Chapter 121: Where the Dragon has Fallen Asleep (4)

Behind the coating of blue crystals was a stark white wall, or so it seemed. It was actually a massive bone from something unimaginably large. Kwon Oh-Jin swallowed hard and looked up at the cave’s two-hundred-meter-high ceiling. This isn’t a cave... It’s the inside of some massive being. Considering how the interior was covered in hardened crystals and home to roaming reptilians, it was unlikely this large entity was still alive. “Just how massive was this thing?” he mumbled. If the creature's insides could form an entire dungeon, it was impossible to fathom how big it was when it was alive. Vega muttered, “This... is the skeleton of an ancient dragon.” “An ancient dragon?” “It’s a creature that resides within the Demonic District. It's also one of the closest beings to us Celestials.” The mention of a dragon immediately brought a particular name to his mind. Barbatos, the Dragon of the Thousand Curses—the nine-star monster that took Ha-Eun's eye. The dragon had been a living calamity that massacred hundreds of Awakeners who had gathered to subdue it, only to then vanish without a trace. After cursing Ha-Eun, that is. Kwon Oh-Jin gazed into empty space with fire in his eyes. “Can dragons even grow this big?” he asked. Song Ha-Eun had previously described Barbatos as being around fifty meters long, which was monstrous enough to be a catastrophe. Still, it was like a chihuahua compared to the dragon that formed this dungeon. “Not all dragons reach this size," Vega replied. "Only a chosen few ascend to become ancient dragons.” “Hmm.” He narrowed his eyes. Either way, it's clear why this dungeon's called ‘Where the Dragon has Fallen Asleep.’ “Oh-Jin, what are you doing over there?” Song Ha-Eun called out. “Come take a look at this, Ha-Eun.” Once she scurried over, he explained his discovery about the dungeon. “W-What? So the entire dungeon is a dragon’s corpse?” “Most likely, yeah.” Isabella nodded, looking intrigued. “That’s information even our family hadn’t uncovered.” “Well, let’s head in deeper for now,” he said. They had to venture further in to clear the dungeon, regardless of its origins. Song Ha-Eun groaned. “The thought of walking inside a corpse is seriously disgusting.” Isabella giggled. “I rather like it. It feels like we’re in a fantasy movie.” “Huh? You've got weird taste.” “What’s wrong with my taste?” Kwon Oh-Jin walked further inside, leaving behind the two women who'd gotten noticeably more comfortable with each other. They walked for several more minutes before Song Ha-Eun raised her hand. “Wait.” “Is it more reptilians?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked. “It is... but they’re all dead.” “They’re dead?” He frowned and looked where she was pointing—only to find a pile of reptilian corpses on the ground. “Did they fight among themselves?” Isabella asked. He narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the corpses. As he activated the Stigma of Canes Venatici, a flood of scents poured in—the damp musk of moss between the rocks, the metallic tang of reptilian blood, the foul reek of rotting flesh, and beneath it all, the heavy, clinging stench of vile mana. They didn’t kill each other. Which means... we're not the only ones here. Others had entered this dungeon before them. “Mr. Oh-Jin? What’s wrong?” Isabella asked. “Isabella. You said only the Colgrande Family knew about this dungeon, right?” “Yes.” “When exactly did you discover the dungeon?” “We found it two days ago.” “And there weren't any signs that others had entered before us?” Isabella then realized something was off as she scrutinized the reptilian corpses. “There weren’t any signs... but it does seem like we’re not the first ones here.” “W-What? So, you’re saying another party killed these things?” Song Ha-Eun asked. "Most likely.” He leaned in closer to the corpses and sniffed them carefully. “Judging by the level of decay, they’ve been dead for over three days.” “That means when my family discovered the gate, other people had already gotten in,” Isabella muttered. He nodded and stood up. “Exactly.” Someone else got here first, huh? He recalled the thick, sticky mana scent. The False Star Cult? Or the Black Star Society? He couldn’t be sure which group it was, but he couldn't turn back now after having come this far. “What should we do, Mr. Oh-Jin?” Isabella asked. “Keep going, obviously. Besides, as long as we clear the dungeon before them, it doesn’t matter, right?” Song Ha-Eun grinned. “Let’s pick up the pace,” he urged. "Okay!” “Yes, Mr. Oh-Jin.” Kwon Oh-Jin’s party thus ventured further inside at a faster pace. Song Ha-Eun took care of the reptilian hordes they faced along the way, and they skipped harvesting the Starstones, choosing to continue forward quickly. Then, Song Ha-Eun suddenly pointed at the cave wall they had reached. “Oh-Jin, isn’t there something written over there?” Carved into the wall were strange words in an unknown language. “What does that even say?” she asked. “I have no idea,” he replied. Squinting, he approached the wall. Ring! [Kwon Oh-Jin has obtained a clue regarding the dungeon, ‘Where the Dragon has Fallen Asleep.] [Here, the ancient dragon Evergrace returned to nature.] [It is said that before dragons return to nature, they approach the rapids of a Dragon Vein and seal all their mana in their heart, crystallizing it.] [Dungeon Clear Condition: Obtain the dragon’s heart.] “The dragon’s heart, huh?” Is that the Astral Relic? He swallowed hard, staring at the message window before him. Sounds ridiculously valuable. “So, acquiring the dragon’s heart is the key to clearing this place,” Vega said. “Then that means whoever entered before us hasn’t found it yet,” Isabella remarked. “Hehe! Let’s snatch it up first, Oh-Jin!” Song Ha-Eun added. Of course. “Then, let’s pick up the pace—” Before he could finish, a black feather shot through the air and embedded itself into the cave ceiling. Whoosh! Crack! A massive crack spread across the ceiling. Rumble! “Aagh! W-What the hell?!” Song Ha-Eun shouted. "Ugh! Ha-Eun!” he cried out. “Mr. Oh-Jin!” The entire cave tremored violently, and the blue crystals in the ceiling began raining down. He created a barrier of lightning to block them. “Damn it...!” “I-It’s dangerous!” Vega's panicked voice rang out. The crystals struck the barrier and instantly created a powerful explosion. Boom! “Argh!” Is the mana inside the crystals reacting to impact?! I can't use lightning! “Oh-Jin!” “Dodge, Ha-Eun!” Boom! Boom! Boom! The crystals fell to the ground and exploded in rapid succession, causing the dungeon floor to crack and collapse in the blink of an eye. “Kgh!” He fired his wire shooter at the cave wall, latching onto it. “Ha-Eun! Grab on!” He stretched his hand toward her. Rumble! The ground tremored heavily and split apart. Song Ha-Eun bit down on her pretty pink lip. “Okay!” She leaped onto the falling debris, using it like stepping stones along a river to hop across the crumbling dungeon with nimble footwork. Just as the tips of Kwon Oh-Jin’s outstretched fingers brushed against hers— Crack! “Ah.” Her prosthetic right leg splintered into two pieces. “Ha-Euuuun!” He lunged forward but couldn’t reach her in time because of the downpour of debris. “Kgh!” He quickly took his pendant off and flung it toward her. “Vega!” “I got it!” Vega shouted. The pendant floated in mid-air before shooting toward Song Ha-Eun. “I’ll protect Ha-Eun, don’t worry!” “I’m counting on you!” Confirming that Vega had turned into her original form and caught Song Ha-Eun, he looked around for Isabella. Where did she go? Did she already fall into the ground? There's no sign of her. No way she’s dead.The third-ranked Executor of the Black Star Society won't die from something like this. He frowned and continued searching for her until the ground trembled again. Rumble! “Damn it.” He jumped onto the walls to dodge the falling crystals, then looked down. He had to get past the collapsing floors and move deeper into the dungeon. Crash! The falling rubble suddenly sealed the entrance shut. A deep silence settled over the dungeon. Now alone, Kwon Oh-Jin turned toward the dark tunnel ahead. Did Isabella set this up? He narrowed his eyes. No, this wasn’t her. That black feather from earlier that shattered the ceiling... He was way too familiar with the feathers of the Awakeners of Owl Nebula. So the ones who arrived before us were from the Black Star Society. I have a feeling this dungeon is why Cheon Do-Yoon and his direct subordinates, the Night Hunters, took a leave of absence. Suddenly, clapping could be heard within the darkness of the tunnel. Clap, clap, clap! From its dark depths, a young man approached with a bright smile. “Wow, I didn’t think you’d actually survive that explosion! Guess that’s what it means to be the apostle of the North Star, huh?” He had a freckled face with sharp upturned eyes, a stubby nose, thin lips, and an eerie scorpion tattoo on his neck. Kwon Oh-Jin recognized the face immediately. Kang Chan-Hyuk, also known as the Thousand Venom Stingers. He was among Korea's top thirty strongest Awakeners and had also been the guild master of the now-destroyed Pandinus Guild. “Kahaha. Looks like you know who I am.” Kang Chan-Hyuk grinned, emanating a heavy, murderous aura. “Well, of course. You ran your damn mouth and wrecked my guild, didn’t you? It’d be weird if you didn’t know me, right?” Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t reply and instead glanced behind Kang Chan-Hyuk. Step. Step. A group of eerie, black-robed figures walked toward him. Are those guys the Night Hunters? The Pandinus Guild had always cooperated with the Owl faction, so it wasn’t surprising that Kang Chan-Hyuk was now working with the Night Hunters. There’s six of them. Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes gleamed coldly. “Kaha! What’s wrong? Looking for an escape route?” Kang Chan-Hyuk sneered. “Don’t bother. There’s nowhere for you to run. You’re completely trapped here. Got that, you bastard?” Chuckling, he pulled out a sharp dagger from his pocket. Kwon Oh-Jin scoffed. “Trapped?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal rod, channeling mana into it and transforming it into a spear. Click! “You guys really don’t get it, do you?” he echoed. “Huh? The hell are you talking about?” Kang Chan-Hyuk snickered. “I’m not trapped in here with you.” Kwon Oh-Jin slowly exhaled, raising his spear. “You're trapped in here with me.” Blue lightning lit up the suffocating darkness inside the tunnel.