Ch.91Chapter 91. Big Game Hunter

On the day he had planned to exterminate humanity and end his long life, Tashian was forced to continue his nearly extinguished existence through a promise with the only being who had blocked his advance.

It was a promise he didn’t need to honor. After all, he had gone on a rampage simply because he was annoyed by insects drunk on authority who dared to compare themselves to him through petty warfare, even before he had the leisure to quell the chaos.

‘Please give them a chance. A chance to prove their worth to exist in this world…’

Even though he could destroy such an irritating existence even now, why had he made an unnecessary promise and extended his lifespan until now?

It was something he couldn’t comprehend no matter how many times he pondered it, which is why Tashian defined it all as a “whim” and still regretted that day’s promise.

Words uttered by a dragon, who was essentially part of the world itself, carried that much weight, and thus any promise made had to be fulfilled regardless of the reason.

So no matter how detestable the humans around him seemed, he would never go on a rampage before the day the promise was fulfilled…

“So you’re saying that a future where I sweep away humanity’s armies will soon appear before you?”

“Y-yes. That’s right. I clearly saw such a future… Eek!”

The fortune teller cowered in fear as soon as Tashian slightly raised a finger, thinking she was spouting nonsense.

Clutching her lumpy head and trembling violently, her behavior was clearly that of someone terrified of him.

“…If you don’t want to get hit, speak more politely.”

How could he be expected to treat her respectfully when she suddenly appeared while he was heading to the market for groceries, grabbing his collar and demanding explanations?

“So, what were you thinking when you came looking for me?”

But since she clearly possessed the ability to see the future, there must be a valid reason for her actions.

As Tashian sat on the plaza bench and took out a cigarette, Irie began to look up at him cautiously.

“Wh-what do you mean, what was I thinking?”

“If you’ve seen my past, you should know. That promises are absolute to me.”

A dragon is a being that is essentially part of the world itself.

Every word uttered carries the weight of an eternal rule of the world, and if it takes the form of a promise, even beings called gods cannot break it.

And from his perspective, though it was an unclear matter, if she had foreseen his death, she would certainly have tried to find a way to avoid that death.

“Yet you chose to come directly to me to prevent it… You don’t think you can manipulate me just because you can see the future, do you?”

“I-I don’t think that. Controlling you would be like moving mountains or parting seas.”

Yes, she was different from other Transcendents.

While the fate interventions of ordinary Transcendents are limited to individuals or their surroundings, the futures altered by the whims of the being before her extend at least to “national or regional levels.”

The butterfly effect this would cause in the distant future could bring about world-changing upheavals.

Thinking one could prevent a catastrophe such a being intended to cause merely by knowing the future would be extreme arrogance.

“Then why did you come to me instead of helping him?”

“Because when you revealed your true form, he was standing right beside me.”

Flinch. Tashian’s body trembled slightly with the cigarette in his mouth.

Was that reaction because her statement was beyond his expectation?

Or because she had discovered a hidden truth he had been concealing… perhaps a “hidden clause” in the promise he had made?

“For a dragon, promises are absolute… You’ve emphasized this countless times.”

Whether it was the former or the latter, it was not something to take lightly.

If it was the former, it would mean the contract was broken for reasons even she couldn’t predict.

If it was the latter, it would mean there had been a loophole in the contract from the beginning, and that it would be possible to release his power regardless of the promise in the near future.

“So even though Hyoseong is alive, a future appears where you unleash your full power. Isn’t this something you can’t ignore either?”

“…What about the possibility that it’s a misverified future?”

“Futures can change, but changed futures are still based on the present. Among the futures I foresee, ones without foundation simply don’t exist.”

Certainly, since his survival was the key to her contract, it was not something to take lightly that she would reveal her true form despite his survival.

If something unusual had happened, it would be something she should actively prevent.

If an unforeseen event was predicted to occur in the distant future, she might need to find and eliminate its signs immediately.

“…I don’t particularly have any guesses.”

“Are you really sure there’s nothing you can think of? Are you perhaps lying…?”

“What? Do you want to get hit again?”

Tashian clenched his fist as soon as he raised his voice.

Though Irie shrank back, belatedly realizing she had almost overstepped, she still continued her questioning, albeit more passively.

“P-please think about it seriously. This can’t be taken lightly by you either.”

While nothing is more irritating to a dragon than the word “lie,” it’s not easy for her to maintain composure either when her partner’s life is at stake.

He could consider even that impudent and strike her, but Tashian ultimately withdrew his hand and tried to consider her words.

A situation where he goes on a rampage without fulfilling the contract conditions…

At least for now, there was nothing he could think of.

Unless some other being was involved.

“Is that dragon really me?”

“What?”

“You’ve never even seen my true form. And dragons aren’t the only ones in this world.”

“…That’s a story from the past. In the current world, you, Tashian, are the only dragon left, aren’t you?”

The possibility of another dragon appearing was something she had considered from the beginning.

But that possibility was ruled out through the past she had read when she met her again.

Because by the time she had decided to exterminate humanity, all other dragons had already died of old age and disappeared from this world.

Given their void-like nature from birth, which even diminished their desire to reproduce, it was impossible for children left by dragons who had reached the end of their lifespan to remain somewhere in the world.

“That’s right, I am the only dragon left in this world.”

Even that was the result of forcibly extending his lifespan through a promise made on a whim, but how could he now consider the possibility of another dragon existing in the world besides himself?

Yet despite him being alive, a dragon’s form appeared before him…

“Extra! Extra!! The Imperial City is currently recruiting merchants and mercenaries to head to the excavation site!”

Just as he was thinking about investigating the cause directly, someone’s shout came from the middle of the marketplace.

Looking in that direction, he saw an employee of the newspaper company responsible for the empire’s information activities wandering the streets.

Moreover, given the topic they announced, the interest of the surrounding people was increasingly gathering.

“The Imperial City is recruiting people?”

“An excavation site? Did they find some ruins? A dungeon doesn’t seem significant enough for an extra edition.”

“Prepare to be shocked! Dragon bones have been excavated in the mountains located in the southern part of the continent!”

-Murmuring.

A commotion arose among the people gathered in the marketplace at the news.

What was just mentioned was something they could not ignore.

“Dragon bones? Is that true?”

“I thought those only existed in fairy tales…”

“Well, if the Imperial Court is talking about it, it must be worth looking into.”

“My senile neighbor was babbling about seeing a dragon before. Could it be related?”

“Whatever it is, I could make a good profit selling supplies.”

An excavation project led by the Imperial City, the real power in the empire.

Considered one of the most important operations in the empire, the merchants in the marketplace couldn’t help but take deep interest.

As did the living dragon eavesdropping on the conversation.

“Hey, half-god runt.”

The remains of one of his kind had been discovered by humans.

Upon hearing this, Tashian dropped the cigarette from his mouth and immediately turned his attention back to Irie.

“Check the future again, right now.”

“…The future?”

“Yes.”

Any sense of kinship had long since turned to ashes over the ages.

Nevertheless, at this moment, he felt his heart constrict upon hearing the news of his kind’s remains being excavated.

This wasn’t simply a reaction from heightened emotions.

It was his very existence responding sensitively to the current news.

Noticing that something serious was happening from Tashian’s reaction, Irie took out her crystal ball to foresee the future.

“This is…”

As the scene gradually appeared in response to her power.

The moment she realized a clear change had occurred in that future, Irie’s expression began to harden.

“Tell me.”

And that changed future was surely unfolding exactly as he thought.

The moment flames began to rise in her lifeless eyes, Tashian sensed such a future.

“How I’ll act in the future you’ve seen.”

In a lifespan exceeding ten thousand years, the most painfully prolonged life was finally beginning to end.

****

And as time passed, the day of the expedition arrived.

Before officially carrying out his duties at the excavation site, Garam followed a guide sent from the Imperial City to the gathering place for the Heroes.

While Heroes were usually guaranteed freedom of activity and judgment for most missions, this treatment had to be strict since the Imperial City had issued requests to numerous Heroes.

“This is where the Heroes participating in this expedition will gather.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for guiding me.”

“Yes, then I’ll be…”

After bringing him to the door, the guide departed.

Standing alone before the magnificent door, Garam took a deep breath to calm his nerves and recalled his conversation with his sponsor before coming here.

‘If it’s an excavation, wouldn’t it mainly involve digging? Is there really a need to bring Heroes?’

‘This is not just a simple excavation. The empire is considering sending an entire legion there, and already more than ten Heroes are heading there. It’s practically a military outpost, so many people are focusing their attention on it right now.’

‘…Are dragon bones really that important?’

‘It’s a legendary artifact that has directly revealed itself. I’m not entirely sure, but since the Imperial Court considers it very important, those of us who live on the empire’s salary cannot take it lightly.’

Whatever the case, opportunities to achieve merit would abound in a place where people gather.

For a nobleman on the verge of collapse, this excavation work, which had attracted the attention of humanity’s largest army and numerous Heroes, was seen as a path to reversal.

‘Garam. You know that the reason I haven’t cut off my investment in you, who is called a fallen Hero, isn’t just out of pity for you, right?’

‘Y-yes. I know.’

‘The investment in you is gradually bearing fruit, but even that still feels insufficient. Ride this momentum and drive home your value at this excavation site. Prove your worth.’

Proving one’s worth.

For Heroes who shine by becoming idols to the public, this was more important than anything else.

The same applied to Garam. For him, who feared being branded as incompetent, this excavation operation was seen as an opportunity, just like it was for the nobleman who had become his sponsor.

‘Yes, if I achieve merit in this mission, activities with my brother will become easier too.’

Everything was for living and surviving as a human being even in this world.

With only this thought in mind, Garam opened the door and stepped into the gathering place for Heroes.

Into the den of those who, unlike him, were steeped in vanity and arrogance, and who he believed would never welcome someone labeled as a fallen Hero like himself.

-Murmuring.

But what he encountered upon entering the gathering place was people whispering while looking at one corner of the room.

The equipment they wore indicated that each one was a Hero, but what was drawn on their faces was what could be called bewilderment at an incomprehensible phenomenon.

“What’s with that guy? Is he really a Hero?”

“Well, he’s famous. Known as the oddest of the odd…”

For Heroes who always look for objects of contempt to focus their attention on someone other than the fallen Hero.

Realizing that his presence had become like air, unlike usual, Garam soon directed his gaze to where their attention was focused.

In a corner of the dining hall filled with feasts.

The first thing that caught his eye about the person sitting there was his lower body wrapped in a sackcloth, followed by his upper body without a stitch of clothing.

But what seemed even more peculiar was the paper bag above it, with only eye holes barely pierced through.

‘Is that person the one Brother Hyoseong mentioned?’

A man sitting in what was essentially the appearance of a beggar.

Recalling an alias he had heard from an acquaintance, Garam began to stare intently at the person in question.

‘…Is that person really the Great Hunter?’

Great Hunter Taeyang Lim.

The strongest Hero who had eliminated the most bosses in this world.