Chapter 330: Me? (1)

Boom---!

The ground shook.

The Ancient Dragon Eruhaben was sitting on a chair, looking straight ahead. An open door. Outside the rectangular entrance, a huge castle could be seen.

Creaaak-

The castle door opened, and the first person became visible.

"...Hmm."

The former Lord Sheritt.

She had moved the black castle to bring it to the Lair of Dragon Lord Neo. The black castle was right in front of the cabin. Sheritt, who opened the main door of the castle, stopped a few steps ahead.

"......"

"......"

The two dragons stared at each other in silence. Gradually, more people began to emerge from the black castle.

‘Ha.’

Rosalyn, Lock, Mary, Tasha, and others. Everyone considered necessary to deal with the remnants of Aipotu also appeared. Although Cale had requested them to take care of the remnants, it seemed they only did the bare minimum.

"Dealing with the remnants, what kind of work is that?"

They probably just left everything lying around.

‘And so, what?’

Does it matter if they don't take care of the remnants?

Cale and his group had already done enough in Aipotu. The rest, they should handle themselves.

‘The dragons surrendered.’

The enemy dragons were truly cunning and cowardly beings. The world had been restored, and infinite possibilities once again lay before its inhabitants. The death of the Dragon Lord, the revival of the World Tree, and the return of the Source of the World—witnessing all this, they quickly grasped their future. And so, they declared they no longer wished to fight.

‘Are those beings gods?’

Of course. Dragons like that would have followed Neo’s opinion. Those who didn’t-

‘Would have died as dragon.’

Or fled. Or pretended to know nothing.

‘Ah, I don’t care anymore.’

Eruhaben slightly moved his head while sitting on the chair.

"...Damn it."

No matter how much he tried to think about other things, he couldn’t focus.

"Eruhaben-nim-"

Rosalyn approached the cabin as a representative.

Eruhaben was sitting on a chair near the door leading to the basement.

Inside the cabin, there was no light except the one coming through the entrance.

The Ancient Dragon was submerged in darkness, not saying a word. Sitting with his legs crossed, there was no trace of relaxation in him.

"......"

Rosalyn couldn’t say anything.

At that moment, Eruhaben murmured.

"That kid was more of a dragon than anyone."

No. Eruhaben shook his head. Dragon, human—it didn’t matter anymore. He had already chosen to stop thinking about such things.

"That kid is better than me."

"That-"

Rosalyn hurriedly opened her mouth, but Eruhaben interrupted her. As if speaking to himself. Or as if reciting a spell to himself.

"Sheritt-nim, me. And then, the Dragon Half-Blood."

"Pardon?"

"Age, I mean."

"Ah!"

Oh. Right. Rosalyn suddenly remembered—the Dragon Half-Blood was even older than the dragon Mila.

"This time, he was the most mature of all. Yes. He was more mature than me."

With a bitter smile, Eruhaben let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Curiously, I always saw him as young. I treated him like he was Raon’s age."

Although they weren’t close or had a proper conversation. Curiously, Eruhaben couldn’t treat the Dragon Half-Blood like Mila or Sheritt. Not just because he had been an enemy at first. For some reason, he always saw him as young. Maybe because he was a chimera, a Dragon Half-Blood.

"...I still have limited vision."

A voice mixed with sighs and unease came out of the Ancient Dragon’s mouth.

"Then…."

At that moment, Rosalyn spoke.

The Ancient Dragon saw Rosalyn in his field of vision. She smiled with effort, seeming more mature than him. With a playful tone, somewhat unusual for her, she shrugged her shoulders.

"Then, when we see him again, we’ll treat him as a true adult, right?"

Ha.

Eruhaben understood the meaning behind her words and let out a laugh unintentionally.

Rosalyn.

Her words carried the meaning that the Dragon Half-Blood would survive.

"Yes."

Eruhaben accepted the comfort his disciple offered him.

"When we see him again, we’ll treat him as an adult. In terms of age, he’s just below me."

Step.

At that moment.

Step, step.

Eruhaben and Rosalyn looked toward the closed door. The door leading to the basement. The sound of someone coming up the stairs from below could be heard.

Creaaak.

The door opened.

"Choi Han!"

Rosalyn instinctively called out to Choi Han as she approached him.

"How, how-?"

While she stammered, Choi Han spoke without hesitation.

"We saved him."

At that moment, Eruhaben, who had risen from his chair, let himself drop back into it.

Sheritt, who couldn’t approach and was standing, covered her face with both hands and collapsed.

"However."

But Choi Han’s next words made everyone stop and look at him.

"We need to see his condition."

"What do you mean?"

Rosalyn, surprised, looked at Choi Han, who responded calmly.

"Let’s check first and then decide."

He asked Eruhaben.

"Eruhaben-nim, please undo half of the wooden floor here."

***

Fssss—

Half of the wooden floor that divided the basement and the surface of the cabin turned into dust and disappeared. Eruhaben could finally see what Dragon Lord Neo’s lair looked like.

The real world of Aipotu. And a strange world like cotton candy. The clear separation could be seen at a glance.

The stairs leading down to the basement. A strange world visible through the open door.

"......"

Eruhaben remained silent. He couldn’t say anything.

The Dragon Half-Blood.

He had decided, even in light response to Rosalyn’s words, to treat him as an adult, as a companion from whom to learn. But.

"......"

Eruhaben looked at Cale.

Smile~

He was smiling.

So, he averted his gaze. He looked down.

"Hehe."

Raon was laughing happily. And kept rubbing his round cheeks against-

"...An egg?"

Yes, he was rubbing his round cheeks against an egg he was holding tightly.

Cale’s voice was heard.

"Yes. An egg."

"Really, an egg?"

"Yes. An egg."

Eruhaben, Rosalyn.

And the companions from the black castle who approached one by one all saw the strange world of the virtual reality game for the first time.

Rattle.

"Hehe. Do you like it, Eden Miru? I like it too!"

"It’s an egg! It’s an egg! Does it mean the Dragon Half-Blood is now the youngest?"

"Hong. That’s not the case."

"But it’s an egg, right? It looks like a baby."

"Hmm."

It was the moment everyone saw the Dragon Half-Blood turned into a beautiful egg with three colors.

Raon lifted the egg.

"The Dragon Half-Blood’s name is now Eden Miru. A great name that can be anything!"

Rattle.

"Hehe. Do you like the name?"

Raon smiled broadly, hugging the egg and stroking it.

Rattle.

The egg trembled again.

Cale saw it and murmured.

"Seems like it wants to hide out of embarrassment now."

But unfortunately, those words didn’t reach Raon.

Nyaa!

Nyaa!

Even On and Hong approached Raon and gently petted the egg. The egg was cradled in arms that averaged around 10 years old.

Rattle.

Somehow, Cale felt sorry for the Dragon Half-Blood but looked away.

"......"

Then he pointed at the black castle to Eruhaben, who was standing silently.

"Let’s go inside and explain."

***

"So, the Dragon Half-Blood can only exist inside the game, in that virtual reality, and cannot cross into the outside world?"

"Yes."

"Well, at least we can be relieved because the soul has remained intact. But, Cale, the game world..."

So far, there hadn’t been an opportunity to explain in detail the game ‘Raising My Precious Absolute God’ to the dragons, Sheritt, and the companions.

"No. More importantly..."

Eruhaben looked at Cale seriously.

"You say in the game, you’re the worst?"

"Hmm."

Cale paused.

He had never said that.

On’s voice was heard.

"Yes. It’s true, he’s the worst."

But On, the eldest of the siblings who averaged 10 years old, and Choi Han were there. Hong and Raon had stayed in the game to be with the egg. Of course, at the door marking the boundary between the game and reality, the Heavenly Demon was standing guard.

‘Interesting. I’ll stay here. After all, I don’t need to listen to what you have to say to each other, right?’

Cale felt somewhat uncomfortable with the Heavenly Demon’s expression of interest but ignored it. The Heavenly Demon and the others from the Central Plains were helping the Beast People and dark elves clean up after Aipotu. There was no need to suspect those who were helping. The most important thing now was something else. On and Choi Han. Both spoke seriously only of facts.

"And he also has angel blood."

With On’s words, Lock, one of the Beast People who had stayed at the black castle, spoke.

"Angel?"

"He also has demon blood."

Choi Han continued On’s words.

"Currently, Cale-nim has taken control of the third and seventh levels of the game. This will be a great help when we fight against the enemies in the game world, New World."

Pfft.

Eruhaben let out a mocking laugh and looked at Cale.

"Seriously, you have a knack for causing trouble."

Cale felt wronged.

"No, I didn’t do anything on purpose."

“Really!”

“I just stayed still, and things happen by themselves. Sure, I managed to take control of the seventh level by threatening that evil bear, the Dark Bear.

But everything else just happened without me planning it.”

Pfftt.

Eruhaben laughed again. And he didn’t believe a word Cale said. Cale felt unfairly treated. Anyway, Eruhaben spoke again, and his expression turned serious.

"Alright. We’ve confirmed the state of the Dragon Half-Blood. We’ll check Raon’s growth when he comes out of the game."

In that serious tone, Cale erased his aggrieved expression and listened attentively to the dragon’s words.

"Then, Cale. How are you?"

"What?"

Cale raised his head and felt the gazes directed at him. Mila, the exhausted dragon, supported by her son Dodori, spoke.

"The Plate."

With just those two words. The atmosphere became tense. The former Lord Sheritt, lost in complex thoughts, spoke.

"Cale, is the Plate, okay?"

Right now, Cale seemed healthier than anyone else there, aside from his messy appearance.

"Young Master, your complexion is excellent."

Ron, with a smile, commented, and it was true that Cale looked better than in recent years. But what Mila said next made everyone fall silent.

"I don’t feel the Plate."

Clink.

A lemon tea was placed in front of Cale.

"Young Master, even if only as a precaution, you should drink some warm tea while you talk."

"Ah, yes."

With Ron’s stern but kind smile, Cale quickly picked up the cup of lemon tea. And before drinking, he looked at his concerned companions and spoke. He didn’t want to cause unnecessary worries, so he got straight to the point.

"From now on, you don’t have to worry about the Plate. No need to worry about it breaking or being destroyed."

His voice was firm.

Everyone looked at Cale.

His unwavering eyes told the truth, the eyes of someone they had always trusted.

Their leader. Cale spoke.

"Because there is no Plate anymore."

Huh?

Ah?

Huh?

His companions’ eyes showed confusion.

"Is it like Raon?"

Some, like Eruhaben, waited patiently for Cale to explain. Raon doesn’t have a Plate—the world’s mana itself is his Plate.

"Hmm."

But Cale shook his head.

"My Plate hasn’t expanded like the world."

The broken Plate—so damaged that even the dragon Mila couldn’t repair it. It had been restored by the power of the Source of the World. But still...

"The Plate was too shattered."

It couldn’t be restored to its original state. Confronted head-on, the Plate was more broken than he had imagined.

"Like dust."

Ah.

Mila’s face turned pale.

Eruhaben clenched his fists unconsciously.

Cale was alive before their eyes.

Could it be?

‘Now he’s fine, but without a Plate. No, turned to dust, no-’

Yes. Broken, turned to dust. No need to worry about it breaking more.

So, how was he alive?

It wasn’t like Raon, how?

Eruhaben’s trembling voice came out with difficulty.

"What... what does that mean...?"

He wanted to ask.

"Then, how are you alive! You say the Plate is turned to dust!"

Rasheel, who had jumped up, shouted with a face that seemed about to cry. And Cale immediately responded.

"Yes. So, I ate it."

Cale heard the voices of the glutton and the crybaby inside him.

- Hic.

- Oh, Goddess, it’s scary.

And looking at his silent companions, he continued.

"Hmm, how should I put it...?"

Ah.

"My heart and the glutton inside me ate all the dust-turned Plate. Of course, the power of the world’s life made the process easier."

Eruhaben asked calmly.

"...The heart ate it?"

"Yes!"

Cale responded enthusiastically.

"Then, the dust-turned Plate flows in my blood."

And also.

"Thanks to having absorbed the power of the Source of the World, not only my heart and blood vessels but my entire body has become stronger."

As the Source of the World said, it had completely cleansed his body.

"And I don’t need to worry about the Plate’s limits when I fight. The dust-turned Plate will follow the will of my heart and myself. So, I don’t have to worry about the Plate’s size as I get stronger."

How many benefits this brings.

"Anyway, you don’t need to worry about the Plate breaking anymore."

Exactly.

Why worry about something turned to dust?

"As long as I protect my heart and my blood keeps flowing, I’ll be fine!"

Because the dust will stay in the blood.

"We could say that my whole body is like a Plate."

What a great thing.

Cale smiled widely.

"Ha, ha, ha!"

Thus, Cale laughed until he realized.

"Ha, ha... ha... ha..."

That he was the only one laughing.

Somehow, his companions seemed to have somber expressions.

Cale cautiously drank his lemon tea.

And he murmured reluctantly.

"I’m stronger."

That was really true.

Ding.

At that moment, a message arrived on Cale’s mirror.

<Alberu Crossman>

It was the Crown Prince.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Mayank]