Chapter 161 : Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Somewhere ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍in the volcanic region of Crystal.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍werewolf Yun Jeongseop moved his feet briskly.

A ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍dragon… I never imagined such a race truly existed in this world.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍astonishing word that had left Ji Seokhyeon’s mouth—Dragon.

How ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍had he realized that Rachel was a Dragon?

He ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍had the convenient excuse of the Demonic Eye, but Ji Seokhyeon always seemed to be observing something beyond that.

How did he even know that I could become a werewolf without a full moon?

Had he received some hint from Park Chaeshin back at Mount Wol-dal?

My thoughts never ceased as I moved toward the target.

Yet the more I pondered, the deeper my doubts about Ji Seokhyeon grew.

Is he lying about his age?

Overwhelming baby-faced cases like Kim Shinwoo did exist, so it was not an entirely baseless guess, but I soon dismissed the thought.

He was already arrogant enough. If he were older as well, I doubted I could tolerate him.

Is this the place…?

At last, I reached the location Ji Seokhyeon had mentioned.

Before me stood nothing but a bare wall, yet a peculiar scent unmistakably stimulated my nose.

Following the sensation, I extended a forepaw.

As if by magic, it passed straight through the wall.

An illusion. As expected, it was a hidden location.

Without hesitation, I stepped through.

Beyond lay a pitch-black cave.

However, for Gwiinrang, who guided the souls of monsters, darkness posed no problem.

The scent is stronger inside. It is definitely here.

Certain of it, I began to move.

After walking for about a minute, I abruptly encountered a transparent curtain of mana.

Tch, a barrier…?

I could not see it, but I could sense it by scent.

It was an exceedingly dangerous barrier.

What should I do?

I had followed the trail of mana, but I had not anticipated having to pass through a barrier.

Unconsciously, I recalled Ji Seokhyeon’s words.

If it were that insolent disciple of mine, he would surely have gauged the barrier in advance.

……

No matter how far back I searched my memory, he had never mentioned any barrier.

Did he not know about it?

Or perhaps he had considered it trivial, assuming it would not affect a werewolf much.

Well, there is no helping it. I have come this far. I have no choice but to see it through.

My hesitation ended.

Yun Jeongseop stepped boldly toward the barrier.

……!

The instant his toes touched it, excruciating pain surged upward.

If he had been an ordinary awakened individual, he would have fainted immediately or suffered grievous injury from such resistance.

The moment he withdrew his foot, it recovered cleanly, as if it had never been wounded.

Did he send me here counting on my regenerative ability?

Of course he did not.

If it were Ji Seokhyeon, he most certainly would have.

A curse burst from him instinctively.

Not in words, but in sound.

“Grrr!”

Still, he could not turn back now.

According to Ji Seokhyeon, Do Minyeong was being held hostage.

Yun Jeongseop did not know her secret, yet the single fact that she was the direct descendant of Sword Saint Kim Yuseong was reason enough to save her.

Even if it meant enduring tremendous pain.

Ji Seokhyeon, just wait until we return to the 4th Scholastic District.

Steeling himself, he fixed his gaze on the barrier.

He had tasted its resistance.

No matter what kind of magic it was, if it could not completely repel him in his werewolf form, then there was a very simple solution.

Break through head-on.

In other words, charge straight through.

It is do or die.

He kicked off the ground with all his strength and hurled himself at the barrier.

Fortunately, the barrier was thin.

Though immense resistance pressed against his entire body, it was bearable.

Without stopping, he continued running toward the destination.

The opponent was said to be a Dragon.

If the rumors handed down by word of mouth were true, it was the strongest of monsters, wielding the most superior magic.

Such a being would not have placed only a single barrier around something important.

If he wasted time each time he encountered a barrier, as though dipping his feet into a hot spring, he would achieve nothing.

As expected, several more layers of barriers awaited him.

Each time, he smashed through at reckless speed, restoring his silver fur with his overwhelming regenerative ability.

At this point, his regenerative power was more terrifying than the barriers themselves.

Is this it?

Soon, he reached the end of the cave.

By his estimation, this place should have been beneath lava, yet strangely, the air was cold and chilling.

As if it were not an actual terrain, but a space isolated by spatial magic.

However, he had no leisure to observe his surroundings.

At the center of this space, something so beautiful that he could not look away pulsed alone.

A Dragon Heart.

Among all the humans in this world, how many would ever face a Dragon Heart directly?

It was almost laughable to even assign a number.

Surely, Yun Jeongseop was the only one.

Destroy that? How?

The Dragon Heart was about the size of a rugby ball.

Smaller than he had imagined, yet anyone who had hunted monsters in this world knew the truth.

The higher the monster’s rank, the smaller its mana stone, and the greater its value.

Of course, the mana stone before him—no, the Dragon Heart—was beyond valuation.

For now, I will strike it with all my strength!

Yun Jeongseop lunged at the Dragon Heart.

Fortunately, no barrier blocked his path.

His massive forepaw lashed out mercilessly at the Dragon Heart.

……!

***

Do Minyeong’s breathing gradually returned to normal.

Rachel, aware of her danger, had inflicted only minor bleeding.

“H-How…! How do you know about the Dragon Heart?!”

Rachel’s voice rang like a scream.

Keeping a proper distance from her, I answered calmly.

“Well, how do you think I knew?”

How else?

I was the original author.

To put it simply, Rachel, a Dragon, had hidden her Dragon Heart outside her body.

The reason was to turn this place into a Dragon’s lair.

This was information known only to Demonic Beings, Dragons, and me, the original author.

That was why Rachel reacted with such shock.

In a typical fantasy world, it was rare for a Dragon to hide its Dragon Heart—the source of its magic—outside its body.

However, my novel required the premise that Demonic Beings had exterminated all higher races, so I had given Dragons a kind of penalty.

“The power to wield omnipotent force over a certain region—to create a Dragon’s lair—requires forming a contract with the surrounding environmental mana… using the Dragon Heart as the medium, in this case.”

“H-How do you know that?!”

Rachel had used magic to raise this island from the ocean floor.

Then she had offered her Dragon Heart as a sacrifice, turning Crystal into her lair.

“There is no chance that a Demonic Being would come all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and every existence beyond the Rift who knew this secret has already been annihilated… If you had simply left me alone instead of provoking me, you could have lived quietly for thousands of years. You lived among humans for too long. Has their foolishness rubbed off on you?”

Of course, she was too young to construct a lair properly.

By setting, a lair was a fortress that ancient Dragons—who had wandered the world and accumulated countless experiences—chose as their final resting place.

In other words, a mortgage loan.

Yet for a hatchling to establish a lair meant—

“You are a coward, are you not? Afraid of Demonic Beings, afraid of humans, so you had no choice but to build a lair where you could wield omnipotent magic.”

Though she could neither reclaim her Dragon Heart nor leave this island forever, a Dragon—born indolent—could simply sprawl in lava until the day of eternal slumber.

“You…!”

Rachel’s body began to dissipate.

From the moment she created the lair through the Dragon Heart, her body had become subordinate to the island’s environmental mana.

Thus, no byproducts of a Dragon could be expected.

In the first place, who could handle Dragon scales that even a sword strike could not cleave?

Perhaps Jang Incheol, who had ignited the Flame of Sloth, might manage somehow, but I was not desperate enough to regret it.

“P-Please… spare me! I was reckless! Testing you was all…!”

Rachel, who had been spewing Dragon Fear only moments ago, abruptly changed her tone.

For such a great race to beg for its life…

As an aside, no race in my novel was truly perfect.

No matter how resilient or powerful, every race harbored desire, and the Demonic Beings who fed upon desire had crossed the Rift to deny their own incompleteness.

Even the original Lee Eunho, who had seemed perfect in every way, had ultimately been betrayed by his comrades and regressed.

A sudden bitterness welled within me.

I swallowed a mana potion and watched until Rachel vanished completely.

The status abnormalities that had gripped the island, the sudden storm, and the barriers surrounding the hidden Dragon Heart had likely all disappeared by now.

“Then I suppose it is time to go see Yun Jeongseop.”

***

Carrying Do Minyeong on my back, I arrived where Yun Jeongseop was.

True to a former investigator of Dispel, he had faithfully held his position.

“Grr!”

No, perhaps he was slightly sulking.

“Drink this.”

I handed him the potion I had taken out upon entering the cave.

It was a prototype Anti-Magic Potion I had received from Hong Eunseok.

When consumed by an awakened individual, it inflicted Powerlessness (status abnormality), preventing the release of mana.

Yun Jeongseop’s current form had manifested through the release of Gwiinrang’s mana.

If he did not revert after drinking it, that would mean the potion had no effect on him.

In that case, I would have no choice but to restrain his mana directly with my shadow.

“Grr…”

He eyed me suspiciously, then shoved the entire potion down his throat.

Fortunately, his body returned to normal.

If it could suppress even half of Gwiinrang’s mana, its performance was certainly reliable.

Of course, I could not expect anything beyond that.

“Th-This potion… What is it? Where did you obtain it? Who made it?”

He fired off questions in rapid succession.

His curiosity was understandable, but I had no time to answer each one.

After all, the Dragon Heart had not been destroyed. It was floating alone.

“I will explain everything later. For now, just know that it is classified information of the Special Affairs Division.”

“The Special Affairs Division again…”

“Ah, and hold Do Minyeong for a moment.”

I approached the Dragon Heart directly.

Perhaps because Yun Jeongseop had struck it with determination, claw marks were visible on its surface.

Yet it still maintained the Dragon’s lair.

“I could not destroy it. Is destruction even possible in the first place?”

“This is more than enough. Leaving a mark alone exceeded my expectations.”

The moment the Dragon Heart had been struck, Rachel had dissipated, but she was not completely dead.

If I were to use an analogy, it was like a computer’s safe mode.

Therefore, the moment the Dragon Heart was restored, Rachel would awaken again.

I did not know how long restoration would take, but if I did not act now, it would become troublesome.

If only it would quietly enter my inventory.

Unfortunately, this Dragon Heart did not harden like other mana stones and thus could not be classified as an item.

It was merely a condensed mass of mana.

Still, there was not absolutely no way to deal with it.

More precisely, it was not destruction, but succession.

By setting, unless a Dragon Heart weathered away and returned to environmental mana, there was only one way to eliminate it entirely.

Transfer its power to another entity.

Ordinarily, that entity would have to be another Dragon.

However, if my meeting a Dragon here was the Avid Reader’s intention—

If, like the Dwarf I met at the outpost, it was meant to grant me a fortunate encounter—

Then there was no need to hesitate.

If this method failed, I could simply flee Crystal and avoid Rachel.

……

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand upon the Dragon Heart.

Then, slowly, I released my mana.