Chapter 380: Chapter 219: Interlude: Those Who Wish for the Golden Falls Conquer the Heavens Part 3

“Skull Shaker”, a skill dealing crushing damage. Additionally, when striking the opponent to the head, it was possible to deal an additional effect in form of a concussion, and when the monster got stunned and stopped moving, both Reiji and Black Shine moved in on the offensive.

Two swordsmen. In both cases their weapons are straight swords. However, this is where the similarities end. Because the properties of those weapons were fundamentally different. Both of them use the same skill, which was “Beheading”. A simple, yet very effective skill against enemies with a certain degree of “hardness” to them. The skills strike against Drakarus Dinoul head, making it screech in both pain and fury even more than before.

「SHUT YOUR PATHETIC MOUTH! YOU IRRITATE BE BEYOND BELIEF YOU…… YOU HUMAN INSECTS!!!」

「Obuguooh……!?」

In the next moment, a huge cannonball shot out from outside of the field of view of the three people who were currently locked in combat with Drakarus Dinoul, crushing against its body. The shell exploded on impact, but probably because of its low durability it was unable to gravely injure the monster…… No, it was not the shell at all.

「Vigilance…… -san!?」

There was a “hole” in Vigilance body. Even though he was taking part in the group’s attack while still being wary of their surroundings, his whole body was no being red from the effect of blood polygons raining all over him. A moment later Vigilance’s body exploded right where it stood.

「HMPH…… A RATHER UNINTERESTING EXPLOSION PATTERN, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF.」

「What……!?」

「What the, enemy attack!?」

「HMM, A MEMBER OF THE “GREEN” CLAN, HUH? AND WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS, JUST CRAWLING ON THE GROUND LIKE ANTS?」

「From where……!?」

There was a loud crunch, followed by a loud thud. Then, Drakarus Dinoul’s body went limp and collapsed on the spot just like that. That action alone let Black Shine and his comrades understand from where the attack came from, as it was done by a huge hand that swept in from the above, crushing not only the monster but also the drop items that fell from it.

「Blacjk Shine-san! Above!」

「Wha……!? In the sky……!?」

The night’s sky was covered in shadow. Deep, jet-black shadow without even a single star, that could never be mistook for the blackness of the sky. That shadow…… was wings of a creature so huge that it was actually covering the sky that Black Shine and his comrades were looking up towards.

「THE TIME HAS COME, SO REJOICE, HUMAN INSECTS! I SHALL GRANT YOU THE ULTIMATE HONOR…… OF BECOMING MY KINSMEN’S NUTRIENTS!」

「Is that…… a monster……!?」

「This is, a dragon ----」

Describing this thing simply as a monster, a dragon, or a walking calamity would simply be an understatement. However, there was no way to call it anything else, seeing that it managed to crush a monster like Drakarus Dinoul without exceeding any effort. It was that kind of strength that would easily raze entire camps and settlement to the ground in a matter of seconds.

「Black Shine-san!」

「Reiji-kun, sorry about that, but I’m afraid that our schedule has been changed at the last possible moment.」

Reiji immediately understood what Black Shine meant by that. The look in his eyes was more than enough of a proof. Rather than aiming for the impossible idea of trying to run away or fight this abomination, Black Shine wanted to collect as much information on it as humanly possible. It was his sense of a High Level Player speaking right now. Especially since that thing would most probably decimate them all without even blinking.

There was also a thought crossing Reiji’s mind right now: don’t try to look so cool while saying things like that. It’s unpleasant.

「Gah!?」

Black Shine was blown away, but he was not annihilated with one hit. The reason for that is because as a result of many battles and encounters since his starting days at ShanFro he managed to build a tremendous defense and vitality, backed up by sturdy armor and a skill “I don’t fear death!”

「………………………」

It was just too cruel…… No, to call this cruel would not even begin to cover it. The body of Black Shine was destroyed by the second blow that came right after the first one, not even giving him a chance to stand up or to defend himself.

The dragon that was even darker than the darkest night crushed Black Shine to the ground with its sharp claws. Claws that were sharper than spears and possessed more crushing power than any hammer or battering ram. Then the dragon moved its claws around, as if it was trying to grind Black Shine to dust. A whole lot of emotions were coming to mind upon seeing this scene, but the biggest of them all was the feeling that this could not possibly be real.

Yes, it was just as if a human was trampling an ant right under their feet, because surely that is how that dragon must have thought about humans…… If it even thought about them, that is. The ruthless light in its eyes were saying something completely different: they did not even recognize humans as living beings.

「Talking Dragon…… What is this? Maybe a Unique Monster……? No way, hahaha……」

They knew that they cannot win. They knew they cannot escape. Black Shine was unable to act or speak up, and he instantly became nothing more but a red stain on the ground.

The only thing Reiji was able to do, was to utter those words. And as soon as he did, the Dragon’s gaze turned towards him.

Fortunately or unfortunately, or maybe it was something common for talking dragons? …… Who knows. When two warriors meet in battle, it is a common courtesy to respect your opponent and introduce yourself, even if your opponent is a human…… At least that is what the golden king always used to say. It’s a shame that the black dragon never really cared to listen to those wise words.

For Reiji, that answer turned out to be fatally wrong. But it was the right answer for the rest of the players out there.

「Are you…… The fake Siegwurm……?」

「DON’T YOU DARE TO SAY THAT NAME!!!!!!」

Reiji had no idea what just happened, but all of a sudden his world started to spin and the ground and the black sky switched places, with the sea of trees right in the middle of it. But he could still hear them. …… The hatred-fueled words of a black dragon, who for some reason decided to correct the mistake of a human insect.

「MY NAME IS NOIRLIND!!! I AM THE ONE AND THE ONLY, TRUE KING OF ALL DRAGONS…………!!!!!!!!!!!!」

The encounter that happened to Black Shine, Vigilance, EmiRia and Reiji gave birth to the gossip about the jet-black dragon amongst the playerbase. They had no way of understanding it. However, they were all soon about to be swept right in the middle of the war of the dragons as the third part of the World Quest was about to begin.

The world advanced forward.

The Gravekeeper went to sleep, allowing the “New Gods” to move.

The Abyss sank, and the “Jet-Black Mixed with Gold” started to move.

The world keeps on moving forward, and with it -- the vast life that trembles all over its surface.

Thus began the third stage of the World Quest: “The Great War of Falling Gold”.