Chapter 145. Serious like a joke (2)
Most caves in the world have owners.
Tigers live in tiger dens.
Venomous snakes coil in snake dens.
Brown bears hibernate in cozy bear dens.
Here, at the southern end of the Eastern Mountains, the Flame Cave was no exception.
“solo…Now I want to get out of my solo life.”
Deep inside the fire pit.
A sigh full of remorse filled the place.
Before long, the huge body tossed and turned.
Kugeuk coooooong!
He is 170 meters tall, giving the impression that the hill is moving just by turning over. A weight of 6,000 tons that makes the dungeon shake with just a casual side landing.
The owner of the Flame Cave, the red dragon Solitas muttered.
“Me too…lonely.”
A monologue with full of sighs.
But there was no answer coming back.
Only the far wall in the center of the vast dungeon returned a futile echo.
That fact made the Red Dragon Solitas even more depressed.
‘shit. If I had piled up some treasure, the echo would have been less.’
The red dragon’s red eyes annoyedly scanned the center of the dungeon.
The center of the dungeon was empty.
There was no way to find a crown or treasure chest that would normally be piled up in a dragon’s dungeon. There were no rare weapons or jewels, not even a pile of relatively common gold coins.
In a word, he was a penniless dragon.
‘Sheesh. That’s why there’s no match.’
Irritability and depression multiplied at Solitas’ gaze.
Only an empty sigh came out again.
‘It would have been better if it wasn’t a dragon.’
What if you were born as a human?
If so, wouldn’t it have been possible to escape from the pressure of collecting treasures and gold and silver treasures for the wedding like this?
‘Perhaps it was. Humans seem to die after only farming, meeting a mate, giving birth to children, and living well.’
If many job seekers living in the 21st century Korea, prospective brides and grooms, young people of the same age heard it, they would have looked around to find the fool they lost right away.
Of course, Solitas, unaware of that fact, only let out a sigh and complained.
‘iced coffee. I want to get married. I want to get married.’
But since I want to get married, I have no money.
There are no gold and silver treasures piled up in the dungeon.
Even if you are married, you will not have enough gold coins or jewels to feed the hatchlings.
gold coins and jewels.
That’s hatchling food.
But it’s because I couldn’t build it.
So no dragon wants to marry her.
That’s the biggest problem.
‘In the old days, it would have been easy to raid or threaten human cities.’
Another sigh escaped Solitas’ huge mouth.
Did you hear about it from your mother during your hatchling days?
In the past, hundreds of years ago, it was not as difficult for dragons to collect treasure as it is now.
Because there are many convenient ways.
‘It’s a raid on the city and threatening the king in moderation. Or take hundreds of dwarf artisans and make them do forced labor. If that’s not the case, then I’ll pull out the entire treasure house that the greedy human aristocrats raked in for riches and bring it back.’
I heard that dragons in the old days easily accumulated wealth through such methods.
I heard that you got married easily with the wealth you accumulated.
But now?
I couldn’t do that.
It was because of the ‘Law of the Dragon’, which was proclaimed to the world hundreds of years ago by the dragons of the old generation, centered on the dragon named Berkis.
‘Damn the dragon’s law!’
The effect of the law was strong.
The plundering of human cities was forbidden.
Of course, threats were forbidden.
Dwarf artisans could no longer be imprisoned or treated as slaves.
In other words, a tribal declaration of peace that limits the actions of any dragon so that it cannot inflict unreasonable harm to other races without clear grounds.
That was the purpose of the ‘Law of the Dragon’.
‘The purpose is bullshit! Are their generation of dragons trying to pretend to be nice after hoarding or intimidating humans to pile up a mountain of treasure? They’re like hypocrites!’
Even though the Dragon King Berkis married a human girl.
Although he defeated the demon dragon that once destroyed the world.
Although laws of good purpose were devised and practiced.
Thanks to this, all races in the world have found peace and prosperity.
From the point of view of the 1050-year-old Solitas, who had just become an adult, he did not want to understand such a law at all.
Among them, the ‘guidelines for building treasures in a new way’ recommended by the Dragon’s Law were especially so.
‘No looting or intimidation of other races. So, find the vein yourself. Based on the dragon’s superior strength and stamina, directly mine the enormous minerals in the mantle at a depth that neither humans nor dwarves can reach. So, by processing minerals with their own skills and magic, they will create treasures…shit.’
That was the problem.
Solitas also faithfully followed the guidelines at first.
As soon as he became independent from his mother, he immediately tried to explore the veins of the mine.
In the mantle tens of kilometers underground.
There he found a vein of diamonds.
With superior strength and stamina, he dug up a pile of rough diamonds and brought them out.
But then there was the problem.
‘I couldn’t process it properly.’
I tried really hard.
I made it with great care.
The results weren’t very exciting.
No matter how much effort you put into making it?
The shape of the diamond is crooked.
Of course it was out of balance.
Incorrect processing often left scratches.
There was not even one successful work in processing 100 rough diamonds.
The reason was simple.
‘Damn this shit!’
Solitas resented his crude, crude dexterity.
The possessor of cursed dexterity that never gets better no matter how hard he tries.
that was himself
No matter how much ore you mine.
I couldn’t process gems properly.
I just fail every day in processing gems.
I couldn’t accumulate gold and silver treasures.
This was because the value of jewels that failed to be processed plummeted as a valuable item.
‘So I’m a failure. It’s because I haven’t been able to properly accumulate treasures since I’ve been independent.’
Thinking of it, I sighed again.
‘I have to hoard treasure. That way, the hatchlings who will be born after the marriage can be fed deliciously with the treasure. But none of those treasures are there. Even if hatchlings are born, they will starve to death soon. What stupid dragon would want to marry and raise children like me?’
Even when he changed his position and thought about it, he had no answer.
In other words, zero competitiveness in the marriage market.
That was his own self-portrait.
‘Whew…I don’t know. Should I just give up on marriage?’
It’s been 50 years since I became a saint.
Now, it was Solitas who began to think that way.
It was around the time when such a young red dragon was scratching the dungeon floor with sighs and desperation.
“…hmm?”
Solitas, who was about to let out another sigh, hesitated.
He lifted his huge head and looked to one side.
A passage from the center of the dungeon to the outside.
I felt something on the other side.
“intruder?”
It wasn’t anywhere close.
Even here, it was near the entrance to the outer dungeon.
I felt the magic traps set there react.
I could also feel the traps I was reacting to being destroyed and dismantled in real time.
In other words, it wasn’t enough that someone had entered the dungeon, and they were advancing toward the center, breaking through the trap zone.
Solitas immediately mobilized the transcendent senses unique to dragons. He immediately figured out the faces of those who set foot in his dungeon.
‘human. two people. dare.’
cooong!
Solitas raised its gigantic body.
He landed on the ground with his four legs like pillars.
It spread its wings 200 meters long on one side alone.
There was a dark flesh in the eyes of such a young red dragon.
‘You know, I’ve been under a lot of stress lately, but that’s great.’
I will tear you to pieces and kill you.
Koo-goo-goo-goo!
The angry red dragon’s footsteps headed towards the intruders outside the dungeon.
♣
Throwback!
An acid solution was sprayed out.
Erupted from the stone slab.
It rushed in, covering the entire large aisle.
But that momentum was short-lived.
Shirik Sak!
The longsword flashed.
from bottom to top.
It soared like an island war.
A single sword split the space.
The acid solution that was filling the space was also split.
Then the black wind blew.
Kwahaha-!
Not even a single drop of acid was pushed out by the overwhelming sword wind.
A space of temporary vacuum thus created.
A silver-haired man galloped through it.
Tadattat!
Just three kicks.
Xaviel sprinted 30 meters with just that simple step.
He raised the sword and lowered it as soon as he landed.
There was an elaborate magic circle there.
Kaggak! cooong!
The stone slab engraved with the magic circle was completely cut.
Finally, the eruption of the acidic solution stopped.
“Whoa.”
Xaviel gasped.
It was dangerous just for a moment.
I didn’t know that such a vicious acidic solution could be spouted out of the stone slab.
His eyes turned to the back.
“Are you okay?”
“uh. Roughly?”
A sly answer streamed down the aisle.
Soon, Lloyd shrugged and appeared.
Seeing that, Xaviel secretly sighed quietly.
‘How did I come to this place with that human….’
Are you saying you’re committing an absurd act to invade the dragon’s dungeon?
‘I don’t think Lloyd-nim’s words at that time were serious.’
I really didn’t know.
So, was it ten days ago?
Lloyd’s words about going on a picnic out of nowhere reminded him of the question he had asked.
It’s a picnic. Where are you going and what are you going for?
I asked with a frown.
Then, did Lloyd respond like this?
“Dragon Rare. To meet the dragon.”
At the time, of course, I thought it was a joke.
It was the same when Lloyd brought out his backpack full of provisions and camping gear, and when he mounted his horse that he had already prepared.
Are you going to do something else?
So, why don’t you escort Lloyd well?
I thought only that much.
The same was true during the ten-day journey.
Occasionally he would ask where we were going.
Whenever that happens, Lloyd shrugs and says, ‘Didn’t I tell you? It’s a dragon rare.’
Of course, that was taken as a joke.
For some unknown reason, it must be their intention to hide their true destination. That’s why he’s telling obvious, nasty jokes.
I thought it was just that.
So, I never dreamed that I would actually be able to visit Dragon Rare so kindly!
“…Whoa.”
I didn’t know that the young master he served was such a crazy person.
Xaviel felt skeptical about the existence of a human being.
“So it is. I’d like to ask again. Do you have any intention of turning around and going back?”
he asked sincerely.
Lloyd raised an eyebrow.
“No?”
“….”
“what. why. what.”
“….”
“I came because I had an idea and a solution. So you just have to trust me and keep breaking through the traps?”
“Whoa. Of course, you can break through any trap, but-”
Xaviel said with a deep sigh.
“How long do we have to break through the trap? I wonder if we should continue to advance until the moment we encounter the dragon.”
“uh. answer.”
“….”
“Is it true that we are advancing until we meet the dragon?”
“….”
“I kept telling you. dragon lair. I want to meet a dragon.”
“but….”
“are you okay. I have everything in mind and I have prepared countermeasures.”
“….”
Is there really a solution?
It was absurd, but it didn’t matter.
It was the yard that had already come this far.
‘Should I believe it again?’
Xaviel made up his mind.
I can trust Lloyd-sama when he looks like that.
Because this side would always come up with unimaginable countermeasures.
‘Cause it’s always been that way
So let’s believe for now.
‘And if Lloyd-sama’s measures don’t work, I’ll do my best to run away.’
Xaviel made up his mind like that.
If an unexpected danger strikes, he will protect Lloyd first.
With that promise, I moved on.
It was from then.
Shririk click! Kwa-kwa-kwa-!
Numerous traps blocked the silver-haired knight’s path.
An acidic solution was basic.
Shooting lightning and flames.
Poisoned arrows and steam explosions.
Falling rocks and nightmarish visions.
The cold that even freezes the air, and the blinding flash.
It was a series of traps that seemed to test all human limits.
However, Xaviel was a sword master.
A sword master is a person who transcends human limitations.
With each flash of his sword, the trap cut, broke, twisted, and splintered. No subtle trick could fool his senses, no trap could hurt him.
How far did you advance?
How many corridors and corners have I passed.
Finally, an open space opened up in front of the two of them.
And a huge creature with red scales looked down at them.
“You guys are the humans who invaded my residence.”
Wow-!
The red dragon threw a question in this direction.
It was just an ordinary question.
However, with just that, a storm-like echo raged throughout the entire area.
It wasn’t just an echo.
“…!”
The whole body shakes.
It is a pressure that makes every cell in the body scream.
The moment he felt the storm of air waves, Xaviel moved quickly.
I stood in front of Lloyd.
put the sword in front
caused an aura
Tsuzuzuzu-!
Brilliant brilliance wrapped around the sword body.
Xaviel resonated with his aura and engulfed the space.
Whoa-!
Waves of air flowed from the aura shook the air.
It shook at the same speed as the air wave emitted by the red dragon Solitas. Resonated. offset
right!
Two sound waves collided in front of him.
They ate each other and scattered in midair.
Right after defending the dragon’s first attack and greeting, Xaviel quickly looked back.
“Lloyd-sama, please tell me what to do.”
Now we have to respond.
His voice became urgent.
A dragon lurking in front.
I realized it with just one crash I had just experienced.
That figure is by no means an illusion.
it’s a real dragon
In other words, if you react clumsily here, you will die.
As evidence of that, the red dragon who sent the first greeting was seen breathing hard.
‘Breath.’
he felt it
Dragon’s most powerful weapon and deadly power.
It is the breath you inhale to fire your breath.
So, we don’t really have much time to respond.
He urged Lloyd again.
“Mrs. Lloyd.”
“uh. Are measures already in place?”
“…yes?”
Are countermeasures being implemented?
What is it?
Xaviel tilted her head.
At that moment, Lloyd said with a strange laugh.
“you.”
“yes?”
“it’s you.”
“….”
no way.
“What are you doing. not fighting.”
“….”
really? sincerely?
“You said you could win easily?”
“….”
Xaviel looked at Lloyd in disbelief.
I thought it was really crazy.
But at the same time, it was strange.
Even in this situation.
Lloyd looked so calm.
Like someone who has a corner to believe in.
Or just like you really are.
He was looking at me with a calm face and eyes. He was pointing towards the dragon with a calm chin gesture.
At that moment, the red dragon’s mouth opened wide.
Terrible heat radiated out like a nightmare.
Quaaaaaa-!
A breath fired by Red Dragon Solitas.
A storm of heat came over me like hellfire.
