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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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A sudden, sharp headache.
The intense pain almost made me stumble, but this time, Jane caught me.
‘Stopping the dragon’s time takes more out of me than I thought.’
This sometimes happened when I stopped time for too long. I knew my limits, but…
Even briefly halting the flow of time for such a massive dragon came at a steep price.
– Are you a pawn of the gods?
The voice itself resonated through my head like a physical blow.
Not spoken with a tongue or vocal cords, but a telepathic communication through mana.
The sheer volume of mana contained within it was overwhelming for my human body.
– You have come where you should not.
“I figured you’d be pretending to sleep, but you woke up rather easily.”
His hostility was clear.
Jane, realizing she’d almost been swallowed, asked in a daze,
“W-why, Dragon God…?”
– …
“Just now, you…”
– I have favored you for your devotion, your reverence, your unwavering faith.
“M-my heart remains unchanged!”
– And yet you bring these uninvited guests to my sanctuary? Leading them yourself?
“That’s…!”
– Excuses are unnecessary.
The snow piled on his tail crumbled and melted. His massive tail slowly rose, and he shot a surge of mana skyward.
The sheer volume of it caused a tremendous ripple in the sky, raining down upon the island.
Then, a net of starlight descended, encasing the entire island.
Like a cage.
– Do you know why I, who have slumbered for so long, reveal myself so readily?
The ground trembled.
The earth shook so violently we instinctively crouched, but Shakarim hadn’t done anything extraordinary.
He had simply risen from his long slumber.
And that alone was enough to make us, tiny humans, lower our heads as if in worship.
– Because no one will leave this island alive! Not you, nor those vermin who have scurried about, spilling blood these past few days!
Shakarim, his neck stretched tall, roared.
– I will tear you all to shreds!
His roar echoed, tearing through the air.
The ground cracked nearby, and we were thrown back by the powerful shockwave.
“Jane!”
I caught her hand and pulled her into my arms as we were flung backwards.
Not just Jane and I, but Sen and Eve, who were further away, were also caught in the blast.
The power of a being who called himself a god.
He stood on his forelegs like a lion and inhaled deeply.
That simple act tore through the air, filling us with primal fear.
– You vermin think you can hide from me by concealing your forms?!
A golden breath blasted towards the mountains surrounding the basin. His breath continued relentlessly, and a single mountain was cleaved in two with a mere turn of his head.
Then, figures appeared on the opposite side, seemingly using warp magic.
Some of the Chokugen Faction members, caught in Shakarim’s breath, had managed to escape.
Among them was the ordinary-looking man with the large, round glasses.
The Eccentric.
I regained my footing, brushed off the dust, and glared at him.
He seemed to sense my gaze, glancing over and waving.
“You’re a valued customer.”
“Cough! Cough!”
I was about to reply, but Jane, in my arms, coughed violently, choking on the dust, and the moment was lost.
He didn’t seem to expect a reply anyway and quickly composed himself.
“Leader?”
Beside the Eccentric stood a man with a somber aura.
A man with long, white hair, just like Sen.
Sen, standing with Eve, involuntarily called out to him, and the man, glancing at her, sighed.
“Sen. It’s been a while.”
“Leader…”
Sen stammered, unsure what to say.
She started walking towards the Leader, oblivious to the dragon looming before them.
But the man, the Leader of the Chokugen Faction, spoke indifferently.
“Don’t come any closer, traitor.”
“…Right, of course.”
Sen’s words were strained. She knew he wouldn’t be friendly.
“I know.”
“…”
“Then why did you spare me? You knew I was at the academy.”
Information obtained through the Madam in Batian.
The Leader knew Sen was at Aios Academy, but he’d ordered his men not to approach her.
The Chokugen Faction’s confrontation with us in Batian had been the Madam’s independent action, not the Leader’s order.
Sen had wondered why.
The Leader of the Chokugen Faction slowly turned his gaze towards me.
“Because that man was there.”
“…Daniel?”
Me?
The Eccentric, twirling his staff, interjected.
“I told them. There’s a monster at the academy who invaded the dragon-kin’s land alone. Don’t provoke him.”
He adjusted his glasses.
“Besides, back then, you were at odds with the Tudogs, right? There was no need to bother.”
The Chokugen Faction had been at odds with the Tudogs, so there was no reason for them to bother with us while we were fighting them.
The picture was becoming clearer.
But Sen, who had been hoping for a meeting with the Leader, exhaled slowly.
Eve gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
We wanted to continue the conversation, but…
– Have you finished your last words, insignificant creatures?
Naturally, the Dragon God Shakarim’s patience was short.
The mana in the air swirled.
The dragon’s thick horns glowed with a blue light as he greedily absorbed the mana, a natural resource.
“Is he planning to destroy the entire island?”
The sheer volume of mana made me speak without thinking.
Everyone was stunned by the radiating blue light, but Jane, having the closest connection to the Dragon God, stepped forward and knelt.
“Dragon God! I apologize for our intrusion! However, there is a reason for our disrespect, please understand with your infinite compassion…”
– What value do your knees hold that you dare beg for my mercy?
“B-but…!”
– Dragon-kin… you disgust me. Your selfishness, taking all the fruits while shirking responsibility, reaches the heavens.
“…”
Jane fell silent.
Having witnessed their behavior up close, she had no rebuttal.
The Dragon God’s massive eyes slowly shifted towards me.
Unexpectedly, he looked down at me and asked,
– Has the twilight of the gods descended upon the continent?
“Yes.”
– Do you expect me to stop them and protect you?
Despite his reptilian face, I could almost see his expression. An expression of utter weariness and disgust.
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