Chapter 318: The Promised Land

“You...You smell like an elf.”

“And you’re just as strange. In fact, I’d say you’re even stranger than me. You have the scent of an elf, yet also that of a dragon. And your body is human... How is it possible to possess the power of all three at once?”

Atop the wyvern, ordinary people would barely be able to raise their head, but those riding the creature now faced the wind with utmost ease.

“Who knows? Maybe I’m actually a dragon rather than a human,” Miliana whispered. “Dragons can shapeshift, after all. You should be careful. Some say the elves disappeared because they were sacrificed to dragons.”

“The Queen of the South also has her moments of nonsense, it seems.” Alteman, whose hood covered his ears and hair, gave a bitter smile in response.

There were four people riding the wyvern—Karyl and Aidan, who had departed from the north, as well as Alteman and Miliana.

“Don’t be ridiculous. But Miliana, are you sure it’s okay to leave the southern army behind and come alone?” Karyl intervened after sensing the sudden tension brought on by her provocative remark.

“Kinu is there, and my siblings are leading the troops. The moment orders are given, they’re ready to move. Besides, the Five Great Families have already joined us along with the tribes from the Great Plains, so you could say the south is fully prepared.”

“Huh, that was quick.”

“Of course. Even though we’re at the bottom of the continent, we intend to be the first to reach the empire.”

Karyl gave a slight chuckle and nodded at her words.

“Are you really planning to raid the lair of the Platinum Dragon? Most of the dragons on the continent are in hibernation, but Narh Di Maug is different. Though he hasn’t made any significant moves so far, his recent emergence has proven that he’s active. His lair won’t be like the others.”

“I know. A few years ago, I went to the lair of Riseria, the Flame Dragon.”

“And what about traps and seals?”

“They were still in place. That’s where I obtained the Ein trigger.”

Miliana’s question mirrored everyone’s concern—how dangerous would the lair of an active dragon be, given that even the one of the dragon that had died 250 years prior had proven to be treacherous.

“You’re not scared, are you?”

“Wh-Who said I was?!” Miliana snapped, embarrassed by Karyl’s remark.

“Kaye Aesir, the first dragonslayer, hunted the Flame Dragon 250 years ago. Compared to that, we have one of his former companions, the Queen of Digon, who’s risen to the rank of Sword Master, and an assassin skilled in traps and hidden weapons. Not to mention...”

Karyl then pointed at himself.

“Most importantly, you have me. Alteman, do you think I’m weaker than Kaye Aesir?”

“When you put it that way, compared to 250 years ago, isn’t this quite the team?” Alteman said with a bitter smile, shrugging. "If the Platinum Dragon’s waiting for us in his lair, we might as well capture him and take all his scales too.”

“You guys...”

Miliana shook her head, but Karyl’s constant, unwavering confidence inspired such trust in her that she couldn’t say anything more. It was this very confidence that had enabled him to lead an army of over a million, including the various tribes and barbarians.

The lair of the Platinum Dragon.

It was located on a small island, further south from the Eastern Land.

The archipelago around the sea south of the Fonein River was particularly strange. Despite the violent waves crashing in the surrounding ocean, the waters around the islands remained unnaturally calm.

From the outside, the islands seemed perfectly suited for human habitation. The seas were serene, and reaching the islands themselves from the mainland wasn’t difficult. Moreover, the soil and climate were so favorable that trees grew to about 1.5 times the size of those on the continent, and ancient mythical plants like the Hapap grew there as well.

And yet, for hundreds of years, no human had ever set foot on this land. Despite their beauty, every island—large and small—harbored a den of monsters, each one classified as A-rank or higher.

Much like the Ghost Castle, this archipelago was regarded as a forbidden zone, thought to be an impregnable place that no one could ever reach.

“The smell of the sea is pungent.”

“We’re nearing the waters, my lord. The Eastern Land should have prepared a ship for us. Along with the Snakel unit that will be joining us,” Aidan reported.

“Phew... I can finally rest a bit,” Miliana sighed, relief washing over her as she shook the sticky collar of her shirt.

Although they had been flying on a wyvern, the consecutive days of travelling without any rest felt like a grueling, forced march.

“Get as much rest as you can on the ship. Once we arrive, there won’t be any time for breaks. This might be the last time you’ll get to clean up until we return from the island.”

“I don’t even want to think about it...” Miliana shook her head.

“Well, you could’ve just waited for me in the south, reorganizing the troops.”

“No,” she responded flatly to Karyl’s chiding. “I already went up to the north to meet you. Now you want me to wait again? I’d rather go with you, whether it’s to a dragon’s lair or anywhere else.”

Miliana’s words prompted a chuckle from Karyl.

Besides the Platinum Dragon and the extinct Flame Dragon, there were three other dragons remaining on the continent.

The leader of the dragons, known as the successor of the Golden Dragon Toska, was the Gold Dragon Enuma Elashi. Below him, the Red Dragon Python resided in the eastern parts of the northern region, and facing him was the Green Dragon Cruah who resided in the northwestern part of the southern region.

Like all dragons, these three were also rulers of the continent, wild and fierce. Although they viewed humans as weak and insignificant, they shared one trait with them—they never trespassed on the island where the Platinum Dragon’s lair lay. Because of this, people came to call it the Promised Land.

Swish, swish—

As the wyvern flapped its wings and descended, a massive ship came into view, anchored on the beach. The ship was black as if painted with coal, and those waiting near it were dressed in black as well.

“We’ve been waiting.”

As Karyl dismounted from the wyvern, one of the people aboard the ship clasped her hands in greeting and pulled back her hood.

“It’s been a while,” Karyl greeted.

The woman, her long hair swaying gently in the breeze, shuddered at his words.

“You recognize me.”

“Of course. There are many secret techniques in the Burning Darkness. Though your appearance has changed, the aura you give off remains the same.”

Looking at him, Zouk De Holde reported, “The Snakel unit, directly under the Burning Darkness, has gathered.”

“You know where we’re headed, right?”

“Yes, I’ve been briefed.”

“And you know this isn’t an order, right?”

At that, Zouk De Holde smiled faintly. “The Burning Darkness follows without question. Order or not, we shall carry out your will.”

“We’re about to raid a dragon’s lair, and you seem to be taking this whole situation lightly. What, are you having fun out of this?”

“...Excuse me?”

“I’m telling you to stay sharp. Now move, I need to wash up.”

Miliana, clearly irritated, shoved past Zouk De Holde, their shoulders brushing. A grin tugged at Karyl’s lips as he watched her retreating form. He then gently patted the exhausted wyvern on the cheek.

“Grrrr...”

The red wyvern growled softly.

“You worked hard carrying the four of us all the way here. Go back and wait. We’ll call for you and your companions soon.”

As though it understood Karyl’s words, the wyvern dipped its head before soaring to the skies with a mighty flap of its wings.

“Set sail” Aidan shouted, and the massive sails unfurled, catching the wind as the ship surged forward.

Whoooosh―!!

The waves split beneath the ship, echoing with a refreshing sound.

Rumble... Rumble...!!

However, it wasn’t long before the sky was swallowed by thick, dark clouds. The weather shifted abruptly, as if a storm could erupt at any moment.

“What's going on? There’s never been a single cloud before,” the helmsman of the Burning Darkness remarked, his surprise evident as the atmosphere shifted the moment they neared the island, which had always been untouched by clouds.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Why do you think that is?” Aidan inquired.

“The island is rejecting us. We’re entering a forbidden zone, a place even dragons avoid.”

“...”

As expected of someone from the Burning Darkness, the initial shock on the helmsman's face vanished, replaced by a deadly calm as the aura of a trained killer settled around him.

Tap—

Aidan lightly tapped his shoulder.

“Whatever you do, don’t lose your grip on the helm.”

Crack!

At that moment, blood erupted in all directions around the ship. Something beneath the sea was thrashing about, and occasionally torn chunks of flesh leaped into view above the water.

“Stay alert!” Karyl shouted as sharp-toothed fish flopped onto the deck.

At that moment, the Snakel soldiers, as if waiting for the signal, instantly dismantled the monsters that had sprung up.

“We won’t need to worry about such insignificant creatures,” Zouk De Holde said, crushing the jaws of one of the carnivorous fish with her bare hands.

Though her frame appeared delicate, she had used a shapeshifting technique to harden her arms, making them as strong as steel.

“There sure are a lot of welcoming parties,” Aidan remarked, kicking one of the dead fish off the deck.

Then, a piercing roar suddenly struck their ears.

“Ghhhraaaaa...!!”

The body of the monster, just hurled overboard, was snatched up, and in that instant, a massive maw shot toward Aidan.

“Move!”

Unlike before, the Snakel soldiers, sensing the danger, all drew their swords at once, leaping into action with tense expressions.

“A wyvern...?!”

Zouk De Holde murmured in disbelief, her eyes trembling as she identified the massive creature casting a dark shadow across the sky.

“Kuh?!”

Aidan swiftly used Shrinking the Earth to evade the wyvern’s gaping maw, while the Snakel unit unleashed hundreds of sharp needles from behind. But with a single flap of its wings, the wyvern deflected all the projectiles.

“It’s blocking mana attacks?”

“What in the world...”

“Not even the Wyvern Squadron could do that...”

The Snakel soldiers stared at the creature in disbelief.

“This one is wild. I thought they were nearly extinct... So they were living in a place like this?” Alteman remarked, drawing his flexible sword as he studied the massive wyvern’s scales and frame.

“Look at those scales and its sheer size. It’s on a completely different level from the ones bred by the principality with dragon blood. Even without magic, its physical capabilities are almost on par with a dragon’s.”

As he infused magic into his sword, the soft blade straightened and became razor-sharp.

“There’s not just one of those things. Look, the sky is full of them... It’ll be tough for them.”

Though the Snakel unit was an elite force from the Eastern Land, Alteman, who had lived through the era of magical warfare, didn’t see them as much of a threat.

But just as he was about to charge at the wyvern clinging to the deck, Karyl stopped him.

Boom!!!

“See? That’s why I said we didn’t need to bring so many weaklings. They just talk too much.”

Suddenly, the ship tilted violently to one side as the wyvern’s jaws crashed into the deck.

“A wild wyvern? Karyl, are you saying this thing is better than your wyvern?”

Miliana swept her wet hair from her face, drawing her sword from the scabbard strapped to her thigh. With one swift motion, she pressed her foot firmly against the wyvern’s head.

“That’s what they say,” Karyl replied with a shrug.

Seeing the wyvern get knocked out cold with a single blow, Alteman couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief.

“Really?”

At that moment, a strange surge of mana radiated from Miliana, and her eyes turned a shimmering silver before returning to normal.

“Then I guess I’ll tame one too,” she murmured, a grin of delight flickering on her face.