「 My name is George. Welcome to Wahlburg, miss Keeper. 」

Becca 「 Call me Becca. This is my team, Cheshyr, Alice, Envie, Laura, Lina, Pip, and the slime and pup are Mu and Fu. We’re Team Thorn. 」

The man who I came into contact in the village of Wahlburg ushers me in and introductions are underway. George explains how a month ago, a savage Wyvern has been terrorizing the village almost daily. Wyverns haven’t been a problem for this village since way back, but this particular wyvern is huge and cunning. He only attacks those that are alone or isolated, when livestock are out roaming, or sets fire to grain warehouses.

Becca 「 These sound like gorilla warfare tactics. Wonder how it picked it up? 」

George 「 Who cares how? The problem is that everyone is afraid to leave or send the cows out to pasture. We have guards posted everywhere but we keep losing folk and food. At this rate Wahlburg is finished. 」

Becca 「 You said this is the curse of Lord Trisvern? Can you explain more about that? 」

George 「 The late lord had magic control over the wild Wyverns. He used the dragons against his own people, and it sounds crazy, but he must be responsible for this. His curse brought a terrible Wyvern on us because he was killed. If only the Hero Formast was still alive! 」

Cheshyr 「 But wait, I thought that Formast left descendants in Wahlburg before he passed away? What about them? 」

George 「 Oh them? They’re a bunch of cowards. They left this village a long time ago. We can’t count on them. 」

Becca 「 Cowards? I guess the apple fell far from the tree. 」

Laura 「 So it falls to us to get rid of this aggressive Wyvern. 」

George 「 We would be ever so grateful if you could aid us. 」

George hangs his head low in asking. I hear the girls whisper among themselves.

Alice 「 Is Wyvern meat tasty? I want to try some! 」

Lina 「 Little Alice, I don’t think you should eat that. You might upset your stomach. 」

Envie 「 On the contrary, Wyvern meat is a delicacy in Yorland. All around Arcoul people celebrate with Wyvern meat on special occassions. Even it’s pelt and bones have value as protective gear or medicines made from crushed organs. 」

Alice 「 So Wyvern is yummy! 」

Fu barks excited like at the mention of meat causing Pip who is carrying him to shake. The shake goes all the way up to Mu on the top and makes Mu jiggle like jelly.

Becca 「 I guess we can discuss the reward later after we observe this Wyvern and kill it. 」

Just as I am about to ask when this Wyvern might show up today a loud beastly roar pierces the air. The sound of a dragon, a lord of the skies, raises the hair on everyone’s body. I activate Analysis on the source of the roar above and see the stats of a real monster.

A Wyvern around level 250, with stats over 350. More than my stats since I’m at Level 100 after all this time passed. Well I’m not too worried since I can just Boost once and bypass its stats.

The other problem factor would be its skills. It has Wyvern Breath, Debilitating Roar, and Dragon’s Blessing. I can see that its class, Wyvern Lord, includes innate skills such as flight, scale protection, razor claws, tail whip, and Last Breath. Except for the last skill, the rest seem like racial skills inherit to all Wyverns.

The Last Breath skill seems exclusive for Wyvern Lords. It states that, as long as 1 HP remains, fight on unimpeded. It sounds like what it’s called, enabling the Wyvern to fight vigorously until its dying breath. Wyvern Breath is a breath of fire, and that roar skill was what we just heard. The Dragon’s Blessing skill says that it grants the Wyvern an advanced class like Wyvern Lord while also accelerating level growth and stats gain.

I better go out to intercept it before any damage is done. Before I can do that, I hear a human yell at the top of their lungs.

「 Come and fight me you big chicken! I may not be the hero or have his blood, but I will have your head this day! 」

Why do I feel a sense of dread, almost as if someone or something I don’t want to meet is here? Like a joke character is approaching?

Outside, a knight in heavy armor wielding a broken two handed longsword that looks about the length of a shortsword faces a giant dragon in the sky. I hear the fellow’s boisterous laugh and fearless demeanor.

「 Ladies, be sure to watch the magnificent Silver Knight! As I kill this oversized bird, hold tight and do not fall head and heels in love with my dashing figure! 」

None of the girls are amused by this side show.

Becca 「 Mister silver knight? You mind just letting us have that Wyvern? I mean no offense, but I don’t you’re suited to the job dude. 」

「 Dude? Dude?! I am no mere dude! In fact, 」

The knight in rusty metal removes the helm and reveals a head full of bright red hair and scars crossed on the center of the face. Her fierce bright eyes and small nose and pink lips, wait, the knight is?

「 I detest men! How dare you call this woman a man! My kingdom of beauties has no place for men. I will marry all the women of the world! Wahahaha! 」

I’m feeling that headache again but for a different reason.

END OF CHAPTER 8