A Catalyst Discovered
Exploring ruins was always a task that demanded constant vigilance.
You never knew when or where a crisis might strike, and even seasoned mages could suffer severe injuries or die from a single misstep.
It wasn't for nothing that mages disliked external missions.
Those who spent all their time researching indoors often met absurdly ridiculous ends, caught by traps they never saw coming.
"...From now on, I'm going to worship Jun like a god."
"If exploring ruins is like this, I'd be happy to go every day."
Jo Difel and Casian exclaimed in admiration from atop the Drake.
When Lim Dojun had first suggested riding the Drake, they thought he was joking.
But their shock when he whistled once outside the city and the Drake actually appeared had been immense.
-Grr! Grrrr!
"H-he doesn't seem to want to carry us!?"
"Drek. They're not that heavy. Just give them a ride."
The Drake clearly didn't want to carry anyone besides Lim Dojun, but it couldn't ignore its master's request.
Its way of complaining was to thump its feet even harder and run faster, but everyone enjoyed the ride.
"Whoa! So fast!"
"At this rate, we'll reach the ruins in no time."
One of the biggest hassles of external missions was the distance.
The ruins they were heading to this time were no exception, but fortunately the Drake meant they wouldn't face any annoying interruptions along the way.
Its back was also incredibly wide. With proper positioning, three adults could ride in reasonable comfort.
Jongno, Seoul. The top floor of the building the Ghost Temple used as its headquarters.
The Ghost Temple's leadership was holding a meeting, with several figures glancing toward the masked old man seated at the head.
"Elder. Why did you let those bastards go?"
The recent battle between the Ghost Temple and the Astelgard Returnee Association had been wrapped up so cleanly it was as if it had never happened.
The destruction of the cafe and building was reported in the news as a gas explosion, conveniently explained away with claims of no casualties.
Even if people had died, it would have been dismissed as an unfortunate accident.
Returnees held that much power.
The core members' dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that the Astelgard group had simply been allowed to leave.
"Even though our sorcery array was destroyed, once they entered the building we would have won. There were only three of them."
"So. You're complaining about my decision?"
"...That's not what I meant, Elder."
At the old man's words, the speaker lowered his head deeply.
This was the Hall Master of the Ghost Temple, the very man who had made others view sorcerers as beings of terror.
An old man who commanded two Ghost Kings and wielded all manner of sorcery—he was a terrifying existence even among returnees.
The fact that he had let them go was so out of character that the complaint wasn't truly rebellion, but simple confusion.
Normally, the old man would have killed them all without hesitation.
Go Wonjin might be called the Mad Dog, but this old man was an even greater monster.
No matter how broken the sorcery array was, once inside the headquarters, they should never have been allowed to return unscathed if he had truly wished otherwise.
"Even I feel like showing mercy from time to time."
"......"
"......"
"Heh... It was a joke. You don't need to know the details, so if you have no complaints, you may leave."
"...Understood, Elder."
When the old man waved his hand dismissively, the Ghost Temple members could only bow and depart.
Once he was alone, darkness began to fill the room.
The death energy radiating from the old man dominated the space, plunging everything into complete darkness.
This ensured that no one could observe him—physically, sorcerously, or magically—from outside.
In that state, he made a phone call.
The line rang several times before the other party picked up.
"It's been a while. What's this about? You contacting me first is unusual."
"I saw something interesting this time."
"Interesting?"
"The Crystal Dragon. It seems it wasn't a complete failure after all."
"...What?"
The old man smiled so broadly that his amusement could be felt even through the mask.
It was rare to see the person on the other end so flustered.
"Tell me the details. I was under the impression that was a failed summoning."
"It was. That's why the dream of independence fell through. But it doesn't seem to have been entirely in vain. It looks like someone has obtained that dragon's power."
"!!!!"
The Valteon-style Cold Circulation was structured so that the more cold magic one cast, the more it aided in cultivation.
That was why Lim Dojun spent the entire journey atop the Drake, firing off spells nonstop.
Thump!
Craaaack!
The path the Drake ran along froze solid as ice crystals exploded outward.
If only some monsters would show up, this would be more fun.
Yet the one actually casting the spells—Lim Dojun—was growing bored.
Firing magic into empty air was far less entertaining than expected.
No matter how much one framed it as training, having an actual target made it far more engaging.
"You're the reason no monsters are appearing."
"Kyak!?"
Lim Dojun lightly thumped the Drake on the head with his fist.
They were racing along a mountain path, yet not a single enemy blocked their way.
Even with Lim Dojun's sharp senses, he could tell there wasn't so much as an ant nearby.
It was only natural. What insane monster would dare appear before a charging Drake?
"Um... Junior. I don't think it's entirely because of the Drake?"
"Huh? It's definitely because of him."
"......"
Casian closed her mouth.
In her view, Lim Dojun's act of freezing everything around them was every bit as terrifying as the Drake itself.
It was fortunate they were allies. She didn't even want to imagine what it would be like if they were enemies.
The mana in the air was trembling violently. Even without the Drake, sensitive monsters would never have approached.
Regardless, Lim Dojun devoted himself to training without wasting a single moment of the journey.
The Valteon-style Cold Circulation was definitely superior to what he had practiced before, but it had its shortcomings.
"I should have obtained some kind of catalyst to assist the cold circulation."
He had realized during training that the technique's efficiency increased dramatically with a cold-attribute catalyst.
He had spent all his contribution points on elixirs before departing, but he now regretted not bringing a cold-type catalyst instead.
If he had, he could have accumulated mana far more efficiently during the trip.
"Tsk. What a shame."
"Kyaaak?"
And it was at that moment.
The Drake suddenly came to a halt mid-sprint.
It rolled its eyes to glance at Lim Dojun, then began sniffing the air vigorously.
Its head whipped around, staring intently in one direction.
"Grr!"
A moment later, it used its tail to gently set Casian and Jo Difel on the ground, then took off at full speed carrying only Lim Dojun.
"H-hey? What's gotten into you?"
"Kyaaak!?"
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Lim Dojun was suddenly racing along alone.
"What are you doing? This takes us further away from the ruins! Hey! Where are you going?!"
Lim Dojun tried to stop it, but the Drake refused to listen.
Wealthy nobles, knights, and mages traveled between cities using warp gates.
However, only a tiny fraction of people could enjoy such benefits, and even they couldn't use the gates frequently if the arrays were poorly maintained or the cost was too high.
That was why managers appeared on various mountain paths and roads.
Roaming bandits who blocked paths to collect tolls, mountain bandits who claimed territory fees—such groups were common.
"Boss. Aren't we heading out today?"
"No. Stay holed up in the stronghold and don't move a muscle."
Despite his large frame, the bandit boss Vargas was surprisingly sharp.
He believed that a proper thief stayed ahead of rumors.
You couldn't simply harass anyone who passed by.
They might look like a wandering knight disguised as a beggar, or they might be a well-guarded merchant caravan.
"Remember the story about the mage riding a Drake we heard a while back?"
"The one from when we caught those merchants? Yeah, I remember."
"That mage is based in Bellangs. Let's lie low for a while."
"But Bellangs is pretty far from here, isn't it?"
Bellangs was the closest city, but it still required crossing several mountains to reach.
"He's riding a Drake. I don't know the details, but they say it's huge and can fly. Crossing a few mountains would be nothing to a beast like that."
"...Boss. With that attitude, can we even make a living?"
The subordinate was dumbfounded.
Anyone with common sense knew how absurd it was for a mage to tame and ride a Drake.
But these men simply thought, If it's a mage, maybe it's possible.
By that logic, there would be endless things in the world to fear.
How were they supposed to do business then?
"I just have a bad feeling about it."
At Vargas's serious tone, his subordinate grew solemn as well.
Their boss had always possessed excellent instincts.
Those instincts had saved them from major crises before, so they couldn't be dismissed lightly.
"Well, if that's how you feel, understood."
"Good. And hey—you talking back to me? I told you to be careful, not to run your mouth. Want a beating?"
"Aigo. Understood! We'll stay put in the stronghold today!"
The subordinate grumbled inwardly that the boss was being overly cautious and withdrew.
Still, he had no intention of defying Vargas.
Despite appearances, the man was an excellent leader who took good care of his subordinates.
No matter how angry he became, he only beat them—he never took their lives.
In the bandit world, that made him practically a saint.
"Oh, right. How long should we stay quiet, then?"
"We have that donation from the merchants who passed recently. The frost fox pelt. Let's stay put until we've properly handled that."
"Understood."
A small merchant caravan had passed by not long ago and offered a generous "donation."
It turned out to be a jackpot—they had been transporting the pelt of a frost fox, one of the rarer creatures.
Clothes made from it stayed cool even in summer and were soft and beautiful, making them extremely popular among nobles.
With something this valuable, proper handling is crucial.
They had more than enough supplies to last until then, so staying quiet was fine.
That was why the subordinate had left without further argument.
Vargas lifted the mat on the floor.
Beneath it was a hidden storage space. He unlocked it with the key he always carried, revealing a small amount of silver coins and the frost fox pelt.
Simply looking at that beautiful pelt lifted his mood.
"Hehe. The luster is positively flowing today."
Satisfied, Vargas closed the storage and replaced the mat.
He was about to settle in for a nap when it happened.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
A vibration like the earth itself was shaking reached his ears.
Vargas tilted his head and stepped outside the tent.
Was it an earthquake...?
The wooden fence shattered as a massive monster thrust its head through.
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
"U-uaaaaaaaa!?"
Vargas was terrified.
The monster that had smashed the fence was charging straight toward his tent.
In a panic, he threw himself desperately to the side to survive.
He barely avoided it, but his heart was still hammering wildly.
"D-d-d... dragon?"
A giant winged reptile. Ferocious killing intent.
That was what it looked like to Vargas.
It thrust its head into the tent as if searching for something and smashed around inside before pulling back out moments later.
"Kyak!"
"Just why did you come all the way here? This is completely the opposite direction from the ruins... Huh?"
Lim Dojun, riding atop the Drake, dismounted and stared at the creature.
He frowned, wondering how he should discipline this disobedient beast, but his expression changed when he saw what it held in its mouth.
"Grr! Sniff!"
The Drake wagged its tail, clutching in its jaws a pelt that clearly emanated extraordinary cold energy.