CHAPTER 12: Dragon Words
The chat window's scroll came to a halt, and Jermad's text popped up.
— Anonymous
New dimension, huh... Fine, this great one shall mercifully spare your life.
— OP
Really?
— Anonymous
Yes. But first, tell me your dimension's coordinates.
Only then did I relax.
'This guy's got nothing on me and he's just bluffing.'
This was a trading system built strictly for item exchanges between dimensions. Direct interference or travel between users was completely blocked by the system itself. Without coordinates, even that dragon grandpa couldn't reach my Earth.
With that certainty, my stiff fingers started dancing mischievously over the keyboard.
— OP
I don't know that stuff.
— Anonymous
What?
— OP
How the hell would I know my dimension's coordinates? Look, when I'm begging for my life, you think any sane person spills their home address to the psycho threatening to kill them?
— Anonymous
Crazy bastard lololol Talking back to a dragon lololol
— Anonymous
Hoo! Little hero! You've got some spirit! You'd make a name for yourself in the martial world!
Who the hell was that martial world guy? Jermad seemed pretty thrown off by my bold comeback, pausing his replies before exploding in rage.
— Anonymous
You insolent worm! Looks like you need to be reduced to ash by my breath to come to your senses! Spit out those coordinates now! Anyone connected to the system knows their own coordinates!!
— OP
I told you, I don't know! And let's be real, dragon bro—you can't kill me anyway. Without coordinates, you can't even cross over here, so why keep yapping about your breath?
— Anonymous
This fucker...
— OP
lolololololol Check out that guts. Hitting him right in the bones with facts.
The board's other users started spamming 'lololol' at my brutal fact-check, riding the wave.
— Anonymous
Grrrrr...!! You arrogant, ignorant little bug...!!
— OP
Don't pop a vein, calm down. We both know you can't cross over here anyway, so let's not waste emotions and talk something productive. I didn't eat that Dragon Heart because I wanted dragon mana, you know?
I slyly took control of the conversation, steering it back to the real point of posting on the board.
— OP
So tell me how to handle this heart's power.
— Anonymous
Ha! You mad bastard. You want usage instructions from the thief who coveted my kin's heart? Is your brain just decoration?
— OP
Come on, don't be so harsh. How many times do I have to say I didn't kill your kin and turn it into a pill?
— Anonymous
For real?
— OP
Yes! I'm telling you! I'm so wronged I could die!!
— Anonymous
Well... there haven't been any dead dragons lately...
I inwardly cheered. At least the Royal Alchemist hadn't recently killed a dragon for its heart.
— OP
So stop taking it out on the wrong guy and just teach me how to use it? I didn't seek out dragon mana on purpose, and now I'm liable to get killed by goblins.
Then came an interesting response.
— Anonymous
What?
— OP
Yeah, I don't know how to use it, so I'm about to croak to a goblin.
— Anonymous
A guy with dragon mana dying to a goblin?
— OP
That's just how my world is.
— Anonymous
Huh? There's a godforsaken world like that?
How long did it go on like that? I waited, staring at the board.
'Oh... did I bruise his ego? Did I hit the mark?'
Moments later, Jermad finally spoke up.
— Anonymous
You pathetic wretch. Listen up. Dragon mana isn't even comparable to the weak mana flowing through lowly humans' veins. It's at least ten times denser and more explosive.
— OP
Oh, really?
— Anonymous
Yes. But beware... a human body can't withstand that pressure. Force it out recklessly, and your heart will burst.
Learning this right now was a huge relief.
— OP
So how do I handle it? Honestly, I don't even need this thing.
I hammed it up a bit.
— Anonymous
Don't need it...?
— OP
Yeah! I was fine living normally, but dragon mana? I never wanted this crap!
I acted as casual as possible. I don't need dragon mana, never wanted it. How would the dragon react?
— Anonymous
Huh?
— OP
What do you mean 'huh'? Ugh, this is annoying... Isn't there a way to remove it?
— Anonymous
Hey, that's actually good.
— OP
Good? How? You said forcing it out bursts your heart? How's this good!?
A brief silence. Then Jermad's replies continued.
— Anonymous
Did you really get that by pure chance?
— OP
How many times do I have to say it? It was a gate reward in my world. If I'd known, I wouldn't have taken it.
— Anonymous
Hmph... Doesn't seem like a lie.
I had no idea what convinced him, but the dragon bought it.
— Anonymous
Damn my pride. I can't just watch a Dragon Heart user die to goblins if it's not by my hand.
— OP
Oh, so you're gonna teach me something?
— Anonymous
Hmph, another dimension—should be fine. There is a way to control and harness that power. I'll teach you the absolute basics of Dragon Words Magic.
— OP
Dragon Words? That dragon-only language magic from fantasy novels?
My heart started pounding.
— Anonymous
Yes. Roughly, it's the Dragon Word 'Suh'.
— OP
...Suh? What's that?
— Anonymous
A technique to draw or adhere something to yourself.
What...? It sounded kinda lame.
— OP
That sounds kinda shitty. Isn't it just magic glue or super adhesive? If you're teaching, how about something cool like Meteor or Hellfire?
— Anonymous
You ignorant, barbaric human scum!!!
Jermad roared as if he'd smash the chat window.
— Anonymous
You have no idea how incredible Dragon Words Magic is! Comparing it to glue?! It's absolute adhesion authority that binds concepts to existence itself! Adhere mana to your bones and your flesh becomes steel; adhere it to thin air and it becomes a foothold—a miraculous spell! You're definitely some backwater hick from another dimension with no concept of this!!
Even the other users were floored: 'First time seeing someone treat Dragon Words like glue,' 'That guy's really from another dimension.'
"How would I know about Dragon Words?"
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly and took a quiet breath. Moments later, a 1:1 whisper came from Jermad.
◇ PRIVATE WHISPER ◇
● LIVE
"Human. Now move your mana as I tell you."
— Jermad
I'd expected something insanely hard, but following Jermad's instructions, I stirred the boiling mana from the heart in my chest and moved my lips.
"...Suh."
That instant—
Vrrr—!
The cup where I'd reached out flew straight into my hand.
What the...? I tested it around the room, and it worked like a magnet—I could selectively pull exactly what I wanted.
"???"
Hold on... this was no joke.
Thinking about its applications, it was incredible. This was insane.
Unable to hold back my awe, I returned to the keyboard.
— OP
Whoa, just tried it—it's legit awesome. I admit it. Sorry for calling it glue, Jermad bro.
— Anonymous
It actually worked?
— OP
Yeah, it did.
— Anonymous
Hmph! Now you finally grasp my greatness, lowly creature.
His text oozed draconic arrogance.
Can't take something like this for free.
To balance the trade, I tossed out a casual question.
— OP
Thanks for the tip. Anything you want from me, bro? My dimension's different, but I've made a decent pile of cash.
Receiving a favor means paying the price—that's the Multidimensional Secondhand Market rule.
Jermad paused typing, seemingly pondering. What could a continent-ruling dragon possibly want from a junkyard owner?
Moments later, came an unexpectedly modest and ridiculous reply.
— Anonymous
Hmm, well... Got anything tasty?
— OP
Pardon? Tasty... food?
— Anonymous
Yeah. I've tasted everything worth eating on this continent. Doesn't your new dimension have something to delight the tongue?
I burst out laughing. Dragon in leisure mode? Turned out he was a picky gourmet grandpa.
I thought for a sec and replied.
Food? Hell if I know what's over there. But if we're talking Earth's tastiest...
— OP
By any chance... do you like sweets?
— Anonymous
Sweets? Oho...... I'm hooked.
The dragon bit the bait hard.