Chapter 26

The Black Dragon.

Or the Black Emperor.

It was a moniker that Theo could not possibly be unaware of.

After all, it was the alias of his former superior.

‘They used to say that with the Dragon’s Incarnation in the heavens and the Black Emperor on the earth, there was no stopping the age of Ragnar.’

The Black Dragon was one of the Nine Dragons.

However, almost no information about him was publicly known.

Not even the high-ranking members of Ragnar, nor the Intelligence Department, “Black Snow,” which the Black Dragon commanded.

This was because Kyle had absolutely concealed it all until now.

Despite this, the Black Dragon’s reputation spread far and wide due to the distinctive traces he left behind in the regions he appeared.

Theo had seen this Black Dragon only once, from a distance.

The sky was drenched in the crimson hues of dusk.

An old man sat leisurely by the river, enjoying a quiet moment of fishing.

If one were to judge by that scene alone, it would have been as beautiful as a watercolor painting.

– Hmm…! So you can see ‘this,’ can you?

But Theo didn’t find it beautiful at all.

Because behind the old man, hundreds of corpses were piled like mountains.

None of the corpses were in a complete state.

Their hands and feet were scattered as if they had been bitten off, or their faces were frozen in terror.

And on top of the pile…

A monster sat there, licking its blood-soaked paws.

It had the face and wings of an eagle, the upper body of a lion, and the lower body of a dragon, with a tail covered in scales.

– This is troublesome. What should I do?

Despite his words, the old man’s expression was hard to read. He wore a black mask that didn’t match his long white hair.

And then…

Theo’s memory ended there.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the middle of an empty field.

The stench of blood and the piles of corpses, along with that strange monster, had completely vanished.

* * *

Theo never understood why the Black Dragon, who was said to leave no witnesses, had spared him back then.

Maybe it was simply on a whim, or perhaps something urgent had come up, forcing him to leave.

But one thing he could never forget was the black mask and the monster that stood behind it.

Theo was only able to find a clue about the monster the Black Dragon commanded later.

– Did you hear that rumor? Do you know why the Black Dragon leaves his position every three months without fail?

– No, I haven’t. But how about we finish our work first?

– Anyway, you’re really cold. Just listen. You know the sword the Black Dragon uses, right? Well, it’s actually a sword with a yokai sealed in it, and they say it needs to be fed a large amount of human blood at regular intervals. Otherwise, the wielder will be devoured.

– …Where did you hear that?

– Where else? All the security personnel know about it in whispers.

Theo instinctively realized something.

The “Cursed Sword” they were talking about was, in fact, the monster he had seen.

But he didn’t dare voice such thoughts.

If the Black Dragon suddenly remembered him and decided to change his mind, it would be disastrous.

He wanted to live as quietly as possible, unnoticed.

‘The Black Dragon hates being the subject of gossip.’

In fact, the colleagues who had told him about the Cursed Sword were found murdered just a few days later.

Theo also had to flee from Black Snow in the end, as if he was running for his life.

But now…

‘It’s here?’

Clang, clang!

Even though the wooden box was tightly bound with iron chains, it trembled as if suffocating, shaking repeatedly.

Theo felt a chill run down his spine, fearing that the monster he had seen might burst out at any moment.

‘The Black Dragon didn’t start using the Moon-White Sword until about four years later. Does that mean, at this time, the sword was in Kirsion’s hands, not the Black Dragon’s?’

Cecilia’s execution, framed for treason, was three years from now… Theo began to wonder if it could be connected somehow.

「Seems like you know what this sword is.」

Theo mentally cursed himself.

Caught up in the memories of the past, he hadn’t hidden his emotional reaction.

「That makes this conversation easier. If you’re the rightful owner of this artifact, then you may very well be chosen by the Moon-White Sword. Would you like to try drawing it?」

Theo’s eyes turned toward Kirsion.

The corners of Kirsion’s mouth, which was biting down on a smoking pipe, curled up.

「If you succeed in fully drawing it, I’ll give it to you, just as I promised.」

‘…!’

He was offering him the prized sword that the Black Dragon cherished?

Thump! Thump!

Theo’s heart raced.

Owning such a sword was a dream for all swordsmen.

「It’s been more than 200 years since it came into my possession, but I’ve never managed to pull it out. That means it’s not truly mine. So go ahead, give it a try. But know this: I won’t be held responsible for any mishaps that may occur in the process.」

It was at that moment.

Ding!

[A quest has arrived.]

+

[Tutorial Quest #13]

Be chosen by the weapon emitting the blue light.

· Difficulty: C+

· Reward: Ownership of the Moon-White Sword

· Upon failure: ■■

+

The quest window appeared before Theo.

‘The difficulty is one level higher than clearing a dungeon. That means it definitely won’t be easy.’

However, Theo now knew very well.

The quests never gave him tasks that were impossible.

In fact, the harder the challenge, the greater the reward.

More than anything else…

The desire to possess the Moon-White Sword was growing inside him.

Hadn’t he already felt it when he faced the Lesser Drake? The importance of a treasured sword.

He desperately needed a sword that would never lose its edge or break, no matter how roughly it was used.

‘Besides… since the sword isn’t in the Black Dragon’s hands yet, the yokai sealed inside should still be quite weak.’

Kirsion had mentioned it.

Over 200 years had passed since he had obtained the Cursed Sword.

That meant it had been confined to this wooden box for all those years.

No matter how powerful the sword was, its energy would inevitably have weakened significantly.

That gave Theo the confidence that it was worth attempting.

‘If I could tame that beast and control it…!’

If so…

He could obtain the power of the Black Dragon, who was known as the “Emperor of Destruction” because he left nothing but ruin in his wake wherever he went.

The more Theo thought about it, the more the fear that had long held a place in his heart seemed to vanish.

All that remained was a burning determination to succeed, no matter what.

Theo pretended to pull the [Blue Key] from the sleeve of his left hand, but in truth, he retrieved it from his inventory.

“That is…?”

Kirsion’s eyes gleamed for a moment.

On the other hand, Cecilia’s face was full of concern.

“My son, even this ignorant mother can tell that sword reeks of bad omens. There’s no need to force yourself.”

“Would Grandmother really make her grandson do something that could harm him? Don’t worry, if it feels dangerous, I’ll stop.”

Theo reassured Cecilia and looked toward Kirsion.

At the word “grandmother,” Kirsion’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

She realized that if Theo were injured, it would mean she’d be labeled as the “damned old hag,” just as Cecilia had implied.

‘He looks polite on the outside, but inside, he’s a sly fox. How did someone like him come from Cecilia?’

“That’s the key to breaking the seal on the artifact?”

“You must keep your promise.”

“…You never give a straight answer, do you? Don’t worry about the promise. Have you forgotten what my race is?”

Theo nodded.

Kirsion belonged to the elves. By nature, elves were bound by their connection to the spirits and would be abandoned by them if they lied.

Thus, they were called the race of truth.

Click!

Theo inserted the key into the lock that tightly bound the wooden box.

Just like when he opened the storage room of the Camellia Palace, the key fit perfectly.

The moment he turned the key to the side—

Clank! Clank!

The iron chains snapped free, and the lid flew open.

Goooooo—

At the same time, an overwhelming storm of demonic energy swept through the room.

The surge was so intense that Theo’s long hair whipped around wildly.

“This is…!”

Kirsion clenched his fists so tightly that he forgot about the pipe in his mouth.

Inside the wooden box, a single sword lay neatly in place.

She had spent his entire life trying to see that sword.

But now, the blade that had never once revealed itself to her was showing its face before her grandson, whom it had just met for the first time today.

‘It’s the real Moon-White Sword.’

Theo swallowed dryly.

It looked exactly the same as the sword he had seen in his previous life.

He reached out, running his hand over the scabbard, tense and on guard, unsure of how the yoki might react.

“Huh…?”

“What’s going on?”

The Moon-White Sword showed no reaction.

In fact, the demonic energy it had been emitting slowly began to subside.

Confused, Theo blinked in disbelief and then went further, lifting the sword from the box and unsheathing it.

Srrring—

The blade was revealed, black as the dark night sky.

But still, there was no abnormal reaction.

Instead, the blade, as clear as a mirror, simply reflected Theo’s face.

“…It seems the legends were wildly exaggerated. Or perhaps you truly are the one chosen by the artifact, which is why there’s no issue.”

Kirsion spoke again, placing the pipe back in his mouth.

“But I suppose it’s fortunate that the sword has found a proper owner. Better Cecilia’s son than some useless fool…”

Although Kirsion said she was fine with it, her eyes were still filled with lingering regret as she kept glancing at the sword.

She also discreetly observed Theo, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the Moon-White Sword.

“Still, perhaps… just maybe. If you don’t need that sword right away, would it be possible for me to examine it until the Blossoming Ceremony…?”

“No. The seal hasn’t been fully lifted yet.”

“What?”

“I think I finally understand how to properly break it.”

Theo’s memory of that moment was still vivid.

The monster that had been sitting atop the pile of corpses.

Its gaze was unmistakably that of a ravenous beast, endlessly craving prey.

But that creature, which had been so ferocious, was now acting this calmly?

That didn’t make any sense.

At that moment, Theo recalled the image of the monster licking its blood-soaked feet.

It had looked like it was soothing its hunger and thirst with blood.

‘Blood.’

That seemed to be the ‘real’ key.

Theo swiftly brought the blade of the Moon-White Sword to the palm of his left hand.

“What are you doing…?!”

Kirsion, startled, tried to stop him, but before she could, the blade had already cut him, and red blood flowed down the sword’s blade.

The edge was too sharp.

Fwoosh-

The previously silent blade began to tremble violently, and unknown rune characters surfaced one by one along the sword’s surface.

And from those letters, a faint blue light began to seep out.

It resembled moonlight.

In that moment—

Flash!

The world inverted.

* * *

Some unknown beast was climbing up the mountainside, brimming with joy.

‘Has it been 400 years? Finally, I’m getting out of here!’

It was planning to treat the newly encountered ‘qualified one’ very well.

‘Hehehe! That despair and lingering regret you harbor deep in your heart— I’ll make sure they come true, one way or another.’

Every person harbors at least one desperate wish deep inside.

But most of those wishes go unfulfilled due to circumstances, status, age, or even gender.

The beast would whisper like a devil, offering power, subtly scraping at those very limitations.

And nine times out of ten, people would fall for it.

Humans always made the mistake of thinking that with enough power, they could overcome any limitation.

The beast thought Theo would be no different.

Thud!

The beast powerfully kicked off the ground and landed atop a building’s roof.

It cast its gaze downward.

A man was there, wrapped tightly in chains, his head hanging low.

Tears were falling from the man’s face.

It seemed he had lost someone precious—a family member or perhaps a companion.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

At that moment, a rain of arrows began to pour down on the man’s head.

-So, this is the despair lodged deep in your heart.

The beast snorted in disdain at the pitiful sight of the man.

It was laughable how the man was being struck down without even putting up proper resistance.

It was clear that this fool couldn’t get a single thing done properly.

…How such a person had become a ‘qualified one’ was beyond understanding.

But the beast thought it worked out for the best.

Thanks to that, it seemed it could swallow him whole without any significant trouble.

‘But that guy… wasn’t he supposed to be about fifteen years old? The man over there looks at least thirty, no matter how young I estimate him to be… Well, it doesn’t really matter.’

Normally, if the beast’s suspicious nature had been intact, it might have doubted the situation.

But more than 200 years of unrelenting hunger and thirst had clouded its judgment.

Roar!

With a thunderous cry, the beast hurled itself toward the man in the courtyard.

– Give me your body, human!

Even as the beast’s ravenous maw closed in on his neck, the man still had his head hung low.

Just as the beast’s fangs were about to graze his skin—

Boom!

Crash!

Suddenly, the chains that had tightly bound the man shattered in an instant.

The man’s head snapped up.

Through the wild, disheveled hair, eyes as fierce as a dragon’s gleamed.

It was Theo.

-…!

The beast realized too late that this was a trap.

Snap!

Theo’s hand had already shot out, grabbing the beast by the scruff of its neck.

“So, you really are in a weakened state. You’re nothing like the last time I saw you.”

The last time?

I’ve never seen you before!

The beast wanted to voice its confusion, but couldn’t open its mouth.

Crunch!

Theo’s grip was so firm that it couldn’t move an inch.

As Theo watched the struggling creature, he smiled coldly.

The beast, which once boasted a size of over tens of meters, was now a mere 2 meters tall.

On top of that, its ribs were visible, and its body was emaciated.

There was no way Theo, who had once slain even a Lesser Drake, would let such a weak and starved creature escape.

– P-please…!

The beast tried to beg for its life, promising to grant whatever he desired, offering loyalty, but—

Crack!

Theo’s grip tightened before it could say another word.

Crrrack!

The beast’s head twisted helplessly to the side.