Westminster Bank

The group stopped and looked around. At the end of the road was a mountain cliff with a solitary, dark cave entrance. Occasionally, a violent, foul-smelling gust of wind would burst out from within, so rank it made their eyes water.

"It’s in there." The Silver Dragon Guide glanced at the cave entrance, then at the bright moon half-covered by dark clouds. "The rain clouds haven’t arrived yet. It most likely won’t rain tomorrow. We can make camp here, form teams to hunt the low-Tier Dragon Descendants nearby, and then enter the cave to begin the Dragon Hunting during the day."

"Alright, let’s make camp here." Jack looked at the only Wizard on his team, Milton Merlin. Milton pulled a few Magic Cards from his pocket, and a variety of magical effects stacked on top of each other:

[Mosquito Repellent]

[Rainproof]

[Drying]

...

The group of Trial Takers and Dragon Guides, who had been soaked by the earlier rain, couldn’t help but let out sighs of relief. ’Damn,’ they thought, ’Wizards sure know how to live the good life.’

.........

"Has the Dragon Spear’s guidance activated? My sister is moving fast. But that’s to be expected. It’d be strange if the initiation hadn’t started after she collected so many Dragon Scales at the Dragon Gate."

Jose, who was rushing up the mountain under the cover of night, smiled at his Silver Dragon Guide’s words. He turned to look at Roy, Dewey, Freya, and the other Trial Takers allied with him. "We can’t fall too far behind."

Roy skewered a nocturnal Sixth Generation Bat Dragon Beast with his spear. "Are you sure you want to go after that Dragon?" he asked. "With your abilities, securing a spot should be no problem. Is it worth paying such a high price?"

Jose shook his head. "The spot from the initiation itself isn’t what matters. This is for the Dragon Spear that comes after. If I’m going to fight for a spot, it might as well be the very best one."

"We’re here," the Silver Dragon Guide at the front suddenly said, his voice low.

The Trial Takers held their breath, their eyes fixed on the direction the Dragon Guide indicated. They couldn’t help but stare, their own breathing catching in their throats.

It was an enormous basin sunk into the mountaintop, filled with all kinds of crystals that brought to mind a forest of ice towers on a snow-capped peak.

The dense crystal forest concealed the presence of the being that dwelled within, but through fragmented reflections on the crystals’ surfaces, the group could still discern the rough silhouette of a creature from myth—a being that represented the apex of all life.

And then there was the heavy Spiritual Pressure, so immense it seemed to solidify the very air around them.

"A Third Generation Species..." a Trial Taker murmured.

"A Fierce Dragon," the Silver Dragon Guide added.

"Our target is actually a Third Generation Species?" One of the Trial Takers was already losing his nerve, even without having seen the Fierce Dragon. "That’s equivalent to the Silver Tier! We only have three Bronze-level members among us. How is this possible...? Why didn’t you tell us beforehand?"

Except for Dewey and Roy, who were already in on the plan, some of the other Trial Takers began to argue amongst themselves.

Jose looked at the complaining Trial Taker. "If you’re not willing to do this, you’re free to leave."

The Trial Taker fell silent. Jose continued, "The Dragon Hunting Ceremony is itself a Trial for people like us. Since we have to hunt a Dragon, why not hunt the very best?"

Hearing this, some of the Trial Takers began to waver.

"But the Dragon Scale will just go to you, won’t it? All we get out of it is the hard work," said Freya’s Bronze Dragon Guide.

Jose frowned, but before he could speak, Freya cut in. "You’re fired," she said to her guide. "Get lost."

"What? Miss Freya..."

"Did you not hear me? I told you to get lost! I’ve had enough of you since we were at the Dragon Gate!"

"But it’s pitch black out here, and there are Dragon Descendants in ambush..."

"You’re a Dragon Guide. Are you telling me you’re afraid of Dragon Descendants?"

"What I mean is, I should get severance pay if you’re firing me."

"Ten thousand pounds. Now I never want to see your face again."

"May Miss Freya live a thousand years."

The Bronze Dragon Guide bowed and turned to slip away, but Roy suddenly grabbed his shoulder. "Hold on. Have we met somewhere before?"

The Bronze Dragon Guide looked back. "You must be mistaken, Mr. Roy... I’m a born-and-bred Dragon Guide..."

"Take off the mask," said the Dragon Guide beside Roy, a man named Baron. "Take his mask off."

One of the other Dragon Guides tried to stop them, repeating the same warning the Silver Dragon Guide had given Isabella about removing Master Jack’s mask. But Baron simply said coldly, "Whatever happens, I will take full responsibility."

’Well, if he’s taking full responsibility, what’s there to argue about? Take it off, brother.’

The Bronze Dragon Guide’s mask was pulled off, revealing—a lifeless puppet!

"A Taboo Item!" Dewey reacted instantly and made to give chase, but Jose put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "The Dragon Hunt is our priority right now."

"But for someone to sneak into the Dracul Mountain Range like this... they must be plotting something..."

"Pay it no mind," Jose said. "Whatever their plan is, we have only one objective right now: hunting the Dragon."

"We can settle the score with that ’Dragon Guide’ later."

"When does the Dragon Hunt start?" Roy asked.

"There will be a heavy downpour around midnight. We’ll start the hunt when the rain begins," Jose said, repeating the Silver Dragon Guide’s plan.

"When that time comes, if you become the Patriarch, will our agreement still hold?" Roy asked, staring intently into Jose’s eyes.

Jose smiled faintly. "The generations of friendship between the Constantine Family and the Beowulf Family ended with my uncle, Lidton..."

He then looked at the core figures of this Dragon Hunting Ceremony.

Dewey said, "We trust in your integrity, Mr. Jose."

Freya said coolly, "I don’t want anything for myself. All I ask is an apology from Miss Isabella and the Beowulf Family’s full cooperation in capturing that Lawbreaker, Baron Constantin."

Jose gave a wry smile. ’I have a theory as to why my own sister hates Freya so much,’ he thought, ’but I can’t say that name out loud.’

’If I did, this princess of Lancelot’s Family would likely fly into a rage.’

Jose immediately announced that they would make camp and complete all preparations for the Dragon Hunt before the rain began. Once it started, they would launch an all-out assault.

Just as they were methodically setting up camp, a sudden, loud explosion echoed from the crystal basin where the Fierce Dragon dwelled.

The group watched as crystal after crystal shattered, launching into the sky like a rainstorm in reverse.

Then came a roar that seemed to claw its way up from the depths of Hell. A dark silhouette, wreathed in shards of crystal, shot into the sky. It ascended hundreds of feet in an instant and began to circle, its burning wings churning the dark clouds. Its enormous Golden Dragon Eyes hung in the sky alongside the bright moon, as if the sun and moon had met.

The Giant Dragon then unleashed a torrent of Dragon Flame that blotted out the sky, evaporating the rain clouds that had been gathering. Then, it dove straight for Jose’s dumbfounded group!

"Alert! Prepare for battle!"

A Dragon Guide roared the warning, only to be crushed under a Dragon Claw the size of a carriage. The sound of his bones shattering was horribly sharp and clear against the chirping of the night’s cicadas. For a moment, it felt as if they had been plunged into a hellish nightmare, forced to watch a Demon execute a sinner.

While Jose and his group were caught off guard battling the Third Generation Fierce Dragon, Jack deactivated the D Level Taboo Item [Disguised Puppet], scrambled up from the ground, and staggered away in the confusion.

([Disguised Puppet]: Allows the user to disguise themselves as a puppet. This is its only function. The user can still be harmed while in this form.)

......

On the mountain peak, Baron looked at the Dragon Summoner Badge in his hand as it gathered various auras. ’This little badge has a surprising number of features,’ he thought. ’Add video calling, and you could sell it as an iPhone.’

Baron asked the "eldest daughter" if he had fulfilled his part of the bargain and if she could release the lock and let him go now.

Isabella replied that the deal was to help her obtain a spot. Right now, the guidance had only just been activated; they were a long way from actually securing a position.

Baron asked how many more Dragon Scales they needed. "We’ve basically robbed every Trial Taker blind already. If we go for another round, we’re bound to be targeted."

The "eldest daughter" said the spot she wanted was first place.

Baron asked what that translated to in Dragon Scales, at a minimum.

The "eldest daughter" replied, "A Fifth Generation Species is worth twenty scales, a Fourth Generation Species is ten, and a Third Generation Species is one... By the way, I haven’t encountered a single Dragon Descendant this whole time."

Baron coughed. "Right. So, let’s talk about how to pull off a second round of robberies and get away in one piece."