Chapter 76

Ruins of the Dragon.

The legacy left behind by dragons.

When Marco first heard the rumors, all he could muster was a light-hearted scoff.

How could something so grand be reduced to mere street gossip?

But as the whispers from the city began to take shape…

Evidence started to pile up…

And when he and his troops stumbled upon the real deal deep within the Labyrinth Forest…

His heart couldn’t help but race with anticipation every single day.

Dragons.

DRAGONS.

The mythical beasts straight outta legends!

Since the disappearance of the Floating Islands, these majestic creatures had vanished without a trace…

Leaving behind only half-breeds like dragonlings and draconians in their wake.

To stumble upon an actual dragon ruin was nothing short of a golden opportunity.

Whatever treasures or… perhaps even a DRAGON’S CARCASS lay within…

It was clear this place held untold wonders.

“Hmph.”

Rumors spread fast.

Though they will soon enough, Marco was confident that HE would claim it first.

Being ahead of the game gave him quite the edge.

The ominous atmosphere he’d cultivated to suppress further rumors helped too.

Spreading false information? Punishment awaited.

With countless soldiers, mages, knights, and even mercenaries under his command…

The House of Marco poured all its resources into exploring and excavating the ruins.

After careful observation, they discovered inscriptions on the entrance of the dragon ruins…

Claiming that blood would open the gate.

For a moment, Marco felt dizzy contemplating it…

But he’d already sent scouts to track down any surviving dragonkin for results.

“Failed to obtain the blood due to some mysterious powerhouse.”

“Yes sir…”

“The same old excuse, huh? Normally I’d hold you accountable…”

But Marco decided to show mercy.

“I’ll let it slide this time. The door’s opened anyway.”

Though the presence of uninvited guests irked him…

He knew there was no way just two people could monopolize the vast treasures within.

Even if they tried…

So what? He’d simply take it from them.

A world where the strongest always claimed the spoils…

Where only the elite reaped the rewards…

Failure of expeditions? There’s always a reason.

Skill.

Pressure.

Jealousy.

No matter the obstacle, the journey ahead wouldn’t be easy.

“Prepare the main force. The scout team’s already out there. Shall we begin?”

“Understood.”

Marco’s desire grew like the rising sun.

While not enough to overthrow the world…

The dragon’s legacy would surely make him the undisputed ruler of this region.

His eyes glazed over, mind consumed by thoughts of the future.

A bright, happy future.

Legends spoke of how a dragon’s corpse could raise armies from its bones…

Forge superhumans from its heart…

Craft impenetrable armor from its scales…

Create elixirs from its blood…

“Dang, that smell is sweet… Sooo sweet…”

The fragrance emanating from the wide-open stone doors was intoxicating.

After all this searching…

This was the scent of SUCCESS.

*

Could she see through the darkness?

Bell’s steps were unwavering.

Same here.

Developing the ability to pierce through shadows made navigating such gloom effortless.

A natural side effect from my body’s enhancements.

The only nuisance was the noisy group trailing behind us.

In games, exploring dragon ruins was straightforward:

Solve a few puzzles in a maze-like structure, reach the end room, grab the loot, done.

Occasional battles and hazards aside, the framework itself was simple.

“Interested in these ruins?”

Bell’s voice echoed through the corridor.

“Eh, not really, but I have my reasons.”

“Treasure? Not interested?”

“Is there treasure here?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, that explains the crowd outside.”

“Yeah. Rumors spread by me.”

“You started the rumors? Why?”

“Can’t do it alone.”

“Huh?”

“Need people.”

“So that’s why you brought me along?”

“Nope. Just… wanted to see you, kid.”

Wanted to see me? Weird.

Didn’t match what I knew about her.

What procedure required so many people?

There was none in the game version…

“Need lots of people for some procedure?”

“Yeah. Shhh. Secret.”

She wasn’t giving anything away.

So I kept walking, carrying a slight tension.

Exploring unknown ruins filled with mysteries was like solving an exciting puzzle…

Or modern-day escape rooms…

But this was large-scale life-or-death stuff.

“See ya later.”

With a wave, she touched something on the wall and poof! Disappeared.

I could’ve followed but didn’t bother.

Her path led somewhere different from the map’s endpoint.

I just kept heading toward the final destination.

Even if it was maze-like, following the marked route kept things simple.

Walking silently through empty corridors…

Upon entering a chamber, everything lit up brightly.

Like flipping a switch, the entire room was revealed.

Another stone door blocked my way.

Similar characters, similar message engraved on it.

[Only those who prove their worth may pass.]

Proof of worth, huh?

Did Bell’s blood used to open the previous door count again?

Didn’t expect such a puzzle.

Thought it’d be more like spot-the-difference or sequence arrangement…

Scratching my cheek while pondering the heavier implications.

“Whoosh!”

Tried pushing the stone door with brute force.

Silent as ever, unmoving.

Noticing dried blood stains upon closer inspection.

Remembered seeing Bell cut herself to open the first door.

Maybe her method didn’t work this time?

Checked the map thoroughly for hidden passages.

There had to be another way…

“Ah.”

Found a tiny tunnel bypassing the stone door far away.

Reluctantly got up and headed that way.

Reward wasn’t really my concern.

Reaching the end of the Dragon Ruins would naturally grant high-tier level 3 liberation…

And boosted skill mastery growth rate.

That was plenty.

If other stuff came along, sure, but it wasn’t my main goal.

Made my way through the narrow passage.

Inevitably ran into commotion at the end.

“WHO GOES THERE?!”

Clanking metallic sounds.

Sharp weapons pointed at me.

Instinctively shielded Suri with my shoulder.

Couldn’t hide Suri, so best avoid combat.

Should’ve stashed her elsewhere using the warp device…

Taking risks now wasn’t wise.

Raised both hands, stepping into the light.

Non-verbal signal: No fight intended.

Surrender stance.

“Hmm. One of the duo who entered first, eh? Where’s your partner?”

“Not sure.”

“Don’t know?”

Sharp blade pressed against my throat.

Somehow knew it couldn’t harm me…

Still, didn’t want combat variables affecting Suri.

Suppressed the urge to fight, letting it simmer beneath.

“One wrong answer, and I’ll slice you.”

Felt like dealing with medieval barbarism.

Kill if displeased…

Though I’ve taken lives too, still felt alienated by it.

No witnesses, no consequences…

That’s why such behavior thrived, probably.

“Got lost in the dark and ended up here.”

“Hmm…”

The red-plumed knight stroked his chin, deep in thought.

“What’s that on your shoulder?”

“My pet screech owl.”

“Hooh. Is that so?”

Still suspicious, keeping a wary eye on me.

“In a good mood today, so I’ll trust you. Assist with the search. Won’t tolerate mischief.”

“This way’s blocked.”

“We’ll blast through. Always do.”

Confident tone.

Stepped back quietly.

Thinking of slipping away through the small hole if things went south.

Assisting likely meant tagging along nearby…

But they didn’t seem particularly concerned about me retreating slowly.

Didn’t expect much from me either.

Their confidence exuded relaxation.

Probably due to their large numbers.

Slowly moved away, heading opposite their direction.

Didn’t think they’d let me go so easily.

Carefully distanced myself from the long line of people.

“Suri.”

“Pii.”

“Want to head home for a bit? It’s dangerous here.”

“Piii.”

Rubbed against my cheek before fluttering down to perch carefully in my hand.

Used the warp device to send her home temporarily with Jack.

Kept glancing at my empty shoulder despite knowing she wasn’t there.

Having her around had become comforting.

Found the little hole.

Though tight, squeezing through wasn’t impossible.

Covered in dirt after crawling through.

Breathing got heavy, but magic power came in handy here.

As a mana specialist, handling it felt second nature.

Wondered if Bell’s group got stuck here.

Naturally assumed after crawling for a while.

Staggered out of the narrow passage, dusting off my waist.

Dark vision active.

Map showed stone door, trap-filled room, stone door…

Skipping three obstacles, reached the end effortlessly.

This must be the power of mods.

Dragon statue.

Resembled the one on dungeon floor 50.

Behind it…

A small chamber marking the conclusion of this short yet long ruin.

Ended up here rather anticlimactically.

Puzzles or whatever aside…

Just reaching the end was the goal.

[Exploration Complete!]

[1. Dragon Ruins (Achieved)

Reward: High-Tier Level 3 Activation.

High-Tier Level Experience Gain x3.]

“Finally.”

Received the sweet reward.

Though no physical sensation, knowing skills beyond high-tier would accelerate development satisfied me.

After all, that was the sole purpose of this trip.

Turning to leave…

A shimmering gem caught my eye.

A radiant blue jewel.

[Thought Gem]

Simple name.

Never seen or heard of it before.

[Chintamani (Jinda-mani). A listening gem. A gem that can unlock possibilities through the holder’s will.]

Vague description.

A listening gem…

Unlocking possibilities…

“Like a magical jade pendant granting wishes?”

Since it came from dragon ruins…

Giggled softly while pocketing the Thought Gem.

Could analyze it later.

Wondered how those stuck earlier were faring…

Also curious about Bell’s whereabouts.

Decided to observe quietly without causing trouble…

Then use the warp device to leave or just walk out.

Could’ve warped out instantly…

But wanted to set up a warp point in the city first.

To enable free travel back and forth.

Shuffled back through the hole.

Sighed deeply thinking about the return trip.

“Ugh.”

Pushed through the discomfort until returning to the start of the hole.

---