Vol. 3: Chapter 39
The Elves are a peaceful race who live in the great forests of the world. They consider themselves the "Guardians of the Forest," and their settlements can be found in every corner of the land.
The vast majority of Elves make their homes within the boughs of giant trees, the most important of which is a species known as the "Elunara." These trees are impossibly tall, with mature specimens reaching heights of 30,000 feet. Their root systems are even more extensive, said to burrow all the way to the planet's core.
Legend holds that the roots of every adult Elunara on earth are intertwined, forming a single, living network. For this reason, the Elunara is also known as the "World Tree."
Kael walked toward the base of the colossal tree that housed the Elven village and deactivated his [Soul Cloak]. He materialized before two Elven guards at the entrance. They immediately snapped into a defensive stance, their weapons leveled at him.
"Halt, outsider!"
Kael froze in his tracks. Just then, an Elven woman in the robes of a priestess emerged from the hollowed-out entryway. She stopped short when she saw him, her eyes wide with surprise.
"A human? How did you find this place?"
"I'm an explorer," Kael said, sticking to his prepared story. "I lost my way in the Aelindale forest. I stumbled upon this place while fleeing from a great beast."
The priestess, Isilwen, frowned, not responding immediately. She waved a hand, and a faint green aura enveloped Kael's head before dissipating a moment later. Her tense expression softened slightly.
She looked him directly in the eyes. "You are not telling the truth. However, I sense no malice in you." She gestured to the great tree behind her. "I am Isilwen Aeryn, and it is my duty to protect my people. As you are now, you have not earned the right to enter the World Tree."
Kael wasn't surprised. "I respect your vigilance," he said calmly. "What must I do to earn your trust?"
Isilwen considered this for a moment, then pointed to her left. "West of here, about ten miles into the forest, you will find a [Dragonscale Wyrm]. If you can bring me its venom sac, I will acknowledge your courage."
A system notification appeared.
System: Quest received: Bring back the [Dragonscale Wyrm's Venom Sac].
System: Warning! The target is extremely powerful. It is recommended you gain more levels before attempting this quest.
Kael ignored the warning. He knew exactly how terrifying the Dragonscale Wyrm was. Even with [Apollo's Descent] active, he wouldn't stand a chance against it.
But his objective wasn't to kill it—it was to get the venom sac. This was different from the Roderic quest. To get [Roderic's Head], the player had to land the killing blow alone.
The venom sac, however, was a regular drop from the [Dragonscale Wyrm]. The boss just needed to die. How it died didn't matter. Or... if one were skilled enough, one could even try to extract it from a living specimen...
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Before leaving, Kael spoke again. "Lady Aeryn, I've heard the scales of a Dragonscale Wyrm are exceptionally hard. I fear I may not be able to pierce its hide to retrieve the sac."
Isilwen drew a wooden dagger from her satchel. "This blade was carved from a branch of the World Tree itself. Parting the Wyrm's scales will be a simple matter with this." She handed the dagger to him.
System: You have received [Dagger of Elunara].
System: Lucky Bonus triggered! The number of uses for [Dagger of Elunara] has been increased.
Before Kael could even inspect its stats, Isilwen spoke again. "But if you hope to use it to kill the [Dragonscale Wyrm], you should abandon that thought now. The price for its peerless sharpness is its fragility. It has but a single strike in it before its power is spent."
Kael nodded. He never expected to kill the Wyrm with a simple dagger. He checked the item's stats. Normally one use, but mine has four. Luck stat coming in clutch again.
[Dagger of Elunara]: A dagger of peerless sharpness that ignores all defenses.
Physical Attack: 10,000,000
Anatomy/Attack Charges: 4/4
The attack power was absurd, but with only four charges, it was useless for killing a boss of that scale.
Kael checked the time. He still had a few hours until his optimal window. He set up a simple tent outside Aelindale and logged off.
After a quick dinner, Kael went back to his room, set an alarm, and went to sleep.
At 3:00 AM, he logged back in. He immediately activated the Night Vision from his [Heart of the Ocean], donned the [Soul Cloak], and set off west from Aelindale into the deep woods.
This time, his progress was slightly faster. The path leading from Aelindale toward the Wyrm's territory was relatively flat, clearly a trail maintained by the Elves. After about eight miles, however, the path vanished, and the undergrowth grew thick and wild again. Kael slowed his pace, keeping a close eye on his map coordinates as he moved cautiously forward.
Eventually, he arrived at the base of a truly gargantuan tree. High above, he could see a massive nest. Coiled within it, fast asleep, was a serpent thirty feet thick and easily five hundred feet long.
[Dragonscale Wyrm]: Level 60
HP: ? ? ? ?
Physical Attack: ? ? ? ?
A level 60 world boss. Every one of its other stats was completely hidden from him.
Kael froze, not daring to get within a hundred yards of it. He dropped to the ground, crawling into a patch of tall grass at the edge of the clearing to wait.
One minute. Five minutes. Ten minutes... An hour crawled by.
Kael glanced at the clock: 4:29 AM. Almost time.
He fixed his gaze back on the nest. Sure enough, the giant serpent, which had been motionless for an hour, stirred. It lifted its massive head, its forked tongue tasting the air as it surveyed its domain.
Then, it opened its maw in a cavernous yawn. Even from a hundred yards away, Kael caught a whiff of the foul stench from its breath.
Slowly, the great serpent uncoiled and slithered out of its nest. It descended the tree trunk and began to crawl across the forest floor, heading west.
Kael watched it disappear into the darkness, but he didn't move. He waited another fifteen minutes just to be safe, then scrambled out of the grass, scaled the massive tree, and climbed into the nest.
Inside were three enormous eggs, each one as tall as he was. Kael swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He had limited time. He pushed the thought aside, moved to the nearest egg, and began to roll it with all his might toward the edge of the nest. With a monumental effort, he finally got it to the lip. One final shove sent it tumbling over the side.
THUD.
The egg hit the ground with a dull, heavy sound, completely intact. Of course it was. An egg laid by a level 60 boss wasn't going to crack from a simple fall.
Due to its unique properties, the [Dragonscale Wyrm Egg] couldn't be stored in his inventory. He had no choice but to carry it. As soon as he heaved the massive egg onto his shoulders, a notification appeared.
System: You are now Encumbered. Movement speed reduced by 50%.
Kael ignored it and, bent under the immense weight, began to run as fast as he could, heading south.
From the west, a deafening roar shook the entire forest. It was followed by a terrifying hissing sound that grew rapidly closer, accompanied by the splintering crash of falling trees.
The Dragonscale Wyrm was coming for him.