Lucian felt sick knowing that these dragons did not want to attack settlements on their own. Someone was using them as weapons and making them do it.
He said softly, "We need to find out what kind of asshole is doing this... and stop them while kicking their fucking ass because these Drakes don't deserve any of this!"
Glacielle nodded and quickly hit the drake in the head, ending its pain. "The seal's magic has a mark on it. If we get close enough, I can follow it back to the source."
Lucian flinched, seeing her kill it right away. "I—Is that what you're supposed to do to someone who has that seal...?"
"Yeah... we can't do anything other than free it from its suffering with death." Glacielle said while cleaning the blood from her hands. "Death is the greatest mercy for those who are enslaved with force."
Lucian felt a tingling sensation in his body as he heard that. "G-Got it..."
...
They kept going northeast and ran into two more groups of controlled dragons along the way. Glacielle wrote down the seals' names and the direction their magic pointed each time.
The sun was setting, and they were both worn out by the time they got to the edge of Riverhold. The town was larger than Millbrook and featured real stone walls and guard towers.
However, some buildings had burned walls and collapsed roofs, indicating that they had been attacked by dragons.
Glacielle pointed to a rocky outcropping beyond the town and said, "The seal magic is strongest to the east."
"About five kilometers that way."
Lucian said, "Then that's where we're going... but maybe after we take a break? I don't have much energy left."
"Understood." Glacielle nodded.
They chose to take a break first, and it didn't take long until they found an inn and paid for a room with some of their gold. They ate a quick meal and then headed toward the place where the dragons were attacking.
It was challenging to travel at night because of the rocky ground, but Glacielle's heightened senses kept them safe. After an hour of careful climbing, they got to a flat area that looked down on a hidden valley.
Lucian's blood ran cold when he saw something.
There were many dragons in the valley, and there were dozens of them with purple control seals on them. They stood in neat rows like soldiers, not moving and waiting for orders.
And in the middle of this army of monsters who were slaves was a man.
He was in his early twenties, had crazy red hair, and his eyes sparkled with crazy excitement. He was dressed in long, fancy robes adorned with strange symbols, and he carried a glowing crystal ball in his hands.
"Well, well, well," the man said, and his voice carried over the valley even though they were far apart. "I didn't know I would have visitors coming to see me..."
"How nice~. I was curious when someone would finally find my small business."
Lucian got tense and put his hand on his sword. "You! You are the asshole who controls the dragons!"
"Why the fuck would you—ehem! (Gotta act cool). Why... why do you have to hurt innocent people?"
The man laughed, and his laughter sounded both crazy and amused. "Why...? WHY YOU SAY?!"
"Of course I fucking can! Who are you?! My mom!?"
"This world is dull and weak... it needs someone to shake things up!"
He held up the crystal orb, and Lucian could see system windows floating around it, which were purple instead of his usual blue ones.
The man said in a dramatic voice, "I am Corvus Blackthorn."
"And I have the same fate as yours, to be lucky to have a gacha system."
"But I call forth something much more impressive than the sexy, shameful warriors you call forth to fight for you!"
The realization that another individual was utilizing a gacha system made Lucian's stomach churn. Unknown forces had granted power to someone else.
However, Lucian could clearly see that this guy is fucking insane to its core.
"My Gacha System is only for Exotic Monsters!" Corvus said, spinning around like a performer. "Every pull gives me control over a different and strong monster!"
"You can name any kind of dragon, chimera, or behemoth! I gather them, I manage them, and I do whatever I want with them!"
He pointed at Lucian with a look of blame. "And you! I can feel your system from here!"
"The legendary SSS Gacha System that people have talked about in prophecies!"
"The system that is supposed to make this world more fair and heroic!"
Corvus's face twisted into a sneer. "How fucking boring!"
"Heroes are so easy to guess, like any other story you've read."
"So self-righteous and so sure they're doing the right thing while they crush anyone who dares to be different!"
"What the fuck does that even mean!? You're the one who's killing innocent people!" Lucian yelled back. "You're using dragons to attack towns that can't defend themselves!"
"What makes that fucking different?" Lucian glanced at Glacielle. "Bro thinks he's different from any kind of villain... this shit is just the same mainstream."
"That's what makes me climax for being a villain!" Corvus waved his hand in a dismissive way and said, "Evil is such a limited view."
"And I'm doing it for some brilliant research by putting my system to the test!"
"Seeing how far I can go before the so-called heroes come to stop me!"
He pointed to the army of dragons. "Look how far I've come! I have complete control over fifty-three dragons!"
"Each one is an SSR or higher pull from my system!"
"Do you know how much gacha currency I spent making this army?"
"Gacha... currency...? You're fucking crazy," Glacielle said flatly, even though she swore for the first time.
"Thanks!" Corvus smiled at her. "I do my best."
"And since we're talking about trying, I should probably kill you both right now before you become a real problem for my plan."
"Of course, nothing personal, kid. That's just how villains do things."
He lifted the crystal ball, and the dragons started to move. Fifty-three pairs of eyes turned to look at Lucian and Glacielle.
[Emergency Alert!]
[Boss Battle Initiated: Corvus Blackthorn, The Mad Gacha Master]
[Difficulty: SSS-Rank]
[Warning: Extreme danger! Victory chances: Low!]
[Recommended Strategy: Retreat and return with reinforcements]
"Master," Glacielle said calmly, even though the odds were against them. "We should pull back!"
"We cannot fight this many enemies with just the both of us... even the sync!"
Lucian wanted to agree right away with that. His brain was telling him to run in every logical way, but Corvus would keep using his dragons to attack settlements if they ran, and then more people would die.
The system had told him that he would have to go through trials that would change the course of history.
"Glacielle," he said softly. "What are our chances if we use synchronization and you go all out?"
She was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Against fifty-three dragons and a gacha master whose powers are unknown?"
"Less than five percent... there's still a slight chance."
"Master, in combat stats, five percent is basically the same as zero."
Lucian insisted, "But it's not totally zero. And this crazy person is killing people. We have to give it a shot."
"Just like gacha...! Go big or go home!"
Glacielle looked at him with her blue eyes, looking for something on his face. Then she smiled that rare, real smile.
"You really are a good, unusual person, Master," she said. "Very well, then."
"At least if we die here, we die trying to do the right thing."
Lucian drew his sword and said, "That's the spirit."
"Let's show this jerk what the real SSS Gacha System can do."
Corvus clapped in a mocking way. "Oh, how inspiring~!"
"The hero and his bikini warrior are ready to die for what they believe in! This is going to be FUN!"
He pushed the crystal ball up into the air. "Attack, my beautiful monsters!"
The dragons charged together, a wave of scales and rage.
Lucian turned on synchronization and felt Glacielle's power flow into him.
And the fight for their lives began.