"Captain! Captain! It's coming! It's heading this way!"
Leutang's urgent cry rang out. The Horn Drake was charging toward the hunting party's Palintonon. Perhaps because the harpoons lodged by the harpoon team weren't embedded as deeply as before, the beast hadn't managed to tear them out with its jaws. The Palintonon's bolts, still stuck in the Drake's shoulder and foreleg, remained firmly in place.
-Thwack! Thwack! Thooom! Thwack!-
Nurton, Dailo, Leutang, and Torin, who had been reloading the Palintonon, grabbed the large crossbows propped nearby and fired at the Horn Drake. Four bolts soared through the air and struck the beast. Compared to the bolts already embedded in the Drake's body, these seemed almost pitifully small, but these were crossbows designed for hunting Drakes—far larger than those used by ordinary hunters or soldiers.
"Uh… what…?"
"It's not stopping?"
"…"
"Captain…?"
Seeing the Horn Drake charge on, undeterred by the four crossbow bolts, the team members turned to Gromeyer with hardened expressions.
"Grgh… hahaha."
Gromeyer, too, was at a loss, his face frozen as he stood motionless in the face of the situation.
What kind of Drake could withstand Wellen's harpoons, Eto's greatsword, and even the Palintonon's beast-slaying bolts.
It wasn't just enduring, either. The beast was charging straight at him. Normally, a Drake they hunted would have been immobilized by Wellen's harpoons, slowly bleeding out, or had its legs or neck severed by the trio of Eto, Lat, and Uuk. But this…
"Damn Drake…"
Then it hit him, one option remained: the hired adventurers. If they could distract the Drake, even for a moment, or halt its charge, Eto, Lat, and Uuk could catch up. If Wellen's harpoon team returned, the situation would improve further. Then Plong could reload the Palintonon… Gromeyer's thoughts raced, a plan forming, a strategy taking shape. Yes, that's it!
"Ahem! This is a request from Gromeyer, leader of the Lamir Hunting Party! I'm activating the clause in the contract offering triple pay! Join the fight, adventurers! And as a bonus, I'll treat you to as much of that Drake's meat as you can eat! Let's hunt together! Let's fight!"
With three trembling fingers raised, Gromeyer delivered an impassioned plea for aid.
At his request, Rude and Reinhold dashed forward from beside Vareeld, while Turock, the hulking figure standing next to Doshel, charged with a massive shield raised.
"Triple pay! Triple! You hear that, Reinhold?"
Unable to contain his excitement, Rude slapped Reinhold's shoulder as he strode forward, pulling three arrows from the quiver at his waist. Drawing his bowstring taut, a grin spread across his face as he spoke.
"First, let's say hello to our triple-pay Drake!"
*****
The Horn Drake's roar echoed. Wellen, Smir, and Baum were sprinting, followed closely by Lesa and Clau, who called out to Wellen. More members joined, and soon the entire harpoon team, along with Gravel and Iris, gathered atop a small hill overlooking the Palintonon.
"Well, look at that. They're doing pretty well, aren't they?"
After observing the hunting party battling the Drake from afar, Wellen moved again. He raced down the gentle slope toward the fight, joined by the others. Thanks to Gravel's enhancement magic, they maintained swift, agile movements despite carrying blast lances taller than themselves on their backs.
The tall grass parted with a rustling shhh like pages turning in a book, scattered by the footsteps of the harpoon team, Iris, and Gravel as they charged.
As Wellen had said, the adventurers and hunters engaging the Drake were faring quite well. Turock, the heavily armored warrior, and Reinhold blocked the Horn Drake's attacks. From a distance, Rude's arrows flew true, while Doshel's offensive magic struck the beast. Eto, Lat, and Uuk had rejoined the fray, bolstered by Vareeld's healing and enhancement magic, attacking the Drake with even fiercer intensity.
It looked promising. To Gromeyer's eyes, to the thoughts of those fighting, and even to Gravel, who had decided to observe this hunt without fully revealing his strength, it seemed they could win by steadily wearing the Drake down. The beast's growing wounds, its slowing movements, its stumbles—every sign gave the hunters and adventurers confidence that victory was near.
"Hahaha! It's almost over now. Plong, no need to fire again. Once Wellen's team joins, it's basically done!"
Gromeyer's laughter, tinged with relief, was met with Plong's thumbs-up and a nod in place of words. Even to Gravel, the Horn Drake's end seemed imminent.
Maybe I should try an attack spell, just once?
Watching Doshel's magic, Gravel wondered if he, as a hired adventurer, was doing enough to "earn his keep." Just then, a deafening sound shook the air.
"VIS!" "ROH!" "FLA!"
The roar was so loud that everyone froze, some covering their ears. Even with ears blocked, the sound reverberated through their bodies, a pressure felt not just in the ears but across their entire beings. The Horn Drake's horn began to glow brighter.
"It's a spell! Get out of the way!"
Doshel's urgent shout rang out. As she warned the group, a glowing orb of light formed at the tip of the Drake's horn, where mana was gathering. A small red sphere swirled around the horn, growing larger until it became a massive fireball. The orb split into three fiery projectiles that shot outward.
One fireball hurtled toward the distant Palintonon. Another flew toward Wellen's approaching team. The third landed directly in front of the Drake, exploding with a deafening boom and engulfing the area in flames. Those fighting the Drake scattered, their forms swallowed by the thick black smoke rising from the blast.
"Aaagh! Plong, fire! Fire! Fireball!"
"Captain… f-fire… fireball…"
Gromeyer, pointing at the approaching fireball, yanked the stunned Plong down to the ground. Moments later, the fiery orb struck the Palintonon, shattering it into burning wooden fragments that scattered in all directions.
"What the hell was that? What kind of Drake uses fire like it's a dragon? Magic? It didn't even come from its mouth!"
Still prone, Gromeyer lifted his head to peer at the Drake, faintly visible through the rising smoke, and at the burning, shattered Palintonon nearby.
Hunters who had taken cover around the Palintonon scrambled to douse the flames, rushing forward with wooden buckets of water.
The third fireball sailed over the heads of the harpoon team running ahead of Gravel. As he followed, watching the fiery orb arc toward them, thoughts raced through Gravel's mind.
'Should I use a shield spell? Counter it? Let it hit and use healing magic afterward? Something effective but not too flashy…'
His thoughts moved so quickly that the world around him seemed to slow. Wellen shouted warnings to the others. Klau, Lesa, and Smir dove to dodge the fireball. Baum gripped his beast-slaying lance, ready to hurl it at the orb. Everything seemed to freeze…
'Dirit's Magic Arrow should do it.'
That was Gravel's calculated decision. A 1st or 2nd-level spell wouldn't suffice, but among higher-level spells, this one was powerful enough to counter the fireball without being overly showy.
A small jade-green magic circle formed at Gravel's fingertips. Another appeared on the back of his hand, then one at his wrist, two along his forearm, two near his shoulder, and one at the edge of his shoulder. Eight faintly glowing jade circles aligned in a single line, radiating intense light.
In the Grand World, Dirit was an NPC, a great mage representing non-elemental magic among the masters of various attributes. Known for his extreme efficiency and mastery of pure, untainted mana, one of his spells was Dirit's Magic Arrow.
This spell layered the 1st-level Magic Arrow through multiple magic circles, chaining them to maximize power and efficiency, elevating it to 5th-level strength. It was the spell that had cemented Dirit's reputation as a great mage. In the Grand World, it was beloved by mages for its unparalleled efficiency, delivering maximum power for minimal mana.
The magic circle at Gravel's shoulder glowed brighter, and a vivid jade Magic Arrow materialized, stretching from his fingertips.
"Dirit! Jaduca! Bana!"
With Gravel's incantation, a beam of light shot from his hand. Like lightning piercing storm clouds on a tempestuous night, Dirit's Magic Arrow streaked forward, piercing the Horn Drake's fireball and scattering it into the air. The beam continued, striking the Drake's horn dead-on.
"Wha… it... hit the horn…?"
The fireball dissipated, nullified by Gravel's spell, but the arrow had hit the Drake's horn. A sound like shattering stone rang out as the horn cracked, fragments breaking off. The beam pressed forward, undeterred, as Gravel stood frozen, his hand still aimed at the Drake.
Even to Gravel, new to Drake hunting, the Horn Drake's horn was clearly a valuable trophy. He had intended to target only the fireball, not the horn. This was an outcome he hadn't planned for.
A brief silence fell. The Drake, struck by an unknown attack that shattered its horn, the hunters, the adventurers, and Gravel, all paused, grappling with what had just happened. For a fleeting moment, everyone stopped, unsure of what had occurred or what to do next.