Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Agato and Beati
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One month later.
Kallias, who had been holed up without showing his face, finally rose from his spot.
"You all rest now."
[Understood.]
[Call us again when you need us.]
Having watched the upper generals Niol and Garcia turn into smoke and seep into his sword, Kallias climbed the stairs.
One month.
During that time, Kallias had greatly increased his holy power in the tower's basement, checked his rewards, and overall stabilized his energy.
Thanks to this, most of the food in his Subspace had been consumed, but it was a necessary task.
Slepiu the Fallen.
The rewards from defeating Titeo were as follows.
[Goblin Gold Coins x5]
[Slepiu's Mother's Egg]
'First, the Goblin Gold Coins.'
A whopping five at once.
It seemed about time to visit the place where the goblins were hiding.
With a total of seven now, he could finally exchange them for decent relics or elixirs.
'I know the location....... It wouldn't hurt to stop by.'
And next.
[Slepiu's Mother's Egg]
"I have no idea."
He certainly didn't know every item.
After all, he hadn't created every setting and design himself.
But this time, it was quite perplexing.
"I thought the tower's rewards wouldn't differ much from what I set."
The gold coins were one thing, but [Slepiu's Mother's Egg]? He had no clue.
Kallias immediately pulled it out from his Subspace.
It was about the size of a troll's head.
Bigger than expected.
No energy could be felt from it. Being an egg, he wondered what was inside, but no life signs were detected.
[Slepiu's Mother's Egg]
"Is it dead, so that's why?"
It felt heavy, so something was inside, but it seemed dead.
The name and the lack of any sensation suggested as much.
'This feels like a dragon egg.'
Eggs this large were rare otherwise.
Or perhaps a massive avian magical beast.
"But it doesn't matter."
It was already dead.
Why give something like this?
He pondered briefly but drew a blank.
"Can I eat it?"
He hesitated for a moment before stowing it back in his Subspace.
Rather than deciding hastily, it might be better to hold off and consult someone knowledgeable.
'Someone who might know about this.'
The giant known as the Incarnation of Wisdom.
Or the goblins who crave knowledge.
They would know.
"Let's head up first. This place is getting dull."
Kallias's steps were light as he strode up the stairs.
His physical abilities had doubled from before.
His body felt as light as a feather.
He stopped abruptly. Midway between the 2nd and 3rd floors. A skeleton slumped there was the cause.
"Not in my memories."
Originally, just scenery.
But now, it had once been a living, breathing human.
With the bones intact, if it had a soul, it could be made into an Iron Knight.
"Let's test it."
It had defeated Bladi, after all.
One who bested a general-level Bladi—if revived, at least an elite knight, perhaps.
"No restrictions."
No harm in trying.
Kallias drew the Iron Lord from his Subspace and pointed his sword at the skeleton.
"Rise."
Stab.
The skeleton's bones crumbled.
Soon, a drop of black tear fell from the sword.
With Kallias's holy power, a whirlwind formed, and an Iron Knight rose. It consumed more holy power than expected. Frowning as he wondered if this was normal, a fully formed knight appeared and bowed its head.
[I shall serve as your liege.]
"Hm?"
He had expected an elite knight at best.
Yet a general had been created.
The "General" rank floating above its head lifted the corners of Kallias's mouth.
"An unexpected windfall."
Of course. Even he had exploited Bladi's weakness with a shield; others wouldn't have known.
"What's your name?"
[I do not remember. If possible, I hope my liege will bestow one.]
Even the name was lost.
Kallias pondered briefly.
"Agato, then."
Agato Tower, after all—Agato.
[I gratefully accept.]
A face shrouded in gray aura.
Covered by a helmet and armor.
A gray sword.
「Agato」
Rank: General
- The knight who won against the skeleton knight Bladi, the first gateway, but fell into eternal sleep from the temptation of the stairs.
Revived as an Iron Knight by the Iron Lord.
'Now thirteen generals.'
With many battles, the sword would grow stronger.
Unsumming Agato, Kallias suddenly drew out [Slepiu's Mother's Egg].
"What if I make this into an Iron Knight?"
A sudden thought.
What if it truly was a dragon egg, containing a dead dragon hatchling?
'The Iron Lord can turn the dead into Iron Knights and make them grow.'
Then perhaps this egg too.
Kallias's talent.
His instinctive intuition spoke.
The reason this egg came as Titeo's reward was solely for this!
"Rise."
Kallias didn't hesitate.
Stabbing with the Iron Lord, it sank in. Like with Agato, but a more intense aura swept the area.
Half his holy power drained away, and the eggshell cracked with a sharp sound.
Boom!
The egg shattered completely in an explosion, and a being cloaked in black aura and gray holy power appeared.
"Oh......"
Scales of gray.
But covered densely in black iron armor—a dragon.
Two wings, four legs, and large paired horns.
Slightly larger than a horse, but its presence and iron-clad majesty were impressive.
"Iron Armored Dragon. Perfect."
Ding.
「Iron Armored Dragon」
Rank: Elite Knight
- An immature dragon that never hatched.
The dragon abandoned its dead egg after the battle with Slepiu the Fallen still harbors that grudge.
Revived by the Iron Lord.
Immense potential.
"The name stuck as Iron Armored Dragon. Because of what I said?"
[Kreeek]
It couldn't speak properly yet. As a newborn, that was expected.
The Iron Armored Dragon tilted its head with kreeks before devouring every shard of its eggshell.
"Its energy strengthened."
Only the eggshell tied to its past life?
Its aura surged in an instant.
[Graaaah!]
Kwaaaang!!
Black and gray. Dragon power erupted explosively as an aura.
Wondering if something was wrong, Kallias gripped his sword in alarm. An unbelievable message appeared.
[The Iron Armored Dragon has evolved.]
「Iron Armored Dragon」
Rank: General
- An immature dragon that never hatched.
The dragon abandoned its dead egg after the battle with Slepiu the Fallen still harbors that grudge.
Revived by the Iron Lord.
Immense potential.
"Crazy."
Evolving to general just from eating the eggshell.
Its body had doubled in size.
Claws sharpened like blades, teeth and horns thickened, and its aura now included dragon power.
"Nice."
Despite its ferocious energy, it nuzzled his hand eagerly.
Vivi would be jealous, but Vivi wasn't here.
"Still can't speak."
[Kreeek?]
No upbringing, probably.
Yet, innate to dragons: aura cloaking its body from birth.
Already powerful, armored in iron plating—its growth potential was unfathomable.
It might surpass upper general to great general rank.
"But plain Iron Armored Dragon lacks affection. Beati, maybe."
Beati too.
Latin for happiness.
Beo means to make happy; atitu-do means attitude or mindset.
Calling happiness through attitude or mindset.
Its egg was named [Slepiu's Mother's Egg], an immature dragon that died unhatched.
Not truly alive before, but now granted new life—may it find happiness.
[Kreeek! Kaw-ing!]
「Iron Armored Dragon - Beati」
Rank: General
- An immature dragon that never hatched.
The dragon abandoned its dead egg after the battle with Slepiu the Fallen still harbors that grudge.
Revived by the Iron Lord.
Immense potential.
"Return."
Its vast potential meant higher holy power cost than standard generals, but hardly a flaw.
Unsumming the Iron Armored Dragon, Kallias rubbed his chin in thought.
"The dragonkin already earned dragon wrath long ago."
Reviving a dead dragon—dragons seeing this would rage. Titeo seemed to have obtained it by slaying dragons anyway.
[You have incurred the dragons' hatred.]
[Rumors of the Dragon Slayer will spread among dragons.]
"......Guess I need to secure a Dragon Slayer Sword."
* * *
Sahara Holy Site. Agatodo.
A bizarre place where priests set up stalls selling their goods.
Familiar faces were there in succession.
"Buy some! Buy some! Lizard tails pickled in salt brine, haha!"
A member of the multi-race party, former dragonkin chief.
Pillomatur.
His tail was partially severed—likely selling his own.
Infused with some holy power as body part, it sold well to pilgrims short on food.
"If the dragonkin saw this, their pride would collapse. Hahaha!"
"Shut up....... No choice. Nothing else to sell."
Aldu laughed heartily at the sight.
Aldu wasn't much different.
Proud dwarf, repairing pilgrims' gear or sharpening blades for Spirit Stones.
They had failed on 24th and 30th floors respectively.
Only Serena still struggled in the tower.
"Just how high has Kallias climbed? No sign of him. Old man."
"Who knows. Past 50th at least? Never seen him here in the holy site."
"As expected......"
A man leagues above them.
Philo felt renewed respect; self-pity flooded in.
"Customer approaching."
Then, a pilgrim neared them.
A man in pure white robes.
"Hm?"
Face seemed familiar.
"What're you doing here?"
The pilgrim's hood fell.
Black hair and gray eyes fluttered in the wind, looking down at them.
"Why are you here?"
He was Kallias, freshly emerged from the basement.