### Chapter 23: Scorched Earth, Dragon Skeletons, and Fairies (Part 1)
“… You, why are you roaring so loudly, doing what!”
I dug at my ears, the thunderous dragon roar was like a jackhammer to my eardrums. Slightly disgruntled, I called out to Big White, but any irritation I had vanished faster than a magician’s rabbit.
I stared at the scythe beneath the white dragon, my face lighting up with surprise, a grin so wide it could rival a Cheshire cat’s. I dashed over, quick as a flash, strapped the short sword to my waist, and bent down, eagerly grasping the handle shimmering with red light, ready to lift it off the ground.
“Captain Gray… huh?”
I pulled with all my might, but the scythe remained firmly anchored.
Captain Gray didn’t budge an inch.
… Huh?
Huh…
“How strange…”
What was going on…
The smile on my face started to fade, my brain temporarily turned to mush. Not one to give up easily, I gripped it with both hands, rudely tilted my head back, stuck my rear in the air, planted my feet, and exerted every ounce of strength I had to yank the scythe up!
“Ugh—”
I was holding my breath, my face turning a lovely shade of crimson. Finally, I hoisted the hefty scythe a majestic ten centimeters off the ground before it clanged back down with a resounding thud, yanking me forward. I let go just in time, avoiding what would have been a spectacular faceplant.
“Ha, ha, ha…”
I gasped for air, blinking rapidly. Suddenly, my little face scrunched up in frustration, and I plopped down on the nearby rocky outcrop. I glanced forlornly at the familiar scythe, my old battle buddy, feeling a wave of melancholy wash over me. After a moment, I looked up at Big White.
The great white dragon had settled down, now tilting its head slightly, with one eye the size of a lantern peeking at me, exhaling hot breaths that looked innocent enough.
We exchanged glances for a moment.
I pouted, suddenly feeling a wave of unfairness wash over me.
“Big White, wh-what do I do now…”
I simply didn’t have the strength to move it anymore…
The white dragon seemed to sense my disappointment and leaned its head closer, giving me a gentle lick with its tongue, leaving a fishy scent all over me. I exclaimed with a “Ugh!” and pushed it away in annoyance.
“No licking me!”
I shouted at the white dragon, stomping my feet in irritation, wiping my face with my sleeve and speaking with a slightly muffled voice, “I’m being bothered right now…”
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz—
The scythe at my feet continued to tremble, its quaking growing more intense as if it were excited about our reunion. The crimson patterns on the handle flickered in and out of sight, resembling flowing veins.
“Captain Gray…”
I mumbled its name. The white dragon nudged its head closer to me, its fluffy face brushing against me tenderly. Feeling a little down, I opened my arms and hugged it again.
“Thank goodness, you’re all okay…”
I whispered softly, gradually closing my eyes.
No matter what, I should be grateful for this…
I was clueless about how Captain Gray and the Dragon Claw appeared here. I thought I had lost them forever.
In the final moments of my battle with the Deity, during that explosion, I vaguely remembered Captain Gray flying out of my grasp just before my consciousness slipped away.
It disappeared into the raging flames, while the white tree branches surrounding me emitted a blinding light, as if trying to shield me. But that light was quickly overshadowed by the fiery chaos, the inferno erupting as if it would never stop. Before I even felt pain, I was engulfed in darkness.
Looking back now, perhaps it was Big White’s conscious decision to pull Captain Gray and the Dragon Claw into this world… It must have wanted to pull me in too, but didn’t get the chance…
Forget it…
No need to dwell on that; what’s done is done…
I just felt grateful…
“Big White…”
I stroked the dragon’s fuzzy jaw, my emotions ebbing and flowing until finally calming down, as if the anxiety that had built up during my awakening was finally settling.
Then came a sense of reassurance.
“You guys, you’re all okay… that’s great…”
Really…
It’s so great…
I kept my eyes closed, feeling the gentle breeze caress my face and the dragon’s warm breath on me, just holding onto it for what felt like forever.
My mind began to contemplate my current situation.
… So, this means…
I’ve returned to this place, known as the Land of Dragons…
Not deep in Woodward Forest after touching that giant tree; that tree is gone. I was drawn in by the white tree branches. I remember Miss Ailna telling me that I could enter here through the power of the white tree branches…
Turns out, she was right all along.
The entrance to the Land of Dragons has shifted with the disappearance of the great tree, to this little branch instead… Or perhaps it’s because I brought the branch out of the Land of Dragons that the grand tree vanished…
Such…
Amazing power…
Big White stood silently, resting its head on my chest. I held it for a while, then opened my eyes, patted its mouth, signaling it to move away. I squatted down, gently caressing the blade of the scythe, lingering a bit, whispering, “Wait for me, I’ll get you out of here soon,” then stood up and stepped over the rocky outcrop towards the high, towering cliffs.
This magnificent black peak had already been destroyed more than half by that Deity…
It wasn’t nearly as tall as before.
The black and gray cooled lava rock beneath my feet and the multitude of shattered rocks around me told stories of that fierce battle I had faced—of the terrifying opponent I was up against.
Even now, that dreadful Deity was dead, it was gone and wouldn’t confront me. Still, gazing at my surroundings, at the bleak sky far above, I could vividly recall the fear and powerlessness that had welled up in my chest when I faced it.
The Gidels…
The so-called Deity…
I forced myself to push down the shivers running through me, slowly quickened my pace, leaping over the cracks in the rock as I arrived at the edge of a cliff, gazing off into the distance.
Before my eyes lay the rugged mountain ranges, shrouded in thick fog, the scorched marks from the Deity’s light beams were all too apparent, and the massive dragon skeletons hidden within the gray mist were all posed as if they were howling at the sky, their heads all turned toward me.
This place…
Is it mine now?
But what good will that do…
The white dragon quietly approached, standing behind me.
I wanted to get a closer look at the dragon skeletons but found I couldn’t gather enough Chaotic Power to sprout black flame wings yet. So I tilted my head, thought a bit, and used the ability of Dead Smoke to create a pitch-black raven that flapped down to rest on my shoulder.
Doing things like this felt much smoother than before…
After the resurrection of the Goddess’s physical body, the original limitations of this place seemed to have been utterly shattered. Using Chaotic Power flowed like water, but for now, because of my condition, this power was still quite weak…
“Goat Cheese…”
I stroked the raven’s feathers, recalling that missing silly bird.
Goat Cheese was smart, flying off who knows where long before the battle started. I hoped it hadn’t gotten caught up in that explosion…
But even if it did, with its nature…
It might not be dead after all.
Silly bird…
Where are you right now…
“Go.”
I commanded the raven to fly away into the distance.
Then, slowly closed my eyes…
… Oblivion.
My closed eyes suddenly saw a bright white, and the next moment, although I hadn’t opened my eyes, a scene unfolded before me.
The gray mist shifted with the airflow, shadows of faint light drifting over the jagged black rock layers below, casting mysterious wave-like reflections—a sight seen from the raven that had flown away.
… It worked!
Using the power of Oblivion to share my vision, it really was possible!
And I could do it right now!
A rush of excitement flooded through me as I rubbed my hands together, quietly experiencing this magical sensation. The raven had already soared high and far, but I could still issue commands, just by thinking them.
Come back…
I silently ordered, and the raven, guided by my thoughts, turned its head, circling back. I got to see the cliff where I stood, and I could even see myself standing there with Big White behind me.
Interesting…
So interesting!
I grew more excited and continually directed the raven to fly this way and that. Gradually, I spotted a massive dragon skeleton high on a cliff, still gazing upward, its mouth wide open down below.
Down…
I commanded again, and the raven dove down obediently. The giant skeleton’s gaping mouth rushed toward the raven in my view, allowing me to see it more clearly; its great form had fully turned into weathered black stone, riddled with hollows, standing among the scorched earth and gray mist.
You, my friend…
Lost in the previous battle, struck a deal with ancient Deities, and ended up tricked into this place, didn’t you…
Are you still alive?
Tell me…
Why was the Goddess of Sin sealed by you all? Wasn’t she on the side of the Gidels…?
There were still many unclear things.
But regardless, I no longer felt completely in the dark like before.
The dragon skeleton drew closer in my view, and just as I was getting lost in thought, the raven landed atop its enormous mouth, probably that prominent scale on its upper jaw.
The scales had long since turned to black stone, covered in even darker gooey substances resembling moss. The raven kept poking around there.
I thought for a moment, preparing to issue another command to have it fly lower, circling the dragon skeleton to see if anything new could be discovered.
At that moment, a purple arrow shot swiftly from the corner of my vision.
“Ah!”
I jumped in fright and jerked back. My eyes instinctively opened, and the power of Oblivion slipped away, severing the connection with the raven’s vision. I froze for a couple of seconds, trying to re-establish contact with the raven, only to find I couldn’t sense it anymore.
Dead Smoke faded away…
Those fairies did this!
“Phew…”
I patted my little chest. Since the shared vision only transmitted visuals, not sounds or surroundings, that sudden purple arrow had genuinely startled me, making my heart race wildly.
Those fairies were still alive!
“Roar——!!”
Suddenly, Big White seemed to sense something, roaring down towards the cliff.
