Chapter 260: Era of Dragons (2)
He talked about the activated item with the party members.
The content was that if they went, the way back was unknown yet, and the difficulty might transcend imagination.
Wasn't it a domain ruled by a monster who had joined hands with an Outer God?
However, the returning reaction was vainly simple.
The Fist King blocked one nostril with a finger and blew his nose vigorously, paeng.
"You said it's dangerous there? Then even more reason for us to go together! We can't send you, Minwoo, to a death trap alone! Big Brother, isn't that right?"
The Sword Saint nodded as if agreeing.
"If by any chance we encounter that crazy Dragon Lord, what would we do? We old men have to at least grind our bones to buy some time. We have already finished our resolve."
The Divine Spear and Poison Demon also readjusted their grips on their weapons as if it were natural. Park Siwoo and Han Siah already seemed to have no intention of leaving Kim Minwoo's side, sticking close to him.
Among them, the only one frowning was the Sword Demon, Nakazawa.
'They are not in their right minds.'
Wasn't it a place that looked too good for dying a dog's death just by looking at the name?
Clearing a gate should always be judged rationally, yet they were shouting for a charge in a simple and ignorant manner.
"Hey you guys, are you crazy right now? Just looking at it..."
"Then, are you not going?"
"Then stay behind. I have no intention of forcibly taking a coward along."
When the Sword Saint turned his back without lingering attachment, Nakazawa ground his teeth.
It was a word like a curse to Nakazawa.
The word coward spat out by Seo Jinchul was even more so.
"I never said I wouldn't go!"
"If so, what is the point of whining? Do we have information, or do we know the danger?"
"If you chose to go, that's it."
The Sword Saint turned his body sharply.
Nakazawa hurriedly chased after him.
It absolutely wasn't that he was worried about Seo Jinchul.
It was just that, if his lifelong rival died vainly inside a gate, wouldn't that leave a truly bad taste in his mouth?
At least rising to the Rank 1 Swordsman spot in that way was something Nakazawa could absolutely not accept. Plus, when he stayed at the Sword Sea Pavilion, he did hear some advice about the sword from the Sword Saint...
"Just in case, do not misunderstand! I am not going because I am worried about you, Sword Saint. I just can't live with a debt as a swordsman of the Great Japanese Empire!"
"Did anyone say anything?"
"I'm just saying it is so! Hurry and lead the way, damn it!"
Because watching over your arrogant back until the end would also be my duty, Sword Saint.
Soon after, a halo of light burst out from the jewel held in Kim Minwoo's hand.
Gangwon-do Inje-gun, a deep valley within the rugged mountains.
This place, which should normally be filled only with the sound of mountain birds, was bustling with a crowd of hundreds.
It was because relay vehicles from Korea's prominent broadcasters as well as reporters from leading overseas media outlets were camping out.
"Senior, is it still far off?"
"Don't rush me. They'll come out soon. It's already been 5 hours since they entered."
At the grumbling of the junior reporter wiping the camera lens, the senior reporter sipped his coffee leisurely.
Their gazes were fixed on the deep blue vortex generated on the massive rock face, the [Dragon's Old Castle] Gate.
"Honestly, I'm not even worried. Look at the members. Sword Saint, Fist King, Divine Spear, Poison Demon... plus Japan's Sword Demon has joined. Isn't this practically a bombing squad rather than a gate raiding party?"
"True, plus the hottest Kim Minwoo is there too. It's not a matter of failure, but how quickly they clear it, right?"
"Of course. If they break the shortest clear record this time, prepare to inject a lethal dose of national pride into the article title. Something amazing."
The atmosphere was warm.
Even though it was a gate estimated to be S+ rank difficulty, a force worthy of being called humanity's strongest was deployed.
The word failure did not exist in their minds. There were even reporters betting on who would take the MVP.
A faint vibration swept across the earth.
The reporter's hand drinking coffee paused.
The liquid inside the cup was creating gentle ripples.
"...Is it an earthquake?"
"Huh? Look at the gate over there!"
Someone's urgent shout.
Everyone's gaze turned to the gate in unison.
The surface of the deep blue gate was rippling grotesquely. Like boiling lava, or a heart beating, the gate began to repeat contraction and expansion.
It wasn't a simple vibration.
The atmosphere screamed.
A storm of magic power so thick it stung the skin swirled around the gate.
"Ugh, ugh! My breath...!"
"What is this! Why is the magic power !"
The Association staff controlling the site staggered.
The ordinary reporters collapsed while bleeding from their noses.
It wasn't simple pressure.
It was a primal fear inflicted by a higher predator upon lower lifeforms.
"The measuring device! Check the measuring device!"
The on-site commander shouted, veins bulging on his neck.
The massive magic power measuring device installed in front of the gate.
It was the latest model, specially designed to measure even if an SS-rank gate, not an S-rank, appeared, in line with the recently emerged SS-rank Awakened.
The face of the official checking the monitor turned pale as a sheet.
"Hu, huh? The, the value... it's not measuring!"
"What? Is it broken?"
"No! The value... exceeded the machine's limit...!"
Alarm sounds rang out crazily.
Only red error messages were flashing on the screen where numbers should have been displayed.
"T, this is crazy! It surpassed 1 million and the measuring device bricked!"
"Cut the power immediately! It's going to explode at this rate!"
"It's already too la...!"
With a roar, the cutting-edge measuring device emitted black smoke and exploded.
Debris flew in all directions.
The site turned into chaos in an instant.
"Contact the Blue House and the Association Headquarters immediately!"
The color of the swirling gate was changing.
From deep blue to red, and finally to a pitch-black golden light that swallowed all light.
[Breaking News] Abnormal signs at Gangwon-do Inje Gate! Judged unmeasurable!
[Breaking News] On-site measuring device exploded... Magic power outside the gate continues to increase!
Internet communities and news comment sections were truly turned upside down.
―Hey, did you see the news? They said the measuring device exploded;; Is that real?
―No way, don't lie. They said the one introduced this time has specs capable of measuring even if an SS-rank gate appears.
―It's real. Watching the on-site live, the machine broke, people are bleeding from their noses, it's chaos.
―Crazy;;; So it wasn't S+ rank?
―Hey, but who are the people who went in there?
―Sword Saint, Fist King, Divine Spear, Poison Demon, Park Siwoo, Kim Minwoo...
―Wow sh*t, look at that lineup. Did they all go in?
―Plus Sword Demon Nakazawa too?
―Isn't this f*cked? If they get wiped out there, Korea and Japan are just doomed.
―Look at the gate color. Golden? Have you ever seen something like that?
―No, did they touch something weird inside? Does this make sense?
―Isn't it a problem even if they escape? If they don't clear the gate, it will explode eventually;;;
Fear crossed borders.
The Japanese archipelago was also turned upside down.
Their national treasure and pride, Sword Demon Nakazawa, was inside.
A strange phenomenon occurred where even Japan's net right-wingers, instead of cursing Korea, offered prayers begging for him to just return alive.
The whole world held its breath and watched the valley in Gangwon-do.
A situation where humanity's strongest forces were swallowed into the jaws of the unknown.
The trembling gate...
Emitting light, it disappeared in an instant.
―Where did the gate go?
―Then how do they return?
At that time, when the outside world was boiling with fear and confusion.
The people involved, completely unaware of that fact, were crossing the boundary of dimensions and entering the era of mythology.
The sense of reality faded.
A strange sensation where the laws of gravity were ignored and space-time bent like taffy.
[Entering the 'Era of Dragons'!]
[Measuring changed gate grade...]
[Difficulty changes to Final Arrangement (Special)!]
[You have entered the Dragon's Northern Capital, Cloudia!]
As soon as his vision cleared, overwhelming golden light poured down.
It was closer to a giant's fortress than a city. The skyscrapers soaring as if to pierce the sky were each majestic works of art, and the outer walls shone brilliantly as if plated with pure gold.
It wasn't just simply flashy.
Large-caliber magic cannons and defensive turrets were densely packed between the buildings, proving that this place was a thorough fortress.
What caught the eye most was the massive translucent barrier surrounding the entire city.
Dragon's Northern Capital, Cloudia.
A transcendent metropolis that would only exist in myths revealed its majesty.
[You have entered the past, crossing space-time through Dragon Magic!]
[You are a contradictory existence!]
[1. 3 weeks of activity time is given!]
[2. All items obtained in this timeline can only be brought to your timeline by using Achievement Points. The same applies to items obtained by companions.]
[(Exception) If the current 'Resisters' pay the price instead, consumption of other resources instead of Achievement Points is also possible.]
[3. Achievement Points are also consumed for altering history! However, alteration beyond a certain level is impossible.]
Kim Minwoo, having quickly skimmed the contents, tilted his head.
'This is the first time seeing a message .'
Had he never been to the past?
Usually, Death Lord's arrangements were like that.
Even when Vulcan was active as a mercenary captain in the Demon Realm.
But at those times, item acquisition was free.
'If there's a difference...'
Death Lord's arrangements were usually 'fragments'.
Meaning that doing something there didn't change the future.
It was probably a place like a cut-off space-time.
'Is it the pure past entirely? Connected to the present?'
Maybe that's why these penalties were created.
Or... perhaps the dragons' magic isn't perfect.
Whatever the case, one thing was certain.
'I should focus on acquiring knowledge.'
Achievement Points were scarce as it was.
Even if automatic copying worked, it would be a mere 700 points a week.
How great an item could he bring back with that?
On the other hand, knowledge...
Knowledge was something that could be used infinitely once learned.
―I contained... time... So you can... analyze... the King's... power... and resist... So that the last lifeline... of our Dragon Race... will not be cut off...
He recalled what Jerus had said.
He said he had analyzed the King's power.
'First, I need to find out what that is.'
The second thing to obtain was...
'Architecture. I'm a bit covetous of that.'
Countless skyscraper-like buildings built to support massive dragons.
The Dragon Race's architectural skills far surpassed the Dwarves and transcended imagination.
Just in time, among the paths of growth suggested by the Demon Eye...
[1. Fill all skeleton summons' job classes with half combat classes and half production classes.]
There was such content.
'Half production classes. I have to fill a total of five classes.'
Runes, Tattoos, Equipment, Alchemy.
The production classes he possessed so far were four in total.
What if he could learn Dragon Architecture here?
'Five. It fits perfectly.'
If he learned it, there would be many places to use it.
Like the reconstruction project of District 9 in the Celestial City, or the construction of the Kaisar Continent, etc.
There were overflowing places to use it.
Plus, since it was a city of dragons...
'Maybe, I might gain knowledge about Dragon Tooth Soldiers...'
A group of humans suddenly appearing in the massive city.
A massive dragon approached them.
A Fire Dragon of immense size.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like an Ancient Dragon entity over 10,000 years old.
―...Who sent you here?
"Do you happen to know Jerus? He said he was the leader of the 11th Corps."
―Jerus? That kid is the 11th Corps leader? What does that... No, wait! Don't tell me, you came from the future?
"Correct. Used the bead."
The dragon's red eyes flashed.
―So he succeeded. There is no time. Elaudia!
At his shout, a blue dragon flew in.
―Did you call, Father.
―Divide them! Separate them, and transmit knowledge! Time is urgent!
―I will obey. Humans, follow me!
Elaudia, who had turned into a human before they knew it, began to gesture toward the party.