ACT 1 The Quest that Shouldnât have been Accepted!
Kyakak, kyakak, kyakak, kyakak!
A sound could be heard that irritated his peripheral nerve from all directions. At the same time, dozens of red eyes appeared in the darkness like street lights turning on. The area underneath the eyes split apart to show a red space. It was a huge mouth which would swallow Ark in one bite. The sharp fangs werenât visible in the mouth. Instead, small sharp projections like needles were densely packed on the tongue and glossy with saliva as it poked out. He had laughed when it first appeared. But now those features seemed like a horror move as it approached.
A moan emerged from Arkâs mouth.
âI thought I could catch my breathâŠ..â
Ark confirmed how much mana and health he had left. He had just finished fighting those guys. Thus he needed a rest to recover his health and mana. However, the prospect of success didnât look good so he had run away. But he had been surrounded again before he could. He currently only had 50% health and mana left. That wasnât the only serious problem.
âDamn, what the? Is there another way?â
Clack clack, clack clack clack clack!
His familiarsâ health was also in danger from the battle.
âIt is impossible to fight them in this state. ButâŠâŠ!â
Ark moved his gaze and checked the surrounding area.
While escaping from the battlefield, he hadnât taken terrain into account and just blindly proceeded. Now even the route backwards had disappeared. It was truly a dilemma. The path to retreat had disappeared because of the areaâs special terrain. ItâŠ..
Kukyakyakyakya, kukyakyakyakya!
The black forms narrowed the distance and shrieked. The monsters had a number of features that Ark hadnât seen before.
âAnyway, I donât have time to complain!â
Ark clenched Gwisalâs sword firmly and raised his voice. It was the worse situation where he had to fight against dozens of monsters without a short rest! âDo I have to become the food of those guys in this place?â
âRacard, use Taunt to lure those guys to the other side!â
âU-understood. I havenât brushed my teeth for two days so take this spit attack! Spit! Spit! Spit! Spit!â
Racard spat wildly all over the place and shouted. The black forms gathered around Ark turned their bodies. Racard freaked out at the ensuring sharp tongue and ran away. 5 of the black forms started chasing after Racard.
Clack clack clack clack, ttadang!
Razak ran up to them at Arkâs command. Razak powerfully swung his shield and hit three monsters before withdrawing.
Ark had stuck close to Razakâs back and rushed out before striking with his sword. The darkness assimilated into the blade rushed out and dealt a critical hit. But after a brief moment, those guys gathered again.
Ark hurriedly retreated behind the shield wielding Razak. The ensuring violent collision caused Razak to be pushed back several metres and he knelt down. While Razak tried to stand up again, the monster flew towards Razak and grabbed him. The confused Razak swung his sword and hit the fellow. But more of those guys surrounded him and Razak wasnât able to endure before falling down. Then they flocked like hyenas.
Kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwang!
While Razak struggled to get up, those guys wrapped their sharp tongues around him. Razakâs health was quickly drained by the tongues.
âDammitâŠ..Razak, summon off! Summon Demon!â
Razak disappeared and then re-appeared near Ark. Although the crisis was overcome, the situation was still serious. Razak had become like a rag after receiving the concentrated attack. His remaining health was only 15%. If the same situation repeated again then he wouldnât even last a minute.
âBut there is still a way to use Razak!â
Razakâs body hardened and changed to steel. When Steel Loyalty was triggered, the amount of loyalty was converted to defense and then added to Razakâs base defense. Even if his defense rose, his health was still the same. However, Razakâs loyalty was 952. Even with 15%, the considerable addition of 952 defense meant it was possible for Razak to endure for a significant amount of time. Of course, Steel Loyalty did have one huge weakness. It was impossible to move while the skill was activated.
âIt is useful that an obstacle has formed between those guys.â
That was the reason why Ark summoned Razak again and used Steel Loyalty. The place Ark was fighting had no special terrain features. With Razak turned to steel, it was possible to form a type of wall. In other words, he could reduce the enemy attacking from 4 sides to 3.
It was only putting out a bit of the fire. The fact that he was surrounded by dozens of opponents didnât change.
âThe problem now isnât whether I live or die!â
Ark glanced uneasily at his body. Armour, gloves, shoes and cloakâŠ.. With just one look, he could tell that all his equipment was ragged. There was no time for an equipment check so the durability had reached the bottom. If the impossible battle continued then several of his equipment would be destroyed. That was the reason Ark couldnât fight aggressively. He wanted to take off the equipment before dying but the battle had started before he had time to. In New World, it was impossible to change equipment aside from a sword and shield during a fight.
âI need to find a chance to escape. I have no choice but to endure it and look for a way to escape.â
âDark Blade! DarkâŠ..cough!â
While using Razak as a wall, Ark received a sharp impact in his side. When the tongue covered in sharp projections struck his side, the edges immediately started bleeding. His vision started shaking while a message window appeared.
-You have received a âBlow.â 300 damage!
<until>âThis is serious!â</until>
<until>Ark inwardly screamed with distress. 300 damage. He only had 50% health left so Ark couldnât ignore the damage. However, Ark was in distress because of that. He also was affected by âBleed,â making him lose 4 health every 10 seconds. The problem was the Bleeding. When blood appeared, the gaze of the opponents fixed on Ark. They smelled the blood! While they gathered around Ark, the opponents hadnât been overly aggressive. When surrounded by 20~30 monsters, Ark would instantly be turned into a dust cloth if they all attacked intensively. But they were monsters so they werenât organized. There were some fellows attacking the steel Razak while others were quite a distance away.</until>
<until>âDammit! Of all thingsâŠ..â</until>
<until>Ark rushed to make a âSalveâ using the Food Worshipper skill and stopped the Bleeding. But after they smelled the fresh blood, all of them flocked to Ark. It was literally a stampede.</until>
<until>âIf Iâm pushed like this than Iâm screwed!â</until>
<until>If he was stamped on by those guys then his health as well as his equipment wouldnât survive.</until>
<until>âNo, absolutely not! Riposte!â</until>
<until>Ark hit the tongue in front of him with an angry expression. He intended to push them to free up some space to move. HoweverâŠâŠ</until>
<until>Suddenly the tongue faded like fog. It was a special technique to avoid attacks, âTransparent!â So his sword separated the sky in vain and he was hit in the chest by that tongue.</until>
<until>-You have been hit by a Counterattack. 400 damage!</until>
<until>Riposte was an attack which pushed the enemy back 10 metres. After receiving a counterattack for Riposte, the penalty was applied and Ark was thrown back 10 metres instead. Ark hurriedly stuck his sword down in the ground. Thanks to his fast reaction speed, the velocity that he was pushed back decreased. But before he could sigh with relief, he felt something empty beneath his feet. Ark grabbed a protruding stone with surprise.</until>
<until>âOh my God!â</until>
<until>Ark who had barely stopped his momentum looked down with stunned eyes. Ark was standing unexpectedly on the edge of a cliffâŠâŠ At the bottom, a river of boiling lava was flowing. The river of lava which stretched over 100 metres in the floating island with cracks in it was an surreal sight. The place Ark was hanging onto was the edge of that land. Although Ark was in a crisis, this was the reason why he couldnât escape from the area. In order to move to another land mass, either jumping or flying was required. Just one mistake meant he would fall into the lavaâŠâŠDying like that wouldnât be so bad. But in this situation, the fire damage would destroy his equipment which had low durability.</until>
<until>âThat absolutely canât happen!â</until>
<until>Ark barely avoided diving into the lava by grabbing the protruding rock. However, he couldnât be relieved just yet. While Ark was holding onto the stone rock, the monsters were approaching while swinging their tongues.</until>
<until>âM-Master!â</until>
<until>Racard belatedly realized the situation and screamed.</until>
<until>âAh, thatâs right. Racard, leave those fellows and lure the ones over here to the other side!â</until>
<until>âEh? U-understood!â</until>
<until>Racard flew towards Ark at full speed. But that was a fatal mistake. Racard had lured 5 monsters using Taunt, so when he flew towards Ark than they also followed. Then they collided with the monsters gathered to attack Ark. There was no need to explain the results.</until>
<until>âMaster, I came! Eh? Eh eh ehâŠ.heok!â</until>
<until>âYou idiot! I told you to get rid of those guysâŠ..wah!â</until>
<until>Ark belatedly grasped the situation and screamed but it was too late. Grrrrrr. Those guys gathered at the edge was pushed like dominos and fell into the lava. A few of them also collided with Ark and he let go of the stone rock thanks to the impact.</until>
<until>âI, I donât know. I just did what Master told me to!â</until>
<until>Racard shrunk away and tried to explain.</until>
<until>âD-dammit! Iâm falling!â</until>
<until>Ark felt a sense of vertigo as his seen became black. He shouldnât have come to a place like this. No, before thatâŠâŠ</until>
<until>âIf I knew this was such a disgusting place then I wouldnât have accepted the quest!â</until>
<until>âââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââ</until>
<until>âThis fellow!â</until>
<until>A rock fell as he heard a booming voice. After turning his head he saw a huge monster.</until>
<until>âStay away! This is the territory of the Fire Draconians. This isnât the place for a human!â</until>
<until>The giant form approached Ark. While the upper part was a body, the lower half was a completely alien form. With sharp claws on the four legs and flames wrapped around and scales stretching over the tail, it was unmistakably a dragonâs body. And Ark had seen a monster with the same form before. Then Racard reacted before Ark.</until>
<until>âHiik, V-Valderas!â</until>
<until>Racard screamed and quickly hid behind Ark. Thatâs right. It was the final boss that appeared in the Event Quest, Valderas! But Ark realized the monster who appeared here wasnât Valderas. Even if the monster revived for no reason, it was impossible for it to appear in this distant place. The more Ark looked closely, the more different it appeared from Valderas. Valderas was a warrior wearing plate armour who wielded a mace, while the monster that appeared on Hwaryong Mountain was wearing red leather armour. It also felt a bit small when compared to Valderas.</until>
<until>âDid it say Fire Draconian just then?â</until>
<until>Ark came here in order to complete the <home>quest. In other words, the quest destination was Valderasâ hometown. It was natural that there would be an existence which resembled Valderas. It was highly likely that the Fire Draconian in front of him was an NPC related to the quest. However, Ark still couldnât relax. Even if he received the quest, what guarantee did he have that the Fire Draconians would be friendly?</home></until>
<until><home>âSince it hasnât attacked yet, it doesnât seem to be that aggressive butâŠâŠâ</home></until>
<until><home>Ark was the one who defeated Valderas. There was no guarantee how the Fire Draconians would react to the person who killed someone in the same clan.</home></until>
<until><home>âShould I check the atmosphere?â</home></until>
<until><home>Ark thought for a while. The Fire Draconian then lowered its upper body and asked.</home></until>
<until><home>âValderas? Did you say Valderas just now?â</home></until>
<until><home>âHuh? ThatâŠâŠâ</home></until>
<until><home>Damn, did he hear Racard say the name Valderas just then? His eyes were quite sharp for someone so big. Ark glared at Racard sitting on his shoulder. Anyway, it was difficult prevaricate now that the name Valderas was heard.</home></until>
<until><home>âIâll just have to break through the front. Well, if that guy attacks then Iâll just take care of him like Valderas.â</home></until>
<until><home>Ark had already taken care of Valderas who was a Fire Draconian. Of course, there were thousands of users at that time and he fought the weakened Valderas underwater or else he wouldâve had no chance of winning. But Ark had been level 75 at the time. Currently Ark was level 371. Even if it wasnât underwater like with Valderas, he had confidence that he could win. Was there a reason for him to be scared? Ark considered and asked with a dignified attitude.</home></until>
<until><home>âDo you know Valderas?â</home></until>
<until><home>âWho are you to say his name?â</home></until>
<until><home>âI am Ark. A few years ago I came across Valderas and had no choice but to kill him with my own hands.â</home></until>
<until><home>âReallyâŠ.. It was you? You defeated the revived Valderas?â</home></until>
<until><home>The Fire Draconian looked at Ark with new eyes. After a while, he sighed and rubbed his neck.</home></until>
<until><home>âI was passing through the southern part a while ago and listened to the news. Unfortunately, Valderasâ spirit which shouldâve passed on a long time ago was resurrected to live a nightmare. But poor Valderas who had been captured by a curse was finally freed thanks to the brave actions of a human.â</home></until>
<until><home>The Fire Draconian shifted his gaze to Ark and spoke again.</home></until>
<until><home>âI am the oracle of the Fire Draconians, Lumines.  As a Fire Draconian, I would like to express my gratitude for you.â</home></until>
<until><home>âThank you?â</home></until>
<until><home>âYou killed Valderas. But that is wrong. The great Fire Draconian warrior Valderas had died a long time ago. No, he was forced to disappear. It was a terrible curse which resurrected him again. Your act of defeating Valderas broke the curse and sent his spirit to where it shouldâve originally gone.â</home></until>
<until><home>Valderas also said this just before he died. Lumines looked into the sky like he was recalling something and murmured.</home></until>
<until><home>âValderasâŠâŠValderasâŠâŠ Although he is the clanâs disgrace, he is also an object of sympathy. By released the wicked curse which was holding Valderas captive, you have restored his honour. As a spokesman of the Fire Draconians, I would like to express our regards and gratitude for your great achievement.â</home></until>
<until><home>âŠâŠThe talk seemed to be going well. Since the conversation was going well, Ark trembled and replied modestly.</home></until>
<until><home>âI just did what I had to.â</home></until>
<until><home>âHumility is the greatest virtue of a human. But it is a pity.â</home></until>
<until><home>âHuh?â</home></until>
<until><home>âYou might not be aware of it but there is more meaning to the Fire Draconians behind your action of freeing Valderasâ soul. Whether you want it or not, the Fire Draconians have an obligation to repay you.â</home></until>
<until><home>âYou donât have to go that farâŠâŠâ</home></until>
<until><home>Ark waved it off with his hand while his eyes sparkled. Lumines mentioned there was something meaningful about the death of Valderas but Ark was more interested in the âpriceâ of the repayment. Repayment price! Wasnât that a quest reward? The Fire Draconian was different from humans. In fantasy settings, a draconian was the symbol of honour!</home></until>
<until><home>âWhat kind of compensation will be givenâŠ.?â</home></until>
<until><home>Ark was full of expectations but Luminesâ words poured cold water on him.</home></until>
<until><home>âIt is slightly regrettable. What youâve done for the Fire Draconians is really great. If I had gold of jewellery than I would hand it all to you. But the glory of the Fire Draconians is nothing but a memory of the past. The only thing we have left is old armour and staffs.â</home></until>
<until><home>âWhat the? All that expectation just for a horrible reward?â</home></until>
<until><home>Ark looked around with an absurd expression. Lumines looked at him with bittersweet eyes and started talking again.</home></until>
<until><home>âAs an oracle of the Fire Draconians, I am allowed to give you the âBlessing of Fire.â Come this way.â</home></until>
<until><home>âBlessing of Fire?â</home></until>
<until><home>Ark followed Lumines until he stopped at a magic circle carved into the ground. Once the complicated magic in the centre of the circle was completed, Lumines struck it with his staff and shouted.</home></until>
<until><home>âI am the oracle of the Fire Draconians. I order the sacred fire which has existed since the beginning of the world! Those who are unqualified will be burned to ashes and disappear while those who are qualified will receive the Blessing of Fire. Come forth!â</home></until>
<until><home>Ku ku ku ku. Ku ku ku ku!</home></until>
<until><home>It was at that time. Suddenly there was a crack under Arkâs foot. He was surprised by the sudden situation and retreated. No, he tried to retreat but it was like his body was tied with a rope. Then a white flame which soared dozens of metres high swallowed Ark.</home></until>
<until><home>âHuk, what, what the? That bastard surely didnâtâŠ..!â</home></until>
<until><home>Ark looked at Lumines with shocked eyes. But Ark soon realized something strange. The flame which appeared from a crack on the floor was so hot it even melted rock. Yet Ark felt nothing from the flame. It wasnât hot and there was no change to his health.</home></until>
<until><home>âWhat on earth is going on? What just happened?â</home></until>
<until><home>Ark murmured and looked at the fire wound around him with stupid eyes. Suddenly the fire around Arkâs body started dancing and quickly surged into his mouth. His stomach felt hot for a moment before an information window appeared.</home></until>
<until><home>-You have received the âSacred Blessing of Fireâ from the oracle of the Fire Draconians.</home></until>
<until><home>Although the Fire Draconians are classified as a draconian, their attribute is fire. They were born in fire and will continue to live as the guardians of fire. The oracle of the Fire Draconians has the power to use âBlessing of Fireâ on a chosen person. When the Fire Draconians were flourishing a long time ago, many heroes visited Hwaryong Mountain in order to obtain the Blessing of Fire.</home></until>