[Blackshade caused this mess—why should the rest of us pay for it?!]
[Exactly! If Blackshade hadn't killed the Fire Dragon, the Dragon King wouldn't be furious, and this world event wouldn't have happened!]
[He needs to apologize! Blackshade must take responsibility!]
The moment the system announcement went live, the forums exploded with backlash against Tristan.
Players had been peacefully grinding levels, only to suddenly get dragged into a world event out of nowhere.
And it wasn't just any world event—this was Wrath of the Dragon King.
Fighting dragons? That was suicide for most players.
Not everyone was Blackshade—to them, facing a dragon meant instant death.
However, not everyone was against it.
Some players welcomed the chaos.
After all, high risk, high reward—and wasn't that the whole point of gaming?
[I was sick of mindless grinding anyway. Bring on the dragons!]
[If Blackshade can slay a dragon, why can't we? Don't tell me you're just here to collect loot and not actually play the game!]
[It's not just us players who are affected—I'm in Eldoria City, and the NPC guards are already mobilizing for war.]
[This is HUGE. A real, full-scale event. My blood is boiling already!]
Opinions were divided.
Some players were furious, convinced that they stood no chance against dragons.
Others were hyped, especially guild leaders who had already begun hoarding weapons and consumables, gearing up for the incoming war.
Tristan, however, ignored all of it.
He was already approaching Davi City.
Landing outside the city gates, he recalled his Shadow Dragon and made his way straight to the black market.
A full-scale war was on the horizon.
He didn't have time to complete his second class advancement, but he could make sure his equipment was battle-ready.
If he could embed the Wrathscale, he'd gain a massive burst damage ability—a crucial edge when fighting for boss kills.
Lost in thought, Tristan soon arrived at the tavern, heading up to the second floor where Edith usually hung out.
The assassin mentor glanced at him, taking a few quick sniffs before narrowing her eyes.
"You killed a dragon, didn't you?"
Her tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp.
"So, I take it this dragon invasion is your fault?"
Tristan didn't bother denying it.
"Got lucky and took down a Fire Dragon."
Edith pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing as if she had a headache.
"Please don't tell me it was the one from the Crimson Mountain Range."
Tristan didn't answer.
His expression said it all.
Edith let out a long sigh, then immediately started packing up her belongings, looking like she was about to skip town.
"You've really screwed up this time," she muttered while stuffing things into her bag. "Heloiris was connected to the Fire Dragon King. Killing her means he won't let this go."
Tristan remained calm.
"I know. But it's already done. No point in regretting it now—better to focus on how to push back the dragon attack."
Then, in a firm tone, he added:
"Besides, based on my analysis, the Fire Dragon King himself won't show up. At most, he'll send his underlings to test the waters."
Edith paused, then turned to him with a questioning look.
"And what makes you so sure?"
She was strong—strong enough to be a top-tier Assassin Mentor—but against the Fire Dragon King? She wouldn't stand a chance.
Tristan explained, his voice steady.
"Heloiris was no pushover, and yet she was killed. If you were the Fire Dragon King, wouldn't you be wondering just how strong the enemy really is?"
He smirked, continuing:
"Would you really charge in blind, without knowing anything about your opponent?"
Edith nodded slowly.
"You have a point."
Tristan leaned back.
"That's why the Fire Dragon King will send his subordinates first. He wants to gauge our strength before making any big moves. If we can hold off the first wave and make them bleed, he'll start having second thoughts about this whole war."
Then, with a shrug, he added:
"Honestly? I don't think he even cares about Heloiris that much. This is just a show of force."
Edith studied him for a moment before tossing aside the things she had been packing.
"Solid analysis."
Tristan simply smiled.
He had never actually believed that Edith would run away.
This woman had big ambitions—and chaos like this?
It excited her.
Edith kicked back onto her chair, her long legs propped up on the table.
"Alright, so what do you need from me?"
Tristan got straight to the point.
"I need a Smithing Master to upgrade my gear."
Edith raised an eyebrow.
"What material?"
"Wrathscale."
For the first time, Edith looked genuinely impressed.
She even gave him a thumbs-up.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that. Embedding a Wrathscale into your armor? That's a direct slap to the dragon race. If they find out, they won't rest until you're dead."
Tristan shrugged.
"I've already killed one. Even if I returned the Wrathscale, it's not like that would make things right."
Edith chuckled, then nodded.
"Fair enough. Two dragon fangs—each at least the length of a forearm. Give me those, and I'll introduce you to a real Smithing Master."
Tristan immediately took out two dragon fangs and handed them over.
Edith stored them away, then tossed him a seal.
"There's a dwarf in the corner downstairs."
Tristan had already guessed there was a dwarf blacksmith in the tavern, but if he had approached on his own, he would've been turned away.
In Edith's tavern, no one would acknowledge you unless she vouched for you.
It had been the same when he learned dual-wielding—without her seal, he wouldn't have gotten the skill book.
"Appreciate it."
He turned and left.
Downstairs, in the tavern's dimly lit corner, he found a completely wasted dwarf, slumped over a table.
[Smithing Master Gurkado Thunderhammer]
Tristan slammed the seal onto the table.
A moment later, the dwarf's drunken eyes sharpened.
Gurkado rubbed his hands together and asked:
"Alright, what do you need?"
Tristan replied, "I need an item socketed."
The dwarf didn't ask what item or what material.
He simply pocketed the seal, then stood up and headed toward the back of the tavern.
"Follow me."
In the tavern's rear courtyard, a fully equipped forge sat in the corner.
Gurkado grabbed two smithing hammers, then asked offhandedly:
"What are we socketing?"
Tristan removed his Earth Dragon T-shirt and handed it over.
"I want to embed this Wrathscale into my armor."
Clang.
Gurkado dropped his hammer, the tool crashing onto his own foot.
The dwarf didn't even flinch.
Instead, he bolted toward Tristan, gripping his arm with both hands.
"Wrathscale?! You killed a dragon?!"
Tristan nodded.
"Managed to take down Heloiris. Now Takhtu wants revenge, so I need to power up."
Gurkado fell silent.
He knew Takhtu's name.
The Fire Dragon King.
One of the apex beings in ExoGenesis.
For the first time, Edith's seal felt unbearably heavy in his pocket.
Had he known this was about Heloiris' Wrathscale, he never would have taken the job.
But now?
Backing out meant disrespecting Edith.
And no one crossed Edith.
Tristan's voice cut through his hesitation.
"Two dragon scales as payment." Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire
Gurkado straightened up instantly.
If he was going down, he might as well profit from it.
"Alright. Let's get to work."