Dugrabi felt that his life as a dragon had never been so unfortunate.
Since he had sneaked out of the Dragon Kingdom years ago to explore the Endless Sea and, out of curiosity, crossed over into the Abyss, he had been unable to find his way back home. Now, for the past ten years, he had lived alone in this snowy mountain range at the End of Days.
During those ten years, fearful of encountering even more terrifying aberrations or the legendary “End of Days Witch,” said to be sealed in this land, he never dared to step beyond this initial mountain range. His days were spent sleeping, dazing off, amusing himself, and hunting wild animals for food. Life had been tough but uneventful to the point of near stagnation.
The only support that had allowed him to endure such a life was the long lifespan of dragons, enabling him to cling to the hope of surviving until the next aurora appeared, reopening the Abyss for his escape from this dreadful place. He would endure anything, even suppressing his rebellious nature to live as an obedient boy in the Dragon Kingdom for the rest of his life. Official source ıs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽
However, he never anticipated that, after suffering for ten years, he would not see the aurora, but instead encounter the very being he dreaded the most.
Unlike the mechanical girl who had just fled while babbling in some unknown dialect, Dugrabi was certain that this formidable mage who suddenly appeared before him was a genuine human female, not an alchemical construct made to mimic humanity.
And in the End of Days, the only human female with such power and such looks, apart from the legendary Witch-King, could only be one person.
Instantly regretting his decision to chase after that girl-like alchemical creature, he mused that if he had known this would lead to trouble, he would never have done so. Even though she had shot him in the rear with her alchemical firearm during his sleep, which had been both painful and infuriating, killing her would provide little more than a fleeting sense of relief; it wouldn’t satisfy his hunger.
Previously, he had been incredibly cautious, keeping a safe distance from mysterious humanoid alchemical constructs, but this time, in his anger, he had sought to kill one, only to end up captured. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was simply unfortunate or if somehow the wicked god had orchestrated this situation.
Soon, he saw the silver-haired girl descend and approach him, and Dugrabi strained to lift his head, his gaze fierce as he prepared to exhale in defiance.
After all, he was a member of the dragon clan, of pure bloodline, and even when facing an evil god, he must not lose the pride of his lineage.
Still, perhaps due to the chill in the air, he began to calm down. He reasoned that the woman before him might not be the evil god after all; maybe she was simply a human mage who had stumbled into this place, like him.
Though clearly powerful, if she were truly an evil god, her methods would likely be far more sinister and brutal. One thought from her could mean an instant end to him.
“From the Radiant Continent?” he heard the silver-haired girl ask.
“Roughly.” Dugrabi held his neck high, replying defiantly, “Who are you, human? State your name! I am Dugrabi, the son of the Flame Dragon King from the Dragon Kingdom. Are you prepared to face the wrath of the dragon clan?”
“I have a question for you.”
“Hmph! A sneaky one who doesn’t even dare reveal her name wants me to share mine first…” Dugrabi said imperiously, but he was suddenly jolted by a surge of electricity, causing him to gasp in pain, “Hiss—!!”
“Do you want more lightning?” Yvette said, her expression unchanging.
“N-no, I don’t…” Dugrabi decided to behave, realizing that while this witch might not necessarily be an evil god, she exuded an unmistakable terror comparable to one.
“Do you know a person named Rosalyn Sheen?” Yvette asked.
“Rosalyn Sheen? I’ve heard that name on the continent… Wait, are you referring to that legendary mage?” Dugrabi pondered momentarily but expressed surprise.
“Legendary mage?” Yvette paused briefly, then nodded, “Yes, do elaborate.”
“Elaborate? Aren’t you a human? Why should I be the one filling you in? How long have you been cooped up to be so out of touch with news…” Dugrabi grumbled, but seeing Yvette’s impatient gaze, he quickly added, “I… I don’t know much about the legendary mage either; after all, I’m just a dragon! I’ve hardly left the South Sea! I just heard old pops talk about her, saying she’s the strongest among humans, and the only one to unify the Eastern and Western continents throughout history. She’s known as the ‘Lord of Humans and Demons’, and even the demon gods and true gods have tolerated her actions… uh, that’s about it.”
Pausing for a moment, he added, “I hate reading, so if you’re asking me about her, all I know are some popular rumors… Don’t expect much from me!”
A hint of emotion flickered in Yvette’s dark red pupils, and her demeanor softened as she absorbed this information. She then asked, “Is she… alright? I mean, is she still alive?”
“I couldn’t say. I’ve been here in the End of Days for ten years, but before that, the legendary mage hadn’t shown herself in front of the world for about forty or fifty years; she was said to be secluding herself in the ‘Academy of Truth’. But she should still be alive; if such a significant figure had suddenly perished, there wouldn’t be no news…”
Dugrabi carefully examined the silver-haired girl before him, silently speculating about her relationship with the legendary mage.
Acquaintance? Partner? Relative? Enemy? Or perhaps something else entirely?
She had a deep interest in that legendary mage but seemed unaware of much about her life, which was undeniably a contradictory situation, unless she had been locked away in the End of Days for almost 150 or 200 years, thus cut off from happenings in the human realm.
But could someone really be in such a predicament? Was she truly so unfortunate as to never encounter the auroras and the Abyss, leaving her trapped, or had she willingly chosen to remain in this wretched place for solitary cultivation?
As these thoughts crossed Dugrabi’s mind, a rumor he had stumbled upon in the past suddenly surfaced in his consciousness.
It was a tale about the legendary mage Rosalyn Sheen, purportedly spread personally by the mage herself.
According to the legend, as a child, the legendary mage accidentally ventured into that terrifying place sealed off from myths, where the evil goddess dwelled and struck fear into all. Fortunately for her, she didn’t meet the evil god but found instead a benevolent being living there, unmentioned in mainstream mythology, known as the “Silver Witch.” After her rescue, the young mage trained under this great being for a while, and years later, returned to the human realm under her protection, thus beginning the legendary chapter of her life.
Of course, this was merely a folklore that had emerged in recent decades, circulating among troubadours as a dramatic embellishment to the “Supreme Commander of the Pan-Human Alliance” and “Second Generation Demon Lord’s” exploits; its authenticity was debatable—after all, the life of the legendary mage was so extraordinary that it had almost stepped into the realm of epic mythology, making it seem incomplete without some miraculous adventures.
Dugrabi had heard this as a humorous tale from impure-blooded dragonkin during his strolls in the Dragon Kingdom and had considered it a light-hearted story to enjoy. Now…
He glanced at the striking silver hair of the mysterious girl before him and thought that this was getting a bit too complicated.
While the legend didn’t elaborate much on the physical traits of the Silver Witch, it did mention a beautiful maiden, and given that she was called the Silver Witch, having silver hair would seem only instinctively fitting.
Coincidentally, from the human aesthetic perspective, this girl could very well be considered a beauty…
Wasn’t that all aligning perfectly?
Could it be that the legend was true? That the deity called the Silver Witch was not a mere illusion but an unequivocal presence, standing right before him?
Had he not simply been cursed with misfortune, but rather stumbled into great fortune?