107
107―The Owner is Here
After arriving at the airport and completing immigration procedures, the airport looked similar to any other, but the Hindi signs and unique objects scattered throughout gave off a strong foreign atmosphere. Decorations that looked like Buddha's palm, elephant statues, and everywhere you looked, it appeared like New Delhi's airport.
"Jin-woo! You arrived safely."
At the airport, Kalesian was waiting together with Mahiri. Since it was a place with many watching eyes, Kalesian himself was quietly being held while Mahiri did the talking.
"I heard there was an accident before, so I was worried something might happen this time too."
"Haha, would such things happen so frequently?"
It seemed they had heard about Jin-woo experiencing a plane accident. Such things couldn't happen frequently. Jin-woo said this while laughing, but Mahiri's expression was quite serious.
"You never know. Who knows what schemes they might pull?"
"……."
Mahiri's words weren't referring to an unexpected accident. The monarchs, especially the God of Sky, might pull some scheme. Those words couldn't be taken lightly. After all, that being had actually sent Grisella near Seoul and attempted to descend through her body.
"I'll be careful."
"That would be wise. Now, shall we move?"
Following Mahiri's guidance, Jin-woo headed to the airport parking lot. There was a red sports car that looked expensive at first glance.
"Get in."
"Nice car."
"Right? It's the same color as this one's scales."
Listening to it, they really were similar colors. He had felt it during the department store incident last time too, but this person, no, this dragon's self-love was incredibly strong……. When he stared intently, Kalesian opened one eye to look this way, then snorted and closed his eyes again. Seeing how completely unbothered he was, Jin-woo chuckled and got into the passenger seat.
The ride felt a bit firm but wasn't unpleasant; rather, it felt well-supported. The interior was also roomier than expected. To Jin-woo, who mainly drove SUVs, it was naturally narrow, but this level wasn't bad.
The car soon left the airport and headed toward New Delhi's downtown area.
"Are we going straight to the treasure vault?"
"We could go right away if you want, but since you're here, how about doing some sightseeing first?"
"I'm fine with it, but weren't you eager to get to the Spirit Realm as soon as possible?"
"That's true. But we have plenty of time. After waiting hundreds of years, what's waiting one or two more days?"
Mahiri said this with a smile and took Jin-woo to famous tourist attractions, showing him various sights. It wasn't like staying for several hours at each place, but more like a driving tour. Still, going around seeing temples, towers, and other majestic buildings was quite exciting in itself.
"It definitely has a strong religious feeling. I think I've seen these in photos often, but coming here in person feels different."
"That's the joy of seeing a new world. Now Jin-woo understands my feelings too, right?"
"The Spirit Realm isn't really a place to visit with a tourist mindset…… But I do understand."
Kalesian, who had been closing his eyes in Mahiri's arms, had awakened at some point and was looking at the temple before them. In those eyes was curiosity about an unseen world, and even a sparkle similar to when looking at treasures.
"Gold and silver treasures that would be valuable in any world are wonderful, but things like these that contain the years of that world, that region alone, are also treasures."
His feelings were expressed through Mahiri's mouth, not his own.
"Though much of that has disappeared now."
"Because of the Erosion, you mean?"
Jin-woo nodded. Cities like Seoul and New Delhi still remained. The cultural assets of those cities were relatively intact. Restoration work was also being done. But everything outside the surviving cities had collapsed. The treasures inscribed with Earth's, no, humanity's history were now only a handful.
"It can't be helped. That too is part of the planet's history."
Unexpectedly, Kalesian's response was cynical. Seeing him look at historically significant buildings like treasures, Jin-woo expected him to be angry at the Erosion that destroyed them, but he said that was also part of history. Though he was currently living on Earth, he was a foreigner who would leave someday, so perhaps it was a natural reaction.
"Shall we head back now?"
"To the treasure vault?"
"Let's go to our house first."
After several hours of sightseeing, they set off on the way home. Though it was called the way home, to Jin-woo, it was a foreign road he was seeing for the first time. Even that was no different from tourism.
***
Mahiri's house was a bit away from the downtown area. It seemed to have poor accessibility as it was nestled against a mountain. Instead, it was incredibly large and luxurious. It seemed like it should be called a mansion rather than just a house. It was comparable to the tourist sites they had visited.
'Come to think of it, didn't he say he spends everything he earns?'
He recalled what he had heard at the department store last time. To Kalesian, money in this world was just scraps of paper, so he spent everything he earned.
"@#$@$%&."
At the mansion, there was a neatly dressed elderly man, like a butler, who greeted them. Even though Jin-woo didn't know Hindi at all, he could tell it was an extremely polite tone. Not only that, but there were also maids wearing long skirts and head coverings who seemed to manage the mansion. It truly wouldn't be strange to call it a nobleman's mansion.
Mahiri dismissed all the employees and personally guided Jin-woo. Guided to a room several times larger than his own original room, Jin-woo could finally hear Kalesian's voice.
"You came well."
"Is it okay to talk? What if someone suddenly comes in?"
"I don't raise such rude servants, so rest assured."
Seemed the room was well soundproofed, Kalesian spoke without hesitation and stretched his body long to yawn. His body seemed stiff from being held continuously.
"It's about dinner time, so let's eat first and then go in to see."
"I'm looking forward to it. Treasures collected by a dragon……."
"Don't expect too much. Most are artworks or historically valuable items, so there won't be much you'd covet."
Still, Kalesian added.
"As an S-rank Hunter, I've also collected many magic items going in and out of Gates, so it would be good to choose from those. There are powerful ones that wouldn't be disappointing even considering your level, so choose freely."
"You don't seem to feel sorry about it."
"To me, Earth's artworks are more treasures than Gate items."
That made sense. Items like flying boots or protective cloaks were completely useless to him. It wouldn't be strange for objects containing the history of other worlds to feel much more valuable.
"Speaking of powerful items…… Didn't you sweep up almost all the divine artifacts from the 3rd floor?"
"I did recover everything that the God of War had plundered."
"Could I take a look?"
At Kalesian's words, Jin-woo searched his inventory and took out the divine artifacts he had obtained from the Red Cliff. What he took out were five items in total. Excluding the God of Sky's scabbard and Rondar's Nebula Sword, these were items from the remaining five temples.
One was a small branch with a budding sprout. It was probably a divine artifact from the Moonlit Forest's temple. He could actually feel it resonating with the glass orb inside his body.
The rest were a small silver dagger-like blade, a strange object that looked like a compass but had no needle, a shield reinforced with several layers of leather and iron plates, and an amulet-like object inscribed with unknown patterns.
Except for the Moonlit Forest's branch, he couldn't identify any of the others. Whose was whose. However, one thing was certain.
"They reek of Erosion. Not a single one is normal."
As Kalesian said, intense Erosion could be felt from every item. ……To the extent that he wondered if it was okay to take them out so openly.
"Are there any special functions or magic spells on them?"
"I tried to check, but there wasn't anything in particular. I don't know if I missed something or if there originally wasn't anything…… Do you know something, Kalesian?"
"Hmm, let me see……."
Kalesian examined all the divine artifacts like scanning them. Not only looking with his eyes but also sensing with his magic power and touching with his hands. He even licked them. After struggling for over an hour, Kalesian eventually gave up.
"I don't know. Even I don't see anything special. They just look like lumps of Erosion."
"That might be their essence."
Even looking at the God of Sky's scabbard or Rondar's Nebula Sword that he didn't take out, there was nothing special besides the Erosion aura. Perhaps that Erosion was indeed the essence of the divine artifacts.
Erosion was a force that invaded something else. Since divine artifacts were items sent down by monarchs residing in the Spirit Realm to exert influence on Gates, that alone matched the definition of Erosion.
"Erosion…… Surely not all treasures in the Spirit Realm are like this?"
"Not everything in the Spirit Realm has been affected by Erosion. Rather, where I was seemed to be a clean and pristine space."
Jin-woo spoke while recalling Fermue's Tower and Kanok's Cave. He had conducted searches around the tower and cave as bases, but hadn't felt any ominous aura like Erosion.
"Conversely, if Erosion is found in the Spirit Realm, there's a high possibility it's a divine territory where a monarch lives."
"I don't know if it's 100%, but the possibility is high."
Perhaps that was the only clue. The one and only clue to find the God of Moonlit Forest, the World Tree. Whatever the circumstances, the fact that the World Tree was eroded was true. Since he had seen it with his own two eyes in Belen Village, there was no mistake.
So if he searched for Erosion aura in the Spirit Realm, he would reach the place where she was. The problem was that he might find not only the World Tree but other monarchs as well. Probability-wise, it was 1/13, so the chance of finding only the World Tree was very low. If he found Erosion, it would be right to withdraw while investigating first.
"Let's choose treasures tonight and go straight to the Spirit Realm tomorrow. How about it?"
"Good."
He could wait longer, but there was no reason to drag out time. After finishing business, they decided to head straight to the Spirit Realm.
***
After finishing dinner, Kalesian guided Jin-woo to the mountain. They climbed the mountain via a path behind the mansion, and while there was initially a path suitable for people to walk on, the terrain became increasingly rough.
"Dragon lairs can be anywhere—under the sea or underground—but they're most commonly found in mountains."
"Do you prefer mountains?"
"More precisely, we prefer places where natural energy gathers. Mountains are representative terrain where energy converges."
So Kalesian had also made a separate lair deep in the mountains, where he stored his treasures.
"Then most dragons in the 5th floor are also in the mountains."
"Right. Where I met Mahiri was also a mountain."
The 5th floor, the Dragon Realm. A world dominated by dragons.
'Dragons are mostly in mountains…….'
Jin-woo carefully remembered the information he heard from Kalesian. He didn't know when, but someday he would visit the 5th floor too, and this information would be valuable then.
"But why do you store treasures in lairs?"
"Well, isn't it natural to hide valuables at home?"
"No, that's not what I mean. Why store them outside when you have subspace? Wouldn't keeping them in subspace preserve them better?"
"Ah, you mean that. It's simple. Because the passage of time adds value to treasures."
Some items corrode and crumble as time passes. But there are also treasures that shine even brighter as their luster fades. He didn't know if all dragons were like this, but at least Kalesian didn't desire unchanging treasures. What he coveted and considered valuable were items that changed along with time, such as treasures.
"We've arrived."
They finally reached the lair. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a large cave. However, the thick remnants of magic power wafting from inside made it seem extraordinary. Not only that, but there was also an atmosphere where something sharp could be felt, even hostility.
"……Just to be sure, it's not dangerous, right?"
"Haha, the owner is here, so what could be dangerous?"
Kalesian laughed heartily and flew into the lair entrance. At that moment, something like crystals grew from the dark interior of the cave and struck down Kalesian.
"Kugh!"
Kalesian bounced back as if hit by a flyswatter, rolled trembling, and crashed into a tree stump.