Chapter 238: Strange Appearance [4]

Amon stared into the dark passage for several seconds before turning toward Marielle.

"Let’s go."

Marielle closed her notebook and slipped it into her bag. "Why are you so calm?"

"Would you prefer that I look terrified?"

Marielle rolled her eyes, but she followed him without another complaint.

The passage ahead was narrower than the previous halls, with blue crystals scattered along the walls providing just enough light to see the path.

Amon walked ahead while keeping his senses alert.

The deeper they went, the more mana his Mana Furnace absorbed, drawing energy from the surrounding air at a rate he had rarely experienced before.

It was almost as though something ahead was producing an endless supply of mana.

’What exactly is hidden down here?’

He glanced at the walls, but there were no visible mechanisms or inscriptions that could explain the unusual concentration.

After several minutes, the passage ended before an enormous stone door.

Its surface was covered in unfamiliar symbols arranged in concentric circles, with a large marking carved into the center.

Marielle immediately stepped forward, her earlier complaints forgotten as she examined the inscriptions.

"These symbols are different from the ones we’ve seen so far."

Amon waited beside her, watching the door while his Mana Furnace continued absorbing the surrounding energy.

"Can you figure out what it says?"

"Give me a moment."

"Okay."

Before she could reply, the symbols on the door suddenly began glowing.

Marielle stepped back, nearly dropping her notebook as a low rumble spread through the passage.

The enormous door slowly separated from the surrounding wall, revealing a thin gap that widened with each passing second.

Neither of them had touched it.

Amon’s expression grew serious as he moved in front of Marielle.

"Stay behind me."

"I know how to protect myself."

Marielle remained close to him as they entered the chamber.

The space beyond was enormous, with a ceiling that disappeared into darkness.

Blue crystals lined the distant walls and something floated just above the ground.

Amon took another step before stopping abruptly.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the object, struggling to make sense of what he was seeing.

Marielle walked past his shoulder, following his gaze, and froze the moment she noticed it.

Neither of them said a word.

Suspended in the middle of the chamber was an enormous severed leg.

It was covered in dark scales, each one larger than Amon’s body, and the massive claws at its end looked capable of tearing through a fortress wall.

Thick ridges ran along the limb, while faint traces of energy shimmered between its scales.

Despite its ancient appearance, there was no sign of decay.

The surface remained intact, and the enormous claws looked almost as sharp as freshly forged blades.

Amon slowly raised his head, trying to estimate its size.

’That’s a dragon’s leg? Just how enormous was the rest of its body?’

He had encountered powerful magical creatures before, but this was on an entirely different scale.

Beside him, Marielle had yet to recover from her shock.

"I’ve read about dragons in ancient records," she whispered. "But what is this?"

Amon continued examining the floating limb, paying particular attention to the faint energy surrounding it.

His instincts told him that this was no ordinary remnant, and the strange sensation he had felt earlier was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

After a moment, he muttered, "If there are other parts like this in the remaining dungeons, we might find an entire collection of dragon remains."

Marielle turned toward him. "You think every dungeon could contain a different part?"

"It’s a possibility. The entrances appeared together, and the structures seem to be connected. Perhaps each one contains something related to the others."

She looked back at the enormous leg, her expression becoming thoughtful.

"If that’s true, then someone went to extraordinary lengths to preserve these remains."

"Agreed. Though I’d prefer to understand it from a safe distance."

Marielle ignored his remark and slowly approached the floating limb.

Amon immediately noticed her movement. "Wait. What are you doing?"

"Examining it."

"From that close?"

"I can’t study the scales properly from across the room, can I?"

"It’s risky."

Marielle glanced over her shoulder with an irritated expression. "I’m not a child, Amon. I know what I’m doing."

She clicked her tongue and continued forward, carefully observing the scales.

The closer she came, the more clearly she could see the faint lines of energy running between them.

Unable to resist her curiosity any longer, she slowly extended her hand.

Just before her fingers touched the nearest scale, the dragon’s leg twitched.

Marielle immediately jerked backward.

"Ah!"

She stumbled into Amon, colliding with his chest before he caught her by the shoulders.

For a brief moment, she remained pressed against him, her eyes fixed on the enormous limb.

Amon looked down at her, then glanced toward the dragon’s leg.

"Well, that was brave."

"Shut up!"

"Do you want me to princess carry--."

"I said shut up, Amon!"

Her cheeks had turned red, though it was difficult to tell whether she was embarrassed by the sudden contact or furious at his teasing.

She quickly stepped away and straightened her clothes, attempting to recover her usual composure.

Amon chuckled but didn’t continue teasing her.

The dragon’s leg had stopped moving.

Neither of them could tell whether it had reacted to Marielle’s presence or whether something inside the severed limb was still alive.

Amon remained cautious, keeping his attention fixed on the scales while Marielle slowly moved back beside him.

A familiar notification appeared before his eyes.

----

[Quest Completed!]

[Quest: The Forgotten Gate]

[Reward: Mythical Item]

----

Amon raised an eyebrow as another notification appeared.

----

[Mythical Relic: Origin Devourer]

[Description: A relic capable of converting any part of a mystical being into an ability. The extracted power can be injected directly into the user’s body.]

[Additional Information: The power obtained depends on the nature and quality of the absorbed remains.]

[Restriction: Soul-Bound. This item can only be used by you.]

----

Amon read the description twice.

He looked at the floating limb, then back at the system notification. ’Is this what you wanted, System?’

He waited briefly, but no answer appeared.

Amon had learned not to expect explanations from the System.

Sometimes its rewards were useful, sometimes they were bizarre, and occasionally they seemed almost too perfectly suited to whatever he encountered.

This time, however, he had a fairly good idea of what to do.

He summoned the Origin Devourer from his inventory.

The relic appeared in his hand as a dark, metallic object with intricate markings running across its surface.

Its exact shape was difficult to distinguish beneath the faint energy surrounding it, but Amon could feel that it was no ordinary storage item.

Marielle immediately noticed it.

"What is that?"

"Something useful."

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the answer you’re getting for now."

Before she could argue, Amon pointed the relic toward the dragon’s leg.

The markings across its surface began glowing.

A strange force spread through the chamber, enveloping the enormous limb in a thin layer of light.

The surrounding mana rushed toward the relic, and faint streams of energy began separating from the dragon’s scales.

The leg slowly dissolved.

Its massive claws disappeared first, followed by the scales and the thick layers of flesh beneath them.

The process continued until the entire limb had been reduced to streams of energy, which were drawn into the Origin Devourer.

A brilliant flash filled the chamber.

Marielle raised an arm to shield her eyes, stumbling backward as the sudden light blinded her for a moment.

When she finally lowered her arm, the space before them was empty.

The dragon’s leg had vanished.

Marielle stared at the empty air, then slowly turned toward Amon.

"What the hell just happened?"

Amon slipped the Origin Devourer back into his inventory before she could get a better look at it.

"Nothing worth worrying about."

"Nothing worth worrying about? An enormous dragon’s leg just disappeared in front of me!"

"Perhaps it got tired of floating around."

Marielle looked as though she wanted to hit him with her notebook.

"Amon, I’m serious!"

"So am I. We should leave."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her toward the entrance.

His casual expression remained unchanged, but he had no intention of lingering in the chamber any longer than necessary.

Marielle glanced back at the empty space, clearly unwilling to abandon such an extraordinary discovery without an explanation.

However, she eventually followed him.

As they left the chamber, Amon examined the notification still lingering in his mind.

The Origin Devourer had absorbed an entire dragon’s leg, but he had no idea how much power it contained or whether his body could withstand it.

He would need to find somewhere safe to examine the relic before attempting to use it.

Amon glanced back toward the sealed chamber, his expression thoughtful.

’If this is only one piece of a dragon, what else have they hidden in these dungeons?’