stabilize Brad.
Joseph is knocked out and possibly dead.
Elizabeth is also possibly dead.
Tears ran down his face.
They are going to die here.
And what's worst,
The guild was right.
They are not ready.
Letting go of his sword and shield, Steven accepted his fate.
With flames flowing in its throat, the Green Dragon prepared to burn them alive.
But fortunately for us, he came.
"JigenKogeki. "
*Slash*
*Spurt*
Eh?
Steven was confused. Why wouldn't he when he was suddenly covered in blood coming from the dragon? A thin vertical line formed in its body, right down in the middle. Blood came pouring out like a broken faucet, drenching him entirely.
Then slowly, the Dragon split in half vertically cut in the middle.
That's when I saw him.
He was the same age as them. Dark hair and brown skin. He was clad in what looks like an officer's uniform which is colored black. He also had a black cap with a jewel ornament attached to it.
But what really makes him stand out was-
His eyes are dead. No joy nor any emotion.
His eyes are dead to the world.
His expression is stoic.
But unlike Elizabeth's stoic expression, this is much more unsettling.
It felt like the expression of a remorseless killer.
Then he spoke in a tired yet powerful voice.
" Tell me? Who's good idea was to attack the Guardian of this forest!? Huh!"
That's when we knew, we fucked up.
CHAPTER 1 END
This fic was made by one massive brain fart. if you recognize the game, props on you.