“Caa—aw—!”
Even if it was a barrier erected by a dragon, with something that wide encompassing an entire city, there were bound to be weak spots here and there.
If you dug into those weaknesses, you could break through the barrier with relatively little effort.
And with the dimensional crow’s skill added on, it became even easier.
Where the mercenaries’ attacks hadn’t even left a scratch, the barrier burst open, revealing a space just large enough for a person to pass through.
When the others stared in wonder, I gave them a grin and said,
“Let’s go.”
One by one, we passed through the barrier.
The outside was nearly reduced to scorched earth. It was understandable, considering the mid-tier monster horde had swept through everything.
Still, with all the obstacles cleared, the open view was a welcome change.
Following the countless footprints the monsters had left behind, we eventually saw a massive arched structure in the distance.
From inside the arch, we could occasionally catch glimpses of other locations.
A teleportation portal.
It was enormous. It was large enough for dozens of mid-tier monsters to pass through with ease.
And that wasn’t the only one….structures like this were likely scattered all across the outside of the barrier.
It really showed just how much effort the Craftsman Dragon had put into setting up this twisted “game” of his.
And the reason we had come out of the barrier in the first place was to destroy that very portal.
If the number of portals decreased, so too would the number of monsters coming through. And in direct proportion, everyone’s chances of survival would increase.
Not to mention, the bonus rewards aren’t bad either.
So I clenched my fist and said,
“Let’s break it.”
“Okay.”
Seo Ye-in leveled her magic rifle.
Go Hyeon-woo and Hong Yeon-hwa likewise readied their sword and staff.
Then, each of us unleashed our firepower in our own way.
Boom-boom-boom—!
Ratatatatatata—!
Flames surged, sword energy and magic bullets bombarded the target relentlessly. Yet the teleportation portal didn’t seem affected at all.
Even so, we kept up the assault.
After some time, a tiny crack finally appeared on one side of the arch.
Crrrack,
At first, the crack was barely visible. It was so faint and was easy to miss, but in the blink of an eye, it spread across the entire arch.
Seeing that, I gave the party a quick command.
“That’s enough. Fall back.”
Everyone ceased their attacks and stepped away, and the teleportation portal gave one final lurch before collapsing entirely.
Soon after, the midterm quest updated.
[Draconic Soldiers Eliminated]
▷ Dragonscale Soldiers: 14
▷ Portal: 1
Even without directly taking down the draconic soldiers, indirect contributions were still counted.
After all, destroying the portal meant preventing several of them from entering.
That alone should be worth quite a few points.
That was our Bonus Reward 1 taken care of.
Bonus 2 is the item card.
From the pile of rubble, a single glowing card floated into the air.
[Card Synthesizer]
▷ Combine item cards to create more powerful ones.
▷ Higher-tier combinations require more materials.
For example, combining two [Campsite (1-person)] cards yields a [Campsite (2-person)] card.
It might seem like just a slight difference, but in terms of space efficiency, it’s closer to 2.5 people.
Combine further into 3-person or 4-person versions, and the efficiency increases even more.
I looked around at my teammates and said,
“Should we do a little inventory check? Combine what we can.”
Everyone gathered their cards into a single pile.
[Campsite (1-Person)]
▷ Creates a space for one person.
[Displacement (C)]
▷ Launches C-rank or lower targets in front to random locations.
[Retreat (1-person)]
▷ Leaves the battlefield and joins a random ally.
[Piercing Spear (C)]
▷ Deals powerful piercing damage to the target.
▷ Ignores a portion of the target’s defense.
[Sanctuary (C)]
▷ Protects allies within a specified range.
[Item Cards]
▷Dragon Compass
▷Handkerchief of Deception ×2
▷Card Synthesizer
▷Campsite (1-person) ×17
▷Displacement (C) ×5
▷Retreat (1-person) ×6
▷Piercing Spear (C) ×12
▷Sanctuary (C) ×10
To safely get a four-person party through a night, [Campsite] requires four cards. So with 16 cards, we’re covered until Day 5.
[Displacement] and [Retreat] are mainly for avoiding combat. But since we’re in a position where we have to fight the Draconic Soldiers, their importance is relatively low.
What really mattered were the cards that directly influenced combat. Like [Piercing Spear] and [Sanctuary].
Back in Hye-seong City, we used the principal’s [Sanctuary] to survive the Witch of Death’s final massive corpse explosion.
That alone proves how reliable it is. [Piercing Spear] is no different.
The problem is, you need high enough rank for them to be effective.
Take the Dragonscale Soldiers, for instance….they’re C+ rank.
Future monsters like Dragonfang Soliders and even Dragonwing Soldiers will be at least half a rank to a full rank stronger.
So C-rank cards won’t cut it.
That’s why we got the synthesizer in the first place.
We’re stockpiling cards with the goal of upgrading them into A-rank or even S-rank.
Of course, hitting S-rank isn’t as easy as it sounds.
▷ Higher-tier combinations require more materials.
– From C to B → needs 2 cards
– From B to A → needs 3 cards
– From A to S → needs 5 cards
In other words, to get just one S-rank card, you need to gather 30 C-rank cards.
Still, it’s not like we have a choice.
We have to gather them.
If we want to land even a single decisive blow in a battle we’re destined to lose.
So I started feeding cards into the synthesizer.
▷ Piercing Spear (C) ×12
→ Piercing Spear (B) ×6
→ Piercing Spear (A) ×2
▷ Sanctuary (C) ×10
→ Sanctuary (B) ×5
→ Sanctuary (A) ×1, (B) ×2
We upgraded only the combat cards, just in case of emergencies.
The rest could wait. We’d manage those slowly.
Then, looking back at the barrier, I said,
“Let’s head back.”
We’d done everything we needed to here.
And so, we began walking back the way we came.
On the way, Go Hyeon-woo spoke up.
“I’m sure you have your reasons, Kim-hyung, but it feels like a shame to head back so soon after finally getting past the barrier.”
“I get it. Honestly, I’d love to keep going and smash all the portals along the way.”
“Is there a reason we can’t?”
“Yeah. We’re out of time.”
I had barely finished answering when the Dragon Compass spun around sharply and pointed forward.
Everyone turned to look. Something was flying toward us at incredible speed.
Screeeeeech!
It was the young apprentice we’d seen at the central plaza of the city. A Dragonwing Soldier.
This is why getting outside doesn’t mean it’s over.
Any anomaly in the barrier is immediately picked up by the Craftsman Dragon, who then sends his fastest and strongest pawn, the Dragonwing Soldier, to investigate.
In other words, to truly escape his grasp or to remain outside the barrier for an extended time, we’d need to either shake off or take down the Dragonwing Soldier’s pursuit.
But it can fly and it’s A+ rank. Half-hearted power won’t be nearly enough.
That’s exactly why I destroyed only one teleportation portal and quickly pulled back.
Before long, the Dragonwing Soldier landed lightly in front of us, bowed politely, and spoke.
“My master sends his respects. He says your performance was truly impressive and worthy of someone he had his eye on. However…”
In the next instant, its pupils stretched vertically like a reptile’s.
Its aura flared out, pressing down on the area like a crushing weight.
“…he also said that interfering with his amusement cannot be tolerated. You mustn’t remain here any longer. Please, return now.”
Then, with another courteous gesture, it pointed toward the city.
If we refuse, it’s a fight on the spot.
Given the gap in power, defeat is a certainty.
Even so, not a single one of my companions looked shaken.
They glanced at me briefly, waiting for the decision…. to fight or not.
Especially Hong Yeon-hwa. Her eyes practically asked, “Should I bite? Just say the word. Should I bite?”
I appreciated their trust. But now was the time for a cool-headed judgment.
We’re way too low on firepower.
Just like the Draconic Soldiers, this thing also has elemental resistance.
And it’s an A+ rank at that.
Even if I amplified Inferno Fist and Mysterious Yin Jade Demon Finger to S-rank and hit it head-on, the damage would be cut in half.
To land a real blow, I’d have to use [Spiral Explosion], which ignores defense.
And in that case, it’d probably end in a total wipe.
Even if we win, I’d be the only one left standing.
At least for now, picking a fight is a losing move. There was no question about that.
After finishing my calculations, I spoke in a deliberately calm tone.
“We were already on our way back.”
“Thank you for your cooperation. I wish you an enjoyable game.”
The Dragonwing Soldier gave a slight bow and stepped aside.
Then, after confirming that we had crossed back into the barrier, it soared high into the sky.
Seo Ye-in watched it drift off into the distance, then tugged at my sleeve and pointed at the barrier.
“……”
“You want to go over again?”
“Caw.”
“You really don’t like listening, do you?”
To be honest, I was also feeling a bit rebellious myself.
But I gently tried to reason with her.
“Let’s hold back for now.”
That warning from the Dragonwing Soldier was likely the first and last.
If we cross the barrier again, it’ll attack the moment it sees us.
And as I’d already calculated…. fighting it now is a guaranteed loss.
“But who knows what’ll happen later.”
Once we’ve gathered more cards and raised our ranks, things might change.
So for now, our task is—
“Let’s go farming.”
We turned and headed toward the city.
Just moments ago, a siege had been raging, but now the outer wall was nearly collapsed and the gates stood wide open.
That meant the monster horde had already breached the interior.
Sure enough, intermittent booms and howls echoed from all directions.
Boom!
– Grrrrraaahh!
Meanwhile, Hong Yeon-hwa looked around slowly with a puzzled expression on her face.
“The houses… they’re untouched?”
We’d assumed the medium-sized monsters would smash anything in their path, just like they did with the outer wall, but surprisingly, they’d left the buildings alone.
I answered nonchalantly.
“It’s a game.”
“……?”
“Think about it from the Craftsman Dragon’s point of view. Wouldn’t it be boring if everything got smashed right from the start?”
So on the first day, the Craftsman Dragon’s goal is simply to herd the residents into one place.
To make them so afraid that they wouldn’t even dream of stepping outside the barrier or the city and force them to hole up indoors.
Naturally, another kind of “game” is planned for after that.
Go Hyeon-woo muttered.
“If staying indoors is the only way to stay safe… then that must mean the outside is in a constant state of battle.”
“Exactly. Out there, it’s monsters everywhere you go.”
Still, it’s best to fight as much as we can today.
The enemies will only get stronger over time, and eventually we’ll be overwhelmed.
I led the group, following the Dragon Compass.
The closer we got to our destination, the louder the sounds of chaos became. Clearly, a battle was already underway.
We picked up the pace and soon arrived at what looked like a crossroads.
Ogres, trolls, and a number of Draconic soldiers had surrounded students from Dragon Slayer Academy.
I recognized all their faces. They were Kwak Ji-cheol, Jeong Soo-ji, and Park Na-ri. They were members of the Emerald Tower and the Mother Nature Club.
I immediately signaled my group to join the fight.
Since we were planning to reveal ourselves, I had already taken off my handkerchief of deception and focused on using wind magic.
[Spiral Explosion]
Whoooooosh—!
Ogres, trolls, and Draconic Soldiers were sucked into the swirling wind.
Then, the compressed air exploded.
Boom—!
As the monsters went flying, Tiger Bum and Eagle Chammy charged in after them.
“Graaaah!”
“Screeeech!”
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