Chapter 69: The Birth of the Dragon Heart

Kugeugeugeu!

Mana surged wildly through my body, rampaging as if my physical form might burst apart at any moment.

'Ugh.'

I swallowed the scream rising in my throat. With immense effort, I forced myself into a cross-legged position and immediately began circulating the in an attempt to calm the erratic mana.

Goooooo!

An unprecedented wave of energy radiated from every inch of my body. Only after completing several additional cycles of the was I finally able to stabilize the turbulent mana to some degree.

"Master! Are you all right?"

When I opened my eyes, Azkai was staring at me with extreme anxiety, his face contorted with worry.

"Mmm... I wouldn't say I'm all right."

Normally, I would have claimed I was fine out of courtesy, but my condition was far too poor to pretend. Sweat streamed down my forehead. My back was drenched. Cold perspiration seeped from every pore of my body.

"I will take you inside the lair first."

Without hesitation, Azkai escorted me into the lair.

"Master!"
"Are you okay?"
"Seojun!! Does it hurt??"
"Chu-chu!"
"Po-po!"
"Awoooo!"
Gerrrrrrr—

As I entered, dripping with cold sweat, every guardian in the lair rushed to my side.

"Keron. Master, your body temperature has exceeded normal levels."

Archelon was still undergoing repairs and a core replacement, meaning he himself was not in a normal state, yet he remained beside me, concerned for my condition.

"Whew. Yeah. I'm not feeling great right now. I'm going to lie down and rest for a bit."

I staggered forward and collapsed onto the soft brown fur.

'Why is my body like this?'

I carefully reviewed what had just happened. Just moments ago, I had been on the verge of reaching Level 80. Then, without warning, my [Dragon Blood] began fluctuating, and my mana flow became unstable. In short, I concluded that this situation stemmed from the [Dragon Blood], and the trigger for its reaction was my proximity to Level 80.

'Am I facing the demonic wall of Level 80 like this?'

The wall of Level 80 was said to be attainable only by the chosen. It appeared that ordeal had now come for me.

"Seojun! Are you okay?"

Dania approached, with the other guardians lined up behind her, gazing down at me with worried expressions.

"I know what's happening right now!!"

Then Dania said something that immediately caught my attention.

"A Dragon Heart is trying to form inside Seojun's body!"

"...!"

A Dragon Heart? I recalled the description of my trait skill, Dragon Blood Awakening.

[Dragon Blood Awakening (EX)]
- Awakens the dragon's blood to transform the constitution to be like that of a dragon.
- A can be awakened upon reaching a certain amount of mana.
- Upon reaching a certain stage, the constitution can be transformed into the .

The description clearly stated that the could be awakened upon accumulating a certain amount of mana. As my level approached 80, it seemed the mana requirement had finally been fulfilled.

"Ha."

So that was the cause. The corners of my mouth twitched faintly. But how was I supposed to awaken the Dragon Heart?

"Dania will help! Just trust Dania."

It seemed her assistance was essential for the Dragon Heart’s awakening.

"Ugh. Can you do it now?"
"Mmm. It's difficult right now. I have to gather energy."

Damn it. My condition was still terrible. I decided to remain lying down until Dania was ready. With that thought, my consciousness gradually sank into sleep.

"Seojun..."

Dania gazed at him anxiously as he drifted into slumber. Knowledge surfaced within her mind. This was the “mana fever” that occurred when a contractor formed a Dragon Heart.

"Just wait a little bit!"

Looking at Seojun, whose forehead glistened with cold sweat, Dania made her decision. She would help him through the Dragon Heart formation. By using the power of her first horn, she could shorten the process. Of course, it was impossible in her current state.

"Kyu!"

Dania fluttered her wings and landed in the mandragora field. Normally, she avoided this elixir because its taste did not suit her, but now she needed to gather mana as quickly as possible.

Gerrrrrr!

Noticing her actions, Mandrian quickly pulled up a mandragora root and offered it to her.

"Thank you, Mandrian!"

Crunch!

The moment she bit into the mandragora, her brow furrowed slightly at the unpleasant flavor. Even so, she continued eating. She had to increase her power if she wanted to help Seojun.

[Your level has increased.]

Her level began rising steadily. Her head tingled, and her scales itched faintly. It felt as though her third horn was on the verge of sprouting, and her first molting seemed near. Regardless, if she gathered just a little more energy, she would be able to assist him. She even abandoned the Frost Fruit she loved and continued picking and eating mandragoras.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, she cried out as something important came to mind.

"Chuchu, Azkai!"
"Chu!!"
"Did you call, Great One?"

Chuchu and Azkai rushed over at once.

"I need the scale of a Heavenly Whale!"

The Heavenly Whale—one of the transcendent sky whale species. At times, Heavenly Whales drifting across the sky communed with the universe’s energy, absorbing cosmic power to stimulate growth. During that process, mysterious scale-shaped fragments would fall from their bodies. These were called “Heavenly Whale Scales,” substances regarded as blessings for any being undergoing growth or evolution.

"Chu!!"

Chuchu’s eyes gleamed at the mention of the scale. Azkai’s eyes sparkled as well.

'I suppose you know the location?'

There was little Chuchu did not know. Azkai was beginning to understand why the Master favored this small creature so much.

"My goodness!"

These were the individuals who had initially purchased the mithril posted by the Great Magic Emperor. They belonged to the Galaxy Lang Clan, one of Korea’s eight major clans. After testing the mana conductivity of the mithril, they could not suppress their astonishment.

"Does this make sense?"
"The mana conductivity is... 100%?"

One hundred percent mana conductivity. A value long believed to be theoretically impossible. Yet the mithril sold by the Great Magic Emperor had shattered that impossibility.

"From the first simple test, we estimated it would be Supreme grade, but this is just..."

The Clan Master of the Galaxy Lang Clan, Eun Sowol, chose not to disclose this discovery immediately. Instead, she attempted to secure the remaining two mithril ingots listed on the auction house. However, perhaps word had leaked, as the competing bidders showed no intention of backing down.

28,198,200 Coins
29,827,500 Coins
31,973,520 Coins
33,188,190 Coins
...

The price rapidly surpassed the previous winning bid of 27,000,000 coins. As the bidding war intensified, public attention surged once more.

— No, what? What's going on with the mithril price?
ㄴ There's a rumor it surpasses Supreme grade.
ㄴ So it's like top-tier Supreme grade?
ㄴ It's beyond that. There's talk of 100% mana conductivity.
ㄴ Eh? Is that even possible?
ㄴ 100% mana conductivity sounds exaggerated... can that even exist?

As the rumors spread across the Superhuman Net, the mithril became the center of widespread interest. Watching the escalating numbers, many assumed the bidding frenzy was driven by madness. Then, the final winning bid was revealed.

41,088,000 Coins.

The two ingots were sold for a total of 82,176,000 coins.

— Wow. A single ingot reached forty-one million.
ㄴ They must be burning money... 82,000,000 coins for two ingots;
ㄴ Truly insane.

Speculation erupted over the buyer’s identity. At first, many assumed the Galaxy Lang Clan had secured them again. However, the clan clarified that although they participated in the bidding, they had lost after exhausting their budget midway through. So who had purchased them?

The answer soon appeared.

Nickname: Lightning Blade
Title: I finally won the bid.
Content: The mithril sold by the Great Magic Emperor. I heard the rumors were incredible, so I bought it ^^

The Lightning Clan of Korea—one of the wealthiest clans. Their Clan Master had made the purchase. He was known for appearing wherever public attention gathered, seeking to monopolize it. Bluntly put, he had a strong attention-seeking tendency.

— Why buy a single ingot for 42,000,000 coins? Because of the 100% rumor?
— Honestly, Lightning Blade, you know that's impossible.
— Is this another stunt for attention;
— If you have that much money, just donate it!

Criticism flooded in. Many accused him of spending such an enormous sum merely to attract attention. However, the tone shifted instantly.

Nickname: Lightning Blade
Title: The Great Magic Emperor's mithril I bought for 42,000,000 coins. I had doubts, but!
Content: Shocking! What is the mana conductivity of the mithril posted by the Great Magic Emperor?
...
...
.

It's truly 100%. Unbelievable.

The revelation ignited an explosive reaction across the Superhuman Net.

To the southeast, between the Rainbow Forest to the east and the Golden Plains to the south, in a relatively remote region—two figures appeared.

"Chu!!"

Whoosh!

Chuchu shot forward at lightning speed, with Azkai following closely.

"Chu!"

Chuchu’s cry sounded like a challenge for Azkai to keep up. Azkai chuckled inwardly.

'Why is he so fast?'

Though clearly lower in level, Chuchu’s speed was by no means inferior.

'Unless someone is truly extraordinary, catching Chuchu wouldn’t be easy... Hmm?'

While assessing him, Azkai suddenly turned his head.

Tadatadatadatadatada!

Around fifty giant insects with turquoise exoskeletons were racing across the ground at tremendous speed.

"Grrrr..."

A low growl escaped him as he recognized them.

"Kirik!"
"Kirit?!"

Exposed to Azkai’s roar, the insects heading toward the Rainbow Forest abruptly slowed and came to a halt.

"Graaaaah!"

Azkai leaped and landed before them.

"Y-You are..."

The leader, a turquoise insect-man, possessed power comparable to the division commanders Azkai had encountered before.

"Grrr. Up close, I see it clearly. You're the insects called Tiger Beetles?"
"Y-Yes, that is correct."

Recognizing Azkai’s overwhelming strength, the Tiger Beetle insect-man maintained a submissive posture while covertly searching for an escape route.

"I can hear your eyes rolling. I'll ask once—why are you swarming like this?"
"That is..."

As he hesitated, Chuchu thrust out his hand and shouted firmly.

"Chu! Chuchuchu!"

He was telling Azkai not to waste time and to eliminate them. Azkai agreed; extracting answers would not be easy.

"Consider it unfortunate that you crossed my path."

Thwack—

He snapped his fingers.

Fwooooooooosh!

"Gah...!"
"Kiririririririt!"

Flames erupted violently beneath their feet. The fifty insects melted almost instantly, unable to resist. Overwhelming power—Azkai was truly Azkai.

"Chu!!"

As the flames died down, two [Fragment] pieces remained among the ashes. Chuchu rushed forward and seized them. At that moment—

[Your level has increased.]

Gooooo!

A tremendous energy surged from Azkai’s body as his level rose by one.

"Hmm?"

He looked surprised. His power had increased despite being under restriction, a state where further growth was difficult.

'Is it because of that ★ gem the Master gave me?'

For some reason, that explanation felt correct.

'Nice.'

He grinned. He had already sensed the need for greater power, so even this modest growth brought satisfaction.

"However..."

He glanced toward the faint outline of the Eastern Forest.

'It’s faint, but I can sense a strong insect presence from here.'

Unease crept in. An inner warning urged him to restore his strength quickly. If he found the Lava Emperor Stone, he could immediately lift his restriction and eliminate this anxiety.

"Tsk."

The problem was that he had no clue where to find the .

"Let's go."

Their original objective remained. Azkai followed Chuchu once more at high speed. Soon, they reached their destination.

"Oh..."

An involuntary exclamation escaped him. A vast aurora spread across the sky, radiating a supreme presence.

'That's the place.'

The Heavenly Whale.

It was the lingering trace of that being.