Jackpot (2)
A short while ago.
While everyone was asleep.
Archeron was in the middle of self-repairing his damaged energy core and circuits using the Seondo Park Seojun had given him.
Keron. Temporary energy circuit activated. Energy core replacement code: Seondo. 50% power output available.
Chzzzt! Chzzzt!
Aura rippled across his entire body.
It was proof that Archeron could now move to some degree, powered by the Seondo's mana.
Minimization module maintained. Maximization module unavailable until energy core is fully restored.
That was why Archeron was currently only fifty centimeters tall.
He was running the minimization module.
Archeron was an ancient magical strategic weapon.
Normally he could extend his height up to ten meters.
But that was impossible now.
His energy core was broken.
Keron. Energy insufficient. However, I will do my best to protect.
Creak. Creak.
Archeron's head turned slowly.
"Mmm… Seondo… munch munch."
His gaze landed on his new master, Park Seojun, who was murmuring in his sleep.
The Seondo.
It was an incredibly precious item, even Archeron could tell.
Yet his master had given it to him without hesitation, even though he was nothing more than a guardian.
It was a kindness he had never received from previous masters.
Priority designation updated. Primary users: Park Seojun, Dania.
Archeron had broken his own taboo.
He had placed Park Seojun and Dania above his Soul Core, the vessel that held his very soul.
This was his way of one day repaying the kindness his master had shown.
Then it happened.
Massive mana signature detected. Intrusion within range. Identifying intruder.
Archeron's reactive perimeter alert had caught an enormous surge of mana.
Thump.
Archeron moved instantly.
Dimension Severance.
Zzzzzzing!
Space tore open as Archeron swung his hand.
Crack!
A rift formed.
This was the only way out of the Dragon's Lair while the entrance remained sealed.
Archeron. Intruder identification complete. Beginning elimination protocol.
The intruder possessed tremendous power.
Left unchecked, it could have shaken the lair's barrier.
Intimidation activated. Annihilation Beam locked on.
Click.
Archeron's hand rose.
Intimidation and Annihilation Beam.
The mana Archeron had partially restored with the Seondo began draining at an alarming rate.
It would delay rebuilding his temporary energy circuit, but that was fine.
As long as his master remained safe.
Kwoooooooosh—
A crimson annihilation beam grazed the intruder's head.
Thud!!
The intruder collapsed.
"Chu chu!"
Watching another guardian emerge to dismantle the intruder's body, Archeron finally halted his energy core, which had been dangerously close to overloading.
Shhhhhhh—
Archeron. Intruder elimination complete.
***
Vwoooom!
"…Hm?"
A powerful wave of mana pulsed from somewhere.
A sensation he never would have noticed before.
But after awakening Dragon Blood, he could feel it more keenly than anyone.
"Popo?"
When Park Seojun stood up, Popo woke as well.
『Kkyuuuung… What's going on?』
Dania had woken too.
Vwoom, vwoooom!
Faint glowing lines appeared on the surface of the egg.
Park Seojun stared at the glowing lines, then glanced around.
"Where are Chuchu and Archeron?"
"Popo!"
At his words, Popo jolted awake with a startled !_! expression and bounced to its feet.
It spun left, right, then backward.
Chuchu and Archeron were nowhere to be seen.
"Po… po…!"
Tears welled in Popo's eyes.
Its body trembled with anxiety.
At that moment—
"Chu chu!"
Pop!
Chuchu poked its head out of a tunnel.
"Popo—!!!"
Bounce! Bounce!
Popo leapt joyfully toward Chuchu.
"Chu!"
"Popo!"
Popo hoisted Chuchu onto its head and wobbled happily.
Seeing Popo's relief, a small laugh escaped Park Seojun.
'Honestly, I was pretty startled too.'
The sudden massive mana wave.
Chuchu and Archeron both missing.
He had worried something had happened to them.
But where was Archeron?
Clack, creak.
『…Ke… ron.』
Archeron emerged from a corner.
What? When had he gotten there?
Park Seojun pushed the question aside and picked Archeron up.
The guardian's condition looked far from good.
"Archeron! Are you okay?"
Intruder… incinerated. Mission complete.
Huh? Intruder?
What did that mean?
Park Seojun tilted his head in confusion.
"Chu chu—!"
Chuchu suddenly leapt off Popo's head.
It shoved both hands into its belly pouch.
Swish swish—
It began pulling something out with great effort.
"Wh-what is that?"
Park Seojun blinked in surprise.
Clatter.
Shimmering red-and-black scales tumbled out.
They looked exactly like dragon scales.
'No way… is this actually a dragon?'
The body resembled an eastern dragon's torso.
Clatter clatter.
The dragon's body kept coming, stretching endlessly.
Though severed in places, if pieced together it would easily exceed ten meters.
'Fifteen meters, even?'
Gulp.
Was this… the intruder Archeron had mentioned?
Park Seojun reached out with trembling hands and placed them on the glowing scales.
Nagatara, Lv185
"…!"
He flinched in shock.
Level 185?
Insane!
Something like this had been wandering right outside the lair?
'Just where is this Dragon's Lair located?'
He shuddered at the creature's monstrous level and examined the corpse again.
'Its head is gone. Completely vaporized by a massive energy blast.'
It looked as though its head had been blown off by a mana beam.
Then…
Could it be?
"You did this?"
Yes. Intruder annihilated.
Whoa.
Park Seojun looked at the tiny guardian with newfound respect.
So level 251 wasn't just for show after all.
"Good job."
He gently patted Archeron's head.
Keron.
Vwoooom!
Archeron's energy core let out a faint hum.
'Is he happy?'
Anyway—
"Hold on a second…"
Nagatara.
The name sounded familiar.
It was the same name as the spirit-type monster people called "the lottery ticket."
Park Seojun accessed the Superhuman Net and searched for Nagatara.
Nickname: Spirit Encyclopedia
Title: Let's Learn About Spirit-Type Monsters (12)
Content: This time we're looking at the spirit-type monster known as Nagatara. Any awakened interested in lottery spirits has probably heard the name before. Yes, the very same Nagatara. This creature boasts the highest purity of inner core among all spirit-type monsters—nearly 99.9%, allowing consumption with almost zero mana loss. That alone tells you its value. What's even more surprising is that it's classified as a dragonkin spirit. Because its mana accumulates proportionally to its level, higher-level Nagatara are worth… (continued) Its scales are also extremely valuable. Equipment made from them offers exceptional hardness and mana conductivity… (continued) They're worth a fortune. Furthermore, its flesh provides an incredible flavor that only those who have tasted it can truly understand. Personally, I think it's even better than the most prized cuts of beef. But nothing compares to Nagatara meat. There are even Middle Eastern tycoons who have posted astronomical bounties just to taste it. In short, this creature is a walking treasure with nothing to waste… (continued)
"Whoa."
It really was the Nagatara he knew.
A level 80 one had once caused worldwide chaos when captured.
But this one?
"Level 185!!"
Whoa!
It was a massive jackpot.
"I definitely have to try the meat later."
They said the meat was that delicious?
His mouth was already watering.
"Wait a second."
What about the inner core?
Park Seojun turned to examine the Nagatara.
"Chu chu chu—!"
Chuchu marched toward him with a proud gait.
It shrugged its shoulders once.
The gesture seemed to say: "Go ahead, praise me."
"Chu!"
Both hands disappeared into its belly pouch.
When it pulled them out again—
Shaaaa—!!
A watermelon-sized jewel glowing with golden mana appeared.
No, it was the inner core.
"Whoa!!"
"Popo—!"
Popo bounced excitedly beside him at the sight of the tremendous mana.
The inner core radiated an incredibly alluring aura.
Then—
『Kkyu, kkyuuu… I… I want to eat it!!』
Dania.
Her voice sounded almost entranced.
Vwoooom!
The faint lines etched on the egg's surface began to glow.
"Dania!"
Park Seojun's eyes widened at the ominous sight.
"Everyone!"
At his command, Chuchu and Popo moved immediately.
They carried the inner core straight to Dania.
"Dania, here's the inner core."
『Kkyuuuung…! Seojun, guardians, thank you.』
Flash!!!
Golden particles streamed from the inner core and were absorbed into Dania.
"Huh!"
"Chu…!"
"Popo!"
『…Keron.』
Everyone could tell something extraordinary was happening.
Kwoooooooosh!!
A vortex of mana now swirled around Dania.
The inner core's mana was being sucked in faster and faster.
When the change reached its peak—
Fwoooooooosh!!
Crash crash crash!!
Flame-like mana surged and rippled across the egg's surface.
A faint light bloomed from the center, growing into thick beams that wrapped around the entire egg.
The light pulsed like waves, and the surrounding mana scattered wildly.
Whooooosh!
The faint lines on the egg's surface grew sharper and more distinct.
Thick lines connected, forming a majestic pattern.
"This is…!"
A dragon-shaped emblem.
The outlines of eyes and scales emerged clearly, and delicate lines extending to the tail alternated between deep crimson and azure light, as if revealing the flow of powerful mana.
Through Oath of the Dragon (EX), Dania's current status has been analyzed.
Dania has entered the final stage of hatching.
"…!"
The messages floating before his eyes made Park Seojun's eyes go wide.
'Finally!'
Would he finally see Dania's true form?
"Popo!"
"Chuuuu!"
Popo and Chuchu also seemed to realize Dania had reached a critical turning point.
Both stared at the egg with anxious expressions.
"Let's pray that Dania hatches safely."
"Popo!"
"Chu!!"
『…Keron.』
And so they remained there, praying for Dania's success.
……
…
·
Some time later.
Grumble!
Park Seojun, who had been dozing off, woke up hungry.
"Mmm."
He looked around.
Popo, Chuchu, and Archeron were all asleep side by side.
They had discovered something while praying earlier.
'She's not hatching right away.'
When he observed Dania closely, he could feel the mana surging inside the egg.
Right now, Dania was absorbing every last bit of mana stored in the egg into her body.
"Let's eat first."
Ever since awakening Dragon Blood, Park Seojun had been getting hungry more often.
It wasn't just physical appetite—he felt his body craving mana itself.
"Hmm."
Then he noticed the Nagatara's inner core beside Dania.
Thanks to Dania devouring most of it, the watermelon-sized core had shrunk to the size of a coin, though a faint trace of mana still remained.
'…Should I just have a taste?'
He was curious.
What did it taste like?
Park Seojun picked up the small fragment and popped it into his mouth.
"…!!"
His eyes flew wide open as if struck by lightning.
A strange, intense flavor.
At first it felt cold and refreshing.
But that coolness quickly transformed into a fierce flame, sending a thrilling shock through his tongue.
It was like thunder exploding in his mouth—warm tremors followed by a cool energy sliding down his throat and settling deep in his chest.
The taste went beyond simply hot or cold; a fresh herbal aroma and honey-like sweetness spread across his palate, accompanied by a subtle sparking sensation.
Finally, a hint of fruity freshness and nutty richness lingered, leaving behind the trace of the Nagatara's powerful mana on his tongue.
And that was just from a tiny piece.
No wonder they called Nagatara the "flavor spirit" monster.
'Whoa.'
Along with his admiration came the feeling of mana flowing through his entire body.
Mana reserves have increased.
Level has increased.
As expected, a level-up followed.
He had reached level 30.
Only a few days since awakening as a superhuman, and already level 30.
No matter how many times he saw it, the leveling speed was astonishing.
Level 80?
If he stayed here, he was confident he could reach it soon.
"Oh, but wait a second."
He turned sharply toward the second passage.
Now that he was level 30…
Couldn't he enter the second passage?
Whooooosh!
When he looked at the second passage, he thought he saw an unknown mana radiance swirling within.