The Relic Beneath the Earth

A flash of electricity burst before my eyes.

Before I could even think, my body moved first.

Crack.

The monstrous dragon’s jaws snapped shut where I had been standing, the sound like boulders grinding against each other echoing everywhere.

It was the sound of its fangs slamming together.

‘Damn. I almost died.’

Changes detected. Applying update.

[N/S: Cold sweat broke out. The creature that had once been Imok licked its lips where I had been standing moments earlier. If I had hesitated even a second, my head might already have rolled off my body.]

[N/S: At the same time I realized something. That thing truly intends to kill me.]

I twisted my lips.

“…You idiot. Pulling some pathetic stunt like this.”

I still didn’t know why Imok had turned into that thing.

But one thing was certain.

“You abandoned everything just to come kill me.”

No battles are currently occurring.

That meant there was no fighting anywhere.

Which meant.

DAY – Extra Stage Current Score

Northern Lord Seolya: 30% territory

Southern Lord Benzel: 18% territory

Western Lord Jeog-o: 30% territory

Central Lord OZ: 22% territory

The eastern territory had been completely torn apart and absorbed by the others.

Northern Lord “Seolya” rank: Marquis

Western Lord “Jeog-o” rank: Marquis

Southern Lord “Benzel” rank: Viscount

Central Lord “OZ” rank: Count

And it meant my plan had failed.

“Crazy bastard.”

I was speechless.

[R: Among the candidates, the one most obsessed with the throne was Imok.]

I was certain he would cling to it until the end.

—I am correcting my mistake.

When the dragon opened its mouth, a scraping sound like nails across iron burst out.

I instinctively frowned.

Its yellow eyes were fixed directly on me.

—A king is one who rules. One who stands above. One who receives obedience. Such a being should never wait for someone’s selection. Therefore I will choose. Those who will be accepted. Those who will be excluded. My nation.

‘His speech is getting weirder.’

Was his brain turning into a dragon too.

—Thus I correct it. That is the duty of a ruler. My error. My stain.

I stepped back carefully.

The dragon did not follow.

Because it was confident.

Confident that it could catch me instantly even if I ran.

Character Information: Evil Beast Biyu

Open Details →

Species: Lesser Dragon

Strength 5038392

Stamina *54982032

Defense 492492399

Mana 58405058****283

…

…

(omitted)

Looking at the stats, that confidence was justified.

‘That’s a monster.’

I felt overwhelmed.

Was Imok special, or were all post-apocalypse creatures like this.

—OZ.

The dragon spoke again.

I realized it wasn’t actually speaking anymore.

All I heard was a beast’s growl.

—You are a stain unworthy of entering the king’s kingdom.

The voice now echoed directly inside my head.

‘System…!’

—Disappear.

The dragon opened its jaws.

Gigantic fangs like stalactites appeared, and black energy seeped between them.

Its four wings flapped, whipping up violent winds.

“—!”

My skin stung.

I already knew what would happen next.

[R: In an instant everything around them lost vitality. The soil turned gray and crumbled. Trees withered as if centuries old. When the dragon opened its mouth, all life and moisture were drawn toward it.]

[Evil Beast Biyu summons a drought.]

Just as expected.

Everything touched by the dragon’s wind shriveled like a mummy.

“Shop!”

I frantically opened the shop window.

There had to be something to stop this.

Item acquired: Raincoat of the One-Legged Demon

“One-Legged Demon: also known as Dokgak. A post-apocalypse creature wearing a straw hat and raincoat, moving swiftly by hopping on a single leg.”

I grabbed the raincoat appearing in midair and threw it over my shoulders while retreating.

Somewhere the dragon’s wind couldn’t reach.

But that wasn’t a real solution.

‘What item stops drought again?’

Even as I ran desperately, my eyes scanned the shop list.

Items like that existed.

Stories of drought-bringing monsters were common.

But.

Insufficient points.

“Damn it.”

What was the point if I couldn’t buy it.

“Those grapes are probably sour anyway.”

Then titles.

“No good.”

Completely useless.

Changing day and night wouldn’t help.

And what would amplification effects even do here.

‘Model Garden.’

Exceeded capacity.

Damn it.

I’ve barely seen anyone besides that kid, so why is the room already full.

Additional crafting.

With the current title “Model Garden Maker,” additional gardens cannot be created.

“….”

That left.

Title: Mole of the Frozen Earth

Title: Masochist of the Frozen Earth

Seriously, who names titles like that.

But more importantly.

I opened my mouth.

“Forget it.”

I stomped hard.

Boom.

My body shot high into the air.

At the same moment the dragon’s claw struck toward me.

Warning: Using the One-Legged Demon raincoat repeatedly may cause you to be edited accordingly.

There was a reason I could afford it with my miserable points.

It was defective.

Still.

Turning into a one-legged creature if used too long felt like a scam.

“This is bullshit!”

I ripped the raincoat off and hurled it.

It flew straight into the dragon trying to grab me.

I hoped it might blind it.

But the drought wind shredded it instantly.

“Bullies who prey on the weak deserve to die—ugh!”

Something hard grabbed me.

I curled my body tightly.

A terrible pain shot through me.

“Shit…”

That hurts like hell.

I must’ve been slammed into the ground.

But I couldn’t lift my head to confirm.

If I straightened up, I’d dry out instantly.

“….”

But something was strange.

Nothing happened.

‘I defended well?’

Right after that thought, I laughed bitterly.

“Imok, you bastard.”

There was no way that was the reason.

No matter how much I curled up, it had limits.

Which meant.

“You’re playing with me?”

The dragon was letting me live.

Not because it liked me.

“OZ must have really pissed you off. I already knew that.”

And that’s exactly why I could exploit the opening.

—Do not commit more sin.

“What nonsense.”

—Your very existence is sin. The fact that evil beasts gather to you means you are poison.

“Look in a mirror before saying that.”

—No one can judge whether a king is good or evil.

“Hypocrite.”

I laughed deliberately.

“So that’s it. OZ and you are basically the same. That’s why you hated him. Self-loathing.”

I lowered my arms and lifted my face.

Crack.

My skin began drying instantly.

Crack. Crack.

Shriveling.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Splitting.

But it wasn’t my skin.

It was the Serpent Skin disguise I wore.

—What?

“I planned to use it longer, but thanks to you I’m done.”

—Those words… you are not OZ…

“Speak properly, idiot.”

Titles applied: Mole of the Frozen Earth / Masochist of the Frozen Earth.

I threw away the dried serpent skin and plunged straight into the ground.

Digging madly.

Downward. Forward. Deeper.

Of course the dragon wasn’t idle.

—Answer!

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The ground exploded apart.

Soil was blown away by the drought wind.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

—Answer! The king commands it!

The speed was terrifying.

My skin crawled from the feeling of being chased.

But just a little more.

Just a little more.

Right before he arrived.

Thunk.

“Ha.”

Yes.

That feeling.

The same sensation I felt earlier while digging randomly while chatting with Caliburn.

I reached forward.

At the same moment something grabbed me.

“Ugh—!”

My dark vision suddenly brightened.

—Foolish human.

“Eat that insult yourself.”

I tried to grin.

Not sure if it actually looked like a grin.

But who cared.

Anyone could see who the real idiot was.

—You deceived a king.

“You’re not the only one fooled. Don’t flatter yourself.”

The dragon tightened its grip.

My body cracked further as it dried.

I swallowed the scream.

“And.”

I wasn’t done talking yet.

“You’re about to be fooled again.”

I looked directly at the dragon.

Character Information: Evil Beast Biyu

Species: Lesser Dragon

I understood immediately.

A lesser dragon.

That thing that used to be Imok had not yet become a true dragon.

‘Why was Imok searching for the relic buried here?’

His Master Creature wasn’t a complete dragon.

Just like the creature he had become.

Which meant.

‘This relic.’

I clenched my hand.

The hand still holding a fragment of the Serpent Skin.

Item: Fragment of the Serpent Serpent Skin

A skin said to never separate from the one it loves.

Now separated from its partner.

Warning: A serpent separated from its partner may become extremely dangerous.

Blood dripped from my hand.

Because the serpent’s fangs were biting into my palm.

“Imok.”

The creature might have forgotten that name already.

But I still called him that.

“I wonder if you know how a real dragon is born.”

There are many theories.

A carp.

A worm.

A centipede.

But the most common one.

“A snake.”

Ignoring the blood pouring from my hand, I clenched my fist harder.

Something squirmed as the serpent finally burrowed into my flesh.

At the same time I shoved the relic I had dug up into the wound.

After all.

If Imok with his half-dragon Master Creature had searched so desperately for it.

Then the answer was obvious.

[R: Imok was reborn as a perfect dragon.]

That was the script from the playthrough where he surpassed all other candidates and came closest to becoming the king he desired.

[R: Because the relic transformed him into a dragon.]

An artifact capable of turning a creature with the potential to become a dragon…

into a true dragon.