Chapter 202
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 202
Ssssh—
A thick mist swirled through the workshop.
Within the haze, Kabeltar’s egg began to squirm and twitch.
Crack—
A fissure snaked across the egg’s surface, widening until the shell shuddered and began to crumble away. A thin membrane peeled back along with the hard exterior, revealing a writhing shape beneath.
“…”
I watched the scene with bated breath, witnessing the very moment a new life hatched.
As time passed, the remaining shards of the shell fell away one by one. From within, a being revealed itself with an air of quiet dignity.
Kieee—
It took the form of a small dragon, flapping its wings as if stretching after a long slumber.
‘A hatchling.’
The spirit form of the dark spirit Kabeltar truly did resemble a dragon. It was similar to the form I had seen in Isley’s Spiritology lecture when I first formed a contract with it—though, of course, it looked much smaller and more fragile than the ascending dragon I had witnessed back then.
Ting—
As soon as Kabeltar finished hatching, a notification window appeared before me.
[Kabeltar has hatched into its reincarnated form. The severed contract has been restored.]
[It recognizes you as its master and will follow you.]
Grrraaa—
The young Kabeltar opened its maw toward the ceiling and let out a tiny roar. I cautiously extended my hand. As if it had been waiting, the creature climbed up my finger and onto the back of my hand.
Tap—
I felt the distinct texture and weight of a reptile against my skin. The creature, roughly the size of a kitten, was icy to the touch, unlike other living things. It felt as if a shard of ice had been placed on my hand.
Kiiireuk—
Perched there, it rubbed its head against my arm and let out a soft cry. As I made contact with Kabeltar, another notification window flickered into existence.
[Your sealed abilities will now reawaken.]
[Memory Fragment]
• Upon contact, you can read a portion of the target's memories.
[Magi Detection]
• Your ability to perceive magi is further enhanced.
[Master of Darkness]
• Your ability to manipulate magi is further enhanced. Your unique authority is also strengthened.
The notifications were each more extraordinary than the last. [Magi Detection] and [Master of Darkness] were incredible boons, but the one that stood out most was [Memory Fragment].
I studied the description, lost in thought.
‘The ability to read a target’s memories through contact, huh.’
I didn't know the exact activation conditions, the range of memories I could access, or whether I could search for specific information. Regardless, there was no doubt it was a powerful tool. The only problem was the requirement for physical contact.
‘It’s not like I can just go around touching people.’
I wasn't looking to get sued for harassment. To use this ability properly, I’d need to lower the target’s guard or come up with a very convincing excuse. Better yet, I would have to engineer the right situation before even attempting it.
Krrk—?
Kabeltar tilted its head, watching me as I pondered. I stroked its head with my finger and asked, “Don’t you have any offensive abilities?”
The utility I’d already seen was valuable, but it would be great if the little guy could contribute directly in combat. Breathing fire or casting dark magic—wouldn't that be something? If you’re a dragon, you should at least be able to do that much.
‘…Wait, is dark magic a little too risky?’
Just then—
Chomp—
Kabeltar bit down hard on my finger. It seemed to have understood my words and was demonstrating its offensive capabilities firsthand. However, its jaw strength was still far too weak; the gesture was more cute than painful.
I detached Kabeltar, which was currently dangling from my finger, and offered it one of the Dark Mana Stones I had saved.
“Try this.”
Krrk—!
The creature shoved the fingernail-sized piece of Dark Mana Stone into its mouth and began crunching away. Watching it eat so heartily gave me a strange sense of satisfaction.
‘This feeling of having a pet is actually quite nice.’
“Go on back for now.”
After feeding it, I unsummoned the creature.
*
The next day.
“It’s been a while.”
I stepped into Eredor’s Botanical Garden. The fresh, humid air unique to the greenery greeted me. I was visiting the Pharmaceutical Club, which Pastel belonged to, for the first time in a long while.
Pastel, wearing his usual round-rimmed glasses and a white gown, welcomed me. As I sat at the guest table, I handed him a bundle I had brought along.
“A gift for your research.”
It was a collection of samples from various precious plants that only grow in the Sea of Trees—a reward I had received for saving Kiriel. I had already set aside what I needed and decided to give the rest to Pastel.
He opened the bundle and carefully examined the contents.
“Oh, rare medicinal herbs from the Sea of Trees. Thank you. And this energy is unmistakably…”
Pastel’s gaze shifted, his eyes gleaming as he looked at an object stored in the corner of the box.
“Is this a fragment of the Heart of the Mad Dragon?”
“Yes.”
I was supposed to have Zimmer process the bulk of it into a pill, but I’d siphoned off a small portion for research purposes.
“And there's this.”
I took out several red crystal orbs from my Subspace Pouch and placed them on the table. Pastel adjusted his glasses, peering at the orbs with intense interest.
“This… contains an energy of extreme yang. It's similar to the one within your body, Roen.”
“That’s right.”
These were Bell’s Fireballs, imbued with the power of extreme flame. The power of the fireball currently inside my body was starting to wane, so I had asked Bell to create a few more. Bell had looked as drained as if she’d given a massive blood transfusion after making them, but in return, I gave her enough money to feast for a lifetime and an invitation to the Olympiad. It was a more than fair trade.
I looked at the fireballs and continued.
“As you know, I swallow these to neutralize the energy of my Gu-eum-jeol-maek.”
Pastel nodded. He would have known that from the moment he first checked my pulse.
“But this method is too dangerous and cumbersome.”
The process of refining Bell’s Fireball was one thing, but the daily ritual of depleting all the mana in my body and then refilling it to raise the assimilation rate was incredibly tedious. It was also dangerous—like implanting an artificial organ into one’s body. It wasn’t something one could attempt without considerable resolve.
At my explanation, Pastel asked cautiously, “Are you asking me to process these fireballs into a consumable pill, using their core principles?”
“You catch on quick.”
I nodded slowly. However, this wasn't just for my own consumption; it was to improve Beatrice’s constitution as well. If the extreme flame within Bell’s Fireball could be processed into a medicinal form, it would be far safer and more effective than the medicine Beatrice was currently taking.
‘In the first place, Beatrice’s medicine only alleviates the symptoms of her seizures; it’s not a fundamental cure.’
But if I could turn this fireball into a pill, it would be possible to fundamentally alter Beatrice’s constitution for the better.
Of course, there was a catch.
“For proper processing, I would ideally need a Red Dragon’s Heart.”
No matter how excellent the yang energy in Bell’s extreme flame was, it couldn’t compare to a true Dragon Heart. But that was something even I couldn’t obtain right now. I had searched everywhere through the underworld’s information network, but a Red Dragon’s Heart was nowhere to be found. In fact, there hadn’t been a single recorded case of a red dragon’s death in the last few hundred years.
They were easy enough to find in the game, but reality presented these kinds of complications.
“I couldn’t find a Red Dragon’s Heart anywhere.”
“But… there must be a way,” Pastel said, his gaze subtly shifting toward the fragment of the Mad Dragon’s Heart.
I nodded with a smile.
“That’s right. I’m going to combine this fireball and the Mad Dragon’s Heart to create something similar to a Red Dragon’s Heart.”
If you don’t have teeth, you make do with your gums. If I couldn’t obtain one, I would just have to manufacture it. I had the resources and the funds. What mattered wasn’t the Red Dragon’s Heart itself, but the properties it possessed.
‘Pure, primal flame, and mana imbued with the power of the Dragon Language.’
These two properties could be sufficiently replicated using Bell’s extreme flame and the Mad Dragon’s Heart. And the pill created from this would be the key to fundamentally improving both my and Beatrice’s constitutions.
*
After my conversation with Pastel, I returned to the Triplet Dwarves’ workshop to check on their progress.
“…”
The workshop, usually a cacophony of clanging and banging, was as silent as a tomb. I entered quietly and approached the figures huddled together, deep in thought. As I got closer, I could hear their hushed conversation.
“Here, refine this circuit more.”
“Hehe, bring me the bonder.”
“H-here it is.”
“The mana pressure is too high. Lower it a bit.”
They were so engrossed in their work that they didn’t even notice my arrival. I cleared my throat to announce my presence.
“Ahem. How is the development of the Next-Generation Core coming along?”
Without even turning his head, Meyer answered, “Don’t talk to me. I’m busy.”
Today, unlike usual, Meyer, the President of Meister Academy, was also here, fully immersed in the development of the Next-Generation Core. Originally, I had planned to release the blueprints for the core bit by bit to prevent technology leaks, but I was in no position to be picky now.
The Academy Festival was just around the corner. To complete the Next-Generation Core, I needed every expert hand I could get. Meyer might be lacking in other areas, but his talent for magic engineering was exceptional, so I had requested his cooperation. It was also a chance to learn the manufacturing techniques for Magic Armor directly from him.
But his response was overly cold.
“Hey, I’m the client. Shouldn’t I at least know the progress?”
“You don’t need to know. Just know that at this rate, we should be able to finish it within the deadline.”
“Oh? Is that true, Melga?”
At my question, Melga gestured toward Meyer with his eyes and replied, “Yeah, our President here is more skilled than I thought. I always took him for a loudmouth who was all talk, but I’m seeing him in a new light.”
“That last comment was an insult to a noble.”
“Take it as a compliment.”
It made sense. The Triplet Dwarves’ skills were more specialized in crafting equipment based on existing technology rather than developing the technology itself. Their field was slightly different from that of Meyer, who was hailed as a genius of magic engineering.
In any case, according to them, the development of the Next-Generation Core would be completed on time. At this rate, there would be no problem with selling carbonated water at the Academy Festival. It would also help strengthen the Union’s security, just as Beatrice wanted.
Having received the status report, I left some snacks and drinks for the engrossed workers and departed. As I was about to leave the workshop, Melga asked, “Leaving already?”
“Yeah. I can’t just stand around watching, either.”
While they were hard at work on the Next-Generation Core, I had things I needed to do as well. I headed to my own workshop to process the Cognitive Acceleration Stone into an artifact and to continue work on the Magic Armor.
*
Several months passed.
Ever since I became able to use magic on my own, the practical magic lectures had proceeded smoothly. Thanks to the Cognitive Acceleration Stone, even the swordsmanship classes were manageable.
After classes, I focused on club activities, manufacturing Magic Armor, and crafting artifacts. It was a repeating routine, and within that routine, various tasks progressed without a hitch.
As I lived my life buried in these responsibilities, time flew by, and autumn drew noticeably closer.
Amidst clear skies and cool breezes, as beautiful autumn leaves painted the Union in shades of crimson and gold…
The Academy Festival was drawing near.