Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Eldrin and Demir (3) Giant Dragon
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I Raise Skeletons Chapter 54
Eldrin and Demir (3) Giant Dragon.
A being born inherently evil, igniting discord across the world.
For such a dragon, the seal was akin to abstinence.
Having indulged in slaughter for thousands of years, being unable to do so now made it unbearably itchy.
"You damned bastards."
The dragon was furious.
It felt wronged.
Even when it wanted to vent the anger building inside, there was nothing it could destroy.
And most importantly.
"The ones I wanted to get revenge on have all died."
The dragon's blood boiled.
That rage was entirely directed at the forest and rock clans.
"Did you think I'd just sit still? You two races will eternally tear each other apart and torment one another. If I can't kill you myself, I'll make you kill each other."
The dragon incited conflict.
Using transformation magic, 'Polymorph,' it impersonated the High Elf Queen.
With overwhelming force, it seized the position of leader among the dwarves.
The two absolutes.
Volcanus and Serphin.
"Rock clan! The elves have hidden our great Demir's relic! Does that make any sense? Look! Without power, this is what happens! Take up your weapons! We must reclaim our rightful inheritance!"
The rock clan ignited the war first.
The pure spirits, who only knew how to craft, easily fell for the vile dragon's temptations.
They grew angry easily.
They cut off weapon supplies to the elves.
And armed themselves with even stronger anti-elf artifacts.
The forest clan did not sit idly by either.
"Forest clan! Prepare yourselves! The rock clan is invading!"
Even as the Giant Dragon, the being who had become the High Elf Queen shouted.
"Ah, they are ungrateful wretches. How...! How could they betray us, who contributed the most to sealing the dragon? Were the minerals in the rocky regions not enough to sate their greed? Forest clan! Indeed, there are no eternal allies! Take up your weapons! Show them who the true ruler of the world is!"
After the Hundred Years' War ended.
The Five Hundred Years' War began.
Even amidst that.
The dragon sought a way.
"I'll break this damned seal somehow."
It cast magic, performed rituals, and repeated its efforts over and over.
-But there's no help for it. Unless you sacrifice a certain being, this seal won't break. Not for eternity.
Words Demir had spoken before imposing the seal on it.
The dragon fixated on the keyword 'certain being' among them.
"A certain being?"
Just who did it have to sacrifice?
Was it a bluff?
No, more likely it was a condition of the ritual.
Rituals were like that by nature.
Bizarre and profound, with all sorts of methods.
The dragon considered Demir's hint as the ritual's condition.
The more intricate and powerful the spell, the more restrictions it had.
Thus, decades of effort solely to find the solution.
Finally, the dragon discovered who that 'certain being' was.
The answer lay in the black orb embedded in the altar.
['Orb of the Seal.']
['Offer a being from beyond this world.']
['The orb's seal will be released.']
"You crazy bastards."
Curses spilled out involuntarily.
A being from beyond this world.
Not from outside this region.
It instinctively knew it meant a being from outside this world—no, this dimension altogether.
"But I'll find one."
The dragon didn't know the meaning of giving up.
"I'll find one somehow."
It was tenacious.
It performed rituals to summon a being from beyond.
The energy for those rituals was drawn from the war.
And so, the years that passed.
Were a full 500.
* * *Clap clap clap!
Serphin—no, the Giant Dragon—clapped its hands.
"You wouldn't know."
At the same time, its lips curved into a smile stretching ear to ear.
"How much I've awaited this moment. How joyous this day is."
The sight of the fair-skinned High Elf grinning grotesquely was horrific, verging on grotesque.
"......Is it really true?"
Dagunar shook his head in disbelief at the sight.
"All this war...... all this suffering was the scheme of a single being......"
"......"
He looked utterly dejected.
Resignation filled his eyes at the same time.
"For the leaders of two clans to be the Giant Dragon—it'll be an eternal disgrace in our races' history. Ah, or is it already too late?"
It was the mutter of one facing an unimaginable colossal wall.
"No, more accurately, it won't even make the history books. We're as good as dead already."
Dagunar collapsed to the ground.
"You don't need to worry that much."
"It's the Giant Dragon, after all. From the looks of it, it lured us here. And now it means to kill us...... Am I wrong?"
"Pfft, why? Just earlier you called me a vicious dragon."
"I was half-doubting it then, but now I know it's true."
Dagunar let out a wry chuckle.
It wasn't a laugh of joy.
"Still, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thanks to you, I learned the truth. Heh, yeah. Better to know the truth and die than live in ignorance."
"Die? Who said anything about dying?"
It's only just beginning.
"That dragon. If it could kill us, it would've done so long ago."
"Hmm?"
"You know it can't because of the seal."
I felt rather at ease, actually.
Truth be told, up until now, anxiety had been greater.
Why?
Because it was an immeasurable difficulty.
Its actions so far weren't enough to qualify as immeasurable.
Generously, maybe A-rank?
But a dragon?
A Giant Dragon infesting this world?
'This must be what a real quest is like.'
Fear stems from the unpredictable, after all.
Once predictable, the fear lessens.
I glared at Serphin with wide eyes.
She stared silently back at me.
Amusingly.
The emotion in her gaze was 'mystique.'
"Ahh, to think a being from beyond really existed. You know? When I first spotted you in the Titan, how excited I was?"
"It's a bit chilling."
I shuddered.
The moment it chased me away as Volcanus, it immediately transformed into Serphin to greet me.
A total split-personality psycho!
"Truthfully, I only despise those damned dwarves and elves. I hold no ill will toward you. Quite the opposite—I'm grateful."
"I'm grateful?"
"Yes, because you're the sacrifice to break my seal."
Hehe.
The way she covered her mouth and laughed—why did it look so infuriating?
Even though inside she was a hideous, colossal dragon.
Swish!
Serphin quietly raised her hand.
Whoooong!
Immense energy gathered there.
Rumble......!
The dragon's seal trembled as if it might collapse, and dark blue energy flowed through the patterns engraved on the altar floor.
"D-Damn it! That vile dragon really means to sacrifice us! What do we do!"
Dagunar, who had been slumped, jumped up in a panic.
He'd seemed ready to die moments ago, but now that it was approaching, he wanted to live after all.
"Wait."
"Wait? You...... What on earth gives you such composure!"
What gives me composure?
"Your ancestors."
"What?"
Rumble!
Immense energy surged from the dragon's body.
"Demir was a wise dwarf."
It swallowed the space.
"Would a dwarf like Demir go to such lengths, even mentioning a 'certain being'?"
"Such......"
The altar was covered in dark blue.
As if some sinister dark ritual were unfolding.
That energy reached even the pitch-black 'Orb of the Seal.'
"Be good little sacrifices......"
Serphin's lips curled up.
But I wasn't worried.
Why?
Because I already knew.
['Orb of the Seal.']
['Temporarily awakens the power of the undead.']
This black orb wasn't trying to sacrifice me.
It merely temporarily awakened the power of the undead.
'Ma, this is the system's power.'
And.
The undead present here......
Flash!
The black orb glowed.
Magic power accumulated over long years on the altar poured out like a flooding river.
['The soul contained in the 'Orb of the Seal' temporarily awakens.']
['Searching for the corresponding body.']
Plop! Plop!
Two skeletons rose in the air.
The familiar forms of Bonesy and Meaty.
'As expected, it was you two.'
I smiled.
Just as I'd guessed.
Eldrin was Bonesy's previous life.
Demir was Meaty's previous life.
['Bone3 temporarily awakens as 'Eldrin.']"
['Bone6 temporarily awakens as 'Demir.']"
"What...... is this?"
Something was wrong.
The Giant Dragon realized it, but it was too late.
"You, you two?"
The two beings were already summoned before its eyes.
"You scum!"
The dragon roared.
It twisted the High Elf's face grotesquely.
Overwhelming killing intent filled the space.
"Hahaha, dragon. You've finally done it."
Meaty—no, Demir—laughed.
Eldrin nodded back as well.
"It was agonizing having to watch for 500 years without intervening. Still, impressive, isn't it?"
"Kekeke, indeed. Even as an enemy, worthy of respect. How did it manage to draw a being from outside the world here?"
The two heroes descended into the present world exchanged leisurely banter.
Veins bulged on the dragon's forehead at the sight.
"To dare mock me."
Whoooong!
Immense power gathered once more.
"You who've toyed with me twice!"
As if an earthquake had struck.
The world shook.
"Heh heh, how amusing. A wretch who can't even smash a roadside pebble."
Demir guffawed.
Then he hefted the hammer placed on the altar.
"Oh ho, this thing. Still in good shape."
Eldrin casually picked up her own bow as well.
"Worth the gift you made, indeed. Sturdy enough to mock 500 years."
Then she looked at me.
"Hmm, are you really a being from beyond?"
The two skeletons thoroughly ignored the dragon.
And truly.
The dragon only blustered with threats.
Unable to take any action against us.
"......"
Dagunar's pupils dilated as he struggled to grasp the situation.
"Nice to meet you."
I greeted the two heroes, the absolutes of this world.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Demir swung the hammer experimentally and spoke.
"First things first, greetings later. Let's bind that lizard."
"I agree. That brute dragon's been stockpiling energy for 500 years...... Should be easy to seal now."
"How long can we hold it for?"
"About a week? I can't guarantee longer."
"That's impressive enough."
Demir nodded.
Considering the Giant Dragon's immense power, a week's seal was luxurious.
"In the old days, even a minute would've been too much."
"You damned bastards!"
The dragon turned its back.
No matter how much it wanted to kill, it couldn't—so it was trying to flee this place.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Clang!
The dwarf slammed the hammer into the floor.
Surprisingly, a single 'scroll' popped out.
He snatched the bouncing scroll and tore it with a rip.
['Energy Barrier (A-rank) is deployed.']"
White light blocked the dragon's escape route.
"Go on, try breaking it. Oh, right—can't because of the seal?"
"What are you doing!"
The dragon dodged the white light.
In the past, it would've been like snapping a twig.
But now, even it couldn't shatter that barrier.
"There's nowhere for you to run."
Swish swish!
Moonlight shot from Eldrin's bow.
It flew.
The moonlight gently halted around the dragon's body.
"At least for a week."
"Kraaaah!"
Eldrin felt the dragon's roar through her entire body.
"Let's enjoy this reunion after 500 years."
But contrary to her words.
Her eyes blazed with fury.
A mother's rage toward the one being who had inflicted long years of suffering on her children.