The hustle in Exion's castle had faded away.
Like a spring drizzle, the drops silently covering the ground had extinguished all the flames.
Chiii-
At the moment the fire, which had previously seemed terrifying, no longer inspired fear, people began to wipe the drops off their cheeks with their hands.
"…Ah."
Pope Casillia looked at her palm covered in raindrops and let out an empty laugh. Scales covered the back of her hand, and her eyes trembled at the limit of what her robe could conceal.
What those eyes harbored was fear.
Yes, fear.
The truly terrifying always came silently.
Like death. Like Time wielded by the Dragon Lord.
Those things that came suddenly were always quiet.
"…Yes, like this rain."
Casillia looked around her. The people from her Temple, the mansion's inhabitants, all smiled brightly under the rain. They were happy.
‘But do they know?’
The Chief Inquisitor, the Principal Inquisitor, also known as the First Inquisitor. He was a figure shrouded in mystery; even the Pope didn't know everything about him. Only the Dragon Lord fully understood that person.
However, his Attribute was fire.
Sure, the Principal Inquisitor's power was not limited to 'fire'. It was just a part. Still, he understood the danger of that unquenchable fire. That's why she chose to avoid it rather than confront it.
'That fire has been extinguished by these seemingly harmless raindrops.'
And although those drops touched her skin, they did no harm to her. On the contrary, those fresh and revitalizing drops relieved her body and mind exhausted by the fire and ashes.
That's what made it terrifying. That's why this power was truly terrifying.
‘It is nature itself.’
For some, nature was a fearsome death; for others, it was a warm life. That's why, for some, nature was friend and family, and for others, something to submit to and follow.
There was no escaping it.
No one could hide from nature.
‘They are not smiling.’
Casillia noticed those who were not smiling. They were, by her standards, 'strong' in some aspect, be it physical, intellectual, or skillful. They probably were the ones who understood the true terror of this power. They couldn't enjoy the moment like the others. Instead, there was a peculiar atmosphere about them. They probably thought similarly to the Pope.
‘They did not make the worst decision.’
A figure standing on a white cloud. That person, barely visible. It was someone who could stand up to the Dragon Lord.
Chiii---
All the flames were extinguished. The clouds beneath Cale's feet dissipated without a trace.
-Light, right? Doesn't it tire you at all?
The Sky Eating Water spoke, and Cale replied frankly.
"Light."
This was not an effort for him. Maybe because he used a minimal amount of water.
‘Hmm. It feels different.’
Something felt different in his body.
‘What did you learn when you saved the World Tree?’
As Cale questioned himself, a refreshing answer reached his ears.
-In reality, God is not the sky.
Huh?
-But I am the Sky Eating Water.
The Sky Eating Water spoke with a crystal-clear voice.
-Hehe. This is very amusing.
The abruptness of the statement startled him.
-Hahaha.
And she continued laughing.
-This damn water!
The Dominating Aura muttered, overwhelmed.
However, the Sky Eating Water continued laughing.
-Hahahaha. God is not the sky! Eating the sky was even greater! Hahaha!
Cale's face hardened.
“Hmm.”
He let out an involuntary sigh. It's easy to avoid crazies, but when they're inside your own body, you can't escape.
As Cale's face became more serious...
“…It's definitely not as light.”
Huh?
Cale turned his gaze toward the voice.
The 3-Star Dragon Exion.
He was looking at him with a peculiar expression.
‘Why is he looking at me like that?’
Cale's face showed confusion, but Exion looked away and muttered.
"Waking up right after fainting and using the power again must be exhausting."
It wasn't clear if he was speaking to himself or for Cale to hear. But Cale responded kindly.
"No. I'm fine."
He wasn't tired at all. The fainting was more from absorbing the Holy power than physical exhaustion.
"I had heard you were the sword of the Dragon Lord."
Cale approached Exion. He stood by his side.
"I'll take care of the shield, so it would be better for you to deal with those guys."
From Cale's hand flowed a silver line. It was to use the Indestructible Shield.
"…"
Exion silently observed and then looked at Cale's face.
"What?"
Cale, with an expressionless face, returned the gaze. Exion smiled slightly.
"Ha, haha-"
And then he burst into laughter.
‘What's wrong with him?’
When Cale frowned, Exion stopped laughing. Cale felt uncomfortable with the sudden change in his cold demeanor.
‘That guy also seems a bit crazy.’
He discreetly stepped away. At that moment, Exion looked at Cale and spoke.
"I'll put my bet on you."
Huh?
Cale stopped but soon understood. He was referring to the competition between the Dragon Lord and him. That's why Cale was puzzled.
"Why are you saying that now?"
They were already fighting other Dragons.
"Haven't you already bet on me?"
Cale, sincerely confused, asked with a bewildered expression, and Exion burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
That irritated Cale a bit. He couldn't help it. A dark brown shield. Ten Dragons outside. When Cale saw them start attacking again, he realized.
Especially-
‘Is he looking at me?’
A red Dragon was staring at him intensely.
‘That bastard-’
That red Dragon. I'll remember his face.
Cale thought of one of the ten Dragons.
‘Was he the God of Gluttony?’
His Attribute was 'gluttony'.
That red Dragon-
‘Disgusting.’
He looked at Cale licking his lips. Although the Dragons seemed to be talking, the sound didn't come through the shield.
‘What are they saying?’
It seemed they were conversing too. Cale approached Exion and tapped him on the shoulder. Keeping his eyes on the ten Dragons.
Adult Dragons. They were so big they blocked out the sky. It was a little scary. They were huge. And they kept looking at me hungrily.
"Hey. Hey."
Cale quickly spoke to Exion.
"Leave the rest to me. First, get rid of those guys. Then we can talk, right?"
Pats.
Watching the red Dragon, Cale kept hitting Exion. Still, Exion remained silent, so Cale turned and stopped.
"What are you doing?"
Exion stared at him with a serious expression. The same cold face he showed when they first met, a mix of knight and high-ranking noble. With that face, he looked at Cale.
"What?"
There's no time. What's wrong with him?
Bang!
The shield trembled slightly. Cale turned his head and gasped.
"Ah!"
The red Dragon had launched itself against the shield, sticking to it. Right in front of Cale.
‘Oh my god!’
And then, clicking its tongue, it savored in Cale's direction.
It was then...
A familiar voice sounded behind him.
"I, I-"
It was an incredulous voice. Cale turned around with a wide smile. And he raised his hand to point at the red Dragon.
"Eruhaben-nim! That Dragon seems to want to eat me! Its Attribute is said to be Gluttony!"
He immediately snitched. With no fire to burn the World Tree, it seemed that Eruhaben had made his way here.
"Ha!"
Eruhaben let out an incredulous laugh. Cale heard Exion's voice, which had been silent.
"I'll take care of the rear. Trust my back. Ha."
He also let out an incredulous laugh. Cale, being only a weak human, hesitated for a moment amidst the laughter of the two Dragons and finally spoke.
"I'll use the shield."
He would simply do his part. Just as Cale sighed and was about to use the shield.
"It's not necessary."
Exion spoke calmly.
"They're just trying to scare me and buy time. They'll also leave soon."
His gaze went to the sky. More precisely, to somewhere in the distance of the continent.
"Because a call will soon come."
Cale, who had opened his mouth to speak, stopped.
"Eh?"
What's this? What's happening?
He didn't quite understand.
Uuuuuuu--
The air vibrated. He looked in that direction. It was the same direction Exion was looking. It wasn't an ordinary airwave. Although it was floating in the sky, it was as if the earth was trembling.
Then, he sensed it.
'It's the Lord Dragon.'
The one causing this vibration was the Lord Dragon.
'Ah.'
It's different. This guy is really strong. It's different from the ones I've met so far.
Cale began to think that unconsciously, and soon he felt it firsthand. It wasn't a thought; he felt it in his body.
'Eh?'
He couldn't speak. He didn't understand what he was seeing. He didn't quite grasp the situation. He just felt like his whole body was bound. Indeed, he couldn't even think clearly.
It really was an instant. One second after another. When he thought that a tiny interval had passed between those seconds, Cale saw it clearly.
"……."
A pillar of light rising, and a gigantic Dragon figure created by magic flapping its wings.
Indeed, he realized this after seeing it. Yes. In that instant he blinked. The pillar of light rising, and the gigantic Dragon figure flapping its wings.
And then, in the blink of an eye, everything disappeared. To be honest, Cale thought he hadn't seen anything. But the scene was imprinted in his mind.
The pillar of light rising and those wings flapping couldn't have happened in less than a second.
"…Ha…"
His skin crawled. Exactly, a cold sweat ran down his back. His gaze went to Exion. There was something he wanted to hear from him. But it wasn't necessary.
Flap, flap.
Ten Dragons began to fly in the direction where the pillar of light had been and then disappeared. As if they had received a call.
"It's the Lord Dragon's call."
Exion's calm voice trembled slightly.
"When you feel that wave, you must go where it is."
With those words, Exion raised his arm. As he lifted his sleeve, a bracelet became visible. A bracelet with a gem in the center. Inside the gem, the wings of a purple Dragon moved in one direction.
"Just follow the direction of these wings."
He showed his trembling arm to Cale completely.
"As you may have felt, the Lord Dragon, just to summon us, makes everything in this world tremble. It must be because he controls the flow of energy."
"Wow. This isn't at the level of a Dragon. This is-"
Eruhaben murmured, more than surprised, dismayed. Cale saw the sweat on Eruhaben's forehead.
"He's like a God. At least, while he controls the flow of this world. He's the God of this place."
Eruhaben couldn't refute Exion's words. Cale looked at Exion. Although his body and voice trembled, his eyes were firm. He was determined to fight even against the Lord Dragon.
Cale spoke.
"Yes. The Lord Dragon is stronger than I thought."
He continued speaking indifferently.
"Just to gather the Dragons, he makes the world tremble with that vibration. In an instant, he launches a pillar of light-"
Ha. Truly.
"The power he used along with the pillar of light, that energy in the form of a Dragon flapping its wings, must be a spell that activates the gem on your bracelet, right? Seeing that energy and the wings inside that gem are the same."
Wow. It's very strong.
Do you know where on the continent the Dragons are? Does it mean that the scale of the magic he uses reaches the entire continent? Is that possible?
Perhaps it's possible because he controls the reference point that keeps this distorted energy tethered.
Cale's mind became chaotic.
Yes. More than anything-
What really surprised, or rather shocked, Cale was something else.
It was then...
"What?"
Exion's eyes trembled for the first time. Eruhaben was the same.
"Cale. What are you saying?"
Cale was puzzled by those words.
"Eh? What am I saying?"
"…Did you see the magic? Did you see the pillar of light?"
Eruhaben couldn't hide his doubt.
Because.
"I didn't see anything."
I saw nothing, not even magic.
That's why I felt fear from the Lord Dragon's power.
And Exion-
"Did you see it?"
He approached Cale and grabbed his arm. His hand trembled slightly. Like someone hanging from a rope on the edge of a cliff.
"Did you see the interval of time?"
In Exion's eyes, in his calm gaze, there was astonishment and jubilation. Like an adventurer finding light in the darkness.
And Cale, with a stunned expression, responded.
"Well, yes, I saw it, didn't I?"
But, didn't the others see it?
"It was an instant, but it clearly happened, didn't it?"
Yes. It was an instant. The reason Cale felt chills. It was the Lord Dragon's specialty, Time. More than anything, it was only for one reason.
Cale Henituse.
No, one of Kim Rok Soo's abilities, Instant.
Because he had seen an Instant much more outstanding than his own.
The Lord Dragon could use a much more powerful Instant than Kim Rok Soo.
'But did only I see it?'
At the moment doubt reflected on Cale's face, Super Rock's calm voice sounded.
-Why do you think only we get stronger?
What?
-Ancient Power is originally a person's own power, or Attribute.
Just as Dragons have Attributes. Some Humans also have their own Attributes that turn into power.
-That power was transmitted after that person's death and was called "Ancient Power".
Yes, that's true.
-Cale. You also have your own power, don't you?
Yes. If someone's Attribute, their talent, turns into an Ancient Power. Cale also has that kind of power.
Super Rock spoke.
-No, it's not Cale.
He spoke in an extremely calm tone.
-Kim Rok Soo.
-Your Attribute is similar to an Ancient Power.
-It's yours.
-If you become stronger, if your capacity grows and develops, of course, your power will also grow.
Exion asked Cale once more, like an explorer who finally finds a great treasure.
"Did you see the interval of time? Answer me! Did you see it?"
Ha.
Cale let out an incredulous laugh.
Of course, he answered.
"Yes. I saw it."
I saw it. Even though my ability is inferior to the Lord Dragon's, even though I noticed it late, I definitely saw it.
"That instant."
Yes. For Cale, that moment was an instant. And there was one more person who saw it. No. Exactly, two more. Who saw that instant.
"Human! Was that pillar of light the Lord Dragon?"
Raon, with the Present Attribute.
And someone else Cale didn't expect.
"It was fast."
Cale, near Exion's Castle, met many people he hadn't seen in a long time.
Among them, one.
"It's not as fast as light, but it was fast."
With the Light Attribute. A Dragon Half-Blood.
When he had a body, he suffered a lot due to the frequent clashes between the dark power implanted in him and the weak essence of his attribute.
Although now only his soul remained in a black Dragon, the essence of light remained.
That's why he could see the light. He could see the speed of light, the time.
No matter how much the Lord Dragon divided time and created instants.
Light moves faster than that. Even the magical energy of the Lord Dragon contained light.
"Ha."
Cale looked at the two black Dragons, Raon and the Dragon Half-Blood, and silently laughed.
