Chapter 56
Chapter 56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Surviving the Dragon's Breath
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The scroll he had tried to pull from his bosom was delayed by a moment due to the burden in both hands.
Golden hair glowing red from the crimson breath.
With that final glimpse of his back turned away, the space warped, his entire body twisted once, and the place they returned to was nothing but lush greenery.
The ground, softened by leaf mold in a place untouched by human feet for so long, sank gradually, soon reaching up to Cain's ankles.
"Ha."
"It's a lie. It's a lie, right, sunbae-nim…."
Plop!
Cain dropped Luna and Zero to the ground like discarded baggage, his eyes glaring into the empty air.
Cain pulled the discarded Luna into his arms, seemingly oblivious to Zero shedding tears beside her, and ground his teeth as he spat toward the void.
"I can't accept this."
Adelrian's ability and the situation there. It all sorted itself out in Cain's mind in an instant.
Survival rate: 0%.
Logically… there was no way he could have survived. So he thought he needed to quickly grasp the information here and move to save the others who remained.
But unconsciously, Cain raised his hand and caressed the empty air.
He could feel it, but the mana was less tangible than the sword's edge.
Captivated by the pure solidity felt at his fingertips, Cain had wielded a sword instead of mana.
A genius.
He was a genius, talented in everything.
And now, he yearned for it more than anyone.
Mana was water and fire, wind and earth, light and darkness.
Right now, it was wind.
Like the faint breeze slipping through a tiny crack in a stuffy room, brushing the skin, Cain instinctively sensed that the portal hadn't fully closed yet.
Because he felt the wasteland leaking from that narrow gap.
"At least me."
At least I have to go back.
Because he was his knight.
Even if his body was torn to shreds, he had to open the door. That was his oath.
Like a blind man fumbling for the end, piecing together dozens or hundreds of puzzles by the difference in edges alone, Cain coated his fingertips not with aura but with mana, forcibly seizing the entrance of the portal that hadn't yet closed.
One mistake, and not just his fingers but his entire body might crumble into the torrent of mana. But even if Adelrian was already dead. Even if there wasn't even an intact corpse.
He had to return and confirm the end.
'Just a little more, just a bit longer.'
How much time had passed as Cain tore at the gap that seemed on the verge of closing yet wouldn't, stubbornly gripping the mana against its flow.
"Where… is this…."
"Mr. Bunny…."
The moment Luna woke and Zero, who had been protecting her from the forest's damp chill, opened his mouth.
The mana of the wasteland, which had been leaking without end, was torn apart—not by it, but by the mana of fire—as it shredded the portal Cain had barely grasped at his fingertips, enveloping them.
* * *
A gamble.
The pendant the lord of Haldron territory had kept as a treasure before selling it at auction.
A precious item said to block all attacks once, but would it really withstand even a red dragon's breath?
Just before the end of the gamble he had clung to until moments ago flew away, would luck strike once?
The instant he snatched the pendant from his neck, stepped forward to save Luna, Cain, and Zero.
And the moment the fire breath from Repid's maw engulfed me.
Flash!
With a blinding light that blackened my vision, the pendant clutched in my fist crumbled like sand.
At the same time, the shield artifact Cain had given me hummed in activation against the aftermath, crumbling only after repeated triggers.
Deafened by the immense pressure and roar, unable to tell light from darkness or if I was standing or rolling on the ground as if my eyes and ears were ruined, I trembled, barely managing to gasp for breath.
—You filthy worm!
Not a sound, but a thought—Repid's fury crashing into my body whole.
Like thousands of ants marching before my eyes, thousands of bulbs flickering on and off at varying speeds.
As my vision gradually cleared from the haze, focus slowly returning until I could finally distinguish colors, something red shook in my lifted gaze.
"You idiot…?"
What was that?
My eardrums must not have fully ruptured, as amid the ringing static, someone's voice filtered through.
—Don't interfere with me!
Repid's enraged voice.
By the sensations finally returning, my body, sprawled on the ground, bounced once from a powerful shockwave that hit again. I hacked up coughs laced with something viscous.
"You damn bastard. Clean up your mess. Now."
"Where are you swinging at!"
"Idiot! Where? Dragon sickness stricken fool. Are you insane?"
"Such frivolous speech… No, ugh! Ack!"
Numbness prickling from my fingertips, a sense that some part of my body was thoroughly broken.
I wanted to down a potion, but with Repid here, death awaited regardless of my will. As I caught my breath, suddenly warmth flooded my body like immersion in hot water, and my vision cleared sharply.
'Someone must've pulled a classic heal meme.'
Trivial thoughts like that crossed my mind. As if the nightmare until moments ago had been real, or like waking from a dream, or emerging from a reverie—breathing eased, vision sharpened, even the distant wind reached my ears.
I rose, lifting my head to gaze at the two figures before me.
A woman with long red hair tied high yet reaching her calves, contrasted by a man with short red hair.
She wore tight martial robes for mobility; he, clothes adorned with every conceivable splendor.
Both possessed such striking beauty that even I, with my wealth magnetism trait, felt it a shame to close my eyes.
"Hmm… I see why. Even clueless about the situation, that arrogant gaze."
"How dare a worm. Ugh."
"Right to the end, huh. Repid. Punishment: you're sealed for a while—live as a human."
"No, at least release more circles! Like this, my power…!"
Watching the woman mutter then crush the foot of the one about to call me a worm, grinding the ankle, I swallowed dryly.
[Repid—Dragon Aspiring to be Dragon King]
Main Traits: [Dragon (SSS)] [Arrogance (S)] [Dragon Sickness (B)]
Hidden Traits: [Agriculture (S)] [Grafting (S)]
[Rachel—&*^]
The moment I saw Rachel, she whipped her head toward me and strode over.
I dismissed the glitched, shattered trait window and looked up at Rachel, who seemed a full handspan taller than me.
"What was that just now? Something… felt off. Like a familiar something."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, hand on hip, head tilted down to peer at me—those red eyes met mine without evasion.
"…Who are you."
"You can guess, right? Anyway, sorry. My little brother's got dragon sickness, ranting about becoming the worst land dragon king, hoarding monsters wildly—you must've gotten caught up."
Rachel grinned casually.
Her destructive allure, incomparable to any imagination or illustration, left me speechless as she straightened her nearly 2-meter frame, looking down at me.
"Your body's recovered with Recovery for now. And…."
Rachel turned her head, staring piercingly into the void, then back to me.
"You're no ordinary human, huh? Quite the reputation. Repid!"
"Ah, why call me."
"Drop that stuffy speech and get over here now."
Rachel jabbed the ground like stabbing with her finger, eyes flashing, and Repid shuffled over grumbling.
Smack!
"Grown-ass dragon catching hatchling dragon sickness—nice work, really. Monsters sealed in the canyon for now; you handle cleanup. And."
Rachel smacked Repid's occiput with a sharp clap of her palm, then nodded toward a spot in the air.
"Reverse-trace the portal and bring them back. Your fault her companion's separated—fix it."
Repid glared at Rachel's fierce words, then quietly turned and walked aside.
"And don't take it out on humans just 'cause I'm gone. I'll drop by unannounced to check if that human and her friends are alive."
"Wait…!"
Startled by Rachel mentioning leaving somewhere, I opened my mouth to stop her—but she tore a scroll and vanished.
In the original story, she joined the party right after seeing Cain's face, drawn by something special.
Would've been great if it was just Cain. Thanks to that damned lizard Repid. Or maybe deal with Valbus first.
"Damn, I'd love to erase you to dust… but if Rachel's checking…."
A blue portal ripped through the air before grumbling Repid, and Cain burst out.
Before I or Repid could react.
Slash!
"…!"
Repid recoiled, one hand clamping his neck as blood fountained, staunching it with magic while healing.
Cain slashed through the silver-rainbow shield before Repid with aura, and when it held with a powerful wave, concentrated his aura into a thrust instead of a slash, shattering it.
"Die."
"You lowly human!"
Sealed somehow by Rachel earlier, Repid couldn't transform or unleash high-tier annihilation spells.
Dodging Cain's sword strikes in panic, as he shouted "Teleport!" to flee, Cain sliced the air somewhere.
"What human interferes with teleportation?"
Aura seemingly stronger, Cain pursued with his golden-edged blade, then whipped it to launch a crescent aura slash that grazed Repid's cheek, carving a long gash.
"Young master…!"
"Lord Adelrian…."
Luna and Zero ran to me sobbing; I held them gently, soothing as Repid yelled incredulously at the sight.
"You there! You! Stop him now!"
"Shut up."
"Look at him, eyes rolled back. Like he'd listen."
Cain shattered Repid's hastily cast barriers like thin ice, pursuing relentlessly. Repid growled while cycling healing spells nonstop.
Stress melted away pleasantly; I savored it more.
'Strictly speaking, as long as I'm alive, no loss.'
Among Innocent's main party, Rachel was the hardest to recruit—and now I had a connection.
This game's timeline was later, post-Rachel join; methods to find her were elusive now.
"You mad worm! No, human!"
"I'll smash your jaw so you can't talk."
Plus, Cain had visibly powered up. Among Valbus's artifacts, some Cain desperately needed— he'd grow stronger soon.
"No, what dispel without incantation! You're not human? Huh? One of us!"
"Give me your neck."
I gave Luna and Zero, hiccuping sobs with tears dried up, water from my subspace, handing them over.
While at it, I drank some too, pulled out three chairs from subspace, and we sat side by side, leisurely watching Cain and Repid.
"Y-you!"
"Die."
Repid pointed at me in disbelief; Cain accelerated instantly, swinging for the neck. Repid sacrificed the pointing finger instead, tumbling back.
Oh, regenerating again. Plenty of mana left. Stop now or later? Might drag on—maybe a bit longer.
"Want a carrot?"
"Sniff… Yes…."
"Please, for me too, Lord Adelrian."
Luna nodded, rubbing eyes; I pulled out three carrots.
Crunch!
Ah, sweet and crisp.
"Enough already! You lunatic human…!"
I chewed my carrot to the sound of dragon-neck slashing.