The Black Dragon.

Or the Black Emperor.

It was a nickname Theo couldn’t possibly be unfamiliar with.

After all, it was the title of his former boss.

"The Incarnation of the Dragon in the heavens, the Black Emperor on the earth… It was said that with the two of them, the Ragnar era couldn’t be halted."

The Black Dragon was one of the Nine Dragons.

Yet, scarcely any information about him was known to the public.

Even among the leaders of Ragnar, and in the intelligence division known as Black Snow, which the Black Dragon commanded, there was hardly any trace of information.

This secrecy was due to Kyle’s absolute efforts to keep him concealed.

Still, the Black Dragon’s fame had spread widely, largely because a distinctive mark, symbolic of him, was always left in the areas he visited.

Theo had once seen this Black Dragon from a distance.

The sky was painted red with the sunset.

An old man sat leisurely by the river, enjoying his fishing.

Just that scene alone was as picturesque as a watercolor painting.

“Hmmm… So you can see this too, can you?”

But Theo didn’t find it beautiful.

Behind the old man were hundreds of corpses piled up like mountains.

Not a single body was left intact.

Some had limbs scattered as if bitten apart, and faces frozen in sheer terror.

And above them…

A monster was perched, licking its blood-soaked feet.

The creature had the face and wings of an eagle, the upper body of a lion, and the lower body of a dragon, complete with a tail covered in scales.

“This is troublesome. What shall I do?”

Despite his tone, the old man wore a black mask that didn’t match his long white hair, making it difficult to read his expression.

And then…

Theo’s memory ended there.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of an empty field.

The stench of blood that had filled the pile of bodies and the strange beast had vanished without a trace.

Theo didn’t know why the Black Dragon, who was said never to leave witnesses, had let him live that day.

It might’ve been a whim, or perhaps he left in haste due to some urgent matter.

But one thing he couldn’t forget was the eerie black mask and the monster that stood behind him.

The clue to the beast the Black Dragon controlled came to Theo much later.

“You heard the rumor, didn’t you? Why does the Black Dragon disappear every three months?”

“No, I haven’t heard. But maybe you should focus on what you’re doing?”

“Seriously, have a heart. Listen, the sword the Black Dragon uses, it’s actually a cursed sword with a demon sealed inside. They say it needs to consume a lot of human blood periodically, or else the master will be devoured by it.”

“...Where did you hear that?”

“Oh, come on, all the security guys know about it.”

Theo instinctively knew.

The cursed sword they mentioned was the very monster he’d seen.

But he kept these thoughts strictly to himself.

If the Black Dragon remembered him and had a change of heart, that could be the end for him.

He wanted to live as quietly as possible.

"The Black Dragon dislikes being talked about, after all."

In fact, the colleagues who had once told Theo about the cursed sword were found dead just days later.

Eventually, Theo had to flee from Black Snow, as if escaping.

But…

"It’s here?"

Clink, clank!

The wooden chest, wrapped in heavy chains, rattled as though it was struggling to breathe.

Theo’s spine chilled, fearing that the monster he’d seen back then might spring out any moment.

"The Black Dragon only started wielding the Moonlight White Sword in earnest around four years later. So at this point, the sword was likely still in Kirson’s possession, not his."

Three years later, Cecilia would be executed under false charges… could there be some connection to that?

“It seems like you know what this sword is,” Kirson observed.

Theo cursed under his breath, realizing he’d been lost in memories and had let his emotions slip.

“That makes this easier to explain. As the heir to the relic, you could also be chosen by the Moonlight White Sword. Would you like to try drawing it?”

Theo’s gaze shifted to Kirson.

With his smoking pipe clamped between his teeth, a smile played at Kirson’s lips.

“If you succeed in pulling it out, as I said, it’s yours.”

…!

He was actually offering him the prized sword of the Black Dragon?

Thump! Thump!

His heart raced.

Owning such a sword was a dream for all swordsmen.

“Even though it’s been over two hundred years since I obtained it, I’ve never managed to draw it. So it’s not really mine, after all. Give it a shot. But remember, I won’t be responsible for anything that happens in the process.”

Right then.

[Quest has arrived.]

•  

[Tutorial Quest #13]

Be chosen by the sword that glows with a blue light.

· Difficulty: C+

· Reward: Ownership of the Moonlight White Sword

· Failure: ■■

•  

The quest window hovered before Theo.

"The difficulty is one step higher than clearing a dungeon. That means it won’t be easy."

But Theo knew well by now.

Quests never presented impossible missions.

The harder the task, the greater the reward.

Most of all…

The thought of claiming the Moonlight White Sword was taking hold.

Hadn’t he experienced it when fighting the Lesser Drake? The significance of having a great sword?

No matter how hard it was used, the blade would never chip or break—a sword like that was absolutely necessary.

"Moreover… since it hasn’t fallen into the Black Dragon’s hands yet, the demonic energy within it must be quite weak."

Kirson had mentioned it, too.

It had been over two hundred years since he’d obtained this cursed sword.

That meant it had been locked away in that wooden box all this time.

No matter how formidable a cursed sword, its power had surely weakened over the years.

So Theo thought he had a real chance.

"If I can control that beast myself…!"

In that case…

He could harness the same destructive force that had earned the Black Dragon the title of Emperor of Destruction, leaving only ruins in his wake.

As he thought about it, the fear that had gripped him for so long began to fade.

All that remained was a fierce determination to succeed.

Theo pretended to pull the [Blue Key] from his left sleeve, actually withdrawing it from his inventory.

“What is that…?”

Kirson’s eyes glinted for a moment.

Cecilia, on the other hand, looked worried.

“Master, that sword… even I, your mother, can sense something ominous. You don’t have to go through with this.”

“Would Grandmother truly put her grandson in harm’s way? If it seems dangerous, I’ll stop, so don’t worry.”

He reassured Cecilia, then turned to Kirson.

Kirson’s brow twitched slightly at the word "grandmother."

He’d caught onto the hidden meaning that if anything happened to Theo, he’d be a “damned old man,” as Cecilia had put it.

"Appears polite, but cunning as a snake. How did Cecilia end up with a kid like this?"

“Is that key to unlock the relic’s seal?”

“You must keep your promise.”

“...You never give a straightforward answer. Don’t worry about the promise. Have you forgotten what my race is?”

Theo nodded.

Kirson was an elf. By nature, if they lied, they would be forsaken by the spirits.

Thus, they were known as the race of truth.

Click!

Theo inserted the key into the lock on the box, still tightly bound in chains.

Just like when he unlocked the warehouse of Dongbaek Palace, the key fit perfectly.

As he turned the key,

Clank, clank!

The chains burst open, and the lid flew up.

An ominous aura of demonic energy surged through the room.

The gust was so fierce that Theo’s long hair whipped about wildly.

“This is…!”

Kirson clenched his fist so hard he forgot to bring his pipe to his mouth.

Inside the wooden box lay a single sword.

For a lifetime, he had worked tirelessly to see this sight.

And yet, the blade that had never once revealed itself to him now stood bare before his grandson.

"It’s really the Moonlight White Sword."

Theo swallowed hard.

It looked exactly like he remembered from his past life.

He reached out to touch the scabbard.

Not knowing how the demonic aura might lash out, Theo was tense.

“Huh…?”

“What, what is this?”

The Moonlight White Sword showed no reaction.

In fact, the demonic aura it emitted was slowly dissipating.

Theo, bewildered, blinked as he removed the sword from the box and unsheathed it entirely.

Sssshhh

A blade as black as the night sky emerged.

Yet there was still no reaction.

Only Theo’s face was reflected in the perfectly polished blade.

“It seems the legends may have been wildly exaggerated. Or perhaps you are truly chosen by the relic, which is why there’s no adverse reaction.”

Kirson finally spoke, placing the pipe back in his mouth.

“At least it’s a relief that it’s found a rightful owner. Better that than being wielded by some wastrel… since you’re Cecilia’s son…”

Though he said it was fine, Kirson’s eyes still brimmed with regret as he watched Theo, whose gaze remained fixed on the Moonlight White Sword.

“Still, perhaps, if by chance… You’re not going to need the sword immediately, right? If not, could I examine it until the awakening ceremony…?”

“No. The seal isn’t fully released yet.”

“What did you say?”

“I think I finally understand how to unlock it completely.”

Theo’s mind flashed to the monster he’d seen, perched atop a pile of corpses.

The eyes of that beast had radiated the hunger of a ravenous predator.

For a creature as savage as that to now behave so docilely? It made no sense.

At that moment, Theo remembered the sight of the monster licking its blood-stained paws.

It had seemed to quench its hunger and thirst with blood.

“Blood.”

It appeared that blood was the real key.

Theo quickly pressed the blade of the Moonlight White Sword against his left palm.

“What on earth are you…!”

Kirson’s voice rose in shock, as he tried to intervene, but before he could, a wound had already formed, and blood trickled down the blade.

The edge was sharp beyond belief.

Paaarrrrrr

The once dormant blade trembled fiercely, and cryptic runes began to appear along its length.

A faint blue light, like moonlight, seeped out from the inscriptions.

In that instant—

Fwoooosh!

The world inverted.

A nameless beast climbed a mountain slope with glee.

“Is it finally after 400 years? I’m free at last!”

Meeting a new “worthy one” after so long filled the beast with anticipation.

“Heh heh heh! Whatever despair or lingering regrets you hold, I’ll make sure they’re realized… one way or another.”

Everyone harbors at least one secret, desperate wish.

But often, such desires go unfulfilled due to circumstances, social rank, age, or gender.

The beast knew how to prod those weaknesses, whispering promises of strength, just as a demon might.

And in nearly all cases, humans succumbed.

The illusion that power alone could overcome limitations was a deeply human folly.

The beast thought Theo would be no different.

Thud!

With a powerful leap, it landed atop a building’s roof.

Looking down, it saw a man, bound tightly in chains, his head hanging low.

Tears fell from the man’s face as if he’d lost someone dear.

Swish swish

Just then, arrows rained down from above, directed at the man.

“So, that is the despair dwelling in your heart.”

The beast snorted in contempt at the man’s pathetic state.

To merely suffer without resistance was pitiful.

He seemed like a fool who couldn’t accomplish anything.

...How such a man had been chosen as the “worthy one” was incomprehensible.

But the beast was pleased.

It meant he could devour the man with little resistance.

“Isn’t that boy only about fifteen years old? Yet this man looks to be at least thirty…”

But the beast didn’t give it much thought.

The long-standing hunger and thirst, pent up over two centuries, had blinded him to doubts.

ROAR!

With a furious roar, the beast threw itself down toward the courtyard where the man was bound.

“Offer me your body, human!”

The beast’s greedy maw lunged toward the man’s neck, but the man’s head remained bowed.

At the last possible moment, when the fangs brushed his skin—

Boom!

Crash!

The chains that had held the man shattered all at once.

He raised his head abruptly.

Amid the disheveled hair, eyes fierce as a dragon’s gaze glared back.

It was Theo.

…!

The beast only then realized it had fallen into a trap.

But it was too late.

Snatch!

Theo’s hand reached out and grabbed the beast by the nape.

“Just as I thought, you’re in a weakened state. Nothing like what I saw before.”

Before?

The beast wanted to express confusion, but it couldn’t utter a word.

Crack!

Theo’s grip was so strong that it immobilized the creature.

Looking down at the creature, Theo gave a cold smile.

Once a towering monster over tens of meters, it now stood a mere two meters tall, with its ribcage almost visible through its emaciated form.

If he could defeat a Lesser Drake, there was no way he’d lose to a starving, weakened beast.

“P-Please…!”

The beast tried to plead, offering loyalty and willing to grant any wish Theo had.

But—

Crunch!

Theo’s grip tightened, and he twisted sharply.

Crack!

The beast’s head fell limp, its neck broken.