Dragons live for an immeasurably long time. Therefore, their concept of time differs from that of humans. A human's entire life, from their peak to their death, is merely a pleasant nap for a dragon.
But for him, it was different.
Thirty years.
A span of time that would vanish after a single nap felt like an eternity.
The desire for revenge against the human who had killed his father before his very eyes had seeped into his bones.
Young dragons often fall into slumber whenever they get the chance. For dragons, sleep isn't merely for mental satisfaction; it's a time for them to engrave the abundant mana flowing through nature into their bodies, allowing them to grow.
But he did not sleep. He forced his heavy eyelids open, his eyes wide, and ceaselessly fueled his desire for revenge.
And finally, the time had come. The time to inflict an immeasurable despair upon the human facing death.
“You've finally arrived.”
He could feel it. The procession of weak humans steadily retreating from around the snowy mountains. And simultaneously, the arrival of a few humans with immense mana, who had reached the empty city.
“They've sent quite capable ones.”
These were humans of a caliber he had never seen before. They were likely the most exceptional among all humans.
“That human… was he called the Pope?”
He, too, was clearly wary of him. And it seemed he anticipated that a trap had been laid here.
“Grrr…”
The dragon let out a low growl.
‘But things won't go as you wish.’
After the Pope's death, even he couldn't predict where his aimless vengeance would turn. How much less could humans? A single city, no, an entire nation, might be crushed by the dragon's misplaced wrath.
Therefore, they had no choice but to seek him out. Even if it meant breaking through every trap he had personally prepared.
‘This is the last time.’
The humans' departure was imminent. He made his final push.
“Freeze.” Crack!
“More.” Snap!
“Blow forth.” Whoosh!
“More intensely.” CRASH!
Massive icebergs rose, and around them, a biting, frigid wind swirled.
With this, it was done. His preparations to greet his enemies were complete.
Just then, the humans' departure was also imminent. He would slaughter them mercilessly. He would sever their heads and cast them before the Pope, then show him. Show him everything he had built crumbling to dust.
Only then would he finally be able to sleep. To soothe his father's spirit, with a heart utterly at peace.
All necessary supplies were prepared. Winter gear, food, and various equipment.
Far too many supplies for five people.
“Is this everything?”
“Yes, it is.”
With a single gesture from Old Man Merlin, the piled-up supplies were stored in a designated space.
“Whoa…”
“All that stuff, in one go!”
The paladins gasped in admiration. It was understandable. For those seeing it for the first time, there was no magic more wondrous.
Feigning indifference, but with his shoulders subtly puffed up, Old Man Merlin asked me in a solemn voice.
“Are we ready to depart now?”
“Yes, we are.”
I didn't want to waste any more time. There was no telling how long it would take to find the dragon's hidden lair.
Just as we finished preparations and were about to leave the empty city, a paladin approached and asked in a worried tone.
“According to those who explored inside the Rift, it's difficult to gauge its vastness. Are you truly sure that five of you will be enough?”
“Even if it's not enough, what can we do?”
When exploring a vast area, it's best to use more people. But not there. It's a place where even most Hunters can't endure and freeze solid, isn't it?
“We can't sacrifice all your lives just to cut down on exploration time, can we?”
They were special even among the paladins of the Vatican Orthodox Church. They were chosen directly by the Pope, after all. Yet even they couldn't last a full day in the space beyond the Rift. That meant it would be difficult to get assistance unless one was S-rank or higher.
At that, he spoke in a solemn tone. “If it is to uphold His Holiness the Pope's will, then a life is but a small price…!”
“Exactly.” That's precisely the problem, my good man, setting everything else aside.
“His Holiness the Pope wouldn't wish for your deaths to be in vain.”
Anyone would think I'm not taking you because I value your lives too much. Well… that's not entirely wrong, either. No matter how ruthlessly I try to live, if I achieve my goals by sacrificing others' lives, I feel like I'd have restless nights. I absolutely detest that. Whatever else a person might lack, they should at least be able to sleep soundly.
“So, you all should prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.” Though, hopefully, it won't come to that.
“I can't do everything by myself.”
I lightly patted his dejected shoulder, offering a comfort that wasn't quite comfort.
“Let's each do what we can.”
“...Understood.”
The paladin slowly retreated. I walked past them, heading towards my party members waiting at the city entrance.
“Is the talk over?”
“Yes, let's go.”
Our destination was the summit of the Matterhorn. But I had no intention of climbing it.
I drew up mana and enveloped my party members' bodies. 「Fly.」
One by one, their bodies lifted. Leading all of them, I soared into the sky.
As we moved further from the ground, the temperature plummeted rapidly. The unusual chill, piercing even an S-rank Hunter's skin, made Juyeon shiver once and rub her arms.
“Haa… it's really cold.”
It came to me. Juyeon had always been a bit sensitive to the cold.
I added heat to the mana surrounding us to keep us aloft. The air grew warmer.
Then Old Man Merlin bellowed. “You rascal, what are you doing wasting mana already?”
The old man clearly didn't know what he was talking about. “My mana is several times yours, so don't you worry.”
“Several times? Do you think that makes any sense?”
“If you don't believe me, you can measure it later.”
“Enough, you rascal.” Old Man Merlin hastily ended the conversation and turned his head away.
He clearly didn't want to swallow the red pill.
The summit grew closer. Our exhaled breaths froze white and fell away.
This confirmed it. “This chill… someone intentionally created it.”
Irina spoke first, beating me to it. Her intuition was quite good. Or perhaps, she was more sensitive to it because she primarily dealt with ice magic.
She said, “Everyone, be on alert from now on. We've already entered enemy territory.”
Those who had been shivering from the dizzying cold quickly enveloped themselves in mana to block the chill, and composed themselves.
I could feel it. Mana emanating from the Rift near the sharply pointed summit, shaped like angular horns.
“It's over there.”
As I pinpointed the direction precisely, Irina stared at me and asked.
“…You can feel that?”
“To some extent.”
“Hoo… your senses seem remarkably keen.”
“You could say that.”
To be precise, it wasn't just keen; it was more like having a firm grasp on the surroundings. But there was no need to explain. She might be an ally now, but she could become an enemy someday.
That's just how things are in this world. Yesterday's ally can become tomorrow's enemy, and then an ally again. So, it's important to judge things appropriately. Don't automatically see an enemy as an enemy, and don't blindly trust an ally. It's about trusting just enough, doubting just enough, and constantly securing the most advantageous position for myself.
Juyeon pointed towards the Rift, now visible beyond the snowy mountains where the biting wind blew, and exclaimed, “I see the Rift over there!”
At the same time, I slowly lowered our floating bodies.
Crunch
Squeak
The ground sank with every step. I snapped my fingers, conjuring a gust of wind.
Whoosh!
The accumulated snow dust on the ground scattered far away, carried by the strong wind.
“Let's go.”
As we advanced along the path made by the wind, a grumbling sound came from behind.
“Monster.”
Thanks for the high praise.
Upon reaching the Rift, Angela, the Tanker, was the first to place her hand on it. Thirty seconds later, the rest of us followed suit, one by one, stepping into the Rift.
Whoosh
A sensation of weightlessness, as if my entire body was floating. As my senses gradually returned and I opened my eyes, a vast snowfield appeared.
An expansive forest, dense with colossal trees that soared high enough to touch the sky. Blanketing it all were pristine white snow and transparent ice.
A world of pure white, where it felt impossible to know which way to go.
Angela, who had been holding her shield and maintaining a vigilant stance, frowned deeply and said, “...This is worse than I thought.”
“Indeed.” I'd heard a report once, but I never imagined it would be this bad.
With Old Man Merlin as the last, all party members entered the Rift. Simultaneously, a biting wind began to howl.
Whoosh!
The wind, which felt as if it would not just pierce but slice through skin, stole our body heat.
No. It wasn't just body heat being stolen. This time, too, Irina spoke up first before I could say anything.
“Everyone, be careful. This chill… it's stealing not just our body heat, but our mana as well.”
Mana was slowly disappearing each time the pervasive chill permeated our bodies. It seemed the intention was to slowly drain us to death here.
Looking around at the daunting snowy landscape, unsure where to even begin, I realized.
“...This is a Red Dragon?”
My firmly held common sense was crumbling.