Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: -31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Dragon (5)
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―How sad. A death that no one mourns.
It's as vivid as if it happened yesterday.
It was Malfiel who put me on his stage and killed me like a clown.
He incited everyone, gnawed away at the empire, and led me to the most miserable end.
But what annoyed me even more was Malfiel's arrogant attitude.
That damned mindset that I was nothing to him, just a clown for his amusement—it oozed from every part of his body.
Even after betting everything, I couldn't even touch his heel.
Even after losing everything, I amounted to nothing.
A pathetic clown. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Are you calling me, errand boy?"
The dragon said.
He reacted to the name.
Errand boy, huh.
Not the most pleasant term, but this dragon clearly recognized me, at least as the errand boy who brought Gaph.
Should I be happy about this or not?
The dragon soon shook his head.
"Regrettable, but my name is not Malfiel."
······ Fair enough.
His face was the same, but the aura was subtly different.
Errand boy, huh.
The dragon soon shook his head.
Not the most pleasant term, but this dragon clearly recognized me, at least as the errand boy who brought Gaph.
"Regrettable, but my name is not Malfiel."
······ Fair enough.
Should I be happy about this or not?
His face was the same, but the aura was subtly different.
They were similar, but the dignity possessed by the dragon before me and Malfiel was completely different.
Innate dignity doesn't change easily.
Malfiel was far lighter than the dragon before me. He was like a severe patient who would wither away without someone's attention.
Still, the dragon before me didn't seem to have that same thirst for attention as Malfiel.
The dragon continued.
"However, if it was a mistake due to our similar faces, then it must be another type of 'dragon' made from my blood. These finely crafted dragon eyes couldn't be found in the mortal world."
In terms of being ill-fated, they seemed the same.
But it was a story I couldn't overlook, so I asked back.
"Are you really a dragon?"
"Why, are you disappointed that I'm a dragon?"
Disappointed? No.
Until now, I'd thought dragons weren't living beings but something like weapons.
Nuclear weapons that emit radiation.
Like the kind Zero had shown me before, the type that obliterated brilliant civilizations.
But the dragon before me was clearly alive and breathing.
Definitely different from nuclear weapons.
The dragon chuckled.
"A dragon isn't anything grand. Just a being created to achieve the Twelve Feats. Something like a proxy for the gods, I suppose."
Proxy for the gods.
Suddenly, the Divine Church came to mind.
That denomination preaching divine doctrine was the first to back Malfiel with power.
Thanks to them, Malfiel grew his forces at an astonishing speed.
Perhaps the gods, Malfiel, and the Divine Church were all connected.
"Created to achieve the Twelve Feats? Who created you?"
But I deny the existence of gods.
After obtaining Zero, that belief only grew firmer.
Churches like the Divine Church claim divine power is the power of gods, but it's just twisted use of nanomachines in the end.
The story of granting feats and bestowing power upon achievement—I'm not convinced the entity behind it is a 'god.'
Some transcendent being.
Or closer to a devil.
If it were the just and omnipotent god the Divine Church speaks of, they wouldn't have given power to Malfiel of all people.
But the dragon pointed to the sky definitively.
"God."
······ An answer beyond expectations.
Meaning dragons are created by god to carry out his feats.
I couldn't help but ask again.
"What happens if you achieve all Twelve Feats?"
"You attain divinity. You become a god. I only managed ten, unfortunately."
Become a god.
Really?
Malfiel didn't become one.
Even after achieving all twelve feats.
He gained god-like power, but he definitely wasn't a god.
That much I was certain of.
But I didn't voice it.
"So the eleventh feat was to kill Gaph."
"Yes. The target of my eleventh feat was Gaph. We fought for over ten years, and Gaph severed my lower body, but he was cursed because of it. In the end, we began our final wager."
The wager began, and a thousand years passed.
The place where the dragon resided turned into a holy site.
Countless warriors challenged and died, turning to fragments.
In that sense, the dragon could indeed be called a creation of god.
He granted power or death based on the trials he himself created.
And Gaph survived this hell for a thousand years to reach the dragon.
"How are dragons made?"
"You have many questions, errand boy. But it's been a thousand years since I last had a conversation that makes sense. I'll gladly answer."
With a positive response, the dragon continued.
"I don't know."
"······."
"What I do know is that dragons who achieve many feats create others of the same type from their blood. If you've seen a dragon similar to me, that's the reason."
A kind of duplicate.
And if Malfiel was a being modeled after the dragon before me, it explained why he tried so hard to deify himself.
A copy without originality struggling to become the original.
If Grand Duke Carlos had this dragon, the original would be the unfortunate fake who couldn't even challenge it.
In truth, a pitiful creature. Of course, I felt no sympathy.
The dragon looked straight at me.
His eyes turned snake-like.
"The mystery is that I faintly sense the scent of my kin from you as well. Truly strange. Dragons can't reproduce."
"You smell dragon on me?"
"It's absurd, but undeniable. You clearly carry dragon blood."
The dragon affirmed.
If I smelled of dragon, it must be due to imperial blood.
The absolute one who founded the empire.
Little was known about him.
Only that he was the strongest who achieved ten feats.
Meaning the empire was founded by a dragon, and the imperial family inherited his blood.
Yet the dragon was questioning it, saying dragons can't reproduce.
[Warning. Remaining energy is only 30% left.]
[User protection mode remaining time: 7 minutes 30 seconds.]
[Escape immediately.]
But there was no more time for questions.
Energy was running low.
Time to leave.
'Can't I dominate it like Caliburn?'
But I couldn't leave empty-handed.
If I could take this dragon like I did Spirit Caliburn, it would surely become tremendous power.
A dragon who achieved ten feats.
Especially as Malfiel's original, it would be a great counter to him.
If not, at least I could crush him on sight.
[Admin Authority level insufficient.]
[A.I. operating on special high-priority process.]
[To dominate target 'Dragon,' Admin Authority must be upgraded to Level 1.]
Unfortunately, Zero said it was impossible.
Level 5 Admin Authority wasn't even close.
But I learned the dragon was an A.I. too.
'If the dragon is an A.I., then Malfiel likely is as well.'
Vital information.
If upgrading Admin Authority lets me control the dragon's A.I., it should affect Malfiel too.
That was when.
"Now it's my turn."
Having satisfied my curiosity, he meant to achieve his own goal.
The dragon's eyes turned red.
He looked at me with those chilling, snake-like eyes.
"The thousand-year wait had meaning. Gaph, you've brought my legs."
He burst into loud laughter.
Was he seriously going to cut off my legs after a few questions?
"The final victor is me in the end. Gaph, with my complete body, this time I'll become a god."
At that moment, an enormous number of nanomachines laden with radiation swirled around him.
A density incomparable to those outside.
His impure intentions were obvious.
"You don't plan to send me off quietly, I see."
"Don't worry. Dying to become my legs is a great honor."
Once convinced I carried dragon blood, greed and madness filled the dragon's eyes.
He planned to kill me and replace his lost lower body with mine.
My face twisted involuntarily.
Among all the things I'd heard in my life, this ranked in the top three for most disgusting.
Me, his lower body?
[Warning. Special process 'Dragon Word' activating.]
[Warning. Insufficient remaining energy.]
[Warning. Escape immediately.]
Dragon Word.
The power in a dragon's words is absolute.
That power was legendary. A dragon could use magic that even a 9th-circle archmage wielded, as easily as breathing.
"Die."
At the same time, an overwhelming mass of nanomachines surged toward me.
[Warning. Remaining energy is only 29% left.]
[Warning. Remaining energy is only 28% left.]
[Warning. Remaining energy is only 27% left.]
Energy dropping rapidly.
Zero was expending energy to block the Dragon Word.
But soon it'd hit 0%, Zero would shut down, and I'd die.
Threads bursting from the crystal tightened around my body.
I needed to escape, but I couldn't move.
All I could do was endure.
But I couldn't just stand there and become the dragon's lower body.
"······ Oh?"
Seeing me withstand the instant-death Dragon Word, the dragon gave an intrigued look.
Normally, one would die on the spot. Impossible for an ordinary human.
But I didn't die. As long as Zero was running, I wouldn't.
An opponent beating instant-death Dragon Word.
"You're no ordinary human after all. Well, with dragon blood, it's only natural. Even better."
Interest sparked in the dragon's eyes.
There are limits to twisting and deflecting.
He was curious how far I'd hold out.
[Warning. Special process 'Dragon Word' activating.]
"Die."
[Warning. Special process 'Dragon Word' activating.]
"Die."
[Warning. Special process 'Dragon Word' activating.]
"Die······ Hm?"
Remaining energy fell below 3%.
One might feel fear as death approached, but I just laughed.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"It's funny. Acting like a victor when you're the loser."
The dragon had admitted defeat to Gaph, but his attitude showed no real acceptance.
The epitome of hypocrisy.
The dragon's expression hardened rapidly.
"What?"
I shrugged.
"Isn't it? You call it a wager, but all you did was wait like a maggot. You did nothing, just waited for death here like a bug—it's hard to believe you and Gaph were on the same level for a 'wager.'"
Not Gaph.
Gaph fought ceaselessly for a thousand years.
To protect his life and achieve his goal.
Whereas this dragon had done nothing.
Now I even doubted if it was truly a wager.
"Cheap provocation. Think it'll work on me?"
"Provocation? I'm just saying you and Gaph aren't equals. Not that you fought for ten years—you were just a bug that ran away one-sidedly. Otherwise, you wouldn't have hidden here for a thousand years."
"··· You've lost all fear."
[Warning. Special process 'Dragon Word' activating.]
[Remaining energy below 1%.]
[Evade.]
"Die."
The dragon, face set, unleashed Dragon Word.
Energy under 1%.
That was the moment.
"I win, dragon."
Gaph.
The lump of flesh I'd been gripping was sucked into my hand.
[Dragon (5)] End
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