Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Dragon Vein Stone
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“Whoa...”
The moment Woojin opened the lid of the chest, he was left speechless.
Inside was not just magic tools but a trove of various artifacts and equipment.
He couldn't view a status window to check their effects, but at a glance, none of them looked ordinary.
“Be careful. They're all cursed.”
“Cursed?”
“Yes. It seems they needed cursed items as materials for black magic.”
At Elurin's words, Woojin smacked his lips in regret.
‘I wonder if there are any runes?’
Cursed items were one thing, but the most efficient acquisition in this world was still runes.
Equipment effects vanished upon replacement, but runes provided permanent benefits.
“Uh-hmm...”
Unfortunately, there were no runes inside the chest.
“...What’s this?”
In that instant, something caught Woojin’s eye.
It was a large gem resembling an apple.
“It’s a Dragon Vein Stone.”
Elurin recognized the gem in Woojin’s hand and answered for him.
“It was kept in the Red Tower’s basement... I thought it odd when it vanished, but they must have smuggled it here.”
“What is it?”
“It was once called the dream stone of mages. It enhances mana resonance.”
“Dream stone? If it’s that impressive, why not use it yourself?”
Elurin shook her head at Woojin’s question.
“That was once upon a time. Better alternatives to Dragon Vein Stones flooded the market afterward. Well, these days even this is hard to come by... but the issue is this.”
She touched the surface of the Dragon Vein Stone.
Wooong—
Two red dots appeared on its surface.
“These are called blood points. Up to a maximum of ten. More blood points mean higher purity.”
“Only two... so it’s not a great item.”
“Exactly. And if you consume a Dragon Vein Stone, you can’t use other resonance-boosting items.”
She set down the [Dragon Vein Stone] as she spoke.
“I drank Fairy Essence. It’s made from powder ground from fairy wings—far more effective than low-grade Dragon Vein Stones.”
Elurin shrugged lightly.
‘Fairy wings... Fairy Essence...’
Woojin nodded, committing her words to memory.
“What if it was fifty years ago?”
“...Pardon?”
“Would it be worthwhile back then?”
“Hmm. I didn’t live in that era, so I can’t say for sure, but around that time...”
Elurin tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“Everyone would’ve been scrambling for them.”
“Good enough.”
Woojin pocketed the [Dragon Vein Stone] without another word.
“By the way, where’s Luen?”
Come to think of it, she wasn’t in the warehouse.
“Lady Luen is tending to Camilla’s wounds. She discovered a large-scale magic circle used for the summoning ritual deeper inside the warehouse.”
“Magic circle?”
“Yes. Lady Luen is modifying its formula.”
“Why?”
“For Camilla’s treatment. Um... Elf magic is tricky for me to explain. Would you like to see?”
“W-what is all this?”
Surprisingly, a massive tree grew inside the laboratory, evoking an entire forest.
And around it, grasses sprouted abundantly.
It was unbelievable that this was the same corpse-infested dungeon.
“You’re awake!!”
Luen spotted him and rushed over in an instant.
“What are you doing here?”
“Camilla’s condition was poor, so I was examining her. Fortunately, a high-grade magic circle here proved helpful.”
A large magic circle lay beneath the central tree.
‘That looks... similar to the one from the goblin nest.’
Woojin glanced at the floor’s inscribed circle.
Beneath the enormously grown tree, the tormented Sinrok slumbered peacefully.
“For taming... it’s a bit overkill, but nowhere safer. It’s plenty secure while recovering.”
Woojin nodded.
“A tree of life beneath a heap of corpses... what a bizarre scene.”
“Drink this. It’s a healing tonic made from Camilla’s blood. It should make you feel better.”
Luen handed him a small glass vial.
‘Hm?’
A familiar scent emanated from her as she drew near.
‘Smells like something I’ve encountered before.’
Woojin furrowed his brow at the tickling grassy aroma but soon dismissed it and downed the tonic in one gulp.
“You mentioned modifying the magic circle?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize at first, but this circle... it’s elven.”
“...This one?”
Woojin peered at the magic circle again.
“Weren’t the elves in the central continent?”
In the game fifty years prior, most elves had hidden there.
“Not entirely. Ulldin’s original elven kingdom was in the Dark Forest.”
“Oh?”
“Two hundred years ago came the Essence Prohibition War. Back when the Dark Forest was elven territory.”
Luen rose slowly.
“The war where humans assaulted Ulldin and burned Elven Haim.”
“Is that why the elves fell?”
Her gaze shifted from Woojin to Elurin.
Elurin’s shoulders shuddered instinctively under the icy stare.
She was no longer a frail invalid.
Lv. 99.
Undeniably the strongest presence here.
“That’s why elven remnants linger more than you’d expect throughout the Dark Forest.”
Luen surveyed their surroundings.
“This place is one such elven ruin. Though it’s been twisted into a black magic research site.”
Her eyes were cold, yet devoid of murderous intent.
Sorrow dominated instead.
“Anyway, are all the blood plague patients cured?”
“Yes. We struggled hunting down treatments before... but in the end, Camilla’s blood alone would’ve sufficed.”
‘Camilla’s blood alone is enough?’
“You got lucky. Blood drawn from Camilla’s corpse might not have worked.”
At Elurin’s words, Woojin gazed at the sleeping Sinrok.
“Could I take some blood too?”
Taking Sinrok’s blood here might cure Luen’s blood plague outright, he thought.
“Not possible now. Sinrok’s blood only affects those accepted by Sinrok.”
“But Ratan forcibly used Sinrok’s blood.”
“And became a monster for it.”
“...We’ll have to wait till it wakes, then.”
Woojin smacked his lips regretfully at Elurin’s reply.
“Now that the queen’s illness is cured, it’s time to revive the royal line.”
Gowoon placed a hand over her heart and bowed to Luen.
“Indeed... in this dying world, what meaning does the royal line hold...?”
Gowoon spoke with hopeful tones, but Luen’s expression remained dim.
“How about heading to the Lion King’s Bastion?”
“Pardon?”
“The one who helped me was bound there too. They called it humanity’s final bastion...”
In that moment, Woojin recalled the collectors’ words.
‘They dismissed it as mere rumor.’
Yet the Raoul he knew wouldn’t chase idle gossip.
“I can’t confirm it exists. But... without something to cling to, everything crumbles.”
“If even that hope shatters, you might never rise again.”
“Better to shatter later than now, isn’t it?”
Luen regarded him with trembling eyes.
“My master said the Lion King’s Bastion lies on Northern Wall Island.”
She then turned to Elurin.
“Won’t you join us?”
“I have somewhere to return to.”
“To your homeland...?”
“No. The world I originally came from.”
Their faces twisted in confusion.
“You came from another world?”
“Yeah. Complicated to explain. Similar yet different from here. Like this world fifty years ago.”
Their expressions crumpled further.
It was a natural reaction, so Woojin offered a wry smile.
“I get it’s hard to believe. Truth is, I’m still piecing it together myself.”
Elurin looked like she wanted to probe further but nodded in quiet acceptance.
“That could be the case.”
“...You believe me?”
Woojin blinked in surprise at her response.
“The mark you used. Without context, I didn’t recognize it at first, but it’s one of the vanished ancient arts.”
“You know about Sarbandin?”
The power gained from the goblin nest.
Yet even Woojin himself didn’t fully grasp it.
“Hmm... Do you know this land, Akedonia, was forged from the blood of three gods and the first human, Sarban?”
The final passage from Light of the World, the first of three books read in Parta’s library.
Woojin nodded at her words.
“Sarban is the power known as will. Formless, yet not... a force manifesting everywhere in countless shapes.”
Elurin continued.
“Some humans who touched it wielded gods or even created them.”
“You mean the Sarbants?”
“You know of them?”
Elurin couldn’t conceal her astonishment.
“Yes. And that will didn’t touch humans alone. Beasts and plants that connected to Sarban’s will are called Sarbandin.”
“Ah...”
Hearing what Parta had omitted about Sarbandin, Woojin let out an involuntary exclamation.
“They’re said to be the lions gods created to punish the foreign Sarbants for trying to command divinities. Just three Sarbandin annihilated the Sarbants.”
“Three... so two more out there? Any idea what they are?”
Elurin shook her head.
“Not that far. If the Red Tower’s grand library had survived, perhaps. But it all burned.”
‘Red Tower...’
“I don’t know how you mastered an ancient art, but take care.”
“Why?”
“Sarban is will. Those who touch it gain immense power, but in the end, that will devours them.”
“Could be.”
When he’d invoked Soul Engraving in the goblin nest to summon the Sarbandin soul, it had tried to consume his flesh.
“Keep it in mind. Still, thanks—this cleared up something nagging me.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Your Majesty. Then we’ll be off.”
As they conversed, Gowoon—backpack in tow—bade them farewell.
“Where to?”
“Fetching the surviving elves here. We’ll stay awhile, it seems.”
“Even if relocating, we’ll plan after treating Sinrok.”
Woojin nodded at their words.
“Oh, I have something for you.”
“Hm?”
After Gowoon departed first, Luen broke the silence punctuated only by Camilla’s breaths.
“Here.”
She retrieved something from the magic circle where Camilla slept and stood before Woojin.
“How...?”
Shockingly, it was the [Sage’s Stone], utterly shattered in his battle with Ratan.
Yet it had changed.
Branches entwined the fragmented pieces like bandages.
“I remade it.”
“What?”
Woojin stared in astonishment.
“You did this?”
“Precisely, Camilla’s spirit power activated the summoning circle, infusing life into the broken stone.”
“Life? What do you mean? A golem is just...”
A machine forged by alchemy.
Thump— thump— thump—
“...?!”
A heartbeat-like pulsation emanated from within the stone.
“W-wait! This...”
Woojin asked her with wide eyes.
“It’s really alive?”