Let's rewind half an hour.
Under Links command, more than seven hundred goblins surged forward in a loose but purposeful formation.
At the core of the formation were the sixty-nine goblins imbued with the Fair Trade ability, carefully protected as the key units of the entire operation.
Surrounding them were the rest of the goblins, each carrying piles of stones, acting as living ammunition reserves.
The formation was nonsense at best, but it worked.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming presence of the Radiant Dragon King, no other creatures dared linger within the Central Mountain Range. The path ahead was clear, almost unnaturally so, allowing the goblin force to advance without resistance.
Before long, they neared the edge of the seal.
Then A thunderous dragon's roar exploded across the heavens.
The air trembled, and a violent surge of elemental energy swept outward, flattening a mountain peak thousands of meters high as if it were nothing more than sand.
Link's pupils shrank.
No wonder the records described the dragon as unstable, it wasn't just irritable, it was practically unhinged.
Fortunately, the barrier held firm. No matter how violent the dragon's outbursts were, they remained confined within its prison.
Link instinctively turned to check the goblins.
What he saw surprised him.
The goblins were practically bouncing in place, their eyes gleaming as they pointed toward the devastated peak, chattering wildly.
"Look at that! That dragon must be loaded with treasure!"
"Exactly! And we've got the protection of our god, it can't touch us!"
"All that treasure… it belongs to us!"
Link exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders.
Faith truly was a terrifying force. It didn't just inspire loyalty, it overwrote instinct. Even the natural fear that lesser beings felt toward apex creatures had been suppressed.
And the barrier's protection only reinforced their belief, making them even more fervent.
Good.
He nodded to himself. He had been concerned they might lose their nerve before even reaching the target.
"Hold formation. Advance."
At his command, the goblin army surged forward once more.
Soon, they reached the heart of the mountain range.
A translucent barrier separated the two sides, less than five hundred meters apart.
Link narrowed his eyes and examined the creature within.
———
The Fallen Radiant Dragon King:
Rank: Legendary
Level: Diamond Tier 10
Combat Power: 49,980
Note: Non-affiliated entity, detailed analysis unavailable
———
Nearly fifty thousand combat power.
Link drew in a quiet breath.
That level of strength rivaled his own peak as a demigod in his previous life. Truly deserving of the title, legendary creature.
Yet strangely, at such close proximity, the dragon showed no reaction at all. Its head was tilted upward, muttering toward the void as if lost in some private delusion.
Mad?
Link didn't hesitate.
"Spread out. Begin the attack."
Whoosh!
whoosh!
Dozens of stones arced through the air.
The barrier offered no resistance to external attacks, and the goblins… remained painfully incompetent. Most of the stones fell short, others veered wildly off course.
They were aiming at a target hundreds of meters long.
And still missing.
Only one stone struck true, hitting the dragon squarely on the head.
Link ignored the urge to comment and instead focused entirely on the Thousand Realms interface.
The notification appeared.
[Hit the Fallen Radiant Dragon King, Fair Trade triggered, obtained Dragon-Slaying Greatsword ×1, lost Stone ×1]
A massive steel greatsword, nearly two meters long, materialized instantly in the basket of a slinger goblin. The weight alone shattered the basket, driving the blade straight through it and pinning the goblin to the ground.
The creature shrieked in agony.
Link, however, exhaled in relief, a faint smile forming.
It worked.
He stepped forward, grasped the hilt, and pulled.
The sword didn't budge.
Only then did he remember, his current combat strength wasn't even on par with a goblin.
His expression stiffened.
Silently, he opened the storage interface and transferred the weapon inside.
It was a paid function. One Soul Crystal per hour.
blatant exploitation… but necessary.
Even if it was goblins, he wasn't about to let rumors spread that even a "god" couldn't lift his own weapon.
Focusing his mind, he examined the weapon.
———
Dragon-Slaying Greatsword
Grade: Excellent
Effects: Sharpness, Armor Penetration
Rating: 387
Background: Forged by a reckless youth inspired by heroic legends. He challenged the Radiant Dragon King and was slain instantly. The blade became part of the dragon's hoard.
———
Excellent.
Link's eyes gleamed.
In the Thousand Realms, equipment was ranked from Common, Fine, Excellent, Outstanding, Perfect, Epic, Legendary, to Divine, with rumors of an even higher Sovereign tier.
Even in his previous life, he had only acquired perfect-grade equipment after ascending, and that was with the Federation's full backing. An Excellent-grade weapon was already rare, easily worth thousands of Soul Crystals.
And this…
This was just the beginning.
"Keep attacking. Do not stop."
To Link now, the dragon was no longer a threat.
It was a treasure vault.
Whoosh!
whoosh!
Another wave of stones followed.
[Fair Trade triggered, obtained Gold Coin ×1, lost Stone ×1]
[Fair Trade triggered, obtained Song of Courage, lost Stone ×1]
The interface flooded with messages. Most were trivial, gold coins, scraps, minor items, but occasionally, something valuable surfaced.
Link calmly collected the rare items while tossing the gold coins directly to the goblins.
The effect was immediate.
Their enthusiasm doubled.
Then there was a shift.
The Radiant Dragon King finally paused, its expression twisting as awareness returned.
"Insignificant vermin… who are you that would Stand against me?"
With a furious roar, it spread its wings and took to the sky, its presence erupting outward in a wave of draconic pressure.
The goblins instinctively stepped back
Then froze.
Nothing happened
The pressure didn't affect them at all.
A beat of silence.
Then
"HO HO HO!"
They surged forward instead, grabbing stones with even greater excitement.
The dragon faltered mid-sentence.
"Listen well, you disgusting…"
Whoosh!
A stone struck its face.
It took no damage.
But that wasn't the point.
The Radiant Dragon King froze.
If word of this spread, if other dragons learned that he, a Radiant Dragon King, had been struck by goblins…
His dignity
"ENOUGH!"
With a furious roar, he reached into his hoard and pulled out a pitch-black scroll, holding it aloft. Even through the barrier, a chilling aura seeped outward.
"Do you see this?" he snarled, voice dripping with menace. "A Nether Scroll from the Sea of Bones. It can drag your souls into eternal torment. Persist in this insult, and when this barrier falls, I will personally consign each of you to oblivion."
Whoosh!
A goblin, startled mid-threat, threw its stone.
[Hit the Fallen Radiant Dragon King, Fair Trade triggered, obtained Hell Bone Sea Scroll ×1, lost Stone ×1]
The scroll vanished.
Replaced by a rock.
The goblin blinked.
The dragon blinked.
Once.
Twice.
…
…
"Give it back."
A tremor ran through his voice.
"GIVE ME BACK MY SCROLL!"
The scream tore through the mountains.