Chapter 79: Krasthos

After listening to the emperor’s story.

After a long period of contemplation, I reluctantly opened my mouth.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do it.”

“You find it difficult to grant my request?”

“That’s correct.”

“Why?”

“Because Your Majesty is Justia’s father.”

I answered simply and clearly.

Yes. He is Justia’s father.

No matter how unavoidable the situation may be.

No matter if it’s a death he desires himself.

I wanted to avoid taking his life with my own hands if at all possible.

Because, no matter what, he is Justia’s father.

How could I possibly kill my own father-in-law?

But to be honest, whether the emperor understood or not, he slowly nodded his head.

“I see. I was already aware that you and Justia were lovers. But I didn’t expect that to be the reason you’d refuse my request.”

“I’m a more principled man than I appear. I’d prefer not to casually take the life of my future father-in-law.”

“I don’t recall ever saying I would become your father-in-law.”

“Won’t you be someday?”

“You’re quite confident. And you have the qualifications to match.”

“Thank you for the kind words.”

I gave the emperor a slight bow.

Hmm. But what should I really do?

I didn’t want to kill him, but I couldn’t think of any other way to resolve the situation besides destroying the dragon’s heart.

This is troublesome.

The main cause of the emperor’s deteriorating health is the demonic energy, so I should probably do something about that…

‘Wait.’

Then, it felt like a lightbulb went off in my head.

Come to think of it, this wasn’t the first time a problem had arisen because of demonic energy.

Back when I obtained the Heavenly Demon Sword in Dünkel’s basement.

I had used pure mana to drive out the sword’s demonic energy.

So, could I do the same thing this time?

‘I’ve never tried expelling demonic energy from a person’s body before, but…’

Still, it was worth a try.

If I succeeded here, I could restore the emperor’s health and instantly turn him into an ally.

That would be the best-case scenario.

I immediately spoke to the emperor.

“Your Majesty, you mentioned earlier that your health deteriorated due to the demonic energy emanating from Krasthos’s heart, correct?”

“Indeed. For over a decade, I’ve tried every possible method to expel it. But I’ve been unable to do so.”

“About that demonic energy. I think I might be able to resolve it.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’ve driven out demonic energy before, and I think it’s worth a try.”

“Hmm. You say you can expel demonic energy…”

“If you’re hesitant, take a look at this.”

Under the Emperor’s watchful gaze, I slowly extended my arm forward.

Then, focusing my mind—

I envisioned the form of a sword and summoned Cheonryeo, hidden within the shadows.

Bubble, bubble—

The shadows seethed up from the floor before surging forth.

Soon, a dark substance coiled around my hand.

A fleeting moment passed.

A black sword, resembling the night sky, took shape in my grasp.

“That is…!”

“You recognize it. The Cheonmagem (the magic sword).”

“Are you saying you’ve had that cursed demonic sword all along?”

“It’s less a curse and more that it was consumed by demonic energy. But in any case, since I’ve expelled the demonic energy that once dominated the Cheonmagem, I believe I can do the same for the demonic energy within Krasthos’s heart. What do you say to entrusting this task to me?”

I let the sword hang loosely in my hand as I spoke.

The Emperor frowned, seemingly deep in thought, but he had no other options.

After all, wasn’t he someone who had already given up on life because there was no way out?

In the end, he had no choice but to place his hopes on my ability to purge the demonic energy.

Then, for the first time in a while, Cheonryeo’s voice echoed in my mind.

[You summoned me out of nowhere, so I figured something serious was going on.]

‘Yeah. As you can sense, the Emperor’s body is saturated with demonic energy. The source is the heart of the Obsidian Dragon, Krasthos’

[Wow… This is no joke. It’s a huge problem.]

‘I’m planning to try expelling it like I did with you. What do you think?’

[Hmm. First of all, this will be incomparably harder than in my case. Right now, the demonic energy is inside a human’s body. If something goes wrong, there’s a chance the demonic energy could spiral out of control. You’ll have to keep that in mind.]

‘Hoo. That’s true.’

[Still, you’re going to try?]

‘Of course. If the Emperor agrees, that is.’

I wrapped up my conversation with Cheonryeo and turned my gaze back to the Emperor.

He had looked shocked upon seeing the Cheonmagem, but now his expression had settled into calm.

After a moment, he spoke.

“Very well. I will place my trust in you. What must I do?”

“First, come down here. Then, stand in front of me with your back turned.”

“And then?”

“Stay still while I channel my mana into Your Majesty’s body. It may be somewhat painful, but please bear with it.”

I fastened the sword to my waist as I spoke.

The Emperor then rose from his throne with slow, deliberate movements.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m already in pain as it is.”

Thud, thud—

With those indifferent words, the Emperor descended the steps.

He took slow, deliberate steps toward me, and with each step closer, the dense aura of malevolence grew thicker, as if death itself were approaching me.

‘This is insane.’

How on earth did I manage to endure this?

The malevolent energy felt even stronger than when I was in Dunkel’s underground chamber.

It was almost miraculous that I hadn’t lost consciousness yet.

While I was momentarily lost in thought, the Emperor stopped in front of me and turned his back.

“There. Is this acceptable?”

The Emperor asked while keeping his back turned.

His emaciated frame was visible even through his clothes.

I placed my palm near where his heart would be and replied,

“Yes. Then I’ll begin now.”

“Even if you fail, do not burden yourself with guilt. If things go wrong, you can always resolve it by killing me.”

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

As I answered, I drew out as much mana as I could.

Then, closing my eyes, I carefully selected the purest mana I could muster and sent it flowing into the Emperor’s body.

Swoosh—

The mana moved through his body, following his blood vessels toward his heart.

Since I couldn’t see it with my eyes, I had to rely on my mana-sensing perception, but there was no room for confusion.

Because right beside the Emperor’s heart— exactly where he had pointed earlier—

A crystalline mass of mana, reminiscent of a diamond, was emitting an overwhelming amount of malevolent energy.

‘Found it.’

[This is incredible. So this is the Heart of Krastus.]

‘Yeah. Fitting for something called the “Light Dragon.” It’s an extraordinary substance.’

The Heart of Krastus radiated such intense malevolence that even I could feel its stinging presence.

Yet, the untarnished part of the dragon’s heart seemed to be suppressing the malevolent energy, barely keeping the Emperor alive.

Thump… thump…

While examining his body, the sound of the Emperor’s heartbeat transmitted through the mana.

A weak, faltering pulse, barely clinging to life.

It seemed best to hurry.

I spoke to Cheonryeo, who was uncharacteristically silent for once.

‘What do you think? Should I pour in all the mana at once like I did with you? Or should I investigate further first?’

[Hmm. Why don’t we start with a deeper scan?]

‘Any particular reason?’

[If you recklessly pour in mana, things could go very wrong. And from what I can sense, the malevolence seems to be spreading from a specific point. Maybe we should focus there first.]

‘I thought you only spouted nonsense. For once, you’re actually being helpful.’

[Hehe. Aren’t you a little too awkward with compliments? You could praise me a little more, you know.]

‘…I take it back.’

[Aww, so mean!]

Cheonryeo’s voice rang loudly in my head.

What an absurd creature— even in a situation like this, all she could think about was making lewd jokes.

Ignoring the incessant whining of the Thousand-Year, I was about to invade the heart with mana when—

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as the creature spoke in a serious tone.

[Wait a moment.]

‘What now?’

[Something strange is approaching your mana. It feels like a mass of lingering thoughts.]

‘A mass of lingering thoughts?’

I frowned, my eyes still closed.

Lingering thoughts were fragments of someone’s will and consciousness—  something usually only possible for beings of an exceptionally high realm.

Right now, I was probing Krasthos’s heart.

Don’t tell me…

At that moment, a thunderous voice echoed in my mind.

‘An intruder has appeared.’

‘!’

‘Mortal. I sense immense power and a foul stench from you. Are you one of Estraya’s men?’

As the unfamiliar voice resonated, an intense tremor shook my entire body.

How long had it been since I last trembled at someone’s voice?

Then, suddenly, my consciousness felt seized by something, as if being dragged away.

Whoosh—

‘What is this?!’

[Master!]

‘I’m fine! Don’t worry about me— just keep an eye on the Emperor’s condition!’

[But…!]

‘I’ll be back soon!’

Swoosh—!

While my consciousness was forcibly pulled away, I hastily relayed my words to the Thousand-Year.

Damn it, what kind of lightning strike is this?!

Judging by the sensation, it seemed like my consciousness was being transported somewhere.

Where the hell am I going?

The scenery shifted in an instant, leaving no time to react.

Was this a fusion of spatial and consciousness magic?

The level of magic here felt far more profound than when I fought the Tower Master.

Soon, a vast, dark hemispherical space came into view.

‘So you’ve arrived, mortal.’

‘Who… are you?’

‘You can see me? Impressive. You’re hardly human at this point.’

At the center of the enormous hemispherical space, a colossal ashen being with pitch-black eyes stared down at me.

The entity locked eyes with me and continued.

‘I am one of the oldest existences, the sibling of the Demon God, the Radiant Dragon. Many titles call me, but my name is singular.’

A voice as deep as the abyss.

A gaze that seemed to pierce through the soul itself.

The being who introduced itself as the Radiant Dragon spread its elongated wings and spoke.

‘I am the lingering will of Krasthos. Who are you?’