Episode 228
Chapter 74: The Power of the Black Dragon (1)
The First Tower of Ziphl.
The top floor of this tower—commonly called the “Tower of Stories”—was where Keliak had been spending most of his time lately.
“Murakan, huh… I was looking for Misha, but it seems I’ve caught an even bigger fish,” Keliak said, tapping a crystal orb lightly with his fingertip.
Across from him, Kadun sat in human form, his face twisted in frustration.
“What’s the use? Damn it. To think I let him slip right through my fingers! That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you this upset.”
“Upset doesn’t even begin to cover it. I can’t forgive myself. If we’d caught Murakan, we could’ve definitely drawn out his contractor too.”
The contractor of Solderet.
The most crucial ingredient in the “Demon God Stone” they were painstakingly trying to restore.
Since 1795, Keliak and the Ziphl leadership had suspected that the “Contractor of Solderet” might still be active.
That was the very year Jin met Andrei Ziphl and began his preliminary Rider training.
Around that time, Kadun had heard from the Vermint’s earth dragon, Labus, and Untielo that they had actually encountered Murakan in person.
Still, both Keliak and Kadun had assumed that if a dragon had killed Andrei and Buretta, it was most likely Misha.
They reasoned that even if Murakan had awakened, he would be too weak to take on Andrei and Buretta.
“Well, regardless, it seems the Vermint dragons weren’t just talking nonsense. Let’s carefully look for another chance. They said he had no strength left, right?”
“No one knows for sure. He might regain it.”
“Regenerate a dragon’s heart? Without the Demon God Stone?”
“I’ve never seen it happen, but black dragons are different from ordinary dragons. The fact that he was near Santel suggests he might be trying to recover his power.”
Keliak’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Whether or not regenerating a dragon’s heart was possible, what fascinated him more was Kadun’s reaction.
“Since you say that, I kind of want to face Murakan from back then. It wouldn’t be so bad if he came back with his strength restored.”
“Don’t say such terrible things.”
“By the way, I’m more worried about the Holy King. He’s been using the Doctrine Guardians of the Dawn without a word. He’ll probably come back soon and cause a ruckus… That guy’s a pain every time we meet. He’s so strong and hates me with a passion. Hmm, what to do…”
Keliak rubbed his forehead and shivered.
After a moment of exaggerated gestures showing his troubled thoughts, he smiled slyly.
“Maybe I should just kill him? He’s lived long enough. If he dies, he’ll probably go to heaven rather than hell, so it wouldn’t be all bad for Miklan either.”
Kadun shook his head at Keliak’s words.
“You’re crazy.”
“Haha, maybe I went too far?”
Thanks to Rani’s guidance, the group managed to escape Santel without much trouble.
They fought off half a dozen Dawn Knights along the way and engaged in a chase after leaving the city.
But they successfully shook off their pursuers and passed through the transit gate of the Shol Principality before the lockdown order was enforced.
They deliberately twisted their route to prevent the Dawn from guessing their destination was Tikan. With that done, their mission was essentially accomplished.
Still, Jin and his companions couldn’t help but look grim.
“Nyaaow…”
Murakan let out a low, strained meow as he nestled in Jin’s arms.
His tiny body burned like a fireball. Even in his cat form, the wounds Kadun had inflicted still lingered.
Forced transformation.
Unlike usual, Murakan hadn’t shifted by his own will. He’d taken a fatal blow, triggering an unconscious transformation into the form best suited for survival.
Such forced transformations were rare, even among dragons, and only the strongest experienced them.
“Even though he lost his old power, it’s a relief he still has this much of a defense mechanism.”
Escaping Kadun’s grasp and surviving was a blessing in itself.
“…The problem is, for now, he’s reduced to an ordinary cat. Jin, you should give him more water. According to Rani, his fever seems to be slowly coming down.”
When dragons transform into non-human creatures, they face many deadly limitations. The most serious is what’s happening now.
If they miss the right time to revert, they can never return to their original form on their own.
No matter what creature they become, they lose their dragon self bit by bit.
“Nyaaah.”
Jin cupped some water in his palm, and Murakan lapped it up with his tongue.
At the moment, there was no way to restore Murakan.
Because of his nature as a black dragon.
Other dragons could regain their true form with help from another dragon if they missed their chance.
But black dragons required aid from a dragon of the same attribute.
Only two black dragons were currently active, so their only option was to find Murakan’s sister, Misha.
“There’s never been a day I’ve resented the fact that he’s a black dragon more than today. We need to go back, check the route Murakan planned, and start searching those areas immediately.”
“Don’t worry too much, Your Grace. He’s alive, so we’ll find a way soon.”
“You can say that too, Kuzan.”
“Like Kuzan said, he’s alive and we know how to bring him back. Let’s head back for now.”
The group returned to Tikan by early morning the next day, having taken a convoluted route.
They wanted to get back faster given Murakan’s condition, but if they rushed, they risked being tracked. Then, instead of the Dawn Knights, Kadun and Ziphl’s mages might come looking for them in Tikan.
Fortunately, Murakan’s fever had dropped overnight, though he still let out weak cries.
“Your Grace, you’re here! It seems the monster in Santel was indeed Murakan. But… he looks pretty bad. Did that fire dragon do this to him?”
“Tell everyone to gather in the office. Summon all the healers in the mansion who are good with animals.”
“Healers?”
“Hurry.”
“Understood. I’ll gather them right away! But, Your Grace, your companions might have trouble coming to the office immediately. It might be better if you go to the reception room.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
Zet nodded as if confirming.
Then, glancing around nervously as if worried someone might overhear, he whispered:
“You know Murakan’s sister, Misha…?”
“Do you have news of Misha?”
“Why Misha!?”
Jin and Quikantel leaned in simultaneously, causing Zet to almost step back.
“Don’t even ask! She’s a real terror. Definitely Murakan’s sister! She showed up at the mansion about five minutes ago and immediately started causing chaos…!”
“What…?”
Jin and Quikantel exchanged a quick glance.
“Beris was the first to see her. Somehow, she appeared right in the middle of the reception room. Beris was so shocked he blurted out, ‘Who the hell are you? A thief?’ and then…”
“What happened to Beris?”
This time, Kuzan leaned in toward Zet.
“Hey, don’t scare me. Calm down and listen. Beris got his jaw twisted by her fist. The healers are fixing it now, so it’s nothing serious…”
Before Zet could finish, Kuzan dashed off like a madman.
“Uh-oh, trouble. I think that guy’s jaw might be permanently messed up.”
Jin and Quikantel, momentarily frozen, also started running toward the reception room.
“Your Grace, come with us! Be careful!”
Why was Misha here? How did she find them? And violence? Could she be hostile toward those in Tikan?
Could she help restore Murakan? What if she refuses or can’t?
A flood of questions raced through Jin’s mind as they ran.
A moment later, Jin and Quikantel came face to face with Kuzan, sprawled on the floor convulsing like wet laundry.
Behind him was a strange scene.
Kuzan’s jaw had been set back in place, and sitting at the table with crossed legs was a sharp-eyed black-haired woman.
Misha.
“Jin oppa!”
“Your Grace, you’re here? Haha.”
Surprisingly, Yuria was cradled in Misha’s arms, while nearby Latri was nervously placing cookies and tea on a tray, her hands trembling like leaves.
Kashimir, Yulian, Enya, and Gili were also seated at the table. (Alisa was absent, on guard duty.)
Kashimir wore a polite, businesslike smile, while Julian, expressionless, waved his hand dismissively just like Latri.
Enya was a bit better, but having just witnessed two people faint in an instant, her face was somewhat stiff. Only Gillian remained calm, quietly placing cookies onto Misha’s plate.
Jin and Quikantel couldn’t help but feel momentarily bewildered.
‘What the hell is going on here? Wait… is this woman really Misha?’
The face was familiar.
Right after overcoming the third mirage of the Mitra Desert, the energy of Temar.
He quickly composed himself.
He didn’t know why such chaos had erupted the moment Misha arrived, but panicking wouldn’t help.
“I thought we’d never met, but it seems we’re acquainted after all. The great Black Dragon, Lady Misha. I’m Jin Runkandel.”
Misha nodded expressionlessly.
“Yes, since we couldn’t speak in the desert, this is effectively our first meeting. Pleasure to meet you, Contract Holder of a Thousand Years. And is that the idiot brother you’re holding?”
“That’s right. Actually, I was just thinking of visiting you because of Murakan. As you can see…”
“I don’t want to look at that mess, so just toss him somewhere for now and have a seat. I don’t want to waste time.”
Zet tactfully took Murakan and led him to the healers.
“Quikantel, how have you been?”
“I’ve been well, Lady Misha. You could’ve at least sent word.”
“You’ve gotten even prettier since I last saw you. Honestly, you’re too good for my brother. I hope you forget that idiot as soon as possible.”
Quikantel coughed awkwardly and waved her hand.
“Suddenly saying things like that… Lady Misha, more importantly, he’s in really bad shape.”
“I know. Kadun must’ve done this to him. I’ll fix him later, so tell me how you’ve been. It’s been a while since I came to Inse, and I’m eager to catch up.”