Greytile Town (Part 5)

Tonight, we all decided to take a good rest before stepping onto the battlefield.

Currently, I'm lying on my bed, staring at the wooden ceiling, my mind racing with thoughts about what could happen tomorrow.

I can't sleep at all.

Originally, I planned to investigate the eastern mountains personally. However, after the strategy meeting with Rebecca, I decided to reserve my energy and focus on preparation instead.

Earlier, while we were out scouting, Rebecca had already deployed a group of thief-class adventurers to explore the uncharted parts of the eastern mountains.

According to their reports, a thick mist has spread over the area, and high-level monsters—level 50 and above—have been appearing in abnormal numbers. In their last report, they discovered the true cause of Greytile Town's crisis.

"A dragon..."

A massive, injured dragon is resting deep within the mountains, devouring any monsters in its path. It's likely trying to recover its strength. If we want to take it down, we have to do it soon.

That explains why the monsters are fleeing the mountains in desperation.

Its level is already above 100 and continues to rise.

Honestly, I felt relieved that it was an actual monster.

But even so, I'm still not sure if my current strength is enough to face Eriko, the blood-manipulating demon.

Staying up all night just thinking about it will drive me insane. I need to keep myself busy.

Preparation

"System, on."

A translucent window appears, revealing my stats and skills. I browse through my available skill points, searching for something useful.

Right now, my focus is on slaying that dragon.

"I gathered plenty of materials during my journey... I wonder if I can craft a new weapon."

I open the crafting menu.

Available Weapons:

[Midnight Dagger]

[Sea Salt Sword]

[Lightning Dagger]

[Arcane Pistol]

[Heavy Gauntlet]

[Dragon Dagger]

[Arcane Wand]

The most appealing option is the Dragon Dagger.

[Dragon Dagger: Increases critical damage and critical rate by 50% when battling dragon-type enemies.]

It's made from materials I gathered after defeating the Thunder Dragon.

The Lightning Dagger also looks tempting.

[Lightning Dagger: A lightning-infused dagger that increases damage by 20%.]

"Maybe instead of being a wizard-class adventurer, I should go full assassin build and dual-wield daggers instead."

I notice a "Fuse" button. I've never tried it before, but now seems like the perfect time.

I craft the Dragon Dagger and Lightning Dagger, then fuse them together.

[Lightning Dragon Dagger: Lightning-infused dagger that increases damage by 30%. Critical rate and critical damage increase by 50%.]

Not bad. But one dagger isn't enough.

I need another.

I scroll through my inventory, searching for useful materials.

I recall the plant monsters I fought before coming here—those that spit poison. Maybe I can use that.

I craft a basic dagger and infuse it with poison materials.

[Poison Stinger: Inflicts poison on the target.]

It's decent, but not strong enough. Probably because I used cheap materials.

I fuse it with some rare components, hoping for a stronger effect.

[Deadly Poison Stinger: Inflicts poison on the target and grants poison immunity to the user. Damage increases by 20%.]

"Perfect."

Now for armor.

Since I'll be fighting a dragon, I need something that increases my durability. I have a feeling this battle will be brutal.

Next, I check my skill points.

I'm shifting to an assassin build, so I invest in Agility and Dexterity.

I also need to boost Strength and Defense. My weapons multiply my damage output—the higher the base stats, the more devastating my attacks.

Mayu's Stats:

STR: 223 (+30) → 250 (+30)

DEF: 130 (+20) → 150 (+20)

VIT: 320

INT: 270

AGI: 179 (+25) → 200 (+25)

DEX: 98 (+20) → 120 (+20)

"Good. Now, support skills."

I scroll through my skill tree and unlock Evasion Step, which briefly increases my movement speed and allows me to dodge in mid-air.

Then I invest in Shadow Cloak, a short invisibility skill, useful for repositioning.

Now, for utility—something to give us an edge in battle.

A Teleport Stone catches my attention.

[Teleport Stone: Instantly teleports the user and one ally to a designated location.]

This could be crucial in case things go wrong. I craft one and store it in my inventory.

Next, I check my alchemy menu.

I already have a stash of healing potions, but I need something more potent.

I brew an Advanced Healing Potion, which instantly restores 80% of my HP.

Then, I craft a Resistance Elixir, which grants temporary resistance against fire-based attacks. If the dragon breathes fire, this might save my life.

After organizing my inventory and finalizing my build, I stretch my arms and let out a deep breath.

Refining the Look

I walk over to the small mirror in the corner of the room, catching my reflection.

Dressed in sleek, enchanted assassin gear, dual-wielding a dagger in each hand, I almost don't recognize myself. The lightning energy coursing through the Lightning Dragon Dagger emits a faint blue glow, while the Deadly Poison Stinger has an eerie green sheen. My armor, reinforced for dragon combat, looks polished and formidable.

"...This looks really fancy," I murmur.

Too fancy.

I may have gone all out in optimizing my stats, but I prefer simple-looking gear. Something that doesn't draw too much attention.

I open the customization menu and adjust the design.

The glow of the daggers dims, keeping their power intact but making them look like ordinary weapons. I tweak the armor's design, removing unnecessary decorations and refining it into something more practical—dark, flexible, and efficient.

After a few adjustments, I take another look in the mirror and nod in satisfaction.

"Much better."

Feeling pleased with my final setup, I return to my bed and let out a long breath.

Tomorrow, the real battle begins.

As exhaustion finally catches up with me, my eyelids grow heavy.

I close my eyes.

And drift into sleep.