NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 147
The two returned. Baek So-yul, with her bright expression, stood in stark contrast to the emotionless…
‘Did she get hurt?’
Not just her expression; it was clear she was injured. Normally, she wouldn’t show it, but the wolf’s sharp instincts were impossible to fool.
While observing quietly, Hong Yu-ri clicked her tongue and headed upstairs.
“What happened?”
Startled by the wolf’s question, Baek So-yul sighed in relief.
“Ah… you were there?”
Even without using invisibility, the wolf’s stealth was hard to detect unless he revealed himself.
“Yeah.”
“I had a bit of a conflict with someone named Dorothy.”
“Dorothy?”
The wolf, deep in thought, quickly recalled who she was.
“The heir of Red Square…?”
Baek So-yul’s eyes widened in surprise. It made sense, given how the information about Squares is shrouded in mystery. Probably only a handful of hunters know the details about them. At least it wasn’t something she, as a student, should have known.
Conversely, Baek So-yul also found it reasonable. Although Alpha wasn’t affiliated with Dawn, it wouldn’t be surprising if he knew everything. After all, he was strong. How strong exactly? It’s a guess, but he could probably hold his own against Square Masters…
While Baek So-yul was lost in these thoughts, the wolf nodded, seemingly understanding the situation.
‘Dorothy A Daniella. And Hong Yu-ri.’
From what he knew, they must have competed for the position of heir.
For mages, status is determined based on the magic they’ve mastered and the magic power they possess.
Baek So-yul concluded that Hong Yu-ri must have lost… given her injuries, that was the only conclusion to draw. She seemed unaware, but it was harder for her, as a student, to notice the difference.
‘Is that why?’
It made sense that her expression had hardened. She must have been surpassed by someone she had been competing against, someone she might have considered beneath her. It was natural for her fierce pride to get scratched.
‘She’s not foolish, so she won’t stir up trouble recklessly.’
Right now, it was more critical to think of a way to contact the Butterfly of Covenant, Amelia Morest, rather than worrying about Hong Yu-ri. They needed to figure out how to infiltrate the Purple Square without drawing attention, not the Red Square.
***
As the night set in without any major incidents, the floating island began to rise.
“It’s amazing.”
“Kyu~?”
Pery, nestled against Baek So-yul, tilted her head, appearing genuinely curious, but it was an easy thing to overlook as she focused.
She knew they were ascending, but it was almost seamless. There must have been a reason for constructing a city atop a floating island. It rose gently like an elevator, then stopped at a high altitude with a slight jolt.
“Kyu Kyu~!!”
Whether she was surprised or just having fun, Pery flapped her wings, and in the process, Baek So-yul sighed, lamenting that she had lost her grip on Pery.
“Ah…”
“What are you doing?”
With a piercing gaze, Hong Yu-ri came down the stairs, drying her hair with a towel.
“Go practice or something.”
With a sharp look, Baek So-yul nodded, setting me down before going back up the stairs. It hadn’t even been a full day since they arrived… but it wasn’t entirely surprising; it made sense that she pushed herself.
“…I have something to say.”
She hesitated, which wasn’t like her. I nodded in return. I had something to say too.
“Do you have any Dragon Blood left?”
***
“So you need Dragon Blood?”
“Yeah.”
As soon as her gaze shifted, Pery trembled and tried to hide behind me. With her body curled, she couldn’t completely conceal herself.
“We don’t have any remaining Dragon Blood. And Pery doesn’t produce Dragon Blood either.”
Pery was indeed a dragon, but still young and unable to fully awaken the power in her blood. Perhaps when she’s more developed, it’ll be different, but for now, Pery’s blood held no meaning.
“…I wasn’t thinking about that.”
Her eyes sparkled with desire. She was implying that she intended to drink dragon blood, just like I had. To awaken the Dragon Blood within herself…
“But if that’s the case…”
I could barely swallow down the instinct to tell her it’d be better to work harder at awakening great magic instead. After all, Hong Yu-ri had spent decades striving in this maddening world.
I didn’t know if her parallel world self had awakened great magic, but I’d been here for less than a year and had no right to carelessly speak up about it.
To do so would be to mock her life itself. After a long sigh, Hong Yu-ri rubbed her temples as if she were bothered by a headache.
She hadn’t expended her magic to uphold the Square; it had been because she had been struggling desperately until just a while ago.
I had no intention of belittling what I had done, but the difference between me, who had obtained great magic through skill points, and her, who had struggled and flailed but ultimately couldn’t reach it, was something I couldn’t even begin to understand.
“—I understand.”
“You said you didn’t have any… what?”
With a furrowed brow, Hong Yu-ri repeated my words, and I answered calmly.
“I meant I would give you some.”
“What nonsense? A moment ago, you said you didn’t have any…!”
In that moment, Hong Yu-ri’s eyes widened as she charged at me.
“You’re crazy!”
As I activated my shadow to bind her ankles, Hong Yu-ri gasped, wrapping her small hands around my wounds with a heavily distorted expression. Ironically, her intense reaction caught me off guard.
“Why the sudden freak out?! Are you nuts?”
As the volume of her voice rose, I tilted my head.
“Wasn’t it something you needed?”
“…What?”
While she was applying pressure to her wound, Hong Yu-ri had a blank look on her face. It seemed she finally realized that I possessed a regeneration skill.
“…Wait, is that…?”
“Yes. That’s Dragon Blood.”
“……”
Hong Yu-ri, looking dumbfounded, stared at her bloodied hands for a while.
“Even Dragon Blood…”
Honestly, it shouldn’t have been that surprising. We had fought together, and she well knew I was the one who had devoured the Volcano Ceratops whole.
Hong Yu-ri swallowed hard, contemplating for a moment, then licked her blood.
“―――!”
In that instant, she shivered, and I frowned. Yes, she had awakened her Dragon Blood, but I didn’t possess any skills related to poison. Since she also had poison resistance, she shouldn’t have any issues… Unless perhaps something was in the blood of a devourer?
Worries about something going wrong crept into my mind, but Hong Yu-ri soon began pouring my blood into a vial, releasing a breath that felt somewhat lingering and exhilarated.
“If you want, I’ll give you some blood.”
I knew well how valuable Dragon Blood was. But since I could regenerate, it didn’t matter. If I could elevate her abilities by giving her Dragon Blood, that would be a win-win situation.
‘…Can I also do it for Baek So-yul or Euna?’
I thought it might be possible. Hong Yu-ri covered her face with the towel she had and just nodded.
“Let’s get to the point. I need information about the Butterfly of Covenant. I want to approach the Purple Square; do you have any plans?”
“…It’s not impossible.”
Hong Yu-ri spoke hesitantly, her voice tinged with excitement.
“I have a few ideas…”
***
The method Hong Yu-ri mentioned… it wasn’t until the next day that I found out the details. By morning, she looked far more vibrant than yesterday’s gloom as she came downstairs.
“Teacher, you’re here?”
Hong Yu-ri nodded. While rubbing her sleepy eyes, she was playing around with Pery, who had also just eaten. And just then, the method she had thought of came walking right in.
When I opened the door at the sound of the knock, what awaited on the other side was…
“I never thought you would call for me.”
It was Anela Morest, the daughter of the Purple Square Master.
‘Certainly.’
If I could receive help from the descendant of a Square Master, that would be perfect. Baek So-yul and Hong Yu-ri exchanged brief greetings with her, and Hong Yu-ri sent Baek So-yul upstairs with Pery. The conversation to come was not something Baek So-yul needed to be involved in. As she climbed the stairs, Anela’s gaze turned to me below.
“You brought a puppy?”
She looked surprised. It was clear she hadn’t expected someone like me to have a dog. When she tried to pet me as if it were all normal, I lightly dodged her hand.
“……?”
Perhaps thinking it was a coincidence, she tried to pet me again, but I swatted her hand away, and her eyes went wide. The hand that had reached out was none other than a tentacle. Startled, Anela tried to conjure magic, but Hong Yu-ri snapped her fingers.
When her magic dissipated in an instant, Anela gulped.
“T-This is…”
Only then did she seem to realize I wasn’t just any dog. The moment our eyes met, she seemed to retreat, bumping her behind into the wall.
“No way…?”
I had briefly met Anela before. Though she had changed in appearance since then, it seemed she quickly pieced together that I had black fur and used tentacles. I pondered briefly about reverting to my true form, but it didn’t seem necessary.
“…Alpha?”
Not quite confident, her voice was laced with suspicion as she asked, and I nodded.
“Yes.”
Upon my confirmation, Anela swallowed hard.
“What’s going on here…”
“Well, that happened. Anyway, I need your help.”
With a shameless tone, Hong Yu-ri continued speaking.
I’d only recently learned, but Dawn and Anela had been collaborating. They had recognized the presence of the wayward children during the Night of the Great War. They’d moved on past the incident concerning Agail Morest and had found the remnants of those wayward children.
But since then, there had been no progress, and naturally, communication between them had ceased.
Because the children they sought had been exterminated down to their roots. There shouldn’t be any left on Korean soil.
“Are you asking for help…?”
With a furrowed brow, Anela asked, as Hong Yu-ri and I explained the entire situation.
Once we wrapped up, Anela seemed uncertain.
“My mother would do such a thing…?”
—Of course, I hadn’t revealed everything. I couldn’t bring myself to say I wanted to kill her in front of her child. When I said I wanted to confirm whether she had joined the wayward children, Anela fidgeted and chewed her nails.
“……..”
However, mages aren’t fools. It was glaringly obvious what my intentions were, however subtly I tried to disguise them.
If her mother truly was a traitor, there was only one choice to make. Looking up at the ceiling, Anela sighed.
In truth, there was no love for family. The family, already chaotic and twisted, had ceased to care for one another.
When Agail had died, their mother hadn’t uttered a word. Just merely asking, “So?”
Anything would have been better.
At least, I wanted to see her get angry, to see her rage.
But she didn’t, and at that moment, Anela realized her mother had only wanted Agail for his talent.
Because Agail was hailed as one of the most gifted heirs among the Squares…!
With a tightly clenched fist, the nails she had bitten into her palm began to draw blood.
But, still…
If her mother was a traitor and that meant she would have to kill her, then she would truly be all alone…
After much hesitation and deliberation, she arrived at her answer:
“I…”
She couldn’t bring herself to say it… just as she was about to begin, her eyes met mine, and she sucked in a breath.
The reflection of her brother’s demise flashed across her mind as she thought of the monster with the crimson eyes.
…That’s right. When she lost Agail, she wasn’t alone. As his visage materialized in her mind, Anela tightly shut her eyes.
…She had heard he lost an arm.
Whatever it was he held dear, she couldn’t allow me to ruin it. That’s right. If her mother was a betrayer, she would have to pay the price for it…! Having seen the hideous sights within the dark corners of the hideout, she could never allow her mother to continue her evil deeds, much less…!
Clenching her teeth, Anela suppressed her muddled thoughts and buried her emotions, delivering her decision forcefully.
“…I will cooperate.”