Chapter 126: The Last Red Dragon

Ber liked to play pranks, but this was a serious situation.

Depending on the true nature of this egg, many things could change.

“Ber, stop fooling around and tell us quickly.”

Roy’s voice was noticeably lower than usual.

Only then did Ber sense the unusual atmosphere and hurried to speak up.

“Piiit!” (This is a Red Dragon Egg!)

“What?”

“What did Ber say to make everyone so shocked?”

The moment Ber revealed the identity of the egg, not just Roy but the other Spirit Kings were also startled. Solum, who had been sitting in front of the egg, even jumped back in surprise.

“Pii–.” (It’s a race that went extinct thousands of years ago. Even I don’t know where this egg came from.)

Ber flew over to Roy’s shoulder and, as if trying to charm him, rubbed his forehead against Roy’s chin.

Roy tapped Ber’s crown with his index finger.

“Are you sure? Did you meet one before?”

Sometimes Ber acted childishly like this, but his true identity was the Spirit King of Fire.

He was a being who had lived an unimaginably long life, something ordinary creatures could not even fathom.

“Piiik.” (I did spend some time with the last survivor of the dragon race.)

Ber stared off into space as if recalling the distant past, as though his memories were floating right there.

“Pororoo.” (Why can’t I remember…?)

It wasn’t just Ber; Aqua, too, had met dragons before.

Although she hadn’t spent as much time with them as Ber, nor stayed close to them for long.

She knew the last dragon was a Red Dragon. But because their abilities were opposites, she only knew Ber was close to that dragon and had never met it herself.

Still, she had encountered other dragons a few times during her long life.

Even if the energy felt hot, it was something she was familiar with.

“Piiik.” (Its mana has been corrupted. Someone must have done something bad!)

Ber, who had been playfully trying to cheer up Roy, suddenly soared into the air, exuding a fierce aura.

The magic of dragons is as pure as that of spirits.

Especially Red Dragon Eggs, which are protected in volcanos where lava boils until the hatchling is born, so that their pure heat is preserved.

From ancient times, dragons were so rare in the Continent of As that they could be counted on one hand.

Because of this, whenever a dragon laid an egg, the entire clan, regardless of race, would protect and guard the hatchling until it safely reached adulthood.

Known as a selfish and lazy race, when it came to preserving their kind, they worked together wholeheartedly for the hatchlings’ sake.

“Hmm……” (If this egg really is a Red Dragon Egg, it must be the last dragon.)

Solum tapped his tail on the ground as he added his voice.

“Hey, can you translate what the spirits are saying for me, too?”

***

While Roy and the spirits could communicate, to Kim Chan it all sounded like various cries and wails.

“Are there dragons here too?”

“Dragons? The ones with wings and that breathe fire?”

“Yeah.”

“Some people say dragons might appear now that monsters have shown up, but… they’re closer to fantasy. Wait, are you saying this egg is a dragon egg?”

Kim Chan’s eyes went wide.

On Earth, not the Continent of As, dragons were mysterious beings that only appeared in Western legends, much like how there are dragons in the East.

It wasn’t impossible for legendary beings to appear through Dungeons, so he’d thought maybe someday he’d see a dragon.

But now that it was right in front of him, he couldn’t believe it.

“Ber says it’s a Red Dragon Egg. In other words… this is a huge deal.”

“Feels like things get more and more out of hand when I’m with you, hyung.”

Rather than realizing the seriousness of the situation, Kim Chan was just shocked at seeing an actual dragon egg.

“But is it really dangerous?”

He mulled over Roy’s words and asked again.

“Red Dragons are the strongest among all dragon kinds. That’s why they were called the mightiest dragons.”

Just as Ber had the strongest attack among the Spirit Kings, the Red Dragon, whose flames could burn everything, was also a powerful existence.

“Dragons are an extinct species even on the Continent of As. That means… there’s no one who can properly raise this dragon.”

Known dragon lifespans averaged ten thousand years.

For humans, who rarely lived even a hundred, dragons were godlike beings.

“Can’t Ber raise it well?”

Kim Chan discreetly pointed at Ber, who was breathing fire in all directions.

Just from Ber’s presence, it felt like even a legendary dragon would end up playing around with him.

“A dragon raised by Ber, huh…”

Roy’s eyes followed Ber’s movements.

“Ber, did the last dragon tell you anything?”

It was a sudden thought.

If Ber had seen the end of that last being, maybe the dragon race’s legacy had been left to him.

“Piiik.” (Of course.)

“Really?”

Roy’s expression brightened at the immediate reply.

If Ber could properly hatch the Red Dragon and turn it to their side, it would greatly strengthen their forces.

“Pororoo.” (But it’s all in the Earth Realm.)

At Aqua’s information, Roy realized his mistake.

For the Spirit Kings, the Earth Realm was a home they could freely enter and leave.

But ever since being summoned to this side by Roy, none of them had been able to return to the Earth Realm.

“Do you remember anything? Like, how to raise a dragon egg?”

Roy pinned his hopes elsewhere, deciding to trust Ber’s memory.

“Piiiii.” (There is an important book I was given, but I closed it the moment I opened it.)

“Por!” (Ugh, you hothead!)

Perhaps feeling awkward, Ber sat down by the egg, preening his feathers and avoiding Roy’s gaze.

“…So, all we’ve learned is that this is a Red Dragon Egg.”

It was still unclear if this egg was connected to the Mud Magician, who they were chasing, or how it had appeared in their path.

“Ber, it’s not like you can talk to the egg, right?”

“Piiit.” (No. I can!)

“What?”

Roy had just blurted that out, but Ber’s immediate reaction was unexpected.

“Piiik.” (The egg is really angry right now.)

“Pii?” (You can communicate with the dragon egg?)

Lys, who had been quietly watching with her head tilted, looked puzzled.

“What’s going on now?”

“…Ber says he can communicate with the egg.”

“Whoa.”

Kim Chan gazed at Ber with sparkling eyes.

Ber, now beaming with pride, seemed to have long forgotten how Roy had scolded him just moments ago.

“Pii, pii-hi–.” (It’s not real communication! It just keeps repeating: Angry, wants to kill everything, annoyed, get lost. That’s it.)

“If that’s the case… this is bad.”

Roy held his forehead and sighed deeply.

He didn’t know why an egg from an extinct dragon had appeared here, but whether it would turn out to be a blessing or a curse remained to be seen.

“Captain!”

***

While Roy was mulling over what to do with the egg, Heis and Charles arrived.

Earth, who was inside Joel’s body, was with them.

“Huh? Didn’t you say that guy owed you money or something?”

Even from a hundred meters away, Kim Chan recognized Charles by his striking orange hair.

“No, it’s not a debt. He’s just someone I have bad history with. And right now, Earth is inside him.”

“Hello, Chan! I’m Earth.”

Earth approached Kim Chan, beaming as he extended his right hand.

The mood was very different from when Kim Chan had first met him, so Kim Chan cautiously shook his hand.

It was strange.

The being Roy always spoke to only in his head was now standing in front of him.

“You guys look like a mess.”

Roy glanced over Heis, Charles, and Earth, checking to see if anyone was hurt.

Luckily, there were no obvious injuries, but the problem was that from head to toe, they were all covered in mud.

And, as if they’d rolled through a garbage dump, they gave off a foul stench.

“Aqua—!”

Heis rushed toward Aqua with open arms.

“Por………” (Ugh, don’t come near me!)

Heis looked like a mud monster, with nasty-smelling sludge dripping off him in globs.

Droplets of water floated in the air, swirling around Heis’ body.

The clear water darkened as it absorbed the mud.

Aqua then cleaned Charles and Earth as well.

“See? Aqua’s abilities are the best.”

Feeling refreshed, Heis gave Aqua a double thumbs-up.

Aqua, pleased by his earnest thanks, responded with a faint, shy smile.

“Did you find any trace of the Mud Magician?”

“Ah, what are we gonna do about that bastard?”

At Roy’s question, Heis burst out angrily.

***

Meanwhile, Kim Chan quietly sidled up to Charles, marveling at his arm, which was easily three times thicker than his own.

Charles froze at Kim Chan’s sudden appearance, his expression stiffening.

Despite his fierce looks, Charles was shy around strangers.

Above all, he couldn’t understand why Kim Chan’s bright eyes were filled with pure goodwill toward him.

“What’s wrong?”

While Charles’ earlobes flushed red from Kim Chan’s friendliness, Roy was trying to calm Heis down.

“Are you low on sugar? Want to eat this first?”

Roy pulled a chocolate bar from his inventory and handed it to Heis.

Heis obediently unwrapped it and put it in his mouth, chewing.

Maybe he really had been low on sugar—once the sweetness filled his mouth, the wild rage that made him like a monster with its whiskers yanked out calmed down.

Heis thought back to everything that had happened before Roy arrived.

Compressing a day that felt like a week into one word: “It was hell. Now I can’t even look at dirt without shuddering.”

Heis shuddered, as if just imagining it was horrible.

Then, catching Solum’s gaze as he sat at his feet, Heis plopped down and gently patted Solum’s forehead.

“Of course, I didn’t mean you, Solum. You govern all earth, so if I badmouth dirt, it might sound like I’m badmouthing you. But I’d never insult you—it’s just that Mud Magician lunatic I hate! You get it, right?”

As Heis chattered away non-stop, Earth wondered if Heis might have a talent for rapping.

“Hmm…….” (I don’t like the Mud Magician either, so it’s fine.)

“Captain, what did Solum say? He’s not mad?”

Luckily, Solum didn’t avoid Heis’s touch. In fact, enjoying the contact, he even rumbled with pleasure.

“Yeah. Solum says he hates that guy too.”

“Knew it! We’re totally on the same wavelength!”

Heis reached out his right hand to Solum.

Solum raised a paw in greeting.