Chapter 46 : Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Master of the Desert (3)

The Desert’s Blessing is both a blessing and a curse, a double-edged sword.

Those of the Hamudalun tribe who received the Desert’s Blessing could form a contract with a Sand Spirit.

The contract with a Sand Spirit was undoubtedly worthy of being called a ‘blessing.’

They became a significant force for the Hamudalun tribe.

Sand Spirits could not only freely shape themselves from sand but also infiltrate anywhere sand existed—be it the ground or buildings—making their utility boundless.

Moreover, they were renowned for devoting all their power to their contractor once a contract was formed.

In the vast Hamdel Desert, only the Hamudalun tribe could form contracts with Sand Spirits.

This was because Sand Spirits rarely left the desert and were reluctant to reveal themselves to humans.

The Hamudalun tribe, alongside the Sand Spirits, had reigned as the desert’s dominant force for ages.

However, the drawbacks of receiving the Desert’s Blessing were stark.

Due to the Sand Spirits’ reluctance to leave the desert, their contractors were similarly unable to venture beyond its borders.

It wasn’t a matter of force, but if a contractor embarked on a journey the Sand Spirit did not desire, they would suffer physical ailments outside the desert, wasting away.

The greater the amount of blessing one received, the higher the rank of Sand Spirit they could contract with.

And the burden on the contractor grew heavier the higher the rank of the contracted spirit.

Those who contracted with Sand Spirits of high rank or above were effectively unable to leave the desert.

Just like the child standing before me now, Narima.

Her exceptional talent and potential had confined her to the desert.

“Hm? If you want to travel outside the desert, I could help you.”

I spoke impulsively.

It wasn’t merely to recruit Narima as a companion because of her talent.

Rather, it was out of a small sense of pity that I made such an offer.

I looked into Narima’s large eyes and continued.

But Narima only blinked up at me, saying nothing.

“I’m serious. I know a way to avoid enduring that burden. It won’t be easy, but if you gather the right materials, you can seal the spirit and move freely.”

Blink, blink.

“If you want, I’ll help you.”

I had no shortage of tasks myself.

The problems piling up before me were already overwhelming.

Helping Narima would delay me by a few days, but I wasn’t callous enough to ignore her situation.

‘I didn’t know I was this kind of person.’

In truth, the Hamudalun tribe character I had raised in the game was in a similar position, forced into a role much like Narima’s.

That character was also the son of the tribe’s chieftain.

He had only managed to leave the desert by sealing the overwhelming Desert’s Blessing he had received.

Perhaps that’s why Narima’s situation didn’t feel like someone else’s problem.

The NPCs who demanded that my character take on responsibilities because of the great blessing he received, and the restriction of being unable to leave the desert, had irritated me even while playing the game.

But for Narima, who lived in this desert, it was her reality, her life.

And I, too, was a member of the Adjak family, suffering under the weight of tradition.

If the sealing was done properly, wouldn’t this child be able to see the world beyond the desert she was so curious about?

Then, Narima gave a bright smile.

“It’s okay, mister! The Sand Spirits are my friends. If I sealed them, they’d be sad… And eventually, other kids will take my place in the contract…”

Narima mumbled to herself before raising her voice brightly.

“And this is my role!”

The sincere, bright voice of the small child made me feel sad.

Just a little.

* * *

I spent a comfortable night with the Hamudalun tribe.

The chieftain provided me with a cozy place to rest and even assigned a healer to me.

Thanks to that, the external injuries I sustained from the Monster Wave were treated by a professional.

As for my internal injuries, the Dragon Heart was working tirelessly to heal them.

“Your treatment is complete, young man. You’ll recover quickly.”

“Thank you, elder.”

The healer nodded and gently patted Narima’s head, who was chattering beside me.

Though the healer spoke gruffly to me, his touch toward Narima was filled with affection.

“Narima, isn’t it time for you to sleep?”

“Tonight, I can stay up all night!”

“Haha, this kid.”

The healer let out a hearty laugh toward Narima.

Then, with a request to take care of Narima, he left the tent.

Narima hadn’t left my side since I arrived at the village.

Even during my treatment, she stayed nearby, chattering away.

It was late, and she should have been tired, but her eyes still sparkled.

“Aren’t you really tired?”

“…Hehe, nope! Are you tired, mister?”

“I’m fine.”

As I talked with Narima for a long time, one question lingered in my mind.

“But why do you like me so much?”

If I had to guess why Narima liked me, it might be because she said I smelled nice, or because I was one of the few who could tell her stories of the world beyond the desert, or because I offered to seal her spirit to help her.

Narima puffed out her cheeks, deep in thought.

“Maybe I got the smell wrong…”

“It’s okay, just tell me.”

“Mister, are you a dragon?”

I was startled for a moment but hid my reaction.

I hadn’t revealed to the Hamudalun tribe that I was from the Adjak family.

They likely thought of me as just a traveler passing through the desert.

But it seemed I couldn’t fool Narima’s nose.

“Hm, I’m not actually a dragon. Ever heard of a half-human, half-dragon? My distant ancestor was a dragon.”

“Ohh… But you smell strongly of dragon. That’s cool.”

“Have you ever met a dragon?”

“I met Lady Hike once.”

This time, I couldn’t hide my surprise.

My eyes widened as I asked Narima.

“Lady Hike came here?”

“Yup. When I was really little. She comes by every now and then, they say.”

It must have been when Narima, who was still young, was even younger.

It was remarkable that she remembered the smell of a dragon from back then, but more importantly, I wondered why Hike had visited.

“Do you happen to remember why Lady Hike came?”

“Um… It was a long time ago. Before I was even born, there was a dragon named Adjak. He helped the Hamudalun tribe.”

“Yeah, and then?”

“They say Adjak didn’t take any gifts after helping us. Instead, he asked us to help him when he went to slay the Demon King.”

A faint memory stirred.

Adjak had meddled with so many tribes that I had forgotten about this one.

I vaguely recalled that Adjak had visited the Hamdel Desert and interacted with the Hamudalun tribe.

He had likely driven out a sandworm from an area they wanted to settle in when they were relocating within the desert.

“But we couldn’t help Adjak when he went to kill the Demon King.”

“Did Lady Hike get upset about that?”

“No, she didn’t. Every time she came, she brought lots of gifts. She never scolded us for not helping.”

Narima said with a bright smile.

But this time, her smile seemed tinged with sadness.

“Lady Hike said she came to check if the people Adjak helped were doing well. She brings gifts every time.”

Hike had once said casually that her time with Adjak wasn’t very long.

Yet, it seemed she had been visiting the people Adjak had connections with.

Even after 300 years.

‘…That must be Lady Hike’s way of remembering Adjak.’

I suddenly felt that Hike was remarkable.

“That’s why we’re always told we should help dragons and repay our debt someday. I thought you seemed like a dragon… so I wanted to get closer to you.”

Narima had her own reasons for wanting to befriend me.

Still, the news left a bittersweet ache in my chest.

Adjak had wandered the world, helping as many people as possible to gather allies.

Helping the Hamudalun tribe was such a minor act that I barely remembered it.

In the game, it was likely just one of those unremarkable quests, but I never imagined I’d encounter the repercussions of those actions in a place like this.

Whether I remembered those events or whether the Hamudalun tribe refused to join Adjak’s expedition wasn’t important.

What mattered was that the people of this world still remembered Adjak.

And that they hadn’t forgotten his help and wanted to repay it someday.

“Sorry for deceiving you, mister.”

“You didn’t deceive me. It’s okay. Thanks for telling me.”

And then I told Narima the truth.

“My name is Polarin Adjak, a descendant of Adjak. Thank you for not forgetting my ancestor.”

Narima’s small mouth dropped open in shock.

“…You’re him? How can I repay this debt?”

“You don’t need to. Really.”

I hadn’t revealed my identity to demand repayment from a child.

“Let’s just talk more until it’s time to sleep. I have to leave tomorrow.”

“…Okay.”

Narima’s eyes, already cute, seemed to shine even brighter than before.

And as I spoke, I sensed a presence nearby.

‘It seems one of the tribe elders has withdrawn their [Assimilation].’

I had been aware of it for a while.

As the rank of my Dragon Heart rose, I became more sensitive to the mana around me, never missing a presence.

Even while chatting with Narima, I had noticed one of the Hamudalun tribe lingering nearby.

It was the energy of Karab, who had guided me to this place.

But when Narima spoke about Hike and Adjak, Karab’s presence suddenly vanished.

No matter how I scanned the surrounding mana, I couldn’t detect a trace.

It was as if he had never existed, perfectly concealing his energy.

It seemed he had used the Hamudalun tribe’s trait, [Assimilation].

The trait that made the Hamudalun tribe renowned as the greatest assassins, [Assimilation].

If they approached using that trait, there was no way to stop them.

That’s why I was cautious about revealing my true identity.

But I couldn’t lie to Narima, who was opening her heart to me.

‘They likely realized I’m from the Adjak family. How will they respond?’

What choice would the Hamudalun tribe make?

I gazed into Narima’s large eyes.

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.