Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Dungeon (7)
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After slaying the Ink Scale Blood Serpent, I rummaged through its corpse.
Even in death, its scales remained incredibly tough, forcing me to climb right into its mouth to search.
It had cost me a whopping 250 days of my lifespan, so I was naturally hoping for an inner core...
"You useless snake bastard!"
My expectations fell flat. There was no inner core.
Irritation surged, and I nearly kicked the body before catching myself and turning back.
Kicking it now would just hurt my foot.
I stared hard at the Ink Scale Blood Serpent.
As I pondered what use this rock-hard snake might have, its fangs caught my eye.
The dungeon floor—solid stone that it had plowed through like a field—hadn't so much as scratched them.
And they were plenty big enough to forge into a sword.
I used Absolute Shadow to carefully slice out one of the fangs.
I wanted to take some scales too, maybe for armor or daggers, but there was no way to carry them.
Not to mention, no way to even cut them.
With the fang extracted, I cautiously lifted it up.
About two meters long and heavy as hell—it wasn't easy.
"Well, look at that. It works."
But I could lift it.
I flexed my hand with a puzzled frown.
The sensation of unleashing Ink Thunder still lingered in my grip.
A power incomparable to ordinary aura.
And the more I used it, the more it felt like my body was adapting to the Black Dragon's Mana.
'I've burned through a total of 100 days of lifespan across three uses.'
Each strike hit harder than the last.
The Black Dragon's Mana itself hadn't changed, so my body must have been adapting, letting me wield it more efficiently.
Either way, it was good news.
What used to cost 100 days might drop to 70.
With that in mind, I slowly moved my body.
It felt astonishingly light.
Part of it was reaching a full year of lifespan, but there was more to it.
'Could it be the boost to my physical abilities?'
One of the system messages from consuming the Eternal Ice Crystal.
All wounds healed, overall physical abilities enhanced.
Separate from the temporary boost from burning lifespan.
I swallowed hard and glanced up at the empty air.
These stats had shot through the roof.
I could really feel the Eternal Ice Crystal's power now.
It might've been exaggerating about holding chill for ten thousand years, but the effects were undeniable.
Finally, my body had grown to a normal person's level.
I couldn't even exercise properly before, and medicinal pills barely budged my growth.
One year-equivalent elixir, and it was solved.
'But...'
Something nagged at me.
In the original story, he did consume the Eternal Ice Crystal, but was it this effective?
It was definitely a one-year elixir, but I didn't recall it healing wounds and boosting physical abilities that much.
Maybe because of the special method that enhanced its effects.
I scratched my head and approached Agnes.
She was still sprawled out.
"Agnes."
"Agnes Bayern."
I shook her a couple times before she finally came to.
She groaned like a dying zombie and propped herself up.
She glanced around blankly, then her eyes widened as reality sank in.
"The Ink Scale Blood Serpent? What happened?"
"Caught it. Tied it up nice and neat."
I helped her to her feet, handing over Absolute Shadow.
She gripped it and sheathed it.
"By the way, Agnes."
"Y-yes?!"
Why's she so jumpy?
"The ice crystal I gave you—did you feed it to me?"
"The ice crystal? Yes, I did."
"How'd you do it?"
Her face flushed red at my question.
Seeing real emotion crack that icy facade was novel.
But it felt suspicious somehow.
She fanned herself like she was burning up.
"With my finger... I pried your mouth open and shoved it in."
"That's not what I—never mind. No reason for you to lie to me."
I glared at her as I said it.
She looked shady as hell, but no poison, just good effects. I'd let it slide.
Oh, right.
"Let's carry this fang. My sword snapped, so I need to make a new one."
"Ah, sure."
We grabbed the Ink Scale Blood Serpent's fang and headed for the exit.
Now, only its rotting corpse would remain in Lenoc's Dungeon.
Stepping out of the dungeon, a dark forest greeted us.
Tall trees and leaves filtering moonlight down.
Agnes bathed in it fully.
Her silver hair suited the moon perfectly. Even after all that tumbling, her beauty hadn't dimmed.
Like clear ice tinged with color.
Her eyes held clarity—and doubt.
Doubt?
"Um... what do we do with this fang?"
Her question made me realize the problem too.
Couldn't lug this monster fang into the dorms, and she was covered in wounds.
Unlike me, fully healed by the Eternal Ice Crystal.
"Hmm..."
No choice?
Couldn't call academy staff.
Students weren't allowed in dungeons, and who knew what they'd do with the fang.
I carefully pulled a blue crystal from my pocket.
Swirling my hand over the scrying orb a few times, colors shifted until a figure appeared.
"Young Master?"
It was Petra.
Another perk of House Phillasia's wealth.
Agnes's eyes went wide. No wonder—this was a portable comm crystal.
One of the rarest items even within a ducal house.
Hard to make, and exclusive to the imperial family and great houses. Her surprise was justified.
Especially since I, not the duke, had it.
"Petra, bring a couple servants to the forest entrance near the academy. Now."
"The nearby forest... Understood."
Short exchange, then it cut off.
No official name for the forest, but there was only one around here anyway.
Petra wouldn't let me down.
True to form, she arrived swiftly with two servants.
She rushed to me, worried.
"What hour is it? Why are you out here?"
"Save the nagging. Just hit the dungeon with Agnes."
I gestured to Agnes as I spoke.
Petra's gaze shifted from me to her, then she bowed deeply.
"Thank you for protecting our Young Master."
"No, no—thanks to Deron Young Master taking me along, I got the help."
I was unscratched; she was a mess. Easy misunderstanding.
As their heads dipped lower, I sighed and cut in.
"Enough. Petra, I'm not a kid—don't baby me."
"But Young Master's health..."
"It's better now."
Casual words, heavy meaning.
Petra's eyes bulged. She couldn't believe it.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Not cured of the illness, but my body was improved. Fact.
"How in the wor— No, never mind."
I glanced at Agnes; Petra clammed up fast.
Tasked Petra with the fang, I approached Agnes.
"First dungeon—how was it? Satisfied?"
"Immensely."
She gripped Absolute Shadow's hilt tight. Mastered dual-wielding, scored Lenoc's sword too.
Peak dungeon for her.
"Thank you for bringing me to Lenoc's Dungeon."
"Enough. You got the Eternal Ice Crystal for sure. House Phillasia won't forget House Bayern."
"You were taking all the elixirs from the start. The ice crystal is yours, Deron."
I shook my head.
"I gave you the ice crystal first. I'm not shameless enough to claim ownership of a gift. It was yours, and I ate it."
"That's..."
"Drop it. You trying to paint me as shameless?"
Rumors said otherwise, but whatever.
Troubled by my insistence, Agnes wavered.
Now House Phillasia owed House Bayern—room to build ties.
A little debt for a future magic swordsman post-Lenoc? Worth it.
I left Agnes and exited the forest.
Tonight's moon shone bright and full.
Agnes Bayern, sole survivor of the viscounty.
She'd lived without hiding those thoughts.
Since her house was annihilated by demons, and her genius confirmed.
Always charging toward becoming a magic swordsman.
Like the first, Lenoc—revive House Bayern alone.
"Strange guy."
Her verdict on Deron.
Not the noble disgrace or trash from rumors.
Worried she'd said something troubling, but then he forced a debt using Phillasia's name.
Utterly opposite the gossip.
Maybe that's why he chose that.
Unconsciously, Agnes touched her lips.
Vivid memory of slipping in the ice crystal.
Shocked when Lenoc appeared, revealing the hidden activation method.
She watched Deron's back as he left the forest.
His steps carried more force than before entering the dungeon.