NOVEL WEB Chapter 138
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle
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< Chapter 138: The Tulip Mausoleum (3) >
[An unexpected event has occurred, opening an instance dungeon.]
[A quest has arrived.]
+
[Sudden Quest]
You have discovered the “Grim Reaper,” one of the Primordial Dragon’s relics. Defeat the guardian “Magara” in a game of hide-and-seek.
· Difficulty: A
· Reward: Ownership of the “Grim Reaper”
· Failure: Forfeiture of ownership
+
Theo suddenly felt his foot sink with a squelch.
It was a swamp.
A mire filled with mud and river water all mixed.
“Great.”
Before Theo even had a chance to fully read the quest description, he realized he was sinking and tried to steady himself first.
Then, sensing a damp, ominous sensation underfoot, he pulled his magic power down to the soles of his feet.
Boom!
With the sound of an explosion, mud splattered everywhere, and Theo shot up into the air.
The spot where he’d just been standing—
A grotesque creature with the body of a shark, the tail of a snake, and a long, crocodile-like snout licked its lips, looking regretful as it eyed him.
「You’re more alert than you look.」
Tap!
Theo landed on a dry tree nearby and lowered Drake’s blade.
“So, you’re the guardian here?”
「Close enough.」
“According to the quest, I just have to catch you, right? Are you sure you should be revealing yourself like this?”
It seemed that the hide-and-seek referred to finding Magara, who was deeply submerged in the swamp.
But instead of hiding or running, the creature had revealed itself outright.
Whether to call it confidence or pure recklessness was a question.
But it seemed that Magara was neither.
「Why do you ‘assume’ I’ll simply participate in this quest with you?」
“What?”
A reaction completely unlike the guardians Theo had encountered before.
Theo’s eyes widened in surprise.
「A quest is nothing more than the Primordial Dragon imposing its will on us, forcing us toward its own goals. Our own opinions or intentions aren’t included in that.」
“……!”
Once again, the reaction was completely different from any guardian Theo had previously encountered.
Buzz! Bzzz!
Suddenly, not only Drake’s blade and the Moon-White Sword, but also other relics like the Ring of the Desert and the Butterfly of the Ice Flower, all began to tremble violently.
Whirr!
The earring hanging from his left ear shook.
At the same time, a cold light burst forth, forming into the shape of a Fairy Dragon.
「Nonsense!」
The Fairy Dragon, appearing after a long time, glared at Magara, its fury apparent.
「Fafnir is our creator! His will is the mission we must uphold and the task we must fulfill! How dare you deny that!」
「That nonsense applies only to idiots like you, who blindly follow orders without a shred of free will.」
Theo sensed that Magara was mocking the Fairy Dragon.
「Insolent!」
「Fools like you can keep following that human or whatever you were doing. But don’t force your beliefs on me.」
Magara’s vertical pupils flared wide.
「My one true master is none other than Lady Lezé!」
It was a declaration, one meant to assert its own will.
‘It’s completely captivated by Lezé.’
How was he supposed to handle this?
Theo fell briefly into thought.
He didn’t know the circumstances under which Lezé had obtained the Primordial Dragon’s relic.
It seemed she didn’t fully understand the relic’s significance, either.
Yet Magara’s unwavering loyalty toward Lezé suggested an emotional bond beyond the relic.
‘Even in her past life, Lezé never let go of the Grim Reaper until the end.’
Soon, Lezé would eventually lose in the struggle for the throne.
At her side in those final moments wasn’t her Reaper Division or any of her talented followers, but the Grim Reaper.
This was proof of how much she cherished her treasured weapon.
The problem was that for Theo to gain the Primordial Dragon’s power, he had to retrieve the relic.
Somehow, he had to sever the bond between Lezé and Magara.
「You’re choosing a foolish path, defying your creator’s will. Isn’t this Lezé not even a “Chosen One”?」
「But she is a Ragnar, bearing the blood of the dragon.」
「You!」
「Isn’t such a superficial qualification enough? Fine, then. For my master, I’ll grant her that qualification myself!」
The implication was simple.
Ding!
[Magara has expressed intense hostility toward you. From this moment, Magara seeks to hunt you down and transfer the status of
[The quest details have been partially updated.]
[Difficulty has been raised from A to S.]
Craaa!
A guardian’s rebellion!
Theo let out a sombre laugh.
Earning the approval of the Fairy Dragon and Desert Worm had been no easy task, but neither had shown such a blatant intent to kill.
「Magara!」
「Try your best, if you can. Haha…….」
Whether the Fairy Dragon called out or not, Magara had already submerged itself beneath the swamp.
「This is going to be troublesome.」
The Fairy Dragon tapped its forehead with its short arm. The sight was almost comical—like an elderly person’s gesture coming from such an adorable creature—but it didn’t seem to realize this itself.
“No need to worry. The quest hasn’t changed just because of that.”
「Don’t underestimate Magara. While not on my level, it was a beast in life, tearing apart enemies in an instant with its powerful jaws and thick hide.」
“Even now, you can’t help but brag about yourself.”
「This is no time for jokes!」
The Fairy Dragon’s brow furrowed deeply.
「Though you may have bested me through some filthy trick and now force me to serve as your master, the fact remains that you are indeed my master, the heir of the Primordial Dragon, and the companion of the Guardian Dragon. I did not wait over a thousand years just to see my newly found master fall or get injured so pitifully.」
Theo felt he was finally getting a handle on the Fairy Dragon’s personality.
Regardless of its abilities, its self-praise was utterly relentless.
「So, heed my counsel and let us plan a strat—」
“Doesn’t seem like it’ll be that difficult, though.”
「…What are you talking about?」
The Fairy Dragon thought Theo’s remark was absurd.
A dungeon was the ideal environment for a guardian to move freely. Even a mongrel had the advantage in its own backyard—how could an outsider possibly…!
[The Dragon’s Descendant is activating.]
[Dragonblood Awakening is beginning.]
“What about now?”
「Gasp!」
The Dragonblood of the Ragnar line originated from the Primordial Dragon and the Guardian Dragon—a lineage that could be traced back to the ancient dragons, the source of all dragonkind.
Lower dragon species were instinctively bound to obey the higher ones.
Theo had spent months in the Floating Archipelago training to control Dragonblood Awakening at will, and now he had reached a level where he could manifest aspects of the dragon’s power without significant penalties.
Unconsciously, the Fairy Dragon found itself bowing its head. It was a reaction stemming from instinct.
And Magara would be no exception.
[All of your special abilities and enhancements have temporarily increased.]
[All Buff has activated.]
[Time Limit: 6 minutes.]
The time limit had increased by one minute from before.
That would be more than enough.
Crack!
Theo heightened his senses, extending his hand into the air.
Then, he twisted it sideways.
Crunch—
A section of the swamp, firmly locked in place by telekinesis, flipped over entirely, exposing Magara, who had been lying in wait below, ready to strike as soon as Theo made a move.
「What is this!」
“Come.”
At Theo’s command, Magara’s body rose into the air, immobilized and unable to move even an inch.
「No!」
Magara struggled desperately, attempting to resist the instinctive obedience and enforced restraint. But before it could break free, Theo was already moving.
The objective of this quest was, after all, hide-and-seek.
Once the seeker made contact, it was game over.
In the end, Theo’s fingertips brushed against Magara.
Flash!
A flood of light engulfed the world.
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Sudden Quest by locating the hidden Magara.]
[Rating: S]
[You have received ownership of the Grim Reaper as a reward.]
When the light subsided—
Lezé stood there with a deep scowl, still shaking hands with Theo.
Unlike the dungeon, hardly any time had passed in reality.
“You!”
Lezé realized immediately that Theo had attempted ‘something’ with her.
But Theo simply released her hand and smiled calmly.
“Is there something wrong?”
“What the…!”
What was this nonsense?
Lezé was about to hurl an accusation, but she bit her lip tightly.
Only she was aware that Theo had done something, based solely on her intuition. There was no evidence.
Logically speaking, it was absurd to think that, in such a fleeting moment, Theo could have deceived her senses and accomplished anything.
Who would even suspect that she’d just lost ownership of her cherished weapon?
And even if someone did figure it out, it would be hard for her to protest.
After all, she had been the one to initiate this by challenging Theo.
If the tables had indeed turned, revealing it would only damage her pride.
Grinding her teeth, Lezé struggled to maintain her composure.
The mischievous gleam that usually danced in her eyes was now gone.
“Fine. I started this first, so I’ll let it go this time. It seems Father wasn’t exaggerating when he mentioned a sixth candidate.”
‘As expected, she’s clearly one of the Five Candidates.’
Theo couldn’t help but acknowledge Lezé internally.
With such composure, she would be someone to watch out for even more in the future.
The more restrained someone like her was, the sharper and more covert her strikes would be when the time came.
“No one in that age group ever dared to defy me like this, except Torkel. You… perhaps…!”
“No.”
“I wasn’t even done talking yet.”
“You want me to come under you, correct? I refuse.”
“Did you eat something called a ‘firm melon’? You’re very resolute.”
Lezé looked between Theo and Wellington.
The implication was that they were exactly the same.
But she didn’t push the offer further, showing no lingering interest.
It seemed she hadn’t expected much to begin with.
The brief handshake she had shared with Theo earlier was more than enough to understand he wasn’t someone to come under another’s authority.
Instead, Lezé approached Cassandra.
Sensing her coming, Cassandra flinched and hid further behind Theo.
“So, you’re the girl—the prophet Troyban has been searching for so desperately.”
Lezé crouched down to meet Cassandra at eye level.
Theo’s eyes widened as he watched from the side.
He realized that Lezé’s true objective had been Cassandra all along, not him.
“There’s just one question I’d like to ask. Would you answer it for me?”
In that instant, Theo’s face hardened.
‘Lezé is the one who had Cassandra brought here!’
* * *
“My lord.”
Theo’s group had entered the Guild building with Cassandra in tow.
Lezé remained in her place, squatting in silent contemplation.
One of the Reaper Division members approached her with concern.
“Yes?”
“You received the answer you sought. Is there a problem?”
“A problem? Of course not.”
-For me.
Lezé’s question to Cassandra.
-Can I become ‘king’?
Discovering the existence of a girl capable of foreseeing the future, and ordering Theo’s nearby group to carry out the rescue—this was all part of Lezé’s plan.
It allowed her to secure the prophet card and evaluate Theo’s abilities, the latest strong candidate for succession.
If Theo had failed the mission?
The Upsurging Dragon priest and the Reaper Division would have stepped in without delay.
After all, they were the same ones who had been tracking Arkt and the Blue Crane Corps all along.
Fortunately, without their intervention, Cassandra was successfully rescued, and Lezé could finally ask the question she’d been waiting to ask.
The throne.
Would she be able to reach the seat she had so long yearned for, even as a child?
Could she break through all the resistance and wariness that poured down on her constantly, and finally sit where her father did now?
And the answer was…
But even after hearing that answer, Lezé found herself unable to laugh or cry.
-……
‘There’s no response.’
The Grim Reaper, who had always shared her emotions in times of joy and sorrow, was now completely silent.
The Grim Reaper had always been spiritually connected to her.
But now, it wasn’t.
As if it were ‘dead.’
“……”
At that moment,
Lezé realized something.
The friend she had hoped would be by her side when she became king—
The one she wanted to sit with her on the throne—
was no longer with her.