Eastern Alpharion Empire, *Erin’s Canyon*.
The monsters inhabiting the canyon were mostly flying types. Giant flying beasts, nesting along the canyon walls, were a nightmare for adventurers.
Especially when climbing along the narrow ledges at the edge of a cliff.
*Kiiiiiieek!*
Above us, a huge pair of wings cut through the air, accompanied by a bone-chilling screech. Sharp-eyed birds of prey scanned their surroundings, their gaze locking onto their target.
A flock of griffons.
With their bushy lion-like bodies, sturdy talons of an eagle, and heads like that of hawks, they ruled over the canyon.
Chris was clinging to the edge of the cliff, yelling in my direction.
“Waaah! ...Whoa! It’s a sheer drop down here, Rain, be careful! Don’t worry about me!”
“Don’t worry about me either! Just take care of yourself, unnie!”
*Whoosh!*
*Clang!*
My sword flew out, intercepting one of the griffons swooping down toward Chris. The griffon deflected the blow with its talons, letting out a vicious screech as it focused on me.
I was doing my best to draw the attention of the griffon swarm away from Chris, using my swordsmanship to keep them at bay.
The griffons were acting like skilled hunters, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. If they came all at once, I could have cut them all down with *Starlight Slash*, but after I sliced two of them in half when they charged too recklessly, the others were being cautious.
But I couldn’t keep spamming *Starlight Slash*. Its cooldown was long, and I had a limited number of cooldown resets available.
The griffons seemed to realize this too. They were planning to take me out first, knowing I was the immediate threat. Once Chris recovered and climbed up, they would probably switch targets to her, as she was capable of devastating long-range attacks. But for now, I was the only one threatening them.
These creatures were smarter than I expected. Maybe not as dumb as the term “bird-brained” suggests after all.
With a flutter of wings and a terrifying screech, one of the griffons dived toward me.
*Clang, clang!*
I parried its deadly talons, my sword flashing in the light as I struck back.
*Swoosh!*
*Kaaaah!*
“Tsk.”
It wasn’t deep enough. I managed to wound the griffon, leaving a long gash across its body, but it didn’t fall. It regrouped with the others, and another griffon took its place, diving toward me.
*Clang, clang!*
---
[Level 55 Griffin Captain]
[HP 5,000,000 / 5,000,000 (100%)]
[Level 53 Griffin]
[HP 1,274,007 / 2,500,000 (51%)]
...
---
The terrain was against us. Their health wasn’t extremely high, but they were protected by a green magical aura, making their defense tough to crack. Even for me, it wasn’t easy to take them down in one hit. And the Griffin Captain was standing in the center, like some sort of field boss. The monsters in the newly expanded *Erin’s Canyon* were all enhanced by the magic flowing through this land, making them formidable opponents.
I quickly scanned the griffons, looking for a solution.
To deal with these aerial attackers, I needed a bold strategy.
Their formation? The way they swooped in one by one? If I fell off the cliff, I’d certainly die. But if I used the *Astaroth* and *Hammer and Anvil Bracelet* cooldown reset abilities, I had a plan worth trying.
*Tatatatat!*
I started running along the edge of the cliff. The griffons began closing in on me one by one.
*Whoosh!*
I kept running.
I didn’t look back.
The griffons were right on my tail, ready to sink their talons into my back at any second.
At the last possible moment.
*Twirl.*
I spun around.
And then.
*Hop.*
With a light leap, I landed on the back of the nearest griffon.
*Kieeek--!?*
The griffon beneath me let out a panicked screech, clearly not expecting to be used as a stepping stone.
*Hop, hop, hop!*
I continued bounding from griffon to griffon, cutting them down as I went. The injured griffons struggled to recover, and before they knew it, I was within striking distance of the Griffin Captain.
*Hop!*
With one final leap, I launched myself directly at the Captain.
*Kaaaah-!!*
*Flap!*
*Whoooosh!*
“Ugh!?”
The Griffin Captain flapped its wings hard, sending a powerful gust of green energy-infused wind straight at me. My lightweight body nearly got blown away. But I squinted through the intense wind and reached for the hilt of my sword.
*Shing.*
The distance between me and the Griffin Captain was 12 meters.
Within range.
I activated *Blink Slash*.
*Slash!*
In a flash of light, my body cut through the Captain’s wing, spraying its blood across my face. Red blood. Once upon a time, I used to mistake this for milk.
*Kaaaah!*
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
The Griffin Captain let out a pained screech, and as I landed behind it, I activated *Astaroth*’s cooldown reset ability.
*Shing!*
Another *Blink Slash*.
*Kaaaaaaah--!!*
Poor Captain. It probably thought it was safe watching from afar, but it had no idea it was next in line to fall.
Even with those two powerful strikes, the Captain didn’t go down easily. Its defense was impressive. One more *Blink Slash* would likely do it, but using it would leave me without a way back.
*Flap, flap, whoosh!*
The Captain, its wing torn and bleeding, launched a final attack, a green wind infused with its magical aura.
I couldn’t dodge it.
With *Blink Slash* on cooldown, my only option was *Starlight Slash*.
Suspended midair, I unleashed a flurry of sword strikes toward the oncoming gust.
*Slash, slash, slash!*
It wasn’t enough. I activated the bracelet’s cooldown reset and unleashed another barrage.
*Swoosh, swoosh!*
*Splat, splat, splat!*
The injured Griffin Captain, unable to dodge, was hit by every last strike.
*Kaaaaaa---*
“Bye-bye, Griffin Captain.”
I winked at the Captain as it plummeted, screeching, into the abyss below.
With their leader gone, the remaining griffons scattered, flying away in all directions.
Without wasting a second, I used *Backstep* to propel myself toward the cliff’s edge. *Fwoosh!* I reached out my hand, but I wasn’t quite close enough. I was falling.
“Oh no.”
Is this how I die?
A former hero who soloed raid dungeons, only to die from falling while fighting a field boss? Well, at least I could respawn and make my way back. Would the griffons respawn faster than me?
“Rain...!”
*Whoosh!*
Just as I thought I was about to plummet, something round caught my hand. It was Chris’s *Yin Yang Orb*.
*Thud!*
Chris rushed over and grabbed my small hands, pulling me up.
Dangling from her grip, I looked up to see Chris’s tearful face as she sighed in relief.
“Phew, that was close. What on earth were you thinking!? Do you want to give me a heart attack?”
“Heh.”
I grinned up at her as she scolded me.
---
"Wow."
"Whoa...!"
At last, we reached the summit of *Erin’s Canyon*, and the breathtaking view that stretched out before us left us both in awe.
Looking down, the vast expanse of land seemed endless. The deep, jagged canyon cast shadows over the landscape like the wrinkles of the earth itself. The ancient layers of rock, formed over millions of years, glowed in shades of red and orange, telling the story of time’s passage.
Standing before this natural wonder, even the thousand years I had spent away from this world felt like a mere blink of an eye.
"I’ve seen something like this before," Chris said.
"Really?"
I was surprised. Had Chris seen something like this back on Earth?
"Yeah, back in America where I’m from. There’s a place called the Grand Canyon."
"Oh, I’ve heard of that."
Now that I thought about it, Earth had its own vast canyons too.
It was humbling to know that such awe-inspiring landscapes existed both in this world and on Earth.
*Yawn.*
As I stood there, mesmerized by the scenery, Chris yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
It was late. She had come straight from work to play the game, so she must’ve been exhausted.
“You should get some sleep, unnie.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll explore a bit more and head to bed afterward.”
“Hmm...”
Chris hesitated.
I giggled. I knew exactly why. She’d gotten used to sleeping beside me lately.
I leaned in close, standing on tiptoe, and whispered in her ear.
“I’ll come find you in your room later.”
I winked and playfully twisted my body.
“Let’s sleep together tonight.”
“Kuhk!”
Chris clutched her chest dramatically, as if she’d been struck.
---
There were a few ways to climb
up to the canyon from the Eastern Wastelands, but not many safe places for players to stand. On top of that, griffon attacks made the ascent even more dangerous. Because of this, hardly any players had made it to the canyon yet. Most were still busy hunting in the Wastelands.
“No one’s here after all.”
*Thud, thud.*
Now that I was alone, I walked along the edge of the canyon.
Somewhere in this vast canyon, there was sure to be an elite dungeon. And in the raid dungeon, a Legion Commander awaited.
Would I be the first to discover both the elite dungeon and the raid dungeon?
“Huh?”
As I scanned the expansive canyon, my eyes caught sight of someone.
Another player had reached the top of the canyon.
My social skills had improved a lot recently. I could actually go up to this player and start a conversation.
I approached the player standing at the edge of the canyon, looking down.
Then.
“Oh.”
It was a woman.
And she looked oddly familiar.
Straight, light brown hair. A mage’s robe billowing in the canyon breeze. A sharp-featured beauty radiating charisma.
It was none other than *Skada*, the raid leader of the *Skada Raid Party*.