The moment Nolan grasped Mountain’s Resonance, a deep, resonant hum rippled through the blade.
It felt less as though he had pulled it from the drake’s spine and more as if he had awakened a slumbering king of the hills from the depths of the earth itself. The sword was heavy, yet not unwieldy; instead, it carried a natural, cohesive sense of power, as though every swing could stir the echo of mountains.
Before Nolan’s eyes, a status panel visible only to him shimmered with an intoxicating glow.
【Mountain’s Resonance】
【Quality: Fantasy】
【Attack: 126–145】
【Durability: 74/100】
【Those acknowledged by it become the King of Mountains.】
【Earth Affinity (Inactive)】 The wielder becomes favored by the earth element, enhancing perception of it.
【Gravitational Crush (Inactive)】 Attacks carry earth-element infusion, causing struck areas to endure double gravity. Stacks up to two times and lasts ten minutes (reduced by resistance).
【Stance Release (Inactive)】 Switch the weapon’s combat stance.
【Elemental Holy Sword (Inactive)】 This blade grows alongside the wielder’s power level. Current stage: 0/3.
This was it.
Nolan’s heart pounded wildly. The base attack power alone was nearly ten times that of Darkpiercer. It matched exactly the screenshots he had once seen on the forums. Though it was currently only of “Fantasy” quality, just one tier above Fine Craft, its true strength lay in its growth potential. As long as its conditions were met, it could evolve step by step, eventually becoming a true divine artifact. The player who had originally posted about it had only been Gold rank, yet the sword had already reached Mythic quality—and that had merely been its first stage of growth.
“You said this thing belongs to the dwarves? Then how did it end up here?” Hank’s voice cut through Nolan’s elation. He walked up to the drake’s corpse, planted a foot on it without ceremony, and drove his sword deep into the creature’s massive skull, twisting it to make absolutely certain it was dead before turning his attention to the heavy blade in Nolan’s hands.
Nolan gave the sword a few experimental swings. It felt even heavier than expected, but solid and reliable. He also knew that all its special effects were still inactive, which meant he had yet to truly “earn” the weapon.
“You’ve heard of the ‘Pillar of Shame’ incident, right?”
As he spoke, Nolan carefully climbed down from the still-warm body of the drake. The movement tugged at his wounds, making him grimace in pain.
“Just the name. Go on,” Hank said, searching his pockets for a cigar.
“About eighty years ago, the heir of the Dwarven Kingdom traveled through the human realms. The goal was to reinforce alliances and, while they were at it, seek some support, since they’d been fighting those things in the Underground Dungeons for years.” Nolan paused briefly before continuing. “But something went wrong along the way. The crown prince died, and Mountain’s Resonance vanished with him. The dwarves exploded over it. They accused humans of coveting their holy sword and murdering the envoy, demanding the culprit and the weapon be handed over immediately. The human kingdoms agreed to investigate, but the dwarves thought it was just stalling. They’re famously stubborn and refused to listen. Tempers rose on both sides until it escalated into a holy war.”
Nolan let out a quiet sigh.
“In the end, both sides suffered heavy losses. The dwarves withdrew into the mountains, tore up all alliances with humans, and erected a massive stone pillar in their capital, carving the incident into it. They called it the ‘Pillar of Shame,’ a reminder of their humiliation and a vow of vengeance.”
After listening, Hank stroked his rough beard, his expression turning odd. “So… this is stolen property?”
“Who knows?” Nolan shook his head. “What really happened back then is still a mystery. As for why it ended up embedded in this drake… the creature isn’t weak, but there’s no way it could have wiped out the entire royal envoy. Don’t underestimate the dwarves. They may be short, but they’re experts at dealing with massive creatures, especially the prince’s guards. There must have been something else involved, but that’s not our concern right now.”
“Let’s just hope it doesn’t bury us alive. So, is it strong?” Hank asked, getting straight to the point.
“Strong. Extremely strong,” Nolan answered without hesitation. “But… I haven’t figured out how to activate its true power yet.”
Before he could say more, Hank suddenly raised a finger to his lips. “Quiet.” His expression sharpened instantly. “I hear something.”
Nolan’s brow furrowed. Something wasn’t right.
In this dungeon, the drake was supposed to be the final hidden boss. Once it was cleared out, the run should be over. There shouldn’t be anything else. Had his interference caused some unknown change?
The two of them held their breath and listened carefully.
The strange noise grew clearer. It wasn’t coming from deeper within the cave, nor from the entrance they had used.
Almost at the same time, both men snapped their heads upward toward the cavern ceiling ahead. The sound came from above—dull, forceful, like something massive repeatedly striking the earth.
“There! Watch out!” Hank pointed sharply.
A section of rock overhead began to glow red without warning. The color deepened rapidly as the temperature surged, until it resembled a piece of iron heated to a blazing white. The next instant—
Boom!
The solid rock gave way under the extreme heat, shattering and melting at once. A massive column of fire tore downward at an angle, cutting straight through the underground cavern with destructive force. A scorching wave of heat blasted toward them. The pillar of flame lasted only two seconds before vanishing as abruptly as it had appeared.
Silence returned. Only the gaping hole left behind remained, its edges still dripping molten rock. Drops of lava fell to the ground with sharp hissing sounds. The air carried a strange, acrid scent.
Nolan looked at the glassy surface where the ground had been melted and cooled in an instant, then at the drake’s half-charred corpse, and felt a pang of deep regret. So many resources, wasted.
Cautiously, he stepped beneath the opening and tilted his head up, trying to see what had caused it.
At that moment, a dark figure plunged down through the hole. The shape tumbled uncontrollably in midair, completely off balance. It wasn’t a dive so much as a fall.
It was humanoid.
There was no time to think. His body moved on instinct. He rushed forward, arms outstretched, trying to catch the falling figure. Everything happened too fast.
Crash! The impact slammed into Nolan’s chest with overwhelming force.
It didn’t feel like catching a person—it felt like catching a meteor falling from the sky. The sheer force sent him flying backward. His Arcane Lock Boots didn’t even have time to deploy their hooks before he was driven straight into the distant rock wall. Cracks spread across the stone as fragments scattered everywhere.
Nolan felt his organs shift violently. He could no longer hold it in and spat out a mouthful of blood. His already depleted health plunged past the brink, dropping below fifteen percent in an instant.
“Nolan!” Hank’s urgent shout echoed through the cavern as he rushed over with his sword in hand.
Nolan coughed up another mouthful of blood-flecked breath, the agony nearly knocking him unconscious. With great effort, he lowered his gaze and finally saw the “culprit” in his arms.
Long silver-white hair spilled out like moonlight, and her delicate features looked as though they had been crafted by the gods themselves. From beneath her hair, pointed ears were visible.
But her eyes were closed. She had completely lost consciousness.
It was… a girl.
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