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154
Whoosh—!
Boom—!
The battle between the Snow Drake and the raid proceeded at a rapid tempo.
A raid divided into four teams.
Luna, belonging to Squad 1 assigned the detached unit role, was preparing to enter from behind a large structure on the flank.
‘There are two points to be careful of in the first phase. One: do not touch the reverse scales. Two: do not go all out. The objective is to stress the Snow Drake. Use only the force necessary for that.’
Two cautions from Black Dragon conveyed from the briefing.
The reverse scale attack that had effectively tormented the Snow Drake when he was retrieving the heirloom — prohibited.
And on top of that, the additional instruction not to go all out.
The reason given was to deceive the Snow Drake’s eyes — which learned from the enemy’s strength — in order to unleash everything in the final second phase.
“The strike position is too low! Please attack precisely at the joint area! It needs to be more of a scraping sensation, not the full front of the scale!”
Black Dragon’s commands reached the battlefield clearly.
Squad 2, whose main stat was strength, concentrated their offensive on both leg joint areas in accordance with the orders.
“Hup!”
A male wielding a hammer and a female wielding an axe used their skills simultaneously and drove in.
Clang—!
Bang—!
The impact of glancing off hard scales.
Even without their main skills, the attack concentrated on one spot showed effect.
“Left leg sweeping!”
Grrk—!
Just then, the Snow Drake powerfully swept its foreleg along with Black Dragon’s voice.
It was retaliation for the cracks beginning to form in the scale gaps.
Boom boom boom—!
An attack surging while raising up the icy floor.
An ordinary pattern covered in the briefing.
Whoosh—!
When the two men and women moved to the positions Black Dragon had explained, the creature’s foreleg swept past in front of their eyes.
Thump—!
Three team members who had already moved to the right delivered strikes to the joint area of the opposite leg.
Simultaneously, magic and skills rained down on the creature’s neck area.
Crackle—!
Boom boom—!
Squad 3, maintaining distance and continuing attacks from their respective positions.
Vanguards with long-range skills such as magic and bows.
Raphina with a serious expression was at the team’s center.
Boom boom boom—!
The wind magic she used formed sharp vortexes and struck the weak point area.
The location with the most vulnerable scales excluding the reverse scale.
A spot where good effect could be had.
Screech—!
The Snow Drake’s movements, having taken effective hits almost simultaneously, began growing larger.
What mattered was not the damage but the creature’s stress.
That was proved through the added patterns.
“Tail attack! Squad 4 — defend at the left leg’s front, remaining teams — enter from the right leg’s side!”
Just then, with Black Dragon’s voice, the Snow Drake’s hips twisted.
The raid members receiving the command moved almost simultaneously.
Thump—!
Those who had spread out took their respective positions.
At that moment, the Snow Drake’s flashing eyes swung its tail in a wide arc.
Whoosh—!
An attack flying in at a speed mismatched with the creature’s size.
But that massive tail failed to fulfill its purpose.
Thud—!
Led by Mars, Squad 4 blocked the attack with precise coordination.
Due to the recoil, the Snow Drake’s left leg lifted slightly upward.
“Now!”
Thump—!
Right after the tail deflected, the strike squad of Team 2 immediately scattered to both legs through the right leg’s rear.
A pre-arranged strategy.
Clang—!
Boom boom—!
Raid members pouring skills into the spot where attacks had continuously been concentrated.
The Snow Drake’s leg, raised into the air, was in a slightly more vulnerable state.
That difference produced a change.
Crack—!
In an instant, the gap in scales where damage had excessively accumulated opened wide.
At the same time, Black Dragon came over to Luna.
“Squad 1 entering.”
Thump—!
Led by the raid leader, the detached Squad 1 charged straight ahead.
Luna, running alongside Black Dragon, glanced at his profile.
‘……Really strange, I’ll admit.’
As a vanguard, she had witnessed many powerhouses both directly and indirectly.
But Black Dragon felt entirely different from them.
Eyes that seemed to read every minute change, and orders without even a trace of hesitation.
Even the briefing — it felt as though this battlefield had been experienced countless times over.
Even having observed Black Dragon from up close since yesterday, seeing this made the curiosity and questions grow even larger.
Rustle—
Even while thinking such thoughts, Luna didn’t lose focus on the subjugation.
Snow-white cold scattering along the lowered sword.
She reached below the creature’s left leg quickly.
Whoosh—!
Luna, kicking off, drove the sword gleaming with luminous white light toward the scale at the joint.
At that moment, ice exploded like a burst from the blade’s tip.
Crack crack crack—!
The attack that drove into the scale gap was ice attribute — but the Drake’s cold resistance didn’t perform its full role.
Because the resistance level between exposed bare flesh and scales was vastly different.
Whoosh—!
Following, Black Dragon entering from the right leg.
His sword, like a sudden gale, precisely drew through the gaps between scales.
Whoosh—!
Continuing that motion, Black Dragon turned his body and drove the sword gripped in both hands into the gap in the scales.
The blade that had drawn a sharp line — a storm was raging along it.
Boom boom boom—!
The gale that had driven inside stirred the gap as though flowing in reverse.
“My legs are going to hurt.”
Haemu, who had been standing leisurely behind, slid in to approach below the chest area.
Then, watching the exposed strike point in the scale gap on both legs, he brought the fan down through the air.
Tap—!
Mist drawing a vertical line with a crisp sound.
It produced a remarkably powerful impact.
Crack crack—!
Screech—!
The Snow Drake screamed, writhing in the clear pain that had surged into both legs.
Along with the scattering blood, the creature’s fury intensified.
Bang—!
The Drake’s eyes flashed as it kicked off and pulled back.
Crack crack crack—!
Dozens of ice spears appearing from above in an instant.
Crystallized cold of the creature’s creation.
Whoosh—!
Magic flying at tremendous speed toward the exposed raid members.
In that instant, Luna leaped directly toward that attack.
Whoosh—
The snow-white sword drawn through the air scattered cold and traced a beautiful arc.
And at its end, hundreds of flower buds bloomed.
Boom boom boom—!
The ice spears that struck the flower buds exploded and scattered in all directions.
Naturally the Snow Drake’s force was greater — but Luna had the ability to precisely twist a trajectory even with force weaker than the opponent’s.
Grrk—!
At her own attack being stopped, the Drake’s bewilderment and fury intensified further.
It immediately followed with the next attack.
Whoosh—!
Twisting its body, the creature swung its tail in a wide arc.
“Area technique! Fall back to designated positions!”
Right after Black Dragon’s command reading the telegraphing, everyone moved simultaneously.
Bang—!
Right after, the massive tail came crashing down against the icy floor.
And the moment a faint light erupted from the cracks.
Sharp ice shot up from the ground within a range of dozens of meters.
Boom boom boom boom—!
A wide-area attack of tremendous scale enough to cover the entire field of vision.
The vanguards, seeing the ice rising right in front of them, widened their eyes.
It was because of Black Dragon’s terrifyingly precise distance calculation.
“Resuming attack! Squad 2 — additional strikes on both legs, Squads 1 and 3 — please focus on the scales at the neck area!”
Orders followed as though there wasn’t even time to be impressed.
The vanguards, focusing back on the subjugation, moved in perfect coordination.
Screech—!
Boom boom—!
Firepower concentrated solely on its target steadily accumulated damage.
Even not at full strength — these were ultimately the abilities of mid-tier vanguards.
More than sufficient to drive the Snow Drake’s stress to the extreme.
“How long do I have to just stand here watching!”
Blood’s frustration exploded from the distance, but Black Dragon gave it no attention.
In the meantime, Luna continued concentrating on attacks to the left leg.
“Fall back!”
After a moment of continued exchange.
Black Dragon’s voice rang through the fortress again.
Shhk—
Just then, the Snow Drake which had been showing intense movement wrapped itself in its massive tail.
Then it raised its head and opened its mouth wide.
Flash—!
A snow-white crystal forming above it.
It began spinning rapidly, generating a gentle wind.
Hiss—!
The vortex of cold surging from above grew gradually stronger.
Thump—!
As the promised pattern appeared, the players moved at once to where Black Dragon was.
“As I explained — we’ll use only one heart. Please form up.”
With the command, the raid members began lining up.
Squad 4 with the highest cold resistance formed the outer layer, while the others positioned progressively inward according to resistance values.
Black Dragon stood at the upper center, holding the White Wyvern Heart.
Shhk—
After the alignment was complete, the surging vortex gradually subsided.
Just as the hazy view was clearing —
Wooom—!
A sharp resonance rang from the sphere above.
At the same time, Black Dragon raised his sword and brought it down onto the White Wyvern Heart placed on the ground.
Crack crack crack—!
The sword piercing through the White Wyvern Heart in one thrust.
The condensed cold exploding was right after.
Crack crack crack—!
The powerful cold consumed the surroundings.
And the moment the entire raid froze solid.
Pop—!
The Snow Drake’s crystal exploded above.
Boom boom boom boom—!
A powerful storm of cold spread with terrifying force.
It blanketed the entire fortress in an instant.
Crack crack crack—!
The storm that dyed everything snow-white shattered and scattered the far edges of the fortress walls.
Whooom—
In the space where everything had frozen, only the cold chill drifted.
All that could be seen in the vast fortress was ice.
Hiss—
The Snow Drake, having wrapped even its own body in solid ice for protection and recovery.
When a little time passed, a change occurred.
Crack crack—
Something breaking was heard in the fortress where the snow-white cold had settled.
And the ice that had blanketed one area crumbled down.
Tap tap—
Black Dragon beginning to move from within.
The surrounding raid members too gradually broke free from the freeze and shook off the ice.
“This side is certainly slow.”
The Squad 4 vanguards, who hadn’t been sufficiently protected by the heart, were trapped inside thin ice.
“Doesn’t it look like something you’d want to shatter?”
Haemu crept over and poked the frozen ones with the fan.
Force being controlled — but a mistake would mean instant death.
“Come out before you get burned.”
Black Dragon, having stepped near, opened his palm.
And in a gentle voice called the spirit’s name.
“Salliste.”
Whoosh—
The small flame wolf appearing at the call.
Without seeming to have conveyed any additional instruction, the spirit stepped with light steps to stand before the frozen ones.
Whoosh—!
Flames blooming without preamble instantly enveloped the vanguards.
Perhaps due to the thin layer of ice — it melted quickly.
“……Hot.”
Mars and the Squad 4 raid members, freed from the freeze.
“Thanks.”
Having recalled the spirit, Black Dragon lightly checked their condition.
Then walked to the front and stood facing all the raid members.
“This is now the second phase. Keep the briefing content in mind, and please go all out from here. The Snow Drake will also have many more variables in its actions, so I’ll read the dangerous telegraphing for you.”
Shhk—
Having given the brief rundown, he took a distinctively colored orb from his inventory.
Gripping it in his hand, Black Dragon lightly applied force and shattered the sphere.
Ahhhhh—
A clear and gentle sound ringing in the ears.
The golden particles that spilled from within drifted down, shimmering over everyone’s heads.
Ding—
[Transcendent Sound Buff is applied.]
[Sharpened senses effect is granted.]
[All stats increase by 50%.]
[Remaining effect time: 30 minutes 00 seconds]
A buff applied exactly as the information Black Dragon had shared.
An effect that seemed unrealistic even seeing it again.
“Luna, are you really sure you’ll be alright?”
Just then, Black Dragon came close and asked.
His gaze was resting on the Frenzied Dance Mask in Luna’s hand.
“I’m fine. Even if something goes wrong, Black Dragon will handle it somehow, right?”
“Of course — but as I mentioned, the discomfort is what worries me.”
“Don’t worry about the discomfort. I grew up seeing quite a lot of foul individuals.”
When Luna answered with a smile, Black Dragon made an even more worried expression.
The sight was somehow fresh and tempting to tease more — but the confidence she had expressed was no bluff.
Tap tap—
Just then, a change occurred in the frozen Snow Drake.
Tap— crack crack—
The ice that had started breaking quickly fell away from the massive body.
Shaking its head and returning to its original state, the creature faced the raid with reddened eyes.
“Spreading out. Please keep in mind the contents of the materials distributed, and please pay attention to on-field commands as well.”
As Black Dragon, sword drawn, conveyed the words, the raid members quickly took their positions.
“Luna, I’ll be counting on you then. I’ll keep watching your condition and respond if something goes wrong. Blood — come here.”
“Oh? Really?”
Thump—!
Having conveyed words of caution and responsibility, Black Dragon headed to his position.
Blood, finally called upon, followed eagerly right behind.
“Won’t your eyes go white and you become a berserker or something? Wonder if it’d be contagious.”
Haemu, who had been walking leisurely, stopped and asked in a teasing tone.
Luna said with an expression gone cold:
“If I actually go mad, I’ll cut you down too. After the subjugation ends, of course.”
“That’s not honoring elders — that’s attacking them. Young people these days, terrifying.”
Haemu lamented and fanned while resuming his steps.
Luna, the last to remain, moved to the top of a structure for the ambush.
Bang—!
Boom boom boom—!
The battle that had already started showed a completely different aspect from the very beginning compared to the first phase.
Because not only had the Snow Drake changed, but the raid members had also grown stronger with the buff effect.
“So that’s sharpened senses.”
The melee players facing irregular patterns had visibly heightened reflexes.
A remarkable sight even without being agility characters.
Thump-thump—
A sense of elevation not felt in quite a long time.
Thinking about the buff and the mask’s effect — her own change was not easy to predict.
Weakened physical control in exchange for extraordinary combat ability.
What form would this take?
Boom—!
Just then, the Snow Drake’s pattern reversed direction.
The true sign that the second phase was beginning.
Shhk—
Luna, having confirmed her sword, steadied herself.
And with her heart beating — put on the Frenzied Dance Mask.
