Chapter 97. Hunt (5)
“Didn’t you know?”
It was something he had no clue about.
He’d thought only the dominator could share the vision of the dominated, but apparently, they could at least sense each other’s perceptions.
“No wonder their teamwork was so damn good.”
“Fuck. So you’ve been clueless this whole time and just threw those two at the Tower like, ‘Figure it out yourselves’?!”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“Holy shit. You’re a real lunatic after all.”
“Haha. Thanks.”
Even Nus’s usual ribbing fell on deaf ears for Jeonghyeon right now.
Two people… wielding the power of two dragons. And using Epic Weapons made from mana stone gear, no less.
In Jeonghyeon’s eyes, what had started as a faint hope—like grinding away at a clicker game to take down the Demon King—had solidified into certainty.
“Kek!”
Without Jeonghyeon even needing to step in, the last one was cleanly finished off.
“Hoo…”
Philip slowly raised his mace, his face etched with exhaustion.
“Huff… haa, huff…”
Jeonghu staggered back toward Jeonghyeon, body swaying like he was drunk.
“Definitely… a huge strain on the body… yeah…”
He collapsed flat onto the ground.
“Hey, Jeonghu! You okay?!”
The moment Jeonghyeon reached to pull him up, his hand recoiled involuntarily—Jeonghu’s body was scorching hot, like a lump of burning coal.
Sizzle—!
Even with resistance to Ignirn’s mana, Jeonghu had been engulfed in too much flame, inside and out.
“Huff… haa.”
Jeonghu gasped for air he couldn’t quite catch, his body bubbling like molten lava.
“W-what do we do?”
Philip’s hand, resting worriedly on Jeonghyeon’s shoulder, was in the same state.
“!?”
Jeonghyeon whipped around at the sudden heat, only to see Philip’s face flushed beet red, like forged metal.
“You okay?”
“Feeling… a bit dizzy.”
Dizzy didn’t even begin to cover it, but Philip was brushing it off. This guy’s no ordinary bastard.
Or maybe Uldran being a mind dragon made the difference.
“Hey, Nus. Got any ideas on how to fix this?”
“First time seeing this myself. Keep supplying them with mana for now.”
“Got it.”
It was close to mana poisoning—what happened when you overused mana and overloaded.
Awakener’s bodies usually built resistance to their dragon’s attribute, but these two weren’t Ignirn’s awakeners.
Of course handling that raw power would strain them massively, leading to this severe overload.
“Guess we need to head to Romanell.”
As Jeonghyeon gathered Philip and Jeonghu together to summon Horakti—
“Hold up.”
A familiar voice came from behind.
“We’ll take a look.”
It was Arak, the Rock Dwarf.
Along with his tribesmen, emerging one by one from who-knows-where, all eyeing Philip and Jeonghu.
“You got a way to help?”
No matter how little he thought of the Rock Dwarves, protecting his comrades came first.
For these prideful old-timer dwarves famous for their stubbornness to step up, there had to be a solution.
“Whatever it takes—tell me anything. I’ll help however I can.”
Arak shook his head.
“No need. We’ve found the awakeners of the Mind Dragon Uldran we’ve been waiting for. Time to hand over the treasured relic.”
“Treasured relic…?”
Was this the relic the Rock Dwarves had mentioned—one that could overcome this crisis?
“Follow us. You lot, carry them.”
“Aye. On it.”
At Arak’s word, the Rock Dwarves hoisted Philip and Jeonghu onto their backs and led Jeonghyeon to their dwelling.
***
“Whoa… they live better than I thought.”
Nus’s first words upon entering.
“Hey, you…”
Even Jeonghyeon, who didn’t stand on ceremony, tried to show basic manners in someone else’s home as a proud son of Korea—but Nus barreled right in.
Not that it was unwarranted.
A door in a crevice between gorges led down some stairs into what felt like a lavish palace.
Hard to believe it was underground.
So that’s why the Rock Dwarves stick to this rundown Dragon Falls Gorge… makes sense now.
The space was vast enough to call an underground world unto itself.
Broad gardens lined the path, rest areas aplenty, even separate houses—all underground.
A true subterranean realm.
“Where are we headed?”
Arak paused briefly at Jeonghyeon’s question.
“To the temple where we keep the relic.”
Then hurried on.
Passing what looked like the village, the path turned to gleaming gold decorations.
“Damn, these guys are loaded. Must be all those years piling up.”
“Quiet down, Nus.”
“Aw, why~!”
Nus grumbled at Jeonghyeon’s words, then sidled up with a mischievous grin and whispered in his ear.
“Think there’s any high-quality mana stones around here?”
“……”
“You’re tempted too.”
“Ahem. Let’s just keep walking.”
Jeonghyeon said that, but seeing the relief carvings of what seemed like Elkalabi fragments everywhere, he couldn’t help wondering if there might be mana stones too.
Are all those dragon decorations Elkalabi?
He wanted to ask, but swallowed it—the Rock Dwarves saw Elkalabi as Uldran, so better not.
“Hey. These all Elkalabi?”
And right on cue, Nus dropped the name.
Haha. This madman.
As Jeonghyeon awkwardly glanced between Arak and Nus—
Arak kept walking, either not hearing or pretending not to.
“Arak! These all Elkalabi?!”
“Eh? What?”
Turning back, Arak looked genuinely puzzled, like he hadn’t heard a thing.
“Elkal… what? Slimes never seen a dragon, huh?”
“Obviously not. How would we?”
“Those are all Lord Uldran. We’re here.”
Arak casually introduced the Elkalabi fragments as Uldran and opened the temple door.
“What? How would Uldran show himself to—”
“Enough. Let’s go in.”
Jeonghyeon cut Nus off.
Nus finally read the room and clammed up.
Inside was a cavern lined with small stone coffins.
“This creepy joint’s the temple?”
“Haha. Looks that way, eh? But it’s our most sacred place.”
Arak’s suddenly all friendly…?
Ignoring Jeonghyeon’s confusion, Arak and his tribesmen gently laid Philip and Jeonghu in the coffins.
“The time has come to pass on the relic.”
“What… is the relic?”
Arak pulled a small orb from the center pedestal among the coffins.
“The treasured relic called Elkalabi’s orb. A gift and heirloom from Lord Uldran. Give us a moment to prepare.”
“Straight-up Elkalabi!”
Nus bristled.
Acting like they didn’t know Elkalabi until now, and suddenly it’s Elkalabi’s orb?
Jeonghyeon was dumbfounded too, but his brow furrowed deeply.
“Hold on, Nus…”
“Yeah?”
Jeonghyeon whispered carefully via mana transmission.
—These Rock Dwarves… don’t they believe Elkalabi is Uldran?
Nus gasped.
Now it clicked.
For some reason, they believed Elkalabi was Uldran and had forgotten the real Elkalabi was dead.
Like they’d been mind-controlled.
—They think Elkalabi is Uldran and wiped the real one from memory completely.
Nus questioned back.
—Why the hell would they do that?
—No idea.
Arak called them over, preparations done.
“Do you know the power of Elkalabi’s relic?”
“No clue.”
“I’m in high spirits now.”
Suddenly?
“Thought Uldran abandoned us, but no. We were meant to wait for you.”
“What’s that mean…?”
“‘They shall come. My progeny who will overcome the fiery legions threatening you forever.’”
Arak recited reverently, as if quoting Elkalabi.
“‘My progeny shall topple mountains with their power, conquer the flames of Ignirn, yet suffer in fire…’”
Then he offered the orb to Jeonghyeon.
“‘When you give them my relic, their affliction shall heal, and you shall find peace.’”
Only after the full prophecy did Jeonghyeon accept it.
“Uldran’s prophecy. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“My progeny” had to mean Uldran’s awakeners.
Philip’s monstrous strength toppling mountains, enduring Ignirn’s flames only to suffer from them now—it matched perfectly.
“Uldran said he’d send progeny—humans with bodies as sturdy as ours.”
Arak stroked the groaning Philip and Jeonghu’s heads.
“And these lads are perfect matches.”
Arak’s face beamed with satisfaction.
Like a sage enlightened, ready to return to nature.
“We thought we’d been forsaken. But today, you’ve come back, and we can help. We’re grateful.”
“Why… grateful?”
“We weren’t abandoned. Just a long wait.”
“……”
Jeonghyeon held his tongue.
The dwarves looked like a weight had lifted, but Jeonghyeon’s doubts only multiplied.
Why did they think Elkalabi was Uldran?
Who gave that prophecy—Elkalabi or Uldran?
Why tailor it so perfectly to Philip?
And above all—
In my past life… what happened to them?
Was this another board set by Demon King Malekith?
Needing Elkalabi’s relic?
His head throbbed as if splitting, his right eye turning blood-red on its own.
“Urk…!”
“W-what? You okay?!”
Familiar-sensitive Nus grimaced in shared pain.
And as if reacting to the uncontrollable mana surge—
Rumble—!!
Elkalabi’s relic began to resonate.