"RUN FOR IT!" - Rouge

"I'm running, I'm running!" - Flint

And boy, am I running! The gigantic locust/crocodile hybrid monster made of rock and earth is coming at me. Yet again! Do I have some bad karma with insects and crocs!? But I am a reptile as well!

The gigantic beast isn't that fast, so Rouge and I could make some distance even if we didn't run ourselves spent. But the exhaustion will kick in sooner or later, so...

"Barrel!" - Flint

"Huh? Oh, right!" - Rouge

As we ran across the track, we reached the first of the "alcohol barrels" the description of the trial mentioned. ...wow. It's bigger up close. How are we supposed to...

"I got it!" - Flint

"You do? Then speed up! The big guy is getting closer!" - Rouge

"Yes, yes. Just move to the next one and prepare to throw that one!" - Flint

"Smart plan! Good luck!" - Rouge

The Flugel left me behind as I prepared to throw the huge barrel at the monster. Activating skills...[Mystic Warfare], [Energy Warfare], [Monstrous Strength], and...that's it. I am NOT using the last one!

"Heave, and...HO!" - Flint

With a shout, I hurled the barrel at the monster's head. The beast stopped in its tracks, and...devoured the barrel in one bite. It is even licking its lips. I'm happy that you liked it, so stop chasing us!!

Even before I could confirm the barrel was swallowed, I had skedaddled out of there. The alcohol seems to have slowed down the beast even further... We can win this!

"Barrel two, LAUNCH!" - Rouge

I had just arrived at the next barrel when Rouge threw it at the monster's mouth. In the split second, as it was thrown into the air, I noticed a strange mark on one of the barrels' sides. It looked like a tree, painted with blue paint...

The beast caught the barrel in the air again...and spit it out the second the cask was crushed inside its mouth. After spitting out the contents of the barrel, the beast looked at us with visible anger. 

"What was wrong with that barrel?" - Flint

"Maybe it didn't fit the beast's taste?" - Rouge

While running away from the beast whose speed had increased now, a straight opposite from what happened before, Rouge and I tried to sort out the info we had gathered on these two attempts. 

"...You may be onto something." - Flint

"What? That there's only 1 type of booze this guy gets drunk of? Then wouldn't they have said so when they described the trial?" - Rouge

"That could be part of the trial. It is focused on alcohol, so knowing what kind people are good with or not could be a requirement for clearing it." - Flint

"Like how a great bartender knows what to mix to ensure the best drink possible? I'm not fond of drinking myself, but you may be onto something." - Rouge

The other explanation must be that even the System that made the trial didn't know about what would work on the Beast, but that's too stupid to be true.

"Look for the casks with a stone printed on them! Especially the red ones!" - Flint

"On what reasons?" - Rouge

"The barrel I threw had such a mark on it." - Flint

"Sharp eyes there, Mr. Flint!" - Rouge

*CRASH!!*

A loud noise came from behind us, as the beast crushed one of the barrels we passed (marked with a blue fish) with a heavy stomp from one of its legs.

"No, I just don't want to die to this drunkard!!" - Flint

"I wholeheartedly agree! ...Mr. Flint. Now it is my turn to stay behind." - Rouge

Rouge took to the air with his Flugel wings and prepared a bow and arrow made of fire. 

"I'll slow him down! You go and find the right type of barrels!" - Rouge

"On it! But be careful. That booze smells like the kind that easily catches fire!" - Flint

"No worries, my good fellow! This beast has nothing against a fiery hot duo like the two of us! This match will be over before you know it!" - Rouge

Trusting Rouge to cover me, I ran like a mad lad in search of these stone-marked barrels to feed that big-mouthed crocodile. One, two, three...just three!? Not good!

"Keep moving!" I shouted to Rouge as I threw one of the barrels at the beast. Man, am I glad my dad made me participate in the annual log-throwing competitions every year when I was a child!

One barrel, two... Uh-oh. We're already out of "stone wine"! Not wishing to gamble with the remaining barrels marked with trees, fishes, and...is that a lightning bolt? Come on. Stone, stone, stone...? 

Okay, that's weird. The running track has taken a different turn. It's railroad tracks now! More barrels can be seen at the side of the tracks, but the distance between each barrel has grown too much. I'll collapse from sheer exhaustion before the beast does from intoxication. 

Come on, isn't there something like a train...or a trolley. It looks so out of shape that even a scrapyard wouldn't want it, but it will have to work. 

"Mr. Flint, please hurry up!" - Rouge

"Give me a sec." - Flint

"Is this the time to be messing with some..., forget it. It took just a sec." - Rouge

"I don't know. It could need an extra engine," I pondered as I did the finishing touches on the repaired trolley.

"Just drive!" - Rouge

Rouge came down and jumped at the trolley, which forced me to jump on too and start the engine. I'd prepared it with the spare parts in my Item Bags. Hmm, can it still be called a trolley at this point? Eh, close enough.

Speaking of "close enough", here's the first barrel! I grabbed it before we ran past it. This is..., it's not a stone-wine barrel. Next! Wood, wrong! Fish, nope! Lizard!? Blasphemy! 

"The second barrel after this one. Take that!" - Rouge

"Roger!" - Flint

I did as Rouge said, and... It is a stone-wine barrel! As expected of an archer. Their eyesight is incredible. 

"Good going! It would be even better if you had a ballista on you." - Flint

"I never leave home without it!" - Rouge

I made an archery joke to Rouge, but he delivers! And by creating a ballista made out of flames on the back part of the trolley!

"Make sure we're not blown sky-high," I warned him as I handed him the stone-wine barrel.

Rouge loaded his fiery ballista with the barrel, aimed, and fired the whole thing at the beast, who had picked up its speed when we start getting on the trolley and swallowed the barrel... It's picking up its speed?! Oh, no!

"Hurry up!" - Flint

I kicked the trolley into the highest gear, but I forgot. This thing only has one gear. Even the brakes aren't... I knew I'd forgotten something. 

"We'll just throw whatever we find at him! If it's a bad barrel, make sure it misses!" - Flint

"Aiming it at the roof? I can do that." - Rouge

"Great! Get missing!" I said as I handed over the next barrel from the tracks.

---

2 hours later:

*CRASH!!*

"......Is it asleep?" - Flint

"Not sure, but I think saying something like that out loud will lead to bad luck." - Rouge

"Crap-!" - Flint

I slammed both my hands over my big mouth, but a calm breathing noise could be heard from the giant beast. ...Can I ask if we...you know... "did it" now?

"WE WON! JUSTICE HAS PREVAILED!!" - Rouge

"Now who's bringing us bad luck?" - Flint

I gave a verbal jab back to Rouge, who instantly regretted his actions and muffled himself, but the crocodile chimera had already begun turning into light particles. 

"Phew. If I ever see that beast again, it will be too soon." - Flint

Rouge didn't answer. The feeling of relief of having survived the showdown with the beast had made him fall asleep on his feet. I could need some help, but there is no one left in the audience seats. Where did they disappear to?

While carrying the sleeping Flugel on my back, I left the arena and returned to the underground tunnels. Boy, do I miss some sweet sunshine now? Too bad it's close to midnight now. I need my dinner...

But before chow time, I was greeted by a much weirder image than even the trials I've experienced. One-third of the tunnels are covered in ice! The second third is burning hot! And the last one looks like it's been steam-cleaned!

And in the core of the ice zone is a pale-pink dragon, frozen in ice. What's truly strange about it is that the dragon has an extra pair of demonic wings, strange, ominous tattoos all over his body, and something that looks like a lot of demonic swords redesigned into a clawed gauntlet. 

"WHAT IN BLAZES IS GOING ON?!" - Flint

"I can see and hear the reasons why you guys are Fire types." - Dainlow

Lord Dainlow, who was ordering the underground dwellers to clean up the tunnel, took notice of us and asked for some people to carry Rouge away. 

"I'll say I'm impressed. I figured out that it would be you who would need that stretcher. Not young Rouge." - Dainlow

"Uh, thanks? What is going on here? Or what has been going on?" - Flint

"Simple. The Scamming Lord is now officially a perfect match for his Treasure Tower. You know, the huge one in the lake that His Majesty took down?" - Dainlow

"That much I know. But who is he?" - Flint

"Don't you recognize him? It's Edger, the 'former' Lord of the Life Dragons. Not anymore, that's for sure." - Dainlow

".........Huh? Edger? As in Lord Edger?" - Flint

The man-, er, the dragon I met earlier today? The one who wanted..., who wanted me to look at a steam machine that had the Heretic attribute incorporated into it! Now I get it!

"That blasted scale-rotten cheapskate! He cursed me when I investigated that machine!" - Flint

"Hmm, I do remember Vierter saying something like that. Along with that he'd placed lots of false clues to make the other Dragon Lords look like suspects." - Dainlow

"Oh, I gotta-!!" - Flint

"Relax. The case's on ice already. You lost your chance. I'd say you better prepare for the next challenger." - Dainlow

"......Okay, I'll bite. What next challenger?" - Flint

"Hold on. Young Vierter wasn't clear on how to use this...there!" - Dainlow

Lord Dainlow showed me a crystal ball, the same kind used by fortune tellers, which started to show some images after he pushed some buttons on the ball's pedestal. This shows...the Sekarot Desert? Oh, it's Damavand-Volcano. I recognize it now. 

"What's this?" - Flint

"A high-ranking Seer from the Darkness District saw this through their long-range vision and recorded the events. Wait for it..." - Dainlow

I waited for a minute, then something started to happen. The gigantic Damavand-Volcano started to sink into... It sank into the ground!?

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-!!" - Flint

"Okay, take a deep breath and relax." - Dainlow

"*Breathe in*, *breathe out*... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?! I mean, there! I mean, then and there!!" - Flint

"And this is half the reason why young Vierter isn't here right now to tell you this himself. The second half is from how he already knew you were cursed earlier, but still made you go and take the trial on your own." - Dainlow

"He did WHAT?!" - Flint

"Yup. Says so in the letter you gave me. He also asked me to assign an assistant to you. So you wouldn't die and all that." - Dainlow

"...I am grateful for Rouge's help, but with all due respect, allow me to at least hit you one time in the face." - Flint

"And I politely decline! Save the knuckle sandwiches for young Vierter himself." - Dainlow

Oh, you bet I will! I'll even use my smithing hammer anvil for ingredients!

"As for what happened to the Dungeon, I don't know. How could anyone know with certainty? But one thing is certain. Many of Damavand's facilities are being destroyed..., made unusable is probably a better way to describe it." - Dainlow

"But how..." - Flint

Dungeons are supposed to be indestructible unless someone comes and destroys the Dungeon Core for that territory. And I cannot think of someone who has the military force to do so in the current Invidia. Everybody is preoccupied with the Coronation Quest...right?

"Here's a hint: it's the same culprit who must have messed with your trial attempt." - Dainlow

"-!? How's that possible!? This underground isn't connected to Damavand...is it?" - Flint

"Nope, sire. But whatever it is, it's capable of bending even the rules of the World System. Listen, I've lived longer than you can probably imagine, but there's only been one case I've heard of where this level of craziness has happened. And it was solved by your boss." - Dainlow

"...Don't tell me..." - Flint

"Yup. The incident occurred in a certain lake country west of here. I think we're seeing a reprise of that. Because it's heading north after the incident with your place." - Dainlow

...A Disaster...heading north from Damavand? ...That's here! A Disaster, or something similar, is heading towards here!?

"Sorry, but I have to go!" - Flint

*Stamp*

"YOUCH!!!" - Flint

That blasted elder Dragon Lord! He stepped on my tail as I was about to fly out of the tunnels! What gives?!

"Calm down, pal. Where do you think you're going?" - Dainlow

"To the damn Gorge! This isn't the time to be worried about some stupid Treasure! I got to warn Noire-!" - Flint

"Wow! I thought you were running away." - Dainlow

"I am a lot of things, but one thing I am not is a coward who leaves his colleagues behind!" - Flint

"...Then find the Flugels dressed as Rouge did. They're planning to extract some VIPs from that place, and they are looking for recruits who can assist them." - Dainlow

A rescue team? When a Disaster is looming?

...Okay, calm down, Flint. This may be a trap again. That blasted Vierter tricked me one time, and it's not certain they'll do it again. I need to gather some info from more reliable sources. Which means...Flamel.

Since he should be released now that the true culprit is taken care of. And I need to investigate the Damavand territory outside the city. Not to mention gathering gear to allow me to look for Noire. 

...Which makes me remember, wasn't there something impressive appearing when I survived..., "won" the trial? Let's hope it will help turn the tide.