The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Flash.

The secret stone chamber was bathed in radiant light. Regnator, which was tied to Raul’s right wrist, began to shine.

And before he knew it, the Skill Book had been summoned and opened, with Rabel perched on top, her eyes gleaming. The bracelets and Skill Book displayed on the opposite shelf also radiated light.

‘Are they resonating with each other?’

Raul wasn’t the only one surprised by the sudden development. The three sages and the old priest, who had entered the chamber with him, were equally astonished.

“Ha, for the divine artifacts to react on their own!”

“Astonishing. Does this mean the owner of the divine artifacts had been predetermined?”

Having undergone unsealing and upgrades, Raul’s Regnator and Skill Book had already evolved significantly from their initial forms. It was understandable that the others wouldn’t immediately recognize them as the same artifacts now shining.

Gray, with a smile in his eyes, asked Raul.

“It seems the divine artifacts desire you. What do you think? Wouldn’t your mind change in the face of such divine power?”

Of course, Raul was tempted.

But…

‘It’s not worth risking my life over it. I already have these.’

While he was curious about the true nature of the mythical items, he felt no need to be greedy given that he had spent years developing and growing with his own Regnator and Skill Book.

Noting Raul’s expression, Gray chuckled and shook his head.

“I’ve watched you for years, and you truly are remarkable. Once you set your standards, you’re not easily swayed. Such unyielding will is rare among humans. I never thought anyone could resist the allure of divine artifacts. Follow me.”

As Gray moved, Raul tilted his head in curiosity.

‘What else is here?’

Although he was in a hurry, he had inspected the stone chamber in his previous life. He didn’t think there was anything else hidden.

Creak.

Placing his hand on the stone wall, the old priest revealed another hidden passage at the back of the chamber. And when Raul entered, his eyes widened.

“Th-this…?”

“What do you think? Are you ready to accept our proposal now?”

Gray’s tone was brimming with confidence.

*

Clench.

Raul made a fist and felt the grip.

‘Not much different, really.’

The sensation felt the same. The power he carried in his body. His Regnator and Skill Book on his wrist also functioned perfectly without issues.

“To think I’d use the revival right in this way. How does it feel? Anything different?”

“It’s seamless. The mana flow is completely identical. The Connect system is truly remarkable.”

Receiving confirmation from Rabel, Raul nodded. The room they were led into by Gray contained familiar items.

A slightly bulky-looking capsule.

And an ‘avatar’ that appeared almost lifelike.

“This is one of the few remaining prototype avatars. With the cessation of avatar production for Earthlings, these are some of the last artificial bodies left in this world.”

The three sages perceived Raul’s ability to use the Connect system as a ‘divine power granted by the gods’.

The completion of the Connect system involved three key elements: the power of the Dragon Lord, the design from the Earth-born outsider, and the divine power through the temple.

There was a clear reason why the three sages brought Raul to the secret temple.

“The current mass-production system and control room of the Connect system are restricted areas. The artificial intelligence left by the creator completely oversees the management of the Connect system. If you want to know more, you need to be formally acknowledged as a ‘Controller’.”

With that explanation, Raul decided to accept Gray’s proposal. The revival right, which he had received as a reward for winning the first scenario, could finally be utilized.

Raul submerged himself in the prototype capsule of Connect, and reopened his eyes in the virtual body, the avatar. And that body was almost indistinguishable from his original one.

“It was a rather anticlimactic mission.”

“Indeed. Though they said there wouldn’t be any battles, I didn’t expect it to be this uneventful.”

As the three sages had assured him, the task of reinforcing the seal on the Dark Dragon was simpler than expected. All it required was traveling to a certain location in the expansive mountain range behind the Empire’s capital, infusing mana, and repairing the magic circle.

And since only the three sages knew the coordinates of that location, it was natural that there were no confrontations with the Empire’s forces.

Of course, this mission would have to be periodically repeated as long as the Dark Dragon remained alive, but for now, it didn’t seem like an overly challenging task. And currently. Raul stood overlooking the Empire’s capital.

“Is that it?”

From the mountainside, the Empire’s capital appeared as a very rigid, fortified planned city. Even though it was midday, the streets had very few people walking around, making the place appear lifeless.

“Desolate, isn’t it?”

“….”

When had he approached?

Beside Raul stood the young man with black hair he had met at the Tower of the Demon Realm.

“Thanks for keeping your promise. Coming here means you’re willing to consider my proposal, right?”

Back then, the young man had provided Raul with information before disappearing, leaving behind a request: that Raul should come to this place when he decided to visit the Empire.

Whether it was a casual remark or not, Raul was now meeting him at this very location.

“That depends on hearing your identity and your proposal clearly.”

Drawing a clear line, Raul’s words elicited a cheerful smile from the young man.

“Alright. As a reward for keeping your promise, I’ll reveal my identity. Nice to meet you, Count Raul. My name is Aramin Egon Mavliones. You might understand it better as the Crown Prince of the Cranen Empire.”

Before he could finish, Raul’s weapons surrounded the young man.

“You’re the crown prince of the Empire? What reason do you have to come alone and reveal yourself to me? If you planned to trap me, I assure you my sword would reach your neck first.”

Despite the menacing aura, Aramin the Crown Prince remained calm.

“If you want to kill me, go ahead. But before you do, can you hear me out?”

Raul locked eyes with him for a moment.

“Alright. What do you want to say?”

Aramin finally sighed and spoke with a more serious expression.

“Count Raul, I want you to kill the current Emperor and the Dark Dragon Mavliones supporting him!”

“…!”

What an outrageous request. Raul had visited only to confirm the identity of the young man with black hair, but now he was faced with an unexpected proposal.

*

“This way.”

Creak.

How long had they been walking through the dark underground tunnel? Finally, they reached a door that bore signs of human touch.

“If we don’t handle this quickly, the Marquis stationed all over the capital will come running. We need to act fast.”

At Aramin’s words, Raul nodded and stepped forward.

“I expect you to keep your promise. And even if I fail, don’t hold it against me.”

“It’s a life that had little time left anyway. I just gambled on the person with the highest chances.”

Raul checked his gear one final time, noting the serene expression on Aramin’s face. The story Aramin had told him was quite shocking.

The Dark Dragon Mavliones wasn’t simply sleeping in the mountains behind the Empire’s capital. Having appointed a half-dragon, half-human as the Emperor, Mavliones had been possessing the Emperor’s body through some method, effectively ruling the Empire.

Whenever the Emperor’s body aged and required a new one, Mavliones would transfer to the body of a newly acquired son. Successive crown princes, who anticipated becoming Emperor, were unknowingly having their bodies taken over by Mavliones.

Aramin discovered this truth during the Gate crisis. As Mavliones focused on awakening from his slumber, his grip on the Emperor weakened, allowing the Emperor’s own consciousness to resurface briefly.

During one of these moments, the Emperor conveyed the truth to his son, Aramin, urging him to break the cursed fate of the imperial family.

“Then wouldn’t it be better to hope for Mavliones to awaken?”

Raul asked.

Aramin gave a bitter smile.

“Even if he awakens, nothing will change. What do you think the marks on the bodies of the Marquises and the people of the Empire are? They’re simply toys to be manipulated in his hands. Moreover, he has no intention of sparing humanity. During his thousands of years in hibernation, he has harbored a grudge against the entire human race for exhausting the mana and leaving him in such a state.”

It made sense. The humans had depleted all the mana, leaving him in a near-death state for an eternity.

“If the Emperor and Mavliones are killed, what will become of the Empire?”

“…It will follow its natural course.”

Raul caught a fleeting glimpse of ambition in Aramin’s eyes.

‘Well, he’s probably spent his entire life preparing to become Emperor.’

Surprisingly, Raul found it appealing. It was easier to deal with someone who had ambitions than someone without; it was more straightforward to anticipate and calculate their moves.

In the end, the two struck a deal, and as long as it was honored, Raul had no objections.

“Then, let’s open it. Best of luck.”

Aramin sliced his palm with a dagger and pressed the bleeding wound against the stone door.

Whoosh.

A crimson dragon-shaped magic circle flared up, and with a rumbling sound, the stone door opened. The defensive barrier of the Dark Dragon that even the three sages couldn’t break was undone with ease.

Raul steadied his breath as he stepped through the stone door.

Tap, tap.

He walked into a void of darkness, which soon transformed into a massive plaza. In the distance, a colossal silhouette came into view.

A gigantic creature lay hunched and prone. It was a dark-scaled dragon, certainly over a hundred meters long, lying motionless in slumber.

‘That’s a dragon!’

Even in its dormant state, the sheer presence of the dragon exerted an overwhelming pressure.

Swish, swish, swish!

Having steeled his resolve, Raul had no reason to hesitate. He immediately summoned his legion of weapons, directing them toward the dark dragon.

And then.

Clank, clang!

The weapons, flying like a meteor shower towards the dark dragon, were suddenly deflected by an unseen barrier.

“Who dares to cause such a commotion!”

The figure that appeared above the sleeping dragon’s head was none other than Gionelli Egon Mavliones, the Emperor of the Cranen Empire.

‘A rather strong mage.’

But Raul remained unperturbed.

Flash.

The Skill Book unfolded before Raul, glowing with a brilliant golden light.

“Do you think you can stop us with some paltry magic? Be gone!”

As Rabel waved her magic wand, the dark barrier confining the legion of weapons vanished as if it were an illusion.

“Word magic? No, it’s something different. How can a mere fairy…?”

The Emperor of the Empire, his expression puzzled, tried to fend off the incoming weapons with various spells, glaring at Rabel. But Rabel met his gaze and chanted another spell.

“Everything, disappear! And you, get slammed to the ground!”

The force in Rabel’s words obliterated the Emperor’s counterspells and slammed him into the ground. Despite his trembling body trying to resist, Rabel’s magic overpowered him.

‘No wonder. Now that the Skill Book has regained its true form.’

After accepting the three sages’ proposal, Raul obtained the two so-called divine items. The Skill Book and Regnator seamlessly merged with his original items as if they were always meant to be one.

Not only were the final seals lifted, but new abilities had also been completely awakened. The Skill Book had documented every skill in existence, excluding unique S-Grade skills, resulting in a tremendous amplification of power.

Furthermore, every skill activation now contained divine power, making Rabel’s spells more potent than mere magic. The battle concluded with astonishing ease.

The Emperor, desperately trying to mount a final resistance, was impaled by the legion of weapons and reduced to dust by Rabel’s incantation.

“Losing to a mere Dragonian mage? Unthinkable.”

Adjusting her glasses and puffing out her chest, Rabel exuded confidence. Her self-assuredness stemmed from her experience in the Great War era, where she had faced dragons.

And finally, as Raul’s weapons were about to reach the scales of the dark dragon…

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The entire plaza trembled as though it would collapse. The aura-imbued weapons were deflected as if they were toothpicks against a steel plate. A massive eye, yellow with a long vertical slit, stared directly at Raul.

“To be thwarted again by these cursed humans. How dare such insignificant creatures defy the divine!”

Roar!

A deafening roar swept through the cavern.

“Divine? Enough talk! Bring it on!”

With Infinite Parts activated, Raul charged towards the dark dragon.

(To be continued)