Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 85: Scarecrow

Ater everything Bel had been through, there was one thing he could say for sure: the shop was a mystery wrapped in a jackpot.

It first appeared right after he received the black orb, the moment his system reached a state that could be said "completed." At least for now.

Since then, the shop had been a constant source of temptation and regret.

The items inside were all over the place. Some boosted his primary stats, like HP, MP, stamina.

Some were for synthesis, like elemental dust or special core fragments. Others were straight-up weapons: blades, bows, shields.

Useful things that any adventurer would kill for. Literally.

But the weirdest part?

The shop always changed. Sometimes, it seemed to reflect the dungeon he was in.

During his lightning dungeon fight, almost everything sold had lightning properties.

Afterward, it went back to a more balanced list. Was it reacting to his power? His enemies? Or just the environment?

He didn’t know yet.

What he did know was how to buy.

The shop didn’t take real money. It used virtual gold. He received gold automatically after killing monsters.

Not just from system-generated dungeons, either, even monsters just roaming around gave some.

He had tasted it, and was fascinated by the result.

It meant that with hard work, he you could eventually afford everything.

The only problem?

It wasn’t cheap.

[Current Gold: 386]

He had bought the [Storm Dragon’s Claw] for 2,500 gold, leaving him nearly broke.

A few wandering monsters had bumped him back up to 386, but it was still laughable.

He pulled up the shop interface again, curious.

[Firestarter Blade (Rare)] – 1,900 Gold

+48 ATK

Effect: Each slash leaves a trail of flame for 3 seconds.

[Thundercoil Gauntlet (Epic)] – 2,700 Gold

+20 Strength

Effect: Every punch emits a thunder shock. 10% chance to paralyze.

[Serpentguard Cloak (Rare+)] – 2,100 Gold

+15 Agility, +15 Toughness

Effect: Grants minor poison resistance and reduces damage from back attacks.

[Phoenix Tonic (Rare)] – 1,200 Gold Effect: Restores 100% HP, usable once.

[Rune of Strength (Rare)] – 1,000 Gold

Effect: Permanently increases Strength by 10.

[Glacial Ring (Rare)] – 1,400 Gold

Effect: Adds minor Ice resistance. Basic attacks slow enemy by 10%.

Another thing Bel had discovered after studying the system that morning was that if no item was bought within 30 minutes, the shop would refresh on its own, erasing the previous list entirely.

This explained why it was constantly updating.

He sighed. So many great items, but so little money.

He was walking through the city, winding through the morning crowds.

Merchants barked at passersby, kids ran with paper kites, and adventurers swaggered in and out of inns.

And he was there, scowling in this perfect world.

He glanced at his hands. Nothing visible, even for him, but he knew what was there.

[Equipped: Storm Dragon’s Claw (Epic)] +65 ATK Effect: 25% chance to stun enemies with lightning slashes.

It was a solid pick. He didn’t regret the damage, plus it was a bonus for his stun rate.

He just regretted everything else he didn’t buy.

Aegis of Flames? Gone.

Phoenix Tonic? He could’ve used that in his next dungeon... It was literally sure that he would, considering how badly damaged he was after a Category D Boss.

Even that Rune of Agility stung a little.

But he couldn’t cry over spent gold. All the stuff in that list came from a Category D dungeon.

He was moving up now. His next target?

Category C, and all the reward coming with it.

He clenched his fist and walked faster.

This time, he knew what to do, and he knew exactly his first destination.

The Adventurer’s Guild.

The Adventurer’s Guild was its usual mix of noise and steel.

Tankards clinked, voices roared, and the smell of sweat and roasted meat filled the air.

But today, something was different.

Eyes kept drifting toward the back section of the guild bar, where a large group had taken over three full tables.

"What’s going on over there?" a woman asked, nudging her drink with her elbow.

A young man beside her leaned over, whispering.

"That’s New Horizons. You know, that new clan everyone’s talking about? I think they’re having some kind of meeting."

She frowned.

"They couldn’t do that somewhere else? It’s like they want to be seen."

Across the room, the New Horizons clan was gathered tightly around one table, where Airi sat like a queen, arms crossed, legs crossed. Smugness practically glowing from her body.

On the table in front of her, an adventurer insignia badge with an iron shard pinned to it.

Ronan’s throat bobbed as he swallowed.

"So, uh... it’s real?"

Cassandra leaned in toward Ronan and Arkel.

"You said that thing was legit. You sure?"

Arkel nodded.

"Yeah... In some regions, adventurers carry these rank shards. Not popular here in the capital since the Guild tracks mission access directly, but out there, it’s proof of your level."

He scratched his head.

"Still... Why are there so many young iron-ranks these days? What are we feeding kids in other regions?"

Airi scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe you’re just a weak-ass boy? Not everyone’s built the same."

Arkel glared.

"What did you just say?"

His muscles tensed, aura flickering around his shoulders. Some of the party members stiffened.

Airi smirked, leaning forward.

"Go ahead. Try your luck, buddy, you’ll see the world between Copper and Iron."

Arkel clenched his fists but looked away with a grunt. The tension eased and everyone sighed.

Airi leaned back with a victorious grin.

"Not that I’m even really Iron-level. It’s just an access badge anyway."

Crest cleared his throat.

"Let’s stay on topic. What she’s offering is rare. An Iron-ranked adventurer wanting to join us? That’s not something we see every day."

"Too good to be true," Ronan said, folding his arms. "She just shows up, waves her badge around, and expects us to welcome her in? And you’re backing her up?"

"You like being exclusive, don’t you?" Airi said with a sarcastic tone. "Your whole group’s Copper-rank and you’ve got someone Iron knocking on your door. What’s the holdup?"

"Exactly why I’m cautious," Ronan shot back. "We don’t let just anyone in. Bad aura ruins everything."

Cassandra tapped the table, speaking quietly to Ronan and Arkel.

"Speaking of bad aura... There’s a more important issue. Have you guys forgot? We have already an agreement with Bel."

That silenced them. She turned to address Airi and the others.

"We already have an Iron-ranked adventurer. He’s very reliable, and we do well with him. So I don’t think that we can work with another one... That’s the problem."

Airi raised an eyebrow.

"... That’s... the problem?"

Crest jumped in, his face tightening.

"Yes, she’s right, Airi. That’s exactly the problem of this party. There’s this dude who never trains with us. Never celebrates. Doesn’t talk to us. He just swoops in, takes the best part, and leaves, but for some reason we treat him like a king."

Cassandra tried to signal him to stop, but Crest kept going.

"We’re not even allowed to touch the boss room. That’s our agreement. Great team, right? We’re stuck at the entrance like guards. That’s not adventuring... that’s being props!"

Airi shook her head, frowning.

"So let me get this straight. You are a party, and you have difficulty to fight bosses, yet you’re hesitating to accept an eager teammate because a moody soloist wants to play tough in weak dungeons? That’s insane... and I don’t just mean him. I’m not even asking to be queen — Though, I deserve it — I just want to fight! I want to grow with a team from the start. That’s when people are real. When you’re all weak together, you see their real faces. And I heard that you guys fight the way I like, no resting, fast, no casualties. That’s perfect for me! And you’ll benefit too, I’ll raise your performance just by showing up. So again... what’s the big deal?"

A beat of silence followed. Ronan and Arkel exchanged looks.

Ronan sat back slowly.

"I’m starting to like her."

Arkel raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

"She wants to fight with the team. Bel’s powerful, no question... but he doesn’t treat us like teammates."

A sentence sounding like an angel’s lullaby for Crest who stood up.

"That’s what I’ve been saying! What are we doing, really? Are we adventurers or just door holders? Last time Bel cleared multiple dungeons while we stood outside like baggage handlers. It was humiliating."

Airi tilted her head, confused. What exactly was the deal with this party and dungeons?

Crest went on, voice rising.

"He’s strong. Fine. But strength isn’t everything. Do we want a future where we watch one guy shine while we get scraps? Or a future where we grow together, fight together, and matter?"

Arkel frowned. Ronan looked thoughtful.

Cassandra sighed. Just by the tone, she knew where this meeting was heading.

"Maybe... we talk to Bel? Ask him to let us share more. Maybe there’s a way to have both, Airi and him."

Everyone nodded. Even Arkel didn’t protest.

Except Airi.

"Wait, who is this Bel guy, anyway? You’ve been obsessing over him for half an hour. How come one person make you all stand in front of a dungeon?"

Silence. The group stared like she had just mentioned a ghost.

Ronan chuckled nervously.

"A pain in the ass."

Arkel folded his arms.

"A moody magic bragger."

Cassandra gave them a disapproving look.

"A cute boy who brings us free dinner?"

Crest stepped forward, facing everyone.

"He’s a problem. A force of nature with no care for anyone. He doesn’t ask. He doesn’t explain. He just moves forward like no one else matters. He’s stronger than all of us, and he knows it, and he doesn’t care what we feel. He’s not evil. But he’ll leave you behind like you’re nothing, and not even look back. That’s who Bel is."

"What a horrible guy." A new voice cut through the room.

The air dropped a degree.

Everyone froze.

Slowly, they turned as one.

Bel stood at the edge of their table.

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