Episode 46
Jeon wrinkled his nose.
"So this is what's called a chimera?"
He hadn't really noticed while it was alive, but the dead chimera gave off a strange smell. It was similar to the faint, fishy stench of a dead insect.
Jeon crouched down and examined the chimera closely.
It was clearly different in fiber from the muscles of ordinary humans. The outer layer was made of chitin, like an insect's, and the inner tendons were wrapped with incredible elasticity and strength, as if twisted from wire.
More than anything, the internal organs were what felt foreign. They were not as complex as human organs, and their shapes were simple, too. They felt arranged to provide maximum efficiency with the same amount of energy.
Jeon rummaged through the organs with his hand, inspecting the interior.
In the past, he would have shuddered at the horrible sensation. But because he had experienced things far more gruesome on his way here, he could remain calm.
"Did they transplant demon beast organs into it, too? Horrifying!"
Jeon shook his head slightly with a disgusted expression.
At this point, it was more accurate to say they had created an entirely new lifeform.
Jeon’s gaze suddenly turned to the chimera’s heart.
A stone imbued with powerful mana was embedded in the heart.
"A Demon Stone? So they used a Demon Stone as fuel?"
He felt anew just how tremendous a dragon's abilities were.
Even in Neo Seoul, research on Demon Stones was being conducted actively, but no one had dared to even conceive of using them as fuel for a living creature.
"They're insane."
Jeon shook his head and stood up.
Deiodeun spoke.
"That's what the other races say. Dragons are the ancestors of magic. To them, using magic is as natural as breathing. If their magic is a storm, then the magic humans wield is nothing more than a gentle breeze."
"Hmph!"
"Do you understand now? From here on, the one we face is an incredible bastard. The odds of dying are dozens of times higher than the odds of surviving."
"Don't bother telling me to turn back if I'm scared. My resolve is already firm."
Jeon cut Deiodeun off first. At that, Deiodeun snorted and opened his subspace.
"Take this."
He pulled a small bottle from his subspace and tossed it to Jeon.
"What is this?"
"If you really think you're going to die, drink it. It will recover most wounds in an instant."
"Then is this something like an Elixir?"
Jeon’s eyes went wide.
Elixir was a legendary panacea that every Awakener in the field of alchemy dreamed of creating. It could instantly cure any abnormal status and even lead one to immortality.
In fact, the alchemists of Neo Seoul were actively researching how to create an Elixir.
Deiodeun snorted.
"Hmph! There's no way Elixir truly exists. It's an awakening agent made by a mad alchemist. I heard it was manufactured using the blood of demon beasts with exceptional regenerative and recovery abilities."
"Demon beast blood? Is it really okay to drink?"
"That's why I said to drink it if you think you're going to die. Since you're going to die anyway, you might as well take the gamble. Because of the awakening components, it will likely be better than a healing potion for enduring pain."
"Understood."
Jeon put the bottle into his subspace with a reluctant expression.
He could truly feel that the decisive battle with the dragon was not far off.
The fact that even the mighty Deiodeun was looking out for him to this extent was proof that he was just as tense.
Deiodeun gripped Crayon tightly, glaring up at the night sky where darkness had settled.
As if a dragon were right there.
＊＊＊
Jeon and Deiodeun remained until the oasis disappeared, consuming every last scrap of the sand agwi’s meat.
The sand agwi’s meat was an excellent source of nutrients.
It was enough to bring his body to peak condition ahead of the battle of a lifetime.
Deiodeun said.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
Jeon answered, pulling the hood of his robe down deep.
Having rested well and eaten his fill, his physical condition was at its best. His senses were sharp, and his entire body overflowed with vitality.
It was the first time he had ever been in such good condition.
Deiodeun strode forward head-on into the sandstorm. His hair whipped around like a lion's mane.
Jeon unfurled his Sand Steps and followed behind him.
The sand was baked by the scorching sun, emitting intense heat. But it could not stop Jeon and Deiodeun’s advance.
After walking for several days, what greeted them were pillars rising in the middle of the desert.
Dozens of hexagonal pillars standing alone in the middle of the desert looked suspicious no matter who saw them.
Jeon stepped forward and raised his dominion.
Riding the fine sand particles, his senses extended in every direction.
Nothing caught his attention in the surroundings.
‘Then it must be underground.’
Jeon focused his senses downward.
One hundred meters, two hundred meters...
His senses bored endlessly into the ground.
The range of Jeon’s senses extended to five hundred meters underground. But even then, he found nothing.
Jeon released his dominion and spoke.
"It seems to be deeper than five hundred meters underground."
"Of course. Like the lizard whelps they are, they must have dug deep and hidden. They're cowards."
"Cowards? I don't think so."
"If they truly had courage, they wouldn't have incited the other races to move Crasias—they would have moved themselves. They can't say a word before the strong and only act tough before the weak. What would you call that if not cowardice?"
It was a strangely convincing argument.
Jeon thought that might be the case and nodded.
The two arrived before the pillars.
Each pillar was as thick as several people put together.
The hexagonal pillars were covered in countless incomprehensible characters.
Jeon stroked a pillar and muttered.
"I have no idea what this says, so..."
Flash!
At that moment, the pillar Jeon touched blazed with intense light.
"What?"
Startled, Jeon tried to pull his hand away, but the burst of light completely engulfed him.
Shortly after, when the light disappeared, Jeon was nowhere to be seen.
Deiodeun muttered without a hint of surprise.
"Looks like the pillars function as some kind of teleportation formation."
He placed his hand on the pillar Jeon had touched. But the expected burst of light did not appear.
"So each pillar can only transport one living being?"
Deiodeun placed his hand on a different pillar.
In an instant, a brilliant burst of light erupted and swallowed his body.
＊＊＊
When Jeon opened his eyes, the environment had completely changed.
It was an immensely vast cave, large enough for a giant demon beast to walk around in.
The rock walls sparkled as if gold veins were running through them.
As befitting a Gold Dragon, it was clear that the lair had been made inside the bedrock with gold veins running through it.
"What good is all this?"
Even seeing such a tremendous amount of gold, he did not feel much greed.
In the present world, gold did not hold that much value.
"Did Deiodeun get sent somewhere else?"
Jeon looked around, but Deiodeun was nowhere to be seen.
Deiodeun had definitely touched a pillar, too. The fact that he was nowhere in sight meant there was a high probability he had been transported to a different location.
"I'll have to move alone until I find him."
The thought of being separated from Deiodeun and entering a place presumed to be a dragon’s lair alone was frightening.
He had faced countless demon beasts until now, but a dragon was an existence on a completely different level. Naturally, it was terrifying to think he might have to face such a dragon alone.
Jeon forced a calm expression.
He couldn't just stay still forever out of fear.
Even if there was a dragon at the end of this cave, he had to go. Only then could he meet Deiodeun.
Jeon moved cautiously.
This place was an unfavorable environment for him.
Because it was inside a mineral vein, there was almost no sand.
It was fortunate that he at least had Exion.
Jeon moved forward, fully prepared to unleash Exion at any moment.
He had come quite deep inside, but nothing had happened yet. Even so, Jeon did not let his guard down.
Experience had taught him that incidents always occurred precisely when one's mind began to relax.
His prediction was not wrong.
Sssss!
A faint slithering sound came from the opposite side of the cave.
It was an unpleasant noise that made all the fine hairs on his body stand on end and sent a chill down his spine merely from hearing it.
"What is it?"
Jeon unleashed Exion and glared ahead.
In an instant, the source of the sound appeared, piercing through the darkness.
They were snakes.
There were two-headed snakes, and even ones with four heads.
Some had wings on their backs, while others had two or even four legs.
Aside from the fact that their heads were snake-like, everything else was different.
Their forms, textures, colors, and sizes all varied.
"They're chimeras."
They were definitely not ordinary demon beasts, but chimeras created by Haieltun.
Kuwooooh!
Seeing Jeon, the chimeras let out strange cries and charged even more ferociously.
Seeing the chimeras rushing at him like mad, Jeon unleashed Exion.
Shwaa!
His entire body was surrounded by Exion.
In that state, Jeon charged toward the chimeras.
Not a trace of fear could be found on his face.
Kwagagaga!
Exion rotated fiercely around him, grinding up the charging chimeras.
Keeek!
Kek!
The screams of the chimeras being shredded by Exion echoed throughout the cave.
Flesh burst apart, and blood splattered in every direction.
Sizzle!
The floor melted, as if the chimera's blood contained acidic poison.
The chimera's blood also fell on Jeon's body, but thanks to the robe and armor Deiodeun had given him, he suffered almost no damage.
Kwagagagak!
Even then, chimeras were being ground apart by Exion.
The massive cave was instantly filled with the dismembered corpses of chimeras. Still, more chimeras kept crawling out from somewhere and attacking Jeon.
Jeon advanced, crushing every single one of them.
That was when.
Flash!
Suddenly, the cave was dyed in bright light, and a bolt of lightning struck Jeon.
Boom!
"Kgh!"
With an explosive sound, Jeon's body was pushed back, skidding across the ground.
White smoke rose in puffs from his entire body.
It was only thanks to Exion's protection that he hadn't suffered great damage; had he taken a direct hit, his body would have likely exploded on the spot.
Suaah!
Then, an especially large snake burst through the chimeras.
The large snake had horns growing from its head.
Sparks were flying from the horns.
That was what had fired the lightning.
'A special individual?'
Occasionally, among demon beasts, there were those that could use skills.
It seemed the large snake that had just appeared also knew how to use a skill related to lightning.
Zap!
At that moment, lightning burst forth from the large snake's horns again.
Jeon threw his body aside to dodge the lightning.
Crash!
The spot where he had been standing exploded, and the floor caved in deeply.
Although he had dodged the lightning, Exion temporarily lost control and scattered because of it.
The chimeras did not miss that opening and charged at Jeon.
Jeon struck the lead chimera with a gauntleted fist.
Bang!
With an explosive sound, the chimera's head burst apart.
Jeon attacked the chimeras like mad and roared.
"Don't underestimate me, you snake bastards!"