Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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"W-where is this placeeee?"
Eyes fluttering open revealed an unfamiliar cave ceiling.
Still not quite grasping the situation, 'SparkleSparkle' tilted her head and pushed herself up.
"Huh? I could've sworn I went into the antique shop and followed the shopkeeper... and then..."
She had been startled by Alkatern's sudden question mentioning the gallery lord.
Then shocked again by his strange, memory-lost demeanor.
And finally, when the gallery's system itself spoke to her directly... she passed out.
"Oh?"
Right. She had fainted.
And now, upon waking, here she was.
Which meant the shopkeeper—Alkatern—must have carried her here...
"K-k-k-kidnapping?!"
...or so she might have thought. Unfortunately, 'SparkleSparkle' abruptly convinced herself she'd been abducted out of nowhere.
"What, you're finally awake?"
"You criminal! You won't get anything from kidnapping me, so could you please just let me go... Mr. Shopkeeper?"
"Kidnapping? You walked right in here yourself—what are you talking about?"
Alkatern approached her, his face a mask of utter bewilderment at how she groveled pathetically, begging to be released while prattling on about kidnapping.
What on earth went through her head on a daily basis to spit out nonsense like that so easily?
"Calm down first. This is my lair inside the shop."
"L-l-lair? Isn't that... definitely a dragon's home...?"
"Hm? What, you didn't know?"
With that, Alkatern's body began to grow larger.
Bones twisting, muscles tearing with grotesque sounds as his flesh expanded.
Wings sprouted from his back, horns from his head. Scales erupted across his skin as he gradually shifted from human to full dragon form.
"Wh-wh-what?!"
"Why the shock, little human child?"
Shedding his human guise to reveal his true self, Alkatern was the Golden Ruler, a gold dragon infamous even among dragons for his love of treasure. His scales themselves were forged of pure gold.
"So, little human child with talent that piques my interest. What is it you desire from me?"
"Desire...?"
"To those who prove worthy, I lend one treasure from my lair."
"Uh... you mean those items from the shop?"
'SparkleSparkle' naturally pictured the shop's wares.
Every single one looked extraordinary at first glance.
The battered weapon she'd grabbed even turned out to be a talking demon sword.
"Kuhahaha! Those don't qualify as my 'treasures.' The treasures of I, Alkatern, are far more priceless. Why on earth would I display true treasures in a shop so casually?"
"I-is that sooo?"
To her, those items seemed plenty worthy of being called treasures, but apparently, they fell short in Alkatern's eyes.
"Then choose! Little human child, you may take but one item! Behold the treasures of Alkatern and marvel in awe... and despair!"
Rumble rumble rumble.
With Alkatern's roar, massive ripples surged through the lair.
The cave filled with countless objects, and 'SparkleSparkle' felt faint again amid the dazzling spectacle.
"W-wait a sec. Let me ask my senior first before deciding..."
This wouldn't do.
Thinking that, 'SparkleSparkle' reached to open the gallery—but froze, recalling the incident just before she fainted.
Flinch.
What if she opened it now and encountered that mysterious system again?
If it suddenly spoke, could she even withstand fainting this time?
...Gulp.
'N-no way, I can't!'
No matter how she thought about it, she lacked the courage.
'Senior! Help meeeee!!!!'
The newbie's messages cut off abruptly.
She must be the one in a rush right now, so why the sudden silence?
'I've still got a lot to teach her.'
She still had tons of know-how to learn from me before pulling ahead.
She'd only just arrived at Alkatern's treasure trove, after all.
I needed to tell her which items to pick, which professors to meet, how to act...
What to do.
That way, even if I couldn't comment later, the newbie could check the post and handle things herself.
"El. What're you doing there?"
"Mmn..."
"I was in the middle of posting strategy tips for the newbie in the gallery when Cheong rubbed her eyes and shuffled over, fresh from sleep."
She was awake, but her mind still foggy—her steps unsteady and weak.
She wouldn't get hurt even if she fell with that spirit beast body of hers, but I still moved to catch her anyway.
-Yawn. Am I the last one up today?
"Not sleepy... Just lying down 'cause it's comfy."
Her eyes had been closed, breathing steady as could be until moments ago.
-You got up early today, El.
True, I hadn't slept at all... but no need to mention that upfront.
She might just worry.
"Sniff sniff."
-What's up, Cheong?
"Something smells off on you besides us. Sniff sniff."
Flinch.
I panicked for a split second as Cheong buried her face in me, sniffing away.
I'd just been roaming with the wolf spirit beast hunting for Reiss, after all.
And I'd even ridden on its back...
-Hm. Can't tell myself.
"No, there's definitely a smell. This is... wolf?"
'Whoa... isn't her nose too sharp?'
To think she could even identify the species of the one I'd traveled with.
But I couldn't spill everything, so I kept a straight face and wove a half-truth.
-Wolf spirit beast? You mean that one threatening Ceres last time?
Thanks to Ceres's efforts, paradise's safety was assured.
Skipping the Reiss details, I explained the wolf spirit beast encounter. Silpi and Cheong nodded, brushing it off as no big deal.
"Oh, but besides the wolf smell, there's something else weird on you, El."
-What smell?
"Dunno. Something unpleasant and sticky."
-Maybe you just need a bath?
"Not that kind... More like an instinctive revulsion..."
But Cheong didn't let it drop—she sniffed out something more.
A clue tied to Reiss, even graver than the wolf spirit.
'She smelled Reiss's death aura?'
No, death aura wasn't something you smelled—it was a vibe you sensed, right?
How sharp was her nose to pick up death aura?
Puff. Puff.
Couldn't let her keep uncovering clues like this.
I hurriedly channeled water energy to rinse myself clean, erasing every trace.
Wondered if it'd wash away death aura too, but considering this wasn't ordinary water—it stemmed from the source—surely it could.
"Sniff... Huh? The smell's gone."
-Must've been from El not washing up.
"Really...?"
In the end, I came off as the stinky one who skipped baths, but better that than them learning about Reiss.
"So, when do we eat?"
"Yay!"
For hungry Cheong, I pointed to the basket piled with amrita.
One per person used to suffice before, but lately, one wasn't cutting it.
Now it took 3-4 minimum, sometimes more.
'No wonder Silpi scarfed so many back then.'
Though as a lower spirit, even that amount seemed a bit much for her power level then.
-Hehe. Just a light breakfast today.
"Then I'll take this much!"
-Isn't that overdoing it first thing?
"I can handle this easy."
Cheong and Silpi scooped up amrita by the handful.
I eyed the basket, once heaping.
Only five left from that mountain.
Fresh amrita grew daily, sure—but at this rate, we'd run short eventually.
'Amrita was a fruit from ancient times, after all. Once this era ends, it'll go extinct naturally.'
So maybe start weaning off amrita gradually, introduce other foods to adapt.
Gulp.
With that, I devoured the remaining five amrita in one go.