10 - Advice of the Human God

What was he like?

I don't remember.

I remember that he was smiling, but I can't recall his appearance.

I just can't remember his face...

But he was definitely there.

A man with a face that I can't remember.

I was surprised.

Because even when he suddenly appeared, I didn't feel him.

Saleyakt rose with his gigantic body and threatened him.

My two subordinates were also shocked by him.

"Who are you...?"

"Who am I? I am the Human God, God of the Human World."

He called himself that.

God of the Human World.

Of course, I knew that there are six gods among the worlds.

I heard from Dragon God about the existence of the Human God.

When the Human God first appeared in the Dragon World, it was a mythological era for me as well.

Dragon God and the Dragon Race were still fighting against the dragons for world domination.

The Human God appeared in the Dragon World at that time and made a proposal to the Dragon God.

"Let's hold a conference of the gods and exchange information."

The Human World was more developed than other worlds.

Being the race with the shortest lifespan among the inhabitants of the Six Worlds, their civilization developed rapidly.

Unique individuals and revolutionary ideas evolved more frequently for them.

Therefore, the information presented by the Human God at the conference was particularly useful to the other worlds.

At the initial conference held in the Human World, Dragon God learned about the existence of "language" and "letters."

It was due to the sharing of human knowledge of language that the Dragon Race was able to develop a civilization.

That wasn't all.

The Human God generously shared various wisdoms from his world.

How to build cities, how to manage a large population, how to fight in groups, and how to raise animals.

None of that would have been possible for the Dragon Race alone.

Therefore, the Dragon God had great confidence in the Human God.

Respected as the leader of the gods.

"Excuse my rudeness!"

Thus, I immediately corrected my posture.

I stood up and gave the grandest salute.

I could not show disrespect to my colleague Dragon God-sama, and certainly not to someone of his stature.

"No, it's all right. How have you been."

The Human God approached my nervous self, gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder, and sat down.

"I had a little business with Dragon God and I happened to pass by here."

What was he doing here?

He replied, as if reading my heart.

"You seem desperate to find the murderer of the Dragon General."

"How did you know that?"

"As I said, I had a little business with Dragon God, and he mentioned it. He was worried about you."

"…"

His words pierced my heart deeply.

After so many fruitless years of searching, it felt as if a thorn had lodged itself in my heart.

When I heard that Dragon God was not angry with me, but rather worried, my chest felt like it was about to explode.

I realized how powerless and insignificant I was.

I was close to tears.

"He and I have known each other for a long time. If you're having problems, I wouldn't mind helping you a little.

"Do you know how to find the suspect?"

The Human God laughed, knowing he had captured his target.

"No. Just like Dragon God, I am not omniscient. I don't know everything, but I understand the knowledge of the gods from each world. For example, your true potential..."

"My potential...?"

"Yes, you—a mixed blood of Demon Race and Dragon Race—contain a certain power within you."

The Human God walked slowly in front of me.

A smile on his face.

A reassuring smile.

But a reassuring smile isn't always so comforting.

Remember that.

It is always the tricksters who wear such smiles.

But I didn't know that at the time.

I was so relieved.

Completely trusting him.

"Didn't you ever have moments when you could feel enemies moving behind you or detect where the enemies went?"

In fact, I had experienced those moments before.

Sometimes, while fighting dragons with Saleyakt, I could feel movements behind me.

Not only that.

Even in the Demon World, I had some semblance of such ability.

Otherwise, it would have been difficult to survive alone in a world filled with malevolent creatures.

"That is the power of your demon eye. Use the power within your eye and look again. Take another look at the crime scene, and you will surely find what you are looking for... fufufu..."

The Human God was still laughing as he slowly disappeared.

Perhaps he left the cave, but it seemed that he had vanished.

I couldn't move and could only witness his disappearance.

"…"

When I realized it, he was gone.

Saleyakt and my subordinates were sleeping deeply, their bodies curled up.

As if nothing had happened.

I also felt as if I had woken from a dream.

However, I knew that the gods sometimes employ mysterious powers.

Perhaps this was one such case.

That's why I didn't disregard the dream, but instead I experimented with that demon eye.

■

I certainly had my suspicions.

If circumstances were different, perhaps I would have been more suspicious.

Instead of wasting time on a power that may or may not exist.

But I was impatient.

I felt I needed to do something about it.

Even if it meant grasping at anything.

I immediately returned to the nest of the Golden Dragon.

There was nothing left of Crystal; it reverted to being a typical nest of the Golden Dragon.

A dark red cave with ferns hanging from the ceiling.

The Golden Dragons were mostly carnivorous, but they could subsist on ferns when they were hungry.

There, I consciously focused on the back of my eyes.

"What is this..."

Then, it was exactly as the Human God said.

I clearly saw something at the back of my eyes.

It existed, and I was using that power unconsciously.

It's hard to explain.

Well, how about that.

It's like an internal organ.

Normally you don't notice your own heartbeat unless you pay attention, right?

My demon eye is like that, except I can manipulate it at will.

I didn't even know it existed until then.

Perhaps what the Human God said was a catalyst for something and unlocked a power that I had only been using unconsciously until then.

My eye was a demon eye.

It was different from the demon eyes common these days... But if you must call it something, it's a demon eye.

In my eyes, there were clear traces left behind.

Where was Crystal's corpse, where was the corpse of the Golden Dragon.

Also, signs from Maxwell's investigation and the subordinates.

And, a sign of another person, someone different, floating in the air.

I could see it clearly.

Without a doubt.

I followed the example with great conviction.

I leaped onto Saleyakt and flew through the vast Dragon World like the wind.

Crossing six mountains and seven valleys.

Following the example without a shadow of doubt.

I was confident that he must be the culprit.

You might think I jumped to conclusions, but it was unavoidable.

It was the first clue I had.

Everyone wants to believe that what they have is special.

I flew like an arrow.

■

Then I arrived at a mountain.

A mountain without a name, without any special features.

It is not particularly high, nor home to any special type of dragon, nor particularly cavernous.

A typical mountain of the Dragon World.

There was a cave on the mountainside.

Yes, a single cave.

It shouldn't have existed.

It always existed or was unearthed by someone?

Probably the latter.

After all, the entrance of the cave had traces left by something pointed.

It seemed artificial.

"…"

I hesitated for a few seconds.

A criminal capable of killing a Dragon General might be there.

Could I defeat him in some way?

It might not be possible.

Wouldn't it be better to go back and ask the Dragon Generals for reinforcements?

But I immediately shook my head.

Until then, I was in a constant state of error.

The state of "no results to show."

The only way to recover from that error was to take the criminal's head and bring it back.

That's what I thought at that time.

"Gora, Scrubava... Let's go."

"Yes!"

"Watch my back."

I left Saleyakt waiting at the entrance and jumped inside with my two subordinates.

Looking back now, it might have been better to send one of them back to Kayos and request help from the Five Dragon Generals.

But the subordinates might have shared the same thought.

Neither of them hesitated.

The inside of the cave was narrow and humid.

Hard green stones covered in moss, giving the impression that nothing had lived there for a long time.

But it was obvious to me that someone was there.

There were traces everywhere.

No, they weren't mere traces.

A bed made of wooden branches, decorated with skulls of small lizards.

"It seems that no one is home, but stay alert."

"Yes!"

I was sure that the culprit was there.

The feeling on the bed was the same as that of the Golden Dragon's nest.

Although I could sense him, I couldn't see him.

Was he out?

Or...

"...!"

"Gwaaa!"

At that moment, I heard a voice behind me.

In a quick glance, Scrubava's neck was cut; he collapsed without even shedding blood.

It was very abrupt.

I couldn't deny my negligence, being too anxious about the new power of the magic eye.

"Who the hell...!"

He flew in the darkness and attacked Gora.

I didn't let the opportunity slip away.

In a single move, I placed myself in his path, grabbed his arm, and threw him against a hard stone.

Then, the light at the entrance revealed his appearance.

I was surprised.

Black skin, four arms.

Red eyes.

Definitely, this is not Dragon Race.

A demon.

I knew immediately.

After all, something I had seen countless times before, something I once desired.

But what surprised me was not that he was Demon Race.

It was that he did not appear in my demon eye.

By some technique or by nature?

Fortunately, although I couldn't track him, I was still able to follow him through his tracks and scent.

I simply couldn't see him with my magic eye.

『――――! ]

He shouted at me.

It is in the demonic language.

But I didn't understand.

I hadn't learned the Demonic Language.

But I could feel his hostility.

"We must avenge Crystal-sama and Scrubava! Gora, be careful!"

"Yes!"

I assumed that he was the murderer of Crystal.

Extending my claws, pushing Dragon Touki past my body.

Right hand before me, left hand on my chest.

The same posture as Dora-sama.

『――――! ]

The demon shouted something, acknowledging my murderous intent.

Immediately, he halted, facing me.

I corrected our distance, and Gora covered my blind spot.

The exit behind us.

There was no escape.

『――――! ]

The demons shouted and kicked the ground.

The battle had begun.

■

It was a terrible battle.

He was strong.

Whether cut by my claws or pierced by my fang technique, he instantly regenerated, moved, and attacked again.

Of course, I was impressed.

I was beaten many times and vomited blood repeatedly.

I didn't feel that I could win.

Sometimes I thought about retreating and requesting reinforcements from the Dragon Generals.

Certainly, that would have been the smart option.

Even though Dora-sama taught me to never flee from an enemy... it was just a temporary retreat to complete the mission.

But questioning during the battle was madness.

Gora was killed.

His heart was ripped out and he died.

A brief moment of hesitation.

It was just before I considered suggesting a temporary retreat.

I could never forget Gora's dead, wide-open eyes when he was impaled in the chest.

I lost my two men and my escape route.

I continued fighting.

Filled with remorse.

My relationship with Gora and Scrubava was brief, but we traveled together, we ate together.

I must avenge their deaths.

More than that.

If I gave up, it could mean abandoning all our hard work over the years.

However, I was gradually pushed into a desperate situation.

Wasn't it obvious?

How could I defeat someone immortal?

No matter how much I attacked, he regenerated.

But I couldn't.

Slowly, I was cornered.

Without the power to dominate him.

The only saving grace was my nearly unlimited physical endurance, so I didn't lose immediately.

This fight continued for ten days and ten nights.

The cave collapsed due to the collateral damage of the battle, the mountainside collapsed, but our outcome remained undecided.

The two of us persisted stubbornly.

However, surprisingly, he reached his breaking point.

Perhaps he wasn't the type who could go long without eating.

When I paid attention, he seemed surprisingly thin.

He had wings on his back and could fly, but not nearly as capable as the Dragon Race.

So he couldn't have gone very far in search of prey.

No matter how powerful someone is, after ten days of fighting, strength would wane.

On the tenth day, I noticed that his regenerative power had weakened.

He understood that as well.

I could see "I don't want to die" reflected in his eyes.

However, I was even more ragged and full of scratches. It wouldn't have been surprising if I fell at any moment.

I had almost no strength left.

I thought that if I continued fighting like this, I would surely be defeated.

Although victory was within my reach, I was about to break first.

If I lost, he would devour us – me, Gora, and Scrubava – to regain his strength.

Instead of avenging Crystal-sama, becoming food for the enemy and a source of his strength.

That was not my mission.

I had to cleanse Dora-sama's regret.

I couldn't waste the support of the Five Dragon Generals for me.

I had to meet the expectations of the Dragon God.

"Ooooooooooooooh!"

Then I gathered my remaining strength.

Something swelled at the bottom of my stomach.

Just below my heart.

An overwhelming force, like boiling magma.

It might also be related to the opening of my demon eye.

I let it out...

In truth, I don't quite remember how I unleashed it.

Even if you asked me to do it again, I probably wouldn't be able to.

However, flooded with hope for victory and hatred for defeat, I let everything out.

And the mountain vanished.

■

When I woke up, the two of us had passed out, lying side by side on the ledge of a nearby mountain.

My Dragon Touki exploded.

Like a suicide bomb.

The released energy destroyed the mountain and caused him to pass out.

It was mutual defeat.

It seemed that Saleyakt found us while we were unconscious and brought us to this edge.

Saleyakt saved my life.

As soon as I woke up, I tied his arms and legs with a rope made of leather and dragon bone.

To be honest, I was lucky to have woken up first.

Anyway, I captured the man who killed Crystal.

I had fulfilled my mission.