Chapter 172

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on March 1, 2025

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It has been seven days since the World Boss’s appearance.

Talikal has truly become a holy land.

Countless troops have gathered in Talikal, and Letess’s territory is bustling with users, resembling a mercenary guild.

The territory’s owner spared no effort to capture the Snow Mountain Dragon.

It’s only natural that users are coming here hoping to make a big score.

While the kingdom and other mercenaries had a clear goal of capturing the Snow Mountain Dragon, the users’ objectives were slightly different.

The users’ objectives can be divided into four major categories.

The first is to accumulate shares in the seemingly impossible dragon hunting operation.

When a World Boss is defeated, rewards are determined by the share of the contribution, and the more shares you accumulate, the more valuable the reward.

Here, shares do not solely mean inflicting critical damage or playing a decisive role in the hunt.

“Anything trivial.”

Even a monster as formidable as Level 135 could contribute to shares with even a single buff to the hunting party or a single scratch inflicted on the boss.

“Level 50 Priest here—can offer attack and defense buffs!”

“Level 41 Spirit user here! I can bring you all the way to the top with my Wall of Fire!”

“Level 47 Guardian can get you to the top with no health loss thanks to a Guardian Buff!”

There were those who tried to get close to the hunting parties at the entrance of the snow mountain to contribute and accumulate shares in the form of “attack support.”

“Here’s some high-grade instant recovery potions… and 30 mana potions. Sound good?”

“Your equipment is lacking. You can use this.”

“Need anything else?”

Meanwhile, some users set up makeshift shops or tents to supply the hunting parties with resources in exchange for shares.

This is mainly done by production class players who aren’t typically involved in hunting, but resource supply is also recognized as share contribution, entitling them to rewards.

The second major objective is the most external goal: joining a hunting party.

A group composed of numerous Rankers and skilled mercenaries formed to hunt down the frozen beast of Sugaredo. Based on the previous support, this group enters the raid.

However, all their efforts are futile.

“Damn, these guys are insane.”

“…Complete annihilation?”

“Oh no, here comes the experience drop again…”

The overwhelmingly powerful World Boss cannot be significantly harmed no matter how prepared they are.

Maybe just a scratch at best.

The frigid scales of the monster resist all critical damage, and its breath attack can erase the entirety of the snow mountain.

As a result, most hunting parties have abandoned trying to actually defeat the boss and focus solely on accumulating shares.

“They’ll handle the kill. We just focus on the shares.”

This is the usual pattern of the World Boss Raid until now.

The third objective differs slightly from the ones before.

“Grumbling, grumbling…”

“If we kill that guy, it’ll count as killing the World Boss!”

“Ah! We need to quickly take care of it before Lily arrives!”

A user who sealed Sugaredo into the snow mountain and also ranks unofficially as the second strongest.

This popular streamer had hundreds of thousands of live viewers.

An expert spearman who also uses a hammer, a mighty warrior, a mage specializing in magic, and an assassin skilled with daggers…

“Will she destroy everything if she shows up?”

“Yeah, that’s why we need to kill it before she comes.”

A duo of masked assassins sneaked into the mansion where Lily was staying. Lily mostly streamed from Talikal and rarely left for anything less than extraordinary.

However, she’s temporarily in the capital of the kingdom at the moment.

Since her Hatchling isn’t around now, they can easily deal with this without interference.

The third objective is to hunt the Hatchling.

An equally valid target to the World Boss, but much weaker.

Capturing the user’s Hatchling—a weaker version of the World Boss—is far more profitable than trying to fight the ridiculous monster on the mountain.

Of course, if they’re caught, they’ll likely die, but…

“What else could happen?”

“I hear the Hatchling’s pretty tough.”

“Nah, still only level 50.”

We, on the other hand, are level 70 assassins with fully equipped weapons, having passed the third trial of character advancement.

A level-50 Hatchling scared stiff should fall easily to our ultimate techniques…

“KRAAANG!”

“Ugh!”

Squeak!

Unexpectedly attacked by the Hatchling, blood bursts from an assassin’s arm. The left arm of the stunned assassin quickly freezes.

“You bastard!”

The other assassin quickly swings a dagger, a black trail slicing through the Hatchling.

“OOOOOMPH!”

The Hatchling narrowly escaped, just barely.

Swish!

The Hatchling briefly flies up, spins in the air, and opens its mouth wide, concentrating mana.

Dragon’s Breath.

“Just a Hatchling’s Breath…”

KWAHHH!!!

Covered in white mana, the assassin turns into blue fragments and vanishes.

PHEEEEEW!

The Breath didn’t stop there; it shattered the mansion wall protecting the scene of the skirmish.

The Hatchling looks at the damage it caused, and its face stiffens.

Wasn’t supposed to break that.

“Huuuuh.”

“…Damn!”

With his left arm completely frozen, the remaining assassin tries to escape through the broken wall.

UWUUUNG…

“AAAAAAH!!!”

KWAHHHANG!

Before Sugaredo could unleash another Breath.

“HUU… PHAAA…”

The Hatchling, having finished its task, clumsily gathers debris with its small hands and mouth, sticking it back on the wall.

As one might expect from a child-like being, the repairs look hasty and rough.

But the Hatchling seems pleased with itself, nods its head, and climbs back onto its soft bed for a nap.

Watching this from a distance, I smiled. The man sitting across from me looked at me with a curious glance.

“What’s the matter?”

“Visitors have arrived.”

[Frozen ?, Sugaredo’s level increased.]

[LV.53(+?)]

This level of guest deserves respect.

—

Talikal’s history. Talikal’s guardian deity. Talikal’s great hero. And so on.

There are many epithets, but the one that best represents him is one:

“The Great Blacksmith.”

Whenever Talikal is in crisis, the man wields his hammer and finds the “worthy one” to forge fitting mythical artifacts for.

These artifacts, used by the worthy ones, prevent disaster. When the original owner vanishes over time, they either become part of Talikal or disperse elsewhere.

Fittingly, given how these masterpieces are only forged under such special conditions, Talikal has an old legend.

“If all the masterpieces are gathered, one can obtain a weapon that rivals a [God].”

The seven masterpieces are forged based on the worthy ones.

And now, with three of them in my possession, I was staring at a hidden World Quest window.

[World / Hidden – Legend of Talikal]

Objective: Obtain all of Drak’s Great Masterpieces (3/7).

Reward: ? Granted.

I currently possessed the Blue Guardian, the Red Guide, and the Green Hermit.

Each of these masterpieces—ring, gloves, and dagger—had counterparts among the players, the remaining four being scattered among them.

“First, I’d like to show you my own masterpiece, the Black Destroyer. You can see it’s a weapon crafted specifically for me.”

In the VIP room of Talikal’s Royal Castle, Black revealed his prized Black Destroyer.

A massive crescent moon-like black greatsword.

While the greatsword doesn’t seem directly linked to me, it’s necessary to complete the quest.

Aware of my gaze, Black nonchalantly placed the greatsword into the void space.

[Give it over.]

[hahahaha]

[Yeah, we need to clear this World Quest;;;]

[“Give it”]

[If you’ve come this far, you should get it. hahaha]

[? You didn’t come here to give it?]

[hahahahahahahahaha]

[How can you just hand over a Mythical? hahaha]

[gg]

“…All the other pieces are held by top 100 Rankers. A Mythical Item isn’t something you can acquire easily.”

“Each belongs to a different person?”

“That’s right. Practically speaking, gathering them all will be impossible. These aren’t the kinds of people who would sell them for money.”

Rankers are already billionaires. A Mythical Item, with its absurd difficulty to obtain, isn’t something they’d part with for money.

“But you gave me the Blue Guardian.”

“I believe the value of the upcoming mock Siege War is worth it.”

Black grinned as he spoke.

As it turned out, this mock Siege War greatly increased Deoen’s and the real-world’s popularity and influence, and they both reaped many benefits from the event.

Exchanging a Mythical Item might have been a good deal after all.

“What about the greatsword then?”

“It’s… uh…”

Unconsciously, Black glanced toward the void space where he had placed the greatsword.

Unlike the Blue Guardian, the Black Destroyer was clearly his primary weapon, which likely makes it non-negotiable.

It seems unlikely I’ll receive it anytime soon.

“No chance until all six are collected.”

“There are two possible ways to get them. One is to attempt PK and probabilistic looting, but that’s practically impossible. These aren’t the kinds of people who can be looted anyway, and Lady Lily wouldn’t do it either.”

“…”

“Lady Lily?”

“Yes.”

“Are you taking too long to respond?”

“Never.”

I don’t raid others.

If I ever did raid, it would simply be a transaction with a cost.

[kekkekkekkekkek]

[She might though…]

[Lily is too kind to do that…]

[What? Lily is a raider??]

[Doesn’t she raid a lot…? This is suspicious…]