Chapter 565: Into Dragon’s Roar Town
Chapter 565: Into Dragon’s Roar Town
"Thank you, Guardian!"Relief finally spread across the Town Lord’s face, and the anxious villagers around him let out long, grateful sighs. At almost the same moment, a system notification rang out.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven, on receiving the Unique Quest ’Saving Dragon’s Roar Isle.’ You must kill the Iceflame Black Serpent Man on Black Serpent Islet and rescue the captured Dragon’s Roar Town soldiers from the Black Ice Cave before noon tomorrow. Outstanding rewards await!]
So it really was a quest... and a Unique Quest at that.
Since it had a strict time limit, Marcus didn’t waste another second. "Town Lord, we’ll set sail for Black Serpent Islet immediately."
"Guardian, please come ashore with us first." The Town Lord shook his head with a polite smile. "Allow us to explain the situation on Black Serpent Islet in detail. We have observed the Iceflame Black Serpent Man’s habits over the years, and we can also prepare some supplies that should prove useful in battle. We only hope they will help you return victorious."
Marcus already had a general understanding of Black Serpent Islet thanks to Silas’s treasure map, but the mention of combat supplies caught his attention. Considering Dragon’s Roar Town’s long history and legendary reputation, there was a good chance those supplies would be far more valuable than ordinary equipment. "Alright."
The fleet slowly entered Dragon’s Head Bay, steering toward the dock beneath the left dragon horn.
The bay contained two separate harbors. The left dragon horn served as the main civilian dock where passenger ships and fishing boats came and went, while the right dragon horn had once been the naval harbor, reserved exclusively for military vessels.
A thousand years ago, more than a hundred warships had been anchored there, but then came the East Sea Counteroffensive. Every ship sailed out to battle, and not a single one ever returned. Since then, only the abandoned docks and weathered naval barracks had remained as silent reminders of that forgotten campaign.
Dragon’s Roar Town lay between the two dragon horns. At its peak, it had been a thriving settlement of well over a thousand households, built to accommodate the countless visitors who flocked to the island each year.
But after a thousand years of isolation, the once-bustling town had dwindled to barely a fifth of its former size. Only around a hundred households remained, with a population of perhaps three hundred people, and the eighty-eight captured soldiers had made up nearly all of the town’s able-bodied men. Those left behind were mostly elderly residents, women, and children, their faces filled with worry as they waited for news that never seemed to come.
The sight stirred something in Marcus; he had accepted the quest for its rewards, but seeing the people who had endured a thousand years of hardship made him even more determined to wipe out the Iceflame Black Serpent Men and bring their families home.
Yet as soon as everyone stepped onto Dragon’s Roar Isle and entered the town itself, that heavy mood gave way to amazement.
Dragon’s Roar Town was breathtaking.
It was an ancient town built in a grand medieval style. Towering ceremonial arches stood proudly over broad bluestone streets, while elegant buildings and multi-story towers peeked through the lush tropical greenery. Despite its age, the town radiated a peaceful charm that made it feel welcoming rather than abandoned.
Because it had originally been designed as a tourist destination, everything had been built on an impressive scale, and the streets were spacious, the buildings well arranged, and the entire town possessed an open, majestic atmosphere instead of the cramped feeling common to many old settlements.
The tall wooden buildings were covered with exquisite carvings. Dragons and phoenixes wound across pillars, bamboo groves adorned the walls, galloping horses leaped through intricate reliefs, while scenes of mythical beasts and graceful birds brought every structure vividly to life. Every detail reflected extraordinary craftsmanship, giving the town a timeless elegance.