Chapter 101

Vekseta’s protector. The Dragon.

Occasionally, adventurers from the labyrinth mistook Taesan for a dragon, given his strength. Now, Taesan understood why they had thought so.

‘Is there not much difference between this and a god?’

At least, the power that Taesan felt from the Golden Dragon, Balveneires, seemed indistinguishable from the gods he had encountered. It was hard to believe such gentle yet profound strength could come from a mortal being.

Even though Balveneires seemed to be holding back its power in consideration of Taesan, the fact that even hundreds of him couldn’t win meant the dragon was on an entirely different level.

After sensing the dragon’s power for a moment, Taesan asked,

“Why have you summoned me?”

Since Taesan appeared in the mountain, he had felt a nagging power prodding him.

“You’re not trying to kill me in accordance with a god’s will, are you?”

[Of course not.] The dragon smiled.

[I am a dragon tasked with protecting the earth. Whatever the gods desire is irrelevant to me. That’s why I have not interfered with the children of the Demon God who have made their home on my land.]

Balveneires glanced away for a moment, looking out of the cave.

[Well, it seems that’s becoming meaningless now. I called you here to satisfy my last curiosity.]

“Curiosity?”

[I am a dragon bound to this earth, a guardian of the surface, which means I am tied to this world. I’ve always been curious about the grand labyrinth created by a mage and inhabited by great gods.]

The reptilian eyes of the dragon fixed on Taesan. Balveneires couldn’t hide its admiration.

[You truly are remarkable. I can see why the Demon God would swallow her pride for you.]

The Demon God doesn’t give quests to anyone other than her own, the demons. That she personally gave a quest to Taesan, a human, was a sign of considerable humility.

[To her, the demons of this world held that much value.]

Balveneires spoke with a tinge of regret.

[But it seems that’s coming to an end now. To be destroyed by zeal. A truly sorrowful event.]

“What do you mean by ‘the end’?”

[The young Demon God is furious.]

Balveneires continued calmly.

[She is angry about this world where her creations are dying. While her creations still exist, she remains silent, but that will not last much longer. The world will crumble to pieces. Had she not been so attached to her creations, it would have collapsed long ago.]

[A bit confused here.] Yurei chimed in, unseen and unheard by beings of this world, except for Balveneires who quietly asked,

[What is it, dead one?]

[Hammon was born in this world, right?] [Yes, a mortal who became a transcendent being about a hundred years ago. He is known as Hammon.]

[Then Hammon could stop it, right?]

A god within their domain is immensely powerful. Even the Demon God couldn’t touch him. That’s what Yurei had always said.

[Even if the Demon God is furious, she shouldn’t be able to do more than interfere?]

Balveneires smiled at Yurei.

[You are strong.]

[I was quite strong.] Yurei bragged. Balveneires agreed,

[In life, you could have defeated me. But you do not understand gods.]

[I’ve met more than a couple of gods.]

[You’ve only seen their outward appearances.]

Balveneires stated flatly.

[You will understand soon enough.]

[Hm.] Yurei wasn’t quite convinced but said no more. Balveneires turned its gaze back to Taesan.

[You have satisfied my curiosity. And you are the first mortal I have met directly. So, I will grant you a small favor.]

The Golden Dragon lifted its front paw, and a tip of its claw broke off, flying towards Taesan.

[This is a dragon’s claw. If you find someone capable of forging it, it will be of great assistance to you.]

“Thank you.”

Taesan accepted the unexpected gift graciously.

A dragon’s claw.

The master blacksmith of the labyrinth could probably forge it.

[This is farewell. Likely, our first and last meeting. Now, I must prepare.]

“Prepare?”

The dragon raised its paw, and magical energy began to swirl.

[For the final struggle.]

With those calm words, the dragon vanished, leaving the vast cave empty, with Taesan alone.

Taesan exited the cave.

He stored the claw in his inventory and descended the mountain, arriving at the village to find Annetsha visibly confused.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, Taesan!”

Annetsha’s face lit up upon seeing Taesan.

“Where had you been?”

“Just had someone to meet.”

“Someone?”

Annetsha tilted her head, puzzled. Taesan had never mentioned meeting anyone while they were together, let alone any connections he had.

Artnekia, the demon previously introduced, also appeared, surprised.

“Oh, weren’t you gone?”

Artnekia was visibly flustered to see Taesan. Annetsha also expressed her surprise.

“I thought you had left without saying anything…”

“I’d say something before I go.”

“Ah… So, you’ll be staying for a while?”

“Looks like it.”

The end of the quest was unclear, but it didn’t seem like it would be concluding anytime soon.

Artnekia’s confusion deepened at Taesan’s response. Turmoil flickered in his eyes.

Seeing Taesan’s steady gaze, Artnekia belatedly composed himself and cleared his throat.

“Then, I’ll arrange a room for you. It’s only right to properly host the one who saved our princess.”

Taesan could read the turmoil and resolution in those eyes.

Lying in the room provided to him, Taesan stared at the ceiling.

Light that shouldn’t be visible through the ceiling shone through. The rough, untreated wooden floor was hard and bumpy, uncomfortable against his back, and if he glanced to the side, he could see a few bugs crawling along the wall.

“Would’ve been more comfortable up in the trees.”

The house was barely serving its purpose as a shelter.

Knock. Knock.

The sound of knocking echoed. Taesan got up and opened the door.

“What is it?”

“Ah, Taesan, are you alright?”

Annetsha appeared, awkwardly holding a bottle of some liquid.

“If you’re okay, how about a drink?”

“What’s with the alcohol?”

“It’s something the village has been experimenting with. I managed to get a bottle.”

She chuckled softly. Brighter than before, perhaps finding a sense of belonging had lightened her spirits.

Taesan stepped aside.

“Come in if you’re coming.”

“Thank you.”

She produced two wooden cups.

Taesan tasted the alcohol she poured.

[Undergoing poison evaluation…] [Evaluation failed. You have been stealthily poisoned. You lose 5 health per second.]

“Are you okay?”

She asked, concerned.

Taesan nodded.

“Not bad.”

“Phew. That’s good.”

She also drank from her cup, showing no signs of being affected.

‘Is it a poison that only affects humans?’

TaeSan swallowed the drink and started a conversation.

“The state of the village is dire.”

“Yeah.”

Annetsha made a bitter face.

The demons had fled without proper tools or resources. Building a village from scratch on barren land was bound to be difficult.

‘They said there were two hundred of them originally, right?’

In five years, unable to endure, only fifty remained.

“But… it’s still the village where my people live.”

Annetsha spoke with determination.

“I’ll live here, helping everyone. Maybe if we all try hard enough, we’ll find peace one day.”

She smiled, then collected herself, bowing politely.

“Once again, thank you. Because of you, TaeSan… I could meet my people again.”

Her voice trembled.

Annetsha had thought she’d be hunted forever, eventually captured and killed. Meeting those she thought dead was beyond her wildest dreams.

All this was possible because of TaeSan.

No words could fully express her gratitude.

“Even if you received adequate compensation, I still feel indebted. So…”

Annetsha bit her lip, her face flushing as she closed her eyes tightly.

“If you wish, I could stay here with you…”

“That’s enough.”

TaeSan pushed her head gently. She stumbled backward, holding her forehead, looking up at TaeSan in confusion.

“Don’t say foolish things. You’ll live here. And I’ll leave.”

Annetsha bit her lip.

“Are you going back… to the labyrinth?”

“My place is there.”

Vekseta was merely a stopover in a quest for TaeSan.

No matter whom he met or what relationships he formed, once the quest ended, it all disappeared.

Annetsha, not ready to give up, stood up.

“But a peaceful life here…”

“That’s not what I’m looking for.”

TaeSan shook his head.

He hadn’t chosen the lone mode for a peaceful life.

“You’re still young. Live here, grow old, and marry. That’s the compensation you can give me.”

With those words, TaeSan left the room.

Annetsha reached out reflexively, but TaeSan was long gone.

“…”

Annetsha lowered her head in silence.

Taesan walked into the forest. Yurei, who had been quiet, spoke up,

[It’s a pity, isn’t it?]

“Quiet.”

[To me, that kind of life seems fine. You’re outstanding, but… the labyrinth is a place where even the strong perish.]

“It doesn’t matter.”

Taesan had long since stopped fearing death.

“And cutting ties cleanly is better for her, too.”

Yurei realized,

[You’re softer than I thought.]

“Shut up.”

[I won’t interfere. I’ve seen many humans who were only cold and rational, and they all ended up dead. It’s actually good for me; it means I can stick around longer. Besides, it’s not the time for that.]

Taesan’s refusal wasn’t just personal.

[Are you alright?]

Taesan briefly checked his health.

[Shield: 42/192] [Health: 2250/2250]

“No problem.”

But his shield had been reduced by 150. It was a significant poison, suggesting that if Taesan had been an ordinary resident of this world, he might have been affected.

“There’s no way it ends here.”

[Looks like you’re owed more compensation.]

The Demon God’s quest was to take Annetsha to a safe place.

The definition of a “safe place” could vary greatly, making it a quest with a broad interpretation. Taesan and Annetsha both believed that the village they had fled to and settled in was the intended destination of the quest, and Annetsha believed it too.

However, the quest had not been cleared.

Meaning this place wasn’t safe for Annetsha at all.

Kwoong!

A tremendous noise echoed from beyond the forest.

A mighty being was approaching, its sheer power and unique nature setting it apart from any adventurer or monster Taesan had encountered before. It was nearly as potent as the divine forces he’d felt before.

Kwaang!

Trees were uprooted, and sediment rushed towards Taesan like a tidal wave.

[You have activated repulsion.]

The sediment trying to engulf Taesan was repelled.

The repelled and incoming sediment collided and scattered. Taesan punched towards the flying debris, clearing a path through the explosion of sound.

“Making quite the noise.”

Amongst the brown, a golden light shone through. Amidst the dust, untouched by a single grain, were wings.

A beautiful angel with eight wings appeared, its size dwarfing that of a human several times over.

[You have encountered Hammon’s angel.]

“You’re the last one, aren’t you?”

This was likely Hammon’s final effort.

It was a line he couldn’t cross, not forgiving the demons.

The expressionless angel drew a golden sword.

[The opponent is assessed as very difficult to defeat.]

A rare difficulty evaluation, with “very” indicating it was just a step below impossible.

Taesan drew his twin swords, gathering strength throughout his body.

“Let’s do this then.”

Taesan launched himself forward.