Chapter 139 : Chapter 139

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 139 – Flight (3)

The First Witch, Elizabeth.

The most noble lady of this land quietly gazed up at the sky.

“Elder Sister, is something the matter?”

The other Witches, seeing Elizabeth’s silent gaze fixed upon the heavens, asked with varying emotions in their voices. Some with unease, others with curiosity, and still others with worry.

“Sisters.”

Elizabeth finally answered their questioning looks.

“Our adorable youngest has completed her errand.”

The youngest.

The Witches immediately knew who Elizabeth meant. Their newest and most lovable sister—Audrey. The innocent and ever-helpful Audrey. Thinking of her, the Witches let out soft gasps of admiration. If Audrey had succeeded in her errand, that could only mean—

“The descendant of Steel has recovered the forgotten legend. The immortal code ‘Labyrinthos’ has been unlocked, and the mists upon the map are lifting. The treasure our sisters have long sought, hidden away with the legends of the past, shall return. The precious relic personally bestowed by Our Lord…”

“Is it true?”

Elizabeth smiled faintly and nodded.

“It returns—‘Thunder.’”

***

The young dragon, Aion, was struck speechless by the utterly surreal sight before him. His breath—still immature and incomplete. A dragon’s breath, by nature, is the violent manifestation of destruction, formed by condensing the Mysteries and spirits that dwell within their bodies. But Aion had neither learned to command spirits nor to manipulate the world’s Mysteries. What he wielded was only a crude, destructive power—nothing more.

Even so, Aion was still a dragon. Even the breath of a young dragon should have been enough to erase a mere human without leaving a trace. However—

‘My breath… vanished.’

Aion’s breath hadn’t destroyed the human. Not only had it failed to break him—it hadn’t even left a scratch. How could such a thing be? His fiery breath had touched the human’s flame—and melted away, disintegrating into nothing. Even Aion could tell the problem lay with that flame. It had weakened even his scales.

But still— How could such a power exist in this world?

‘I have to run.’

He couldn’t win if he fought.

The sword that human carried was infused with the strength of the earth itself, as though the Spirit King dwelled within it—hard enough to shatter a dragon’s claw. The human’s flame was equally terrible, fierce enough to threaten a dragon’s very life. And it had already proven immune to a dragon’s breath.

He had to flee. If he could just escape, he would win in the end. Dragons lived forever, and the longer they lived, the stronger they became. In the long run, wasn’t survival itself victory? No matter how strong that human was, he’d wither and die within a hundred years…

But there was one problem.

‘How am I supposed to escape?’

His wings were broken. One of his legs had been severed. He had exhausted himself by forcing out that breath. Could he really run in this condition? Judging from earlier, that human clearly knew the geography of the Sky Mountains better than even Aion himself—who had lived here for over a century.

‘Was he a ranger? No, impossible. I’ve never heard of imperial rangers handling swords with such mastery. At best they use crossbows and hunt wild beasts…’

Who—what—was he? The longer Aion looked, the less he understood. And what one does not understand, one fears.

The metallic scent emanating from the human no longer felt like an unpleasant odor—it was the scent of a top predator, exuding killing intent. The human’s form seemed to shift before his eyes.

A rugged old adventurer, yet also a young man. His figure flickered and became that of an old man with a lion’s face—long beard, fierce eyes, and a body bathed in blood, as hard as forged steel.

‘U… uuh.’

The moment Aion saw that old man’s form, a primal terror gripped him. A fear unlike anything he had ever felt before. He didn’t know who the old man was, but something deep within his blood screamed in alarm —as though he had met his natural predator.

‘I must return… to the nest… to the safety of my nest!’

Overwhelmed by indescribable fear, Aion abandoned all pride and bolted through the mud. But escaping the human was impossible.

“Where do you think—”

Whsshh!

Aion’s foreleg was severed.

“—you’re going?”

Thud!

His head slammed into the ground, and the very earth trembled, binding his body in place. It was as if the entire land itself was hunting him. Impossible—every spirit in existence loved dragons. Unless the Spirit King of the Earth had descended himself, such a thing could never—

“Going somewhere?”

Slash!

The broken wings were carved clean off. Agonizing pain swept through him, but Aion couldn’t even scream. The cold blade was already pressed against his throat. A single motion, and his head would fall. Even dragons died when decapitated.And as death loomed closer, Aion felt sheer terror.

For immortal beings, death was a horror they could scarcely comprehend—something utterly foreign. Especially for dragons.

“S-stop! Please, stop!”

Before that dreadful fear, Aion broke down in pitiful tears. Tears streamed from his reptilian eyes as he even lost control of his bladder. Gasping for breath, he looked up at the terrifying human and begged for his life —in the way of dragons.

“Please, spare me! I’ll do anything! I swear it upon my Dragon Heart! A vow sworn on a Dragon Heart lasts even after death, in the Spirit World! So, ask me anything—anything! Please, I want to live…”

It was an offer no one could refuse. Aion might have been weak now, but what about in the future? Dragons grew ever stronger with the passage of time. He was bargaining for his life by appealing to his potential value.

“If you kill me, human… you’ll regret it. All Dragon Hearts are connected by blood. If I die, my mother will come—and she will burn you to ash. Not just you, but everyone sharing your bloodline. In the dragon’s way…”

It wasn’t a bluff. That was why no one killed dragons recklessly. They were arrogant, dismissing the six other races as insects—but their love for their kin, especially family, was stronger than any other race.

Aion wept as he pleaded. Then the human spoke.

“Mom’s coming for revenge?”

The man grinned. Aion’s mind went blank.

“Then I’ll call my grandfather.”

This human… was insane.

***

The young dragon that had attacked us by collapsing the Cloud Bridge was now completely subdued. The authority of Gaia imbued in the sword proved remarkably useful—it not only saved me from danger but even bound the target in place. With this sword, I could command the power of the earth itself.

「That was reckless, young descendant.」

Liam’s voice echoed.

「A dragon’s breath is not something one faces head-on—it is something one avoids. Only a Swordmaster can withstand it.」

“But I cut through it, didn’t I?”

「Did I not tell you? A young dragon is merely a winged lizard.」

“…”

「This one possesses none of a true dragon’s weapons. Had it been a real dragon, your life would have ended on the spot—and I would be scolding your spirit for dying foolishly.」

Dying foolishly, only to be scolded by Liam afterwards—that would’ve been the worst ending imaginable.

“So I just got lucky because he was young.”

「Exactly.」

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

「Speak.」

“When I cut through that breath—no, erased it—I didn’t consciously do anything. I just… moved as my instincts told me to.”

Instinct. That was the perfect word.

The moment I saw the dragon’s breath, a memory surfaced—and when I came to, I had already swung my sword. Yet, that strike didn’t contain the Mystery of 「Flight」. I hadn’t fully absorbed the old adventurer’s memories enough to wield his true power.

Liam answered.

「Your original Mystery has grown.」

“Grown?”

「As you absorb legends, your soul strengthens—and a swordsman’s Mysteries grow with the soul. The 「Flame of Doubt」 you possess has become stronger. Strong enough to dismantle a young dragon’s breath in an instant.」

The 「Flame of Doubt」. So my own power had evolved.

“Then, the more swords I consume, the more my strength will grow alongside the new powers I gain?”

「Indeed.」

“Isn’t that practically cheating?”

Liam scoffed.

「This? You call this cheating?」

My growth showed no signs of stopping.

Truly— I could feel it, the greatness of the blood flowing through my veins. The lineage that once defied the world itself—the Blood of Steel.

I was a descendant of Karavan.

‘Feels good to be great.’

I smiled with satisfaction. The young dragon stared at me.

“Why… Why do you mutter to yourself like that? Have you lost your mind?”

His voice trembled. I replied curtly.

“Watch your tone.”

“W-what?”

“Your tone. Show some respect.”

***

The young dragon introduced himself as Aion. He first explained why he had been loitering around the lower slopes of the Sky Mountains—the realm of beasts—rather than his proper place at the summit, home of the dragons.

“U-uh, because… up at the summit, I’m nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“The e-elders never ask young dragons to do anything! They don’t even let us fly or leave the mountain! They say young dragons are weak and useless, that beasts might bite us to death, or the wind might blow us off mid-flight and kill us…”

“…”

“The overprotection was just too much, so I left. D-down here, at least I can be king. I can trample whoever I want and reign like a monarch! That’s… that’s what it means to be a dragon—to claim a domain and rule over it!”

In short— he just wanted to feel like a big shot among the weak.

‘What a pathetic nerd…’

As I looked at Aion in disbelief, my master spoke.

「That is the dragon’s nature. They are born as monarchs and must rule somewhere to feel fulfilled. It’s not because he’s young—all dragons are idiots like this. The problem is, those idiots happen to be the strongest beings among the Seven Races.」

An awful species, from the sound of it.

Anyway, the conclusion was simple.

A timid young dragon had come down the mountains to feed his ego by ruling over the weak—and when he sensed the Karavan presence, he destroyed the Cloud Bridge to show off his power.

‘Hmm.’

Put that way— he deserved to die.

“Please…”

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Aion desperately begged for mercy.

「Let him live.」

“That’s unexpected of you.”

「There’s no benefit in killing him. The hide of a young dragon isn’t worth much, and slaying one before it matures will only earn you countless enemies. Remember the fury of the High Elf? The wrath of dragons makes that look like a child’s tantrum.」

Dragon’s wrath. Just hearing it made my spine tingle.

「Besides, keeping him alive benefits you more.」

“How so?”

「You’ve gained yourself a dragon slave.」

Liam chuckled.

「A vow sworn on a Dragon Heart is unbreakable to dragons. It’s akin to selling one’s soul to a demon. You now have a dragon bound to you—a young, impressionable, and easily dominated one.」

“…”

「What? Does the word “slave” make you uncomfortable?」

“No.”

Uncomfortable? Not at all.

“That’s amazing.”

I grinned and turned to Aion.

“Aion.”

“Y-yes?”

“Swear it upon your Dragon Heart.”

Suddenly, the little dragon looked rather… promising.

“From today, we’re secret friends.”

Dragon. You’re mine now!

***

Liam was right. By sparing the young dragon Aion, I gained a lot.

“From this moment, my Dragon Heart shall be bound to the human Arhan Karavan. Should Arhan Karavan’s life be cut short, he may decide my fate even as a spirit. The dragon Aion shall serve his new master, Arhan Karavan, with unwavering loyalty.”

Thus, Aion’s life and death now rested in my hands. He couldn’t even think of betrayal—since even after my death, I could choose to end him. Indeed, a Dragon Heart oath was no different from selling one’s soul.

From now on, Aion would serve me, whether he liked it or not. He would even pray for my safety—because if I died, I might drag him to hell just to keep me company.

A valuable card in hand.

“Since the human Arhan Karavan has become the master of the Dragon Heart, he may now wield a portion of its power.”

“A portion? What does that mean?”

“You’ll gain greater Mana capacity. The Mana within you will grow purer. And… you’ll be able to create a spiritual domain and summon me there—to ask questions or seek my wisdom. The wisdom of dragons, which all beings of the continent desire.”

“I’d rather not invite you. Anything else?”

“…”

“Can I breathe fire, fly like a dragon, or grow scales that deflect arrows?”

“N-no.”

“Magic? Spirit powers?”

“No.”

“So basically, I just get a little healthier and have to chat with a dumb lizard sometimes.”

“…”

I grumbled, but in truth, I’d gained plenty.

I could feel the difference in my body already.

Before, I’d merely had the strength of a superhuman—now, even without Paths, I felt like a monster.

“I’ll grow quickly and be of help to you someday!”

“How long’s that gonna take?”

“Uh… three hundred years?”

“…”

Well, fine. It wasn’t bad overall.

Even if sparing him felt unsatisfying, having his life in my hands was enough. When the contract ended, I gestured for the trembling Aion to leave. I’d call him later if I needed him.

“Thank you!”

Aion scrambled up the mountain, filthy and pathetic—but surprisingly fast.

The little king had gone home to his mother.

Watching his figure disappear, I brushed the dust off my clothes.

“Hmm.”

There was still something left to do.

‘Seol Yoon, Tom.’

I had to find my companions. Fortunately, that wouldn’t be difficult. I was no longer some country bumpkin from the Iron Kingdom’s edge—I was practically a legendary adventurer with the Sky Mountains’ structure etched into my mind.

I’d track their trail down soon enough…

Or so I thought.

“Arhan!”

“Sir!”

Before I could even start searching— Seol Yoon and Tom found me.

How had they located me first? They didn’t know about these mountains at all. But the answer soon appeared.

“It’s been a while, O warrior of unyielding strength and mysterious might.”

Behind Seol Yoon and Tom stood a familiar face— a man holding a sacred torch.

“Your aura is as magnificent as ever. I’m glad to meet you again. I had a feeling we’d cross paths once more here in the Sky Mountains, but I didn’t think it’d be this soon.”

Smiling warmly, he brought his palms together and bowed.

“May the Eternal Day be with you.”

The greeting of those who served the Sun Goddess, Revrua.

‘So we meet again.’

The ascetic of the Sky Mountains. A servant of the Sun Goddess Revrua. The Monk.

The very fighter who had appeared as my opponent in the Promotion Match for the Gold Medal— the prerequisite for entering the 「Infinite Duel」.

“Helen?”

Yes. That was his name.

“I’m honored you remember.”