[You have failed the legendary quest!]

[Your relationship with the titans has been damaged.]

[The titans’ opinion of you has plummeted.]

[The titans will no longer regard you as their hero or savior.]

[The titan hunters are curious as to what human meat tastes like.]

The excitement in the surroundings died down, replaced with cold silence.

Mayor Kaldo, who had been jumping in excitement mere moments before, suddenly asked coldly, “What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t have any intention of immediately waging war against the Dragon of Destruction,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“That is quite disappointing. Are you telling us that you are not the hero we have been waiting for?” Kaldo lamented.

The titans were a combative race, and they had held strong expectations that the hero they had been waiting for would be just like them and agree to wage war against their nemesis.

“Please leave! You’re just wasting our time!” a large titan exclaimed, stepping forward threateningly. The titan seemed to be implying that they would throw the party out if the humans did not leave of their own volition.

The men responded with equally hostile expressions. Ramel glared at the titan and said, “Your hand will be cut off the moment you lay a finger on my body.”

Recifer stopped him, saying, “Ramel, be quiet for now.”

“What do you mean? Why should we just take this kind of treatment?” Ramel retorted.

“I’m curious as to how that young man will handle this situation. I’m certain he has a plan in mind,” Recifer said.

“It just seems as if he’s scamming these titans,” Ramel grumbled.

Kang Yoon-Soo said brazenly, “It would be impossible for us to defeat the Dragon of Destruction now.”

Seemingly offended, Mayor Kaldo retorted, “We also know that the Dragon of Destruction is strong, but what are you implying by ‘impossible to defeat’? Are you looking down on us titans or what?”

Kang Yoon-Soo calmly replied, “The Dragon of Destruction is hibernating right now.”

Mayor Kaldo exclaimed, clearly sounding frustrated, “All the more reason for us to wage war now! We titans are not stupid. We are well aware that we cannot defeat the Dragon of Destruction with strength alone! We have a chance while the dragon is sleeping!”

“You can’t kill the Dragon of Destruction when it’s hibernating no matter what you do,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Ha! What the hell do you even know?!” Kaldo yelled with a clear expression of annoyance, slamming the table.

Kang Yoon-Soo knew that the mayor had been completely provoked by his taunt. It was a well-known fact that shaking one’s opponent up was the most basic tactic in a negotiation. Thus, he continued, “The Dragon of Destruction lives close to this city. Do you think the dragon would have allowed the titans to keep living here if it could be killed while it was hibernating?”

Mayor Kaldo was completely worked up, replying with a scoff, “Ha! You speak as if you know how to kill the Dragon of Destruction!”

“I do,” Kang Yoon-Soo nonchalantly replied.

“W-What did you say?” Kaldo spluttered, unable to believe his ears.

“I know how to kill the Dragon of Destruction,” Kang Yoon-Soo reiterated.

“How can we believe you?” Kaldo asked, looking visibly shaken.

“Let me ask you in return. How do you think I was able to obtain the pendant of the Ignus Dragon?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“That’s because… You are… the prophesized…” Kaldo trailed off into complete silence. He was beginning to feel confused about whether Kang Yoon-Soo was really the prophesied hero or not.

Kang Yoon-Soo nodded and said, “I’m confident that we can kill the Dragon of Destruction, but it isn’t the time to wage war against it yet. The titans aren’t stupid, but the Dragon of Destruction isn’t a fool either. The dragon will certainly have put measures in place before it hibernated.”

Kaldo stared at Kang Yoon-Soo’s expressionless face for quite a while. He tapped his finger on the table, looking visibly confused about whether to believe the young man or not. Finally, he said seriously, “My body can feel that the pendant on your neck is definitely from another dragon. However, I still find it difficult to fully trust you based on that alone. Tell me, and I want to hear this from your own mouth… Are you really the savior of the titans?”

“This pendant from another dragon isn’t the only symbol I have,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“What? Are you telling me you have not one, but two symbols from dragons?” Kaldo asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

It was not only the mayor who was clearly shocked by Kang Yoon-Soo’s statement. Every single titan who had heard him stared wide-eyed with surprise as well..

A dragon’s symbol was something that proved that the individual had gained the trust of a dragon. The fact that one human had two such symbols with him was more than enough proof that he had the qualification to be the prophesied savior of the titans.

Kang Yoon-Soo nodded and said, “The other symbol is right here.”

“W-Where is it?” Kaldo asked, looking frantically around his surroundings.

Kang Yoon-Soo pointed at someone and said, “This person is the other proof.”

“M-Me…?” Shaneth murmured in surprise.

“Shaneth has inherited a fragment of the Ignus Dragon’s power. Her existence right here is my other proof,” Kang Yoon-Soo said confidently.

Kaldo’s expression suddenly turned skeptical as he said, “My blood started reacting to the pendant the moment I saw it, which is why I was able to immediately acknowledge it. However, I got no such reaction from this woman…”

“That’s because the power fragment in her isn’t complete yet,” Kang Yoon-Soo said, interrupting the mayor.

“I find that hard to believe. You will have to prove it,” Kaldo said.

“Then we will,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“How will you prove it?” Kaldo asked, raising a brow.

Kang Yoon-Soo nonchalantly replied, “Bring some lava.”

“…”

***

Shaneth entered a large cauldron filled with lava, scrutinized by dozens of gazes.

The men could not help but look at Kang Yoon-Soo respectfully as they spoke.

“To think he was a bastard who would shove his woman into a pot filled with lava just to save himself.”

“That guy… He’s absolute trash now that I think about it. I really admire and respect him.”

“I think we can trust and follow him if he’s that kind of trash. He’s not going to be one of those people who sacrifice themselves while blabbering about justice or honor, right?”

Shaneth wiped the sweat off her forehead while bathing in the lava. She said, “It’s alright, but the lava feels a bit hot. It feels like I’m taking a hot bath.”

“How the hell can a pot full of lava feel like a hot bath…?” Henrick wondered, laughing in disbelief.

Shaneth walked out of the large cauldron. Not a single strand of her hair, or even her clothes, had been burned by the lava.

Kang Yoon-Soo explained, “Titans might enjoy bathing in lava, but their clothes and hair still get burned in the process. She, on the other hand, wasn’t affected by the lava at all. That’s because of the power fragment she inherited from the Ignus Dragon.”

Mayor Kaldo thought deeply for quite a while, then sighed in resignation and said, “I understand. The fact that you avoided waging war immediately already goes against the prophecy, but we will try and trust you one more time—Savior-nim.”

[Your brazen speech has slightly repaired your relationship with the titans.]

[The titans are disappointed by your decision, but they have decided to trust you one more time.]

[However, your relationship with the titans will turn hostile if they discover the slightest hint of a lie in your words.]

[You have successfully persuaded your way out of a very difficult situation.]

[You will gain additional mastery points whenever you learn any negotiation skills.]

Kang Yoon-Soo walked up to Kaldo and said, “I wish to meet your king, the Blacksmith of Fire.”

***

The stone mountain was frighteningly tall, and the men could not help but rejoice when they neared the top.

“W-We’re almost there!” Henrick said wearily.

Iris, who was flying right beside him, smiled brightly and said, “Henrick is too weak.”

“Damn it… You flew leisurely all the way here…” Henrick muttered weakly.

Shaneth took in the view from atop the mountain for a while before saying, “The view here… is really amazing.”

Kalriven seemed to be as amazed as she was as it said, “I am moved by the fact that I can witness something like this even after my death. I thank my lord’s graciousness for letting me witness such a sight.”

It was exactly as they said. The view from atop the mountain was so beautiful that it made them briefly forget the fact that they were underground. The lava flowed gracefully like a river, albeit one that glowed bright red. The rocks stood proudly like works of art carved by Mother Nature herself.

As they were all admiring the sight in awe, however, a loud sound rang out from somewhere.

Baaaam!

An earthquake that made the entire mountain tremble reverberated across the ground. The mountain shook so violently that it became difficult to stand on it.

Baaam! Baaam! Baaam! Baaam!

The sound repeated in a fixed rhythm, and it was so loud that the people present all felt that their eardrums would burst if they did not cover their ears as tightly as they could.

Quishow screamed from within the glass bottle, “Quishow’s cool, awesome ears are about to pop! It’s all human-nim’s fault if Quishow becomes deaf!” However, no one could hear the corrupted fairy’s voice, as it was drowned out by the loud sound.

Eventually, the deafening sound stopped, and a mountain in the distance slowly began to move.

Upon witnessing such an awe-inspiring sight, the men spoke up.

“W-What’s going on?!”

“How can a whole mountain move?”

“Look properly, you fools! That’s not a mountain!”

The thing they had mistaken for a large mountain was actually the back of a Colossus. It was so big that its head nearly touched the ceiling, obscuring its face from the party’s sight. Its wrinkly back rested upon a large mountain; however, it was understandable that the men had thought its back was an extension of the mountain.

‘It’s bigger than the Colossus we saw in the Desert of Death… which means that it’s much older than that one,’ Kang Yoon-Soo thought.

Colossi would grow weaker as they aged, but a Colossus was still a Colossus whether they had gotten weaker or not. The Colossus in the Desert of Death had been old as well, but it was still strong enough to rip Ignus' wings off.

‘On top of that, this Colossus isn’t under the mind control of any other being. A Colossus that has full control over its own consciousness is much harder to deal with,’ Kang Yoon-Soo thought as he gripped a red stone. It was an item he had received from Mayor Kaldo, which would allow him to communicate with the Colossus.

“Oh, Blacksmith of Fire,” Kang Yoon-Soo called out.

The mountainous figure slowly began to turn, seemingly responding to Kang Yoon-Soo’s call. It was difficult to tell because of the sheer distance, but the party could see a pair of amber-colored eyes shining from near the ceiling.

A deep, booming voice replied loudly, “Who are you?”

Kang Yoon-Soo could sense that the corrupted fairy in the glass bottle was trembling in fear, and that the men were unable to hold in their excitement at the thought of fighting a being larger than a dragon. Meanwhile, the undead clacked their jaws as if to say that they were ready to fight to the death against the Colossus, even though they could just end up being trampled by it.

Iris shook uncontrollably from fear, and Henrick held her by the waist, looking visibly shaken as well.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo was unfazed by the Colossus, and he confidently replied, “I’m someone who killed one of your own in the Desert of Death.”

“Just tell me directly if you have a death wish,” the giant blacksmith said slowly, then lifted the tool in his hand high. It was difficult to see what the tool was due to its sheer size, but it seemed to be a hammer with complex symbols engraved on it.

The hammer came crashing down toward the party at a frightening speed, and they sensed death quickly approaching.

Suddenly, an indistinct figure stepped in front of the party and said to the blacksmith, “You should not.” 

The figure then asked, “Oh blacksmith-nim, is your hammer not for crafting, but for taking lives?”

“You have a point…” the blacksmith muttered before pulling back his gigantic hammer.

The party breathed a sigh of relief.

The indistinct figure turned around and looked at the party before asking, “I apologize for scaring you, but what business do you have with us?”

“Who might you be?” Shaneth asked.

The figure transformed into something resembling a human. She was a ghostly woman with flowing white hair, who looked somewhat like the ghost mercenaries Kang Yoon-Soo had summoned from the Mercenary Leader’s Medal.

“I am the assistant of that large man over there, and a person who died a long time ago and turned into a ghost,” the woman replied with a smile. She flew over and inspected Shaneth’s black scythe, then exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my! You used evil spirits as materials to craft your scythe!”

“Ah, you could tell?” Shaneth replied.

The ghost nodded and replied, “Yes, a weapon made from corrupted evil spirits is quite strong, but the morality of making one is somewhat questionable. Oh my… What kind of evil person would even make such a thing…?”

Shaneth stole a glance at the evil person in question.

Kang Yoon-Soo stepped forward and said, “Oh, Blacksmith of Fire. I have come to kill the Dragon of Destruction.”

“So you’re just a crazy bastard,” the blacksmith said.

“The Dragon of Destruction’s scales harden when it enters hibernation, making it impossible to kill while it’s asleep. I plan to wake the dragon up from its slumber, and I’ll need the chalice you made to do that,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“Get lost,” the blacksmith replied dismissively.

The Blacksmith of Fire started to turn his back on Kang Yoon-Soo and prepared to start working once again. None of Kang Yoon-Soo’s words could reach the blacksmith, but he had to prevent the Colossus from fully turning his back.

“Assistant-nim,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“What is it?” the ghost replied.

“What do you think of pain?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“I miss it a lot,” the ghost replied with a solemn expression. She added, “This might sound strange to you, but I really miss the sensation of pain. All objects just pass through me, since I am a ghost. I might not feel pain, but I do not feel alive either… Ah… I suddenly feel sad…”

Kang Yoon-Soo rubbed the black ring on his finger and nodded while listening to the ghost’s story before saying, “That’s a relief.”

“What do you mean by that?” the ghost asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Kang Yoon-Soo silently raised his right hand and muttered, “Soul Extraction.”

“Kyaaaaaahk!” the ghost screamed while being sucked into the Ring of Life Suppression that Nakron had left behind.

The party was shocked by Kang Yoon-Soo’s sudden, hostile action.

Henrick cried angrily, “You crazy bastard!”

Anger and shock filled the Blacksmith of Fire’s expression as he shouted, “You bastard!” His voice reverberated across the entire area and shook the stone mountains. He raised his hammer with a firm grip, exclaiming, “Do you know what you’ve just done?!”

“I do,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Grwaaaaah!” the Blacksmith of Fire shouted before swinging his hammer down.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo suddenly extended the ring he had trapped the ghost in, and the Blacksmith of Fire stopped his hammer’s descent halfway, breaking out into a cold sweat. Then, Kang Yoon-Soo casually threatened the blacksmith. 

“Why don’t you listen obediently to me if you want to save your assistant, blacksmith?”

Kang Yoon-Soo had suddenly entered a hostage situation with the Blacksmith of Fire—and he was the villain in it.