[ Ancient Dragonkin (1) ]
“Good luck breaking the curse~! I’ll make sure to tie a pretty ribbon around your brand-new custom prosthetic arm and eye patch set!”
Liette shouted excitedly. Please, don’t. I have this sinking feeling that if we mess this up, the rest of my life might get thrown away. Noah, meanwhile, looked like a nervous cow being dragged off to market, pacing anxiously. He looked like he might cry any minute.
“It’s been a while since I’ve gambled. I feel a bit of a thrill.”
Seong Hyunjae said with a face that showed as much tension as an ant’s eyelash. I’d almost feel sorry if he was actually nervous. Really, though, this man is more concerned about my conscience’s well-being than anyone else in the world.
“Regardless of how it turns out, you’ll walk away with everything you want, yet you’re still exaggerating.”
“You’ll at least gift wrap it for me, won’t you?”
“I’ll even give you a receipt.”
Of course, the best outcome for everyone would be if we managed to break the curse cleanly. But if things go wrong, there are still the Elixirs and those so-called System Creators we can try appealing to. Whether any of that will work on an L-rank curse’s side effects, though, I can’t say for sure.
I took a deep breath and stretched out my hand.
“Give me the contract. I’ll tear it up.”
Seong Hyunjae pulled the contract out of his inventory. It was a thin, black plate about the size of an A4 sheet, engraved with unreadable characters. It wasn’t paper or parchment, but something else entirely. He handed it over with a curious look, as if daring me to try ripping it apart. Ugh, seriously.
As expected, no matter how hard I squeezed, the thin plate didn’t budge. I even tried stabbing it with a knife, but it didn’t leave a scratch. I guess being an L-rank contract means it has L-rank durability too.
“…Let’s go with breaking it by violating the contract. I’m not sure of the exact range of curse resistance, so bend down a bit. Or sit if you’d rather.”
Looks like I’ll have to stick close to him, like I do with my poison resistance skill. It’s fortunate that it’s his arm and eye at stake and not his legs, or this could have turned into a real mess. Seong Hyunjae sat on the rubble of a broken building. Even though he was about to violate a contract that required him to wager parts of his body, his expression remained completely nonchalant. Is he seriously not worried at all?
‘If Seong Hyunjae comes out of this okay, I should be able to break Yuhyun’s contract too.’
Since it was likely the same person behind both, and the terms were probably similar.
“You’re thinking about your brother again.”
“…Excuse me?”
Seong Hyunjae tilted his head slightly, looking up at me as he continued.
“If I survive, you’ll go rushing off to break Han Yuhyun’s contract too, right?”
“Stop reading my mind.”
“How can I not when it’s written all over your face?”
What’s wrong with my face? I stretched out my hand and placed it on Seong Hyunjae’s right shoulder. I was tempted to use the contact as an excuse to grab the back of his head and yank his hair out as if by accident. I wonder if S-rank hair follicles are tougher too.
“I’m not really keen on being someone’s experiment for the sake of others.”
“Yuhyun hardly knows anything anyway. He seemed like he was already done with them early on.”
“That’s true. The young master cut ties quickly. It was odd at first, though, because his response was so half-hearted, unlike Liette, who ignored them completely. Looking back now, it must’ve been because of you, Han Yujin.”
Ah, so once again, it was my fault. Great. Everything’s always my problem.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No, keep talking.”
After briefly scanning my expression, Seong Hyunjae resumed speaking.
“Their approach is simple. They start by dangling information about items or skills. Like, if you clear this dungeon in this specific way, you’ll get this or that reward.”
That sounded similar to what Liette had told me. Were they as knowledgeable as the System Creators? Still, it seemed their access to information was limited since they didn’t know much about me.
On the other hand, unlike the System Creators who can only send roundabout messages outside the dungeon, these people seemed capable of direct interference in our world.
“Once they’ve baited you with information, they offer a contract. It’s usually simple: you’re not allowed to reveal their identity or any information you learn about them. Of course, I added a few more conditions of my own. That’s why I’m able to tell you this much.”
“And in exchange for keeping quiet, they give you more useful information? That sounds too generous.”
“They have good reason to offer light terms. They’re those so-called ‘Filial Duty Addicts,’ after all.”
As he spoke in a low, amused voice, I suddenly felt a strong recoil and a message window popped up in front of me.
[All skill effects are doubled when facing the Master of the Venom and Curse Dragon King □□□□□!]
The Master of the Venom and Curse Dragon King. A laugh slipped out before I could stop myself. So, it’s you.
I had no idea there was a master behind this, and I had thought it was just bad luck. But your pathetic lizard bit my brother, so I’ll be sure to meet you face to face and get compensation. Sound good?
“So, how do I meet this bastard?”
“There were no prior records of you. It’s clear you’ve lived a clean life, yet sometimes you have the look of someone who’s killed a person or two.”
“…What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“I mean, I like you.”
Seong Hyunjae suddenly stood up. Caught off guard, I staggered, and his large hand caught me. His right hand, which was still perfectly fine. His eye, too, was completely normal. Of course—my skill effect had doubled.
“The reason they’re so lenient with their conditions is simple: without their help, you can’t escape this world.”
He spoke as he helped me back on my feet.
“A world that’s about to disappear. To put it simply, they’re saying, ‘If you don’t want to die, do as we say.’ It’s boring and uninteresting, really.”
“What do you mean?”
Liette, still sitting a distance away on a pile of rubble, cut in.
“Earth’s going to be destroyed? When? If I’d known, I would’ve lived more recklessly.”
You already live plenty recklessly.
“So, if you help those so-called Filial Duty Addicts, they’ll help you escape?”
“That’s the gist of it. But it’s not for just anyone. They say you need to be at least an S-rank in stats—preferably a high S-rank—to withstand the shock of escaping this world. I’m sure the young master backed out after hearing that. He probably thought there was no chance his precious brother would ever awaken with S-rank stats. Even though we can’t know for sure with your skills, people with mid-to-high stats usually show some talent even before awakening, like how most famous athletes are at least mid-rank.”
As for me, I was just an ordinary F-rank. Yuhyun, you…
“So, their plan is to destroy this world, right?”
“It’s already falling apart on its own. More dungeons will appear, monsters will grow stronger, and eventually, people won’t be able to handle it anymore.”
“Then what’s that weird group’s actual goal? They’re not some kind of rescue team, are they?”
If they really were a rescue team, would I have to somehow convince Yuhyun to work with them again?
“Their goal is to let the world perish naturally. Their job is to eliminate any factors that might interfere with that process. Why they want that? I haven’t been told. Maybe their parents want to see the world end, as you might expect from a group that calls themselves Filial Duty Addicts.”
Now I’m curious about what their parents look like.
At least it seems like the System Creators want our world to survive. To prevent the world from falling apart, we need to keep clearing dungeons before they explode, which means we’ll need strong hunters.
That must be why they want me to gather S-ranks.
“So, the ‘factors’ they want to eliminate are powerful hunters?”
“That seems to be the case. Judging by the ones who’ve approached us so far, none of them are ordinary S-ranks. If they succeed in drawing them in, they’ll eliminate a potential obstacle and remove a specific factor at the same time. Two birds with one stone. That’s why they put so much effort into their recruitment.”
“And what if someone like you grows stronger and then betrays them? What would they do then?”
“They said that just signing a contract with them doesn’t make someone a specific factor, or something like that.”
Hearing that reminded me of when Yuhyun was attacked in the snow-covered dungeon. Getting involved with the Filial Duty Addicts seemed to make you a target for the System Creators. I guess that was why. Without the System Creators’ help, you couldn’t become one of these specific factors, or whatever.
In any case, Yuhyun had already signed the contract, so he probably wasn’t one of those specific factors anymore.
But then, why did they try to kill him?
“Is there a way to make contact with them—”
Thud.
Suddenly, Seong Hyunjae’s hand shoved me back. I was thrown backward, skidding harshly across the ground. My head was spinning, but instinct kicked in, and I used the Teacher skill. I directed it at Noah first, as he was the safest target nearby. In that instant, I understood the situation.
Seong Hyunjae, who had been standing far away, now had a large wound across his chest, his body soaked in blood—an unfamiliar sight.
And standing where Seong Hyunjae had just been… someone else had taken his place. Before I could even fully register who it was—
Crunch!
“Yujin!”
A burning pain shot through my body. My vision blurred for a moment. It wasn’t really an attack—it felt like someone had grabbed my leg. In that moment, claws pierced straight through my leg. Swallowing a scream, I quickly shouted.
“Don’t come near, Noah!”
If Seong Hyunjae hadn’t been able to dodge the attack properly, Noah wouldn’t stand a chance. I used the Teacher skill on Seong Hyunjae and Liette as well. Soon, I could sense Seong Hyunjae’s Combat Foresight skill kicking in.
“…What the hell is that?”
Liette muttered in shock as she received Seong Hyunjae’s skill through the Teacher skill. It wasn’t the skill itself that surprised her—it was the creature holding me. A dragonkin. A monster without any openings.
While the three of us were still processing the situation, the dragonkin raised the hand gripping me.
“…Ugh.”
As the claws in my leg twisted, a groan escaped my clenched teeth. Hang on, Noah. Just hold on.
I forced my shaking upper body to prop itself up with my arms, turning to get a better look at the dragonkin. Horns, a tail, scales covering its body. It looked like a mix between a human and a dragon, though it lacked wings. I activated the Promising Talent skill toward it.
[Ancient Venom and Curse Dragonkin of 2nd-class – Vikus
Current Stat Rank: SS
Awakened Stat Rank: S
Optimized Initial Skills:
Dragon’s Scales (SS) – Acquired
Melted City (SS) – Acquired
Dragon Transformation (SS) – Failed to Acquire
Shadow Sorcery (S) – Acquired
Combat Amplification (S) – Acquired]
…All that and it’s still only 2nd-class. Impressive. I hadn’t expected its potential to cap at S-rank though. My hand reached for the Shard of Sharlos hanging from my necklace. It’s not like using it would heal me right now, so maybe I should save it. Combining it with Noah’s would only give me 30 minutes at most.
‘If it wanted to kill me, it would have already done so.’
Seong Hyunjae did mention that those Filial Duty Addicts wanted me captured, not dead. Liette also said they were planning on kidnapping me. So if they could send someone like this, why didn’t they do it from the start? Did they panic after realizing Seong Hyunjae broke the contract and decide to rush things?
At that moment, the dragonkin spoke.
“□□□□□□□□□□.”
…Did it just speak? I couldn’t understand it. Even my translation item didn’t work.
Seong Hyunjae and Liette, who had healed their wounds, were approaching cautiously. Noah didn’t rush in either but instead cast support skills on the other two. Still, this fight wasn’t in our favor. Combat Foresight was practically telling me that we were screwed. We weren’t completely outmatched, but even if the two of them coordinated perfectly, the damage ratio would probably be 70:30. With us being the 70.
As the tension in the air thickened, the dragonkin bared its teeth in a smile. It was confident. Poisonous fumes began to rise around it.
‘This isn’t good.’
That message from earlier and the system description… This thing was also a Venom and Curse Dragonkin. The Teacher skill effects would be doubled.
‘…Teacher skill.’
If I could combine Combat Foresight with the dragonkin’s own senses and relay them to our side, the advantage would be ours. Noah and Liette had shown no resistance to the Teacher skill, and while this dragonkin might try to resist, the double effect of the skill should allow me to hold on somehow.
It wasn’t like I had any other options. As soon as I made up my mind, I activated the Teacher skill on the dragonkin, forcefully transmitting its senses to the others. At the same time, I used the Shard of Sharlos. A headache surged, but maybe because it wasn’t familiar with the skill, the dragonkin’s resistance was weaker than I expected.
The moment Seong Hyunjae and Liette received the dragonkin’s senses, their previously passive stances shifted.
Chrrrrk!
Electric chains shot out, snaking toward the dragonkin’s feet. As the creature moved to block them, Liette’s blade deflected its attempt.
Crackle!
A surge of electricity, narrowed to a specific point, momentarily paralyzed the dragonkin.
Clang!
Liette sliced through the claws that had pierced my leg. Before the pain from the impact could even reach my brain, Seong Hyunjae was right there, grabbing me and retreating. Liette barely managed to hold the dragonkin off as it tried to pursue.
“Are you alright?”
“…Barely alive.”
I stopped using the Shard of Sharlos for now. A small crack had appeared in the now-dim shard, but it was still functional. I pulled out a new shard and hung it around my neck, then glanced down at my leg. The severed claws were still embedded in it. Blood continued to pour from the wound along the metallic, grayish nails.
…I need to treat the wound to stop the bleeding. But first, I have to remove these damn claws… Damn it. That lizard jerk sprayed poison everywhere, so I can’t even turn off my poison resistance. I cursed silently and spoke to Seong Hyunjae.
“If I pass out, wake me up no matter what.”
If the skill deactivates, Liette will be in serious danger. Even now, she’s barely holding on with Noah’s healing skills. Without the Teacher skill, she’ll be done for.
“The young master will throw a fit when he finds out.”
“For both our sakes, let’s keep it a secret.”
Seong Hyunjae adjusted his grip on me, then with a chilling sound, he yanked the claws out of my leg. I think I screamed. But I didn’t lose consciousness. The skill was still active. The taste of blood lingered in my mouth.
In the brief moment when my vision blurred, the potion was applied, and my leg began to heal. Damn that stupid lizard. If you were going to catch me, you could’ve done it cleanly. My stats are F, you know. I could die from blood loss. And what kind of idiot owner sends such a dumb lizard after me? Is the owner just as brain-dead?
“I’ve got two Nullification Beads left. One’s got about 10 minutes, and I’ve already used it for a bit, so let’s say roughly 17 minutes left. If Noah gives me his, I’ll have about 27 minutes. That’s plenty of time, don’t you think? Or you could take one yourself and beat the crap out of it for 10 minutes while ignoring its attacks.”
That was a solid plan. As I clenched my teeth and spoke, Seong Hyunjae stared at me intently.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I think I’m falling for you.”
“Didn’t you say you’d already fallen?”
“Can’t I fall for you again?”
“You’re having the time of your life, aren’t you? Your arm and eye are perfectly fine now, so isn’t that enough payment?”
“How can you value me so cheaply? It’s heartbreaking.”
“Enough already, let’s focus on killing that bastard.”
This is the second of your pet lizards that I’m about to take down. So why don’t you show your face already, you damn owner?
–TL Notes–
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