Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Chapter 141: Black Smeltery (4)
Translation: godtl
Crystal orbs projecting multiple screens.
And within a space filled with various magical tools and flasks—
"Bring more demonic ore here!"
"Are the leg parts still not ready?!"
Numerous Dragonkin bustled about.
Strangely enough—
All of them were clad in white lab coats or robes.
"You still haven't finished even that one thing?!"
"You imbeciles. How dare you call yourselves researchers under the 3rd Dragon Emperor?!"
"You have until tomorrow. If you're any later, I'll throw every last one of you into the Soul Power Plant!"
From Half-Dragonians to the half-human, half-snake Lamia—
Even among Dragonkin, these were individuals with exceptional intelligence or magical prowess, each raising their voices as they handled mysterious magical tools, documents, and test tubes.
And overseeing them all—a green-haired woman.
"Hmm......."
The refreshingly beautiful woman tapped her snow-white chin.
There was one peculiar detail—
The tip of that white chin and the fingers tapping it were covered in reptilian scales.
The woman's hair and her scale-like green eyes shifted sideways.
"Hm?"
Soon—
On one side of the bustling laboratory, the green beauty gazed at the crystal orbs and screens displaying various corners of the Black Smeltery.
"Why have all the surveillance devices in the Transport Path stopped working?"
After staring for a while at several screens that showed nothing but darkness, she lazily raised her hand.
Then—
"You called for me, Vice Manager."
A massive figure covered in green scales—
The only physically-oriented Dragonkin who stood out in this research-heavy environment.
Drak stepped forward and bowed.
The green beauty gave him a sidelong glance.
"I told you to call me Sartini. Only mid-rankers and below aren't permitted to use my name. As a high-ranker, you have the right."
"I am honored, Lady Sartini."
"Hmph. You're laying it on thick."
Despite her curt tone, Sartini seemed pleased with Drak's response.
"Though you are a high-ranker, you're a Dragonkin who has manifested the Green Clan's traits."
Her eyes and voice softened slightly.
"Who knows? You might even be recruited into Squama One."
"Preposterous. How could someone like me ever—"
"That idiot Drahel is a member of Squama One. What's stopping you?"
"But Lord Drahel is the foremost among the Drag, is he not?"
"Tch. There just aren't enough Draconic among the Drag, so he was picked for diversity's sake. Are there really Dragonkin who don't know that?"
"L-Lady Sartini!"
"Tsk. For someone built like a mountain, you're oddly timid... Though—"
Sartini's eyes and lips curved gently as she rested her chin on her hand.
"Perhaps that very delicacy is why you manifested the Green Clan's traits. Well?"
She turned her body fully toward the green-scaled Drak.
Then, crossing her arms over her chest—
"How about mating with me right now?"
She hugged herself and swept a sultry gaze over Drak.
"You and I could produce an outstanding Green Clan heir."
"L-Lady Sartini!"
A red flush spread across Drak's face.
The green-scaled Dragonkin quickly averted his eyes from Sartini.
Her lips jutted out in a pout.
"Honestly. For a Drak, you're awfully skittish about physical matters."
"Lady Sartini, please maintain some dignity befitting a Dragonian—"
"Enough. Spare me the prudish talk."
Sartini exhaled deeply and sharply turned her head away.
"Speaking of which—that idiot Drahel still hasn't arrived, has he?"
"No, we haven't received any contact either. Perhaps some mishap has—"
"I almost hope that's the case."
As she answered, Sartini's eyes turned icy.
"That mere foot soldier of Squama One—the way he kept trying to act equal to Lord Sargas was downright insufferable."
Ssss...
Like creeping blue mold,
her snow-white hand was instantly covered in green scales.
"If they can't even handle a trivial task like transporting supplies, they'll be perfect for punishment, don't you think?"
Preferably execution, at that.
Murmuring this, Sartini clenched her fully transformed green hand tightly—
as if snapping the thick neck of someone.
Then.
Click.
Sartini's movement, which had been gripping her hand with murderous intensity, froze mid-motion.
And with that same lethality still in her grasp—
"Who's there?!"
She swung her arm backward.
Sssshhk!
A viscous liquid sprayed from her transformed green hand.
The clearly potent venom shot through the air in an instant—
grazed past something small—
Sssss...
and deeply melted a section of the wall.
Though Sartini had struck first,
her face stiffened slightly.
The reason was simple.
'They didn't even flinch at my attack...'
Venom potent enough to melt the walls of the Black Smeltery.
An attack so dangerous that even an upper-level Dragonkin would die from a mere graze.
Yet, this sudden intruder hadn't moved an inch.
As if...
'Did they know my venom wouldn't hit them?'
As if they had known from the start that this was just a warning shot.
Soon, Sartini shook her head slightly.
'No. I infused it with killing intent. There's no way they'd mistake this for a bluff.'
Which meant...
'They didn't dodge after seeing the trajectory...'
If that were the case, it was an even bigger problem.
This wasn't just luck or a psychological trick—the opponent hadn't stood still out of chance.
'Did they... actually read my attack?'
That would mean they had purely, skillfully predicted the movements of a top-tier Dragonian.
As Sartini stared at the small figure, her head shook again.
'No. Impossible.'
Not out of mere pride.
"Kid. Who are you?"
There's no way a tiny brat like this could dare to read a Dragonian's movements, right?
Fortunately...
"Me? I'm Siyeonni!"
Her expectations seemed to hold true.
The child answered with a brightness that made it impossible to imagine they had just been attacked.
'As I thought... It was just luck.'
Sartini let out a sigh of relief.
"Siyeonni? Never heard the name."
As she rolled the name in her mind, her gaze naturally shifted to the side.
The green-scaled Drak also shook his head.
"I've never heard it either. The Black Smeltery only assigns postings to fully matured Dragonkin."
"I know that. But the kid's standing right ther—"
Mid-reply, Sartini abruptly cut herself off.
She blinked slowly, then—
"Big boom! Sooo huge boom-boom!"
She stared at the black-haired child, who was shouting with tiny fists clenched.
'Now that I think about it... I didn't sense this kid's approach at all.'
A top-tier Dragonian.
And Sartini, who carried the bloodline of the Green Clan.
Yet, she hadn't noticed this tiny child's approach in the slightest.
Hadn't she just lashed out instinctively at the sudden presence?
As that realization settled in—
"Kid. You... are Dragonkin, right?"
Only now did the child's appearance fully register.
'No matter how I look, they seem human...?'
No scales, no slit pupils—
none of the distinctive traits of Dragonkin were visible.
And yet...
'Why do I sense such an extraordinary Dragon Power from them?'
From the moment they met, she had felt Dragon Power emanating from the child.
Not just any—but an incredibly refined, perfectly controlled Dragon Power.
There were only two possibilities.
'There's no way they're a Dragon using Polymorph... right?'
Some Dragons with twisted tastes enjoyed such bizarre games.
"Could they be... an evolved form?"
A being that has broken through the limits of its species, capable of transforming into the forms of other races—it must be an evolved one.
Unfortunately.
"But its mental age is far too young to be considered an evolved species..."
Neither explanation felt quite convincing.
Then.
"Waaah!"
"Gah!"
A sudden exclamation made Sartini hastily draw in her dark energy and retreat.
Her startled gaze turned toward—
"Not one, but two! Two of them rolling around! Boom boom!"
—Si-yeon, who had somehow climbed onto the second-floor railing and was now peering down into the laboratory.
At that moment—
"Y-you... I don't know which ancient dragon you hail from, but this area is off-limits to non-personnel..."
Drak of the Green Clan quickly reached out to restrain her.
The instant his hand moved to grab Si-yeon—
"Move."
A voice so cold it was impossible to believe it came from the same child who had just been laughing brightly.
Even more astonishing—
Thud.
Drak of the Green Clan, who had been approaching, literally froze mid-step.
And that wasn't all.
"W-what is this?!"
Sartini, a Dragonian who had awakened the bloodline of the Green Clan, found herself involuntarily taking half a step back, her posture stiff and awkward.
But her panic was short-lived.
"You brat!!"
Crack.
In an instant, Sartini regained her composure. Her body twisted, and emerald-green scales—save for her face—spread across her entire form.
"What the hell are you?! Reveal yourself right now!"
Her already doubled size seemed to swell further as she flared her wings threateningly and lunged at Si-yeon.
But—
"You. Stop."
Halt.
At Si-yeon's single command, the manifested Dragonian froze in place.
A moment later.
"Y-you... just what are you?!"
Sartini quickly broke free from her paralysis, but her face trembled with shock.
"Uung... I can't do it like Dad. Hee~ Dad really is the best, isn't he?"
Si-yeon gazed at Sartini with a bright, innocent smile.
By now, Si-yeon's pupils—
"But... it's not a problem for playing."
—had split into long, sharp slits, just like those unique to the Dragonkin.
Clank.
The heavy shackles fell to the ground with a metallic thud.
"Aah! Lady Dayna!"
"We knew you were alive!"
"We knew you'd come to save us!!"
The cries and cheers of the Dark Elves, now freed from their shackles, filled the air.
But it was short-lived.
Their momentary relief and joy quickly faded.
"Um..."
"But... who is that...?"
Their gazes, a mix of fear and curiosity, turned toward the one who had freed them.
And rightfully so.
Sssss...
A sinister, ashen aura that would repel any living being.
A translucent figure, tainted by that aura, who had oppressed them until now—
And even bore scattered patches of Dragonkin scales.
Not only that.
"A Dragonkin with Death Energy this dense..."
"Lady Dayna... that's not you, is it?"
Death Energy and Dragonkin.
Didn't those two things bring to mind a certain being?
Dayna, well aware of this, quickly shook her head.
"No, this person is absolutely not the one you're thinking of."
She firmly denied the Dark Elves' suspicions.
"To commit such blasphemy... you've all grown far too weak."
As Dayna's expression darkened with bitterness,
The Dark Elves rubbed their eyes and scrutinized Si-mun closely.
Then—
"No!"
"T-this aura!"
Their eyes widened like lanterns.
"Do you understand now? The blasphemy you've just dared to commit."
Dayna scolded them, her tone stern.
"I know your circumstances, but equating that cursed bastard with this person is unforgivable."
"O-of course!"
"Noble one! We beg your forgiveness!"
"Please pardon our foolishness!"
Though they could barely stand,
Their gaunt, weakened bodies bent forward, pressing their foreheads to the ground in prostration.
[The Philosopher's Stone minimizes Rebound.]
[You have recovered 100 Achievement Points proportional to the grade and level of the Philosopher's Stone.]
Si-mun removed the Kynée, which had been dissipating due to Rebound.
"Given your poor physical condition, you really shouldn't be doing this."
He hastily waved his hands in refusal.
"It wasn't intentional, and the situation was more than understandable. Please, rise."
Though he didn't know who they had mistaken him for, Si-mun helped the Dark Elves to their feet.
Their physical state aside—
'This is unbearably awkward.'
The sight of thousands of Dark Elves prostrating themselves was deeply unsettling.
Trying to shift the uncomfortable atmosphere, Si-mun turned to Dayna.
"Alright, Dayna. Now that all the shackles are removed, let's plan our escape route."
Fortunately, she seemed to pick up on his discomfort.
"...We are deeply grateful for your boundless mercy."
After glancing at the Dark Elves still bowing in unison, she continued.
"This is the Transport Path. It's a passage used to carry all kinds of materials for the Black Smeltery."
Si-mun nodded at her explanation.
"So this Transport Path connects to various parts of the Black Smeltery. Naturally, there must be an exit too."
"Correct. There's a route I used during my previous escape. Let's head there first."
As Dayna answered, Si-mun rested his chin on his hand and surveyed the Dark Elves preparing to move.
'The fundamental objective of this Special Arena is to rescue Dayna's kin—the Dark Elves.'
A Hidden Quest that even required an entry item.
Thus, the Dark Elves' escape had to be the top priority.
Now that an escape route had been secured.
If he led the Dark Elves out now, both the Special Arena and Hidden Quest would be cleared.
But.
'If we leave like this, I won't be able to complete the mission given by the Death Constellations.'
The Death Energy stat wasn't particularly useful, so losing it wasn't a big deal.
But the conditional rewards, which scaled with his performance, were another matter.
To secure the Constellations' mission as well—
'The only way is to evacuate all the Dark Elves first, then infiltrate again.'
With Kynée, which surpassed even Dayna's stealth, he could manage it.
Dayna and the golems could take charge of protecting the Dark Elves.
"Alright, Dayna. Let's move—"
Just as Si-mun finished his thoughts and prepared to move—
"Bold of you, Dayna. Dreaming of escaping through the same path you once fled from."
Like the growl of a tiger.
A voice so menacing it made muscles tense just by hearing it descended upon the Transport Path.
Did she recognize its owner?
"T-This voice...!"
Dayna's face turned deathly pale.
There was no time to dwell on the expression so unlike her usual self.
Si-mun's face hardened as he looked up toward the source of the threatening voice.
"Or do you take me for a fool? To think I'd allow the same mistake twice."
At the highest point of the Transport Path.
A massive figure, seated there, slowly rose to his feet.
"Before that—"
Then—
KOOOOM!
A powerful tremor rippled through the entire Transport Path as the giant landed not far from Si-mun.
"Answer me, human. Who the hell are you? How did a human get this far?"
An eyepatch covering his left eye.
Behind it, the reptilian features of his face twisted in suspicion.
Simultaneously.
[Due to special circumstances, all broadcasted dialogue and certain content will be censored.]
-What the hell is this nonsense?!
-Seriously, we were watching just fine!
-How many times are they gonna censor a single Arena match? LOL
-At this point, they should compensate the viewers!!
Si-mun's chat window erupted in outrage.
[The five Constellations watching you express intense displeasure and disgust.]
[The Death Constellations observing you roar in fury.]
Even the Constellations keeping watch over Si-mun reacted violently.
And the mastermind behind all this chaos—
"Silence, is it? Hah... Today, I, Sargas, suffer humiliation after humiliation."
The five-meter-tall giant, who called himself Sargas, paused briefly before—
"Ah. I see. So that's it."
He let out a sigh of realization.
"It was you. The one who twisted the Fate Line of the dwarves."
His single remaining eye gleamed as he glared at Si-mun.