abcnovels
Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Chapter 57: Link (3)
“Hmm?”
On a misty night sky, a silver-haired man soaring through the dark heavens suddenly looked down below.
“Why is that, Lord Lucion?”
A red-haired woman following him asked.
“There’s a foul smell.”
He abruptly halted his flight and began surveying the vast plain spread out beneath his feet.
“Where are we right now?”
“Though we’re a bit off, it seems we’re near the outskirts of Luwen, where the Royal Academy is situated.”
“The Royal Academy…”
The man stroked his chin, maintaining a discerning gaze toward the plain.
“Did you sense something unpleasant?”
“Unpleasant? Well, I can’t exactly say this is a feeling of mere unease.”
A hint of discomfort could be discerned in the man’s faint smile.
In his face, there was an unsettling vibe from some unfamiliar, yet distinctly repulsive sensation lingering in his memory.
“It’s a sensation I, as a dragon living in this world, cannot tolerate, even to encounter.”
A sentiment seemed to gradually emerge within the man’s heart, indicating that he couldn’t just leave this place regarding that sensation, as if it was something he couldn’t simply overlook.
“I must postpone my return for a while.”
A splendid aura emanated from his fully spread silver wings.
In contrast to the brilliance that beautifully illuminated the dark night sky, the man’s eyes were filled with an indiscernible murderous intent, one that couldn’t be understood.
* * *
“Papa!”
Standing tall on the vast plain, Nana waved her hand towards me.
“It’s so wide here! Except for us, there’s nobody else, right? Nana’s so excited!”
Seemingly to release built-up stress, Nana spread her wings and flew around in all directions.
“Hey, wait, Nana, that area might be dangerous!”
Brian followed behind, anxiously trying to keep up.
They seem to be having a good time.
A secluded plain, about 10km away from Luwen.
Upon Brian’s suggestion to show Nana around, we ventured here with them in the dead of night.
Since Luwen was situated at the border of the Three Kingdoms, the vicinity of the city had been a battleground for centuries.
Thus, it meant the land had been devoid of human presence.
Here, there would be no problem even if Nana ran, flew, and even transformed into a dragon.
[You are a very merciful father, right?]
Kaeram, who materialized, said sarcastically.
Kaeram, now manifested, sneered.
She lay comfortably on the grass, supporting her head with one hand, observing them.
At this point, denying the title of father seems impossible.
[Why don’t you create a mother for her while you’re at it? The young princess would be perfect, wouldn’t she? She’d probably agree, right?]
“What nonsense…”
I shivered at the thought of it being implausible.
[Trying to deny it. Didn’t you say that even the room you live in now was given by the emperor? Don’t you know what that means? It might not be long before…]
There was much I could say, but I felt no urge to respond directly to that question, so I maintained silence.
Instead, I chuckled and continued the conversation.
“Do you know what I’ve realized in my past lives, Kaeram?”
[Why, planning to confess again?]
Kaeram replied with a seductive smile.
“No matter how hard I try to live peacefully, it seems I can’t. This peaceful time we have now is just a brief respite. I guarantee it won’t last long.”
[Of course! It won’t last long. You surely didn’t think of living peacefully, even with someone like me, did you? For the sake of my fair skin, you should at least show me the taste of blood regularly! Otherwise, I’ll…]
*Boom*
“Whoa!”
Mana of white radiance flashed in the sky for a moment.
Then, it descended to the ground, surrounding the area as if to prevent anyone from leaving.
“See, I told you it wouldn’t last long, didn’t I?”
*Thunk*
“Ouch!”
Nana, who had been frolicking around, bumped into something and fell backward.
“Are you okay, Nana?”
Brian hurriedly approached and gently stroked her head.
Nana, with a bewildered expression, seemed to be fascinated by the colorless barrier in front of her.
“W-what is this?”
It’s a containment barrier.
And not just any, it possesses tremendous magical power.
I won’t venture to evaluate it, but this isn’t something an ordinary apprentice mage would possess.
At the very least, it’s on par with the magical power of a Grand Magus like Kundel.
Moreover, the eerie aura emanating from within the barrier… It’s definitely not something a human would possess.
*Humming*
Beneath the colorless walls enveloping them, an unknown reddish hue flickered.
It was a boundary that not only prevented entry from the outside but also blocked us inside, unable to escape.
“Brian, bring Nana over here.”
“Yes!”
Brian hurriedly brought Nana towards me.
*Thud*
As if a grand entity had appeared, thunder roared through the black sky.
*Swish*
Perhaps feeling the fear, Nana, who had approached cautiously, wrapped her arms around one of my legs.
“…”
She’s trembling.
It’s not from the thunder, but from sensing the ominous aura within that raging storm.
It’s the unsettling presence lurking within that thunderous chaos that’s causing her fear.
I silently stroked Nana’s head as the lightning struck down at the center of the containment barrier with vibrations.
A white smoke rose, accompanied by a familiar energy within it.
It’s the energy only those of the lineage of the gods can emit, known as divine energy.
It’s a force not typically associated with benevolent beings, more akin to creatures of a sinister nature.
“Disgusting.”
The entity within the smoke spat out words of disdain from the moment of its appearance.
A figure over 2 meters tall, with gleaming silver locks and a horn protruding from the center of his forehead.
Behind him, large wings exuded abundant divine energy, folding inward slowly.
A dragon.
Not like Nana, a half-breed, but a pure-blooded dragon of ancient lineage, far beyond the growth stage Demonic Dragon encountered in the Lemia Valley.
Behind him stood a female dragon emitting a similar aura.
They were both dragons.
The silver dragon furrowed his brows as he caught sight of Nana hiding behind my leg.
“So that’s it. The source of the foul odor…”
That?
In an instant, anger surged within me along with a crackling sound.
“Dragonoids… the offspring of dragons and humans… How can such abominations exist in this world?”
The bitch behind him took it a step further, openly referring to Nana as an abomination.
When something is beyond comprehension, the mind tends to momentarily freeze.
That’s exactly the state I found myself in.
“Are you the master of that half-breed, human?”
I didn’t feel like dignifying the question with a response, so I simply pierced them with my gaze.
Seemingly discomforted by my stare, the dragoness spat out words of hostility.
“How dare you, a lowly human subject, glare at us!”
In response, the silver-haired dragon raised her hand to dissuade her.
“You’re half-hearted, but your energy is also unusual. human…….”
His gaze passed me and went to Kaeram next to me.
“Right. I thought I could sense an unusual energy in the foul smell, but it turned out to be none other than a demonic sword.”
At this, a pleasant groan came out of Kaeram’s mouth.
[oh? I guess my popularity hasn’t died yet? There are still people who recognize me, how can I even get an autograph?]
“Stop joking. You’re trying to match me in that you possess the power of a god but have been reduced to a mere servant of a lesser human being. Or are you still not awake enough to judge the situation?”
It only took a moment for her face to distort.
[Do you want to die?]
“…”
[Where are these insolent beings coming from all of a sudden? Shall I rip out that tongue of yours? Or should I block your mouth with it?!]
“Who do you think you’re speaking to in such an insolent manner!”
A fierce roar accompanied by a strong gust of wind surged forth.
Unmoved, I continued to stare at their faces relentlessly.
“You’ve been silent from the start, human. I suppose merely seeing noble beings like us with your own eyes must be an honor for creatures like you. Becoming momentarily dumbfounded isn’t unreasonable for your kind.”
The nonsensical words no longer elicited even a chuckle.
“However, rest assured, human. We have no interest in creatures as lowly as you. But that half-breed seems to be of interest to me…”
“…”
“Though considered abominations, hybrids of dragon and human blood… It’s worth considering for research. If you hand her over, I’ll personally spare your lives…”
“Shut your mouth.”
A chilling silence spread, and the atmosphere became intensely turbulent. My gaze remained fixed on the silver dragon.
“What did you just say?”
“I said shut your mouth. Are your big ears just for show? If you don’t want your mouth torn apart, shut up, punk.”
Dragons, like humans, also have their minds pause when things become too absurd.
The dragon seemed at a loss for words, his pupils trembling.
“Hahaha…!”
A maniacal laughter resonated through the barrier.
The aggressiveness towards me emanated from his gaze once again.
“This is why inferior creatures like you shouldn’t exist. Unable to even judge the given situation, inviting unhappiness upon yourselves…”
As the figure reached out his hand, a considerable amount of mana condensed.
“First, I’ll pluck out those disgusting eyes of yours…”
*Squeeze!*
As he clenched his hand tightly, the condensed mana rushed towards me.
“…?”
However, nothing changed.
My gaze remained fixed on him, and nothing around me, including myself, was affected.
Only a black spherical aura formed around my feet.
“A containment barrier?”
The silver dragon’s forehead furrowed like a valley.
“Did you just deploy another barrier within mine?”
I’m not in a state to kindly answer such questions right now. Why?
Because, what was just trembling a moment ago, our little one, now had a face on the verge of tears, trembling in fear.
“…”
I’ve seen that expression many times before.
Regardless of age or gender, all the humans I’ve killed have always shown faces consumed by fear and terror at the end.
But now, this little one, instead, is showing the exact same expression.
Feeling the fear of death because of beings like me, not because of me.
“Brian.”
“Yes, my lord…!”
“I just cover my eyes and stay back. Keep her away from me at all costs.”
“I will heed your command, my lord!”
Brian removed his cloak and wrapped Nana in it.
Nana quietly accepted Brian’s touch, and until the moment she left my side, her trembling did not cease.
“What are you? Even if you possess the demonic sword, how can a mere human wield such power within my barrier…”
Ignoring the words of the silver dragon, I closed my eyes quietly.
A brief moment of peace.
During this short time of respite, I exhaled the breath I had been holding and quietly uttered,
“Shadow 9th Form: Manifestation of the Demonic Sword.”
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