I Have a Task Log

Although everyone was already sprinting with all their might, Colin despaired as the whooshing sound of a Giant Dragon’s wings grew ever closer, and at an incredible speed.

The ravine was also far too wide to cross quickly; they were still a long way from the opposite side.

Besides, if this Black Dragon intended to slaughter them all, what good would hiding on the other side be?

WHOOSH!

A fierce gust of wind blew from the right, and Colin felt his hair whip against his cheek.

The Black Dragon tore past him, plunging straight into the forest ahead.

’It’s not after us?’

As the thought crossed his mind, Colin kept running, glancing back over his shoulder.

He saw a golden Dragon Head emerge from the canopy of trees behind them.

The Dragon Head was sleek and powerful, crowned with a pair of swept-back, spiraling golden horns. Its muzzle concealed its teeth, and short barbels dangled from its jaw. It had a much more benevolent appearance than the Black Dragon.

But now, the scales on the Golden Dragon’s neck were bristling, and its eyes were a terrifying red. It looked as though it had lost all reason.

’A Golden Dragon?’

’An angry Golden Dragon chasing a Black Dragon? So that’s what scared off the pegasi! It must have been the dragons’ terrifying aura!’

Colin didn’t dare dwell on it. He just kept sprinting forward.

A moment later, another whoosh of wind echoed through the air.

The Golden Dragon, with a twist of its long, serpentine body, chased the Black Dragon into the forest on the far side of the ravine.

"Are we still crossing?" Kase asked, still running.

"We..."

Before Colin could finish his sentence, the Black Dragon burst out from the canopy on the other side once more.

It dove, flying down beneath the massive bridge.

The Golden Dragon followed in hot pursuit, closing the distance between them considerably.

"Hahaha, Ithelania Veya! Do you care about your precious children? Let’s see just how much you care!"

As soon as he spoke, the Black Dragon’s wanton laughter echoed up from below.

Hearing that tone, Colin knew something terrible was about to happen, but there was nothing he could do except run faster.

Another violent gust of wind, accompanied by a thunderous noise, roared past his ears.

The Black Dragon shot skyward to their right. In mid-flight, it took a deep breath, sucking falling leaves and swirling dust into its lungs, which swelled to several times their normal size.

Its jaws parted, and wisps of green gas leaked from the corners of its mouth.

And its murky, dark-green eyes locked onto the mortals desperately fleeing across the bridge.

In that instant, time seemed to stand still.

’So what do we do now?’

Colin’s mind went blank.

The Black Dragon’s wingspan was at least twenty meters. A creature of that size was undoubtedly powerful, and they were still caught in the middle of the bridge—the most vulnerable position imaginable.

’This isn’t a fight we can win...’

The dark-green gas gathered more and more thickly in the Black Dragon’s throat, and Colin could even see acid beginning to well up in its maw.

In the nick of time, a powerful golden talon descended from above, slamming down and wrenching the Black Dragon’s head to the side.

The acid breath, forced off course, shot diagonally through the gap between Colin’s group and the villagers.

HISSS!

Where the acid struck the bridge, the structure immediately blackened and shriveled, spewing out clouds of white vapor.

At the same time, the black decay spread forward, and the bridge began to rapidly collapse in its wake.

’Logically, a Black Dragon’s breath should just be acid, but most of them have a knack for Necromancy. If an older Black Dragon has achieved some mastery in it, then it’s certainly possible...’

Colin thought to himself as he ran. ’This is no time to be analyzing this! Has Learning Magic made me an idiot?!’

"Run faster! This side of the bridge is about to collapse! Can’t you go any faster? We’re running for our lives!" yelled Dorn, who was being carried. "Running into a Giant Dragon fight... our luck is just fantastic!"

No one in the party had the time to pay him any mind.

Beside him, Orelia ran on in silence, focused only on the path ahead.

While running, Ale kept glancing down below the bridge, seemingly captivated by the dragons’ battle.

While fleeing for his life, Colin glanced ahead.

After sprinting for so long, they were almost at the other side.

He glanced back again. Orelia and Kase had fallen behind, and the creeping blackness on the bridge was about to overtake them.

Colin quickly tore the Climbing Rope from his pack.

The moment his feet hit solid ground, he gripped one end of the rope and hurled the other toward Kase and the others.

The Half-Orc and Orelia reacted instantly, grabbing hold of the rope.

’Enhance, Emerald Flame Sword!’

Colin drew on the Magic Power stored within his armor to augment his Power, then drove his sword into the ground with a reverse grip.

The sword, now alight with the flames of Burning Blood, plunged instantly into the ground of white living wood, burying most of the blade.

He gripped the hilt with one hand and wrapped the Climbing Rope around his forearm with the other. Beside him, Ale also grabbed the rope with both hands to help pull.

Their section of the white bridge completely disintegrated, and Kase and the others plummeted downward.

The Climbing Rope in Colin’s hands snapped taut and began to shudder violently.

The immense force dragged him and Ale toward the cliff’s edge. The sword embedded in the ground plowed a deep furrow, and he was pulled so hard that half his body was yanked over the precipice.

Fortunately, the two of them managed to stop right at the edge of the cliff and regain their balance.

"Ugh..."

Colin gasped for breath, then with a low roar, he swung the rope, sending his companions below hurtling toward the vine-covered cliff face.

First Dorn, then Kase and Orelia.

Colin breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the three of them land safely on the cliff face and begin to climb.

Just then, the Black Dragon’s acid breath struck again.

Colin looked up to see the Black Dragon aiming its breath at the very cliff edge where they stood. The powerful acid devoured the surrounding rock, and the cliff and white living wood beneath their feet began to rapidly slide and crumble away.

"Look at these poor, innocent little ants! Haha! Ithelania Veya, your children have already been placed in the incubation chamber! So, will it be saving your precious mortals, or continuing this pointless battle?!"

The Black Dragon’s voice boomed from overhead again.

’That bastard is using us as hostages against the Golden Dragon!’

"Grab the rope, Ale."

With that, Colin threw the other end of the Climbing Rope further inland, away from the edge.

Just as he was about to cast Misty Step to teleport inland and use the rope to save Ale, his vision was abruptly plunged into darkness.

A slit appeared in the darkness.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the slit widened, revealing the yellowed white of an eye, and at its center, a dark-green iris with a black, vertical pupil.

The gaze held an untamed savagery and boundless rage, and it was fixed squarely on Colin.

Then, the patch of dark green grew larger... and larger...

WHOOSH!

A cold wind blew past, and Colin jolted.

The eye he had just seen was gone without a trace. He was now in a rapid freefall. The cliff he had been on was already dozens of meters away—far too great a distance to cross with a Teleport spell.

"Colin!" "Mr. Colin!"

Kase and the others, clinging to the side of the cliff, screamed his name and reached for him, but the distance between them was already far too great to bridge.

’That must have been its draconic aura,’

Colin thought, looking down at the Bottomless Abyss as he fell. ’That damned Evil Dragon...’