The World Channel was still in chaos. Randomization of the Stars had just recruited the Valkyrie, and the King's Campaign was gaining traction. Notifications scrolled by like fireworks. But Dawei didn't care.
Let them run wild, he thought. I've got bigger problems.
He opened his map.
[Location: Unknown Area]
Not even a name. Dragon City wasn't on the global map—it was part of a hidden high-end region, only accessible through special means.
Dawei stood alone in a snowy field that stretched endlessly under a gray sky. But when he looked up—
His jaw dropped.
There, high above the clouds, floated a massive citadel of obsidian and steel. Towers like spears. Floating islands circling it like moons. Magic pulsating in the air.
Dragon City… wasn't on the ground.
It was in the sky.
Dawei stared upward, squinting against the glare of the sun reflecting off the floating fortress. "...This is bullsh—!"
He cut himself off, then opened his quest log, already expecting the worst.
[Quest: Enter Dragon City]Black Dragon Invasion – Stage 1: Gain access to Dragon City.
He laughed bitterly. "Oh, sure. 'Enter Dragon City.' Real simple. Just fly. No big deal."
Then he sighed.
"Candice… I believed in you. I believed in the thighs of justice. But this… this is betrayal!"
Before he could rage further—
[System Prompt: You are being attacked by a Lost Flying Dragon!]
Perfect.
As if getting dropped in no-man's-land wasn't bad enough, the icy plains were crawling with flying mobs—lost wyrmlings and wild flame drakes that roamed in hunting packs.
No time to cry. If he couldn't enter the city yet, then he might as well do what any level 1 legend would do:
Grind.
He had no real weapon equipped. So he pulled out one of his treasured items from his god-tier collection:
[Dark Edge] – SS-Rank WeaponType: DaggerAttack +30%, Attack Speed +4, Break Resistance +20%
An artifact-level dagger. All percentage boosts—meaning the stronger he got, the deadlier it became.
His stats were still suppressed at level 1, but his equipment didn't care.
Dawei engaged the incoming mob.
–1–1–1
Then—
[Critical! –7][Weapon Break Triggered! –5][Lifesteal Activated +2 HP][HP Regen +1]
[System Prompt: You are absolutely lucky!][You've slain the Lost Flying Dragon. EXP +30]
Dawei stared at the corpse as it faded into glimmering particles.
"That's it? All this power, and I'm getting 30 EXP like a newbie farmer. I really am the god of overkill."
He sighed, but analyzed the numbers anyway. The base attack for a level 1 player was 1. Most players would be swinging once every 2 seconds. Even with the system's nerf dragging his stats to "fair" values, his dagger gave him +4 attack speed, meaning his strikes were four times faster than average.
One slash every half second.
Pair that with high crit, break effects, and lifesteal—and Dawei was an unkillable blender. He was a literal level 1 chainsaw.
Still, he couldn't enter Dragon City. So he kept grinding.
And then, luck struck again.
[System Prompt: You've obtained 1x Contribution Medal Fragment.]
[Contribution Medal Fragment]Collect 100 fragments to forge a complete Contribution Medal.A full medal grants access to Dragon City.Note: Dropped exclusively by Black Dragon Legion monsters.
Dawei raised a brow.
"No gold. No loot. Just medal pieces. So the dragons are running some kind of proof-of-loyalty system?"
He looked around the frozen plains. Wyrmlings, drakes, and other creatures wandered aimlessly. From the item's description, it was clear: the Dragon Clan was at war with itself.
No wonder Candice called it the Black Dragon Invasion. Internal civil war. Chaos brewing. And the human kingdom was already marching in. This was a powder keg—and Dawei was stuck outside the front gate.
He sighed, rolling up his sleeves.
"Guess it's grind time."
Two hours later...
Dawei had clawed his way to Level 4. Even with his speed, the EXP gains were abysmal. Most mobs dropped only a single fragment, if that. Players on forums had always ranted about the game's punishing progression.
Now he knew why.
"Five seconds per mob, two hours straight, and I just finished the damn medal."
[System Prompt: Contribution Medal Complete. Use it to enter Dragon City? Yes / No]
He hit Yes instantly.
A beam of golden light enveloped him.
[System Prompt: Teleportation – Destination: Dragon City – In Progress…]
He landed with a heavy thud.
Inside a massive subterranean chamber, the walls carved from volcanic obsidian. Crystals glowed faintly overhead. Heat radiated from deep vents in the floor. And at the far end of the cave—
A massive shadow shifted.
Two blood-red eyes stared at him.
A massive dragon head rose from the gloom, regal and terrifying.
The Red Dragon Queen – Idara.
[System Prompt: Current Location – Red Dragon Queen Idara's Lair.]Faction Diplomacy Status: Neutral Hostility (Indifferent)
Dawei swallowed hard.
"This… isn't quite what I pictured."
So Dragon City wasn't actually where dragons lived. It was a fortified aerial stronghold, more of a gateway for travelers and emissaries. The dragons themselves lived apart—each clan ruling from their own ancestral caves and elemental temples.
He'd been sent directly into the lair of the Red Queen herself.
Idara's massive head lowered slightly. Her gaze was cold but curious. She didn't speak—yet.
Dawei knew better than to blurt out words.
He lowered his eyes slightly in respect.
"This is gonna be... interesting.