Dragon Devourer 3: The Sealed Grimoire

Deep in the drawer. Amid the dust pit, the tip of my finger snagged on a worn leather cover.

'As expected.'

Just as I'd figured. The letters wriggled like living worms, but the contents remained illegible. Isha von Estelle. Without her, this book was nothing more than a high-performance pot holder.

'She'll be here soon enough, and that'll solve it.'

I stuffed the book into my coat and turned my head. The problem wasn't the book—it was the person.

"Hmmm.... Urgh...."

Adel glared at the floating magic formula in midair, a slice of pizza dangling from her mouth. The empire's top genius was tearing her hair out over this puzzle. To my eyes, armed with foreknowledge from my regression of theories already established, it was just basic addition and subtraction with a few holes.

I slipped behind her back and flicked one part of the formula with my finger.

"That mana substitution formula there—you need to reverse it. The variables are clashing."

"Huh?"

Adel looked up at me with a dumbstruck expression. Like she was mesmerized, she tweaked the spot I'd pointed out.

Whumm!

The formula, which had been flashing red, stabilized into a serene blue and coalesced into a perfect sphere.

"Hurr?"

The pizza slice dropped from Adel's mouth. Her purple eyes shook wildly left and right.

"This... I've been stuck on it for six months. Who the hell are you? Aren't you just a pizza delivery guy?"

"Didn't I tell you? A very capable pizza delivery guy."

"I thought you were just a regular pizza delivery guy?"

Ignoring her protests, I perched on the edge of the desk and propped my chin on my hand.

"So, what do you think? Doesn't that qualify me to work together?"

"Getting all smug over solving one little puzzle."

"Is that really all it was?"

"......."

"Let's team up, Adel."

"No."

Adel shot back without a moment's hesitation. Her eyes full of suspicion, she shoved at my chest.

"You're shady. Way too shady. I admit you've got skills, but it pisses me off. So get out."

"Rejection's a problem. You're gonna end up in the same boat as me soon enough."

"What nonsense is that? Get out before I call security!"

Adel shrieked. I casually checked my wristwatch.

"5, 4, 3."

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"2, 1."

I flashed her a grin and looked at her.

"Time to board."

BOOM!!

The steel door of the director's office, made of magic alloy, crumpled like paper and flew inward. Through the thick cloud of dust strode a woman in silver-white holy robes—not paladin armor. Holy robes, huh. A bare minimum of respect for this place?

Isha von Estelle, making her appearance here, was beautiful and noble. But her red eyes blazed as if ready to incinerate the whole room in hellfire.

"......Adel?"

Isha's gaze locked onto Adel, who was clutching the pizza box. It shifted naturally to me, lounging comfortably beside her.

"N-no, Saintess? What are you doing here...."

Adel gaped in panic. I seized the moment and flashed the world's sleaziest smile.

"Hold on a sec, Saintess."

I raised a hand as if to stop her.

"Director Adel and I are in the middle of a super important strategy meeting right now. Even in holy robes, barging in without knocking is pretty rude, don't you think?"

"...What?"

Isha's brow twisted in disbelief. Adel flailed her hands in horror.

"Wh-what are you talking about? I don't know this guy! He's just a pizza delivery guy!"

"What capable pizza delivery guy fixes imperial magic formulas? Don't deny it too hard, partner."

I winked at Adel, and Isha's gaze turned ice-cold. She was already convinced. Without the director Adel opening the door, I couldn't have gotten this far.

"Adel......"

Shing.

The Holy Sword sang as it cleared its sheath. Golden aura rose like heat haze.

"To think even you, whom I trusted... were in league with that trash."

"No! I didn't! It's a misunderstanding!"

"I'll hear your excuses later. First, his head."

Isha kicked off the floor. The space itself compressed and exploded with speed.

"Dodge!"

I snatched the dazed Adel's waist ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and hurled myself aside.

Crack!

The spot we'd been standing split in half. The desk sliced like tofu, the pizza box atomized.

"Aaaah! Crazy! My lab!"

"No time to whine! Run!"

I slung Adel over my shoulder like a sack of rice and bolted. Isha's sword beams nipped at our heels.

"Stop right there!!"

"Crazy, crazy! Why is the saintess here? Why's she trying to kill you?!"

Adel thrashed and screamed from my side. Sprinting down the hall, I answered flatly.

"Oh. You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?!"

"I kinda killed her dragon."

"What?"

Adel's flailing froze. Her eyes went wide like she'd heard the impossible.

"Dragon? Dessoir? That cute little thing?"

"Yeah. Chopped its head off. I ate the heart."

"You psycho bastard!!!!"

Adel grabbed my hair and shook my head.

"Get out! Get out now! You trying to get me killed too? Let go! I'll swear I don't know you!"

"Too late. You're my accomplice now."

"Bullshit!"

"You ate the pizza."

"Pizza? So what?"

"Bought it with a stolen card. You received stolen goods, consumed them, destroyed evidence. Ironclad accomplice."

"Urk, bleeech!"

Adel jammed her fingers down her throat and dry-heaved.

"Gonna puke! I'll spit it all out! Just puke and it's fine!"

"Gross as hell. If you've got time to puke, open a door."

I reached a dead end and set Adel down.

"Adel, shortcut to the 13th-floor forbidden section. You know it, right?"

"No! Not telling! Die alone!"

"Don't tell me, and I'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠use you as a shield. That saintess chasing us? She'll trash the other half of your lab too."

I nodded toward the wrecked office with my eyes. Through the dust cloud, a demon with a holy sword advanced.

"Demon! You're a real demon!"

Adel sniffled and yanked a book hidden behind the shelves.

Rumble.

The wall rotated, revealing a secret elevator.

"Get in! Hurry!"

We leaped inside. The machinery jolted upward.

BOOM!!

The hallway wall ripped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠open entirely. White holy robes fluttering, Isha reached for us.

"Stop, Lee Han!!!"

Our eyes met. Just before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the doors closed.

I waved leisurely.

"Too late, Saintess."

Whirr.

The doors shut, and the elevator shot up.

"Hah, hah. We're alive......"

Adel collapsed to the floor. Contrary to her hopes, relief was premature.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Dull explosions rang from below. The elevator floor vibrated faintly.

"Crazy, crazy! She's flying? That woman's flying up here!"

Adel gaped through the transparent floor glass. Below, golden beams zigzagged off walls, rocketing upward faster than the high-speed elevator.

"Monster. Not human!"

"Calm down. How many seconds to 13th floor?"

"10! No, 7!"

"Plenty."

I pulled the book from my subspace pocket. The still-sealed Ancient Dragon Tongue Grimoire wriggled.

The doors opened to a blast of cold air. A vast hall lined with tomes millennia old. She, hot on our heels, burst through the floor.

Crash!!

Tiles and debris flew everywhere.

"Lee Han!!"

Bloodshot, Isha's eyes burned. Her killing intent was so thick it stung my skin.

"Adel, buy me some time."

"What? How am I supposed to stop that monster?!"

"You've got those golems! Send 'em all! I'll fund your research!"

"Liar! You said you only had 3,000 won!"

"More than that! 3,420 won!"

Tears in her eyes, Adel hurled small orbs from her pocket.

"Go! My life's savings!"

Pop, pop, pop!

Smoke filled the room as five mithril golems materialized. Masterworks of grand mage Adel, layered with triple 6th-circle defense spells.

"Block her! Buy time!"

The golems lumbered toward Isha. Absolute defenses that could tank battleships.

Against a Transcendent-grade paladin.

Slash.

Isha didn't even slow, brushing past. Just one sword swing.

A single perfect slash. All five golems crumpled, bisected at the waist.

Clatter!

"Whoa... damn."

Adel muttered, soul shattered.

"My three years of research budget... gone in one second...."

Isha stepped over the wreckage. Her eyes fixed on Adel.

"Adel von Kryber. To think you'd side with him too. I'm deeply disappointed. This will go to imperial trial."

"Th-that's not it!"

Adel stomped in frustration. Isha didn't stop, closing in on me in real time.

Death loomed. Instead, I held up both books high.

"Hold up. Saintess, you know these, right?"

Isha faltered. Her eyes hit the books in my hands. Ancient Dragon Tongue Grimoire, upper and lower volumes.

"Those are... the archive's sealed tomes?"

"Yeah. The ones only your family can open."

Whumm.

Back in the forbidden zone? Or reacting to Isha's nearby holy power? The cover runes blazed like a puppy spotting its owner.

Click, clack.

Hundreds of magical locks unfastened in the air.

"Thanks as always, Saintess."

The books floated to my sides and opened. Pages flipped rapidly. Light seeped into the wriggling worm-script.

System messages translated before my eyes.

"You... you planned this from the start!"

Isha's face flushed with rage. She'd realized I hadn't fled here—he'd lured her as the key.

"Block her till I absorb this, Adel."

I memorized the contents frantically.

"If you wanna live."

"What? Hey! Hey!!"

Adel pounded my back, but I was already in a trance. My heart pounded, dragon blood in my veins rearranging per the grimoire.

"Step aside, Adel!"

Isha raised her holy sword. Adel reflexively raised her staff for a barrier, face ashen.

"Wait, wait! Estelle—no, Saintess! Look outside! Outside!"

Isha paused at Adel's cry. Beyond the window, dozens of helicopters and armed troops ringed the library.

"Surrender, Lee Han! You're surrounded!"

Megaphones boomed. Confirming reinforcements, Isha smirked.

"Hear that, Lee Han? Estelle elite knights just arrived, and the whole library's sealed with barriers. No escape."

Isha was certain of victory. I closed the final page and slowly opened my eyes.

Golden light poured from my pupils like frost.

A B+-rank body fused with Dragon's Breath. I was ready to become a real monster.

"How do you plan to escape? No key, right?"

Isha sneered. The forbidden section was a prison. Easy in, but without the director's key, even spatial jumps were impossible.

"Who says no key?"

I spun a brassy key from my pocket.

"?"

Isha and Adel's eyes locked on my hand.

"Director here gave it to me."

"What? When did I?!"

Adel jumped. I shrugged shamelessly. Replica from the info broker, but it looked legit.

Click.

I jammed the key into thin air and turned. Space split, cool wind blowing in.

"See you next date—in hell, Saintess."

"Lee Han!!!!"

Isha's holy sword cleaved space toward me. I'd already grabbed Adel's collar and dove through the rift.