No More Tears

“Huh……?”

Jacob’s eyes widened. Everything was clearly the same, yet something felt off.

The magic Jacob unleashed was moving incredibly slowly. It was even getting slower.

Jacob stared intently, eyes wide.

Moreover, he couldn’t move his body. Soon, Jacob realized the reason for this anomaly.

‘Time-interfering magic…!’

Time is the domain of the gods. Magic that interferes with it is god-tier.

An ordinary human would need to reach the ranks of an archmage to use such magic. If not…

‘Dragon…….’

A chilling sensation ran down his spine. Jacob watched with wide eyes as the magic he had cast slowly dissipated.

Something darker than darkness was swallowing Jacob’s magic.

Goosebumps erupted all over his body. Jacob hadn’t liked this place from the start.

The dense miasma blanketing the entire mountain felt like it was clawing at his lungs with every breath.

‘Damn it…!’

That’s why he wanted to leave quickly, damn Mark!

Jacob gritted his teeth and sent mana into the artifact embedded in the back of his hand.

It was a last-ditch struggle before his consciousness completely faded.

‘Got it…!’

Fortunately, the artifact implanted in his body quickly responded to Jacob’s mana.

It put a huge strain on his body, but he couldn’t afford to worry about that now.

“……”

At that moment, Sian was staring down at Theodore, who was collapsed alongside Leon.

Blood, a result of mana backlash, was smeared around Theodore’s mouth.

The worst-case scenario he had imagined was unfolding before his eyes. Sian clenched his fist without realizing it.

Why did it turn out like this? He wanted to protect these children from any pain.

Why couldn’t he even do that simple thing?

Why……?

His vision gradually turned black. The whites of Sian’s eyes crackled as they turned completely black.

Thud!

“…….”

Something pulsed within the space where time had stopped. Sian turned his head with a blank expression.

“Kugh……!”

The artifact glowed, trying to resist the magic. And it was draining its owner’s mana to the limit.

Jacob gritted his teeth at the enormous amount of mana being drained. To use this much mana just to resist a single spell.

Even with an ancient artifact, a relic of the gods! Jacob’s face turned pale.

‘Damn it, damn it…!’

What should he do with the remaining mana? Jacob’s eyes darted around rapidly.

His desire for survival squeezed his brain and narrowed his vision.

He had to escape, even if it meant doing it alone. But how?

Then, he saw the fallen children. The defenseless children were within arm’s reach. Jacob’s eyes flashed.

Perhaps the dragon had come for these children.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to stop time and neutralize the magic cast towards them.

For some reason, the dragon was trying to save these children.

If that were the case, he could take one of them hostage and threaten the dragon…

And then recover a little mana and escape when he saw an opening.

That was the only option left. Jacob made his decision and reached out toward the child at his feet.

“You guys always do the same things.”

“Kuk……!”

Something wrapped around Jacob’s body along with the calm voice.

Jacob, frozen with his hand outstretched, barely managed to roll his eyes and stare at the person in front of him.

“D… Dragon…….”

“…….”

He couldn’t say anything when he met the black eyes. Jacob could only breathe shallowly as his eyes widened.

The man’s appearance wasn’t particularly imposing.

He wasn’t mindlessly tall or bulky like Mark, nor did he have terrible scars all over his face and body like the leader.

Outwardly, he was a handsome man with beautiful features.

If he had encountered him outside, he would have glanced at his handsome face once, but that would have been it.

An ordinary man. But the pressure emanating from him was no joke. Just being stared at by him was suffocating.

Jacob couldn’t breathe properly and could only choke.

“Does it feel good to trample on children weaker than you?”

“Kuaaak……!”

Something sharp dug into the back of his hand where the artifact was embedded.

At the same time, the artifact reacted violently with a sizzling sound. It was because it collided with opposing forces.

But only Jacob was suffering. Sian stared with indifferent eyes at the ancient artifact, struggling to push back his mana.

This artifact was definitely a relic of the gods. At a glance, the power contained within it seemed immense.

If someone more capable than this magician possessed it, Sian might have been in danger, just as Muen had feared.

‘But right now, it’s just a pearl necklace on a pig.’

He had mindlessly implanted the artifact in his body, but this magician wasn’t able to draw out even half of its power.

Sian simply swung his hand.

“Uwaaaagh……!”

Snap, and blood splattered. Jacob’s hand was severed.

The artifact embedded in the back of his hand fell to the ground along with it.

“Ugh…… Uwaaa…….”

“You were rampaging around like a fool, trusting in something like this. You lowly things.”

A contemptuous voice spread around. There was no warmth in the cold tone.

Even though he was speaking, Sian felt like he was hearing someone else’s voice.

As rage consumed his body, Sian’s reason became increasingly faint. Only the dragon’s instincts were driving him.

Someone was whispering in Sian’s ear. Kill all those vermin right now.

Sian’s gaze swept over the children. The face of the woman, pale with worry that her child had disappeared, came to mind.

To her, the child was everything.

Finally, Sian looked at Theodore and Leon, who were bleeding.

These children must all be precious beings to someone. And to him as well.

There was no reason to hold back any longer.

Kugugugung.

The earth shook and the wind blew fiercely.

The bright sky instantly darkened, and a black darkness covered the entire mountain.

Animals and magical beasts were convulsing from the continuous tremors. Simultaneous screams echoed around.

“Kkueeeeek!”

“Kyaaaak!”

“Wh, what’s going on?”

Adventurers who were hunting were shocked by the sudden event. They all looked up at the sky.

“Th, that’s…….”

The adventurer who spotted it first couldn’t finish his sentence. Something filling the sky was looking down at them.

It was as if a giant mountain was looking down on him.

“D… Dragon…….”

“…….”

Everyone was speechless and blankly looked up when someone let out a sigh-like word.

The legendary existence that had been passed down in old tales was in front of them.

「Listen.」

A massive voice echoed around, spreading widely.

At the same time, a terrifying dragon fear pressured the adventurers so much that they couldn’t even breathe.

Many lost consciousness, unable to withstand the dragon’s short words.

Sian came out of the barrier and released his polymorph.

It was the first time he had transformed into his true form in front of humans since the Continental War.

The last time Sian revealed his true form was when he had knelt the Emperor of the Orta Empire before him.

‘I thought that would be the last time.’

The dragon’s body made Sian’s reason disappear even further.

It felt like his actions and words were becoming those of someone else.

The feeling that the human he had been was disappearing somewhere always tormented Sian.

But for some reason, his mind was clear now. Sian knew exactly what he had to do.

That was to protect this mountain.

‘For his sake, I’ll gladly become an evil dragon.’

The wicked evil dragon Drake. The arrogant adversary of the gods. The black calamity of the continent.

Sian was ready to accept all those modifiers.

「From now on, all human intrusion into this mountain is forbidden. This shall be absolutely upheld as a draconic decree.」

As soon as Sian finished speaking, black lightning struck around him. The adventurers, trembling, recoiled in terror.

“Kuaaaa!”

“W, Wyverns!”

“Damn it, why is a Death Knight here…!”

After the lightning struck, massive magical beasts revealed themselves.

They were top-tier magical beasts who didn’t shy away from the dragon’s pressure.

The adventurers, who had only dealt with lower-tier magical beasts, began to flee in terror.

‘I should have done this sooner.’

Perhaps Cali was right, and it would have been better to drive the humans away like this from the start. Sian belatedly regretted it and polymorphed.

“Ugh……”

Sian approached Theodore and carefully embraced him.

Theodore, in Sian’s arms, let out a faint groan. And looked up at Sian with blurry eyes.

“I knew you’d come…….”

“…….”

Theodore smiled faintly and spoke to Sian. Sian’s face twisted in anguish.

“You even smile at this inept master.”

“But…… You’re not late.”

“…….”

“Don’t…… cry.”

Theodore’s small fingers fumbled at Sian’s parched eyes. Sian barely raised the corners of his lips and replied.

“Yeah, I won’t cry.”

“That’s a relief…….”

Theodore muttered quietly and closed his eyes again. Sian held Theodore tightly until Cali and the dark elves rushed over.