Chapter 102. Uldran (2)
“So… you lot are the dragons?”
Elkalabi eyed the five representatives of different races standing before him.
His colossal body, fitting for an ancient dragon, filled the entire gorge, with rock-mountain ridges running along his spine and two pairs of wings.
And before him stood five beings of vastly differing sizes.
“I am Rin, the oracle of the Light Dragon Solgaleh.”
“I am Palamkam, Red Fang Orc, oracle of the Flame Dragon Ignirn.”
“I am Sylphid, harpy, oracle of the Storm Dragon Albatron.”
“I am Aradur, naga, oracle of the Deep Water Dragon Makedon.”
“I am Garad, thunder bear, oracle of the Lightning Dragon Raikazan.”
The first five oracles introduced themselves in turn and bowed respectfully.
“We come here as the third stop after visiting Elaha and Elmiraj.”
“And? What do you want from me?”
Elkalabi responded with a bored expression.
A gust of hot breath snorted from his enormous nostrils, blasting the oracles.
“We’ve come to warn you of an enemy threatening the world.”
“Why not come yourselves, dragons? Why send oracles?”
“Our world has been defiled by the Demon King. We can only manifest through oracles like this.”
“Weak dragons.”
Elkalabi shook his head.
“There are plenty of enemies here too. Even ones you might call Demon Kings.”
“Then we’re on the same page.”
“Yeah. Get lost.”
“…Pardon?”
“You couldn’t even protect your own world. What makes you think you can protect anyone else?”
Elkalabi spread his massive twin wings wide in a show of dominance.
Even among ancient dragons, he was one of the eldest, and his wings were riddled with holes and tears, no longer fit for flight.
“Do you know how many demonic beasts I’ve slain to end up like this?”
“We respect and honor your feats. But…”
“I don’t want to kill innocent Afraksas residents for no reason. Scram.”
“…”
The dark elf Rin fell silent.
Or more precisely, Solgaleh had nothing left to say.
Jeonghyeon, quietly observing the memory, let out a hollow chuckle.
Solgaleh must’ve taken a hit to her pride.
The Light Dragon Solgaleh he’d known was overwhelming strength and divinity incarnate.
To think there was a time when even she was brushed off like small fry.
Living twice really opens your eyes.
“…Understood. We’ll take our leave for today.”
“Try the southern Eldmir.”
Elkalabi grumbled as he turned his head, but tossed them one last word.
“Th-thank you.”
“That guy loves nonsense. He’s bored out of his mind. Might get a laugh from your bullshit.”
“…!”
Rin’s face twisted.
Elkalabi’s blatant dismissal had clearly wounded her pride.
“On your way out, pass on my regards.”
“I won’t forget this humiliation. Even if Afraksas faces extinction later…”
Flap—! Thud!!
Elkalabi decisively flapped his wings once and slammed his tail into the ground.
“Kuh!”
The violent vibration rattled their mana veins, and the first oracles lost their balance, dropping to their knees.
“This is how you treat your elders, you green brats.”
With that final remark, Elkalabi lumbered into the depths of the gorge on his aged four legs.
“…Let’s go.”
The oracles headed south.
But the memory didn’t follow.
What’s this?
As Jeonghyeon wondered, Elkalabi turned his head back.
“Think hiding your presence with an illusion fools me completely? What’re you peeping at so sneakily?”
!?
Did he sense them peering into the memory?
As Jeonghyeon instinctively reached for Blood Dissector, the tension shattered awkwardly as Uldran’s form popped out from their hiding spot.
It was the past Uldran, within his thought projection.
“…Greetings. The Mind Dragon Uldran, at your service, Elkalabi.”
Uldran knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
“You a dragon too?”
“Yes.”
“Your form looks real enough.”
“Correct. Due to my abilities…”
“Whatever. You drink?”
“…Pardon?”
As a flustered Uldran unwittingly lifted his head, Elkalabi—polymorphed into a rock dwarf—grinned down at him.
***
“So. The Demon King bastard ambushed you before you could prepare. And he’s hitting other dimensions too. That the gist?”
“Hic. Yes… …Hoo.”
The rock dwarves’ insane drinking tolerance must’ve come straight from Elkalabi’s habits. He downed an entire barrel in one gulp.
“Ah, no more for me. I’m plenty drunk…!”
“You don’t refuse a drink from your elders.”
He refilled Uldran’s cup, who was already far past tipsy.
“Yes, sir…”
“So. What do you want from us?”
“I’ve heard Afraksas dragons cherish their people.”
“Damn right. All my precious children.”
Elkalabi beamed fondly at the rock dwarves endlessly supplying him with booze.
“They’re all in danger.”
“Sure are. And? It’s fine.”
“Pardon?”
The bewildered Uldran accidentally swallowed the sip he’d only pretended to take.
Elkalabi seemed to like the look, downing his own barrel before gathering mana in his hand and declaring proudly.
“We’ll just catch him ourselves. We’ve blocked countless enemies already.”
“But the Demon King is on a whole other level from what you imagine!”
“Maybe for you. Not for us.”
“Haa…”
Uldran clutched his head at Elkalabi’s stubbornness.
“Sighing like that kills the vibe, kid. How old are you?”
“I’ve had enough.”
This… is a conversation between dragons who’ve lived thousands of years blocking Demon King invasions?
No different from any clueless humans.
Pretty dim ones, at that.
But Elkalabi seemed to enjoy the dumb banter, pouring Uldran one last cup.
“Come back next time. We’ll have a drink now and then.”
“…I’ll visit again.”
“You bet.”
With that memory fading, the space shifted like passing through a portal into blackness.
“That was my first meeting with Elkalabi.”
The present Uldran, with a wistful expression, spoke up.
“We shared many drinks after that and became the best of friends.”
“While everyone else struggled to convince the ancient dragons, you just got drunk and made a buddy?”
“I was low in the dragon hierarchy anyway.”
“Anyway, then what?”
It was getting intriguing, like a TV drama you sip booze to.
“Everything changed at the dragons’ council.”
Uldran opened another space, saying it was a memory he wanted to erase but had to show.
The memory began in a vast chamber.
A round table held five dragons, surrounded by their oracles.
“Let’s kill the ancient dragons.”
Whoa, plot twist already?
Rin, oracle of Solgaleh, looked deadly serious.
“Lords who don’t aid the war might as well be colluding with the enemy.”
“Agreed.”
Garad, oracle of the belligerent Raikazan, answered instantly.
“We’ve tried convincing them for nearly a century.”
“Right. They’re the reason Afraksas folk won’t unite.”
The other oracles chimed in.
Only one opposed.
Uldran.
“I oppose! The ancient dragons are lives of Afraksas we must protect! Doesn’t this contradict our original vow?”
“What?”
The oracles at the table bristled at a mere lower dragon’s retort, but Solgaleh, who valued draconic dignity, let him continue.
“Speak on.”
“We dragons, having lost our bodies to hubris and error, vowed to aid all lives in other dimensions, didn’t we? The ancient dragons are Afraksas lives too. We…”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Before Uldran could finish, Ignirn spoke through his oracle, the orc Palamkam.
“You’re the only one who erred out of arrogance, Uldran. You don’t grasp the true value of what we do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You can live freely without a body anyway.”
“What does that have to do with anything now!”
Uldran snapped, but the other dragons, Ignirn included, seemed to agree.
“What’s your deal? Why do they all hate you?”
“They all lost their bodies, left with only spirits… but I could survive on spirit alone.”
Uldran was as ostracized at the council as ever.
“As dragon representative, I concur. Uldran’s been no help in our war, has he?”
Even Solgaleh agreed.
“But…”
“We all know you’re tight with Elkalabi. But it can’t be helped.”
“Hmph. Sided with the Demon King last time, ancient dragons this time?”
“That thing’s a dragon…?”
The dragons openly condemned and mocked Uldran.
The council turned into a public execution pyre for him in seconds, forcing him out.
Another memory ended.
“…”
This time, Jeonghyeon couldn’t bring himself to ask what happened next.
He just waited silently, seeing Uldran’s twisted lips.
Siding with the Demon King…
The dragons must’ve resented Uldran’s thought powers letting him survive.
They risked their lives fighting, and he wasn’t much help—true enough.
If his thought attacks had worked on the Demon King, he’d have been defeated in the previous life.
“On to the next memory.”
“…You sure?”
A mortal human, not even a century old, consoling an immortal’s pain.
Uldran smirked.
“Sure. Why not.”
He showed a few fragmented memories after.
The dragons deciding to hunt ancient dragons, thoroughly shunning Uldran in the process.
Even Makedon, once friendly, and others avoiding him. And…
“You’re here! Have a drink!”
A young—almost childlike—Arak welcomed Uldran.
“Ah. Where’s Elkalabi?”
“I’ll show you!”
“Thanks. Pour me one.”
“You bet!”
Heading up the gorge with Arak, who mimicked Elkalabi’s speech perfectly, they found him polymorphed, drinking alone.
“Elkalabi.”
“You’re here. Was waiting.”
“Elaha…”
“I know. Already felt it.”
And Elaha’s death at the dragons’ ambush.
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