V57C4P2 – The Great War

*Kuaaagh! *

Kaybern once again unleashed Dragon Fear. However, this time the song of the bards reduced its effects.

Those who used the brazier’s effect only felt slightly afraid but recovered enough to use their skills.

“Good! We can do this.”

“Slay the dragon. The kill is mine.”

The thousand lords that would be appointed in the future were likely to be picked from the 10,000 players who used the brazier.

As many of the leaders would not be able to leave the Hermes Guild, many members felt that their own chances were even higher.

Arkhim: Do not let your guard down! Keep up the attack!

The players partic.i.p.ating in the defense of Morata knew what was coming.

Life Siphon of the Dead was a spell that forcefully drained hit points from corpses!

But now that there were no corpses left, it meant that Kaybern could not recover any more of his health pool.

“Spectators, please stand back!”

“Please evacuate this area!”

The observers hidden in each building retreated hurriedly.

Death was ordinarily one’s own responsibility, but dying in the crossfire now meant that it would aid Kaybern.

“Hurry up and position the relics!”

The players over level 400 recruited by the Mapan Council also ran busily, making hasty preparations.

The Arpen Kingdom had borrowed the relics from 22 different faiths across Versailles such as Freya’s Church based on the contribution level that the empire had reached over the continents.

The objective was to neutralize the dark magic cast Kaybern!

They placed relics around the dragon in order to heighten their divine powers.

– For humans to be this prepared!

Kaybern’s rage deepened even further. It fired consecutive magic spells and flung its tail, but there was no halt to the warriors’ advance.

The dragon’s power was absolute, but having descended into the middle of Morata meant it had chosen the worst location for battle.

Although the Hermes Guild members decreased in numbers, Kaybern’s health was also declining.

– So you humans had some hidden power. But you cannot defeat me. Everything will now disappear.

Kaybern began filling its lungs. It was preparing to unleash the most powerful offensive skill against the human resistance – Dragon Breath.

“Now!”

“Everyone concentrate until the end.”

The appointed time had arrived and the Hermes Guild members were ready.

Taking the hit from the breath straight on made survival unlikely even if players had raised their levels via the Brazier of Sacrifice. But, running was also not much different.

“Attack, attack with everything you have!”

Boemong screamed frantically and swung his dual-edged axe down on the dragon’s ankle.

The short moments after casting dark magic spells and Dragon Breath was when the dragon was in its most vulnerable state.

Bard Ray and the warriors also lifted their swords and slashed the dragon.

“Cut off its wings!”

Thousands of warriors commenced the attack on the dragon’s humongous body.

The violent attack from the guild members drove the dragon that was preparing a breath attack into a rage.

***

Weed watched the war from afar and was amazed.

“They put up one h.e.l.l of a fight.”

The battle of the Hermes Guild unfolded with many spectacular moments.

Could any other group engage in such a stormy battle against the dragon?

Their sworn loyalty for Bard Ray raised their morale greatly. Even with shattered armor and deep wounds, they continued to fight.

Of course, their having used the Brazier of Sacrifice was the ultimate reason for their resilience.

“The planning went smoothly… Things went well for now.”

Their plan was to use Morata as bait and lure the dragon to the ground.

After they wore out the dragon so that it resorted to its dark magic, the main forces would be sent in! With the warriors of the brazier as the core, they would proceed to slay the dragon.

“Certainly, I don’t think there would be any better method of dealing with a dragon.”

If it were Weed, it would have been difficult to arrange such a strategy.

A considerable number of the Hermes Guild members had to give up their lives and that was only possible because of their firm system of command.

That was a different scale compared to novice players rus.h.i.+ng in, who had very little to lose.

“If I brought just dwarves to confront the dragon, it would have been an unwinnable battle.”

The Hermes Guild forces, at least 10 times more in number, used the brazier and had plenty of support.

“If they can keep this up, it is very likely that Morata will become Kaybern’s grave.”

Weed, on the other hand, felt a bit disappointed.

It was because the dragon was caught in a trap and could not exert its full combat abilities.

Incomparable to humans, it was an unstoppable mage and a giant creature!

Even so, it was unable to display its true power.

Pale: Weed-nim, I think the Hermes Guild is going to succeed in the dragon hunt.

“It does seem that way. But that’s a dragon. It won’t go without a fight.”

Weed felt disturbed with the battle turning out seemingly all too well. In his life, the times when he had such a feeling led to the most dangerous turn of events.

“Something is very fishy…”

Pale: Is it that d.a.m.ned fate theory that you always speak of?

“I am not sure yet. It isn’t me that’s fighting, but the Hermes Guild.”

Weed thought that Kaybern falling in the hands of the Hermes Guild was the best outcome.

If the dragon is taken care of, there could be nothing that threatens Versailles for quite some time.

“But, why does it feel so off?”

Pale: Kaybern is getting ready to fire its breath.

Weed was not surprised by it. It was an antic.i.p.ated method of attack and the response from the Hermes Guild was excellent. Even with the breath attack, they will continue to fight but minimize their losses. Despite their capabilities, he couldn’t remain a bystander.

“The dragon is a being that has never been hunted down. Just in case, have the a.s.sault squad ready to engage.”

Pale: Understood.

“We don’t know just how advanced Kaybern’s dark magic is nor do we know for certain how this battle will turn out, so we must not let our guard down.”

Weed wanted the war to end with him not using the brazier if possible.

After all, human desire had no limits.

With this battle, if his level does not decline, the gains would be tremendous.

‘It would be just Bard Ray and the Hermes Guild doing all the work. This is the perfect scenario imaginable.’

It was sly and would result in a loss of honor, but stealing the final blow was a given.

***

Smokey black breath poured out of Kaybern’s mouth.

It swallowed the guild members in front and swept the buildings.

– Die!

The Black Dragon turned its head and spread its breath wide.

The Hermes Guild members tried to avoid it like jumping locusts, but they were too close.

“Evade to the side!”

“Fly up to the sky!”

The players who got away from the radius were also still in danger.

The earth melted and buildings fell apart.

The dragon’s breath was so powerful that a portion of the city disappeared without a trace.

It was difficult to calculate the damage taken by the Hermes Guild members that were close to the battle zone.

The dragon showed its power to its content by killing at least thousands.

“Push on!”

“The Horn of Advancement!”

However, after being exposed to fear repeatedly, one could grow used to it and overcome it.

The players who survived Kaybern’s breath had every right to claim that privilege.

They could desire the combat achievements that would be awarded for slaying the dragon and be known as the greatest hero.

If they could accomplish what even Weed and Bard Ray couldn’t do, their name would spread across the world.

The users of the brazier wanted victory over death.

Krobidyun and Jean and the other necromancers intervened in the battle.

“Everyone, get away. Corpse Explosion!”

“Wake, restless vengeful spirits. Take your revenge on the living and your murderers! Dead Rise.”

The bodies of the guild members who died from the breath triggered a chain explosion and doom knights began to rise from the ground.

“What the h.e.l.l are you doing?”

“The wounded could have been swept by the corpse explosion!”

The spectators from afar were full of questions, but the explosion too was one of the devices for the Kaybern hunt.

Life Siphon from the Dead was the dragon’s most powerful recovery spell.

With its merciless attack it slaughters humans and absorbs ma.s.sive amounts of health points from their dead bodies.

It was on another dimension compared to the puny amount of health points drained by the necromancers.

In the Morata Defense meeting, this was one of the topics that required countermeasures.

“The problem is that the dragon will continue recovering its health pool. No casualties is impossible while fighting against the dragon. Even if all the players use the Brazier of Sacrifice, death will be inevitable.”

“We could kill the dragon by enhancing our attacks and kill it before it gets the chance to recover… But even if we concentrate our attacks, it will be extremely difficult in such a small window.”

“The dragon’s magic resistant is innately high, so we must rely on the warriors but it will take time.”

Weed suggested a simple solution to Arkhim and Myul’s concern.

“Dark magic has a fatal weakness. We just need to exploit it well. Much like a necromancer spell, Life Siphon of the Dead requires corpses. So, we just have to blow them up.”

“Ah…”

The corpses could be purified with divine spells,but that was a much simpler method.

The general consensus deemed that the necromancers were useless in the fight against the dragon.

“Corpse Explosion! Corpse Explosion!”

The necromancers were forced to learn Corpse Explosion.

To reduce damage to the vicinity, it was better to have the novice players take part.

They blew up the corpses immediately and prevented Kaybern from recovering.

The grounds closest to Kaybern with dead guild members were especially dangerous.

Krobidyun and Jean used Undead Summon to raise doom knights in locations with many corpses.

– Master, I am at your orders.

– I am searching for the enemy.

The Doom Knights under the necromancers’ command attacked Kaybern.

They served as distractions from the front where it was most dangerous.

The Hermes Guild members only focused on the battle.

With Bard Ray leading them, they were pouncing on Kaybern that just used a breath.

‘I can do it.’

‘I can succeed in this dragon hunt.’

All of the Hermes Guild members fighting head to head alongside the support units, the a.s.sault squad that had not yet engaged and the observing players suddenly felt that victory was obtainable.

“Life that sprouts. Show me all that exists in your boundaries. View Life Force!”

Krobidyun confirmed that Kaybern’s health pool was at 54%.

– Krobidyun: It is at half health. If we keep this up, if we keep attacking, we will win!

The hearts of the guild members were completely filled with fighting spirit.

To win against the mighty dragon.

All firepower was concentrated and it wouldn’t be long before the remaining half is depleted.

Bard Ray: The world had forgotten. We are the Hermes Guild!

Bard Ray’s message appeared in the guild channel.

“Huuuwah!”

“Hermes Guild for eternity!”

The guild members in the dragon hunt all shouted in unison and charged.

(To be continued…)