NOVEL WEB Chapter 174
As soon as the Wolf returned to Hong Yu-ri’s Mansion from Red Square, thoughts swirled in his mind. There was just too much to do.
The most urgent task was to prevent Hong Yu-ri’s transformation. Meeting up with the system could wait; after all, he still hadn’t reached level 50.
“Kyu~!”
“What’s with this thing again?”
Hong Yu-ri pretended to be annoyed with the overly affectionate Fairy, while Baek So-yul gazed on with envy. They must have just returned and felt tired, but this was a conversation they needed to have now.
No one knew when or how the transformation would occur.
With a stern expression, the Wolf addressed Hong Yu-ri, causing her to tilt her head slightly away from her chat with Baek So-yul.
“Is it important? Shouldn’t she be hearing about it?”
It was a casual comment, but seeing Baek So-yul’s subtly gloomy expression made it hard for him to say it outright. The Wolf sighed inwardly and spoke seriously.
“It’s important, but it’s about you. You must have sensed something yourself.”
The fact that a species was changing was no small matter. There must have been signs. It was different from Gu Ma-jun, who mutated into a flesh chimera after consuming an incomplete product.
If mutation was a negative change due to external factors, then transformation was a positive change due to external factors. At least, that’s what Hye-gyeon had informed him.
Emotionally detached, one might say she was improving as a species. But there was no way to just sit back and wait and see how she would change. Hong Yu-ri bit her lip as if grappling with something before she finally asked.
“Do you know something?”
“Dragon Blood.”
“…Ugh.”
She barely held back a curse. Although he wasn’t 100% sure, it was unlikely a human—not a monster—would change species without extreme circumstances. The only examples that came to mind were the dissolute offspring of heretics, like those executive figures. And that was closer to mutation or corruption than transformation.
“So… what about the teacher?”
Baek So-yul rubbed her eyes in disbelief, as if she had just seen something shocking. Following her gaze, Hong Yu-ri scratched the back of her neck, grimacing as she felt something hard bump against her nails.
At first, she thought it was a bug, but then she realized it was scales stuck to her skin—scales that were even growing outwards. The word ‘reverse-scaled’ suddenly popped into her mind as she tried to tear them off in disgust, only to find it was much harder than she expected. She nearly ripped her skin off in the process but found it futile to pull them away.
“Damn it. No wonder…”
So that was why the Fairy was sticking to her more than usual. Watching Hong Yu-ri struggle to control her emotions, the Wolf continued.
“You’re changing.”
Given the red scales, it was highly likely she was getting closer to a dragon. Unlike the Wolf, who had gone through numerous evolutions since gobbling slimes, she had lived as a human, so this transformation would come as a shock. He was even impressed that she wasn’t panicking.
“…So what do you expect me to do?”
Hong Yu-ri glared angrily, but the Wolf remained unfazed.
“I’ll try to stop it.”
Despite his usual calm tone, the Wolf was deep in thought, but he had no idea how to prevent a change in species.
Similar situations had occurred in the original story. He had fought to prevent a mutation and had actually succeeded at times. However, that involved removing the elements causing the mutation. He had merely forced out the problematic incomplete product.
But Hong Yu-ri must have digested the Dragon Blood long ago. It was coursing through her veins now, making it impossible to cleanly eliminate the Dragon Blood. It would be futile to try to remove the cause to prevent the transformation without turning her into a mummy.
Perhaps fatigue was setting in, as the corners of Hong Yu-ri’s eyes twitched slightly. Dark circles hung under her eyes. That morning after defeating the plague, Hong Yu-ri, who had persevered for so long, soon fell asleep alongside Baek So-yul, while the watching Wolf eventually left the mansion.
***
While her transformation was one thing, he had his own tasks to consider. Below the floating island, what appeared when he descended to Tehran was a grand sight.
Fairy-types fluttered about joyfully. The fallen plague monsters, having lost their lord’s control, had decayed and rotted like mere corpses.
The stench hit the Wolf square in the face, causing him to deactivate his sense of smell. The Fairy, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy it, twisting her body in delight. Of course, it wasn’t the corpses themselves she found appealing but the foul contamination oozing from them.
As the Fairy-types feasted on the corruption emanating from the corpses, the Wolf approached the ancient dragon at the center.
“How long do you think this will take?”
“Well, from what I’ve seen, it could take a few years.”
Even knowing it was a task that could take years, he didn’t show any sign of displeasure. After all, considering it was the aftereffect of a calamity, the corruption of a plague would be the best feast for them.
For a moment, he thought it was a long time, but on second thought, it was a relief that it could be done in just a few years. The stretch from Tehran to the western edge of Europe spanned thousands of kilometers. Just considering the length was daunting; the area was even more so.
At some point, the Fairy also took to the air to embrace the corruption. If there was a change, it wasn’t only Hong Yu-ri’s.
“I have to ask something. Aren’t you of the same species?”
Though he knew it was unlikely, the Wolf asked anyway. Hye-gyeon had distinctly referred to the ancient dragon as a Fairy Dragon. There was no doubt about that. But the ancient dragon, resembling an Eastern dragon, was unlike the Fairy, who looked more like a dragon.
No, it seemed like the Fairy was the one who looked out of place. Even before shedding, the Fairy had appeared much more like a dragon. Seeing both the starting point and the end goal, it was strange to see her appear differently at an intermediate stage. The ancient dragon slowly shook his head in response to the question that carried that implication.
“We are such beings.”
“What?”
“Every time we shed our skin, we become different. Our essence isn’t bound to our form. That appearance is what a young dragon would wish for.”
“…….”
“My form is merely what I desire to be. Though we may start the same, our endings need not be identical.”
After that, the ancient dragon closed his eyes as if to signal there was nothing more to say. The Wolf stood there, staring blankly at the Fairy eating the corruption.
[Fairy (Fairy Dragon)]
[Length 1.19m] [Height 37.7cm] [Weight 14.8kg]
[Strength 72] [Agility 91] [Vitality 111] [Magic Power 205]
With two pairs of big and small wings, the Fairy’s form was…
***
He had to bid farewell to Baek So-yul as well. He didn’t know if Euna was still in the fantasy world, but he couldn’t stay indefinitely when it could take years.
“Thank you.”
He expressed his genuine gratitude. If it hadn’t been for Baek So-yul, he wouldn’t know what would have happened; he could have been consumed by the disease without even fighting back. He likely wouldn’t have even fought back. No, that was definitely the case. Hearing that, the White Deer unknowingly smiled.
“Call me whenever you want.”
After quietly watching for a bit, he nodded. He had understood that his words were not empty.
He suddenly realized that their eye levels had changed, and he now had to look up at Baek So-yul, who he used to look down at. It was a peculiar feeling, especially comparing it to others.
“Yeah. You’ve definitely grown a lot bigger than me.”
Apparently, they were both thinking similar thoughts.
“Do you know? Just watching you makes me quite anxious.”
“…….”
“I thought I wouldn’t get rattled easily, but you, really… I mean, if you were going to change, you would have fixed it already, right? You’re definitely planning on eating that enormous monster, aren’t you?”
He was talking about the Disease. He nodded. They had defeated the plague, but that was just the first step. The disease was much stronger than the plague. For that reason, his help from the Square was absolutely essential.
Although he didn’t know how the guy would come out, if he planned to hide himself deeply underground, it would be impossible to defeat him if he didn’t come out.
He had prepared for words in advance, but detailed discussions were still needed later.
“Huh… I would love to stay here, but…”
It seemed like thoughts of Euna or the other dungeons were weighing on him. He told Baek So-yul to go comfortably, as traveling with the White Deer wouldn’t take too long.
As the White Deer vanished after leaving a final warning to be careful, the Wolf nodded late.
After spending some more time consuming all the corruption he desired with a fully satisfied Fairy, they returned to the Square, and it was already night as the floating island hovered high.
It didn’t matter since he could build a platform and climb up. Midway up, he shrunk down and returned to his puppy form.
He intended to wait for the mage of Red Square in the plaza, but there was no need as Hong Yu-ri had come to greet him.
“…You’re late.”
Seeing her sulking made him nod. She must have waited a while, as her ears had turned bright red. It was definitely winter, but it wasn’t as cold as Korea; still, winter is winter, and she shouldn’t be hanging around outside in the night breeze. Hong Yu-ri immediately summoned her magic, and with that, the city was drenched in red.
“Kyu~!”
As he trailed behind the silently walking Hong Yu-ri towards the mansion, her lips parted and her breath escaped.
“I’ve thought a bit…”
Having likely spent long enough in the plaza to turn her ears red after catching some sleep, it was clear she was the one most confused about all of this.
“…Transformation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right?”
He was unsure if she was speaking sincerely as he looked into her eyes, which trembled.
Transformation. If her drinking of Dragon Blood was the cause, it was obviously related to dragons. If it were merely a Draconic transformation without losing her human form entirely, that would be somewhat bearable, but no one could guarantee how far it would go.
There was a slim chance that just drinking it wouldn’t turn her into a dragon itself, but in the worst-case scenario, it could lead to becoming a Dragonspawn. Dragonspawn represented the pinnacle of living creatures, so that would still count as a transformation.
She probably wouldn’t lose her intelligence, but even if that happened…
“Don’t worry.”
“……?”
“Whatever happens, I’ll help you. No matter what.”
The system might know something. Although it was she who requested and consumed the Dragon Blood, he couldn’t cast all the blame on her. In the end, he was the one who had given her the Dragon Blood.
If it hadn’t been for Hong Yu-ri, it would have been impossible to ask the mages for cooperation in this plague subjugation. From the fight against the Volcano Ceratops up to now, he believed they had some bond with each other.
He didn’t feel indebted to her. Yet, their relationship had changed from something that could easily be settled. He wanted to help as much as he could.
Had she always been sensitive to the cold? Looking up at her now, he noticed not only her ears but her entire face had flushed warm. It seemed Tehran’s winter was even colder than he had perceived.
***
Looking back, it was a trivial matter, yet his breath caught in his throat.
The word ‘transformation’ wasn’t something to take lightly. Initially, he thought it would be fine and let it happen, but upon waking from sleep, anxiety struck him hard.
Though he hadn’t vocalized it, he understood. Alpha’s words implied that there was a risk of becoming a monster.
Above all, when he sensed himself being treated as an object, and the realization of transformation sunk in, he truly felt it: he was becoming something other than human. What would happen if he became a monster? Just imagining it made him shudder. He was a person before being a mage. Becoming a detested monster, after all this fighting, was sickening to even think about.
Would the gazes of his master, the Dawn’s comrades… or even Baek So-yul remain unchanged?
Absolutely not. …With his temper, how many people would stick by him if he became a monster? Hayeon? Kang Tae-ho? Gu Jin-ha? Who knew… would there even be one? So, he decided not to think about it. The more he did, the more lonely he felt. Just drinking a little blood wouldn’t turn him into a monster. He was trying to clear his head in the cold air.
He tried hard to think positively. A trivial matter that was hopelessly superficial… Alpha definitely knew it.
What he said resonated harder than expected, as if he had seen through his innermost thoughts.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help no matter how you change.”
If someone else had said that, he might have brushed it off as empty reassurance, but he knew well by now that he wasn’t the type to say meaningless things.
Above all… coming from him, who wasn’t even human, that reassurance resonated strongly.
Ah, I see.
He realized that, regardless of how he changed, that part of him wouldn’t change. It was trivial… really trivial… but when he placed his hand on his heart and felt it pounding, Hong Yu-ri quietly closed her eyes.
It was quite magical. Just a while ago, he had felt so cold, yet suddenly, it seemed like nothing mattered. It felt hot, almost as if heat was rising. …It seemed Tehran’s winter was surprisingly warmer than he thought.