Chapter 842
Chapter 842
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 842
Chapter Title: Tyrant for You
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I held back on using Complete Recovery. Just as with the dragon, a new enemy might appear out of nowhere. If that happened, I'd lure them into dropping their guard and pierce their opening with Complete Recovery. Besides, it was insurance for the tasks ahead.
Lowering my head, I double-checked that Utemo was dead. In his hand was the warhammer Galatin. Even with its owner gone, it still gleamed brightly.
I reached out for Galatin. Even if I didn't plan to wield it myself, it held value as a collector's piece. This was my trophy, after all.
The moment my hand touched Galatin, a scorching heat seared through it. Startled, I pulled back.
"Refusing its new master, are you? Insolent thing. I'll have my soldiers retrieve it later."
I turned away from Galatin and headed for the dragon's corpse. The three meteor swords that had pierced its body had already vanished. Of course, that didn't mean the frozen dragon carcass was thawing.
'This size marks it as an ancient dragon. In any fantasy world, a dragon's corpse is a treasure in itself.'
This was a romance fantasy realm. Just like in other fantasy settings, a dragon's heart would be an unparalleled treasure.
Crunch, crunch.
As I approached the dragon's body, I whipped around. I'd sensed a flow of mana.
A woman stood beside Utemo's corpse.
She had long purple hair and an eerie aura surrounding her stunning beauty. She wore a thin black dress that revealed her voluptuous figure in full. Our eyes met—mine and her golden ones. Her eyes curved into a gentle smile.
"Heh heh heh. Congratulations on your victory, Your Imperial Majesty. To think you'd take on both the earth dragon and the mountain king at once and slay them... I have no idea where your power ends."
"Morgana, you wench... You've got some nerve showing yourself before me."
I hurled Arondight at her. Its divine beast, Reidos, materialized.
"Don't kill her."
The massive wolf bared its fangs, aiming for Morgana's legs. She swung her hand, sending a powerful shockwave that blasted Reidos aside.
'Do I need to step in myself?'
I started toward Morgana. She bent down to pick up the fallen Galatin from the ground. My eyes were drawn to her ample cleavage. Between her pale breasts peeked crimson nipples. It was hard to believe she'd borne two children—her body was that perfect.
Sizzle.
Smoke rose from Morgana's hand as she gripped Galatin. The weapon rejected wicked beings. I was on another level, but Morgana was evil enough to earn its disdain.
Morgana smiled seductively.
"See you later, Emperor. Enjoy your power while it lasts. Who knows how long you'll hold that throne."
With Galatin in hand, Morgana vanished. Spatial teleportation magic, no doubt.
'This world's spatial magic has limitations. If I peg Morgana's power at great witch level, she's probably within 100 kilometers.'
100 kilometers was still vast. Chasing her now would be pointless; she'd be long gone.
Morgana had taken Galatin, but it wasn't a real problem. Just a minor inconvenience. I'd grow even stronger from here.
I climbed atop the dragon's corpse.
'As expected of a dragon. Even in death, mana pulses from its body. The strongest concentration is right around the heart.'
There was nothing on a dragon to waste. Skin, teeth, meat, blood, heart, bones—all would be put to use.
'Here it is.'
I used telekinesis to retrieve Arondight. An aura blade formed along its edge. Slicing into the dragon's chest, I searched for the heart.
True to its colossal body, the heart was enormous.
'Bigger than my own body. Eating all this would take months.'
I pondered as I gazed at the dragon's heart, then thrust my sword into it. I'd sensed potent mana from within.
And there it was—the dragon's heart core.
It was a thumb-sized crimson gem. From that tiny orb radiated immense mana and vitality. Without hesitation, I swallowed the dragon's heart core.
A fierce power erupted inside me.
-Foolish emperor, blinded by greed! Your avarice has summoned your doom!
The dragon's voice echoed in my mind. Then, the heart core fused with my own heart. Vast mana tore through my body, shredding it and bursting my brain.
This was probably the dragon's final trick. If I'd been at full strength, I could've suppressed and absorbed its power with ease. But as battered as I was, I couldn't handle the heart core.
The dead dragon would be thrilled if it knew.
But I still had an ace up my sleeve.
I rose to my feet. My left shoulder, shattered by Utemo's attacks, was good as new. Fatigue vanished entirely.
And I'd fully absorbed the dragon's heart core.
Power surged with every heartbeat.
'Now I'm even stronger. Probably won't tire easily anymore. Stormbreaker's the real issue now.'
Stormbreaker had self-repair capabilities. But after such heavy damage, it would take months to fix.
'I was planning to conquer the northern barbarians and giants next, or seize the southern elven kingdom and turn every elf woman into my personal fucktoy... Guess I'll have to take a short break until Stormbreaker's repaired.'
I thought about Morgana. Toltos Kingdom's thorough invasion prep must have had her pulling strings from the shadows. My instincts told me so.
'Either way, the other nations will be on high alert now. With a dragon dead, the rest will turn hostile toward the empire...'
I wasn't afraid in the slightest.
On the contrary, I hoped more dragons would show up soon. That way, I could rip out their hearts and grow stronger still.
'And the Earth Mother Goddess. That damned bitch has started meddling with me.'
A way to kill a god.
No—a way to capture the goddess and fuck her.
I would fuck the Earth Mother Goddess, without fail.
???
Linda Valentine opened her eyes in bed.
She slowly scanned her surroundings before covering her eyes with both hands.
"Ah... It's not going back..."
She muttered dejectedly.
She hadn't originally been Linda Valentine. A week ago, she'd suddenly awakened as the protagonist of a romance fantasy novel called Lady Valentine for All. Or at least, it was ambiguous whether to call it romance fantasy. Most ended happily, but this one ended with the heroine's death in a bad ending.
'Not just dying, but used by everyone and discarded pathetically...'
Betrayed and abandoned by the male leads. That was why the title was Lady Valentine for All.
Yun Ji-young, a college student studying education, convinced herself this was a dream. For a full week, she'd lain blankly in bed, doing nothing and praying desperately to return to her original world. But nothing changed.
'...I don't want to end up used by others and dying like the original protagonist.'
She hadn't spent the entire week completely zoned out. She'd recalled the original story and organized the information in her head.
'To avoid being used, I need power.'
Having read the novel, she immediately knew how to gain power: the secret chamber beneath Valentine Manor. Contract with the ancient spirit there. Fortunately, Linda Valentine, the novel's heroine, had exceptional spirit affinity—thanks to an elven ancestor in the Valentine bloodline.
'Tonight, I'll sneak down to the basement.'
Sitting up in bed, Linda glanced at the mirror.
A pale beauty stared back. Her luxurious golden hair and amber eyes were breathtaking, but her pallor diminished her allure.
'This face is leagues beyond my previous life's. And yet, men just use her and toss her aside... I'll never live like the original protagonist.'
As she waited for her maid to arrive, Linda planned her next steps.
First: Contract with the ancient spirit.
With that power, no one would dare look down on her. The novel's heroine was frail, so the spirit's power was essential—it would heal her body.
Second: Pay off the Valentine family's debts.
Viscount Bermer Skellogg, their creditor, was ruthless and would do anything for money.
'Early in the novel, the heroine gets dragged into illegal schemes by him, causing later trouble. I need to clear the debt first.'
Third: Mend ties with Leila Valentine.
She had to improve relations with her sister Leila, who later sells the estranged Linda off to a baron's family.
'Resolve the feud... or make sure Leila can't act.'
Fourth: Deal with the tyrant, Eugene Bellacaros.
In the novel, Emperor Eugene Bellacaros ruled as a tyrant and used Linda Valentine for his noble purges. She had to avoid that at all costs.
'Win him over. Using original story intel... it's risky, but doable. If I turn the most dangerous one into an ally... I can live peacefully without fearing death.'
Linda trusted the novel's information. Ruins hidden in the eastern plains, treasure beneath a baron's lake, a marquis family's future power struggle—details sure to tempt an emperor.
'I can do this.'
She vowed, staring at the unfamiliar face in the mirror.
Knock knock knock.
"Miss! It's Mary. Are you awake?"
"Yes. Come in."
Elza, Linda's personal maid, entered carrying a basin of warm water.
"You're up before I even woke you today. What's gotten into you?"
"My eyes just popped open. But Elza... you seem cheerful?"
"Of course I am. The moment I woke up, I heard the empire won another victory."
Linda's eyes widened. As far as she knew, the novel had civil wars, but no imperial victories. Victory meant triumph over foreign forces.
"...Victory? What are you talking about?"
"Miss? Why are you acting strange? The empire's been at war with Toltos Kingdom."
"...Toltos Kingdom? The dwarf kingdom...?"
"Yes. His Imperial Majesty slew Toltos's mountain king and a dragon. An ancient dragon over 3,000 years old, they say... His Majesty truly seems more god than man. Some say he's the hidden son of the heavenly god... With a dragon dead, maybe it's true?"
"The empire warring with another nation... Th-that's impossible. And no emperor could slay a dragon alone... D-don't joke, Elza."
"I'm not. The empire conquered Toltos Kingdom. Its people are all imperial slaves now. Just like with Hármel Kingdom's twin-winged folk."
"Hármel Kingdom?"
"Why do you keep asking? Everyone knows how His Majesty repelled Hármel's 300,000 invading troops single-handedly, then had his general conquer the kingdom."
"......"
Linda's eyes shook. This was nothing like what she knew. The empire lacked the capacity for war now—the emperor was busy with internal affairs. Wars happened, but years later, and not against Hármel or Toltos.
"Elza. What's the emperor's name?"
"Emperor Eugene Bellacaros, of course. You've been bedridden for seven days... Is your illness worsening? Shall I call the doctor?"
"...Eugene Bellacaros. Black hair, black eyes?"
"I've never seen him myself, but that's the rumor. Why not ask Miss Leila? She meets His Majesty at the palace regularly, so she'd know all about him."
"My sister meets him...?"
It was different.
Her name and appearance matched the novel's heroine perfectly, but the story didn't. Confusion dried her mouth.