During our travels, Flitz and I came across a town called Tsukagi. From the hill where we stood, I activated my Investigation Eye and observed the town. It was large, lively, and bustling with activity.
"This seems like the perfect place for us to stay," I said.
"Yes, indeed," Flitz replied.
The sun was setting, painting the skies in shades of orange and purple. I sat down, gazing at the town below.
"Well, we don't have enough money to stay at an inn tonight. Let's just sleep here and figure something out tomorrow."
"As you wish, Lord Zeyu," Flitz responded without complaint.
The following morning, we ventured into the town. The streets were busy, and it was evident that Tsukagi was more developed than other places we had passed.
"This town seems to have strong ties to the capital," Flitz remarked, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
I nodded in agreement. "It's well-developed, with good facilities overall."
After wandering for a while, we stopped in front of a building with a sign reading Tsukagi Quest Hall.
"What's this place?" Flitz asked, tilting his head.
"I believe it's where people take on quests to earn money. You don't need to be a professional adventurer or beast hunter to take jobs here. It won't pay as much, but it should be enough for us," I explained.
Curious, we entered the building and approached the counter. A girl with green hair and pink eyes, dressed in a maid-like uniform, greeted us.
"Welcome to Tsukagi Quest Hall! How may I assist you?"
"We're here to take on a quest," I replied.
"Understood. Are you affiliated with any specific job class? Such as mage, hunter, or knight?"
I thought back to the hunter card I had but remembered throwing as a weapon against the winged beast.
"No, we're jobless," I admitted.
"I see. In that case, what type of quest would you like to take?" she asked, pulling out five sheets of paper. "Your options are mob hunting, plant and herb searching, protection work, farming, or rescuing."
Scanning the options, I responded, "Can we take the hardest quest in mob hunting?"
"Understood. Let me check." She disappeared into the back room and returned shortly with a black sheet of paper. Placing it on the counter, she explained, "The hardest current mob hunting quest is to slay the Elder Lizard in the snowy Horion Mountains and bring back its tail. The reward is two gold and five silver coins."
(Two gold and five silver coins… That's enough for a few nights at the inn.) I calculated in my mind.
"Alright, we'll accept the quest," I said.
The girl brought the paper closer and handed me a feather pen to sign. After signing, Flitz and I were about to leave when she called out, "Excuse me, sir!"
We turned back, and she asked hesitantly, "Are you both going together?"
"Yes. Why?" I asked, puzzled.
"Oh, I see… I just wanted to ensure the child isn't going alone. That would be too dangerous," she said with a smile.
Flitz stifled a laugh, earning a sharp glare from me. He straightened up and maintained a serious expression.
As we left the hall, Flitz teased, "At least they gave us a map!"
I unfolded the map and saw that the Horion Mountains were 4.7 kilometers away.
"How long will it take us to get there?" I asked.
"At our speed? About 40 seconds," Flitz replied.
"Alright then, let's go."
Black lightning surrounded me as I vanished with the sound of thunder. Flitz followed close behind, using his own lightning powers.
Soon, we arrived at the snow-covered mountain.
"Now, where do we find this lizard thing?" Flitz wondered aloud, scanning the area.
Using my Investigation Eye, I focused on locating any hidden areas. A faint energy signature led me to what appeared to be a snow-covered cave entrance.
"Found it," I said.
"Huh? Where?" Flitz asked, confused.
"Follow me," I instructed, vanishing once more.
We arrived at the base of a snowy hill. Flitz looked around skeptically. "There's nothing here."
Raising my hand, I summoned a black fireball and launched it at the hill. The explosion revealed a massive cave entrance, the ground shaking from the impact.
"How did you even find this?" Flitz asked in disbelief.
"Let's go," I said, stepping into the cave.
The deeper we ventured, the darker and colder it became. After walking for what felt like ages, the path behind us suddenly sealed shut with ice.
"Well, this won't stop us," Flitz said nonchalantly, but as he turned forward, his face froze in terror.
"What is it?" I asked, turning to see what had shaken him.
In front of us stood a colossal dragon. Its purple, spiky scales gleamed under the faint light. Its sharp teeth could shred metal, and its enormous wings cast shadows that engulfed the cavern. The creature's glowing, dark eyes locked onto us, sending a chill down my spine.
"T-that's not a lizard…" Flitz stammered.
The dragon roared, releasing a freezing breath that rushed toward us at incredible speed. I dodged, but part of the attack hit me, encasing half my body in ice.
"Lord Zeyu!" Flitz cried.
"I'm fine," I reassured him. "I let it hit me on purpose so i can use my ability to use it's magic."
The ice quickly melted, and the dragon seemed unfazed. It unleashed another icy breath, but this time, it had no effect on me.
I retaliated, summoning a dark fireball and hurling it at the dragon. The fire evaporated mid-air, leaving me stunned.
"What?!"
Flitz stepped forward, his voice trembling. "Lord Zeyu… I-I recognize this dragon. It's the Ancient Greater Dragon of Ice. Five hundred years ago, it was known as the God of Dragons. Legends say it was created by a god itself. Its ice can freeze anything, and it's completely immune to fire magic…"
The dragon let out a thunderous laugh, shaking the entire cavern. "So, you know of me, humans. Impressive…"
"It can speak…" I muttered, still reeling.
Taking a stance, I declared, "An ice dragon immune to fire… This is going to be a real problem."