Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: Unexpected Reunion (6)
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Kadim awoke from his dream.
It was similar to a dream he'd had before. The pale wasteland of the demon realm, his comrades chattering outside while he dug away. He dug deeper into the pit until the tip of his shovel hit something, and from then on, as if entranced, he frantically clawed at the earth with his hands. A crimson outline even redder than demon blood emerged, and he woke up...
Seeing it again, he understood. This was the dream that appeared when his berserk state rampaged beyond a certain limit.
The ominous part was that the pit was growing larger, and the 'mysterious entity' was revealing itself more and more.
"..."
Still, he shook off the stray thoughts for now. Rather than dwelling on vague omens, he needed to put out the fire burning at his feet.
Even after waking from the dream, he was still trapped inside it. More precisely, he was confined to the false paradise called the 'World Tree's Dream.' Before his eyes stretched the golden fields in full bloom, as always. This beautiful scenery was starting to look as repulsive as the demon realm itself.
Hwooooong...
At least the fatal wounds that had scorched his entire body were fully healed. Who had healed him was obvious. The red-haired woman clutching the hem of his pants below his ankle.
"How long... how long are you going to drag this out..."
"..."
Melissa had fallen into a light sleep.
After a fierce clash, heal the wounds, and take a friendly nap together... It felt like some kids' playground scuffle. For foes who had battled with murderous intent, this was an absurdly lax aftermath. He let out a hollow chuckle at her carelessness.
No, it wasn't carelessness. She was the absolute ruler who toyed with this world's rules. She wouldn't have left without safeguards. Surely, if he swung his axe now, some magic like last time would activate and make her vanish...
Slash—
"Hic..."
...His prediction missed the mark.
Blood trickled down his forearm, but there was no sign of her pretending to sleep. Melissa was truly defenseless.
Kadim's expression hardened instantly.
His mind grew complicated.
She had deliberately ignited the spark of the world's destruction. She had hijacked a descended god's power and stolen an entire race's lifespan. She refused to take responsibility for the catastrophe she caused, abandoned even her old comrades, and fled into this false paradise.
It was an unforgivable sin, too grave for mere sympathy. Yet Melissa's power had surpassed even the great mage she was 300 years ago, reaching a realm where no one in the world could stop or punish her.
Except for one person: himself, who had seized this chance for a surprise attack.
"..."
A clumsy attack or restraint might wake her and rewind time... But killing her in one blow would make any further response impossible.
A head-on fight had clearly proven even his prime self insufficient. This might be the last chance to stop Melissa. His resolve to grant her rest only as a final resort wavered fiercely.
A long time of agonizing deliberation passed.
In the end, Kadim raised his trembling hand to lift the axe.
"..."
But he couldn't bring it down.
"...Don't, don't do it, stop, just stop, please, please..."
Because of Melissa's anguished sleep-talk, sobbed out in whimpers.
Kadim clenched his teeth. The Magic Tower Lord's plea echoed in his ears—that she had waited centuries for Melissa alone.
'Even so, please embrace her. Understand her. Don't cast her aside. Don't leave her side again. Listen to the stories she's never shared with anyone, festering inside her. No matter how ugly and muddy she appears, look deeper, and you'll see it. At the bottom lies an innocent, foolish mage who spent eons loving one person...'
He was right.
At her core still lingered an innocent, foolish girl, and in her twisted heart remained stories she could never voice. Killing her like this would bury it all in eternal silence. He couldn't make a judgment or punishment until he'd confirmed the full truth.
Kadim placed the Blood Ghost in Melissa's hand. Then he sliced his own flesh to offer blood.
Slash—
Red smoke rose, and the axe wound healed rapidly. The sleeping woman's expression softened into peace as she breathed steadily. Guess I'm just as careless, Kadim thought bitterly, his lips twisting as he turned his gaze far away.
The situation was hopeless.
More urgent than Melissa's fate was dealing with the rift's collapse. Whether sealing the center, reviving the roots, or preemptively storming hell to sweep the demons—none were possible while trapped in her grasp. This beautiful dreamscape still offered no escape.
Just in case, he tried using 'Akulanos's tattoo.'
Thud—Guhh... Kuhwoooo...
The monster dissolved into nothing, futilely. Immunity to mystery-destroying means was no empty claim. Ransacking the fields with sword and axe, as before, was equally pointless.
Half-resigned, he decided to negotiate once Melissa woke—
—Ting ting ting tink!
A brilliant spark pierced a small hole in the air.
Kadim's eyes widened. Sweltering heat choked his breath, golden radiance blinding. As far as he knew, only one being in this world could produce such flames.
"...A dragon?"
*
Why had the progenitor, deified by the Alliance, leaped over 200 years to appear in the heart of the great forest?
Duncan was dying of curiosity but had to shelve the question. Saving Kadim came first.
Parneo's group, now joined by the legendary ally, swiftly ascended to the World Tree's highest level. Their goal: the Hall of Eternal Dreams, where the sphere manifesting the 'World Tree's Dream' resided. Duncan had guessed Kadim was there, and Lilia confirmed it.
—Grrrrrind, gu—woong.
The root tunnel, halved and barely connected, had become a sheer cliff. No big issue. They now had a way to fly.
"Lilia, you and the Black Panthers wait here. I'll go up with this friend."
"Huh?"
Ignoring her startled yelp, Remillion grabbed Duncan's collar with one hand. He unfurled gorgeous membranous wings and soared high.
Flap—whoosh!
"Hweeeek!"
Duncan savored the sensation of a rabbit clutched by an eagle for a while. Then he spotted shadows rapidly trailing below.
"Eek, eek! Lord Remillion!? L-Look, look down there!"
—Squeeeek!
—Cawww, cawww!
A flock of bird-mimicking guardians pursued them. Fine feathers or not, infused with Hesilia's divinity, they were overgrown pterosaurs. Getting caught meant being pecked to bits.
That problem resolved quickly too.
Remillion told Duncan to cover his ears. He inhaled deeply and unleashed a deafening roar downward.
"[Ra – Kal – Pe – Ta – Ha - !!!!]"
⟨ Dragon Speech ⟩
—Jee—eeeng!
—Squeak!
—Kak!
A translucent shockwave engulfed the flock. Distant birds tumbled with faint cries; closer ones stiffened in stunned flight and plummeted.
Remillion tidied up and explained casually.
"It's called Dragon Speech. A dragon's roar brimming with power. Compared to a real dragon, I'm just mimicking it, but it's decent against weaklings like those."
"..."
No, seriously, what in the world had happened to this man...?
Duncan's inner doubts swelled larger. Nor was he alone in questioning.
"By the way, how did a regular fellow like you end up here? This isn't a place just anyone stumbles into."
"Ah, well... My lord—the one we're here to rescue—is part of my group."
"Hm? His group? I thought it was just that mage."
"Eh? You know who my lord is?"
"Haha, of course! Without him, I'd be dragon chow, not a dragon's friend."
"...Pardon?"
"I'll explain the details later. We're almost at the destination."
Duncan, terrified throughout the flight, felt a twinge of regret upon landing. Flying the skies with a dragon-shifted Remillion...? That was bragging rights for a lifetime of tavern tales, etched atop his tombstone for generations.
No major obstacles after the giant birds. They entered the Hall of Eternal Dreams. They easily spotted Kadim inside the translucent central sphere.
"My lord! There you are! A-Are you alright?!"
...Then they hit an unexpected snag.
Thump, thump, thump!
"Eh? This... B-Before, just touching the surface let you out..."
Melissa had bolstered security, so now the 'World Tree's Dream' couldn't be entered lightly from outside. Remillion watched Duncan futilely tap the sphere for a while before stepping in himself.
"Step aside. Let me try."
"...Pardon? H-How..."
"[Ka – Pel – Me – Ku – Ha - !!!]"
—Kwaaang!
"[Ka – Pel – Me – Ku – Ha - !!!]"
⟨ Dragon Speech ⟩
A fiercer shockwave raged. If the first was a gale, this was a tempest. Repeated Dragon Speech shook the space violently, vines and foliage raining down.
But the 'World Tree's Dream' remained unscratched.
Remillion called to Duncan, huddled in a corner with ears plugged.
"Get out. I need to use something more dangerous."
"H-Heyk, yes sir!"
As the tiny figure darted out, Remillion pulled a small bead from his pouch. He hurled it hard at the sphere's surface.
—————————Kwaaang!
A heavy blast, heat fiercer than hellfire, yellow glare searing corneas swallowed vision. Small size belied devastating power.
Yet even that barely harmed the 'World Tree's Dream.'
Just a finger-sized hole. Remillion frowned.
"Hmm, troublesome. Even 'Dragonfire' only manages this. It's my strongest tool now..."
But it was enough.
A finger poked through the hole.
Drip, drip—
Thick fingers gripped hard. Cracks spiderwebbed the surface, shards falling. The hole grew to fist, forearm, head size, ultimately shattering wide enough for a man to exit comfortably.
Crash!
No sooner had he escaped than the finger's owner charred pitch-black. The great mage's healing was limited to inside the 'World Tree's Dream'; outside, he reverted to post-battle state.
There was a fix. The charred giant calmly activated 'Hydra's tattoo.'
Wooong—
Regenerating burns to the dermis, shedding crust and scabs. Restored, he eyed the golden-armored man.
"Who the hell are you? Did you summon that Dragonfire?"
"...Hah."
Remillion let out an awed chuckle. Monstrous strength and regeneration rivaling the supreme being. Recalling a distant past, he smiled nostalgically.
"Fate's funny, isn't it? Like seeds. Some sprout nothing even after planting and waiting, empty husks. But sometimes, after ages, they yield unexpected harvests."
"...Spouting nonsense on sight. Another long-ear?"
"No, the fool who coveted a dragon's treasure and invaded its lair. 300 years ago, the one you saved with your life."
Remillion removed his helm, revealing his face.
Kadim's eyes twitched, trembling.
Time's toll and odd scales clung, but faint traces remained of the boy who'd wept and begged before the dragon. At this unexpected reunion, a hollow laugh escaped.
"You survived this long, huh. Heard you rose high, founded the Alliance... How'd you end up a dragonkin?"
"Haha, as much happened to you, much happened to me. I'd love to reminisce, but timing's off."
Remillion glanced over his shoulder. Through the hole in the World Tree's Dream, Melissa thrashed uneasily, on the verge of waking. Her eyes opening would shatter escape plans.
"For now, know I came to help. Details after we leave."
"...Wait. Hold on a sec."
"Eh? W-Where to?"
Kadim knew why she stirred. He turned back into the dream swiftly.
Sliced off a pant leg strip. Placed it firmly in her slender hand. Her struggles subsided like a lie. He watched with conflicted eyes, dug words into the soil, then exited.
...One silent departure was enough.
Heading out with puzzled Remillion, Duncan—crouched at the entrance—leaped up frog-like at Kadim's sight.
"M-My lord! Glad you escaped safely!"
Calm him and explain from the start. Thus grasping the rough situation.
Kadim furrowed his brow. Countless questions boiled, but the priority was:
"Can that many escape safely? You can't burn and fly the rest alone."
"No worries. There's another helper for escape. Ah, already below, I see!"
Descending the cliff, Kadim's group rejoined the others: Black Panther Parneo, dark elf Lilia, and the second helper.
The first two were familiar. He hadn't expected the helper to be too.
"Eh, y-you're the..."
"..."
Duncan trailed off; Kadim scowled. The helper approached with a faint smile.
"History's encounters always weave inevitability and chance like warp and weft. Yet not all bonds endure. Cruel fate may unravel them into worthless scraps. Still, if we seek connection... we can only silently await reunion, threading fate's warp through the needle's eye."
"..."
"Since we've met again, my efforts for reunion weren't wasted. Though this tie pales against our past... please, trust me once more and take my hand, Lord Kadim?"
Ilenia, priestess of the Forgotten God, extended her hand, eyes resolute.