It wasnt hard to find Traukas lair.

He was the one who built his lair openly even during the Age of Oblivion.

If there was a place that didnt belong to the Overgeared World even though it was on the West Continent, then it was a dragons lair. And among them, the largest and least secretive one was Traukas lair.

***

The scenery of the mountain range, which had never been seen on a map, was mysterious. Hundreds of eastern dragons seemed to be wandering around it.

Going to the lair to collect minerals and going to the lair to kill a dragon, Grid muttered as he stared at the mountains.

He had been talking non-stop since a while ago. Nefelinas spirit was already nervous and sensitive. Then it gradually became fierce because of this. She wondered, Why do you keep talking to yourself?

How am I talking to myself when you are next to me?

Were you talking to me? I dont think you said that while hoping for an answer...

You shouldve answered it wisely. This is proof that your social skills are lacking. If you have decided to live a human life, then you should work harder.

I-Is that so...?

Even if she was aware of all types of providence from the moment she was born, this was still only knowledge before experience was added. Grids opinion was that it wasnt much different from those who were locked in a small room and only read books.

The young Nefelina was bound to be at a disadvantage against Grid.

Why am I making fun of her?

Grid gradually felt sorry and shut up. He had regained his sanity since he saw that Marie Rose and his colleagues were safe. However, it made him even more afraid. It was a situation in which he had to face dozens of dragons. He felt certain that he would die.

However, there were things people should do. A farmer should harvest crops, a painter should paint, a person with a purpose should study, couples should love each other, etc. Grid also had a job to do, and it was something that only Grid could do. So he was trying to overcome his fears...

Lets go. Grid eventually moved. It was toward a point where six particularly majestic mountain peaks were concentrated. It was the most central of all the places that could fully contain Traukas huge body, so he thought Trauka would be there.

It was as he expected.

[You have left the Overgeared World.]

From the moment he entered the mountain range, the correction effect of the Overgeared World disappeared. He entered a huge cave and a starry sky opened up in front of him.

[You have entered the lair of Fire Dragon Trauka.]

The gray landscape disturbed his view. Lava gushed out like a tsunami and hardened. A strangely shaped basalt was decorating the place.

It is hot... Grid looked up at the ceiling and murmured after taking a moment to contemplate the view of the endless expanse in the cave. He was anxious because he didnt know when the strangely shaped rocks hanging from the ceiling would turn into lava again and pour down.

Then there was a roar from inside the cave. He couldnt help wondering if there were dark clouds producing thunderstorms in there. Grids expression hardened as he moved while warily watching the strangely shaped rocks on the ceiling shaking from the roar.

Surprisingly, Nefelina relaxed. It is just snoring.

This...? Trauka must be sleeping well.

He is so seriously injured that it is surprising he is alive. It isnt strange if he doesnt recognize intruders.

I was going to wait for Faker.

Grid was waiting for Faker to log in and then leave the assassination to him.

Of course, assassination is meaningless.

The purpose was to attract the attention of the dragons...

Grid slapped himself on the face so he wouldnt forget this. Nefelina stared blankly at the sight. Her eyes were filled with doubt. Then they widened like she realized something.

Did you lose your mind?

...Isnt it too much to treat me like a crazy person just because I slapped myself on the cheek?

You have been weird since you said you would go and attack an Old Dragons lair. You were weird when talking to yourself, and weird when talking to yourself while saying you werent talking to yourself.

She is doing this while claiming that she is siblings with Lord?

Grid clicked his tongue while comparing the appearance of his wonderful son, who never spoke back to him, with Nefelina before him. Then he suddenly became engulfed in a new sense of anxiety.

What if my new children are influenced by Nefelina?

If a child was born who was rude and threw tantrums at his fathers words... it would be pretty sad...

It was just like this.

Grid had been moving in a very leisurely manner to the point of not thinking about anything since entering Traukas lair. He moved so slowly that it seemed like he would lose when racing against a turtle. It was because he was certain that while the owner of the lair might not be able to detect an intruder, it wouldnt be the case with the other dragons.

This meant he was buying time for the enemies to come in droves. Grids purpose was to lure all the dragons here. In technical terms, it was driving monsters in one direction.

In any case, Nefelina, dont forget that the moment I get on your back is the signal to retreat.

Yes.

Grid started explaining the operation that he had already mentioned an unknown number of times.

First of all, fight peacefully (?) with the enemies. Once things didnt seem right, board Nefelina and activate Dragon Knight. Then after making as much of a mess as possible, break through the enemy lines and escape just before the duration ended...

Nefelina understood it as Grid and her escaping together, but Grid planned to let Nefelina escape alone. He was going to fight here until he died. Once he died, he would resurrect and come back.

Then my colleagues will join me.

Grid no longer distinguished between the tower members, apostles, and members of the Overgeared Guild. Even the gods of the Overgeared World, including Zeratul, were recognized as his colleagues and friends.

The reason why he didnt tell his colleagues to recover quickly and join him...

It was because he knew they would join him even if he didnt tell them to. Thats right. They were people who would join anyway. Grid couldnt stop them. They had no choice but to fight together. In the worst-case scenario, someone would die. However, if a dragon was killed thanks to that sacrifice and the survivors gradually built up to the rank of Dragon Slayer...

Then they would truly develop the power to protect the world. In any case, there was no choice but to fight.

It is a good thing that Bunhelier is solely focused on the Goddess.

By now, Eve must be busy helping the Goddess. Seeing that she couldnt be seen at all, there was a high possibility that this was the case.

It is a pity for her as well.

She lived for Yatan all her life. Then after Yatan disappeared, she missed Yatan for the rest of her life. Now she was forced to help the Goddess in order to find Yatans whereabouts. He thought that Eve was also a person with an eventful life. She took on too many responsibilities as the first human to be created. She wasnt the one who was born first because she wanted it.

Slap!

Grid realized that his stream of consciousness was getting out of control and slapped himself again.

Before he knew it, he was inside the cave. In fact, it was correct to describe it as a dungeon. It was a complex and wide dungeon where it wouldnt be strange if hundreds of monsters appeared.

Sometimes he wandered, sometimes he stopped, and sometimes he went straight ahead without hesitation. The endlessly high and endlessly low spaces revealed the darkness inside. It was so dark that he couldnt see his hand the moment he reached out.

In the innermost area, something red like flames were flickering intermittently. It was Fire Dragon Traukas scales.

Lava was flowing through the gaps in the scales that moved every time the Old Dragon snored. It was lava that was generated innately and it healed the Old Dragon as it gradually permeated the skin of the Old Dragon, who was covered with wounds.

However, it was just a dot on a very large canvas. It couldnt be imagined how long it would take Trauka to recover. It was even said that Traukas heart was destroyed... The unseen situation inside his body must be even worse.

......

Grid examined Trauka, who showed no signs of waking up, and pulled out an anvil and hammer from his inventory.

What are you doing? Nefelina cocked her head. In fact, as far as she was concerned, the best course of action was for Grid to cut Traukas throat right away and get the energy of a Dragon Slayer. However, he took out a hammer and anvil and sat down...

Grid started to melt metal in the lava lake. It was a lake created by the lava flowing down from Traukas body.

Grid replied, I am making armor for you to wear.

All of a sudden?

Ill make you something better than what you are wearing right now. Traukas scales have been tempered by the lava from his body and are probably incredibly hard.

Isnt it better to kill Trauka than to do that?

It isnt possible. Trauka is a hostage. It makes sense to keep the hostage alive.

I see.

Nefelina imagined dragons coming from all over the continent. The reason they were heading here was to save Trauka. The moment Trauka was killed, they would scatter again. Then it would be hard to predict where they would invade the Empire.

Taang, taang, taang...

The Fire Dragon snored behind her back while in front of her, Grid was hammering. She never thought there would be a nightmare like this. Nefelina was bewildered about how such a strange scene was produced. Therefore, she decided to just laugh. Hahahat.

What...? Why are you laughing?

Production required a high degree of concentration. Grids face was drenched with sweat as he stared at Nefelina in disbelief. Laughing in a situation where she never knew when she was going to die? He felt that she was definitely an Absolute species from birth. It was because most transcendents were insane.

Indeed, well...

Grid realized anew why the transcendents and Absolutes were half-crazy. The higher up they were, the most hopeless the world became. The distorted hell, the East Continent, the No Offspring Tomb that wanted to become hell itself, the Great Human and Demon War, the betrayal of the gods, the dragons flying in the sky, etc...

There were too many trials in this world.

Someone had to be the hope. Grid had always been like this and he couldnt stop.

Thump...Thump...Thump...!

Then the sound of heavy impacts started to be heard. It wasnt an illusion. The whole dungeon shook each time and it occurred one after another. It seemed that the monsters who were born as Absolutes had arrived.

It is faster than I thought.

Grid dressed Nefelina in the small piece of armor that he had just completed.

In the meantime, the space fell silent. The noise, which had been loud enough to be heard from the entrance of the dungeon far away, had disappeared like it was all a lie.

Had the dragons retreated? No way.

Grid took the Reidan buff potions one after another and put the few remaining Gold Carriage candy into his mouth.

Step, step, step...

The sound of human footsteps was getting closer. The beings who soon came from the common entrance were dozens of dragons polymorphed into human form.

Grid wondered, Are you worried that your main bodies will destroy the lair? The guys who were eating each other just a while ago are now very considerate.

Grid, what the hell are you thinking? We are deeply grateful that you resurrected the Refractive Dragon and ended the Age of Oblivion, but why do you keep crossing a river that you shouldnt cross?

A sense of betrayal could cause anger. The pressure given off by the dragon group surrounding Grid was very fierce.

Gulp. It happened the moment when Nefelina gulped.

[Only One God Grid is writing the 30th epic.]

[The beginning of the narrative comes from the lair of the Fire Dragon.]

An epic popped up.

This stupid guy.

Grid burst out laughing.

The system-driven epicthere was no news in a situation where Grid couldve killed the Fire Dragon. It appeared now because the system was confident of Grids defeat. The system seemed to want to record the 30th epic as Grids death. It was inducing Grid to lose everything he had built up in an instant.

Will it go as you want...?

It seemed that talking to himself would become a habit.

Grid showed little concern as he used a wide-area sword dance. It wasnt arrogance or a misjudgment. Grid knew that he couldnt threaten the dragons with just a single sword dance. Even if the attack was successful, it would only cause scratches. However, the polymorphed dragons were all armed with weapons such as swords, daos, spears, and rods...

Fortunately, they were all broken.

Why are you trying to rely on human tools...? If you are going to fight, fight with your real bodies. The lair might collapse and kill Trauka, but I think it is better than you having a fistfight.

......

[......]

The dozens of dragons and the system were silent.