While the wingless wyvern Ashborn had been flying for a very long time, the expedition team sat near the nest and chatted quietly.
Today’s events were an unforgettable shock and mysterious sight for the mercenaries. Not only did countless spirits, who never reveal themselves to humans, gather, but also the scene of regrowing Ashborn’s wings was nothing short of overwhelming.
And the mastermind behind all these scenes was none other than Dragon Knight Yuric. The mercenaries respected Yuric beyond mere admiration; they practically worshipped him. Even Bella, who usually didn’t bat an eyelid at anything, was in a state of continuous astonishment today.
“It’s worth not taking any money.”
“In that case, give it to me if you receive it.”
“That’s just talk, kid. Don’t you know what admiration is?”
When the wingless wyvern Ashborn landed back on the ground again, it was past noon. During this time, the expedition team had eaten and taken a brief rest.
Ashborn lowered his head humbly to express sincere gratitude to Yuric.
– Thank you, Dragon Knight. Thanks to you, I, Ashborn, have been freed from the oppression of my own kind and reborn. It is all because of you.
Ashborn spread both his newly restored wings and flapped them several times. Though he had said it didn’t matter if he lost his wings, for a wyvern, wings were as precious as life itself.
“You finding your wings again is truly fortunate.”
Yuric was genuinely delighted that the wyvern, who had dedicated himself to humanity, had regained his wings. Ashborn faintly sensed Yuric’s emotions and felt a resemblance to his old friend Baeltar.
– Dragon Knight, is there anything you desire?
The wingless wyvern Ashborn was prepared to fulfill any request Yuric might have.
Yuric slightly turned his head and exchanged glances with Bella. Over lunch, the two had already discussed what they would do next.
“Ashborn, could we possibly enter Verzig?”
At this, Ashborn’s eyes grew serious.
– Verzig is not a place anyone can enter. Only those permitted may go inside. Moreover, Verzig’s interior is likely in disarray due to a curse. While the curse may have weakened over time, it will regain strength when you approach.
“That is no concern.”
Yuric pulled out a piece of paper from his robes. It was a pass issued by Baeltar, the Grand Mage of Verzig.
“Myself and Lady Bella have a pass.”
– Could you have brought that too?
Ashborn hadn’t expected them to bring the pass. However, perhaps Dragon Knight Yuric could break through the curse and purify Verzig once more. And Bella, the human woman, was certainly no ordinary person either.
“Do you happen to know what kind of curse lies within Verzig?”
– A blood-drinking curse. Once touched by the curse, one’s blood will be drained. It’s quite a powerful curse. Although it has likely weakened after a long period without drinking blood, it will react immediately upon your approach.
“I see.”
– Place your hands on me. You too, Bella.
Yuric and Bella stepped forward and placed their hands on Ashborn’s face. Then, a powerful draconic magic settled into their bodies.
– This will provide some resistance against the curse, though it won’t last long.
“Thank you.”
– I will lift Verzig for you. But before the curse runs rampant again, I will push it back underground. Keep that in mind.
“Understood. We will remember that.”
As Ashborn shook his head signaling for them to step back, the expedition team retreated to the edge of the clearing. Ashborn moved his nest aside and lifted the draconic spell suppressing Verzig. Immediately, the ground began to rumble fiercely.
!
From beneath the earth, an enormous tower surged upward. The expedition team had to retreat even further.
“What madness.”
The tower that rose from underground finally revealed its full form.
This was Verzig, the magical city that had mysteriously disappeared four hundred years ago.
Yuric realized that Verzig’s walls were surrounded by an immense magical barrier. Ordinary magic wouldn’t even scratch it.
‘But, Index Finger…!’
The curse within Verzig was undoubtedly powerful. If they judged it too strong to handle alone, they would need a backup plan.
After pondering something deeply, Yuric gave Ashborn prior notice. The wyvern nodded upon hearing his words.
– Understood. I’ll wait.
The wingless wyvern Ashborn soared high into the sky and landed atop Verzig.
Yuric and Bella exchanged nods. Since they only had two passes, the other four mercenaries had to stay at the entrance.
“Farewell, Captain. Please return safely! Definitely!”
The two waved briefly to the mercenaries as they approached the entrance to Verzig. They placed the paper on the tightly shut iron gate.
!
Before they knew it, their bodies were already inside Verzig. The dark interior reeked of stale blood. Yuric conjured a glowing orb in the air.
The interior of the tower was exceedingly monotonous. Yuric released his staff Fertika freely, preparing for any possible combat.
Perhaps due to the dust stirred up when the tower erupted from underground, the air was extremely murky. Yuric and Bella frequently encountered decayed skeletons on the floor. These were likely people trapped inside Verzig when it was sealed four centuries ago. Naturally, there could be no survivors left now. Likely, only the curse remained.
There was one reason why they entered Verzig.
To cleanse the curse that dominated its interior.
Once resolved, Verzig could return to normal. Otherwise, it would have to remain buried underground.
“…Truly astonishing…”
Verzig had been untouched by external access for four hundred years, preserving history exactly as it was back then. Its historical value was unimaginable.
Bella, who had devoted her life to history, struggled to contain her excitement.
And she wasn’t unaware that the one who had made all this possible was Yuric. She knew well the value and potential he possessed.
The two ascended the stairs floor by floor. The indelible smell of blood grew stronger with each step, along with the eerie aura of the curse.
Yuric kept his index finger warm, ready to attack or defend at any moment. He heightened every nerve in his body to respond to the slightest stimulus.
Climbing higher, they finally reached the topmost floor. Instinctively, they realized this was Verzig’s control room.
The door to the control room, which should have been firmly closed, was half-twisted open. Through the gap, Yuric saw something crouched in the darkness. It looked like a creature made entirely of blood.
‘…That must be the blood-drinking curse…’
The moment the curse saw the light, it reacted instantly. It let out a chilling scream and extended its blood-formed arms toward the two peering through the crack.
!
But the two were top-tier mages. They wouldn’t fall for such a simple attack.
The blood spear flew straight and exploded against the wall. The curse, behaving like a madman, squeezed through the gap and came out. Of course, the two mages immediately unleashed powerful spells at the curse emerging from the gap.
The blood-formed body shattered with a pop but quickly reformed. The creature sprayed blood everywhere. The two immediately erected a protective barrier to shield their bodies.
Thud thud thud thud.
Blood arrows hammered the barriers furiously, trying to pierce hundreds of holes in their bodies. When the curse’s attack momentarily paused, Yuric swiftly dissolved the barrier, rushed out, and pierced the curse’s head with his index finger.
!
This seemed to deal significant damage to the curse, causing it to scream in a tearing voice.
However, the blood-drinking curse attempted to dominate the surroundings with its blood. Yuric countered it with a boundary magic spell.
Even after being trapped for four hundred years without replenishing its blood, the curse’s power was still formidable. If it hadn’t been so, the two wouldn’t have been able to withstand its force so completely.
Still, they were gradually succumbing to the blood’s dominion. Blood started trickling from their noses as the dragon word magic given by Ashborn began to weaken. If they lost control to the curse, their entire blood supply might be stolen.
‘An opportunity will come.’
The walls of the tower were so sturdy and powerful that neither Ashborn nor the tenacious curse could penetrate them. Yet Tithon’s index finger was stronger. Yuric increasingly realized the strength of Tithon as time passed.
The blood domination of the curse became even more intense. Blood poured down like rain from their noses. Even the blood splattered on their chests flowed towards the curse.
“Yuric!”
With Bella’s shout, Yuric punched a hole in the tower wall with his finger. Simultaneously, a gap appeared in the boundary installed on the wall. But the curse hadn’t noticed yet.
Yuric punched another hole in the wall with his finger. After making four consecutive holes, a significant gap finally appeared in the boundary.
The blood-drinking curse hurled a powerful attack towards Yuric and Bella.
As the two dodged, the curse’s attack hit the cracked wall.
?!
Seemingly indestructible, the wall finally developed a crack.
In that moment when the curse’s attack subsided, Yuric fired a powerful mana beam at the cracked wall with his finger.
The cracked wall exploded with a ‘boom,’ creating a hole. Yuric immediately wrapped his arms around Bella’s waist and leapt through the hole.
!!
A dizzying sensation of floating ensued, and soon something grabbed them firmly.
– Well done, Dragon Knight.
Ashborn flew with Yuric and Bella on his back, unleashing a torrent of mana towards the hole.
!
The blood-drinking curse tried to escape through the hole but began to disintegrate under the waterfall-like mana released by the wingless wyvern Ashborn.
KWAHAAAAAA!
= Grrr aaa aa aaak =
Despite trying to resist with its blood power, the curse was completely incinerated along with the mana.
Thus, the curse that had dominated Verzig for such a long time fell back into hell.
