NOVEL WEB Chapter 179
The dungeon was such a time warp that by the time I laid Hong Yu-ri down, it was already night, and the atmosphere felt a bit off.
People were buzzing with excitement.
How could anyone not be thrilled by the news that the Plague had been defeated? It was a long-held human desire. Sure, the Disease was still lurking around, but at least one major threat was gone!
True, many lives had been lost on the day of the invasion, so it wasn’t exactly a celebration, but it was only natural that people’s faces brightened with newfound energy.
“…Kkyuu?”
Except for the red mansion. Though Fairy had healed the wounds with its shimmering dust, the mixture of transformation magic and sheer exhaustion left it in no shape to wake up easily.
“…”
First things first, we needed Hong Yu-ri to wake up before we could try anything. Until then, I could only brainstorm better methods.
There was nothing wrong with gaining great power through real-world experience. Hong Yu-ri’s progress had been substantial; she had even temporarily accessed that power thanks to the Dragon Blood.
Having touched that power once, it should be easier to grasp it again. However, the same applied to transformation, I figured.
As the Wolf watched over Hong Yu-ri, it stepped outside the mansion and looked up at the sky.
There was only one more chance left…
It gazed up at the night sky.
***
Even though it arrived unannounced, the Butterfly Castle gladly opened its doors for the Wolf.
The once lonely fortress seemed less lonely now…
“I thought you’d come.”
“…Are you staying here?”
The Wolf looked at Anela, who nodded, with a strange look in its eyes.
“……”
This was unexpected. I thought Amelia would turn her away… Had Anela somehow read that thought? She smiled bitterly.
“…I’m being stubborn.”
“……”
“Want to see?”
She rolled up her pajamas to reveal the clear handprints on her skin. No need to say whose those were.
“…Thank you for being honest with me.”
Anela looked up as if letting out a breath. The Wolf watched her with fresh eyes.
It was the Wolf itself who had revealed that truth to her.
Master of All Things. A curse that had lasted for decades. Amelia likely intended to keep it a secret for life… Yet the Wolf had interfered.
Even knowing it had no rights, duties, or qualifications, it thought Anela, who had suffered all her life, deserved to know.
Even if she learned the truth, getting close to her mother was definitely not easy. The only reason she could do it was Anela Morest’s will and courage.
Anela motioned inside the castle.
“Come on, let’s go in. Mother must be waiting.”
Following her lead, the Wolf began to ascend Butterfly Castle.
***
In Hong Yu-ri’s room, Baek So-yul, sitting on the bed, turned her head.
“You’re back.”
The Wolf nodded at the comment that didn’t hide her fatigue. No need to ask why she was up again… She must have been waiting for him.
“…Did you find a way?”
The Wolf shook its head. The Butterfly of Covenant had gladly agreed to help, but transformations from Dragon Blood were few and far between. After all, Dragon Blood itself was rare.
Hong Yu-ri might have been aware that most who drank it didn’t get transformed, they just ended up dead. Naturally. They either burst apart or couldn’t handle the Dragon Flames, ending up crushed or turned into monsters to be killed by others.
Of course, there were a few survivors.
But those who did survive could never use magic afterward. No one lasted beyond three years since transformation awaited them.
…Already having transformed once, Hong Yu-ri’s time might be even shorter. She had essentially become a ticking time bomb.
Positive change due to external factors, of course, had to adhere to the prerequisite of enduring it. It meant accepting the blood of a being at the top of the food chain and retaining sanity. Definitely not an easy task. She might have to live a life of longing.
It was a sign that things were worse than expected.
“…So…”
Upon hearing this, Baek So-yul covered her face with trembling hands. Her shaking eyes reflected her emotions. Her legs felt weak and wouldn’t hold her up. Her chest felt constricted… As if her heart had stopped.
Even saying not to use magic, would the teacher even listen? With that temper, it would be tough to convince her… Even if she did, it didn’t change the fact that she could transform at any moment.
Before a tear dropped from her eye, the Wolf gently wiped away the moisture around Baek So-yul’s eyes.
“But there’s still an answer.”
The choice to gain great power wasn’t wrong. If she could build up magic strong enough to resist the external forces, then she could firmly control the Dragon Blood.
From three days to three years. They all died, but the duration of those who resisted the magic was clearly linked to magic itself. None of them possessed great power. During the early days of the apocalypse, it wouldn’t be common to have such powers. If she could awaken that great power as a counterbalance to Dragon Blood, perhaps she could survive. Maybe as something closer to a human-than-monster hybrid.
Yeah, the choice wasn’t wrong.
With that realization, the Wolf met her gaze. Its crimson eyes were unwavering. Just like always, filled with certainty and faith. How could it be like this? It felt like it couldn’t do anything again this time…
“I know what she means to you.”
At those words, Baek So-yul swallowed hard. She wanted to turn away, but couldn’t. Her eyes were glued to him as if her very soul were bound.
…Since the academy raid, the teacher had always been with her. When you think about it, it wasn’t that long. But if Alpha had saved her, the one who had always kept her company was the teacher. Thanks to her, she could learn magic and felt less alone. In that short time, they had become a family, a friend, a mentor…
…Even if their aims were different, just as Alpha was precious, so was the teacher.
And Alpha was determined to save that teacher.
…Why?
“I promise. I’ll definitely save her, no matter what happens.”
In the unwavering crimson eyes, Baek So-yul found herself stuttering a question.
“…Why?”
At that question, the Wolf didn’t answer. No, it couldn’t respond for the same reason as before. Certainly, Hong Yu-ri had already become a companion and friend to it, but in silence, all it could do was gently stroke her hair.
“……”
Feeling the embrace, Baek So-yul cautiously hugged the Wolf. Again, it wasn’t going to answer, huh? A sigh of frustration escaped her. The moment it spoke, that unease had washed away.
…How is this possible?
Holding him close, she gazed out the window, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a full moon. It was just a no-show… That was a bit disappointing.
Even with time passing, no answers were returning.
But as the saying goes, not everything needs to be said to understand. The Wolf’s eyes, which had been gazing softly at the moon, caught sight of something else.
When she saw her own reflection in the Wolf’s clear, deep eyes, the voice came.
“I’ll wait.”
…She was left speechless.
Just like she had done earlier, she couldn’t look away.
“I’ll wait forever. So, please… keep your promise.”
This time, no answer came back.
But Baek So-yul could smile. Because he had promised. He would never break that promise.
The fact that he didn’t answer was as good as a response in itself…
The moon reflected in her misty eyes seemed more beautiful than ever.
More than any day she had lived up to this point.
***
“…Kkyuu!”
Somehow, I came down from Floating Island with a grumpy Fairy.
When we reached the ground, the stench still pierced our noses, but it was clear the pollution was gone. Countless Fairy-types were flying around.
The critters that had been no bigger than a human finger had grown quite a bit in just a few days. They were about the size of a mouse now, I bet.
Not as big as Fairy, but to see them grow this much in such a short time—yeah, it really felt like a plague. The fact that there remained enough food for this many Fairy-types to munch on for years just added to that idea.
“Kkyuu.”
Despite the pollution and negativity, Fairy remained grumpy. What was bothering her so much? No matter how much I tried to soothe her, she wouldn’t even make eye contact. This had never happened since I met her… She seemed to be really sulking.
The Wolf shook its head and looked around.
Dead bodies still littered everywhere… I thought the soldiers might collect or handle them, but it sounded like a naive expectation. They dealt with the Plague, but the Disease still remained.
Once the infestation was gone, there would be no reason for the soldiers to stay. They would be better off withdrawing. There were monsters lurking somewhere deep underground that couldn’t be faced with weapons and guns, so it would make sense they couldn’t collect the bodies.
For the same reason, the Square probably couldn’t put out a response either. You’d have to be prepared for the appearance of the Disease at any moment.
Hence, the bodies and carcasses were left like this.
In the midst of this thought, as Fairy flew off on her own, the Wolf sighed and followed. It wasn’t that Fairy had never complained before, but this time it felt different. Like she was intentionally trying to say, “Don’t follow me.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
Fairy seemed to get even angrier at my chuckle.
“—Kkyuu!”
She turned her head sharply and flew off, so the Wolf shook its head and kept following.
Fairy had been whining to the ancient Dragon about something. To others, it might have just sounded like chatter, but the Wolf could tell it was filled with grievances… What was going on?
For just a moment, the ancient Dragon cast a bemused look at the Wolf, but it had no idea why Fairy was upset. After waiting a moment, Fairy noticed the Wolf and flew off again. Just as the Wolf was about to chase her, it paused at the ancient Dragon’s call.
“You really are something else.”
With a tone of bored disbelief, the ancient Dragon sighed deeply, and the Wolf frowned.
“…Can you understand Fairy?”
“Of course, we’re the same species.”
“……”
Seeing the Wolf’s puzzled look, the ancient Dragon asked with a teasing tone.
“Do you remember what I told you before?”
“……?”
“…Better go after her. It’d be wise to do so.”
Seeing it had nothing more to say, the Wolf followed the path where Fairy had disappeared.
Not far from where they were, Fairy was busy ingesting negativity. Once again, the Wolf thought she’d evade it, but it felt relieved to see her accept the comforting hand. Maybe after whining to the ancient Dragon, she felt a bit better.
“…Kkyuu.”
The defeated whine made the Wolf chuckle softly. Whatever her feelings of frustration and injustice were, it was no trouble to listen to this much whining.
With each touch, the tail of Fairy wagged like a puppy’s. It was a habit that she didn’t even know about.
After a while of comforting her, since she seemed satisfied, the Wolf slowly walked along the long path. Countless remnants of the Plague. No, they had been the armies of the Plague.
As if attending a funeral, the Wolf set them ablaze one by one. He incinerated them, leaving no ashes behind, sorting through the intertwined bodies.
To fight against the Disease, that level of preparation was necessary. It was certain to reappear any day now.
Although lacking tangible proof, the Wolf was convinced of this.
To move on to the ‘next’ step, confronting it was unavoidable. Humanity had to eradicate the looming doom.
In their shared journey, the Wolf burned away what it had consumed, and Fairy absorbed the negativity.
They began to pick up speed, and it didn’t take long to handle the hordes scattered throughout the region.
[Cursed Marang (Swallower) Lv.49]
[EXP 3102171 / 3102171]
At that moment, they had gained experience points to the limit.
As the Disease prepared, the Wolf had finished its final preparations too. And as if to prove that, the system illuminated the path the Wolf desired.
[Required Condition for Level 50: Defeat ‘The One Who Sickens the Land’]