Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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"Daughter. Let's go back."
"Uh, uh..."
"What? You're just leaving without fighting?"
"Yeah. I can't lose my precious daughter in a place like this."
Ultimately, it was all thanks to the Dragon King's daughter that no fight broke out here.
...No. If that guy hadn't shown up here in the first place, none of this mess would have happened, right?
[I'm not going to thank you. The Spirit King of Wind is the one who saved the Yeouiju, and you Dragon King—including your daughter—tried to kill me.]
My words made the Dragon King turn his head for a moment, and our eyes met.
His still-glowing dragon eyes held the power to pierce through everything, but now there was no reason to avoid that gaze.
Instead, as I stared him down, he met my eyes for a beat before pulling something from his bosom and tossing it my way.
Thud.
[What's this?]
"Didn't you say it was a test? This is your reward."
What the Dragon King had thrown me was a statue about the size of an adult man's palm.
It was carved so crudely that I couldn't make out exactly what it was, but examining the traces, I could tell it was roughly some kind of elongated shape.
And if this was from the Dragon King, then it was probably...
[A dragon figurine?]
"Figure out how to use it yourself. No point explaining that far."
With that, the Dragon King tossed me the single figurine and left with his daughter.
Figure it out yourself, huh.
How utterly irresponsible.
Dragon King... First time meeting him, but there's nothing likable about the guy.
[So. You're leaving too?]
The fight was over.
Which was why I wanted this unidentified being in front of me to vanish quickly.
He had protected me, sure, but just like the Dragon King, this was the first time I'd seen him today.
And from what he'd said earlier, he'd been secretly watching me all this time.
"Ahem. But I did help you..."
[You did it expecting payment?]
"Less 'payment' and more like I was hoping for a little token of appreciation~."
Even as he said it, his gaze on the bloodstains and scales clinging to my body was anything but normal.
A closer look showed his breathing was a bit ragged too.
"Well~ maybe just a scale or some blood wouldn't hurt."
[...Here.]
He did help, after all.
If he hadn't shown up, I might have died to the Dragon King.
That much was true, so I handed over a scale stained with blood.
[Please don't do anything weird with it.]
"Waaaaaaaaah!!!!"
Boing.
For whatever reason, he leaped for joy right there on the spot, clutching the scale I'd given him like a treasure.
"W-Well then, I'll be off! See you next time, El!"
[How do you know my name... Hmph. Whatever. Just go already.]
Right, he said he'd been watching me in secret. Of course he'd know my name.
But before sending him off, one thing.
There was something I had to know.
[What's your name?]
Freeze.
The guy, who had been about to melt into the darkness any second, suddenly halted and turned to meet my eyes.
Just like with the Dragon King earlier.
And in that moment, he placed his hands on his cheeks as if trying to cool them down and spat out something ridiculous.
"Wait, are you hitting on me or something?"
[What are you...]
Whoosh.
"Why else would you ask my name?! "
[No, I was just curious.]
"Curious?! I'm curious too! About every single element of your body! Down to the cells! I'm going insane from curiosity! I didn't say it, but this scale of yours in my hand is driving me mad right now! Aah, what do I do? I thought I could hold out with those kids, but now I don't think I can!"
[...Just get out of here right now.]
This guy was completely insane, wasn't he?
I didn't want to get swept up in his oozing darkness and sticky madness.
I regretted asking his name that much.
I'd asked thinking if I knew it, he might be someone I recognized—or even if not, I could dig up info on the Gallery—but for it to backfire like this.
Smack.
[What...]
I thought nothing could surprise me more after all that... but I was wrong.
After charging at me in a frenzy, now he was punching himself in the face.
Stunned by his incomprehensible actions, he spoke to me in a now-calm voice.
"Looks like my temporary masterpiece still needs some work. Hmm, shame, but it'd be best to end our meeting here."
[Yeah. Better if you go now.]
You're not right in the head, so please just leave.
As if reading my mind, half his body was already melting into the darkness and vanishing.
[Looks like I can't tell you my name after all. Once my masterpiece is complete, I'll come by and tell you in person.]
You don't have to go out of your way.
I wanted to say that but held it back, waiting for him to disappear quickly.
Finally, only his head remained as the rest of his body was consumed by the dark.
He glanced at the figurine clutched in my tail and spoke.
"Oh right, that thing. You'll need it for your promotion, so keep it safe, yeah?"
[What...!]
Whoosh.
The figurine's ability came out of nowhere. And it was tied to becoming a dragon? I wanted to ask, but he had already vanished completely into the darkness.
[...Never once has your timing been on point.]
Figures, coming from me.
It was something I'd half-expected anyway.
I tamped down my curiosity and turned away.
My original purpose in coming this far: to meet Ceres.
[To stay intact through all that... this thing's tough too.]
And I marveled at the supplement that hadn't broken despite the chaos.
No, how did it not even get a single dent?
Just in case, I carefully checked for cracks, but it was in perfect condition without a single scratch. Sticking out my tongue in amazement, I headed toward Ceres again.
[Oh, right. Wipe off some of this blood first.]
Showing up like this would just scare her.
"Mewooow."
-Hmm. He'll be back soon if I wait a bit.
While massive events had erupted and wrapped up in the distance, Silpi and Cheong had been rolling around inside the cave, waiting for their friend—who had left—to return quickly.
If they knew what had happened to El, they'd think the pair's behavior was weird.
They couldn't have missed the typhoon created by the activation of the Typhoon Jewel from here.
Not to mention Silpi wouldn't fail to sense their king's power.
Tap.
-Hm?
"Meow?"
And now.
The reason why Cheong and Silpi had been so nonchalant until just this moment had arrived.
"Hey, friends!"
-Who are you!
"Grrr!"
The mysterious being cloaked in darkness with black wings, who had vanished before El.
That being had now appeared before Silpi and Cheong.
"Mm! The barrier's working perfectly!"
That's right.
It was this very being who had set up a barrier centered on the cave where Silpi and Cheong were.
Of course, unaware of that fact, Silpi and Cheong immediately went on high alert at the sudden intruder.
Ready to attack at the slightest suspicious move.
"Friends? Don't be so standoffish. I came to give you gifts."
-Gifts? We don't know you. What gifts?
"Grrr! Grrr!"
Suspicious words and actions.
And an appearance that inspired zero trust on sight. Silpi and Cheong didn't buy it, and as a result, the distance between the three showed no signs of closing no matter how much time passed.
"Hmm. It's a surprise gift, so I have to deliver it before he gets back."
"...Sniff sniff."
Step.
That was the moment.
Cheong, who had been keeping her distance until now, suddenly wrinkled her nose and took a step forward.
The guy thought she was finally approaching and joyfully rushed toward her.
Thwack.
"Huh?"
-Cheong!
His face caved in completely under Cheong's full-force paw strike.
The reason for Cheong's action was simple.
Amid the faint blood scent wafting from him, she had caught the smell of their absent friend, El.
"Ow. What power for such a young one. As expected of the daughter of that lion's roar, huh?"
-A-Are you alive?
"Grrr?!"
"Won't die from something like this~."
He'd come out unscathed from the Dragon King's attacks, so getting done in by Cheong would be laughable.
His face had already returned to normal.
But he couldn't stand up just yet.
-You. What did you do to El?
Silpi, having received the info from Cheong in that instant, had summoned wind blades around her.
"I'm really innocent here. But since I'm in a good mood today, I came to give gifts to you, his friends."
-Then tell us. What did you do to El?
"...Since you're El's friends, I'll let it slide? Can't afford to be hated here. Might cause defects in my research material. Yup yup."
Tsss.
So, what to do?
They had no intention of listening anyway.
"Guess I'll just force it!"
No idea how he arrived at that conclusion, but the moment he did, darkness began spreading wide.
Silpi and Cheong moved to dodge the ominous change, but the figure on the ground moved his mouth faster.
"Alright~ Time for a little sting?"
Poke. Poke.
-Guh!
"Gak?!"
Something shot out from the spreading darkness and lodged in Cheong and Silpi's necks.
"Getting strong alone is no fun. Hope you like my gifts?"
Don't worry!
A satisfying result awaits you all.