Chapter 203
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Levatein's Dad
Whoosh─!!
Suddenly engulfed by a surge of heat, Michael lost all sense of composure. Her hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, and the thought of someone watching her made it impossible to lift her head.
What in the world had just happened?
Michael was perfection incarnate. No one else needed to acknowledge it—she knew it herself.
Her every step exuded grace, she approached every task with utmost seriousness, and she executed her duties flawlessly.
She was the kind of person who poured her soul into even the swing of a sword.
And yet, this flawless woman had tripped over a mere rock. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and hide.
And it wasn't just anyone watching. Not Raphael or Gabriel.
If it had been a stranger, she would have simply stood up as if nothing happened.
But the person right in front of her─
"Huh?"
Was Lee Seong-hoon.
"Huhhuuuh?!"
"........."
"What the hell is this?! The perfect angel Michael?! The Michael who's no pushover?! The Seraph, no, Supreme Seraph who ordinary angels can't even aspire to?!"
"......"
"Did you just trip?! You tripped, right?! You definitely let out a cute little 'Kyaaah~' as you fell, didn't you?!"
Should I kill him? Watching Lee Seong-hoon prance around making a fuss all by himself, Michael thought.
She restrained her hand, which kept drifting toward her waist, over and over.
This was the kind of man he was. The type who ignored "Pretend you didn't see" and came over to tease her instead.
At a glance, he seemed like the lowest scum of humanity, someone not worth associating with.
"Let me see. Whew. You really should watch your step. First time in a lair? All powers, magic, skills—everything supernatural gets nullified. Your physical abilities drop too, so you gotta be careful."
But in the end, he came over with words like that. He was always like this.
Acting casual about everything, unserious and flippant on the surface. But dig a little, and you saw what lay beneath.
He never put himself first. Even now, dragged into a dragon's lair, his worry was for Levatein.
And after that─
'Me.'
Michael shot him a look that said she was fine, but he didn't stop.
She couldn't bring herself to be cold to someone who was worried, so she reluctantly stepped back, only for Lee Seong-hoon to press closer.
'Doesn't it smell?'
That woman from earlier had said she smelled blood. Come to think of it, she might have sweated a bit too.
How foul would sweat and blood smell mixed together? Anxious but trying not to show it, Michael sniffed herself discreetly as she retreated.
Of course, she didn't forget to make an excuse.
"Th-this is strange. The moment I entered here, my connection to Heaven snapped clean off."
"I know. All supernatural powers get nullified, remember?"
"Does that apply here too?"
"Yeah."
"........."
Dragons were terrifying. Even with their powers suppressed after descending to the lower realms, they could sever that omnipotent link to Heaven.
And cause wounds that shouldn't even appear. Cooling her still-flushed face bit by bit, Michael glanced at her knee.
"It's bleeding a little."
"If it were normal circumstances, I wouldn't have tripped in the first place. And even if—by some one-in-a-million, no, one-in-a-billion chance—I did, there wouldn't have been a scratch."
"I get it, okay? Just stay quiet. I know you're capable. I know you don't trip. Are you sulking because I teased you a bit?"
"S-sulking?! No, it's not that. It's just... just..."
Just... With nothing more to say, Michael hung her head.
"No comeback? Then stay quiet."
"........."
Lee Seong-hoon began treating her. He pulled something out of thin air, pressed it to the wound, and wrapped it like a bandage.
"It's fine if you leave it. Once we get out─"
"It's not fine."
"Pardon?"
"It hurts. That's your problem—you always act like it's nothing. No matter how I look at it, you're not okay, but you keep pretending."
"........."
She had nothing to say today. Normally, she'd fire back sharply, but she couldn't muster a single retort to his words.
"It hurts, right?"
*Nod.*
"You don't like pain?"
*Nod.*
"Then stay still."
*Nod.*
Michael simply nodded.
Her pallor, unchanged since entering the lair, had been bothering him.
＊＊＊
"D-do we really have to do it like this?"
"Yeah. No time to waste when we gotta save Levatein."
"St-still, I can walk on my─"
"Tsk."
"........."
Today's Michael was so obedient—it was great. Normally she'd argue nonstop, but today she couldn't even manage a peep.
Was this proof I'd grown? My words left no room for her to respond.
"Yeah, that's right."
"What're you mumbling about?"
"Nothing. Anyway, wrap your arm around my neck properly. It's awkward like this; makes it uncomfortable for me."
"I-it's my first time being carried, so..."
"First time? Then listen up. Stop being stubborn. You can barely walk, so why fight it?"
"...Then, if you'll excuse me."
With that, a pale arm wrapped around my neck. Perfect. Much easier to walk now.
I hoisted Michael onto my back and started moving.
Lairs were usually massive. A dragon's nest—their home.
But the scale defied imagination. Think of it as a dungeon housing a monster's abode.
Obviously, since it was a dragon's house. Filled with treasures, and given dragons' laziness, they handled intruders at the entrance.
Meaning, Levatein was far inside.
"Should've brought Lachesis."
"Why didn't you? That annoying cat."
"That damn cat? Raphael snatched her away, saying we didn't need her if it was just a visit."
"Raphael did?"
"Yeah. She's been weird lately. Giggling all the time, barely snapping, even being nice to me. Isn't that off?"
"Definitely strange. Maybe she learned of her divine fate?"
Maybe. Does that change someone that much? No clue. Feeling that odd whispery vibe between them, I kept trudging forward.
Dungeon. Lair.
What comes to mind?
"It's been quiet so far. Didn't it say it'd kill us?"
"Yeah. It'll show up soon. Don't worry."
"??"
Only one thing pops into my head. Has to be that.
The guardian dragons always prepare for lazy convenience.
Sentinel, by name.
「.........」
Sure enough, armor appeared in the distance, so I readied for battle.
Whew. Fighting in someone else's lair for the first time—heart's pounding like crazy.
Wait, is this my heartbeat?
＊＊＊
"F-fight now?!"
"Hold tight."
"While carrying me? At least put me down first!!"
"Nah. No time. We'll blitz through."
"Blitz through?! This is a lair. Didn't you just explain? All supernatural powers nullified?! You're all skills, items, buffs stacked!"
I did say that. But...
Ta-da.
Not quite.
I stopped responding and charged. I told her to hold on—if she falls, her fault.
That was the plan, but she didn't budge. Heard a 'Kyaa!!' from behind, but no time to react.
Getting to hear Michael's cute screams a lot today. Gotta tell Raphael later.
The sentinel was upon us, and Mana Eye showed its mana flow. Dragon-spawned monster, ultimately.
Made of mana.
And I'm a mage killer.
Instant. No chance for it to move—I swung the scythe.
First intruder showing this speed in the lair? The rigid sentinel met my blade.
Snap—something broke, and the armor crumbled.
"Good. Too easy─?!"
Then it happened. Before I finished speaking, light burst from the armor.
From the halted suit—blinding radiance.
I assessed instantly, pulled [Reaper's Robe] from [Inventory], wrapped myself, and leaped back.
Couldn't enter shadows, of course. Only I was immune to nullification; this was just damage reduction.
Right after I jumped.
Boom─!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A deafening explosion rattled my ears. Gunpowder stench rode the blast wind.
Dust billowed, debris and gusts deflected by the robe.
"Well done. That reaction was better than mine."
"Right? I nailed it. Impressed now?"
"No. Nothing new to see."
Ouch. Fine, take it as I'm always perfect.
Humans gotta stay positive.
I steadied from the blast's pushback and assessed.
"Survived 'cause you're light, Michael."
"Angels are naturally light."
"Raphael's heavier than you."
"I'm abnormally light."
Is she? True, Raphael lives to eat. Doesn't gain weight, though, so whatever.
I pictured Raphael happily chowing down, then shook it off.
"Gotta grab pizza later."
"Raphael's favorite?"
"Yeah. Come join us."
"........."
Ignoring the silent fool, I properly assessed. That confirmed it.
This lair matched the one I knew.
The mad dragon from the original's late game.
First to turn after Benia's death, burned a city to ash.
A guy with that initiative said:
─Human treatment to be decided through talks with dragons.
"Ah."
Gotta hurry before it pulls something crazy.
Assessment done, I bolted at full speed—no warning to Michael.
"Kyaa!!"
She yelped in surprise, clinging tight, but no time to help.
Praying no more sentinels, I sprinted full tilt.
"W-wait!! In a lair, physical stats drop and powers seal, right?! Why are you─"
"Me?"
She's asking the obvious.
"Dads are strong by default."
I'm Levatein's dad.