NOVEL WEB Chapter 126
“Kkyu~!”
I snapped back to reality at Perry’s cry. I had returned from the world of nothingness, but instead of the real world, I found myself in the fantasy world—did Perry move me here because I might get caught? I actually did need to stop by this world to speak with the queen.
As I strolled through the fantasy world with Perry, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps and turned my head to see a white deer rushing towards me. The White Deer, clearly tense, looked around before letting out a sigh of relief upon spotting me.
“Phew. Is that you?”
Based on its reaction, it seemed like it thought I was an enemy. After all, this was my first time in the fantasy world since my evolution. The White Deer shook its head.
“I was starting to wonder what was happening… I thought he was back.”
“Who?”
“Ah, never mind. It’s nothing. By the way, you’ve evolved, right?”
Puzzled by the question, I tilted my head but nodded at the inquiry. Meanwhile, Perry was flitting around the White Deer to express joy at seeing it again.
“Yeah.”
The White Deer, examining me closely, furrowed its brow. It couldn’t be that it couldn’t see my Square masterpiece, given its keen skill. Soon enough, the White Deer shook its head in denial.
“You’re a relief to see.”
Feeling the underlying meaning in those words, I let out a bitter smile.
“Will I be able to meet the queen?”
“…She won’t refuse you. It should be fine.”
I nodded at those words. If she truly didn’t want to see me, she wouldn’t have allowed my arrival in the first place.
“You also have a young dragon…”
The White Deer’s words trailed off, but I understood what was coming next. Sure, I had gotten stronger, but Perry’s growth was significant too. Having swallowed the Silent Mouth’s essence and feasted on the Juggernaut’s flesh, Perry had long outgrown the title of ‘small.’ It was now hard for anything besides a dragon to even fit on its back. After all, Perry had grown to weigh nearly 10 kg.
[Perry (Fairy Dragon)]
[Length 108.9cm] [Height 7.4cm] [Weight 8.72kg]
[Strength 61] [Agility 56] [Stamina 64] [Magic Power 196]
[Skills]
[Superior Blink (C)] [Magic Regeneration (D)] [Weak Poison Resistance (F)]
Not only the stats, but even the Blink ability had upgraded to Superior Blink, and it seemed Perry had developed a bit of poison resistance from consuming corrupt things. It wasn’t just me growing day by day.
Suddenly, looking up revealed that the scenery of the fantasy world had changed.
“Thanks to you.”
Countless fairy-type monsters dotted the sky—those that had fed on the Bichunmang’s flesh. It seemed they had managed to evolve during our trip to Neverland. For a moment, I was lost in admiration, watching the fairy-types that had spotted us begin to approach.
“Kkyuu~!”
“Kkyu~!”
As the Dragon Worm and fairy-types gathered around, Perry joyfully interacted with its kind. Being surrounded by the little creatures emphasized just how much Perry had grown. It almost looked like a mother dragon with its hatchlings. I could hardly hold back my awe at the sight of dozens, if not hundreds, of fairy-types sprinkling glimmering dust as they flew in line with Perry.
“Kkyu kkyu kkyu~”
Even the initially wary little ones began to show curiosity towards me, playfully riding along my back as if I were a slide. Before long, fairy-types also joined the fun, making quite the ruckus, but it didn’t feel bad at all.
“…Heh heh.”
The White Deer wore a cheeky grin as the fairies looked at him wide-eyed, chattering among themselves. In the midst of this, a massive butterfly descended gracefully from above. The Flame Butterfly—it was a sign that the queen was calling for me. After mounting it, I soared over the emerald sea and opened the door to the palace hidden within the upside-down trees, where a crowned fairy rushed to greet me. The little one whined about how long it had been since I last visited, and by calming it down, I donned the crown and felt the world shift once more… or rather, my consciousness alone was transported.
[My dear, you’ve arrived]
I found myself in another pitch-black world. It had a somewhat shadowy appearance. The queen welcomed me with the same demeanor as before, looking me over from top to bottom before nodding.
[You’ve grown so much]
“It’s been quite a while.”
The last time I saw her was before I evolved into the Shadowsong. I quickly dove into the main topic.
“…I learned the truth about the destruction and end you spoke of.”
[Indeed. I heard every word, even the part where you mentioned you’d stop it, which made me quite excited.]
The queen giggled, pointing to where her mouth would be.
[Did you come to confirm whether I might be an enemy?]
“No.”
At this, the queen tilted her head in surprise.
[Not?]
When she asked back, I nodded. There was no need to suspect the queen who had shown me kindness up till now. Of course, I wasn’t entirely free of doubts, but if she were truly an enemy, it would have been impossible for her to allow my entry into her realm. The reason I came to meet her was for a different matter.
“I learned the truth, but I still don’t know much about you all.”
[So…]
In truth, I had used my Insight the moment I laid eyes on the queen, yet I still couldn’t read anything. The fact that I hadn’t collapsed must have been a sign of my growth, but I still felt unreachable. No, it was a different level altogether. I thought only beings of the caliber of the Seven Heroes, Square Masters, or the regional bosses of Neverland could be enemies, but when it came to the queen, I had no sense of even a small chance. Realizing such a presence wasn’t something I felt for the first time.
‘The Black Neir.’
Even though I had merely borrowed a fragment, it had burned even black roses and intense cravings to cinders. This world still held unknown mysteries that I hadn’t encountered yet. Entities beyond the boundaries of common sense that had never even been mentioned in the story.
“So please, tell me about you all.”
I didn’t want to be pushed around by anyone anymore. To prevent that, I needed to know more than nothing about them.
[…Hehe]
The queen seemed momentarily surprised but quickly wore a proud smile. Thus, she began to speak slowly…
***
After confirming a few more things, I returned to the fantasy world, where the White Deer and Perry were waiting for me.
“Oh~? Wolfy~!”
And there was the fairy and the child of the third winter. It felt like it had been quite a while, and I couldn’t help but feel pleased.
“You’ve really grown too, Wolfy!”
The one who approached me with arms outstretched, hoping to climb onto Perry’s head, was merely attempting to embrace my snout instead. Would I just tumble over if I breathed out now? I thought as I turned my gaze, only to find the White Deer shake its head.
“You don’t even have to say it anymore.”
***
Within the massive maze-like dungeon, the wolf walked with peace. Shadows emanated endlessly from its presence, enveloping the area, and the swept-away monsters disappeared without a sound. At best, Class B monsters like the Taurus might have survived for a moment, but that time was of no meaning.
“―――!”
Monsters, including Taurus, gasped and perished in the swirling essence.
“Wow~!”
The fairy was delighted at the sight, but the White Deer furrowed its brow. Of course, there were existences just as strong as the wolf. The Volcano Ceratops they had seen not long ago was one of them. But the issue was how long it had taken to get there. The wolf, once weaker than itself, had become an insurmountable monster in less than half a year. Watching it devour one monster after another sent chills down my spine. Although I should have known better, I found myself imagining what would happen if those shadows reached for me. —Soon enough, upon reaching the dungeon’s end, monsters were gathered, howling and pounding on the door.
Seeing the flock of monsters that had fled gathering in despair, the wolf nodded. Even using detection, I could feel no more presence. When the shadow spread, the despairing monsters rushed forward, but the greedy essence consumed most of them, and those evading the shadows bared their teeth at the wolf. However, simply dodging the shadow didn’t mean it was over. The fog cloaked in wind gnawed at the pack as countless tentacles shot from the wolf, precisely piercing their vital spots.
[You have consumed a Raikus. Experience and satiety are increasing.]
Having consumed everything from the Taurus to the huge horned Raikus without a trace, silence soon enveloped the area. As if assured of something, the wolf glanced back for a moment, where a fairy with a covered mouth stared in wide-eyed astonishment.
—Only one remains.
Turning its gaze back, the wolf could clearly see the monsters scratching and pounding at the maze’s door.
‘Drake…’
[Drake]
[Height 12.71m] [Height 4.84m] [Weight 14.1t]
[Strength 519] [Agility 503] [Stamina 567] [Magic Power 461]
[Skills]
[Dragon Blood (B)] [Dragon Scale (C)] [Tough Skin (E)] [Gluttony (E)]
The maze’s boss. Though it lacks wings, it’s considered one of the closest monsters to a dragon. I had seen a Drake in volcanic regions, but that was an inferior breed. However, the Drake before me was undoubtedly the real deal, having both Dragon Blood and Dragon Scale.
It seemed the creature sensed something was amiss and rose with the arrogance of a dragon breed. It wouldn’t be long before it opened the door and came out. Looking back, the White Deer had already retreated with the fairy and Perry. Soon enough, the Drake leaned on its hind legs and pushed open the door, revealing its formidable form.
“―――.”
As the giant dragon looked down, it let out a fierce snort, spewing fire. With no further hesitation, it raised a foreleg to stomp on me, and although I jumped to bite its neck, it was, as expected, too tough to break through. —It only meant I was lacking in status. As my Gluttony activated, the dragon’s scales disappeared and ignited in flames. The essence already enveloped Drake’s head in void. As the Drake writhed in agony and channeled its magic power, the shadows dispersed.
“―――!”
But the Dragon Scale, having wrapped around Drake’s head, was ripped away, and its two eyes were obliterated. At the very least, having Gluttony meant it could endure. How long could a blinded monster hold out? A fiery crimson light surged from deep within its throat as it inhaled deeply. Its diaphragm expanded. It inhaled, condensing magic power. Just one breath— I thought, but no breath ever emerged. What it inhaled was not only air, but also the black fog. The dragon’s breath, infused with power, was greedily devoured by the Black Magic. The giant dragon gagged, trying to expel the fog, but it couldn’t easily shake off the mist draped around it.
—In an instant, feeling the wolf’s gaze, the giant dragon froze. Realizing it was covered in a haze, it struggled, but…
[You have consumed a Drake. Experience and satiety are increasing.]
It was impossible to escape from the void that devoured everything. As I swallowed down the collapsed Drake, the fairy riding Perry approached.
[The proficiency of Gluttony (C) Lv.7 has reached its maximum. Gluttony (C) Lv.7 → Gluttony (C) Lv.8]
[Your experience has reached its maximum. Lv.16 → Lv.17]
Seeing the dungeon crumble and return to its original state, the wolf nodded. I needed more experience. For that, I required a dungeon. The dungeons of the fantasy world. If I couldn’t clear it because of the dense magic power, I’d have to remedy that. I had already confirmed this with the queen.