The Dragon Illusion and the Ancient Pup
Before heading down, I burned all the corpses. No prayers or anything.
They were already dead, and the moment those harboring grudges perished, they’d achieved Buddhahood anyway.
All I could do was erase those pitifully strewn bodies.
“……That old man. He was scary.”
Jenella shuddered on the stairs leading underground. He’d been an opponent I could handle easily enough, but to those two—still just low knights and 1-circle mages—he must’ve been terrifying.
I shrugged.
“Not really? And besides, me slicing his throat first would’ve been quicker than him going for yours.”
“……Yeah, I guess?”
“Yep. So quit worrying about that. Worry about what’s waiting down here instead. What if there’s another monster like the one before?”
“……That’d suck.”
“Don’t worry. Even if I have to sacrifice myself, I’ll protect you both……”
“I can take it. Mosik, don’t say ominous shit like that. That’s just begging for a flag.”
“Got it.”
Mosik, who’d bravely stepped up, bravely shut his mouth.
“Anyway, you both did great. Mosik fulfilled his role perfectly, and Jenella used her abilities spot-on. That binding trick was impressive. Seemed more specialized for restraining than attacking, though.”
“Yeah. My duty isn’t to ‘hunt’ ancient monsters—it’s to ‘seal’ them or ‘restrain’ them from leaving their habitats. That’s why my affinities are fire and lightning, effective for wide-area attacks.”
“Weird.”
“……It’s something I inherited from my father. I couldn’t use it before, but for some reason, it worked today.”
What the hell did her dad do?
I’m dying to know!
……But should I ask?
……Yeah, I’ll ask later.
No point here—someone might overhear.
Clunk.
The stairs ended, revealing a vast cavern. In the empty space stood only a small door on the far side.
It had some ridiculously complex door lock. Password entry? Looked way too intricate.
Pretty important spot, huh?
Then I’d loot it clean.
“Step back.”
I pushed Jenella and Mosik behind me and swung my sword at the lock.
Shhh…… clang?
“?”
“?”
It…… bounced?
“Hey. Why’d it block?”
Vmmm!
The sword vibrated fiercely, as if annoyed it didn’t know either.
Damn.
Even if I pushed it a bit……
“Hold on. I know what this is.”
“?”
“Move aside a sec.”
I stepped back slightly, and Jenella leaned in to inspect the lock closely.
“Hmm…… This is something ancient monsters use to protect their young.”
“Ancient monsters?”
“Yeah. Looks like a door lock, but it doesn’t take passwords. It senses ‘blood’ to open—a magic tool usually made from their bones or flesh.”
So I still can’t smash it?
Vmmm!
The sword let out a short, dissatisfied hum, as if disappointed in itself.
Not as versatile as I thought.
Of course, I could force it with divine power. Problem was, I was already worn out—draining more would leave me weaker.
What if something insane waited inside?
I needed time to recover.
“Looks like it was made by a monster that’s lived at least 1,000 years……”
“Then how’d that stone king get in?”
“Maybe it didn’t? See…… there were scraps of ancient monster flesh, skin, scales, claws in this cavern. Probably used those.”
So how do we open this……
If an ancient monster slept inside?
That’d be bad. I didn’t know how strong they were, but Jenella and Mosik would likely die.
Hey. Eodukshini.
-?
Check what’s inside.
-……How?
Can’t?
-Can’t. How would I?
Yeah, fair.
-……Don’t look at me like that. I really can’t! No gaps at all. Why not just knock?
Oh. Good idea?
Knock knock.
“……What’re you doing?”
“……What are you doing, sir?”
-……You actually knocked!!
“No, Eodukshini. You can’t suggest that then bail. Isn’t knocking basic manners?”
Frustrated by their reactions, I gave the normal-person response, but they shot back harder than a rock.
“Absolutely not.”
“Absolutely not, sir.”
-It was a joke!
“Man, you guys are too……”
Creak.
“……?!”
“……?!”
-……?!
The door opened.
“See? I was right!”
-I did it!
“You bailed earlier, punk. You’re done.”
-W-Wai—Mmph!
I shoved the traitorous slime into my priest robes and strode inside confidently.
Grrrrowl.
“……?”
Wind? Or……?
I looked up.
And saw it.
Grrrrowl……!
A colossal body filling the space, a reptilian pupil slit vertically, glaring down at me.
Dragon.
Supposedly the strongest—yet always shredded by protagonists, villains, or nameless extras. The unofficial combat benchmark.
-D-Dragon?!
“How’s this a dragon?”
But it wasn’t.
“Hey. Eyes down. Who’re you baring teeth at? I’ll smack you.”
Illusion.
The whole space was laced with illusion magic. Felt just like the Black Forest.
But stronger. This must be the original. An unknown realm humans hadn’t touched.
“Yet before the sword, all are equal.”
Shing!
I roughly drew my blade, and the dragon shimmered like a mirage. Eodukshini peeked out in horror.
-You’re insane!
“I’m not.”
-Who draws on a dragon……
Eodukshini’s voice trailed off.
The dragon ahead wavered like heat haze.
I lightly channeled divine power, and the mirage vanished.
The illusion array shattered. The vast cavern held nothing special save a bizarre structure at the center.
Yelp!
A tiny puppy bark.
I looked down.
At my feet, a white puppy whined, tugging my robe’s hem.
-……Puppy?
“Wh-what? That puppy? Kyaa! So cute!!”
“……I’d fear it bursting if I grabbed it.”
Jenella and Mosik, entering late, lost it too.
“Eek!”
“Hm? My senses……”
They couldn’t come closer. But I was fine.
……Just like the Black Forest.
“You two stay put. Or feel the floor and creep over slowly.”
“This feeling…… it’s like the Black Forest. Hate it. Feels even worse, actually.”
“This is beyond a high illusion array…… Someone dispelled it.”
“Probably me.”
I crouched carefully.
The puppy released my robe, whining and backing up as I lowered.
“Hey!”
“I didn’t do anything! And don’t yell. You’ll scare the puppy.”
“Ah. Sorry.”
Jenella, realizing she’d shouted, clapped hands over her mouth.
I gazed at the puppy. Normal ones bark or wary, but this one showed none.
More like…… scared of me?
……Sensing my divine power and freaking out?
I quelled it, and the puppy’s round eyes sparkled as it approached, panting happily.
I gently stroked between its eyes, where snout met forehead; it closed them blissfully, like sleeping.
But what is this thing?
“Good puppy, yeah. Such a good boy.”
I scooped it up.
Okay to pick up? I lifted carefully, toes off the ground.
Despite a stranger, it gazed up innocently.
“Hm. What do puppies eat?”
“……Shouldn’t we figure why it’s here first?”
“True.”
I was curious too.
Only this puppy in the room. Did it open the door?
With those tiny paws?
How?
Holding it, I approached the door.
To check the handle.
But.
Whine! Yelp!
“Huh?”
Something tugged sharply.
Looking down in surprise, a faint something flickered at the puppy’s neck.
……Collar?
Why?
Backing up, it vanished smoothly.
Where to?
I grabbed before it did. It tried fading, but I infused divine power, envisioning ‘fire’.
“Burn.”
Whoosh!
“!”
“!”
Yelp!
Intense heat surged, incinerating the collar instantly.
Tough. But that’s it. No tougher than a building.
The flames in my memory devoured ropes, then whole structures.
Whoosh!
As they died, the collar snapped.
The puppy startled, head snapping up.
It hopped from my hands, bounding joyfully—free at last.
Then charged me, thrilled.
Woof! Woof woof!
“Ow!”
Headbutted.
What puppy’s this solid?!
But its paws pressing my face soothed me.
“Yeah. Puppies are the best.”
“Right? Puppies rule.”
“I prefer cats. They’re liquid, so they won’t burst if I grab ’em.”
“What?”
“Cats are actually liquid. Didn’t you know?”
Sorry, I’m team puppy.
Couldn’t let it keep pawing my face, so I held it with both hands and set it down.
It sat tamely, staring blankly.
“Seriously, what does it eat? I got nothing.”
-Well…… it’s no ordinary pup, so snacks might not work.
“But it survived here with nothing…… doesn’t eat much? Wanna try something?”
Woof!
-……Me?
Woof woof!
-Nooo! Save me!
Nearly ate Eodukshini, but no harm done.
Dunno its diet.
Whatever. Professor Nipella would know. Taking it along—no leaving a puppy here.
“Has a stranger come here before?”
Pant! Woof!
It nodded like it understood.
“They locked you up here?”
Pant! Woof woof!
Shook its head.
So not their doing.
Probably…… intruders stumbled on the imprisoned pup, mimicked the arrays here.
Didn’t touch it, looks like.
“Whew, finally made it.”
“Check what it is.”
“One moment.”
Jenella, escaping the illusion at last, cautiously examined the puppy.
It panted, tongue out, staring wide-eyed.
She looked flustered, setting it down.
“……It’s an ancient monster. Freshly born pup.”
“?”
This puppy?
I stared dubiously.
It stared back blankly, tongue lolling, like what’s wrong?
Yeah, not surprised it’s an ancient monster—makes sense, actually……
If they were secretly researching one, basing here fit.
Pant pant.
But this different?
Colossal cavern-filler.
And a poop-sized pup.
……Didn’t they mistake the illusion for real because they couldn’t break it?