Chapter 829
Episode 209: The Seventh Tomb of Temar – The Painting of Kaitam (Part 2)
As soon as the two of them stepped into the circle as Kaitam had instructed, they felt the ground seem to give way beneath their feet.
In the blink of an eye, a dense thicket of greenery appeared. They must have been somewhere in the Murakan mountain range, a thousand years ago.
“Wow, that guy’s ability is incredible. So this really is inside the painting? The scent of earth all around, the breeze blowing—it all feels so real.”
Murakan looked around in amazement.
“This tomb is different from the others we’ve encountered. It’s not just a glimpse into the past; you can actually interact with the environment physically.”
Jin sat down and gently brushed a blade of grass aside. The grass swayed and shifted under his touch.
But the circle they had entered was nowhere to be seen.
“I don’t see the circle anymore. So there’s an entrance, but no exit.”
“Worried we won’t get out?”
“No, since this is a pocket dimension, if things go south, we can just tear it open with the spirit sword.”
They hadn’t tested that yet. Since this pocket space was already damaged, poking around recklessly could cause problems.
“Besides, having Murakan here is reassuring. Honestly, with you little guys and me together, it’s not easy to feel threatened anywhere. Even if Elona or Ziphl showed up, it wouldn’t scare me.”
That was true. The combination of Jin and Murakan meant they could handle most threats with sheer force, even if they acted a bit recklessly. That’s why they had no hesitation stepping into the painting.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Ha ha! This feeling—it’s been a long time! If this is Murakan’s home, it should be grand like this. It has to be majestic!”
Jin was glad to see Murakan in good spirits.
Whenever Murakan recalled events from a thousand years ago, he often suffered headaches or seemed on the verge of losing his mind. It had happened when they first met Orgal in the old Oterium during their trainee days, and again when he saw Hedo’s ancient sword in the Sota Desert—the very sword Shakan now wielded.
‘Every time, I had to knock some sense into Murakan to keep him grounded. Luckily, this time he recovered quickly on his own. Has he grown stronger? Or maybe these memories aren’t as traumatic as before.’
-[When Temar went berserk and tried to kill you, I was the one who stopped him. Murakan. Don’t you remember me?]
-Who the hell dares to throw around names like that? You sound like some old demon. Temar wouldn’t have anything to do with the likes of you. And berserk? Sounds like you’ve heard some rumors. The one who went berserk that day was…
-[Are you trying to say it was Temar, not me? Forget that you don’t recognize me—how can you blame Temar for that fight? If the friend who died knew you remembered it that way, he’d be furious.]
Jin recalled the conversation between Orgal and Murakan in the old Oterium.
‘If the truth about the fight between Temar and Murakan still lingers here… and if what Orgal said back then is true… can Murakan handle it?’
Compared to the mysterious guardians Kaitam had painted into the pocket space, Jin was more worried about this.
“Hey kid, what are you thinking about? That’s not the look of someone moved by seeing Murakan’s home.”
“I’m just worried you might lose your mind again if you face those old memories. Like before.”
“Hmph, is it because I just got a headache?”
“If you go on a rampage, we won’t be able to handle it.”
“Don’t worry, kid. That won’t happen. Let’s see… from what I can tell, this is a mountain range stretching through the southernmost part of Mittel.”
“You recognized it just by looking? It’s just a mountain.”
“Of course I know my own home. Even from outside, when I saw the painting, I recognized the mountain range right away. This was my favorite area. There were a lot of dumb dragons who passed through without realizing it wasn’t their territory. Smacking them around was fun. I miss those days.”
For a while, Murakan excitedly recounted memories from that time, mostly about his days in the mountains. But oddly, he didn’t recall much about Runkandel, the most important place.
“Sounds like you really loved it.”
“Of course. But I like it better now—with you and Strawberry Pie here. Don’t be sad thinking I want to go back. I have no desire to return to those days, contract holder.”
“Oh, I’m honored beyond words. But now, where do we go? Does Temar’s tomb even exist separately?”
“Kaitam said it contains events from a thousand years ago. I think this whole space is the tomb. It’s like the entire Mittel Kingdom from a thousand years ago was captured on a canvas. Since we’re in the south, let’s head toward the border and see if the painting extends beyond it.”
[Meow!]
Shuri slipped out of the red jade. Running down the mountain, they soon reached the borderland—a starkly different landscape.
Beyond the border was nothing but a blank white void. Kaitam hadn’t painted anything there. There were no guards to protect the border either.
“Yeah, there’s nothing here.”
“Our destination’s obvious, kid. The Storm Fortress. Where else would it be?”
“Then all the guardians must be gathered there.”
“I wonder what kind of guardians they are. Since Kaitam painted the Mittel Kingdom, probably the Ten Knights.”
“Let’s fly there quickly.”
“Can’t we take it slow and look around on Shuri? Black dragons sometimes like to reminisce. You wouldn’t understand, being a rookie.”
“Y-yeah, okay. Let’s look around first.”
Time was precious, but seeing Murakan so happy, Jin couldn’t refuse. If he ever grew old and had a chance to revisit his youth, he wouldn’t just pass it up either. Though Murakan wasn’t exactly old by dragon standards yet.
[Meow meow meow.]
Shuri darted nimbly along the mountain ridges. Occasionally, wild animals glanced at them curiously.
After some time, Shuri leapt over a mountain peak, and as they descended a lower ridge, a town came into view.
For now, at least.
They still couldn’t tell which part of the painting was damaged. The mountain range was filled with the fresh scent of fond memories, with no sign of corruption. The weather was clear and cool, lifting Jin’s spirits as well.
“Let’s check out that village. Maybe the humans remember me.”
“Sure. But won’t they be scared if you suddenly show up? I heard they usually were back then.”
This time, Murakan transformed and carried Jin and Shuri on his back. As they descended, they quickly reached the village.
[Dragons, demons, and strong humans with bad attitudes were scared of me. But ordinary humans in the Mittel Kingdom who’d actually seen me weren’t. They welcomed and even worshiped me. Sometimes, just for fun, I’d deal with their pests—killing monsters, digging wells, punishing cruel officials. They all liked me.]
“Did you have that side to you?”
[I wasn’t always out there fighting and killing. To the weak, I was a merciful black dragon.]
Looking back, it made sense. Murakan usually intimidated those he considered enemies or warriors—like when he first met Kashimir—but he was often kind to ordinary, weak people. He even played well with children.
In other words, Murakan only picked fights with those he classified as enemies or warriors by his standards.
[Ha ha! Humans! I have arrived!]
Though it was just a painting, Murakan shouted as if he were really addressing the villagers of that era.
The people on the street saw him and immediately panicked, screaming in terror.
“Ahhh! Run away!”
“Run? How? Didn’t you hear about Roron? One breath from him and the whole area disappears!”
Murakan froze mid-air, about to land, his large amber eyes blinking rapidly.
“Damn it, you monster. Why do you keep doing this for no reason? Are you going to play with us like bugs and kill us like the people of Roron?”
Roron was the name of a nearby city.
“Shut up! Murakan, I’m sorry. That guy’s gone mad. Please, I beg you, spare the children… I’m begging you.”
The village descended into chaos. People gathered before Murakan, begging, cursing, and shouting.
Their cries were so vivid it was impossible to think this was just a painting.
[…What? What’s all this noise? Who do you think I am? When did I ever kill you?]
“You wiped out Roron just two days ago! Have you already forgotten? You massacre people every day, so you can’t even remember?”
“Shut up! Why keep provoking Murakan? We have to save the children!”
“Hah, begging to save the kids? Has he ever spared anyone? He’s a demon. A being that shouldn’t exist in this world.”
Murakan’s heart pounded wildly beneath his scaled skin, the frantic rhythm pulsing through him. Jin also sensed the unstable tangle of spiritual energy he was harboring—a clear sign of an impending rampage.
[Myaaah…]
Shuri licked Murakan’s back anxiously.
[I’ve never done such a thing… Not once in my life have I killed powerless humans without reason…]
“What’s with that reaction? Feeling guilty all of a sudden? Just because you don’t remember it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
The young man who had been hurling insults at Murakan spoke calmly now. Jin was torn, wondering if he should strike Murakan himself.
But thankfully—
Murakan soon regained control over the chaotic energy within him and steadied his mind. He took a deep breath, composing himself.
“There must be some misunderstanding. First of all, I have no intention of harming any of you. And whether you believe me or not, those things you just described—I didn’t do them. So tell me everything in detail. It seems there’s another version of me here somewhere, and I will find him and make him pay.”
“R-Really!?”
“Yes! I’ve never gone back on my word. And while that bastard impersonating me is causing all this chaos, what’s Runkandel been doing? And what about Temar and those teenage knights?”
The moment Temar’s name was mentioned, everyone’s eyes widened.
“…Temar-sama is currently fleeing after suffering a mortal wound from Murakan-sama. Are you truly unable to remember, or are you toying with us? If not, then are you really a different Murakan altogether?”