The Frosthorn Alpha staggered as round after round slammed into its chest and flanks, carving out chunks of frozen flesh and staining the cavern floor with blood.
The two knights, the mercenaries, and even the soldiers wielding arquebuses were amazed by the power behind each shot. It was at the same level of power as a knight nearing the second mantle.
As the Frosthorn Alpha got up, its wounds were closing due to the freezing temperature it was emitting. The Frosthorn Alpha let out a shuddering, bone-deep howl as it charged the prey that dared wound it.
One of the knights who was at the third mantle intercepted the lunging monster, blocking it with his shield covered with his aura. The knight was pushed back several steps but held his ground, then shoved the monster away with a surge of raw strength.
It was at that moment that a second round of fire rang throughout the caverns. The Frosthorn Alpha used the mana from its horn to summon a large ice pillar blocking some of the bullets, but before it was able to do that, it had already been hit numerous times.
At the rear, Robert finished his chant.A four-circle spell [Fire Lance] blazed into existence.A long flame in the shape of a spear hovered above his head, radiating such heat that the snow around him hissed and melted.He pointed, and the lance shot forth.
The fire lance pierced through the ice pillar and hit the Frosthorn Alpha. The monster was still alive, but barely. It could no longer stop its bleeding using ice since its body was burning. The monster howled as it decided to at least take down someone with it.
The Frosthorn Alpha spotted Lucen, who was the smallest amongst the humans present. As it was about to lunge at Lucen, the sound of the arquebuses’ fire rang in its ear, and that was the last thing the monster heard before its death.
Once the Frosthorn Alpha was dead, Robert quickly headed towards Lucen. "Hey, I have so many new things to show you."
When Robert got near Lucen, he was confused since the other party was not responding; he was simply standing there, pointing a smaller-looking arquebus at his face.
"Oh? What’s that little thing you’re holding, a new contraption you created?" Robert blinked as he looked at the curious object Lucen was holding, but there was still no response from Lucen.
"Young master, we have come as you requested." Knight Garett approached and gave a knight’s salute, but the same with Robert Lucen did not respond.
"...Young master?" Garett repeated, concern growing in his voice. "Is everything alright?"
Robert came closer to Lucen and waved his hands in front of him, but there was no reaction. Robert then started examining Lucen closer, and showed a shocked expression.
"He’s unconscious... He fainted while standing up, ready for battle."
Everyone who heard what Robert said also showed shocked expressions. Robert then started laughing.
"Heh, you truly are something else. Even passed out, you were ready to attack."
Lucen drifted through an endless stream of nothing. He couldn’t remember where he was—or what he’d been doing—but a dull pressure in his chest told him it had been important.
Then, through the haze, a vision took shape.
A boy lay in bed. Pale. Still.
But this time, unlike before, the fever took him, and the boy never woke up.
Unlike what happened to him, this version of himself did not awaken from his fever and simply died there on the bed. They cleaned him and placed him in a gorgeous coffin with the Thornehart emblem.
His father and brother came to say their goodbyes to his body. Cael did not know what was going on and simply looked at Lucen’s dead body. Vardon, as per usual, had that stony face that no one could read. He then saw Vardon’s lips moving, saying something, but he could not hear the words.
Lucen tried to listen in, but he could not get closer to hear it. It was at that moment that an ethereal voice echoed through the stream of nothingness.
"Young one... the time extended to you has not yet reached its end. The last light will not shine for you... The silent night will not greet you... Not yet."
Lucen knew that whoever was speaking must be one of this world’s deities, it could also be a deity from his old world. He did not know, but he wanted to ask the deity a question, but as he opened his mouth, no words would come out. Still, the deity spoke.
"Young one, the answers you seek can only be answered by you."
Lucen, confused, suddenly felt his body being dragged somewhere.
When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was in a tent. The fabric of the tent above him swayed gently, the distant sound of melting snow dripping onto canvas marking the silence. His body ached in places he hadn’t even known could ache.
A small iron brazier crackled nearby, its gentle warmth offsetting the winter chill. He was wrapped in thick furs.
"Finally back from whatever limbo you crawled into." Robert, who was holding a vial filled with a red substance, spoke.
Lucen blinked and wanted to give a snarky reply, but he felt like his throat was too dry. So instead, his throat croaked out a dry, "...Water."
Robert took out a waterskin and passed it to Lucen, who slowly drank it.
"You have been in quite an adventure, haven’t you. I heard from the mercenaries what you have done. Sounds like an epic tale, you would hear those bards like spouting."
"How long was I unconscious?"
"It’s been a full day."
’A full day... and yet it felt like I had wandered for eternity. That voice... Was it a deity? Or just my mind clinging to life? No... It doesn’t matter. I’m still breathing, that’s enough for now.’
"You know, I was a little disappointed when I was about to study that new toy of yours, but it disappeared a few seconds after you fainted. It turns out that was your unique magic. If you had gone to the eternal night, then I would not have been able to study that unique magic of yours. So good thing you woke up."
Robert spoke while putting the vial with red substance into his pocket.
"You mean those mercenaries you were with? They survived all of them, and they seemed truly smitten with you. They can’t shut up about you, well, the same could be said for those two knights."
"Heh, I see... We all made it."
A small smile appeared on Lucen’s lips. Seeing that sight, Robert shrugged his shoulders, and then, as if remembering something, he came closer to Lucen.
"Hey, Lucen, I heard something interesting. Those mercenaries said that you bathed in the young fire dragon’s blood, and you did it with no preparations. The blood of a fire dragon, even dead, would be hotter than anything the human body could handle. It should have melted your skin, but you not only survived, but they say you also gained something like regeneration, but only on small wounds. I actually wanted to test it out while you were sleeping, but those boring knights always stopped me. I was about to do it again, since the knights weren’t present, I thought I could sneak a little prick to the finger, but you woke up before I could do anything."
Robert was in a state of manic excitement as he spoke fast.
"I wasn’t going to dissect you, just prod a little. In the name of science, and friendship, of course. I know you would agree since you’re someone like me wanting to understand and create."
"Don’t talk like I’m as mad as you." Lucen shrugged.
"Of course, since you’re even more insane than I. Who in their right mind would fight a young fire dragon with a group of mercenaries whose strongest was only at the second mantle? Even I would never think of doing it the way you did."
There was a burning fire of excitement in Robert’s tone as he spoke. It was like he was recounting a legend he heard, but it was happening right before him. He had only heard of dragons in books, but now he touched the corpse of one, and the twelve-year-old boy in front of him had even bathed in its blood, like the heroes of old.
"Not only that, but you bathed in the scorching blood of a young fire dragon. That’s something I wouldn’t ever do. At most, I would use someone else as a test subject. It truly is an insult to compare my madness to yours."
Lucen was truly stunned by Robert’s comeback. Everything he said was the truth. After a short pause, he chuckled.
"Damn, I guess you’re right. I’m even more mad than you."