Chapter 808: Dio Valsesis (2)
‘What are you talking about all of a sudden?’
After Liette, Noah’s expression also turned suspicious.
‘Are you Transcendents of the Light Dragonkin? Why did you come looking for us?’
‘To extend a helping hand out of pure goodwill.’
‘And we’re supposed to believe that?’
Liette cut them off flatly. I agreed with her completely. They had suddenly shown up calling themselves Light Dragonkin, claiming the two of them were under a death curse and offering to help. It was far too convenient to trust.
Craaaack. The vines wrapped around my body tightened with even greater force. But the vicious poison, boosted by Final Recompense and Lautitars’ Natural Enemy, ate away at the vines and snapped them apart.
‘Diarma, master of the Venom and Curse Dragonkin, was our ancient enemy.’
‘Even before he became a Transcendent. He sought to stain the Light Dragonkin with poison and curses.’
An image appeared in front of the twins. It was the sight of an advanced city in some world.
‘Dio Valsesis. Our old home.’
A dragon with pure white feathered wings landed on a long, narrow balcony. The buildings were tall, and there were no doors where a first floor should have been. A young dragon with golden feathered wings also flew lightly in through the door connected to the balcony. Thick ropes were strung here and there between buildings and towers. I could even see dragonkin sitting astride those ropes, eating snacks. There were no roads on the ground. The rooftops were flat, made for easy landings, and some had signs warning people to mind rooftop noise. Beside several small dragons looping through the air in playful acrobatics, a bright, colorful advertisement for feather dye hung in the sky.
‘Diarma cursed us. We were originally Light Dragonkin, but he tried to make us into Venom and Curse Dragonkin, born corrupted after killing even our own twin.’
‘Seeds that would overturn opposing attributes and become layered, clinging curses potent enough to destroy the Light Dragonkin themselves.’
‘But our parents broke the egg.’
‘The black and white premature infants fell into two artificial eggs made of pearl, grew there, and though there were many sacrifices, escaped Diarma’s curse.’
The vision of the old city disappeared.
‘After we rose to the position of Transcendents, Diarma created twin Venom and Curse Dragonkin mixed with Light Dragonkin blood, as though mocking us.’
‘Our curse was passed down as a title as well.’
…To Liette and Noah.
One of the twins lifted a hand and pointed at the siblings.
‘Diarma, that contemptible creature, met his end in your world.’
‘He must have reached out to you as well.’
‘Yeah. He controlled me once, too. Honey said he killed him back then.’
‘Yes. Mr. Yujin said he killed Diarma. Diarma was also the one who killed Hunter Han Yuhyun before the regression. And he said there was a high chance I had died before the regression because I became tangled up with Diarma as well.’
Liette’s face twisted sharply. I was deeply synchronized with her emotions, too.
‘Did that crazy bastard get beaten up by siblings or something? Why was he so damn desperate to ruin other people’s brothers?’
‘So he truly died by your hands.’
‘I only provided support when we fought Diarma’s dragonkin. But Mr. Yujin cares for Hunter Han Yuhyun very much, so I doubt Diarma died peacefully.’
I had torn him apart with everything I had.
I wanted to describe that sight to them in detail. But the twin dragons seemed satisfied with Noah’s account alone.
‘Then this is our repayment for that.’
‘As Transcendents, it is difficult for us to interfere directly, but those who bear the title Dio Valsesis’s Twin are deeply connected to us.’
‘We will help you undo the curse.’
It was an ancient curse Diarma had once placed on twins who later became Transcendents. It would probably be difficult to break even with my Curse Resistance.
Liette said, Then thanks, and Noah hesitated a little.
‘I understand the reason for your goodwill, but I still find it difficult to trust you completely.’
‘The curse has already begun. Spread your wings.’
Golden feathered wings unfurled behind Noah’s back. The white twin approached Noah and combed through his wing. Near the innermost bones, there were faint black stains speckled through the feathers.
‘Noah?’
‘The weaker one is absorbed. Once the poison covers more than half, even we will no longer be able to do anything.’
Liette’s eyes shook. Noah gave his wings one large flap.
‘I don’t feel anything in particular yet, but…’
‘How do we break the curse! Please!’
Liette asked in a hurry.
I also lost focus for a moment without realizing it, too absorbed in the memory.
Kiiiiik–!
– Urgh!
The space around me twisted, and crushing pressure poured in from every direction. Delroux’s enormous body rolled across the ground. Before I knew it, the World Tree’s roots had burrowed underground and burst up right beneath me. Krrk, the nape of my neck tore open in a long gash. I leapt high and swung Severance, cutting away the roots and vines chasing after me.
‘You must possess equal strength.’
Between the sounds of wind being sliced apart, fragments of Liette’s memory flowed in, broken and intermittent.
‘In that moment, the power of the curse will weaken. You may be able to seize the chance to lift it.’
‘Time flows quickly in this space.’
‘But there is a limit. Three months.’
…Noah and Liette had entered a space with a different flow of time, created by the twin dragons.
That was why neither Rookie nor Park Hayul had been able to find them.
I shrank my body to avoid the vines, then immediately grew huge again. Boom! I stomped down on the World Tree. My claws tore long gashes through the trunk. Sap sprayed instead of blood, but the wound healed in no time.
In Liette’s memory, a golden dragon bit into a monster. Noah had become much stronger in the meantime, but there were limits to being in a healing and support line. He still lacked offensive skills, and his stats could only grow slowly.
‘I told you, I can cook too!’
Unlike before, Liette supported Noah. In an environment like an endless dungeon, with new threats appearing again and again, she found food, prepared sleeping places, and stood guard. Even in battle, she lured monsters and pinned them down instead of dealing direct fatal blows.
It was the complete opposite of everything they had done before.
‘How is it? Edible today, right?’
‘…Yes.’
Noah smiled awkwardly. After a brief hesitation, he spoke honestly.
‘Though I think it would be better if you just grilled it plain.’
‘What? Seriously?’
‘Raw meat is better than making it taste strange. I have poison resistance and healing skills, so even if it makes me sick, I’ll be fine.’
‘It’s still that bad?’
‘Or just salt. Only the amount I tell you to use, please.’
Noah taught Liette.
In battle, too, Liette adjusted herself to Noah. Noah had seemed uncomfortable at first, but soon grew used to receiving Liette’s support.
And like that, three months passed.
‘That was way too short!’
Liette shouted at the twin dragons who appeared inside the subspace.
‘Can’t you give us just one more month?’
Instead of answering, the space shook. The twin dragons vanished, and with a splitting crack, the sky tore open in a straight line down toward the ground.
‘The curse activates only when you are in the same world.’
The twin dragons’ voices flowed out.
‘Separate. Go to different spaces.’
‘What? What does that mean!’
‘It means only one of us should leave.’
Noah looked at the crack that had appeared in space—the exit—as he spoke.
‘If we’re divided into different spaces, we won’t be able to absorb each other.’
Liette’s gaze also turned toward the open rift. She raked a hand roughly through her hair with a troubled expression.
‘What the hell is that?’
Liette walked toward the exit. Noah approached as well.
Beyond the rift, a familiar landscape showed through.
Liette’s thoughts flowed into me.
She didn’t want to stay here alone. But she didn’t want to leave Noah behind either. She didn’t want Noah to die.
‘I’ve lived however I wanted.’
She had dragged her brother around however she pleased. She had believed that was right.
But what was right for Liette had not been right for Noah.
Liette understood that, at least vaguely, and accepted that Noah had his own way of doing things.
‘So you go, Noah.’
Liette said it proudly.
She knew how to take proper care of her brother now. Noah was definitely less afraid of her than before, and they had even started bickering comfortably, like Han Yujin and Han Yuhyun.
‘Maybe we’ll be able to send letters, at least? I’ll have to leave Belare with Honey. My property is set to go to you, Noah~.’
Liette spoke lightly.
Noah’s eyes quietly watched his sister. One step, then another, he moved slowly closer until he was right in front of her.
‘You really haven’t changed, Sister.’
‘Huh?’
‘Then I’ll do whatever I want too.’
Noah’s hand reached out.
He grabbed Liette by the collar.
Unlike Liette, who was completely unguarded, Noah had already layered support skills over himself. Thanks to all the effort he had put in, his stats had risen higher too.
Before Liette had any chance to defend herself—
Whoosh–.
Her body flipped hard.
Noah spun half a turn and threw Liette with all his strength.
She was sucked through the wide–open rift.
In Liette’s eyes, Noah was reflected, smiling as though he felt wonderfully relieved.
The rift closed.
‘Do not speak.’
The twin dragons’ voices were heard.
‘For a certain severance, remain silent about your brother.’
‘Then he will be safe.’
Splash!
River water enveloped Liette. She rose to the surface and stared blankly up at the sky where the rift had disappeared.
She was confused.
‘…Noah is weird.’
Didn’t you want to get away from me?
Even if we got along better now, still.
Surviving no matter what is the best thing, isn’t it?
This time, it was Noah’s turn.
If I were Noah, I would’ve said fine and left.
Because that would be fair.
So why did he send me away and look happy about it?
Noah has so many people he likes now.
He likes Han Yujin.
He said he made lots of friends.
He said there were things he wanted to do.
Liette had always put her own desires first. Even though she loved her brother very much, she had almost never been the one to yield.
And even then… in the end, Liette had tried to do what she had decided on her own.
Without asking Noah.
Without trying to persuade him.
‘I don’t get it.’
What should I do?
What am I supposed to do?
For the first time, Liette felt lost.
The path she had always run down without hesitation suddenly seemed to end beneath her feet.
That was when she saw the subordinates. She heard they were trying to capture Han Yujin. She had a favorable impression of Han Yujin, but it wasn’t a deeply rooted feeling.
Still.
‘Noah would have helped.’
What would Noah have done?
Having lost her own path, Liette thought of Noah and moved. She slipped in among the subordinates, then rescued me.
All her strangely cooperative behavior after that, the way she acted so unusually restrained for Liette—all of it had been her imitating Noah.
– Liette, you!
I bit down hard on the vine reaching toward me and crushed it.
Liette had no reason to risk her life saving me.
But Noah was different.
If it were Noah, I was sure.
‘Noah would have tried to protect him.’
If Noah had been here, he would have moved without hesitation.
Liette ran along the path of the Noah she imagined.
Inside that subspace, on a certain night after they had eaten a strange–tasting dinner and the stars glittered overhead, Noah had said it.
‘I think I’m all right now.’
I’ve found a place I want to stay. Dodam Building feels like my home.
‘When we get back safely, you should come visit too, Sister.’
That was why Liette had thrown herself forward.
It had not been for me.
What Liette protected was the Noah inside her.
– Noah would have…!
Noah definitely liked me. He liked Myungwoo and the people in the building too.
But those three months in subspace must have been just as precious to him. It was the time he had used to settle the lingering resentment between him and Liette, to see each other from opposite positions, to understand each other a little more, and finally to invite her to his new home.
So of course he smiled.
Of course he was happy.
Of course he enjoyed throwing the sister he loved away with his own strength.
– He would have wanted you to keep living however you damn well pleased!
Without a doubt.
And yet, like this…
My breathing grew ragged.
I was shoved back violently. The World Tree’s roots, which I hadn’t been able to cut through completely, multiplied. They kept burrowing into the ground, absorbing the power of the dream world.
The World Tree, now rooted deeply enough, returned once more to its original tree form. The charred parts had also almost completely recovered.
– Fire and water.
– Where are they?
The two merged creatures spoke.
They were searching for Yuhyun and Yerim, who had driven them into a corner. I stood in their way, but the force behind the stabbing branches had grown even stronger. The effect of the water Yerim had drawn out still seemed to remain inside them, making it difficult for them to use their skills, but even sheer physical force was hard enough to withstand.
Crack!
A vine pierced my leg. With such a large body, it was hard to avoid everything. I used a potion and returned to human form.
“I’m the strongest one here right now!”
I leapt onto one of the reaching vines and ran along it.
“Try catching me first, you overgrown weed bastard!”
Boom!
A trunk like a pillar slammed into the ground, barely missing my side. I cut down every small branch flying at me. I stepped on a thick root bursting upward and twisted my body with all my strength. A long black dragon tail shot out and—bang!—struck the tree trunk. Leaves poured down like rain.
“Would you look at that? You’re rotten all the way through! I’ll cut you up nice and pretty and make toothpicks out of you!”
The quality was so terrible I doubted it would be good for anything else.
Chrrrrrrr–.
The bark rose like thorns. My arms and legs were scraped open by the sudden forest of spikes. I turned into a Delroux cub and barely slipped through a gap between the densely packed thorns. Drrrrrk. Behind me, the thorns folded down and crashed after me.
– Your personality, huh?
The moment I stepped somewhere near the middle of the trunk, a strange sensation reached me.
There was something inside the trunk.
Something familiar.
‘…Me?’
Han Yujin.
It made no sense, but that was definitely my presence.
At the same time, the World Tree flinched to a stop.
[It is here.]
The whisper came like an auditory hallucination.
I reflexively raised my claws, but before I could do anything, the World Tree shook its body violently. It sacrificed even its own bark to cause an explosion.
“Khk!”
I returned to human form and landed while casting a barrier.
What was that?
I didn’t know exactly, but the World Tree had clearly gone to great lengths to stop me from digging into that spot.
Was it some kind of weak point?
I tried to approach again, but—
Ruuuuumble!
Thorns poured down like rain, as if it meant to keep me from coming close at all. At the same time, roots shot up from beneath my feet like spears. In the blink of an eye, my whole body was covered in blood.
Meanwhile, the World Tree soon recovered even the bark it had blown apart.
Blood seeped into the corner of my eye.
I shattered a potion and ran. New wounds were carved over the wounds that had just healed.
I couldn’t get close.
The World Tree pressed me back, slowly moving in the direction Hyunah had gone with the others.
“Hah!”
The instant I staggered, a branch struck me square in the body.
The impact was so strong I couldn’t breathe. As I rolled helplessly across the ground, my gaze flashed toward the sky.
A faint crack had appeared in one part of it.
A crack I had seen before.
No.
A crack I remembered.
Craaaaack–.
The opening widened.
The World Tree, which had been moving, stopped.
The rift split wider and wider, dozens of times broader than when Liette had emerged from it.
Chrrrr.
Golden feathers swayed, sending out a brilliant ripple.
It was a golden dragon.
Beneath his wings, light fell.
–TL Notes–
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