Chapter 191 - Engraving (1)
The day after clearing the Adventuring Dungeon.
Yurnet's litany of reproaches continued. For about two hours, I had to endure lectures on why I undertook such a reckless challenge and what would have happened if I had died. Since she wasn't exactly wrong, I just listened in silence.
If anything had gone slightly wrong, I would have died, making all my previous efforts in vain.
Just because an Engraving is of high quality and rare doesn't necessarily mean it's good. Like the nature of a hero, it all depends on how you use it.
I admit I was greedy.
If I had known that the Engraving for which I risked my life would be Grade A, I might have reconsidered.
Anyway, I've used up all the weapon summoning stacks, and unless some exceptional cases arise, I'll fight from now on only with my own strength. Even if a minor conflict arises between Masters, I intend not to involve Niflheim as much as possible. I don't want to instill bad habits in Anything, who has made up her mind.
'Black Dragon's Blood.'
That was the name of the Engraving I acquired yesterday.
I planned to test it today after embedding it.
But...
"Jiijiijii!"
A gray horse neighed as it raised its head.
Kishasha, holding a bundle of hay, approached the horse.
"Sorry, Gandalf. It's feeding time."
As Kishasha placed the hay in the manger, Gandalf began to devour it eagerly.
"Eat as much as you want. There's plenty more where that came from."
On the second floor of Taonier.
I was in the stables, an ancillary facility of the Space-Time Rift.
Kishasha was busy feeding the animals in the stable, diligently carrying hay, sweeping the dirty floor with a broom, and changing the water in the buckets.
"Do you need help?"
"No. It's my hobby." Kishasha, with a serious face, swept the floor with a rake.
I had no choice but to watch from a corner. Even if I offered help, she would stubbornly refuse.
Taking care of the animals in the stable was her only remaining hobby. She said she used to have several animals in her hometown.
'Her accommodation on the third floor is gone too.'
The forest and village on the third floor of the Lobby, which had a similar atmosphere to Kishasha's hometown, had been demolished long ago.
Well, she said she wanted to do it, so I won't interfere. I sat on a pile of hay and watched Kishasha work diligently.
"......"
It's not like I wanted to be here.
I needed a place to be alone to inscribe the Engraving.
My mansion on the fourth floor was being renovated. Planning to try inscribing it in my room, I was forcibly evicted by Nerissa. The Training Center was the same, undergoing improvements. The facilities needed time to expand beyond a certain level.
Therefore, the only place that could be devoid of people right now was here, the stable.
I could do it at dawn, but including testing time, it might get late. It was daytime, a time when Anything wouldn't be online.
"I'll leave after finishing this." Kishasha muttered as she refilled a bucket of water in the stable.
She seemed to know why I was here.
'For now... three.'
I looked around the entire stable.
Currently, there were three horses belonging to Taonier.
Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast. They were captured by Jenna and Kishasha in the Daily Dungeon. As missions gradually grew larger in scale, the number of horses needed would also increase. Moving towards higher-level missions, not only horses but other mounts would become necessary.
"But..."
I pointed to a creature stirring in a corner of the stable.
"What's that?"
"Oh, that thing." Kishasha smiled and approached the creature.
"I haven't fed you yet. It's feeding time!"
"Co... coo...!"
A plump pigeon fluttered around Kishasha.
"I brought it from the Dimensional City. It followed me home because I fed it. Isn't it cute?"
The pigeon began to peck at the food frantically.
A pigeon? More like a chicken-pigeon. Its neck was no longer visible, thickened like a pig's.
"Its name is Gugukon."
"Gugukon?"
"Coo, no, it's not like that! Ehehe." Kishasha lovingly stroked the pigeon's head.
The pigeon was too busy eating to care.
"Co, coo..."
I decided to respect her preferences.
Kishasha's beastly base must be a tiger.
This girl would quietly tear into raw meat during meals. Katio was horrified to see her gnawing on a deer's leg, dripping with blood.
'Surprisingly, she's not eating it.'
She's gotten quite plump.
Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've had chicken.
Fried, it would probably taste good.
"Co...!" The pigeon looked at me and trembled.
Kishasha also stared at me sternly.
"You're not thinking anything bad, are you?"
"What are you talking about."
Quick to catch on.
I smiled and crossed my arms.
While Gugukon ate, Kishasha cleaned the birdhouse and generously filled the feeder. Then she wiped the sweat from her forehead. It seemed she was almost done.
"I'll leave now. Don't do anything strange."
"Don't worry. I won't touch it."
"Then." Kishasha left the stable with a refreshed expression on her face.
She seemed to have relieved her stress. Long battles tend to accumulate stress. If not relieved in time, it could lead to a bad condition. Including myself, each member of Group 1 had their own hobbies.
First.
I took a leather bag from my chest.
I opened the bag and poured its contents onto the ground. The black pearls rolled.
They were the Black Dragon's Blood Engraving Stones. Next to them lay an emergency recovery potion.
I closed the stable door.
It wasn't something to be shown to others.
"Co! Coo!"
"Jiijiijii!"
'Maybe I should do it tomorrow.'
I shook my head. Time is of the essence.
To get accustomed to the Engraving, it's best to try it as soon as possible.
"......Haah."
After taking a deep breath, I reached for the Engraving Stone.
[Initiating Engraving!]
[Engraving Stone Used - True Black Dragon's Blood (A)]
[Target Hero - Han (★★★★)]
[Success Rate - Unknown]
The engraving window appeared in my vision.
[※Warning!]
[Engraving may fail, and the hero who fails will fall into a corrupted state. Do you really want to attempt the Engraving?]
[Yes / No]
A warning message appeared amid noisy alerts.
Failure in Engraving means your hero is ruined.
No matter how skilled a hero was before, a failure here means it's over.
Corrupted heroes rarely recover. I've lost many promising heroes to promotion and Engravings.
'It's a matter of will.'
Heroes forged through real battles usually don't fall into corruption.
To reach floor 100, you need to easily overcome such challenges. I took one last breath and touched the hologram.
[Yes (Select) / No]
Then I brought my left hand to the surface of the Engraving Stone.
[Engraving initiation begins!]
[The ritual will take some time.]
[Please wait.]
Wooong.
The Engraving Stone vibrated.
A cold sensation began to flow into my fingers.
<Hehehe... so it begins.>
A familiar voice echoed in my ears.
Deep and evil.
"The voice of the black dragon I fought yesterday.
<I've been watching you. You smell distinctly different from those insect-type humans. Yes, you have the scent of that emperor.>
Fizzzzz.
Crimson rays began to spark from my left hand.
But there was hardly any pain.
<I knew you weren't an ordinary man.>
... Is there a mute function?
<Where do you come from and what do you intend to do? What could you possibly achieve in this ruined place!>
Gradually, I began to feel my left arm again.
It felt hot but cold. A sensation I had never experienced before.
<The emperor and I made a pact in ancient times. Yes, from now on...>
"Silence. I'm not interested in your story."
<Hahaha! To trivialize the secrets of the ancients like this! Are you truly a hero? Interesting. This work was worth it.>
He seems delusional.
I ignored the dragon's voice and focused on my arm.
Crimson rays enveloped my entire left arm.
'The location of the Mark is here.'
It means the abilities would start from my left arm.
I needed to remember this correctly.
"Jiijiijii!"
"Co... coo!"
The animals sensed something and became noisy.
Especially Gugukon, who fluttered around me frantically.
Fizz. Fizzzz.
The lightning on my left arm decreased.
I squinted. A noticeable change had occurred.
'This is...'
Scales emerged from my forearm.
Shiny black. The scales of the black dragon.
However, the scales disappeared shortly after, and my skin returned to normal.
Fizzzz.
The lightning decreased.
I looked at my left arm.
It moved normally.
The Mark seemed almost complete.
Except for a noisy one, there had been no accidents yet.
<Han Israt.>
"What?"
<Thanks for the opportunity. You seem capable enough.>
Opportunity?
<Yes. You passed the test. You could...>
"...?"
<Become my vessel!>
Fizzzzz!
Suddenly, a blinding flash of light burst from my left arm.
The flash turned into a lightning bolt, rose into the air, and formed the shape of a small dragon.
The dragon roared.
<Hahahaha! Consider it an honor to offer your body to me!>
[Danger!]
[Han (★★★★) begins to corrupt!]
The lightning returned to my left arm.
But the sensation this time was different from before.
A pain as if my blood vessels were tearing surged up my arm.
<Don't worry. I'll take good care of your body. Such a splendid vessel for a mere human. Lucky me, haha!>
"......"
<Fool for being deceived!>
Fizzzzzzzz!
The lightning reached my shoulder and headed toward my heart.
I quickly drank the potion I had opened before and reached for my sword sheath.
"... Somehow."
<Hm?>
"I thought you gave up easily."
Shring.
I drew my sword with my right hand.
Though just a substitute for Bifröst, it was not completely resistant to corruption.
<Wait, what are you...>
Crack.
I didn't hesitate.
I plunged the sword blade into my shoulder.
My vision turned red, and I felt dizzy.
But this level of pain...
'I've experienced it more than once.'
I moved my right hand, which was surrounded by lightning, to my shoulder.
Blisters formed on my palm, and my skin began to peel, but I pressed hard to endure it.
<How dare you!... scum!>
Crack.
The sound of muscle fibers tearing.
Then the skin of my shoulder peeled off.
I gritted my teeth and pulled the lightning out of my arm.
<Don't resist! A great race, this body, promises to save Taonier in your place. All you need to do is surrender your body!>
Fizzzz!
I ripped out the lightning.
<Do you think you can resist? My blood is already mixed in your body.>
"Really?"
<I acknowledge your will. But such resistance is futile. You will succumb. I've been trapped there for thousands of years. No more. So, hand over your body to me...>
A dragon eye emerged from the lightning.
I looked at my left arm. The torn skin was rapidly healing.
Even after extracting the lightning, the Mark remained on my body.
"Co... coo!"
"Jiijiijii!"
The animals were wildly agitated.
I took a deep breath.
"Cof!"
I pulled the sword blade from my left arm.
Before the blood could spray, scales appeared and covered the wound.
<Fool! If you pull out that sword, it's over for you!>
I firmly grasped the blazing lightning on my right arm and stood up.
I stepped on the agitated pigeon with my foot.
Then I clenched the lightning.
"Co...?!"
<Huh?>
The dragon's and the pigeon's eyes met.
