“Additional rewards! The treasure vault of the Dragon’s Lair…”
“Wow!”
Ignoring the loudly chiming status window, Rena ran breathlessly.
And no wonder, for gold was piled up like a mountain.
Not just gold.
Gems, mysterious minerals with an unknown aura, intricately crafted jewelry, and other dazzling items filled the space with their radiant glow.
Because of this, the deep cave, devoid of any light, was brightly lit only in this area.
“Is all of this real? Is this real treasure?”
Rena lacked the discernment to differentiate between genuine and counterfeit treasures.
However, she vaguely remembered how to distinguish real gold.
Hmm, does it feel soft when bitten and leave a tooth-mark?
Was real gold the kind that left a tooth-mark? Or was it the kind that didn’t?
Though she’d forgotten the most crucial part…
Still, there was no way all of this could be fake.
Even if just half of it was real, it would still be a fortune.
One could live a life of leisure off this.
These days, much like any young person, Rena, too, dreamt of instant riches and the ideal of being a wealthy recluse who didn’t have to work.
But now, it wasn’t just a dream anymore.
Rena let out an indescribable exclamation before diving headfirst into the mountain of gold.
The sharp edges of the minerals scratched her skin, but for someone possessing the Wild Awakening ability, it barely registered.
Splashing her limbs created a delightful clinking sound of colliding jewels.
Psychologically, it was more comfortable than lying on the finest bed.
Splashing around, golden spray flew instead of water.
Giggling like a gleeful child, Rena’s laughter echoed while the wolf watched her with prideful eyes.
“Isn’t this amazing? I’ve brought you something this amazing, and you still feel I’m a burden?”
Ordinarily, keeping a pet is simply about its cuteness without much practical benefit.
But a wolf that could offer a treasure trove this enormous was far more than worth pampering for a lifetime.
Though the wolf didn’t understand such complex logic, it was confident Rena would eventually accept it.
“Aaaah, I’m all done enjoying.”
However, Rena’s joy didn’t last long.
“It was fun while it lasted. I’ll mix some meat with dried beef and give it to you when I return.”
This was not an implication of adopting the wolf as one of her pack.
It was more like appreciating its antics and deciding to reward it with a treat mixed in its food.
The insulted wolf barked, “You ungrateful human!”
She had misrepresented the situation.
“Ugh, I’m not someone who takes what they want and then keeps quiet about it,” said Rena firmly.
Rena was an exemplary citizen who kept her word.
The problem was that even with a mountain of riches, there was simply no practical use for it.
Currency holds its value only because of societal agreement.
So, what good is having money if there’s nothing to spend it on?
What’s the point of using this to barter with the beasts of the Great Forest?
To Rena, who was the only human in the Great Forest, gold and jewels were nothing more than an impressive collection that would merely become baggage.
Clack!
“That pleading look won’t work either.”
Rena was resolute.
Though appreciative, that was a separate matter.
How cunning these beasts could be!
Rena, who once gave a snack to a cat at a friend’s house only for it to turn its back after, knew better than to trust such antics.
Realizing that her charm was backfiring, the wolf quickly adjusted its expression.
Nevertheless, giving up here wasn’t an option.
It was determined to make Rena accept it, no matter what.
Bark!
The wolf took the lead.
This cave, the Dragon’s Lair, was the wolf’s home since birth.
There was still much more to show.
“Wow, this place is really big.”
Rena marveled anew.
The wolf introduced Rena to numerous chambers beyond just the treasure vault.
The next room they visited was an armory.
It housed a variety of equipment — from common spears, swords, and shields to unique weapons like sickles, whips, and double-ended nunchucks.
However, this room was a bust too.
For someone like Rena, whose body acted as an ultimate weapon, weapons were merely decorative accessories—useful if present but not necessary if absent.
Besides, many of them were neglected, having rusted over time, so Rena only gave them a quick once-over.
It wasn’t that she didn’t touch anything. One of the sharp blades, “[Asclepius’ Forgotten Glory]”, caught her eye.
Seeing as it had a name, it must be something valuable.
She intended to use it instead of the animal teeth she had been using for butchering.
Testing it on the wall, she found it sharper than expected.
The next area felt more like a laboratory.
It was characterized by silver candles, parchment, faded books, and bundled scrolls.
The ceiling hung with dried herbs; the walls adorned with preserved bones of unknown animals; the floor littered with broken crystal orbs and traces of various dried liquids.
Flipping open one of the scrolls, strange symbols decorated the pages.
It looked like the kind of magical circle you often see in games or anime.
It gave more of the impression of a place for magical study rather than a modern laboratory.
Though Rena had a passing interest in magic, it was more out of curiosity for something she hadn’t experienced.
The mage’s workshop failed to captivate her.
It was like someone obsessed with cars or smartphones visiting a production facility: initially intrigued but soon losing interest.
So, another dead end.
Still, she noted its location.
If she decided to delve into magic-related destinies or crossroads in the future, it might come in handy.
The subsequent areas visited didn’t leave much of an impression.
Compared to the glittering treasures, the ominous weapons, and the mysterious magical atmosphere, they seemed less impressive.
Once stimulated, thresholds aren’t easily lowered.
It’s why someone who enjoyed calm TV shows might be hooked on short-form video content instead.
The wolf was beside itself.
What exactly was this human’s taste?
After showing everything, why wasn’t she satisfied with anything?
The stubbornness had gone too far.
It was the same pattern: hope followed by disappointment, leading to a doubling of disdain when success seemed unattainable.
The wolf’s gait slowed, its spirits dropping.
Watching the tail hang limp with defeat, Rena felt a twinge of regret.
She felt sorry, but it wasn’t enough.
She wouldn’t take an animal companion out of pity or gratitude alone.
And, changing her mind based on some misplaced sympathy now would only disrespect the wolf’s efforts.
Instead, being even more stringent would probably make the wolf happier in the end.
Rena was being unreasonably obstinate.
“Is this the last place?”
The wolf, seemingly out of ideas, finally stopped after aimlessly wandering.
No matter which direction they had gone, the path had abruptly ended at a dead-end.
Considering the countless chambers they had already seen, it wasn’t unexpected to finally reach the cave’s end.
By now, the chambers had become increasingly less impressive, and this one, in particular, offered nothing special.
The decaying door wasn’t even worth opening. They slipped through the cracks instead, entering a dim, empty space.
“Um, okay. Good job. You really tried hard.”
Rena affectionately patted the wolf’s head.
So it had come down to showing her an empty room.
“But trying hard isn’t the same as doing well.”
No matter how hard one works, if the results are lackluster, it’s all wasted effort.
At this harsh realization of societal truth from Rena, the wolf whimpered.
Ah, it’s broken.
The wolf curled up, hiding its face, overwhelmed by despair as Rena scratched her cheek beside it.
Rena glanced around the room.
It was truly empty.
Compared to other rooms, which had at least some items, this one’s void was glaringly conspicuous.
Could there be a secret room hidden somewhere? She tentatively tapped around but found only ordinary walls and floors.
There was no supernatural urge as there was when she destroyed the entrance’s magic.
Aww, it seems like nothing is here.
“…Huh?”
Just as she was about to leave,
At the corner of the room, something peculiar caught her attention.
It was as if an inexplicable force drew her gaze, making it impossible to look away.
How could she have missed it until now?
Drawn like a magnet, Rena approached.
At first, she thought it was a protruding rock.
Her gaze followed the edges, which spiraled up into the sky, revealing a structure buried in the dirt.
“…”
She thought the room was empty.
It was a misconception.
This room was, in fact, fully occupied.
Overflowing with a pile of bones.
What she’d thought was a protruding rock turned out to the tip of a long tail.
The skeleton of the massive dinosaur she’d seen at a museum came to mind.
But this? This was far greater in size.
It seemed as if the flesh and muscle had decayed long ago, leaving behind only the skeletal framework.
Still, Rena could clearly envision what kind of creature this once was—thanks to her extraordinary instincts from Wild Awakening and her prior experience.
The shape of a winged lizard.
One of the defining symbols of magic and medieval fantasy.
“…A Dragon.”
Rena gasped.
Ah, so this is why the cave was so grand and deep.
Come to think of it, it was large even for what they’d passed off as a mage’s workshop.
If this was a Dragon’s Lair, its structure made sense.
“The body of the Green Dragon, owner of the Dragon Lair, has been discovered!”
The status window, which had been announcing the place’s secrets since the entrance, now seemed to beg for her attention as it flashed repeatedly.
