NOVEL WEB Chapter 157
The wolf sprinted straight into the fantasy world and soon found itself back on Korean soil. When I say ‘soon,’ it really didn’t take long since it wasn’t carrying Hong Yu-ri and Baek So-yul on its back, so it was no big deal.
If they had been riding along, they would’ve definitely fallen off before he could even run properly!
After galloping all the way to Daegu, he eventually caught a whiff of something and, not long after, spotted the White Deer.
“What’s going on?”
The White Deer tilted its head, seemingly puzzled by the wolf’s hurried appearance. After all, it had only been a week since they parted ways with Euna.
“I need to talk. No, I need help.”
“Got it.”
The White Deer’s straightforward response made the wolf stare in bewilderment. It seemed to be asking what the problem was.
“Didn’t you help us out? So naturally, we should help you out too.”
“Kyu~!”
As if to affirm that, the Fairy cried out, which made the wolf chuckle.
“…Thanks.”
No complex calculations or strings attached — just a simple offer to help. The promise to help upon request was genuine.
Realizing this cleared the fog in his mind completely.
It seemed like he didn’t have to worry about the aftermath. It wasn’t his original intention, but… seeing the countless fairy dragons filling the sky was slowly solidifying that notion into certainty.
Just as he was pondering that, he turned his gaze at the approaching footsteps.
“Huh?”
Euna came running with wide eyes, curious about what had happened. Her appearance after a long time was kind of… tattered. Well, she had just come out of a dungeon, so that was to be expected.
She didn’t seem to have returned to the real world at all, and it was nice to see that her level had noticeably increased in just a few days. Sure, it would take more time, but soon enough, she’d solidify her status as a proper hunter.
Maybe she’d play a significant role in the next Neverland raid. It was set to happen by the end of next year. I wondered just how far Euna could grow, but for now, I thought she’d maintain this growth trend.
“What’s going on…?”
“Wolfie~! Fairy~!”
It seemed like seeing them after a long time made Euna feel ecstatic, as the Fairy flew off her shoulder before Euna could catch up. Watching the energetic fairy made me a bit envious; they really must live carefree lives.
Euna, a bit gloomy for being overshadowed, approached late, and for some reason, I had the delusion that a tail was sprouting from behind her. It must have been my imagination, but what was going on there…?
While they were relishing the reunion, the White Deer asked, “Did you wrap up the dungeon successfully?”
“Uh, yeah. It wasn’t too difficult.”
This surprised me a bit, as the White Deer spoke in the language of the fairies, and Euna casually responded in the same. It felt awkward, but understanding wasn’t all that difficult.
Enjoying my reaction, Euna proudly smiled, almost like she was bragging.
“I taught her. And she’s a fast learner! She can already manage simple conversations.”
Thinking back, the White Deer could speak human language, so it wasn’t entirely out of the question. Still, it was impressive how fast she picked it up.
“…“
Unlike me, who acquired skills through the queen’s help, Euna had learned it directly. After a brief exchange, I turned back to the White Deer and got back to the point.
It had nodded readily at the offer for help, but I hadn’t even explained what kind of help I needed yet. The White Deer seemed to think for a moment and then asked, “Would you follow me for a bit?”
I nodded in agreement.
***
I thought it would be a quick trip, but it took quite a bit of walking. It wasn’t exactly difficult, but anyway, after following the White Deer for some time, the wolf arrived at a pond. I could tell immediately that this was Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, even though I had never been here before.
“This is Dragon Pond. Here lies an ancient dragon who is the mother of the fairy-type monsters.”
The wolf was momentarily in awe. If the White Deer, who’d likely lived for centuries, was calling it ‘ancient,’ then just how long had this dragon been around? It was clear this was the Dragon Pond. After all, I could sense the slumbering presence below. That presence, the ancient dragon, began to stir from its deep slumber upon sensing the wolf.
Before long, the ancient dragon revealed itself, and the Fairy’s eyes went wide in shock. It made sense; it was a fairy dragon like her. The claim of being the mother of the fairy dragons was true.
There were surely many unhatched dragon worms’ eggs left here.
“Kyu~ kyuuwuu!”
In awe, the Fairy gasped, amazed at the giant dragon that had emerged, pushing aside the pond’s water. It was nothing special, just a massive fairy dragon. While it didn’t quite reach the size of an Earth Serpent, it was certainly larger than an ordinary creature. The wolf wondered if the Fairy would grow to be like that someday.
While all eyes were locked on the scene, the ancient dragon finally opened its eyes from deep slumber.
“Are you the Marang?”
With a voice that echoed, the wolf tilted its head in confusion. The mention of ‘Marang’ meant it knew of him. When the wolf looked back, it was met with an undeniable response from the White Deer, who seemed to wonder if the wolf had taken its fur. That was unexpected and left the wolf bewildered — who knew such a thing would be put to use?
The ancient dragon’s deep eyes turned toward the wolf, and the wolf realized this dragon shared the same gaze.
Insight— surely this dragon also possessed that skill.
However, despite sharing the same gaze, the outcomes were different.
The wolf could pierce through the dragon’s essence, but the dragon couldn’t even attempt to do so and had to shake its head. The unknown symbols wrapping around the wolf’s body refused to be gazed upon with mere curiosity.
Initially, it was something it could never truly see, but even trying to force a glance would yield no good result. It contained such mysteries.
The ancient dragon shook its head inwardly. The Marang possessed an ominous mystery. Seeing it in person, the strange dread felt back then couldn’t quite encapsulate what the Marang was truly like—it appeared as nothing more than a monster to the ancient dragon.
It was hard to believe why such an existence would help in the fantasy world, but there was no need to doubt the intelligence of a Marang possessing a gaze like its own. Most importantly, since it was something the White Deer had said, there wouldn’t be a need to discriminate between good and evil.
“So, what brings you here?”
As the ancient dragon’s voice resonated around the pond, the wolf got to the point. It needed help. It informed the dragon about the entities called Plague and Disease in the real world and revealed that it hoped countless fairy dragons would help it.
— A dragon that consumes the unclean. That was the essence of the fairy dragons.
If so, they should surely be able to stand against the Disease and Plague. However, what the wolf wanted wasn’t merely to fight against Disease and Plague. No matter how much they consumed the unclean, they wouldn’t stand a chance against them.
What it desired was merely the aftermath. It was sufficient just to consume the corruption in the lands where the Plague spread. If mankind could once again tread upon the cleansed ground, that alone would be enough, the wolf added.
The ancient dragon observed the wolf with peculiar eyes for a moment.
“Is that really enough?”
“…Yeah.”
The wolf’s eyes were not asking for more. The ancient dragon realized this and briefly glanced at the White Deer.
In truth, it couldn’t even truly call it a request. Although it was asking to cleanse the corruption, it practically meant guiding them to a source of food for the fairy dragons.
While it was true that few fairy dragons would dare to take risks to grow, according to the wolf’s words, there wouldn’t even be a need to fight, so it was effectively without danger. There was no need to hesitate. For the ancient dragon, it was rather an invitation of goodwill.
After all, it had indeed transformed many of those dragon worms. Plus, if it had wiped out countless dungeons, there was no reason not to aid him.
Thus, the ancient dragon observed the young dragon standing next to the wolf.
“Look at me.”
This young dragon had grown enough yet couldn’t shed its skin for lack of opportunity. The ancient dragon spread its massive wings, and as if reflecting the insight it possessed, the young dragon next to the wolf — Fairy — looked confused.
“Kyu…”
Seemingly drained, the Fairy settled down, unable to flap its wings any longer. As it curled up, it suddenly fell into a deep slumber, and the ancient dragon felt an ominous dread wash over it.
The Marang’s red eyes were piercing into it. Although there was no malice, if it were to make a single misstep, the Marang’s claws would tear it apart instantaneously.
Under a gaze that seemed to demand an explanation of what it had done, the ancient dragon swallowed hard.
What lay within the seemingly small and harmless black Marang was something it could scarcely imagine — a notion beyond comprehension.
It truly was a creature reminiscent of that monster.
Yet, the ancient dragon interpreted the Marang’s reaction with joy, as it was evidence that the Marang cared for the young dragon that much. What kind of bond must they have formed to elicit such a response?
While the White Deer and the black Marang observed, the Fairy began to slowly shed its skin, and the wolf could do nothing but watch in awe.
“It won’t take long. But you seem to be in a hurry.”
“…I can’t leave Fairy behind.”
The ancient dragon chuckled at that resolute statement.
“She’ll need a fair bit of time to shed her skin. Are you planning to wait quietly?”
“….”
“Besides, we don’t know the Square you mentioned. Once the young dragon finishes shedding, we’ll all go together as guides.”
“….”
“Don’t hesitate. Follow the path you must.”
With that booming statement, the wolf glanced at the White Deer, who nodded in agreement. Then, the wolf quietly closed its eyes.
It wasn’t that time was entirely lacking. But it was true that getting back as quickly as possible was preferable. There was nothing incorrect about the ancient dragon’s words. However, the unpleasant reality of having to separate from the Fairy felt unsettling and… anxious.
Calmly, the wolf closed its eyes, seeking tranquility.
It was merely a stubborn child’s whim. One that it knew in its head but found hard to accept. Self-deprecation aside, the wolf eventually nodded.
“…I understand.”
So it had gained the help of the fairy dragons.
Yeah. It was just an expedited venture into something that had to be done anyway.
If it could ease even a little bit of the anxiety.
And if it could plant some hope in someone, that would suffice.
The wolf gazed up at the skies of the fantasy world, where countless fairy dragons soared high above.
The seeds sown in the fantasy world would bear fruit, and soon those multitude of fairy dragons would cross over the continent.
Now it was just about whether it could bring the Disease and Plague down — that was all that remained.