Chapter 61

“Did you call for me?”

Even as the large body of the dragon landed in the chamber, there was no tremor whatsoever.

The Gal Dragon went to the place piled high with gold where I had just awakened and threw in the gold he was holding.

“…What is that?”

“I brought it because I liked it.”

The question was about where he got such a large chunk of gold, but the Gal Dragon seemed to interpret it slightly differently.

“It resembles the color of my scales, and it’s a perfect material that doesn’t change even after I’ve slept for a long time. There’s not a lot, but I like it and occasionally pick it up.”

So he just brought it because he liked it?

Setting aside how he procured a refined chunk of pure gold like that, I began to understand why a space full of gold existed.

“Not even a crow.”

The gold piled in that space seemed to be gathered without any particular reason, much like a bird’s habit of decorating its nest with shiny objects.

It seemed like a rather naive reason, different from what I had originally thought, but for a being who doesn’t feel the need for trade, living according to one’s whims might indeed be the more natural way.

After tossing the gold aside, the dragon settled in a spot and coiled up, gradually growing larger.

When it stood upright, the dragon, which was already double the size of a giant, doubled in size once more, its body barely fitting into my field of vision.

I was only staring blankly at that sight, and I’m not sure if it looked amusing, but the Gal Dragon smiled with its massive snout and began explaining without me even asking.

“This is my original form. When I roam around in my true form, just moving around breaks things.”

“…That makes sense.”

I agreed with that statement.

The massive pupils, filled with its presence, emanated an overwhelming aura and appearance just through observation.

If such a being were to wander outside, it would indeed be a huge act of destruction.

However, in contrast to that appearance, the Gal Dragon yawned with a bored expression while coiled up.

It was a demeanor that made me feel empty, especially since I had been tense, thinking I might have to fight again.

For a while after that, the enormous chamber was filled with a yawning dragon and a small High Elf, creating a strange standoff without a single word.

“Did you bring me here?”

“Not exactly. When I first brought you here, I thought you might die since your condition was so bad, but it turns out you’re tough enough to resist me.”

“…So what do you plan to do with me now that you brought me here?”

Even though I tried to speak as calmly as possible, my voice trembled instinctively.

The dragon had been obsessed with itself the entire time we fought.

Having lost to such a dragon and being brought to its lair meant that my life and death now rested in the hands of the dragon before me.

It was terrifying to have to entrust my fate entirely to another.

“Nothing.”

However, contrary to that worry, the dragon replied nonchalantly.

“…Nothing?”

“It’s a bit damaged, but having you is enough.”

I momentarily lost my words at such a blunt reply, but there was no sense of deceit in it.

“You don’t want anything else?”

“I am curious about the strange tricks you performed with that body.”

Even while lying with its giant body on the ground, the Gal Dragon looked down on me.

“I don’t feel the solid world I perceived back then from you now. It’s not permanent; it must have been a trick. I have no interest in such things.”

“…If I’m not needed, why not simply let me go?”

“No.”

A light flared in its previously bored eyes.

“I have never lacked anything I wanted. I have never suffered for three days to acquire what I desired, nor have I ever wanted something to the point of going back on my own words.”

The golden dragon moved only its neck to keep an eye on me.

Its eyes were filled with emotions that were hard to decipher.

Those unidentifiable feelings seemed to slither across my entire body.

Shivers ran down my spine, and I unconsciously swallowed while stepping back.

“Damn…”

Feeling embarrassed for being overcome by the sudden pressure and losing control over my body and emotions, I barely managed to gather my thoughts and forced my chest out, trying to project confidence.

At that, the Gal Dragon slowly drew back its neck.

“Are you afraid?”

“…”

“That expression. Surprisingly not bad. It has a sense of form compared to the leftovers of a big monkey; it’s enjoyable to look at. It seems trees have more sensitivity than monkeys. Well done.”

As I glared at it, the Gal Dragon chuckled lightly.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m quite attached to my belongings. It’s the first time I’ve brought a living creature into my home, but I won’t treat it poorly.”

“It can’t get worse than the fact that you forcibly dragged me here.”

“Speaking of which, you haven’t eaten anything since you lost consciousness. Do you want something to eat? I can fetch it if you need.”

“I have no intention of eating what you offer.”

“Aren’t you hungry? It’s been ten days since you lost consciousness.”

The Gal Dragon deliberately ignored my reply and continued to speak.

But ten days.

Has it really been ten days since I lost consciousness?

Considering the vitality of a High Elf and the capabilities of the Araya-gong, it was hard to believe I had stayed in one place for such a long time.

‘…What a blunder.’

Not only had I never endured such humiliation, but I also forgot to check on my own condition as soon as I awakened, dazzled by the piles of gold before my eyes.

‘To be blinded by meaningless wealth; I lack discipline.’

With a bit of self-reproach, I began to survey my internal state.

The Qi was flowing weakly but properly throughout my body.

Thanks to the characteristics of the pupils, even in an unconscious state, the Qi inside me moved along the paths I had walked thousands of times.

Although it wasn’t perfect, the Qi and blood inside had recovered sufficiently to function without any issues after ten days.

But the problem was:

‘…It’s the upper Dantian.’

The upper Dantian, which the Gal Dragon had warned me about many times during our fight, was severely damaged.

The realm corresponding to the Qi among the Jing, Qi, and Shen had suffered much damage, disrupting the union.

It had brought me numerous inspirations for martial arts and acute perceptions during battles.

It seems that even when facing the Gal Dragon, I felt nothing extraordinary—maybe the damage to my upper Dantian had dulled my senses.

‘…Recovery will take a long time.’

If it were truly damaged, I would have been left as a fool, but it wasn’t completely ruined, which was fortunate; it just wasn’t a good situation either.

The sensations I usually felt were sometimes reminiscent of a third eye, but now they were vaguely unfelt, as if I had become blind.

This was the price of recklessly using shallow tricks to transcend my limits.

The transcendent realms of beings like the dragon before me or the World Tree mother.

In a long history of the continent, not even a hundred beings had reached those lofty domains.

Considering I had persisted in such a state for three days, coupled with the fierce battle I had fought, having lost and used my Qi in reverse flow, it was a relief that things didn’t end worse.

“Thank goodness.”

While the limit of time in my previous life was cruel, in this life, time would be my greatest ally if I survived.

If I took proper time for recuperation, I could recover eventually, no matter how long it took.

Moreover, if I manage to recover my upper Dantian, I could reach that realm, not as a pawn this time but steadily.

Since I had felt that sensation once, it would be much easier to reach it again.

“Are you done thinking? Your face looks bright.”

“Ah.”

The Gal Dragon, displeased by my distraction during our conversation, continued speaking.

“I took the time to consider your pathetic life, you better think seriously about it.”

…What a grand gesture coming from a kidnapper.

I sighed and shook my head.

“I don’t need it.”

“…So you’re intending to die?”

“That’s not the case.”

“Aren’t beings like you incompetent creatures that die if you can’t consume external substances?”

“I can survive without food.”

The Gal Dragon became interested upon hearing my words.

“Oh? That tree’s creation—”

“Elf.”

“Mm?”

“Not a creature, an Elf. Moreover, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to endure the insults towards my parents. My mother isn’t just a tree; she’s the World Tree.”

“Hm.”

The Gal Dragon raised its enormous body, appearing three, if not four, times the size of a giant, looking down at me with an imposing presence.

But I too looked up at the dragon with a firm expression.

After a lengthy silence where we stared each other down, the Gal Dragon finally retreated.

“Hmph. If I’m going to raise you anyway, it’s better to take care of the small details.”

After lying back down, it coiled itself again and asked,

“Is this Elf species capable of living without eating?”

“…They usually eat small portions, but they need some nourishment to survive. You can think of my case as special.”

“Not bad. It means I have less hassle. So it implies that if you don’t eat, you don’t defecate either?”

“…Are you attempting to insult me because of my situation?”

“Of course not. It’s my first time raising a living creature. Honestly, I had thought of tolerating the mess even if you polluted my home with waste.”

“…Do we really need to discuss such filthy matters in this situation?”

“It’s quite important.”

“…I won’t.”

For some reason, I couldn’t look at the dragon, which was nodding in satisfaction, and I lowered my head.

My face turned red with embarrassment.

My vision blurred slightly.

‘I promise. Once I recover my upper Dantian and reach that realm again, I will surely, absolutely, definitely kill you.’