Sora quickly understood the situation.
'The biggest guilds have stationed players near every World Boss, waiting for their members to reach the required level to take them on.'
'I need to verify if what Gilgamesh and Enkidu said is true. And the World Boss on Mount McKinley is exactly what I need for that.'
He left the two players to their conversation and approached the summit of the mountain.
Massive clouds swirled around the peak, covered in snow, but Sora had no trouble seeing through them.
A hundred gigantic creatures floated just a few meters off the ground, surrounding a throne.
Sora couldn't immediately identify the creature on the throne, but he had no difficulty recognizing the others.
Horns on their heads, long snake-like bodies, and scale-covered skin left no room for doubt.
'Those are wingless white dragons... so ice-type Heavenly Dragons…' he thought.
[Heavenly Dragon]
He quickly counted them and paid close attention to their levels. 'Exactly one hundred. All between level 200 and 220.'
Not feeling the need to linger on the heavenly dragons, he slowly moved forward until he had a clear view of the figure sitting on the throne.
[Tian Long – Level 220]
[Mother of Dragons]
It was a woman — or at least, she looked like one.
She was tall. Much taller than any human Sora had ever seen.
Between her towering height — over three meters — and what she had on her head, Sora didn't think she was human. Two slender, silver horns emerged from her forehead — small, but striking.
Her skin was pale with a bluish tint, partially covered in patches of ice crystals that formed an additional layer of protection.
She wore a dark dress, slit on the side, that rippled with the slightest breeze. Her black hair contrasted sharply with her white skin and the ever-present snow at the mountain's peak.
'She's beautiful…' Sora found himself admiring her beauty.
Sensing he had reached the edge of the boss's aggro zone, he stopped and spoke to the woman.
"Can you understand what I'm saying?" he asked first.
The woman's black eyes turned toward him, before scanning him from head to toe.
"Another human bold enough to come this close to my lair… Are you one of those fools who comes just to see the beast in the flesh, or are you here to fight?" the woman said, in words Sora had no trouble understanding.
"I came to ask you to fight for me as a mercenary… What do you say?" Sora, not wanting to waste time, immediately stated his intention.
The woman, who until now had seemed cold and indifferent, was clearly shocked by his words.
She vanished from her throne and reappeared right in front of Sora.
The World Boss and the player now stood less than a meter apart, separated by an invisible barrier.
Due to the size difference, Sora had to look up to maintain eye contact with the dragoness.
"You ask someone of my stature whether I can understand your words, revealing your ignorance of my nature and that of my children… And yet you're aware of the rule that allows us to fight alongside your kind? That makes no sense. Who are you, young human?" Tian Long voiced her confusion.
Sora smiled upon hearing her questions. 'So it was true… Maybe the two guardians of Uruk didn't lie to me after all.'
"I asked first," Sora retorted, trying to learn more about this woman who seemed to analyze his every word carefully.
Tian Long continued to examine him closely, then sighed after a few seconds. "The vibrations in the ground and the fluctuations in the air are usually enough for me to determine the power level of anyone outside this barrier. And yet, you're leaving no trace anywhere. No air, no mana, nothing I can perceive. It's like you're a ghost. That tells me your mastery over your energy and body is top-notch. But it tells me nothing about the extent of your power."
Sora feigned being flattered and offered, "You're right, I'm super strong! So… will you become my mercenary?"
The woman shook her head. "Step inside the perimeter first. You have to defeat everyone here. If you're capable of that, we'll see if we can come to an agreement or if I'll turn down your offer."
Sora thought, 'So she can turn it down... Makes sense, since the two big guys mentioned a contract. And what she said earlier is implying that not anyone can make a World Boss a mercenary. Are there other hidden conditions?'
Sora nodded and asked, "Are you ready?"
Tian Long was surprised by the question, but still answered with confidence, "Yes. Bring it on, human."
However, when she saw two winged creatures materialize next to the small human,not bothering to hide their overwhelming presence, her expression fell.
The human was not talking to her. A phoenix, a strange multicolored bird, and the human entered her territory at the same time.
A notification popped up before Sora's eyes:
[Special Quest (Raid): Tian Long]
[Description: You have entered the lair of the Mother of Dragons: Tian Long. Prove your superiority and win…]
Sora ignored the notification. Ever since his alter egos had encountered Enkidu and Gilgamesh, he knew enemy World Bosses and their pawns could respawn. Without any reason to hesitate, he pointed at Tian Long and told his companions, "Hiyoko, Netsu, take care of the dragons. I'll handle her."
The moment he stepped into the perimeter, the woman stepped back from the edge of her territory and returned to her throne atop the mountain.
A massive amount of energy was siphoned from the surrounding environment and surged toward the Mother of Dragons. Feeling the air temperature drop rapidly, Sora wasn't surprised and observed her carefully.
'Ice mastery, with an incredibly high affinity… Similar to Shade's link with shadows. I'd say this is the equivalent of a supreme skill.'
Noticing how the power of the heavenly dragons surged after Tian Long enveloped them in her aura, he was impressed.
'An elementalist, with strong support capabilities. Not bad.'
Pleased at the idea of having such an ally in the near future, he turned his attention to the battle between his familiars and the hundred dragons.
Despite their numerical superiority and Tian Long's reinforcement, the dragons were unable to bring down Netsu or Hiyoko.
The phoenix's mastery of fire made the battle disadvantageous for the dragons, and every injury was severe.
Hiyoko, on the other hand, was rampaging wildly, holding nothing back and tearing her enemies apart one by one.
As the majority of the heavenly dragons were defeated, Sora approached Tian Long, who looked furious.
"These damned rules and phases… I hate them!!" she muttered, eyes fixed on the remaining dragons.
Sora, who had a hunch what she meant, decided to try something.
He vanished from his position and reappeared above Tian Long, sword in hand.
Just as his blade was about to strike the Mother of Dragons, a barrier blocked the attack — followed by a notification.
[Special Quest (Raid): Tian Long – Phase 1 in progress!]
[Eliminate all minions of the World Boss to complete Phase 1!]
Surprised by the notification, he glanced at Tian Long who was staring back at him.
Seeing her red eyes — filled with hate, fury, and helplessness — he realized that her frustration far surpassed his own.
'How did these bosses end up caged, in worlds probably far from their own? I want to know so badly…'
Shaking his head, he thought, 'I need to focus on survival — mine, and my family's.'
Gazing at the last dragons still alive, he waited a few moments until Hiyoko and Netsu eliminated the remaining survivors.
As the last dragon fell, a massive wave of energy burst from the throne, launching Sora, Hiyoko, and Netsu to the edge of the territory.
Along its path, the energy wave vaporized the remains of all the dragons and made all the snow disappear.
Unable to resist the wave's force, Sora was stunned. 'What was that? It came from… the throne?'
Setting his curiosity aside, he watched as the energy reversed course and was absorbed by Tian Long…
All the smoke, water vapor, and snow vanished from the battlefield, revealing a platform made of stone and rock.
Tian Long's eyes changed color, shifting from black to green, and her horns grew longer — from just over ten centimeters to nearly half a meter.
Sora paid no attention to her hair dancing from the fluctuations of her aura and focused on her cold gaze.
As Netsu and Hiyoko backed away at his command, Sora entered his [White Dwarf] form.
'That should be enough. I'm stronger.' he thought, after roughly estimating Tian Long's power.
Seeing his opponent begin to move, he took flight, lifting the battle into the skies.
He smiled upon noticing her ignoring his two familiars and fly in his direction. Summoning the mana in his body, and directing it toward his weapon, he held his sword with one hand and prepared himself to dodge Tian Long's first attack.