by L. M. Kerr
‘I guess that answers my question.’ Micheal was the sole outlier of the group that wasn’t drastically affected by the Dragonfear. His Aura Nullification Necklace was tailored to resist things like this, and while it couldn’t fully resist the entire brunt of the Dragonfear attack, it was able to dull it enough that Micheal could mentally shove aside what was left.
However, to blend in, he stood frozen like the rest of the group, not allowing himself to move.
“COME OUT, YOU COWARD!” The undead Drake continued to fly about in the air, roaring ineffectually as it terrorized everyone within range. Its yells displayed its rage, though it didn’t seem to be targeted anywhere specific.
‘So this is the Dragon Mountains’ infamous Draconic Lich, huh?’ Micheal was able to surmise a great deal from this, his heart pounding as he hid his presence as best as possible.
This Draconic Lich was notoriously powerful, known to have fought against one of the Six Lords and survived, a feat of epic proportions. No one knew its name or history, beyond that it had a raving hatred for the Six Lords.
The undead leviathan was rarely seen and typically left most creatures alone. For it to come out now was a truly rare occurrence.
'What the- why in the 56 HELLS are you HERE of all places?!' A voice Micheal hadn't heard in a bit popped up in Micheal's head as Yvvtal broke his silence to speak up, full of outrage.
The typical cool demeanor the Fallen Deity showed was nowhere to be seen as he griped, sounding genuinely concerned. Whatever meditation he had been in the midst of seemed to have been shattered by the overwhelming presence of the fierce Drake.
Micheal paused for a second and didn't reply, instead flicking his eyes to the left and right as he scanned the members of his group. On their faces, he could see horror, terror, and multiple layers of confusion. He stood still for several moments as he observed them and the undead Dragon.
'Can it sense me here?' Micheal asked, his heart pounding as even he sent up a few prayers.
Yvvtal quietly groaned and didn't reply, doing his best to hide his presence. It was also possible that the Toren was just ignoring the question, but Micheal opted to believe the more optimistic answer.
The undead Drake raged in the sky for several more moments, holding everyone in horrifying suspense. Finally, however, Micheal’s prayers were answered as it flew northward, exiting their line of sight as it continued to search for the presence of a Toren.
In his head, Micheal sensed a nearly audible feeling of relief from the unwilling passenger that was sharing his body. He could sense, for a few seconds, Yvvtal examining the Aura Nullification Necklace Micheal wore.
Right after that, his presence vanished again as the ancient Toren's spirit went dormant. Micheal noted all of his reactions, tucking them away to review later.
After it left, the effects of its Dragonfear gradually faded away. Soon, wheezing gasps and cries overtook Micheal’s party as half of them collapsed to the ground, arms and legs trembling.
If you weren’t mentally prepared, experiencing Dragonfear for the first time was enough to break the mind of some people. Even for hardened experts that had gone through tough times, it was something unforgettable, in the most unpleasant way possible.
“Wh-what the hell was that?!” One of the stronger Third Rate Warriors, a black-haired Byren with a scarred face, stuttered as he spoke, his shaking voice cut with fear.
Micheal didn’t know his name, or anyone except the Guide’s name, but that wasn’t exactly unusual. Most people kept to themselves and held their affairs private, unless they were specifically seeking renown or honor. That hobby was typically left to famous disciples or the wealthy, though.
“…one of the legends of these mountains.” The Guide’s voice was surprisingly calm, causing Micheal’s opinion of him to go up a notch. The Byren continued,
“A deathly Dragon, risen from the grave. It's an extremely rare sight, however, and typically never seen. I’ve never had to face it in the 18 years I have served as a Guide.” As he spoke, he maintained a sense of calmness and control, giving off a feeling of complete confidence.
The Guide’s explanation, and more importantly, how he gave it, served to calm everyone down. Those that had fallen to the ground stood up and the mood lightened slightly.
“What did it want? Is it going to come back?” Another Martial Artist spoke up, a blonde-haired female Byren, her tone hushed.
“I don’t know.” The Guide shook his head. As he spoke, his voice came off slightly hoarse, an indication that he wasn’t taking this as easily as he was pretending to.
Given that no one seemed to understand what the undead Drake had yelled, Micheal took that to mean it had been talking in an ancient or foreign language, one normal Byrens would not speak. The only reason Micheal could understand it was because of the auto-translation perk Humanity’s Shop Attribute came with.
“So what do we do now? Do we turn back?” Micheal cut in, his question catching everyone’s attention.
The one thing he wanted to avoid was wasting time by returning back to Tansol City. However, the existence of this Draconic Lich presented a very real risk that Micheal could not discount.
If he went around the Dragon Mountains, he would almost certainly be too late to save Myla from being killed by the minions of the Vile King. At this point, the options he had left were very few and very dangerous.
The Guide looked forward down their path, and then looked back. His expression was hidden behind his mask, but Micheal could see the tenseness in the man’s stance.
After a few seconds, the Guide seemed to make an internal decision.
“…We’ll press on. The Drake has moved past us and it will take longer to go back than it will to continue all the way.” Almost everyone nodded when they heard his decision, but no one seemed comfortable with it. It was hard to be comfortable with any decision at all given what they had just experienced.
Yvvtal offered nothing more to Micheal, the Fallen Deity’s consciousness remaining as quiet as possible. Micheal asked the Toren a few questions anyway, but was ignored, to no avail.
Micheal grimaced slightly as he took everything in with a sigh. Things were never easy, it seemed.
A few short moments later and they began to move out, no one in a mood to rest. Their travel now took on a bit of a frantic, but still furtive, rush as they resumed journeying through the Tansol Pass.
Two and a half hours remained.
.
Chapter 31
Time seemed to pass by at a crawl.
With Hanben leading them, their pace actually increased a small amount. The air was full of tension, something that was palpable to even the least observant members of Micheal’s group.
The sounds of wildlife had long since faded. At the start of their journey, Micheal had been able to pick up the noises that regular animals made as they grazed on grass or plants, travelled from one area to another, and in general just existed.
Mystical mountainous areas or Magic Forests weren’t solely inhabited by Magic Beasts, after all. The vast majority of their inhabitants would be regular animals, though even regular animals were stronger than average if they grew up here.
The path they followed now, however, was almost dead silent. Not a peep could be heard, from even a stray goat or crying bird.
The only creatures still making noise at this point were small, random insects, an irritant that existed even in this magical realm.
By now, an hour and a half had passed since they first interacted with the undead Drake. In that time…
The Dragon had flown past them 5 times.
Its presence was uniquely horrifying each time it flew by. The Dragonfear it instilled wasn’t something one could grow used to; it shocked Micheal’s group to the core. By this point, half of the group was a nervous wreck, only capable of moving forward because of the rest of the group’s urging.
Each time it flew by, the Dragon yelled for a Toren to come out. Micheal’
s necklace continued to be activated again and again, gradually giving him a small headache, but still working.
His heart plummeted every time the Drake passed them, a feeling of helplessness settling upon his shoulders.
If the Dragon noticed them, there was almost nothing Micheal could possibly do to escape it. It was incredibly frustrating to have to weather this. If he had known this would happen, he likely would’ve put off looting Yvvtal’s Inheritance until after he saved Myla.
“One hour left, everyone. Keep holding it together, we’re almost through.” The Guide’s voice was a hushed whisper as he waved at everyone, catching their attention.
They had just entered a small, open valley, following alongside a gentle stream. The undead Dragon had passed by roughly 35 minutes ago, meaning it could return at any point.
Micheal nodded as the Guide spoke, his eyes cool.
All things considered, everything hadn’t gone that horribly. While this was a harrowing experience, the Dragon’s presence prevented any Magic Beasts from making a move on them, transforming their journey into a surprisingly safe one. Well, safe if you ignored the huge Dragon.
Initially, the Dragon had simply flown around angrily roaring. In its last couple of passes, however, the Drake had made several attacks, launching meteors of black fire from its mouth at anything that dared to move or make a noise while it was present.
Thankfully, it hadn’t noticed Micheal’s group. That, or even if it had, it wasn’t annoyed enough to take them out as long as they lay low.
With that said, there was only a single hour left until they could escape these mountains.
In Micheal’s previous life, this undead Drake had never before left the Dragon Mountains, even during times where it had chased a group of warriors that had antagonized it. Given that, Micheal thought it likely it was unable to leave these mountains for whatever reason, perhaps because of some type of magical curse that a Toren had hit it with. That would explain its current obsession with finding a Toren.
As long as he could survive another hour, he would be fully in the clear.
“This way!” The Guide waved for everyone to follow him as he began to jog alongside a stone trail that led out of the valley they’d entered a few minutes ago.
Time continued to drip by.
10 minutes… then 20 minutes… then 30 minutes…
Micheal couldn’t see the edge of the Dragon Mountains, but he could feel a layer of excitement settle upon the group as they got closer and closer to the end of their journey. Unfortunately, the north end of the Tansol Pass didn’t have a special, man-made cave allowing easy access in and out, meaning they had to brave the open.
When they were roughly 23 minutes away from the end of the Dragon Mountains, as most of the group was beginning to feel optimistic about their chances, something finally happened.
Micheal’s group had just moved over from one trail to another, following a rather rocky path that had meandered up and down the lower half of a mountain. Just as they clambered upon a low stone outcropping, they saw, farther up the path, something rather unexpected.
Another group, led by a Guide.
Or, rather…
Half of a group that had been led by a Guide.
Micheal counted 13 individuals, all Byrens, standing or lying on a long stone outcropping. Several of them were groaning in pain, cradling broken bones, while the rest remained silent or talked quietly.
Among the remnants was a group of 6 warriors dressed in all black, a man and a woman dressed in green leather armor, the latter carrying a young child that was wrapped in a grey shroud, a trio of female warriors wearing stained brown leather, and a horribly burned monk wearing brown robes that had partially fused with his flesh.
As for the other half of their Group, including their Guide…
A solid half of their stone outcropping had been obliterated, melted rock and earth melding together in a messy lump that was still steaming. All signs of the other members of their party were completely absent, incinerated in a huge, flaming meteor cast by the undead Drake.
“A-a-another Guide!” The moment Micheal’s team crossed onto the outcropping, the half-dead group spotted them. The woman carrying her child was the first to speak, her face alighting with hope.
“Thank the heavens…” The woman’s partner covered his face with his hands, his body visibly trembling with relief.
“It seems we have a chance again.” One of the three female Byrens wearing stained brown leather spoke up, her eyes glowing with hope.
“Sally up, men!” The leader of the six black-garbed warriors spoke aloud, a faintly militant air about him.
“Arrgh…” The injured monk merely groaned.
The reactions of the others were most positive. The complexions of those still living all lit up, save for the badly injured monk.
In fact, upon seeing the other group, the monk collapsed completely to the ground, lying still.
“Careful!” One among the female trio of Byrens rushed over to the downed monk, her voice full of concern. The other two quickly followed behind, their eyes alert.
After a few seconds, the first Byren shook her head sadly.
“Brother Bontu’s dead.” The remnants of that group of Byrens collectively sighed, a morose mood overtaking everyone. The six warriors dressed in black all deeply bowed their heads, as did the two parents. The trio of female warriors clasped their hands together and nodded, performing a ritualistic gesture that indicated great respect among some Byrens.
Micheal took this all in stride, a frown appearing on his face as he began to plan ahead.
“Everyone, keep remaining calm. You all will merge with our group, but you need to obey my orders and follow what I say.” Micheal’s Guide also took things in stride, instantly taking command.
The members of the other group all nodded, speaking a few quiet words of appreciation.
“Sir Guide, we’ve got many injured. Is there any chance we can take a break for a-” The mother of the child began to speak, her voice compassionate.
Hanben interrupted her,
“We’re almost out of these mountains, everyone will need to bear with their injuries for now. Our immediate safety is far more important.” He waved off her worries as he began to gather everyone up.
Micheal eavesdropped as he heard the group explain what had happened to the Guide.
The undead Drake had passed by them several times, just as they had Micheal’s group. However, on its last pass, the Dragon had coincidentally flown over them at the same time that a Low-Tier Magic Beast had found the group.
The Magic Beast, a Red-Fanged Magpie, had struck out in fear and rage, unable to cope with the rampant Dragonfear. It hadn’t made much noise, but it was enough to attract the undead Drake’s attention.
The Dragon had responded by sending a ball of deathly, black flames crashing down on the group, directly killing half of them, as well as the Low-Tier Magic Beast.
The monk in this group, Brother Bontu of the Solar Brotherhood, a small Sect, had used a special Martial Art that created a small shield of white light to protect the latter half of the group. His technique had been enough to stave off the brunt of the attack. Unfortunately for him, it was a technique that required he stand outside of the shield to activate it.
His sacrifice allowed the latter half of the group to live, but at the cost of his own life. It was a tale of heroic bravery and selflessness, a story that truly lived up to the expectations of honor that guided Byren society.
The fact that the monk had been able to partially block such a powerful attack and protect so many, even if it had been a casual, non-serious attack from the Drake, just went to show the incredible potential the Martial Artists of the Second Layer held within them.
It took only a few short moments for everyone to get ready. No one wasted any time as they began to set out once more, rushing to leave the Dragon Mountains as quickly as possible.
Micheal’s heart grew
cold, however, as he reached an unfortunate conclusion.
The Dragon had passed by their group several times already, scanning each area of the Dragon Mountains over and over. The current gap between sightings was now the longest it had taken to reappear yet.
With that thought in mind, Micheal began to plan more actively as he studied their expanded group, readying himself… just in case.
And, sure enough, around 7 or 8 minutes later…
The air began to tremble.
The atmosphere began to darken. Energy seemed to flutter as a wash of emotions began to slam into almost everyone present. Terror, horror, rage…
Fear.
The undead Dragon had returned for one final pass.
Its massive, boney body glittered with darkness as it soared high in the sky, roaring out continuously in anger. Micheal’s Artifact continued to remain activated, glowing faintly under his shirt.
All this continuous activation had begun to strain not only Micheal’s mind and Soul, but also the Artifact itself.
The Aura Nullification Necklace was a very powerful Artifact, one of the best for its relatively cheap price. However, the sheer power difference between Micheal and the undead Dragon was rather extreme, especially given how close it now was.
Micheal could tell that the necklace was reaching its limits. He had gone well beyond what it was built to handle, considering his Soul stat. The Artifact wasn’t strained enough to start cracking, but it was dangerously close to the breaking point.
They hadn’t made it far from where they had picked up the new group. They moved from one mountain to another, following a similar rocky trail, but that was it. When the Drake began to appear this time, they had found themselves precariously perched on a thin stone outcropping, with little to no cover.
Almost as one, everyone fell to the ground, holding themselves as still as possible. The Dragonfear that began to blast into everyone had the added benefit of preventing almost everyone here from moving beyond basic trembling or shaking, meaning no one was able to make any flashy, attention-drawing actions.