Chapter 550: The Dragon and the Great Crater

To be honest, Amber wasn’t unfamiliar with the typical expedition procedures adventurers followed—though she herself wasn’t one. She’d worked with enough adventurers over time to have taken down a baron’s domain. In her mind, when facing exploration targets like magical forests, ancient caves, or secret dungeons, the usual process was pretty standard: assemble a team, prepare supplies, gather intelligence, then cautiously enter the area, scout along the way, map the terrain, disarm traps, and fight monsters. Nine out of ten adventurers would do it this way; the one who didn’t usually ended up dead halfway through.

But now, Gawain had proven with cold, hard facts that most of those steps could be compressed into just half a magazine’s worth of ammunition.

The deafening roar of cannon fire shattered the wild order that had reigned in the Black Forest for centuries. A civilization more brutal than savagery itself had burned away every plant at the forest’s edge, along with every dangerous monster within range. Poisonous plants, cunning beasts, greedy predators, and eerie soul-eaters—all were reduced to ash, elevated to a grim form of art through annihilation.

Safe. Efficient. Clean. No hidden dangers. In the blasted ruins of the secret realm, there were no traps; in the scorched Black Forest, no monsters remained.

Gawain stood on a high ground overlooking the cave of the Shadow Experiment Grounds, satisfied as he surveyed the cannon-blasted path before him. Of course, the road was far from smooth—pockmarked with craters—but it was still far easier to traverse than the dense Black Forest. Beside him, Amber’s face was a mix of shock and disbelief, as if saying, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You actually did it like this…” The half-elf felt as if she’d glimpsed a whole new world. “Aren’t you worried about attracting monsters from the Black Forest?”

“Monsters? They should all be dead by now,” Gawain replied casually. “I’m not just firing blindly—no one knows the magic tide contamination zones better than me. This area is a low-contamination zone. The main threats are mutated plants and toxic water, plus some weak, scattered monsters. The truly powerful magic tide creatures don’t gather here; the thin chaotic magic energy can’t sustain them for long.”

As Gawain said, he had thought it through before giving the order. He confirmed the environment was suitable before choosing to clear the path with artillery. In this dangerous Black Forest, blasting a path was basically the most effective way forward.

A squad of elite Iron Rangers was quickly assembled. Led personally by Solderin, the team set out alongside Gawain and Amber.

Though Gawain’s “firepower reconnaissance” always felt a bit off, Amber had to admit that a Black Forest plowed through by cannon fire was undeniably safer. She saw countless shattered plant remains scattered among rocks and craters—plants that had recently been deadly poisons. Among the debris were the intimidating remains of monsters, twisted and mutated flesh still smoldering with dust. Some carcasses even twitched faintly—but now, none could possibly rise to attack.

Solderin gripped his short bow, leading the squad forward while keeping watch. Though the artillery had flattened a large area and most nearby monsters would likely avoid the cannon’s destructive power, many creatures affected by the magic tide lacked rational judgment. There was always the chance that a reckless mutant might charge out from the dense forest. Many pioneers had died in such surprise attacks.

Gawain confidently handed off the watch duty to Solderin and the Iron Rangers, focusing most of his attention on the satellite view in his mind.

The impact crater was close.

The “safe corridor” blasted by cannon fire ended here. Ahead lay a tangle of ancient trees and thick underbrush. The team had entered the heart of the Black Forest, at the edge of the artillery’s reach. The artificial thunder of cannon fire stopped here—not because the range was insufficient, but because Gawain had deliberately instructed Byron’s artillery to limit the bombardment. He worried that a stray shell might destroy crucial clues.

No matter. They were nearly at the crater’s edge.

Gawain lifted his gaze toward the dark forest depths. The daylight was fading; the already dim sunlight filtered through thin magical mist and layers of dense canopy, casting a hazy, gloomy glow. But with his enhanced vision, he could still make out the distant scene clearly.

“Just in that direction,” he said, drawing his Pathfinder longsword and turning to Solderin. “Keep moving forward.”

Solderin nodded, raising his hand to signal the rangers. “Advance—activate scopes, stay alert!”

The seasoned ranger sensed that his old friend was searching for something specific. Gawain’s resolute tone wasn’t just about detecting unusual magical fluctuations—it was a certainty born from knowing something lay ahead. Their seven-century-old camaraderie meant Solderin didn’t ask questions and immediately followed orders.

One by one, the Iron Rangers activated their tactical scopes. The outer soldiers raised shields, while those inside prepared their magitech terminals, ready for any hidden threats in the dense forest. At the front, where shadows and branches intertwined, Amber’s figure flickered in and out of sight as she scouted ahead.

Gawain glanced at Amber with a mix of amusement and exasperation. No matter the situation, the half-elf always complained endlessly, but once she got to work, she never missed a beat. Sometimes he wondered if her usual lazy attitude was genuine or just an act.

No wonder the government office joked that there were two mysteries about Cecil: the dark circles under the steward Hetty’s eyes, and Amber’s chronic slacking. Yet Amber was the only intelligence chief in the territory who constantly claimed she wanted to skip work but still showed up every day without fail—regardless of her style, a true workhorse.

Whether Amber was slacking or not, one thing was certain to Gawain: this seemingly carefree “elf disgrace” was actually quite reliable.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Amber suddenly reappeared beside him.

Her eyes wide with astonishment, she exclaimed, “Old man! There’s a huge pit up ahead!”

“Is that so? Looks like we’re on the right track,” Gawain raised an eyebrow, then waved his hand. “Everyone, speed up!”

Amber blinked in surprise and hurried to keep pace. “Wait—did you already know? Why aren’t you surprised?”

Gawain ignored her chatter and strode over uneven ground and tangled vines. His Pathfinder longsword blazed with fiery magic, instantly turning obstructing bushes and rocks to ash. The team’s pace quickened sharply. As they advanced, Solderin noticed changes in the environment—

Rows of bushes lay neatly flattened, fragile tree trunks snapped at waist height, even towering giant trees leaned and toppled.

He recognized the signs.

A powerful shockwave had passed through.

Gawain stopped. “We’re here.”

Solderin stared in disbelief, and the elite rangers let out low murmurs of awe.

Before them lay a massive impact crater, large enough to swallow half a city block. Around its rim, countless boulders had been pulverized to dust, the earth cracked in every direction, and towering trees snapped in half. Inside the crater, semi-molten rock and baked soil fused into a black, hardened crust—evidence of infernal temperatures.

“Forest spirits…” Solderin gasped. “Could this have been bombed by the Annihilation Blast?”

“The Annihilation Blast wouldn’t leave such a neat, singular crater,” Gawain shook his head, looking up at the darkening sky. “Something fell from above.”

“Something? A meteorite?” Solderin hesitated, then peered into the crater. “Maybe there’s a star core…”

Amber suddenly jumped forward. “A star core? The kind that’s worth half a castle just for a palm-sized piece?!”

Gawain gently pushed her back. “If there’s a star core, it has to be handed over to the duchy. No need to get excited.”

Ignoring Amber’s loud protests, he stepped into the crater, followed closely by Solderin and the Iron Rangers.

Gawain scanned the crater floor, muttering softly, “No fragments, no debris…”

All that remained was the blackened, fused rock and soil. There were no shards or wreckage to be found. If the mysterious object from beyond the stars had existed, it left no trace.

Could the dragon have taken it? The dragon had been there, after all.

Gawain had watched the dragon land in the crater. Its stay was brief. Even if it took something, it should have only taken the largest, easiest parts. How could there be no fragments left behind?

Or maybe there was no extraterrestrial object at all—just an energy explosion, which would explain the lack of debris. Or perhaps the object survived the terrible impact intact and was carried away whole by the dragon?

Gawain mulled over these possibilities while continuing to scan the area with his satellite vision. Meanwhile, Solderin and the rangers began searching the crater floor. Soon, one of the Iron Rangers called out in surprise.

“Sir! Look at this!”

Solderin hurried over and immediately saw what had caught the soldier’s attention.

On the still-warm blackened crust, several enormous claw marks were scattered in a somewhat chaotic pattern.

The prints were clearly not trying to hide. Each was nearly the size of a human torso, deeply embedded more than ten centimeters into the ground. From these marks alone, Solderin could tell what a terrifyingly massive creature had briefly rested here.

The ranger who first spotted the prints murmured, “What kind of creature left these…”

“A dragon,” Gawain said, appearing beside them without them noticing. “I’ve seen dragons before. Only those giants could leave claw marks this big.”

Solderin’s eyes widened as he stared at Gawain. “Are you sure?”

Gawain could only nod with confidence—after all, he had seen it with his own eyes—but here, he couldn’t afford to be too absolute. “About eighty percent sure. Don’t dismiss dragons as mere fairy tales—they really exist. Back in the old days, Old Cecile was scorched by dragonfire. Even now, that place remains a charred wasteland, still saturated with draconic magic.”

“Dragons have actually appeared here…” Solderin muttered to himself. “This place really is the true edge of civilization.”

Just then, Amber, who had wandered off to the side after being ignored by Gawain, suddenly shouted out loud, “Old Dumpling!! I found something precious!!”

(End of chapter)