Chapter 121: The Dragon’s Plea

Gaon opened his mouth while looking at the crystal orb.

“It seems like the engraving on the crystal orb is a message magic…….”

Naturally, it wasn’t an ordinary crystal orb.

A magic circle was engraved on the surface.

From the shape, it looked like a message storage magic.

If he injected mana, he could hear the stored message.

Next, Gaon looked at the key.

“It’s just a shape restoration magic on the key, it seems.”

After confirming the two items, Gaon asked Bladi.

“Do you know anything about this?”

“I don’t. It seems we have to check the message.”

Gaon nodded at Bladi’s answer.

Then Bladi picked up the crystal orb and injected mana.

Swaaak!

The crystal orb glowed, and a familiar voice flowed out.

-If you’re hearing this message, it means it arrived properly.

It was Askra’s voice right away.

-The situation in Dragonia might not be known to the world, but it’s very bad.

-There are more kin who have allied with the Demon Realm than expected.

-Some of the clan leaders who should be monitoring the clan have crossed over.

“……!”

Gaon and Bladi were shocked by Askra’s following words.

An unexpected story was coming out.

Dragons allying with the Demon Realm?

Could it be that Master also……?

Gaon thought of Ferbeng.

Askra said that some ‘leaders’ of the clan who should monitor the clan have allied with the Demon Realm.

And Ferbeng was the leader of the Gold Clan.

If Ferbeng had crossed to the Demon Realm?

Of course, the possibility was low.

When they were together, the Demon Realm invaded, and Ferbeng told him to go back to the past to stop it.

But he couldn’t completely relax.

Because his mind could have changed later and allied.

Gaon focused on Askra’s voice.

-Thanks to Lord Ferbeng, we avoided the worst situation.

-If it weren’t for Lord Ferbeng, we would have been destroyed long ago.

Phew.

And shortly after, Gaon sighed in relief.

He had worried if Ferbeng had allied.

Fortunately, no.

-We will lose the war in 20 years at the earliest.

-But it will be hard for them to break the barrier and come out.

-Because they have already abandoned mana.

-It will take at least 30 years.

-Of course, I don’t mean to give up.

-To reverse the situation, we need an item.

-122,452, 17,217, 221,572.

-These are the coordinates of our Silver Clan’s secret warehouse.

Hearing the coordinates, Gaon slightly furrowed his brow.

Because he recalled where it was.

-The key sent together is the warehouse key.

-If you try to enter the warehouse without the key, your body will be torn to shreds.

-Even we would be torn to shreds, so don’t take the risk.

And Gaon was slightly surprised by Askra’s following words.

To the extent that a dragon would be torn?

What kind of device was it that a dragon would be torn?

He wanted to go and check right away if he could.

-You’ll know what the item I mentioned is the moment you enter the warehouse.

-Get the item and come to Dragonia.

-There’s a barrier, but with the item, you can pass through the barrier.

-I hope you come within 5 years at the latest.

-And if by any chance the ones hearing this message are demon bastards, don’t even dream about it.

-Even if you guys have the key, it’s not a place you can enter.

Swaaat…….

With the warning at the end, the light of the crystal orb disappeared.

“Hmm.”

Gaon let out a groan.

“Hmm…….”

Bladi likewise let out a groan.

The reason both let out groans was the situation, but more so because of Askra’s ‘request’.

Askra’s request was to go to the secret warehouse and bring the ‘item’ that could reverse the situation.

The problem was the location of the secret warehouse.

In the past, it had been in the human camp’s territory, but not now.

It was in the demon camp’s territory.

And very deep inside at that.

“Can you get it?”

Gaon asked Bladi.

The one who had been requested wasn’t Gaon.

It was Bladi.

However, in Gaon’s view, it wasn’t a request Bladi could fulfill.

Even if he entered the 8th Circle, it would be the same.

Bladi couldn’t exert his proper power in areas where demonic energy was dominant.

Even if he could use his full 8th Circle power, it was a dangerous place, and going there in a weakened state?

The probability of death was very high.

“It seems difficult.”

Bladi also knew the danger very well and answered with a troubled face.

Then silence came for a moment.

Bladi glanced at Gaon.

From that look, Gaon could tell what Bladi wanted to say.

Soon, the silence broke.

“Shall I do it?”

It was Gaon who broke the silence.

“Can you do that for me……?”

“Yes, I have to go there anyway.”

Gaon planned to roam around various places in the demon camp and stir things up.

To prevent demon camp forces like Abyss or Kurshum from doing nonsense in the human camp.

The location of the Silver Dragon Clan’s secret warehouse was also a place he had to visit.

And he was curious, too.

According to Askra, if forcibly intruding, even dragons’ bodies would be torn.

What kind of preparation was there?

“Thank you. Here…….”

Bladi expressed his thanks and handed the key to Gaon.

Gaon took the key and stored it in his pocket.

“What about the crystal orb…….”

“It’s fine, I remember everything.”

“Then I’ll destroy it.”

The content in the crystal orb wasn’t ordinary.

If it became known to the world, it would cause very great chaos.

It had to be destroyed right now.

“Yes!”

Gaon nodded, and Bladi immediately destroyed the magic circle engraved on the crystal orb.

Then Gaon asked Bladi.

“When did this arrive, by the way?”

“About two months ago. Are you planning to leave right away?”

“No, I have things to handle.”

If time had been tight, he would have handled it urgently.

But there was still plenty of time left.

Things like the Lude Tower matter, dealing with traitors who had betrayed the Varta Empire like the Eltang Duchy, the elixir, and so on—he could finish some work and depart without issue.

“First……..”

Gaon trailed off and smiled brightly.

“?”

Bladi made a puzzled face, and Gaon continued.

“Let’s start the entry.”

The formation decoding was done.

Now it was his turn to help Bladi enter the 8th Circle.

***

In the small conference room at Kurshum headquarters.

Currently, two people were in the small conference room.

It was Latun and Blash, who had founded Kurshum.

The two were having a conversation with very serious faces.

“Since there’s still no contact, probably all of them……”

Blash trailed off.

And Latun answered with a bitter face.

“Got hit.”

It could be that something happened and contact was lost.

But it wasn’t just one or two.

Quite a few had no contact.

And even after quite some time had passed, it was the same.

In other words, it was presumed they had all been hit.

“Yes, I think so too.”

Blash nodded as if agreeing with Latun’s words.

Then, stopping the nod, Blash stared straight at Latun and asked.

“It’s that monster’s doing, right?”

“……Probably. It doesn’t make sense otherwise.”

The ‘monster’ the two were referring to was Gaon.

“Is he the same as before?”

Blash let out an anxious voice.

Decades ago, Gaon was already in the 8th Circle.

If he was the same as then, that would be fortunate at least.

But if he had become stronger than then?

Latun couldn’t answer Blash’s words.

Honestly, Latun was worrying about the same thing.

Silence continued for a while like that.

“We need to convene the grand council.”

Latun broke the silence.

Kurshum was a gathering of mages who had turned to the demon camp.

And the grand council had only been held twice since Kurshum was founded.

The grand council was convened only when a very serious matter occurred for Kurshum’s future.

In other words, Latun thought Gaon would be very ‘serious’ for Kurshum’s future.

“The purpose of the convening is Gaon?”

“Yes, I have a strong feeling we can’t leave him like this. And we’re not the only ones thinking that. Abyss probably thinks the same, and the Northern Union or Eastern Union likely do too.”

Abyss had already suffered great damage from Gaon.

And the countries in the Northern Union or Eastern Union that hadn’t suffered yet would likely think the same if they considered the future, with very high probability.

Not only them.

“Considering the situation in the coexistence zones, the demon guys are likely to get involved too. Because the ones suffering the most right now are the demon guys.”

Currently, the ones mainly active in the coexistence zones were the demons who had come from the Demon Realm.

By agreement, the Northern Union or Eastern Union, and special forces like Kurshum, were not properly active in the coexistence zones.

In other words, the ones who had suffered the greatest damage were the demons from the Demon Realm, and there was a high probability they would step forward eagerly in the matter of eliminating Gaon, who could be called the cause of the coexistence zone situation.

“Good.”

Blash thought for a moment and then smiled.

It wasn’t just one or two places—everyone was trying to kill Gaon.

No matter how much of a Gaon he was, he wouldn’t survive.

And if Gaon died?

There would be no need to worry about the human camp.

Unless another 8th Circle mage appeared, the human camp wouldn’t be a match.

“Then I’ll convene it right away.”

Blash stood up from his seat.

And Latun also stood up and said.

“Yes, I’ll convey it to Abyss and the other forces.”

***

Gaon thought while looking at the mana storm.

Success.

The mana storm had been created as Bladi entered the 8th Circle.

And the mana storm was very stable.

It was presumed it would subside soon.

The second one.

There were several 8th Circle mages.

But excluding Gaon, they were all those who had turned to the Demon Realm.

In other words, in the human camp, this was the second after Gaon.

Soon, the mana storm began to subside.

And soon it subsided completely, and Bladi opened his eyes.

Bladi’s expression upon opening his eyes was full of emotion.

Gaon smiled.

Because he knew what emotion Bladi was feeling.

Soon, composing his emotions, Bladi stood up from his seat.

And he expressed thanks to Gaon.

“Thank…….”

But before finishing the thanks, Bladi paused.

“……You weren’t in the 8th Circle.”

What shocked Bladi was Gaon’s realm.

Until just before, Bladi had thought Gaon was an 8th Circle master.

But he wasn’t.

“Yes.”

Gaon nodded.

Up to the 7th Circle, one could hide their realm if they wanted.

But from the 8th Circle onward, it was difficult.

Because the sense itself changed.

If the distance was far, maybe, but right in front like this, hiding was near impossible.

And anyway, he had no intention of hiding in the first place.

“First…….”

Gaon began to convey his realizations to Bladi.

Mana operation, sense training, and other realizations that would be helpful for an 8th Circle mage.

“…Thank you.”

Soon, Gaon’s advice ended, and Bladi expressed thanks once more with emotion.

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

Gaon asked with a smile.

Then Bladi, glancing cautiously, answered.

“Not right now, but if something comes up later, can I ask……?”

It was presumed it would take a long time to fully acquire everything Gaon had just told him.

But someday, he would acquire it all.

And at that time, new questions seemed likely to arise.

“Of course. Contact me anytime if you’re curious about something.”

“Thank you!”

“Repay the thanks by joining the alliance and working hard.”

“Of course!”

“Then I’ll be going now.”

Bladi answered, and Gaon said his farewell.

The formation decoding was done, and the 8th Circle entry was finished.

Plus, there was no need to catch Abyss.

All his business at Alter Tower was complete.

In other words, it was time to head to the next destination, Lude Tower.