Crunch!

Claws struck down on the corpse of a monster that had already drawn its last breath.

Without any resistance, the claws easily tore through the skin and ripped the corpse in half, splitting the muscle with ease.

Chomp, chomp.

The creature savagely devoured what was once a feared monster among mercenaries, now reduced to nothing more than a slab of meat.

Red blood dripped between its sharp teeth.

After devouring every last bit, it clawed at the ground in frustration.

Not enough….

This wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy its hunger.

Such pitiful prey couldn’t help it regain its original strength.

To regain its power…

…

The prey looked human but emitted a sinister smell.

The first time it encountered these creatures, it had instinctively fled, alarmed by the ominous aura that triggered something primal within.

The closer it got to them, the more its very being felt as though it was twisting.

But now it understood.

To regain its power, it needed to consume these prey that gave off that ominous smell.

It, too, was beginning to emit that same scent.

It turned its gaze.

In the distance lay the quiet, unsuspecting village.

 

The timing couldn’t have been worse—the village had been visited by Krumo’s Shadow while we were away.

…That’s a mouthful; maybe we should just call it “the Shadow.”

Anyway, was it a coincidence that the Shadow came just when the village was vulnerable?

Or did it wait for a moment of weakness?

Hmm, not sure.

Personally, I’d like to think it was just a coincidence.

If it’s the latter, then dealing with it will be much more troublesome, as it would imply a level of intelligence.

Either way, our task doesn’t change.

“We need to return.”

As quickly as possible.

Artisha’s voice was as cold and rigid as ice.

Her usual lazy tone was gone, replaced by something firm and unyielding, making me wonder if it was even the same person.

An articulate Artisha—strange.

I hadn’t even known her for a day, yet my mind had already labeled her as perpetually languid.

Of course, that’s separate from understanding why Artisha was reacting this way.

There’s no way a creature that had torn apart the monsters around its lair came to the village with good intentions.

Expecting it to show up and say, “I’m Krumo, I just moved here. Please take care of me,” isn’t positive thinking—it’s just foolish.

“Kana.”

For the first time, my name slipped from Artisha’s lips.

“Help me.”

“I was already planning to.”

That was the whole reason I came here in the first place—no need to ask.

If I let it rampage and the ships in Raxia get damaged, I’ll be in trouble too.

Besides, it’s not only demons in that village right now.

‘If I’d known, I would’ve brought them along….’

It’s often the case that what you think is the best decision at the time turns out not to be upon reflection.

Yeah, just like now.

As I sighed at the frustration of the situation, I felt a comforting warmth touch me.

“…Selene?”

Selene and I rarely exchanged words.

It wasn’t that things were awkward or uncomfortable—it was simply the language barrier.

Whenever Selene wanted to talk to me or vice versa, we had to go through Daeun, which was quite cumbersome.

Though the word cards Daeun had made helped a bit, fluid communication was still challenging.

So, Selene coming over and gently patting me was a first.

“It’ll be alright.”

Short words.

Maybe because they were so brief, I could sense the sincerity behind them.

“…Yeah.”

Well, I’ve got the magical tool, so it should be okay.

Since it was made from the Dragon Orb, it should offer some resistance to mana-based attacks…

Although if that thing tries to squash me with brute force, it won’t help much, but at least it wouldn’t come down to the ground easily if it has any intelligence.

It has wings for a reason.

Hmm, maybe not.

If the Shadow really has a dragon-like personality, it might be different.

The dragons I know would laugh off the idea of mere humans harming them and come charging in.

Huff…

Maybe I should stop overthinking.

No amount of worrying here will actually solve anything.

“I’ll go ahead.”

Taking a deep breath, I gathered mana and launched myself forward without waiting for a reply.

‘Ah, maybe I should’ve brought Selene.’

Her holy magic would’ve been helpful.

But what can I do? I’ve already put some distance between us.

It’s probably better to reach the village first and start fighting than to go back and carry Selene here.

The blazing flames and swirling miasma in the distance make it clear that things are far from calm.

Despite the scenery around me warping and blending from the speed, I kept my eyes firmly locked on my target.

As I closed the distance, the Shadow became more visible.

‘It’s definitely not a dragon.’

It’s too small, and the lack of magic abilities disqualifies it.

A dragon that can’t use magic? That’s absurd.

Saying something like that at even a cheap tavern would get you laughed out of the place.

“Get real.”

With silly thoughts spinning in my mind, I pushed on until the village entrance came into view.

Though it was still a bit far, I could close that gap quickly.

I’m not too late, it seems.

Just as I began to feel relief—

I noticed the Shadow taking a deep breath.

“A breath attack…?”

…Now that I think of it, they said it couldn’t use magic but could use a breath attack.

For some reason, it had stopped spewing fireballs and was now preparing a breath attack.

This could be a problem.

It wasn’t just any breath—it was drawing in an abnormal amount of miasma around it.

“A miasma breath….”

The more I knew, the more ridiculous this became.

But jokes aside, I needed to stop that breath.

In the spot where its gaze was fixed, I saw someone I knew well.

‘What did she do to get in this situation…?’

Though I could guess.

Knowing Daeun, she probably meddled.

I don’t blame her for it…

But seeing her standing firm, holding her sword before the Shadow, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

Judging by her serious expression, she knew exactly what that intake of breath meant, yet she was still standing there, ready to block it.

Even with the Dragon Orb’s power, it’s hopeless.

‘…Guess I have no choice.’

I redirected part of the mana surrounding me elsewhere.

Buzz—

A small tremor accompanied by the red glow from my ring.

At that moment, a surge of ferocious mana shot through my body, piercing me like countless needles.

“Grrk…!”

I gritted my teeth, but a groan escaped despite myself.

…This is why I hate using this.

Dragon mana is viciously temperamental.

Every time I activate it, it wreaks havoc on my body. Even if it’s a gift from a dragon, it’s still a nuisance.

Whoever crafted this had an annoyingly precise sense of cruelty.

It’s been a while since you summoned me. You haven’t changed at all.

“People die when they change too much.”

No, I meant your appearance.

“…”

…Whose fault do you think that is?

I half-heartedly replied to the voice echoing in my head and extended my hand.

In my grasp was a faintly pinkish, soft red sword.

“…Pfft.”

A laugh escaped me.

Facing an evil dragon’s shadow with Gracid’s power in hand…

It almost feels like I’m the hero of an ancient tale.

Of course, I’m not Ziggrid, and unlike him, I never made a direct pact, but that thing up there isn’t the original evil dragon either.

It just feels that way.

With the familiar weight of the sword in my hand, I infused it with mana.

Fwoosh!

A mana far redder than my own flowed along the blade.

It looked as if I were holding a flame in my hand.

There’s no time to waste.

The Shadow’s breath was already descending toward Daeun.

Leap!

With a light jump, I soared over Daeun’s head.

The miasma-laden heat surged toward me as if to consume me whole.

A fake dragon’s breath might be quite hot, but—

“It’s nothing compared to the real thing.”

Still airborne, I swung the blade downward.

─────!

Along the sword’s path, red flames bloomed.

The flames quivered weakly before the crimson breath, as if they’d be snuffed out at any moment.

Yet, those small flames, flickering like mirages, didn’t fade.

Sssssshhhh—!

On the contrary, the flames began to devour the breath as they advanced.

Bit by bit, yet steadily.

The closer they got, the fiercer and more vicious they grew.

As the flames reached the edge of the breath—

Whoosh!

Sensing the imminent threat near its neck, the Shadow halted its breath and hastily pulled back.

It scrambled away frantically, its large frame awkwardly dodging, making the sight almost comical.

…Well, that’s one crisis averted.

Turning back to check on Daeun, I saw that she was unharmed.

Not that she should’ve been hurt, considering I’d intercepted the attack.

Her tightly shut eyes opened slightly as she surveyed her surroundings.

“Aha… ha ha! I did it! I really did it!”

Seeing that the breath attack had ceased, Daeun started hopping up and down in excitement.

I could clearly feel her emotions radiating towards me, leaving me a bit speechless.

“You did it, huh?”

I get that she’s glad to be alive, but… does she really not see me?

For a second, I thought she might be deliberately avoiding looking directly at me, as her gaze seemed to skim just above my head.

"I barely saved you from being burned alive, you know."

If I hadn't intervened, she'd be just another pile of ashes in the debris by now.

Or maybe there wouldn't even be any ashes left.

Hiding the pain throbbing through my body, I muttered my complaint at her.