Chapter 10: Townsperson A Meets a Total Clutz in the Valley of the Flying Dragons

I arrived at Frissen, the village closest to the Valley of the Flying Dragons. As the name suggested, the valley was home to a massive flock of Wyverns.

To be precise, Wyverns were Lesser Dragons, not true dragons. However, because they looked so much like the real thing, the name "Valley of the Flying Dragons" had stuck and remained the common designation to this day.

My purpose in coming here was, of course, to enter the Temple of Wind located within the valley and claim the Book of the Wind God that was supposed to be enshrined there. My strategy was the same as always: hide with my 【Stealth】 skill and steal it. Simple is best, as they say.

In the original game, the player could only tackle this area during the summer of their second year at the academy. I remembered it vividly because the difficulty was absurdly high, and more importantly, the event associated with it was in incredibly bad taste.

First, you had to enter the Valley of the Flying Dragons and slaughter over a hundred Wyverns. Only after defeating the black Wyvern Lord that led the pack could you finally reach the temple entrance. After a brief dialogue event, you would enter the temple, only to find the Wyvern Lord’s nest inside.

Waiting in that nest was a pure white Wyvern Lord with a ribbon tied around its tail, accompanied by its child. They were the wife and offspring of the black Wyvern Lord you had just slain. Naturally, they would attack in a blind, grief-stricken rage, seeking vengeance for their lost husband and father.

Amy would try to "persuade" them, but she would inevitably fail, triggering the battle. By killing the mother and child, you finally obtained the Book of the Wind God. To top it all off, the scene ended with one of the love interests comforting Amy as she wept over her failure to resolve things peacefully, which increased his affection points.

Honestly, I thought the whole thing was just a glorified robbery. You break into someone’s home, kill them, and steal their stuff. I doubted I was the only player who felt that Amy’s attempts at "persuasion" rang hollow after she’d already murdered their family.

Anyway, enough about the game.

I set out from Frissen with a week’s worth of food. The mountain path to the valley was a two-day trip one-way, but I brought extra just in case. I’d already decided that if I didn't reach the valley within two days, I’d turn back. There was no need to push my luck just yet.

I activated 【Stealth】 and began my trek. I’d heard that these mountains were home to more than just the Horn Rabbits common around the Royal Capital; ferocious monsters like Big Boars, Blood Deers, and Great Bears were said to prowl the area. While a part of me was curious to see them, I wanted to avoid unnecessary combat. I kept my eyes on the landmark peak and moved cautiously, making sure to keep 【Stealth】 active at all times.

By the evening of the second day, I arrived at the edge of the valley.

The sight was, quite frankly, breathtaking. Countless giant winged lizards filled the sky. Without my meta-knowledge, I would have certainly mistaken them for true dragons. In reality, they were merely a Lesser Dragon species, far weaker than the real thing. The difference was simple: true dragons possessed Breath attacks and a Roar. Lesser Dragons had neither. The presence of a long-range Breath attack and a Roar capable of inducing magical panic in the weak made a world of difference in subjugation difficulty.

Since the sun was already setting, I decided to camp outside the valley. This was where my 【Alchemy】 skill really shone.

In the game, the skill was mainly used to craft weapons, armor, and potions, or to enhance gear using Magic Stones. However, toward the endgame, it turned into a total cheat. You could build carriages or even massive fortresses. During the final battle, you could even craft magic tools to temporarily weaken Anastasia after she’d fallen to darkness and stood before you as the final boss.

If I could build a fortress, a small semi-underground shelter was child's play. To avoid attracting the Wyverns' attention, I dug into the earth beneath the shade of some trees and fashioned a ceiling out of packed soil. I added an air hole so I wouldn't suffocate, a small hearth for cooking, and a chimney to vent the smoke and carbon dioxide.

Safe and sound in my literal hole-in-the-wall, I was unlikely to be ambushed.

Well then, even though there's no one here to hear me... good night.

The next morning, I confirmed the coast was clear, dismantled my camp, and headed for the Temple of Wind. I walked boldly through the valley, protected by my 【Stealth】 skill.

There was a single, suspiciously convenient path leading down the cliffside. In the game, Wyverns would swarm you incessantly on this path, chipping away at your health, but not a single one noticed me.

After a thirty-minute descent to the valley floor, I began climbing the stairs to the temple. At the top was a wide plaza where a black Wyvern Lord lay curled up, basking in the sun. It looked so peaceful while it slept that I simply slipped past it and stepped into the temple.

Wait. Where was the white Wyvern Lord?

Come to think of it, the game version had a child too. Maybe they weren't married yet? I was somewhat curious about how a Wyvern found a wife, but safety was my priority.

I walked up to the altar where the Book of the Wind God was supposed to be enshrined. I reached it without a single fight, and yet... it wasn't there. The book was missing.

Why? Is there some event I haven't triggered?

As I stood there agonizing over it, a voice called out to me.

"Excuse me, Mr. Human? Do you have a moment?"

I spun around, looking for another person.

"No, no, I'm talking to you. I can see you just fine, even with that 【Stealth】 skill of yours."

"!"

The shock broke my concentration, and 【Stealth】 deactivated. I scrambled to reactivate it, but the voice stopped me.

"It's alright. You're safe here."

Light bathed the altar, and an incredibly handsome man with green hair and golden eyes manifested out of thin air.

"I am the God of Wind. I have a small favor to ask of you."

A man claiming to be a god had appeared. Given his entrance and the fact that he'd seen through my skill, there was no doubt he possessed divine power. If I didn't cooperate, I’d probably be killed—and since 【Stealth】 didn't work, I couldn't run.

"No, no, I won't kill you if you refuse. You just won't get that thing you’re looking for."

Wait. Is he reading my mind?

"Indeed I am. I’m a god, after all. Reading a human heart is easy, and human skills simply don't work on me."

"I... I see. Understood, Lord God. What would you have me do?"

"Good. But first, we need to wake up that useless lizard over there indulging in an afternoon nap in front of my temple."

...

...

"Wha—wait! Lord God, if you do that—!"

I tried to stop him, but I was too late. The God of Wind dashed forward with terrifying speed, took a literal running start, and punched the Wyvern Lord in the face with all his might.

The Wyvern Lord flew through the air with the classic "zip" of a cartoon character, crashing head-first into the opposite cliff face. It remained there, head embedded in the rock, limbs dangling limply.

Uh... is it okay? Is it dead?

Ignoring my concern, the God flew over to the cliff, grabbed the Wyvern Lord by the tail, yanked it out, and flew back to the plaza.

The sight of a flying man dragging a limp, swaying Wyvern Lord behind him was nothing short of surreal.

"Um, Lord God, what exactly is happening?"

"Yes, well, I want you to help this child out a bit. Go on, introduce yourself."

The Wyvern Lord turned its head toward me, looking deeply intimidated. I sighed in relief; at least it was still alive.

"U-Um... I-I'm... m-my name is J-Jerome. I'm, uh, well... a Wyvern Lord, I guess..."

His voice trailed off until he was practically whispering. I couldn't even catch the last part.

"I'm Allen. Nice to meet you."

I tentatively held out my right hand. Jerome flinched and tried to hide behind the God. Given his size, it didn't work at all.

"Come now, shake hands properly," the God commanded.

Prodded by his deity, Jerome timidly extended a front leg. It was far too large for me to actually shake, so I settled for grasping a single claw and gently moving it up and down.

"Looking forward to working with you."

The moment I said that, Jerome’s face lit up with a brilliant smile, and his tail began to wag furiously.

Is he... a dog?