Chapter 353: The Final Stage of Bradamante’s Strengthening (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 353: The Final Stage of Bradamante’s Strengthening (2)
[It cannot be obtained with money or goods.]
“I expected as much.”
[But you will need some gold. Or perhaps quite a lot?]
“You mean I need the actual metal?”
At the mention of gold, Murakan’s eyes widened as if he’d just remembered something.
“Hey, Picon. You’re not talking about Ozdok, are you?”
[Oh, so you still remember that name.]
Jin was also familiar with the name.
“Ozdok? You mean the monster from the folktales of the Eastern Continent?”
A famous legend from the Eastern Continent told of a monster named Ozdok. It was a story about a monster that devoured gold, the greedy humans who offered it tribute to harness its power, and the kingdom that flourished through this pact, only to be utterly destroyed.
The story was so famous that even Jin had heard the name Ozdok a few times. If you just changed the name, it was the kind of common legend found in any region—a cautionary tale teaching that excessive greed leads to ruin.
[Time certainly has passed. Kids these days think Ozdok is just a monster from a story. In our time, it was a real headache. That thing devoured nearly thirty percent of the world’s entire gold supply.]
“Is that thing even still alive? It wasn't subjugated after I fell asleep?”
[It sealed itself beneath the royal castle of Sarva right before you went to sleep. Its base of operations, the Sarva Kingdom, had collapsed, leaving it with no way to get more gold.]
Ozdok was a monster that drew power from gold, so it couldn't exert its full strength without it.
After the fall of the Sarva Kingdom, Ozdok chose a long slumber over venturing out to find more gold. It was an instinctive decision, a realization that it couldn't survive if it ran rampant with the heroes of Runcandel and Zipple ruling the world.
It was a wise choice, but luck was not on Ozdok’s side.
While Ozdok sought safety deep beneath the ruins of the Sarva Kingdom, the territory of the Black Sea began to expand.
Today, everyone considers the former site of the Sarva Kingdom to be part of the Black Sea’s territory. A thousand years ago, however, it was ordinary land outside the Black Sea’s borders.
[As the Black Sea rapidly expanded, Ozdok was swallowed by the blighted land. You could say it was buried alive while trying to hibernate.]
“So, you’re telling the kid to wake up the sealed Ozdok, kill it, and bring back its inner core?”
[Exactly.]
“Are you insane, baldhead? Do you think the kid is one of the Ten Great Knights of the old Runcandel? How is he supposed to catch Ozdok?”
[He has you. Besides, Ozdok is incomparably weaker than it was back then. It’s probably on the verge of death.]
Having gone a thousand years without consuming any gold, Ozdok would have lost almost all of the immense strength it once possessed.
“What if it’s perfectly fine? What if something happens because we woke it up for no reason? Have you forgotten what a nightmare it was a thousand years ago?”
As Murakan said, Ozdok had been a nuisance to every major power back then.
Before the creature settled in the Sarva Kingdom, it had caused an untold number of civilian casualties, and the price of gold fluctuated so wildly that the global economic order was shaken.
Runcandel, Zipple, Viment—all the great powers of that era had deployed significant forces to capture Ozdok.
There was no reason those massive forces couldn't have suppressed Ozdok with sheer might. However, no one realized the danger until the creature was on the verge of becoming an ‘Inner Core Monster,’ and by the time they did, their response was too late.
By the time the great powers resolved to properly subjugate it, Ozdok was already using the citizens of the Sarva Kingdom as hostages and shields.
Thus, while the great powers waited for an opportunity to kill Ozdok with minimal loss of life, the Sarva Kingdom met its end.
[I’m telling you, it’s definitely gotten weaker!]
“Ah, this bald bastard. Something’s fishy. We went through hell with Silderay at the first tomb. I have a feeling it’ll be the same with Ozdok. You’re telling us to wake it up, and this is the first I’ve ever heard of a monster’s inner core being needed for a lifelong weapon…”
Clap!
Murakan, who had been pondering for a moment, clapped his hands as if something had occurred to him.
“I’ve figured it out, you bastard! You have a Guardian Dragon now, don’t you? That’s why you want Ozdok’s inner core—to use as medicine for it!”
It was well known that a monster’s inner core was useless to humans. For dragons, however, it was a top-tier elixir—one of the few ways to drastically increase the energy of their heart in an instant.
[Ha! The nerve of you. This Picon Minche has never uttered a lie in his life. A Guardian Dragon? If I had one, I wouldn’t have told Jin to come find me. I would’ve just sent the Guardian Dragon instead.]
“I don't trust you at all.”
[Argh! If you don't want to go, then don't! I'm trying to finish the kid's weapon, and you're treating me like a con artist.]
“Picon-nim, I didn’t say that. Hey, Murakan, why are you being like this to Picon-nim?”
Jin began to soothe Picon.
In truth, Jin shared some of Murakan’s concerns. Waking such a dangerous monster was a burden in itself, and the memory of their struggle at the first tomb was still fresh.
However, he didn't think Picon was lying.
Furthermore, he felt that capturing Ozdok could be used for more than just sword crafting.
“Please calm down, Picon-nim. Don't you want to complete your masterpiece as well?”
“Ahem, ahem. Fine, fine. I’m sorry. We just have to go wake up Ozdok or Mozdok or whatever and catch it, right?”
Murakan said, trying to gauge the mood, and Picon nodded.
[That damn Black Dragon. If it weren't for Jin, you wouldn't have gotten a single thing from me.]
A vein throbbed on Murakan’s forehead. Still, he forced himself to be patient, scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile.
“Haha, right, right… We’ll get it done. Besides, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to put an end to Ozdok once and for all.”
[Once you get the inner core, don't you dare take even a single bite. Bring it back exactly as it is, Murakan.]
“I get it. I’m strong enough even without eating stuff like that.”
* * *
August 28, 1799.
A giant cat with cheeks puffed out as if they were about to burst walked along the outskirts of the Black Sea.
It was Shuri.
Once again, Shuri demonstrated her abilities as a divine beast, easily finding the location where the capital of the old Sarva Kingdom once stood. She had visited the area several times back when she was Heluram’s cat, so she still remembered the way.
“I thought this last time, too, but I really want this cat. Can’t you give her to me? She seems to like me, too,” Mary said as she stroked Shuri’s back.
“No.”
“Then I’ll have to win this match and use my right as the winner to take her. Hehehe.”
She was riding on Shuri’s back with Jin and Murakan to settle their duel. Instead of a one-on-one spar, they had chosen the subjugation of Ozdok as the stage for their contest.
They would hunt Ozdok together, and the winner would be decided based on who dealt more damage, who performed better overall, and who landed the finishing blow.
Murakan had agreed to act as referee and, if necessary, a safety net. If he judged that the two of them couldn't defeat Ozdok even by working together, the match would be declared void, and he would step in himself.
Of course, Mary was unaware that this task was actually for the strengthening of her youngest brother’s sword.
‘I am truly grateful to Mary-nuna in many ways, but it feels too risky to reveal the existence of Vinn Branche and Picon-nim just yet.’
It wasn't that he didn't trust Mary Runcandel, his ‘third sister.’
However, if the ‘7th Flagbearer Mary Runcandel’ learned of Vinn Branche's existence, she would undoubtedly make a decision that benefited the clan. That would mean forcing the legendary blacksmith Picon Minche, who inhabited Vinn's body, to craft weapons for every Runcandel, not just Jin.
‘It might come to that one day because of me, but not now.’
The prideful Picon would never accept such a thing. In the end, the Runcandels would either take Vinn hostage or use force to make Picon work, which would almost certainly cause a major problem. It was also a given that any personal advantages Jin could gain through Picon would be suppressed.
Until he was certain that Mary was loyal to Jin Runcandel and not just the Runcandel Clan, he had to be cautious about what he shared.
“Anyway, an Inner Core Monster. I’ve always wanted to fight one. They say they’re on a completely different level from the trash wandering the entrance of the Black Sea. I hope this isn’t over too quickly.”
The thought of fighting such a formidable monster had kept her heart racing all night, making it hard for her to sleep. That was why she hadn't pressed Jin on how he knew such a monster existed.
As long as she got a proper fight, nothing else mattered to Mary.
“Kuku, if Ozdok were in its prime, the two of you wouldn't stand a chance,” Murakan snorted, as if Mary had said something cute.
Mary didn't seem particularly offended.
“Our Guardian Dragon sure seems to love the phrase 'in its prime.' Guardian Dragon-nim, just in case, you won't be making any biased judgments, will you?”
“Of course not. I may not look it, but I’m a fair dragon.”
“Good. Once we catch it and head back, let’s have a serious drink. I heard you have an interest in erotic picture books; I’ve got some pretty good ones in my collection.”
“Good booze and good erotic books. Excellent! It’s a deal!”
Murakan and Mary had been getting along famously throughout the journey. It didn’t seem particularly strange to Jin that they were acting as comfortable as old friends. He’d already suspected the two of them would get along.
“It looks like we’ve arrived.”
Shuri stopped walking.
In the middle of the Black Sea’s outskirts, nothing could be seen but desolate black earth and an empty sky. Yet this was the very spot where the golden royal castle of old Sarva once stood.
Myaaaaak—!
Shuri opened her mouth wide.
A shower of gold nuggets tumbled out from her puffed-up cheeks. She had been carrying the gold, meant to lure out Ozdok, ever since they left the clan.
Human presence was already a rarity in the Black Sea, let alone anyone bringing a large amount of gold to the ruins of the old Sarva royal castle.
“A gold-eating monster. Let’s see what you look like. I’ve brought your food, so come out already!”
As Mary shouted, jumping down from Shuri’s back…
Rumble, rumble, rumble—!
The ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently.