It wasn’t just a matter of numbers although the flow of monsters out of the Epic Dungeon was certainly intimidating But more dangerous was how intelligent and organized the various monster tribes were The area surrounding the Dungeon was now thick with fortifications and defensive structures Primitive ones but it was clear that the monsters intended to protect the Epic Dungeon from being cleared so additional waves of their fellows could explode outward
Mount Olympus was in the Southeast portion of Zone Eleven and it and the surrounding mountain range served as a deterrent to keep the Eastern half of Zone Eleven relatively safe from marauding monsters As such the combined forces of the two Zones had set up a base camp on the Western slope of Mount Olympus
While preparations were being made to organize their newly combined forces against the monsters Warlord had invited Alana and Annie on this quick trip because they were already based at the foot of Mount Olympus and it seemed that he truly trusted the report of the hunter Ivan
Plus there was the word Dragon Like magic it drew them all upward in search of the mythic beast
Still for Alana this couldn’t have come at a better time I’m tired of being stuck in my own head Alana’s fingers tightened around her spear I just need to stop worrying about the image thing Better to just let my body remember it naturally
The rather peaceful trek up to Zone Eleven had done nothing to alleviate Alana’s secret fears that she had missed some crucial piece of Randidly’s lesson about images and now was doomed to never master he own Although she could generate a huge amount of ambient energy she had no progress in creating more concrete and detailed images As some of the other warriors of Donnyton sharpened their abilities Alana was floundering
That helpless feeling was one she liked not very much at all
Alana blinked slowly There was nothing but snow and wind around them but she felt something change in the air Small hedrons of ice landed on her fluttering eyelashes Then her gaze burned orange
The only other warning the trio had was a small waning of the wind then a navy blue blur shot upward past their path and toward the summit of the mountain Annie was already on her knees with a bow knocked and Warlord was gazing seriously upward
But it was Ivan who caught AlanaÆs attention The rather serious and silent man was staring slack jawed upward Then his message popped into the group message
That is much bigger than I remember
But it certainly looks like a dragon In WarlordÆs sharp response Alana could feel the manÆs sharp hunger It was apparent too on his face as he gazed upward Like all of the people from Zone Eleven that she had met Warlord was constantly driven by a strange urge to embrace all the whimsical and wondrous elements of the System
It certainly made the people she had met much more accepting of their current circumstances But it was in that almost jealous gaze of Warlord that Alana sensed the darker side of that implicit acceptance It was only after Alana checked all of her party that she too looked upward toward the Dragon
Unlike the winged snake description that Ivan had given this being of leather and scale had a torso that was about as large as a horse But its wings and tail likely stretched ten meters out from its body in each direction Its scales were a lovely navy blue color that made it almost look black compared to the swirling white snow around it
Alana was able to make out the text Level 49 Frost Dragon as the beast beat its wings and ascended upward into the storm swirling above them Although Ivan hadnÆt gotten a visual on its Level before if its Level growth was commiserate with its physical expansion
“If it grows this quickly ” Alana gritted her teeth Thank god we decided to investigate
Annie had to bellow to be heard above the wind “Taking the shot “
A split second later Annie’s arrow whistled upward into the swirling snow Even with Alana’s high Perception she soon lost the projectile in the storm of frost above them There was a part of Alana that even wondered if it would be effective There were so many wind currents and temperature changes to calculate that it would be a miracle if the arrow found its mark
For several seconds there was only the suffocating noise of the wind Then
RAwwrr
The low rumble cut through the wind In the darkness above Alana could see the form of the dragon slide side to side then ungracefully alight on the side of the mountain Snow tumbled off of the ledge where it had crashed
Warlord gave a sharp gesture with his hand and all four of them exploded into motion They had moved upward with stealth to this point in order to keep the possible dragon from being spooked but now that it was located and wounded they would rush forward for the kill And for all AlanaÆs momentary doubts AnnieÆs sharp image these days specialized in tracking down foes that shouldnÆt have been hit
Alana couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that the dragon only ended up being Level 49 but there certainly was something about the dragon that seemed to transcend that Level If it had time to grow it would have been a powerful opponent Perhaps so powerful that Alana wouldn’t be able to beat it
For the first time in a while Alana felt a faint stirring in her heart That image that Alana just couldn’t bring into focus finally relaxed The thought of that fight seemed to free up the image to flow down into her limbs bringing with it warmth
Eyes burning Alana exploded upward in a swirl of orange energy Sorry if I take this too seriously dear dragon but I think you are the key I need to finally figure out how to refine my image I’ll be taking your heart as a souvenir
Although Annie was quick Alana’s explosive assent was even faster Ice and wind parted before her rapid launch Ignoring the tumbling snow behind her Alana reached up and gripped the edge of the cliff Partly she grabbed the lip to flip herself over but also to disperse some of the momenta from her explosive jump upward
As she gripped the edge she felt it give a small amount as it cracked It was ice not rock But Alana still rolled forward and came up in a low crouch with her spear aimed forward A buckler shield condensed on her right arm and her Valkyrie Helmet formed around her eyes Which was good because the wind was dangerously cold and aggressive on this new portion of the mountain
The snow here was so intense that it rendered Alana almost blind Rather than precipitation the heavy veil of snow and cold settled over the area like a persistent mist
But Alana’s eyes quickly located the dark silhouette of the wounded dragon which appeared to be scuttling forward toward a tall darkness that must be the mountain proper Just as the other three ascended to the cliffside behind her Alana accelerated forward toward the dragon It seemed that Alana’s arrow had struck accurately because its left wing was awkwardly extended Alana could see half of the shaft sticking out exactly from the shoulder joint of the dragon
No one I would rather have at my back Annie Alana thought with a confident grin
As Alana stalked closer the long neck of the dragon spun its triangular head around Eyes glittering it opened its mouth and belched out a dark blue bolt of cold energy that shot toward Alana Striding confidently forward Alana condensed her energy around her spear She was a Valkyrie and she would pierce through this
The image of a gleaming spear without flaw or equal flickered hesitantly in the air around Alana as she activated her Skill It was feeble but Alana felt it This was her own image The confidence that had been anemic for the past week showed immediate signs of life
Which meant of course that the dragon was not her equal
Her spear drew a brilliant line through the air and smashed apart the blast released by the wounded dragon It seemed to immediately realize the danger of her strike because it shot several cobalt bolts back toward her and then began to hurry toward the mountain Although it could not fly its powerful limbs could still move its body through the mountainous terrain with ease