Book 11 Chapter 22
Side Story, Episode 2.
The Forgotten War, The Spider Lord Subjugation Battle (2)
The Water Dragon Yelisarika was seen sitting astride a branch of the World Tree, looking down at the lake.
For a moment, I thought I was seeing a hallucination.
Because there were no changes in the scenery.
However, seeing the numerous sceneries reflected on the water's surface, I was certain that this place was inside the ‘Pure White Dream’.
Beyond compare.
Hair as noble blue.
Dragon horns that grew, tracing sacred wood grain patterns, and sky-blue silk clothes made of unworldly material.
From the far side of the lake, the divine dragon, who had been watching some life, spoke in a benevolent voice.
「Now, you truly begin to exude the same scent as that person. I believed we would meet again like this.」
“Lady Yelisarika.”
「You have not come to meet the beastfolk, nor to see Milngadia. I know that you have come to me because the content of your daily dreams is disturbing.」
Yelisarika.
Eyes that penetrate all.
What could be hidden from her? But I couldn't help but have one doubt.
“You said then that you could glimpse the future in the Pure White Dream.”
「Dimly, as if looking into a mirror.」
“I once met an enemy who used the same power. It was a minion of the Lord of Time. Is it a power similar to the Abyss?”
「The Abyss peers into multiple world-lines and foretells the future, but I, Yelisarika, see the future from the possibilities held by humans.」
“Are the two very different?”
「There is no definite future. Even the future of you reaching here like this was not definite.」
“Perhaps…”
「Are you asking if humans can also glimpse the future through dreams?」
“Yes.”
As Yelisarika spread her hands wide, the images reflected on the lake's surface wavered and then disappeared one by one.
And then it began to be dyed ominously black and white.
Goosebumps crawled up my arms and my hair stood on end. Were these not the sceneries I had seen in my dreams?
Volcanic ash and blizzards intermingling and scattering…
「A nightmare that cannot be opposed by human possibility is approaching. What you saw was one fragment of the future. By seeing the truth, you have become able to see the deeper layers of the world.」
“No, it’s not! That can’t be! Then, is this a fixed future now?”
「As I said before, there is no definite future. But it must be seen that the possibility of things turning out this way is extremely high.」
“Mathematicians don’t carelessly utter the words ‘100%’.”
Yelisarika gave a benevolent smile, then clasped her hands together, and most of the images disappeared.
The pure white images, meaning the blizzards, vanished, leaving only scenes rife with volcanic ash and lava.
Though the lake had been full of images, once the blizzards were removed from them, only five remained.
Only one image pointed to hope.
There was only one image where all the volcanic ash and lava settled, and everything was enveloped in a faint light.
“What must I do?”
「Child of the spring breeze, you didn’t come to ask that, did you? You already know. If you fail, the world will become like this.」
There wasn't only hope.
Another despair was purely white, seemingly destroyed by a blizzard before the volcanic ash could arrive.
“You know what I intend to do.”
「Everything appears in this lake. Your possibilities, your heart, and the faith your possibilities and heart will create. You didn't come here to ask for a method. You came to know the possibilities, didn't you?」
Indeed, she sees through everything… I clenched my fist with a smile.
A thousand four hundred years passed until the Spider Lord broke free from the gods’ seal.
If I could defeat that monster once more and strip it of its power…
Then, in the final age when volcanic ash explodes, blizzards won't come. In other words, the Spider Lord won't be able to use its power.
「However, I can teach you a shortcut. Find Jau-nyeon (子澐女) in Halvadonia. She is a confidante of the Spider Lord, fourth in rank of the Five Regents.」
“So, the old nobles have already awakened. What should I do after finding her?”
「Jau-nyeon holds the key to the Spider Lord's Fortress of a Thousand Hands. You’d best hurry, before Husingyeong (侯吲卿) completely seizes control of Halvadonia.」
After speaking, Yelisarika wore a somewhat sad smile.
「But deliberate many times before you act. The time for the gods is not yet ripe; if you fail, the world will collapse before it even faces its final age.」
“……”
「Whatever path you choose, I, Yelisarika, will also assist you with all my heart and soul.」
It was then.
Suddenly, the entire world blurred hazily like a morning mist, and soon after, it lost cohesion and scattered.
What is this…?
Did Yelisarika forcibly expel me from the dream…?
Swallowing a trembling breath, I hurriedly looked around.
Only darkness surrounded me.
Neither the lake, nor the World Tree, nor Mir was visible. The dream hadn't ended. But if so, where on earth was this?
Only primordial fear whispered a clear truth directly into my heart.
It’s coming…
A being with the blood of eternity…
「A fragment of Kalenden.」
At the sound echoing from the bottom of the Abyss, dimensions shrieked in a nightmare.
*Squirm.*
*Squish, squelch, gurgle.*
An evil change permeated the space that was originally a lake, transforming it into a swamp that began to drag my lower body down.
「Consider it an honor that I personally revealed my form to you.」
The mystery of blasphemy, a being awakened from a thousand years of darkness.
Mental derangement, waves of the dead entangled in web-like structures that are not truly spiderwebs, emitting nauseating groans.
*Boom, boom, boom, boom*, a pathologically suppressed drumbeat was heard.
And there was a spiderweb, stretching from an unknown point on the horizon's edge, extending beyond the realms of light and darkness.
Undying, vengeful spirits hung from that spiderweb for eons, emitting chilling groans.
My heart pounded madly.
My head spun, *ping-ping, ping-ping*.
A sense of obedience, etched deep into the genes of my body, screamed for me to kneel at once.
And behind that obedience, my soul was immersed in an alluring ecstasy.
Feeling at ease, automatically accepting it as such…
- Be careful. The dream world is fundamentally a primordial world. If you stay too long in the body of a living human, you can become a target of the Abyss.
No way.
The Old King into my subconscious world…
This is the worst-case scenario. As expected, this bastard was awakening.
「I cannot peer into its structure. Has a part of a divinity been overlaid, or is it a copy? It doesn't matter much.」
“Ah…”
「You were clearly killed by my subordinate. A human born of mortal blood is human, and therefore ought to die in the face of death. Yet, you blasphemously revived.」
It approaches from beyond the darkness.
A being made of darkness comes.
Horrifying spider legs erupted from both sides of a human body's outline.
「Thereafter, you dared to lay hands on the spawn I personally chose and nurtured.」
Move.
I must move.
「You are an unacceptable being, but I shall bestow upon you the great and profound virtue of enlightenment and grant you a second chance.」
“Ah, Asu…”
「For creations, there is the cycle of life. A cycle that bears sorrow and suffering.」
My body, too difficult to move even a fingertip, slowly sank deeper into the swamp. Past my chest, now around my collarbone.
「I am the one who devours worlds! My touch is liberation from the mortal cycle. Accept the blessing of the Abyss.」
The next moment, darkness pierced my body, my soul.
As the cold of absolute mystery spread throughout my entire body, and unprecedentedly sweet, alluring, and lovely languages of desire raged through my mind.
“A…su…raaaaaaaaaa…!”
Letting out a battle cry close to a scream.
I barely moved my paralyzed body and clasped my hands together.
Through that series of signals, Truth (眞理) descended, dispelling the darkness of the nightmare.
*Fwoosh!*
A clear radiance swept through the swamp, burning away the inexpressibly ominous nightmare spiderweb.
The light took on a magnificent form.
The Three-Headed Dragon Asura. That light annihilated the spiderweb, grasped the form of darkness, and crushed it.
「…You are trembling. But this is just the beginning, heeheeheehee hahahaahahahahaha…」
As the mad laughter and darkness scattered, the curtain of the nightmare, which had seemed eternal, was lifted.
Immediately, my five senses returned.
Starting with the scent of fresh greenery pricking my nose…
“Gasp…”
As soon as I sat up with a low cry, I bumped my head with Mir, who was anxiously examining me.
Mir didn't even shriek, but was rubbing their reddened forehead.
“Are you okay? You were unconscious for ten days.”
Ten days, I just stared blankly at Mir for a moment.
Over Mir's tilting face, the image of Mir collapsed and dead amidst volcanic ash and blizzards overlapped.
With a hand wet with cold sweat, I patted Mir's head.
“It's okay. Yeah, I'm okay. Nothing will be wrong.”
I said that, but… the trembling of my whole body didn't stop.
It was something I had decided long ago, but the wave of fear that swept over me the moment I faced that absolute nightmare was not something easily forgotten.
The enemy was a King.
Its absolute mystery, absolute terror, and its might could not possibly be compared to any noble.
Can I win?
No, will it even be possible to fight?
Did I perhaps miss the golden time for repairing the sealing formation because of my greed?
I was arrogant.
I was overconfident.
I trusted too much.
Who are the <Forgotten Kings>? They are the old gods who once ruled the world. The old rulers that the <Ones Who Came> barely managed to defeat.
And I'm going to face *that*?
I'm going to put *that* back to sleep?
I should have known my place. Lady Kalenden's words are right. I am merely meant to deliver the light…
Just then, Mir squirmed out of my embrace, hesitated for a moment, then hugged my face tightly with both arms.
“Hugs, effective for stress relief. Its potential has been discussed in 27 medical books, and 4 psychiatric books are also observing the topic with interest.”
What kind of expression was I making then? I was probably making the most peculiar face in the world.
In that physical warmth.
And in that psychological warmth.
A halt was called to all the things that had been coldly and stiflingly freezing due to fear.
This is not the time for weak words.
It's not too late.
Now is the golden time.
I will surely open it for you.
The door to the future for you all. I will deny the predetermined future. That is the destination of my life's journey.
It wasn't foretold by anyone.
I decided it. Like that day 300 years ago, when I set out with Rista.
This is my destiny.
***
“The peerlessly great Dragon Sage says he needs the help of us insignificant beings.”
Valensidis, who landed in <Flame Myriad Miles> leading two griffins, said this with his characteristic cynicism.
He held a letter in his hand, and Miria, who immediately read it, had a serious conversation with him for a moment.
Then Miria left a letter for Akilea and departed <Flame Myriad Miles> with Pipi and Valensidis.
“……”
All of this transpired secretly from Akilea, who was training in the Eternal Dunes.
Or so they would have thought.
However, Akilea, whose perception had transcended the mortal realm through her training, could now observe events happening wherever there was fire, specifically in Flame Myriad Miles, even from afar.
As if to externally prove such growth, horns had sprouted on Akilea.
Wyverns have one horn.
True Dragons, beings more supreme than wyverns, have two horns.
‘Dad needs help?’
The insight training, which involved exploring her own origin, was in its final stage.
To finally complete her training, she had to remain absolutely still in this spot for a year.
I want to know what's happening. If it's serious, I want to go to my father's side too.
But I can't move.
Because I haven't been allowed to.
It wasn't just that problem.
Every time I think of Dad… the ‘origin of life’ that Grydaone and Elder Jakan spoke of keeps bothering me in my heart.
The name of that origin was Alakish.
「Your bottom must be itching to death, right? And sandy, making it itchy.」
Fride came when Akilea's already limited patience was reaching its limit.
Fride was a good friend.
She would tell Akilea many stories about her father that Akilea didn't know, soothing her longing. Wasn't it Fride who taught her to fly?
Perhaps because she was originally human, she was also a teacher who understood Akilea's immaturity better than anyone and taught her what she needed.
She was more like an older sister than a friend.
「It's truly a peaceful place. So quiet you can hear the sand sweeping across the world, right? Actually, I still can't believe this kind of peace.」
“……”
「I hate noise. Especially the noise of battle… I've heard enough of it to be sick of it. I lived listening only to that sound for several years. If my comrades hadn't supported me then, I would have collapsed long ago.」
Fride began drawing in the sand with her dragon-scaled fingers. It was a dragon's head.
「Most people don't think much about power. They just assume they're born with it, a gift from the gods, and wield it as they please.」
“……”
「I might have become one of those people too. If I hadn't received teachings from the Fire Dragon Bel'dakidun.」
Fride was originally the Fire Dragon's priestess.
She was the one and only human who had received direct teachings from the Fire Dragon.
「The Fire Dragon said that power is like fire. It can light people's paths, give wisdom, and courage, but it can also burn everything down instead.」
Why is she telling me this?
「To put it nicely, he was proactive in everything; to put it negatively, he was excessively obsessive. Do you know why? Because of regret.」
Regret?
「They say the Black Sun Kalenden didn't bring all three Divine Dragons to the final battle. Rather, he tried to leave them behind. He was worried they might get hurt.」
But the Black Sun, due to that carelessness, or perhaps greed, was defeated in the battle against the Lord of the Abyss.
As a price, he fell into eternal suffering. Both physically and mentally.
To the extent that he lacked even the energy to engage in public activities, always having to hide his appearance.
「The Fire Dragon, you see, deeply regretted not going to help the Black Sun at that time. It became a lifelong regret.」
It seemed as if she was speaking of distant tales while gazing at the far horizon…
But her eyes seemed to peer into the recent past, and her voice trembled as if speaking of a nearby event.
Below the doodle of the Fire Dragon's face, the faces of her old hero party comrades were drawn.
「They say life is a series of regrets, but among them are regrets with endless pain. Akhi, I hope you don't experience such regrets.」
No more words were needed to convey the sentiment contained in this story.
Akilea emerged from her motionless posture of seven months. She bowed her head and let out a faint chuckle.
Immediately, sand dust poured from her head. Fride brushed off the dust, smiling gently.
「Really, I don't know who you take after to be this lovely.」
***
“The forces of the Abyss are gathering one by one before <Snowy Citadel>, but they seem to be trying to bypass the main fortresses. They are targeting the outdated fortresses first. These points are crucial.”
<Snowy Citadel> Backbone (白本).
Commander Kiran Wolf Blado pointed to the map with his finger.
“As confirmed at Backbone, the enemy is being led by Husingyeong (侯吲卿), second in rank of the Five Regents. His figure has been captured multiple times.”
“Coming directly to the wall I'd only heard about, I can't even imagine the Abyss being able to cross it.”
At the remark from Logan, who led the Imperial Army's Special Cavalry, Kiran shook his head.
“Do not think it will be similar to previous attacks; you must face reality.”
“There is no one who doesn't face reality. Mobilize the Imperial Army where needed according to your judgment. I permit it.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there any news from the Dragon Sage?”
Sword Saint Brinden Belchester, receiving the Emperor's gaze, shook his head.
“There was none at all.”
“I am here.”
At the appearance of the Dragon Sage, who emerged after 40 days, relief was evident on the faces of all the officers.
His appearance itself was utterly majestic. To appear riding a white dragon, such patronage of the legion was a luxury even the Emperor dared not enjoy.
Of course, as soon as he uttered his next words, they would receive a shock several times greater than that relief.
“What did you just say?”
“I will cross the wall. We will settle this within half a month.”
“Young Master… no, Your Excellency Dragon Sage. Cross the wall, do you not know that the Abyss is swarming right now?”
“I know. I need to find Jau-nyeon.”
“Jau-nyeon… are you referring to Jau-nyeon of the Five Regents?”
Even Lillian Karain respectfully referred to the Dragon Sage as a Magic Saint in official settings. Sagan Wolf Blado, the Minister of War who currently commanded the Imperial Army, spoke.
“Has that monster really awakened? And to find her, in that vast snowy field? It seems several years wouldn't be enough to find her.”
“I have a guide. And I also know her approximate location.”
“Are you joking right now?”
The Emperor frowned.
“Watch your words and actions, Minister of War.”
“Forgive my disrespect. But isn't it true that the Dragon Sage's recent actions are utterly incomprehensible? 40 days ago, we could have reached the sealing formation before the old nobles awakened! We missed the golden time and ended up in an all-out war! How many casualties will this cause? The North being annihilated would be no trouble at all!”
Sagan's words pierced the truth, so there was no way to refute them.
The Blado family, being a magical family rooted in the North, would undoubtedly be taking this situation more seriously than anyone else.
The Emperor raised a hand for mediation.
“How could commoners like us understand the Dragon Sage's thoughts? We only need to cooperate.”
“Then you are telling us to organize an Imperial Army unit to go with the Dragon Sage now─”
“─Large-scale forces are not needed. On the contrary, if we did that, my position would be exposed. The personnel will be minimal.”
“How many is that?”
“Two people are enough. Actually, I was going to leave immediately due to lack of time, but I came here briefly for this.”
As soon as he finished speaking, two people approached and stood beside him.
Indeed, a long time had passed since that journey, yet whenever I was with these fellows, my heart felt incomparably at ease.
A giant, with a massive spear, the Dragon Bone Spear, slung over his shoulder, opened his mouth. Layers of bear hide were added to his black iron armor, making him truly resemble a black bear.
“Spear Saint Bart will accompany the Magic Saint.”
“Bow Saint Rem too, [rest omitted].”
“You know what the situation is, right? Time is pressing.”
Rem, who had been blowing into his hands, tilted his head, then playfully shrugged his shoulders.
“Don't know?”
“?”
“I absolutely hate thinking complicated thoughts! I'll have a few drinks, draw my bowstring a few times, and by the time I'm out of my hangover, everything will be over. You know that even old nobles can't budge after taking a few of Bow Saint Rem's arrows, right?”
No, I don't know.
I was about to say that but stopped. Because it wasn't the time for jokes.
“Alright, then let's go right away. The guide is waiting.”