"Whoaaah… That was close."
A swordsman wielding a golden sword narrowly dodged the deadly razor winds unleashed by the Crystal Dragon. That man was Marcus, the adventurer who had approached Mayu earlier. His ultimate goal was to become a knight, securing a recommendation from Rebecca in exchange for completing the subjugation quest.
"My appraisal skill isn't working against this monster… So it's either a higher level than me or has an ability that conceals its stats," Marcus muttered, gripping his sword tightly as he prepared for the dragon's next attack.
"Marcus, this dragon is tough… None of our elemental skills are working!" Ellen, the mage of the party, called out.
"It must have resistance to elemental attacks," Marcus reasoned. "Using magic against it is a waste."
The entire party had now drawn the Crystal Dragon's attention. Its crimson eyes burned with fury, still seething from its battle against Mayu. Now enraged, it sought to destroy everything in its path.
From a distance, the dragon conjured a skill that made massive crystal pillars erupt violently from the ground.
"Jump!" Marcus shouted.
The team reacted instantly, leaping away and taking cover behind the rocky mountains nearby.
Marcus's party, known as "Golden Sword," was not widely recognized in Grandellia's eastern region. However, their reputation was solid in other continents due to their remarkable feats. They had even fought on the front lines against the Demon King's army. Each member was above level 50—an impressive achievement for a human.
"The dragon is still searching for us… Are we safe?"
"No need to worry," Roku, the team's shielder, reassured them. "I activated my Safeguard skill to conceal our presence. Even if the dragon has a scanning ability, it won't be able to detect us."
"Seems like your plan worked, Marcus," Gill, another swordsman, added.
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You misled the other adventurers by convincing them to take a different route. You also had Aileen and Ellen cast Sleep magic on the adventurer squads so they couldn't advance further into the eastern mountains."
"Oh, that? Well, they clearly weren't suited for this mission," Marcus replied. "I was hoping no one would die, but some greedy bastards didn't listen and got themselves killed."
"You mean those adventurers?" Ellen referred to the brutally slain individuals nearby.
"Yeah," Marcus confirmed. "They weren't part of Rebecca's chosen group. They were rogues and bandits who thought there was treasure in the east mountain. A rumor spread in town about a newly discovered dungeon here."
"So that explains why people were here before us," Aileen mused. "But what about that little girl?"
"That girl…" Marcus's expression darkened. "Before we arrived, I sensed a powerful battle. I thought it was her. But when we got here, she was gone."
"Maybe she was eaten alive or is already dead," Aileen muttered.
"I hope that's not the case," Marcus said, clenching his fist. "She's too young to die. Children are the future. If I couldn't protect her, I wouldn't forgive myself."
Suddenly, the Crystal Dragon let out a furious roar and unleashed its fire breath, engulfing the entire mountain area in flames.
"This is bad! It's attacking everything!"
"It's coming our way!"
Without hesitation, Roku stepped forward. "Giant Barrier!" he chanted.
A massive golden shield of pure mana materialized, blocking the raging flames.
"We have to take that monster down before it kills someone," Marcus declared.
"Agreed!" the rest of the party responded in unison.
"Protecting everyone is a knight's duty, after all!" Marcus roared as they charged.
"Aileen, cast a debuff spell! Ellen, enhance us!" Marcus commanded.
"Hex!" Aileen chanted, her staff glowing ominously.
Particles of light rained down on the team as Ellen opened her grimoire and chanted, "Blessing of the Divine!" Their stats surged.
"Physical formation, Gill!" Marcus signaled.
With a nod, the two swordsmen dashed forward, their blades shimmering with power.
"Golden Slash!"
"Moonlight Piercer!"
Their attacks landed, striking the Crystal Dragon in tandem. The beast roared in pain, but they knew it wasn't enough.
With relentless precision, Marcus and Gill continued their onslaught, their attacks a blur. Aileen focused on weakening the dragon, while Ellen sustained their buffs.
"We're going to shatter that crystal hide of yours!" Marcus shouted as his sword radiated golden energy.
"Ultimate Sword Skill: Judgment Golden Slash!"
Gill followed up. "Ultimate Sword Skill: Starlight Burst!"
A flurry of slashes pierced the dragon's defenses. Cracks formed across its once-impenetrable scales.
"Not enough!" Marcus gritted his teeth.
Aileen and Ellen chanted, pouring their remaining mana into Marcus and Gill.
"Thank you," Marcus said, feeling his energy replenished.
"Ultimate Sword Skill: Judgment Golden Slash!"
"Ultimate Sword Skill: Starlight Burst!"
Their blades struck again. The Crystal Dragon let out a piercing wail before collapsing, sending a shockwave through the battlefield. Resulting for a cloud of a thick cloud of dust.
"Did we get it?" Aileen asked hesitantly.
"Whoa! You two did an amazing job!" Ellen cheered.
"We can't celebrate yet," Roku said, wary. "There's no experience gain. That means it's not over."
"Your such a boring man Roku…." Ellen said. "Little praise for our attackers won't hurt."
Before they could react…
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Impressive… for mere humans."
A thin young man emerged from the shadows. He had bat-like wings, gray skin, white hair, and piercing red eyes. His jet-black horns confirmed his a demon.
The demon appeared out of no where Both swordsman surprised and immediately turned there body to the demon.
"?!"
Marcus and Gill instinctively attacked.
Their sword didn't hit anything.
The demon smirked, effortlessly dodging as he soared into the sky.
"I came to praise you for making my job easier, and you attack me? Humans truly are foolish creatures. You should know the difference in our power already."
"If you're not here to help, leave," Marcus snapped.
The demon's expression darkened. "You dare tell me to shut up?" He exhaled, regaining his composure. "Well, no matter…"
In an instant, Marcus's leg was severed.
Gill's arm flew.
"?!"
"You see, humans," the demon chuckled, flexing his elongated claws. "I am merciful. Normally, I would kill you. But today, I'll spare you. That's how merciful I am."
The other three member of the Golden sword party rush in rescue for Gill and Marcus.
"Marcus… Gill… Are you two okay?" Aileen and Ellen both cast a healing and regeneration skill to heal the two swordsman.
Roku in front held his big shield to protect his friends from the demon.
"Please don't look at me with such angry eyes… I'm merciful and thankful after all. Because of your teams effort It won't be hard for me to get the body of the legendary crystal dragon."
"Stay away from us…" Roku said.
"Those eyes… Scary, but I'm not interested. I'm not here to kill humans after all. I won't spare you an energy."
The crystal dragon that was taken down get up and release a eye piercing roar.
"The dragon is still energetic, but I could tell the severe damage this two swords man inflicted. I'll finish the job myself… If you wanted to run, run as fast as you can. I'm not going after you, because I'm a merciful demon after all."