Chapter 16
Beyond the horizon stretches the golden barley field of the Enker High Plain, bathed in the bright sunlight. The barley seemed to wait for someone to harvest it, their heads drooped low, filling the vast plains.
No matter how far the carriage sped forward, the scenery remained unchanged.
Barley.
Barley.
Barley.
The barley fields extended endlessly. Were it not for the occasionally differing shapes of the mills visible here and there, we might have thought we had unknowingly fallen into an infinite loop.
The vast wilderness showed no sign of any notable monsters.
This area, originally inhabited by many people, was undoubtedly cleared of monsters, but perhaps the biggest reason was that a dragon had made its nest here.
“We’ll dismount here and proceed on foot.”
In front of the dragons, the so-called apex of all living creatures, there was always the possibility that horses would panic and break formation on their own.
If the horses scattered randomly into the barley fields, the return route would undoubtedly become dozens of times more complex and difficult.
It was best to tie the horses up at a safe distance before proceeding.
…Yeah, I knew that was the best option.
“…Approximately how far will we have to walk on foot before we see the dragon?”
“It seems that if we march at a normal pace, it will take about three hours!”
Three hours.
I had to endure a grueling march for this excruciatingly long period with this subpar body.
I barely managed to suppress the audacious request bubbling at the edge of my tongue—”Can we at least bring the carriage a little closer?”
Though I wasn’t carrying the heavy gear like the soldiers nearby or wearing the heavy armor…
All I possessed were the fluttering robes, a broad-brimmed hat, and a slightly thicker tome of magic…
And yet,
“…Let’s take a little break, shall we.”
During the march,
“Hooo… Let’s take a break! Let’s rest!”
Repeatedly.
“And… This is really impossible, isn’t it? I really feel like I’m going to die…”
Repeatedly I collapsed onto the ground, delaying the soldiers’ march.
What was supposed to take only three hours became, thanks to my presence, an immense trek lasting a full six hours.
The march dragged out long enough for us to eat food that was meant for closer to the dragon’s nest or for the return journey. Some soldiers even resorted to skimming the nearby barley, removing the husk and eating it raw.
And then, at seven in the evening.
As the sunset dyed the sky red, casting flaming hues over the barley fields.
Finally, beyond the horizon, we could see the dragon with its tough scales and sharp teeth.
The young dragon had gathered barley from around the area and stripped planks from human homes to create a modest nest, and it was fast asleep.
“Hoo… Everyone, well done for making it this far. From here on out, I’ll proceed alone.”
I moved towards the dragon’s nest with trembling legs.
From here on, whatever happens, I had to proceed alone.
Artifacts are different from other items; they are bound by ownership effects.
This meant the character who first obtained the artifact would have to carry it for life.
It could not be transferred to another character, nor could it be discarded.
But if another soldier were to accidentally touch the artifact hidden among the treasure hoard after slaying the dragon…
And if the artifact were to bind with that soldier who had barely touched it…
It would be nothing short of catastrophe.
There was no way I could fail to secure the artifact from this young dragon of the Enker High Plain.
When asked if the artifact possessed an incredibly powerful performance—whether it broke the balance of the game—it was not.
For ordinary mages, it was a C-grade, perhaps B-grade artifact, something merely beneficial but not exactly essential.
…For ordinary mages, that is.
But to my “one-shot mage build,” which lacked steady damage output, this artifact from the young dragon was nothing less than its alpha and omega.
A-grade? SSS-grade? EX-grade?
Twice in the game, a fellow AI unknowingly rummaged through the treasure hoard, accidentally triggered the artifact, forcing me to delete my character and start over.
…In the game, it’s fine, but in reality, deleting a character is both undesirable and probably unwise.
Therefore, I must avoid repeating the same mistake at all costs.
“I’ll be quick.”
I turned back and gave the squad leader, whose face was full of worry, an enigmatic smile, assuring him that I understood his concerns.
Telling them about the artifact being hidden among the treasure wouldn’t serve any purpose.
Human hearts are fickle, especially when faced with rare and precious treasures…
It’s not that I don’t trust all of you, but it’s because I really can’t afford to fail this that I’m doing this.
*
The moment the young boy locked eyes with the dragon, perched in its nest amidst the quiet barley fields, the squad leader felt an overwhelming fear like nothing he’d ever experienced.
Every peripheral nerve in his body screamed to run, and his arms and legs trembled, much like the first time he had faced a marauder as a child.
“…”
Dragon.
Yes, the towering creature before them was the apex of all beings.
Even if it wasn’t fully grown, its sharp claws, enormous wings, and mighty teeth were enough to instill immense dread in every soldier present.
Could we fight it?
Could we defeat it?
These doubts dominated their minds. Cold sweat drenched the leather underneath their iron armor, and an unexplained itching sensation plagued their bodies.
“Everyone has done their part up to here. From here on, I will move alone.”
It was then the boy’s voice rang out across the silent battlefield.
Despite facing the dragon, the boy showed no visible emotion, maintaining his usual cold and indifferent expression.
The boy, who couldn’t be more than sixteen or seventeen, not only showed no fear but confidently strode toward the monster’s nest on his thin legs.
Every soldier, including the squad leader, felt ashamed of themselves. They were supposed to be defenders of the continent, who had relentlessly trained for this very purpose, yet they stood frozen in fear before the entity suppressing the continent’s food supply.
If this frail young boy could walk towards the dragon, what were they doing?
“Sir, we want to help!”
The squad leader called out, his voice trembling.
“I’ll be quick.”
The boy, with white hair, only smiled faintly in acknowledgment of his courage and continued onward.
The sunset warmly embraced his face.
He resumed his steps.
The young dragon, lying in its nest and watching the group initially, slowly but surely lifted its head to focus on the approaching white-haired boy.
“Meeting one in person is a first.”
The dragon bared its sharp fangs as if warning the boy not to come closer, or else it would strike.
The boy, indifferent to the dragon’s threat, silently opened his magic tome.
Grrrr…
A deep, massive roar filled the still plain. The sound alone made the soldiers’ bones tremble.
The boy, ignoring the dragon’s threat, took another step forward.
Whoosh!
At the same moment, a colossal claw tore through the air, aiming directly for the boy’s head. The action seemed casual and thoughtless, like swatting away an annoying fly from the nest.
“Awakening.”
The moment was upon them.
In the midst of the serene granary bathed in the orange sunset, a bolt of lightning descended unexpectedly.
A white-hot flash of lightning scorched the blood-red sky. The dragon’s forelimb, which was aimed at the boy, vanished in the blink of an eye.
“…If the lightning spreads improperly, the valuable barley will all be burned.”
The boy closed his glowing blue magic tome with a mumble and generated a small orb of electricity at his fingertip, directing it at the dragon.
“Let’s finish this quickly.”
The dragon’s eyes widened slowly.
The abrupt reversal of predator and prey was too confusing for the beast’s brain to process.
“…Odd sensation.”
Upon activating ‘Awakening’ and releasing all the stored magical energy as lightning, the boy observed a stark white line stretching from his fingertips towards the dragon’s heart.
The white line seemed to tempt the boy, urging him to follow it and unleash the lightning.
Instinctively, the boy realized that following this line would allow him to instantly kill the dragon with a single blow.
Though it was a sensation completely foreign to him, the boy decided to trust his instinct.
Thus, he slowly raised his finger and fired the orb of electricity along the white line.
The sphere, traveling at the speed of light, pierced through the dragon’s thick hide, muscles, and bones before reaching and shattering its heart—all before the beast could properly react.
A perfect strike to the vital point.
None present could comprehend how the boy, who had probably never seen a dragon before in his life, could precisely locate and strike its vital spot.
Even the boy, while sensing a single clue, wasn’t confident in explaining this phenomenon to others.
“…Probably a critical hit.”
A fatal strike in reality, unlike in games with flashy effects and booming sounds, was tranquil and silent.
Moments later, the dragon reared its upper body, its pupils dilated, before collapsing its massive frame on the ground. The earth shook, and the surrounding fields of barley swayed uniformly in the same direction.
Amidst the eerily still barley field, the boy repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hands, silently attempting to recapture the sensation he had just experienced.
“What… are you.”
At that exact moment,
A baffled and fearful voice called out from above the boy.
“…?”
Surprised by the unfamiliar voice, the boy tilted his head upward.
There stood a marauder with crimson skin.
…A marauder?
“…Why are you here?”
The boy, puzzled, squinted and stared at the marauder with crimson skin, who flapped his wings above him.
The marauder, equally bewildered, looked down at the boy with a vacant expression.
It was an uncomfortable and sudden encounter.
