Chapter 60 — Oppa, Run.
Chapter 60 — Oppa, Run.
Translation: GodTL
I should have grown accustomed to it by now, having experienced it so many times, yet that sensation still feels unfamiliar.
A prickling shudder runs through my entire body as Sia's heart begins to pound irregularly.
The frequency of Outbursts had decreased to once every few decades over time, so I hadn't paid it much mind.
But who would have thought signs of an Outburst would appear now, of all times?
'The last time I had an Outburst...'
Was it perhaps sixty or seventy years ago?
Come to think of it, it wouldn't be strange for an Outburst to occur around this time, but I'd been far too complacent.
However, my negligence wasn't limited to just that.
Not only had I failed to explain Outbursts to Min-jun earlier, but I should have at least described the symptoms and countermeasures in detail when we talked about it today.
Truthfully, from my perspective, I was too embarrassed to describe the symptoms to Min-jun directly, so I glossed over them.
I shouldn't have done that.
Because once an Outburst begins, I end up wildly casting spells as if controlled by someone else.
A Dragon, losing control and unleashing magic indiscriminately.
Just hearing it sounds like nothing short of a catastrophe—and in reality, it is.
Still, the reason there had been no casualties during past Outbursts was that I always received help from other Dragons.
The magic I unleash during an Outburst could easily be contained as long as an Ancient Dragon around Rokan's age was present.
Even during my last Outburst, three other Adult Dragons worked together to prevent the uncontrolled magic from leaking outside my Lair, allowing me to get through it without major consequences.
But what about now?
If we were outside the dungeon Gate, I could have sent a Telepathy to Rokan for help, or used the ring Min-jun wears to evacuate him elsewhere.
Or perhaps the Dragons settled on Earth might have sensed my unstable energy and rushed to provide emergency aid.
But inside the Gate, none of those options were possible.
Because this place exists in a dimension separate from Earth.
I can't send a Teleport across dimensions to Rokan, use a Teleport artifact to escape, nor can other Dragons sense my energy from here.
That leaves only one solution.
Min-jun must pass through the portal before my Outburst fully begins and deliver the news to Rokan.
At first glance, it might seem like a simple problem, but knowing what was about to unfold, I understood it was anything but easy.
"Oppa, run."
"...Huh?"
Just moments ago, weren't we talking together so warmly?
For Sia to suddenly furrow her brows and tell me to run—of course, Min-jun could only be bewildered.
But when Sia gritted her teeth and shouted again:
"Go and bring Grandpa here!"
Even Min-jun, who hadn't grasped the severity at first, couldn't help but understand the situation from her desperate cry.
A chill ran down his spine as Min-jun sprinted toward the portal without a second thought.
If it were something he could handle, maybe—but judging by the situation, he instantly knew this was beyond his control.
But it was already too late.
The moment her words ended, the Outburst began.
Zzt—zzzt—!
Like electricity crackling, mana began discharging from her body.
Min-jun hastily twisted away to dodge, but this was only the beginning.
"Please... Oppa... get away...!"
Once the Outburst started, even speaking a single word became agonizing.
It took every ounce of strength just to force out a syllable.
In his frantic attempt to evade, Min-jun stumbled awkwardly, clutching his knee as he turned his gaze toward the portal.
But.
It was already too late.
Most of the spells Sia was losing control over were raining down in the direction of the portal.
Gritting her teeth, Sia struggled to maintain her focus, trying desperately to rein in the magic—but nothing obeyed her will.
Some of the wildly cast spells veered toward Min-jun.
One of the weaker Magic Missiles grazed the edge of his collar.
"Ghk—!"
Even though it barely touched him, the pain was excruciating.
In his current state, Min-jun couldn't even think about restraining her—merely dodging the barrage of spells to reach the portal was nearly impossible.
Sia knew that horrifying truth too, which was why she was already watching him with tears streaming down her face.
The thought struck her—that today might be their last together.
A dreadful possibility she had never imagined—no, one she never wanted to imagine.
"O...ppa...."
Words still wouldn't come out properly, and the pain wracking her body was worse than ever.
The only thing she could do in this situation was cling to her sanity and try to prevent her magic from reaching the dungeon's exit.
Perhaps the agony she felt now was a side effect of desperately forcing herself to do so.
But no matter how hard she fought to control the situation, nothing went as she wished.
Just as it never had before.
"Sia! Sia!"
Min-jun called her name urgently, but no amount of shouting would bring her back to her senses now.
He had only two choices left.
Endure until Sia's Outburst subsided—or run as far away as possible.
But he couldn't just run.
If the time allotted for their meeting ran out, even Min-jun might succumb to Sia's energy like before, collapsing unconscious.
Approximately three and a half hours had passed since Min-jun met Sia, leaving him with barely an hour of permitted time remaining.
No—perhaps even less than that.
Because of Sia's Outburst, her innate energy was leaking out far more intensely than usual, which meant the time Min-jun could safely remain in the same space as her would inevitably shrink.
'I have to think carefully.'
Should he flee as far as possible? Or should he somehow break through the barrage of magic and reach the escape portal?
Or perhaps find another way to escape the dungeon altogether?
From Min-jun's perspective, none of these three options were truly viable.
Even if he ran far away, there was no guarantee he wouldn't be affected by the energy radiating from her.
Considering all the variables, it was hardly a safe choice.
The closest thing to an answer, in his eyes, was the last option—somehow making it to the portal.
Min-jun barely dodged the onslaught of spells flying toward him and opened his Subspace.
First, he pulled out the Dragon Bone Sword, then any artifact he could get his hands on that might be even remotely useful.
As he deflected the relentless magical attacks, he unleashed every artifact he had toward Sia without restraint—
Mana nullification, binding, status ailment recovery, even sleep-inducing artifacts.
Yet, her condition barely improved.
Well, she is a Dragon, after all. No matter how much I throw at her, it's not going to have a major effect.
At this rate, even if he forced his way toward the portal, there was no guarantee he'd make it safely.
Injury was a foregone conclusion—he might even die.
Still, it was time to make a decision.
"Sia, just trust me. I'll figure something out."
No matter what it took, he had to escape and seek Rokan's help.
For both Sia and himself.
Min-jun reached for his Subspace again.
If he armed himself with every artifact he had stored there, maybe—just maybe—he could break free.
But then—
"...Huh? Why won't it open?"
For some reason, his Subspace wouldn't open.
Just like when he had encountered those villains before, when their artifact had blocked his access to it.
As Min-jun panicked, Sia—who had locked eyes with him—parted her lips slightly.
It was clear she was trying to say something, but the deafening explosions from the relentless spells drowned out her voice.
'Could it be...?'
Had one of the spells Sia had lost control over included something that blocked Subspace access?
Nothing was certain.
But right now, the problem wasn't why his Subspace wouldn't open—it was the fact that it couldn't.
Which meant he had no choice.
"I have to stop her."
Instead of dodging the spells, Min-jun decided to use Dragon Words to halt Sia, even if only for a moment.
After all, this was the very place where he had first succeeded in wielding Dragon Words.
Sure, the circumstances were different now, and last time, the backlash had left him bedridden for days.
But if the conditions were the same, there was no reason it wouldn't work again.
Even if his body was already battered from the spells he couldn't fully evade, even if this time, a single misstep could mean death.
And even if comparing the Wyvern and soldiers he had faced back then to Sia was absurd.
'Still, I have to do it.'
No matter how slim the odds of success were—
Because this was the only way.
Because he had to survive to become a Dragon.
Because he had to fulfill his dream of marrying Sia.
Burning with more determination than ever, Min-jun bit down hard on his lip.
If you seek death, you will live. If you seek life, you will die.
With a heart willing to die right here if necessary, he attempted the Dragon Words.
[Stop.]
His only goal—to halt Sia's Outburst, even if just for a moment.
To ease her suffering, even a little.
To ensure their miraculous reunion didn't end in a heartbreaking tragedy.
As Min-jun attempted the Dragon Words, Sia's face twisted in shock.
He assumed she was startled by his desperate gamble—but her panic had another cause.
She had sensed it—her Polymorph was about to forcibly unravel, revealing her true form.
Showing Min-jun her real body was embarrassing, but that wasn't the issue now.
If she reverted to her true form, the spells and Dragon Words she unleashed would become far more devastating.
Even now, she was barely holding on with superhuman willpower—but if she lost control in her true form, she wasn't sure she could restrain herself enough to avoid harming Min-jun.
Yet, instinctively, she knew—
There wasn't much time left before her human form shattered.
If Min-jun's Dragon Words succeeded before then—
If they could stop her Outburst, even for a split second—
"AAAAAAAGH—!"
Overwhelmed by agony, she let out a piercing scream.
A crimson glow began gathering around her body—
A sign that she was about to lose control, that her Polymorph would break, revealing her true self.
[Please, PLEASE STOP!]
His vision was darkening at the edges.
Still, Min-jun screamed until his voice cracked.
[Stop, STOP, STOP!]
Was it because he was forcing Dragon Words while his body was still recovering?
Cough—! Cough—!
Blood spilled from his lips.
Even as his mana surged chaotically through his body—
Even as his grip on the Dragon Bone Sword tore into his flesh—
He roared the Dragon Words with everything he had.
[PLEASE, JUST STOP, SIA—AAAAH!]
With those final words, his legs gave out, and he collapsed.
Then—as if mocking reality—
The crimson light swirling around her scattered into nothingness.
All of Sia's movements came to a halt.