I Picked Up the Fallen Earth

Chapter 4 The Key to Fate (2)

Dragon Vein.

Within this accursed world, it was the only power nearing the realm of myth.

The Farrow lineage had passed down the Dragon Vein for generations.

The family’s founder, Round Farrow, had forged a contract with a dragon, ensuring the continuity of this Dragon Vein through the generations, effective until the dragon’s demise.

However, there were some complications involved.

Upon succession, this power, adhering to the principle of primogeniture, transformed with each passing generation.

Some ancestors gained considerable magical power, while others were endowed with prodigious administrative capabilities.

Occasionally, some would find magical runes capable of casting spells imprinted on their palms.

In essence, it was akin to a gacha game.

It was utterly unpredictable what power the next heir would inherit.

The current head of the Farrow household, Baron Ark, possessed formidable physical strength.

Thanks to this, he managed to revive the steadily declining family to a certain extent.

One of his greatest achievements was acquiring a considerable number of slaves as spoils of war and officially integrating lands frequented by Barbarians into the family’s domain after a conflict with the Lapis Kingdom a few years ago.

Though these lands were often troublesome, controlling them could eventually make the family invulnerable to assaults from the kingdom’s central politics.

Accomplishing such feats in a single generation was unusual, thus Baron Ark could be credited with considerable effort on behalf of his family.

Now, as Baron Ark’s era was coming to an end, the era of Jeron Farrow was approaching.

However, Jeron himself was reluctant to embrace it.

“Bring forth the relic.”

The so-called Dragon’s Relic.

Even in times of crisis, the family never disposed of this artifact.

It was a golden chalice inlaid with jewels, meant to carry the blood of ancestors to their descendants.

Despite his reluctance, Jeron was forced to hand his father a dagger.

Swish.

Baron Ark then sliced open the palm of his remaining hand.

The chalice filled with blood to the brim.

Swoosh.

Then, something miraculous transpired.

Jeron had never before witnessed mana in motion.

This was a sight unseen; a marvel.

The red blood, imbued with magical power, turned into gold.

Baron Ark’s complexion worsened, as if he had been drained of life.

“Drink it.”

It was unavoidable.

Ironically, a life ending due to tetanus from a stray arrow meant that Jeron had to inherit the power.

Gulp, gulp.

As the golden blood was consumed, Jeron collapsed.

Swoosh!

The abyss of infinity.

Moments later, a colossal golden dragon emerged from the darkness.

Jeron realized this realm, governed by mental imagery, was not reality.

He had heard tales of the Dragon Vein from his father since childhood, but never truly believed a dragon would manifest before him.

The savage and ruthless world made it hard to fathom that such formidable power belonged to their family.

A legacy not of individuals but of the lineage itself.

Yet, with the dragon now before his eyes, disbelief was no longer an option.

[O successor of the Dragon Vein, what is your deepest desire?]

[Desire?]

What desire could there be?

Having ended a life on a doomed Earth only to start anew, to live well and prosper might be considered his desire.

As golden light flowed from the dragon’s eyes, Jeron’s memories, previously obstructed, gushed forth.

Memories of a past life leaked from every direction.When the world was destroyed by the mutants, Jeron too lost the people he loved.

His family, above all. It was painful when he was first endowed with memories at birth, but now, he had buried them deep in a corner of his heart.

“How wonderful it would have been if I had even one photograph. Now, I can’t even recall the faces of my wife and children.”

Could this also be considered a wish?

[You’ve had a memory of a past life, a very special experience. Your wish has reached me, and so it shall be fulfilled.]

“Wait, just a minute!”

But that was the end of it. When he came to, he felt his palm burning, and a golden key was etched into it like a tattoo. His father, still gasping for breath. The mouth of Arc Farrow opened.

“That… is your power.”

His father fainted. From his shallow breathing, it seemed the next few days would be critical. In this damned world, there was no way to treat him.

After a long while, Jeron dreamt about his past life again. Perhaps because the dragon had dredged up memories it had deeply buried. Like many who lived through the age of destruction, he had spent a long time under the threat of death.

It would have been different if he had been alone, but he did everything to keep his family safe. He had staked his life for a piece of bread and had taken the lives of others.

Jeron often spoke of this world as an age of barbarism after his reincarnation, but the true barbarism lay in the world that had been destroyed. He had witnessed countless deaths.

His son died, his daughter died, and finally, he lost his wife. It was a life where it was a blessing not to have succumbed to mental illness and committed suicide.

However, it was not all unhappy memories. Even in such a barbaric age, love blossomed, and he felt the warmth of people’s lives.

Now, those memories had faded and worn out. After a flood of flashbacks like raging waves, Jeron woke up drenched in sweat.

“Damn it. I thought I had forgotten everything.”

It felt as if the trauma from his past life had reawakened. The Fallen Earth wasn’t the only barbaric place; shocking events had also filled his current life, but upon reflection, that wasn’t it.

He gulped down water from the table. When he looked up, he saw a familiar scene through a transparent barrier. The last refuge he had tried so hard to forget.

There, Jeron had buried his family, and in the end, was torn apart by mutants and died. In reality, Jeron didn’t even have a grave and became food for the mutants, disappearing into obscurity. A bitter feeling washed over him.

“Is this a dream?” If not, there was no other explanation. He slapped his cheek hard.

A terrible pain surged through him. He held his tingling cheek and rubbed his eyes, thinking it might be one of the mad dragon’s illusions. No matter how hard he rubbed, the devastated Earth’s landscape lay starkly before him.

Suddenly, he thought of the ley lines. The special power given by the Gold Dragon.

It was a key, and no further explanation was provided. The golden key etched on his palm glimmered faintly. Thus, the key had somehow opened the door to another dimension—his Earth from a past life. He cautiously flicked his finger.

With a ripple, the dimensional door quivered.He turned to look behind the door of dimensions.

There lay a scene opposite to the one he had observed earlier.

Instead of a tranquil farm, a distant, gray city came into view.

A concrete jungle of gray.

How much time had passed for the tall buildings to blur into green, as if overgrown with various plants climbing over them, making the city seem strewn with all manner of vegetation?

It was clear that this was not an illusion.

Then, could he pass through?

He hesitated to throw himself in, worried.

Instead of his body, he drew his real sword and stabbed forward.

Coolth!

Like before, ripples appeared, and it smoothly slid in, did it not?

Through this, Jeron became certain.

The power of the dragon vein he possessed was to open the doors of dimensions. Specifically, the door to a perished Earth.

His heart started to throb intensely.

He had wished for just one family photo; had that wish created the key to this dimension?

And then, he contemplated numerous possibilities.

That place was Earth.

This world was an uncivilized society with no solutions, whereas Earth, although destroyed, had built a highly civilized society.

What if he could freely come and go there?

How much wealth must exist there, and how many amazing objects must be scattered about?

Though destroyed, it was not due to a nuclear hit but rather because humanity vanished due to mutants.

“Monopolize Earth…”

It seemed entirely possible.

Jeron did not have much time.

Had his father, Baron Ark Farrow, been safe, he might have approached the situation more cautiously.

Entering an unidentified portal, who knows what might happen, and it was impossible to know how many mutants lurked within.

And that wasn’t all.

If there were survivors, as if on the brink of death, that situation would be even more dangerous.

All sorts of mentally ill patients running rampant in the destroyed Earth, wasn’t it?

Thus, he wanted to take his time to observe, plan, and experiment more, but if a few more days passed, he couldn’t guarantee his father, Baron Ark Farrow, would still be alive.

First, he had to save his father.

Even immediate treatment might not ensure a year’s survival due to aftereffects, but it was a problem he couldn’t simply ignore.

He packed his belongings and conducted a final experiment.

“Open.”

The incantation didn’t matter.

All that was needed was the desire to form a door of dimensions, and with that wish, the golden key in his palm shone, creating the door of dimensions.

And sending the wish to close it would do just that, a very simple mechanism.

He threw his baggage in.

Coolth!

The luggage was repelled out.

“……”

Thus, Jeron realized that only objects in contact with his body could pass through with him.

What about a living human?

If someone were in direct contact, couldn’t they also pass through?

Time was pressing, and explaining this was perplexing.

Dragging another person along could wait until at least antibiotics were obtained.

He donned his backpack and checked his armed state.

A longsword at his hip, a crossbow on his back, fully armored with a breastplate, helm, greaves, and gloves.

Although he intended to immediately open a dimensional door and escape if a dire situation arose, one could never be too careful.

Being bitten and turning into a mutant could utterly destroy the Farrow household.

After inspecting all his gear, Jeron crossed through the door of dimensions.