Rizen was surrounded by a crowd, though none dared stand too close. People had formed a loose ring around him, keeping their distance as they cast cautious glances his way.
He moved through them easily. The crowd parted without a word, creating space as if by instinct. His towering height allowed him to scan the streets in search of a cloth shop, large and wide, but nothing caught his eye.
Before he could search further, he found himself standing before the Guildhall instead. It was a broad, stone-built structure nestled slightly to the side of the Baron's castle, marking the center of town.
Rizen stepped through the heavy doors. The instant he entered, the hum of laughter and clinking mugs came to a halt. Mercenaries and adventurers at their tables froze, hands drifting toward weapons, eyes locked on the newcomer.
He didn't flinch. Without a second glance, Rizen walked straight to the front desk.
"I'd like to register," he said.
The receptionist—a woman whose feet shifted uneasily, handed him the form with shaking hands. She helped him complete the process, but then asked, voice cautious, if he'd like to see the blacksmith for proper attire.
Rizen nodded,
"Yes. Take me to him."
After passing a few buildings off to the side, Rizen arrived at the blacksmith shop Heavy Armor, the one recommended by the lady in blue. He knocked on the sturdy gate and called out to be let in.
The blacksmith opened the door, momentarily frozen in shock and astonishment. But he quickly collected himself and ushered Rizen inside.
"Are you an Orc?" he asked, peering at Rizen's face. Then, shaking his head slightly, he muttered, "No… no, you couldn't be. Your features are much darker, fiercer than those beasts."
His eyes lingered. "Even your skin—it's ashen."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes drifting over Rizen's form.
"So, I take it you're here for some personal clothing or armor?"
Rizen gave a firm nod.
The blacksmith grunted. "I could recommend a few shops. Maybe even a personal tailor, they'd craft something just for you. Expensive, sure... but an option."
He paused, eyeing Rizen's physique again.
"But those muscles…" He leaned forward slightly. "Those aren't made for soft fabric. One tight stretch, and whatever you're wearing would rip right off."
The blacksmith fell into thought, rubbing his chin, eyes narrowing as ideas flickered through his mind.
"But… there might be something." He gestured vaguely toward the direction of the guildhall.
"There's a quest, just a rumor, really. Some say it's just bar talk, but... they mention a strange beast in the jungle nearby. Some even call it mythic."
He offered a faint, uncertain smile. "Now, I'm not telling you to go drag a mythic beast back here. But if you did… its hide would be more than useful for crafting something worthy of your build."
He looked to Rizen for an answer.
Rizen stood silent for a moment, weighing his thoughts. Then, with casual certainty, he replied,
"It shouldn't be much trouble to bring back a mythic beast corpse. So, where in the jungle can I find it?"
The blacksmith gave a short shrug. "No idea."
Rizen paused for a moment in thought, then said calmly, "I'll be back by evening." Without another word, he turned and headed toward the Guildhall.
Inside, he found the woman in blue once more. This time, she seemed far more composed, or at least tried to be in his presence. When Rizen asked about the rumored mythic beast in the jungle, her composure wavered.
"There is something… but the Guild hasn't confirmed it yet," she said with a worried expression. "Two gold-plate adventurers have already been killed. Now, neither mercenaries nor adventurers are willing to go near that place."
Rizen then asked if there might be any quest or reward tied to such a beast. The answer wasn't immediate.
The woman excused herself and went upstairs to speak with the branch Guildmaster.
Moments later, the branch Guildmaster descended the stairs personally—a sturdy man with tired eyes but sharp presence. He looked Rizen over with interest and said, "If you can confirm the presence of a beast of that caliber, let alone bring it down, its body will be yours to keep. And this branch will see to a generous reward, whatever we can afford"
Rizen said nothing at first, but a short-lived smile crept across his ashen face. A goal now burned in his mind as he turned and left the guildhall with purpose.
As he stepped onto the street, passersby caught sight of him and scattered in every direction. Some ran. Others simply stepped aside in silence, creating a wide path wherever he went.
By the time he reached the town's exit, the guards had already stepped aside, clearing the path. They dared not block his way.
Rizen leapt across the wide field beyond the gate, each bound massive and swift. The soldiers left behind could only stare in silent dismay and awe. In just a few powerful leaps, he crossed the open land and vanished into the forest's edge.
Once there, barefoot and silent, Rizen knelt and pressed his palm to the soil. He felt the subtle tremors in the earth and narrowed his eyes.
"Something's not right with this forest," he muttered.
Then, as he moved deeper and deeper into the forest, he couldn't find a single beast, or rather, not even insects or birds, as he finally reached its center.
He dropped to one knee.
"This…" he muttered, pressing his hand firmly against the soil, eyes slowly closing.
Suddenly, a deep, muffled beat echoed from beneath the ground. His eyes opened, realization setting in.
"So this is it." He leaped into the air.
From deep inside his throat, a sudden—deep and ancient voice resonated, sound erupted. The world around him shimmered and blurred, as if protesting his command.
Come out.
§Sound Dragon—Echoryn§
But it couldn't.
As the entire sky above the forest darkened. Shadows slithered over the trees as the entire canopy darkened. And overhead, a rift tore open—so massive it eclipsed the entire forest below.
From within it, a massive maw began to emerge.
Enormous. Ancient. Open wide.
Its teeth—jagged, uneven, monstrous, gleamed like broken blades. Its tongue slithered, slick and massive. And behind it, the pendulous uvula trembled violently.
No sound came.
Yet the silence was a lie.
Moments later, the earth convulsed. A soundwave—delayed but devastating, rippled outward.
The earth writhed. Trees bent. The sky twisted. The very jungle groaned as a wave of pressure slammed downward.
The tremors struck deep, and then, with one final tremble, it ended.
The heartbeat of the jungle ceased
—as if its very core had been carved open.
Rizen landed heavily on the ground as the massive portal, radiating with trembling, world-devouring energy, finally sealed shut, the massive maw drew back within. The oppressive pressure vanished, and the air returned to an eerie calm.
He studied the soil beneath him once more.
No more heartbeats. No more trembling.
Rizen plunged his massive, titanic hands into the earth and gripped something—slippery, tight, and surreal. With one powerful pull, he wrenched it free.
A giant maw burst forth—wide enough to devour him in a single bite. Its fangs loomed, covering more than half of his body, and its tongue spilled out limply, thick and fleshy like a massive mattress.
He pulled further, revealing the rest of its body, coiled beneath the entire forest. As he dragged it free, the ground split. Trees nearby were torn from their roots as the serpent's immense tail surfaced, winding deeper and deeper beneath the earth.
By the time Rizen had pulled the whole thing up, half the forest was in disarray. Trees lay scattered, the soil torn apart, and rocks thrust upward from the depths.
Rizen looked at the massive serpent with mild disbelief.
"If not for that dragon," he muttered, "I'd have called this the biggest."
He hoisted the serpent's thick neck, binding it just beneath the maw across his shoulders. Then, without pause, he began walking toward the town gate.
Wherever the serpent's tail passed, it left a wide, ragged trail through the earth. Its scales uprooted plants and flattened crops, tearing a path of destruction behind him as Rizen crossed the fields.
The massive maw draped over his shoulders, almost entirely covering him as he strode forward, silent, unbothered, and dragging a myth.
Far in the distance, the soldiers spotted something irregular approaching across the fields. The moment they recognized the irregularity, they sprinted toward the commander, who immediately ascended the towering wall, built long ago to keep beasts from reaching the city.
At the top, he raised his binoculars and focused on the vast black trail carving its way through the land.
"That—" The word caught in his throat.
"That's the serpent Vezorus unleashed upon the kingdom…"
Panic flickered across the soldiers face before the commander snapped into action.
"Sound the siren! Evacuate all citizens through the northern gate, send them to the capital or the nearest city!" He turned sharply to another officer. "And make sure the Baron is secured."
He paused, eyes still locked on the distant nightmare.
"We'll buy time. While the evacuation is underway, contact the Adventurers' Guild. Announce that anyone willing to fight will be handsomely rewarded. And if they wish, they may leave once the civilians have safely escaped."
The commander barked orders to the soldiers as he leapt from the wall, landing with a heavy thud.
This might be our last...
He summoned his status screen with a whispered prayer.
"Oh God of Flames, show me the way."
The screen lit up before him.
∴ ∴ ∴
Status
False Name: Raka
Race: Human
Affiliation:God of Flames
Class: Berserker
STR: 1,005
AGI: 500
VIT-F: 400
MANA: —
Ability:Wrath of Flames (Class Unique)
∴ ∴ ∴
Raka stared at the numbers, expression hard.
"That'll do."
He turned back to his forces and commanded sharply, "Lizard-mounted units to the front! Non-mounted, stay behind and use your skills to distract the serpent, buy time for the evacuation!"
The soldiers moved with urgency, formation breaking into motion.
Raka raised his voice, shouting with all the fire of his title, "This may be our last battle—but it won't be a coward's!"
A resounding roar rose from the troops as weapons clashed against armor and shields in rhythmic unity.
Then, just as Rizen approached the gates.
"Attack!"
The commander, Raka, shouted, and at his command, the mounted beasts surged forward in unison, riders urging them ahead with raised weapons and blazing resolve.
"This will be either our last battle," Raka roared, "or we'll carve our names into immortal pronouncement for centuries to come!"
A thunderous war cry followed as the entire front charged toward Rizen—now almost fully obscured in the looming shadow of the serpent's massive maw.
From the walls above, archers held their breath, fingers tense on their bows, spears pulled back and ready to rain down.
All eyes were locked onto the approaching titan.
Rizen glared at them from beneath the beast's lifeless jaws.
He spoke.
§Dragon Language§
"œφℜℑξλ"
The world stopped.