Chapter 19 “ successful rescue” part two

After emerging from the prison, Cale gently placed the wounded dragon down in front of On and Hong, the young Cat Tribe siblings. Their concern was evident as they circled the dragon cautiously, murmuring softly.

"It looks like it hurts," On said, her voice tinged with sympathy.

Cale checked his watch, gauging the remaining time they had for their escape. He knew they had to move quickly.

"It does," Hong added, his eyes wide with worry as he inspected the dragon.

Cale surveyed the surroundings, his mind racing to find the next move. He approached the opposite side of the prison, where the torturer had been stationed. Despite the faint sounds of Choi Han's battle echoing in the distance, Cale remained focused on his task.

"Venion's last line of defense should be around here," Cale muttered to himself, tracing his hands along the rough cave wall. He nudged the torturer aside with a swift kick, methodically patting every inch of the wall's surface.

"There should be a trigger or a mechanism," Cale thought, recalling details from his research on Venion Stan's meticulous preparations.

Choi Han's arrival interrupted his thoughts, the warrior's presence a silent reassurance in the dimly lit cavern. Cale nodded approvingly at Choi Han's bloodied sword, a testament to his prowess in battle.

"All set?" Cale asked, meeting Choi Han's steady gaze.

"Yes," Choi Han replied, his voice measured. He glanced at the dragon, his frown deepening at the sight of its injuries. The compassion in his eyes was unmistakable, a stark contrast to the torturer's callousness.

"Choi Han," Cale began, deliberately breaking the tense silence between them. "You did well. As instructed, you kept the fleeing workers safe and subdued the threats."

Choi Han's expression softened marginally at the acknowledgment. "Thank you," he responded quietly, his attention shifting to the marked area on the wall that Cale indicated.

"Hit this spot," Cale instructed, pointing to a flat section of the wall. "Use enough force to trigger it, but control your strength."

Choi Han nodded in understanding, his gaze lingering briefly on Cale before he pivoted and struck the wall with controlled power.

Boom!

The wall yielded to Choi Han's strength, revealing a hidden passage. Cale wasted no time in ushering On and Hong onto Choi Han's back, the siblings clinging to him instinctively.

"Let's move," Cale directed, his urgency palpable as he followed Choi Han into the narrow tunnel. The dragon remained eerily quiet in Cale's arms, its wary gaze fixed on its surroundings.

"Keep an eye out," Cale instructed Choi Han, his voice low yet commanding. They navigated the labyrinthine passage swiftly, the dragon's presence a constant reminder of their precarious situation.

Minutes passed in tense silence before Choi Han's voice broke through. "There's a barrier ahead."

Cale nodded, his mind racing with contingency plans. "Hit the center of the barrier with the same force as before," he instructed calmly. "Then we proceed."

Choi Han complied without hesitation, striking the barrier with precision.

Boom!

The barrier crumbled, revealing the night sky beyond. They emerged from the cave, the cool night air a stark contrast to the dampness of the tunnel. Cale scanned their surroundings vigilantly, aware of Venion's surveillance precautions.

"The Mana Disturbance Tool should be disabled now," Cale remarked, relief evident in his voice. He took a moment to catch his breath, the tension of the escape slowly dissipating.

Choi Han mirrored his sentiment, his focus unwavering as he maintained their trail-covering efforts. Years of survival in the Forest of Darkness had honed Choi Han's tracking skills, ensuring their escape remained undetected.

"Stop," Cale commanded abruptly, his keen eyes sweeping their surroundings. The alarms ceased, signaling the tool's deactivation.

"Huuuu~," Cale exhaled deeply, his heartbeat gradually returning to normal. The Indestructible Shield around his heart hummed faintly, a testament to his heightened alertness.

Cale turned his attention to the dragon nestled in his arms, its once fierce gaze softened by awe as it beheld the night sky for the first time.

"Stop staring," Cale chided gently, though his voice carried an undertone of understanding. He knew the dragon's tumultuous emotions all too well—fear, resentment, and an innate desire for freedom.

Cale settled the dragon on the grass carefully, its eyes never leaving him. The tension in its body spoke volumes of its wariness towards humans, a sentiment Cale empathized with.

"You'll be alright," Cale murmured reassuringly, retrieving a pair of gloves and a cutting tool from his pack. The dragon tensed at the sight, its instincts wary yet resigned.

The mana-restricting chains were a cruel reminder of its captivity—a reminder Cale intended to erase.

"Look away if you must," Cale said evenly, donning the gloves before severing the chains with precision. Sparks flew as the chains snapped, their enchantments dissipating.

"What are you staring at?" Cale quipped, handing the glove to Choi Han, who accepted it silently. He entrusted Choi Han with the dismantled chains, focusing instead on a vial of potent healing potion.

"This is for you," Cale stated matter-of-factly, pouring the potion over the dragon's wounds. Its injuries vanished beneath a soothing blue glow, the mana within it rejuvenated.

The transformation was breathtaking, a testament to the dragon's inherent resilience and power.

"You're stronger than you know," Cale remarked softly, meeting the dragon's gaze with quiet respect. "What do you plan to do now?"

The dragon hesitated, its gaze flickering between Cale and the vast expanse of the night sky.

"I hate humans," the dragon finally spoke, its voice tinged with bitterness. "I want to be free."

Cale nodded in understanding, a hint of admiration coloring his expression. "You have every right to live freely," he affirmed, rising to his feet.

Turning his back on the dragon, Cale addressed his companions with a satisfied smile. "Let's go," he said, his voice carrying a note of finality.

Choi Han fell into step behind Cale, his presence a silent reassurance to their fledgling alliance. The Cat Tribe siblings followed suit, their curiosity piqued by the dragon's lingering gaze.

As they departed, Cale couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Glancing back, he caught a glimpse of the dragon, its eyes fixed on their retreating figures.

"...I hate humans," the dragon murmured, its voice filled with both defiance and longing.

For some reason, the dragon paid more attention to the back of the human—a race it was annoyingly used to and hated—rather than the night sky it was seeing for the first time.

Hong approached his sister On cautiously as they followed behind Cale.

"Noona, I think he's going to follow us," Hong remarked.

"Yeah, I think so too," On replied.

"Am I going to get a younger brother?" Hong wondered aloud.

"It looks like it," On responded with a hint of amusement.

The kittens continued their conversation among themselves, but Cale scoffed at them and retorted, "No way. Dragons are extremely prideful and will never accept being under a human. Furthermore, this dragon hates humans."

On's expression seemed to disagree. If a cat could mock, it would probably be the expression On wore. She shook her head and muttered quietly, "...I don't think so."

Hong nodded in agreement with his sister after looking behind him. The Black Dragon was still observing them. Hong was now certain; this dragon would enjoy its freedom for a while before possibly confronting him in the future over some beef.

Cale interrupted the whispering kittens, ordering them, "Go get the orb back."

The two siblings hurried off to retrieve the orb so they could enjoy more beef. Cale didn't even spare them a glance as he patted Choi Han's shoulder.

Clara's appearance awaited them beyond the horizon, her presence a welcome sight after their harrowing escape.

"Good work," she commended them.

Today should have been the first time Choi Han ever saved anything. There had been the battle with bandits earlier, but that had been more about protection than saving.

Of course, the actual events had changed from saving the village people from the dragon in the novel to saving the dragon itself, which he had killed in the novel. But what mattered was that he had "saved" someone.

"Cale-nim," Choi Han called out.

"What?" Cale responded.

Choi Han hesitated before continuing, "What if the dragon decides that living as it wants means following you, Cale-nim?"

"That will never happen," Cale asserted.

"What if... just hypothetically speaking," Choi Han persisted.

'Hypothetical?' Cale pondered for a moment before lightly responding, "I don't dwell on what-ifs or the past."

But for some reason, Cale suddenly felt chills and glanced behind himself for the first time since walking away from the dragon. Thankfully, the Black Dragon was nowhere in sight.

Adrian had chosen to reincarnate into this novel, knowing it would unfold from beginning to end unless he decided to change it. He already knew the dragon would join them and that Cale would likely end up adopting many of the children they came across. Adrian thought to himself, 'It's a bit unfair. Maybe I could pick up a kid or two on our adventures.'

Cale sighed in relief before returning to the inn and falling asleep. Unaware that the dragon had used magic for the first time to become invisible, he rested peacefully. The dragon sat at his window for a long time before finally leaving, tightly clutching the bag of potions Cale had given him.

The next day, Cale had to deal with Choi Han's questions from early in the morning.

"Cale-nim, there's a city coming up in a few days. Is that the midpoint?"

It was almost time for Choi Han to complete his "payment," as Cale had mentioned. This also meant Cale was getting closer to acquiring another ancient power for himself. Originally, in the novel, the eldest son of Marquis Stan's family, the one pushed out by Venion, would find this ancient power in about a month.

It was his last glimmer of hope, but unfortunately, it ended up being a power he could not use.

Adrian approached Cale, his expression thoughtful as he spoke, "Cale, I think I'll wander off for a bit when Choi Han leaves for his little mission to go exploring. We'll probably meet back up in the Roan Kingdom. Keep an eye out for my Minotaur friend."

Cale nodded in acknowledgment, understanding Adrian's plan. "Alright, take care out there," he replied before turning his attention back to Choi Han.

The next day, Cale found himself dealing with Choi Han's questions early in the morning.

"Cale-nim, there's a city coming up in a few days. Is that the midpoint?"

Cale considered the question for a moment before responding, "Yes, that should be about halfway through our journey."

It was almost time for Choi Han to complete his "payment," as Cale had mentioned earlier. This also meant Cale was getting closer to acquiring another ancient power for himself. In the original novel, the eldest son of Marquis Stan's family, who had been pushed out by Venion, would have found this ancient power in about a month. It had been his last glimmer of hope, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a power he could not use.