After following Wilharrow's whims, I found myself wanting to withdraw.
"Uh… are you sure about this?" [Solace]
I was staring at a "cave". Or rather, a ruin. There was a very large opening within the side of a mountain face. One would think of it as a cave, if they were oblivious to the fact that it was highly decorated with stone carved statues and pillars on the outline of the entrance.
"What are you talking about, Alt?" [Wilharrow]
"Literally just look at it. This is giving off very strong enemy vibes." [Solace]
Raon scratched his chin.
"I mean… dragons aren't weak. Ever. So, technically you're correct." [Raon]
"That's not what I mean." [Solace]
I realize that I'm stuck here with people who have no sense of danger. Whatever was in that ruins was probably way stronger than what we have accounted for.
"Hey look, we can see territorial markings." [Fina]
She pointed at one of the pillars. I couldn't tell from just a glance, but the deterioration on the pillar was actually just very large claw marks.
"...How big is a dragon again?" [Solace]
The entrance to the ruins was by no means small. Considering that it was taller than a two story house, I was beginning to think that the dragon may be quite old.
"How many horns does a dragon have to have for us to win again?" [Solace]
"Up to three or two. Why?" [Raon]
"Do the horns correlate to size?" [Solace]
"Depends on the species." [Fina]
"Great. Tell me more about this green dragon then." [Solace]
Wilharrow waved me off.
"Don't be such a baby. We're just going to take a look. If it has more than three horns, we leave." [Wilharrow]
They then started to walk in without me.
"Oh come on!" [Solace]
Needless to say, I followed.
"These ruins are quite dated." [Wilharrow]
"I believe it may be several thousands of years old." [Fina]
"Guys, please don't talk like that. You're raising a flag for the dragon to be that old." [Solace]
My allies laughed at me.
"Sometimes, you're such a coward." [Raon]
"There's a difference between cowardice and caution." [Solace]
"Pray tell, what is the difference here? There are no signs of danger, and we've only just begun exploring. Look." [Raon]
He kicked a piece of rubble further into the ruins.
"See? Nothing happened." [Raon]
"...Raon. Please stop raising flags like this." [Solace]
Raon gave me a strange look.
"You know, I've been wondering what you mean by that. What exactly are these… "Flags" you keep talking about?" [Raon]
"Basically if you speak about something, it will probably happen." [Solace]
"A tender steak will appear in front of me within ten seconds." [Leon]
She didn't even miss a beat.
"It doesn't work like that." [Solace]
"Oh." [Leon]
She seemed a bit disappointed. In the end, we just kept walking. Our surroundings were dark, so I casted |Kindle| to give us a little light.
("Damn, is this place just one big hallway?") [Solace]
Rows of pillars extended into the cave, along with tons of rubble. The only good thing was that all the rubble was pushed aside and there was a large path in the middle as if something large was dragged in.
"Judging from the architecture, these ruins may be from the era of the Supremes." [Fina]
"Seriously?!" [Wilharrow]
He seemed strangely excited by that.
"Yes, check this out over here." [Fina]
Among the broken debris, Fina found worn out stone tablets. It had a language I couldn't read and pictures of weapons.
"Divine weapons…" [Wilharrow]
"It says here that there used to be only fifty divine weapons." [Fina]
"You can read it?" [Wilharrow]
"I studied it a little." [Fina]
That was genuinely impressive.
"I can't read anymore, but it details a war between Heroes and Feerae." [Fina]
("Feerae… Oh, the demon side equivalent of heroes.") [Solace]
It's such a weird name to remember.
"I should report this place as a historical site later to the Holy Temple." [Wilharrow]
"With a dragon guarding it?" [Raon]
"We'll get rid of the dragon first obviously." [Wilharrow]
Look at these guys getting ahead of themselves.
"Let's go. The dragon should be further in." [Wilharrow]
As we progressed through the ruins, we spotted something green glittering on the ground. Small specks glittered in the light of my |Kindle|.
"Hey, I found scales." [Raon]
Upon close inspection, they were indeed green scales. They were as big as my palm, smooth and hard to the touch.
"That must mean the dragon is close. Let's keep moving." [Wilharrow]
As my allies began to move forward, I felt something liquidy on the scale.
("...Blood?") [Solace]
We moved farther and farther into the ruins, until the long hallway opened up into a dark room. There was a singular light near the center, causing my hairs to stand when my eyes settled on what was near it.
("The dragon…!") [Solace]
A massive dragon with a total of eight horns. It had sharp barbs sticking out of its spine, four legs, and powerful wings twice its size. However, that wasn't why I felt uncomfortable.
"You have gained |Experience|. |Experience| limit reached. |Mental Fortitude| has gained a level." [Spirit Guide]
I… felt fear. Not from the dragon, no. By what idled by the small light in the middle of the room.
"Who's that?" [Wilharrow]
There was something, or someone that was feasting on the dragon's flesh. The small light was simply a fire they had made to roast the eight horned creature's meat.
"No… No no no… Guys, we need to leave. NOW." [Solace]
"What? Why?" [Raon]
The person by the campfire met my eyes, causing a sinister smile to stretch across their face. I could never forget that terrifying look.
"It's… Jukhan!" [Solace]