novelraw Chapter 38
Chapter 38
As he descended like he was in a high-altitude freefall, he saw a tree branch jutting out below.
‘There.’
Arthur snatched the branch and simultaneously flung his body nimbly toward a place to land.
Thud.
He landed lightly.
Before he had gained this power, he would never have done something so reckless.
But he had realized it for certain during his spar with Skevin.
His physical abilities had grown strong enough to surpass the limits of a human.
Still, jumping off a cliff without any protective gear was tantamount to suicide, but he knew the approximate location of his destination and, more importantly, had experienced high-altitude descent training and real situations thousands of times.
That was why he could trust himself and make the leap.
Arthur stood facing the wall and stared at the dragon crest.
Then, as expected, the necklace reacted.
It glowed, and the wall vanished, revealing an entrance.
Arthur tensed up as he stepped inside.
The last time he had entered, his head had hurt as if it would shatter.
But this time, no symptoms appeared, even as he walked to the center of the open space.
“What is this?”
Just as he wore a bewildered expression…
-Who are you?
A majestic voice rang out.
Since it was the question he had expected, Arthur answered as he had prepared.
“Arthur Julius! The one who has inherited the legacy of Teheran Julius.”
-You are bold.
“Are you Rumakas?”
-It seems you heard about me from that brat.
“Brat?”
Arthur tilted his head and asked.
“Are you perhaps referring to Teheran Maximus?”
-Yes, the one you all praise as a hero.
A clear nuance of derision could be felt in his voice.
“Hmm…”
Arthur’s face hardened.
To call the man who was a hero not only to the House of Count Julius but to the entire empire a brat, this being was no ordinary figure.
Then again, he thought it might be possible since he was the guardian deity of the House of Count Julius.
-An interesting fellow has come. How can the soul and the master of the body be different?
“H-how…”
Arthur was startled.
He had figured out in an instant what even Millerf hadn't noticed.
With a hardened face, he looked around and shouted.
“Stop hiding and show yourself!”
At that, a pure white light appeared from somewhere and stopped in front of Arthur.
Something that looked like downy fluff floated in the air, glittering.
“What is this?”
-Follow me.
The pure white light flew slowly somewhere, like a guide.
Arthur followed it, surveying his surroundings.
The cave was much larger than he had expected.
After walking for about 30 minutes, a huge door, like a castle gate, appeared.
-Place your hand on the door.
Arthur did as Rumakas instructed, approaching the door and placing his hand on a spot that looked like a palm print.
Clunk—.
The firmly shut door opened just enough for one person to pass through.
A bright light leaked through the gap.
“Hmm.”
Arthur was curious about what was inside, but at the same time, he was tense and slightly afraid.
The moment he stepped inside, his entire body froze as if it had turned to stone.
A dinosaur the size of a building—no, a golden dragon—was staring intently at him with large, piercing eyes.
“Th-this can't be…”
The pure white light that had guided him here flew toward the dragon's head and vanished.
Overwhelmed by its immense size, Arthur's mind went as blank as a white sheet of paper, and he didn't know what to say.
He just looked up at it, as silent as a dead mouse.
-A truly interesting fellow.
Once his startled heart had calmed down to some extent, Arthur carefully opened his mouth.
“Are you Rumakas?”
-Are you not afraid of me?
“Why wouldn't I be? But if you're the guardian deity of the House of Count Julius, there's no reason for you to harm me.”
-Better than the brat. That one fainted the moment he saw me.
“That's surprising. To think the man called the Reaper of the Battlefield would show such a disgraceful side.”
-You're the strange one. How many beings do you think can stand so boldly after seeing me?
“Is that so?”
Arthur grinned and looked at the piles of gold and jewels stacked beside the dragon.
-Do you want it?
“Not particularly. I'm just curious why Teheran told me to come and meet you.”
-Before that, you'll have to solve my curiosity.
“Is there a reason I have to do that?”
-What an audacious brat. Do you think you can face the Demon King without my help?
“I'll know when I try.”
The moment Arthur turned to leave without any lingering attachment, the door slammed shut.
THUMP—
-*You cannot leave without my permission.*
“What did you say?”
Arthur's eyes glinted sharply.
As he stared intently at the dragon, a question suddenly occurred to him.
Was it truly alive?
His voice echoed in his head, but the creature didn't move an inch.
Perhaps what he was seeing was some kind of illusion.
He decided to check first.
“You know, I really hate being oppressed by someone.”
As Arthur drew up his mana, an intense aura burst forth.
-A mere human scrap dares to emit an aura in front of me?
“Mere human scrap? And you, a mere lizard, dare to try and oppress a human?”
Arthur kicked off the ground and rushed toward Rumakas. He threw a punch with all the strength in his right fist.
Fwoosh!
With a sound of cutting through the air, just as he was about to strike the dragon's leg!
Something unexpected happened.
Arthur's power vanished without a trace.
Thwack!
With his mana gone, an immense pain shot through his fist.
“Ugh!”
Arthur grimaced and glared at Rumakas.
-Did you forget that I am the guardian deity of the House of Count Julius? Where do you think that power you possess came from?
“Don't tell me…?”
-It wouldn't do for a family created by a Dragon Lord to be weaker than human families, now would it? So I made arrangements for them to use a tiny bit of my power.
“Then the side effect in Teheran's Mana Training Method was also your doing…”
-Of course. The potential of humans is astonishingly great. I allowed them to use my power, but I do not wish for them to become strong enough for my kin to feel threatened.
“It’s the same damn bullshit here as it was there.”
Arthur grimaced, recalling his former superior, General MacGregor.
After completing his final mission and returning, he was attacked by his own allies.
It was something that couldn't have happened without his orders.
In truth, even after becoming Arthur Julius, he had often thought about the reason.
The answer was always the same.
Just as Rumakas said, he had judged it right to eliminate him before he could become stronger, as he could have become a threat to them.
Anger surged every time he had that thought.
But to think there was someone here who thought the same way as MacGregor.
What was more surprising was that the bitterness he felt was stronger than his anger at the fact that this being was the very founder of the House of Count Julius.
-Hmm, you have been betrayed by a comrade.
“...!”
Arthur's eyes flashed.
-Compared to my great abilities, this much is nothing.
His voice was filled with arrogance.
“What do you want from me?”
-Unlike the brat, you are very clever. You know how to get straight to the point. First, tell me how you came to be in another person's body.
“Hmm…”
Arthur wore a displeased expression.
But there had to be a reason Teheran had told him to meet this being.
Besides, Teheran's Mana Training Method had a serious side effect.
He also didn't know how to use the 'absolute power'.
To solve those two problems, Rumakas's help was absolutely necessary.
At times like this, he had to make a wise judgment.
After thinking for a moment, Arthur nodded as if he had made a decision.
“I have a condition.”
-How very interesting. To think you would try to bargain with me.
“I will give you the answer you want, so I want you to solve the side effect of the Mana Training Method.”
-You should have heard about that from the brat, no?
“I want to know another way, other than reaching the 9th star to control the mana rampage.”
-There is no other way. In the first place, it is impossible for a human to wield the power of a dragon.
“Then was it a lie that it's possible upon reaching the 9th star?”
-If you reach the 9th star, you will be comparable to the power of a dragon. You might even be stronger than us.
“What do you mean by that?”
-In truth, it is impossible for a human to reach the 9th star by their own ability. The brat also had outstanding talent, but the 8th star was his limit.
“You gave them the power knowing from the start that they could never become stronger than your own kind.”
Arthur looked at Rumakas with eyes full of contempt.
But he showed no reaction.
He remained exactly as he had first seen him, with only his voice echoing in his mind.
It suddenly occurred to him that, like Teheran or Kanmurasas, this too might be an arrangement made with magic.
To find conclusive evidence, it seemed best to go along with what he wanted.
“Understood. And there's one more thing. Teheran said he gave me an absolute power. But I don't know how to use it.”
-That's not difficult. If you satisfy my curiosity, I will solve it for you.
“How can I believe that?”
-I will promise you with the Dragon's Oath. I am bound by what is called the Primordial Covenant and must keep any promise I make. If I fail to do so, the dragon's words will be broken, my ego will crumble, and I will perish. For a dragon, it is a disgraceful death.
“Is that the truth?”
Arthur looked at him with an expression full of disbelief.
Then, a majestic and powerful voice, devoid of any playfulness, was heard.
-I, Rumakas, promise Arthur Julius by the Dragon's Oath.
Judging by the solemn atmosphere, it didn't seem like a lie.
“Alright. My name is Kang Tae-soo, and I came from Earth.”
With a calm voice, Arthur explained his existence and also told him about Earth.
Quite some time passed like that.
Rumakas, having learned all of Arthur's secrets, seemed shocked by the fact that the monstrous creature that had invaded Earth was the Demon King from this world and remained silent for a long time.
Arthur waited silently until he heard his voice.
A few minutes later.
Rumakas's serious voice was heard.
-So you are saying you killed that Demon King?
“From what I saw, yes.”
-Then it must have used dimensional travel to cross over here again, just as it did right before it was killed by Teheran.
“You also knew that the Demon King had appeared?”
-The reason I awoke was precisely because I sensed the Demon King's energy.
“You're saying the same thing as Kanmurasas.”
-How dare you compare me to that one who was my attendant…
Anger could be felt in his voice.
But Arthur didn't even blink at his reaction.
“So the man who was an Archmage was nothing more than your attendant in the end.”
-It seems you do not know that being the attendant of a Dragon Lord is the highest honor for a human mage.
His voice overflowed with pride.
“Is that so?”
Arthur let out a smirk and continued.
“Now, keep your promise.”
-Even without you asking, I was curious what a being from another dimension would have wished for. Let's see now.
A moment passed.
Rumakas's anger-laced voice was heard.
-Damn it! What is this kind of thing?
“You said if you break the promise, your ego will crumble and you will perish, right?”
-A dragon never breaks a promise. I will now fulfill my promise, so endure it even if it's painful. And follow my instructions. Then the power will be unlocked.
“I get it, so hurry up.”
Arthur tensed up, preparing to face the coming pain.
The pure white light that had disappeared reappeared before Arthur's eyes.
This time, it vanished as if it were being absorbed into his head.
Simultaneously, a massive explosion occurred inside his body.
BOOM! KABOOM!
KABOOOM!
Arthur felt as if the explosion was erasing his physical body without a trace.
“Damn it!”
He gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
After a few seconds had passed, the pain was no longer felt.
-Look at your right hand.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes and looked at his right hand.
There was nothing there.
-Recall what you were thinking in your head when you spoke to Teheran.
“Recall it?”
Arthur tilted his head and thought of the guns.
Dozens of types of guns seemed to unfold like a panorama, and then he felt an intense energy in his right hand.
“What is this?”
A golden liquid flowed out of his right hand and began to transform into a certain shape.
As the shape gradually formed, Arthur's eyes widened.
It had become a golden pistol.
It was his other extension of himself that he always carried along with the CheyTac, the SIG P226, the Sig Sauer.
With a face showing a mix of surprise and delight, he examined the gun from all angles.
“...!”
It wasn't just the appearance that was the same; it was a real gun.
Thinking 'no way', he checked the magazine and found it filled with a golden aura instead of bullets.
“Don't tell me it uses aura instead of bullets?”
-I would like to see just how great it is.
“I'm very much looking forward to it.”
Arthur gave a meaningful smile and aimed the muzzle at the dragon.
-What do you think you're doing?
Rumakas's voice turned icy.
“There's something I want to check, too.”
Arthur pulled the trigger without mercy.
BANG—!