‘So, the Queen has finally made her entrance.’

The reason the Union’s advance teams had never managed to conquer Sky Mountain.

It wasn’t just the mountain’s formidable height or the swarming wyverns utilizing aerial tactics—it was because at the peak awaited the true ruler of the mountain, the Sky Wyvern Queen.

- Kwoooohhh!

The egg-laying Sky Wyvern Queen, due to her female characteristics, was far larger than the Sky Wyvern King.

However, unlike the Wyvern King or the other wyverns, the Queen could not fly—a small relief.

Moreover, her primary instinct was to protect her eggs, which meant she would never leave the summit. As long as no one approached her nest, she wouldn’t descend to lower altitudes.

‘But get too close to the peak, and the Wyvern King will go berserk.’

The protective instincts of a family’s guardian.

This was exactly what Suho aimed to exploit.

The Wyvern Queen could wait; his immediate target was the Sky Wyvern King.

Suho carefully calculated the distance at which the Queen would not intervene and etched a line into the ground—a clear dead zone.

With that, he turned his attention back to the Wyvern King and the remaining wyverns.

Crash!

The Sky Wyvern King charged aggressively, smashing into the ground where Suho had been standing moments before.

As expected, the King had grown increasingly agitated and began attacking more recklessly.

Suho welcomed this development.

He continued slashing and leaping atop the wyverns, keeping them off balance.

After some time, Suho thought, ‘They should be switching tactics soon.’

He had intentionally avoided killing the wyverns outright, inflicting only minor injuries to ensure they could still fight.

Eventually, as he predicted, their attack patterns changed.

- Kyoooo!

At the Wyvern King’s command, the wyverns briefly retreated, only to reappear carrying massive boulders.

The wyverns flew high before releasing their payloads, intending to crush Suho beneath the falling rocks.

Suho smirked and gripped his sword.

[ Quick Draw activates. ]

Slash!

He didn’t use Steel Cutter—this time, it was all about precision with Quick Draw.

His blade flashed horizontally and diagonally, slicing through the boulders with ease.

The peak of Sky Mountain glowed faintly red from the light of Suho’s strikes.

Each swing of his blade left a luminous trail in the air, a mark of his refined skill.

Suddenly, another howl echoed.

[ The Sky Wyvern Queen begins Rolling Rocks. ]

The howl came from the Queen herself.

Unable to remain passive, the Wyvern Queen had joined the fray.

From the summit, she began rolling enormous boulders toward Suho, sending them crashing down in rapid succession.

Watching the cascading rocks, Suho laughed once more.

A more challenging environment was always welcome—it only brought him closer to his goal.

Even now, he continued to rely solely on Quick Draw, slicing through the falling rocks with relentless precision.

For a long while, the battle continued in a monotonous yet tense rhythm.

Then, a shift occurred in the wyverns’ behavior.

They began dropping rocks from just beyond Suho’s effective range, retreating quickly after each drop.

But Suho didn’t grow frustrated.

He laughed instead.

Even when his blade couldn’t quite reach them, even when they resorted to hit-and-run tactics, he laughed.

And then, he swung again.

[ Quick Draw activates. ]

The red arc of his blade slashed through the air, striking a retreating wyvern in the nose.

“...!”

The wyvern’s snout burned with pain, a fresh wound dripping blood.

Its comrades were equally shocked, wide-eyed and trembling.

The distance had seemed safe—how had the attack reached?

Suho’s smirk deepened as he watched their confusion.

The wyverns, wary of a repeat, moved farther back before attempting another attack.

But as they released their boulders and turned to retreat:

[ Quick Draw activates. ]

Another flash of red, and another wyvern’s snout was slashed open.

“Kyiaaa!!”

The wyverns began to panic.

Why?

How?

Their calculations had been perfect—so why were they still getting hit?

Despite their anger, none dared charge Suho directly.

Even at a distance, he was terrifying.

Just as the wyverns hesitated, another red flash lit the sky.

One of the wyverns maintaining a safe distance suddenly had its neck cleanly severed.

“...!”
“...!”
“...!”

The wyverns froze, their eyes widening in disbelief.

How?

At this range, even Quick Draw shouldn’t have been able to reach them.

But this was no coincidence.

Slash!

Another wyvern fell, cleaved in two.

And then another.

And another.

Every wyvern that remained at a distance met the same fate, cut down by Suho’s relentless strikes.

- Kyoouu!

The Sky Wyvern King roared, sensing the dire situation.

It ordered its forces to retreat.

The wyverns began soaring upward, desperately fleeing the battlefield.

But even this was futile.

Slash!

Suho’s crimson blade extended upward, cutting through the retreating wyverns like a relentless predator.

For the first time since entering Sky Mountain, Suho’s face lit up with genuine joy.

[ Your understanding of swordsmanship is unparalleled. ]
[ The system acknowledges your mastery of ‘Quick Draw’ and grants it a higher rank. ]
[ Congratulations! The skill ‘Quick Draw’ has been upgraded to S-rank. ]
[ Your ‘Quick Draw’ can now cut even the clouds in the sky. ]

[ Swordsmanship Awakens. ]
[ The unnamed spirit within your sword acknowledges your growth and blesses you. ]
[ You have acquired ‘Hogongryu Second Style: Cloud Cleaver (S+).’ ]
[ As a reward for your extraordinary achievement, you receive 10 bonus stat points. ]

Suho grinned as he read the notifications flooding his vision.

Finally, he had achieved the breakthrough he had been striving for.

‘With Cloud Cleaver, long-range combat is no longer an issue.’

For most melee fighters, the inability to attack at range was their greatest weakness.

But Suho had overcome this limitation by pushing his Quick Draw to its ultimate form.

The ability to extend his blade’s reach had become the cornerstone of his combat strategy.

This was why he had chosen to conquer Sky Mountain alone.

The remaining wyverns cowered, hesitant to approach.

Even the Sky Wyvern King paused, its cautious gaze fixed on Suho.

With his blade at his side, Suho took a deep breath.

[ Cloud Cleaver activates. ]

For a brief moment, his sword glowed crimson.

The Sky Wyvern King narrowed its eyes, confused.

What was this?

Why was he swinging his sword at nothing?

But then—

Shrrk!

The Sky Wyvern King’s face split in two.

The slash extended down its neck and across its chest, bisecting its massive body.

“...!”
“...!”
“...!”

The wyverns were paralyzed with shock.

Even at this impossible height, where no sword should have been able to reach, Suho’s blade had struck.

As the Sky Wyvern King’s body fell, Suho’s blade sliced cleanly through the clouds behind it, revealing a patch of clear blue sky.

[ You have slain the Leader Wyvern. ]

Suho lowered his sword, his gaze turning toward the summit where the Sky Wyvern Queen awaited.

It was time to face the true ruler of Sky Mountain.