Chapter 149
The room looked like an office.
Beyond the windows, everything was swallowed in darkness.
At the center stood an elderly man with red hair, a deep wound carved into his right side.
"Cough... kuh, keugh...!"
Dark blood spilled from his mouth, soaking his black clothes even deeper.
Thud.
He desperately tried using magic to stop the bleeding.
But for some reason...
The wound refused to close.
The injured area crackled with static as if some kind of error had occurred.
"Cough... keugh... you bastard..."
"Who... are you?"
"You managed to enter this Sanctuary without any of us noticing..."
"And then you even dealt me a fatal wound...."
The old man's identity was Veil Kyren.
Head of House Kyren.
First Elder of the Great Council.
And Rex's grandfather.
"Huff... huff...."
His breathing grew harsher.
The Mana stored inside his Mana Heart was draining away in real time.
Trying to gather more was pointless.
The more he accumulated...
The faster it leaked out, like pouring water into a broken vessel.
"What... what did you do to me...?"
Standing before him was Lee Seha.
He held a black dagger in one hand.
His face was hidden beneath shadows, but a murderous smile could still be seen.
Creeeak.
Lee Seha casually pulled over a chair.
Then sat down in front of the dying Veil.
He crossed one leg over the other and rested his chin against his hand.
"You must be curious."
"Why I came all the way into your Sanctuary and did this."
"Honestly, there isn't any special reason."
"I simply needed to."
"Needed to...?"
Veil coughed violently.
"Cough! Cough! Keugh!!"
Even answering had become difficult.
Blood kept pouring from his mouth.
His vision blurred.
He desperately tried to hold onto consciousness, but it wasn't easy.
Veil instinctively understood.
He didn't have much longer.
...Fine.
Then I should die.
Only then will everyone know this bastard invaded the Sanctuary....
His head slowly lowered.
Even a dragon had little power left before death.
Just as the last spark within his Mana Heart was about to disappear...
[Target's Stamina has fallen to approximately 1%.]
[Mythic ‘Cursed Blade’ activates.]
[Death Curse is applied to Red Dragon ‘Veil Kyren’.]
Veil flinched.
The dying spark inside him weakly reignited.
Thorn-covered chains wrapped themselves around his Mana Heart.
Dark crimson energy spread across his entire body.
[Death Curse activates.]
[The target's soul enters an eternal sleep.]
[The target will die whenever Lee Seha desires.]
Veil could no longer speak.
Could no longer move.
Could do nothing at all.
He could only remain conscious and listen.
"I heard an interesting story."
"The minds of dragons are all connected."
"If someone kills a dragon with murderous intent..."
"Every dragon learns about it."
That was knowledge outsiders shouldn't possess.
How had he learned it?
It wasn't as though he'd killed a dragon before.
Lee Seha changed the subject as though it were nothing important.
"Someone unexpectedly went off-script in my plan."
"Well..."
"I never thought it would last that long anyway."
"I knew it would happen sooner or later."
He stared quietly at the blade of his dagger.
A faint bitterness entered his expression.
"You know..."
"I've already experienced this world once."
"This is my second time."
"Though calling it a second time isn't quite accurate."
"The me from before and the me now aren't the same."
"Right now..."
He trailed off.
His expression went blank for a moment, as though lost in thought.
"...I'm nothing more than a puppet without emotions."
"But that's fine."
"As long as I achieve my goal, I don't care what happens to me."
"If anything..."
"This state is better."
"If I want to deal with him."
Once again...
He was talking about Suhyeok.
[The Veil of Darkness will disappear shortly.]
[Death Curse takes control of the target.]
Lee Seha scratched the back of his head when the message urged him onward.
"Already?"
He stood.
Then looked down at Veil, who was now little more than a puppet.
"The next time you awaken..."
"Everything will be very different."
"The Sanctuary will be burning."
"Many dragons will be dead."
"And those dragons will be blinded by revenge..."
"They'll attack humanity."
His figure slowly began fading.
"Lee Suhyeok."
"How you stop this war is up to you now."
"Do your best."
A faint smile appeared beneath the shadows.
"If you can."
With those final words...
The darkness covering the area disappeared.
Everyone was waiting in front of the training hall.
Celine and Mael were there.
So were Bellian and Sylvie.
Naturally...
Wayne, Seong Hosu, and Lee Hyein, who had come here with Suhyeok, were also present.
"Ububub? Ububuuu?"
("Uncle, when is Mister coming out?")
Sylvie stared anxiously at the tightly closed entrance.
Bellian picked her up and reassured her.
"The promised time is almost over."
"He'll come out soon."
"So don't worry, Sylvie."
In stark contrast to the tense atmosphere...
Lee Hyein calmly drank the Hyeokju she'd been saving.
"Seriously, what's everyone so worried about?"
"If you're going to worry about someone, shouldn't you worry about the little dragon who went in with Lee Suhyeok instead?"
She said it loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.
Wayne and Seong Hosu immediately started glancing around nervously.
"...Please keep your voice down."
"Everyone can hear you."
"Hyein, seriously, please be quiet...."
"We're the ones getting uncomfortable standing beside you...."
Lee Hyein ignored them and kept drinking.
Then she pointed toward the door.
"They're coming out."
"Look."
The moment she finished speaking...
The entire training hall shook.
RUMMMMMBLE.
That was the signal from inside that the doors could be opened.
The guards immediately moved.
