Chapter 210:

There was a brief silence after Isaac’s words, then Calurien’s low laughter filled the air.

[Do you know what it means to extract a Dragon Heart?]

“I know that unlike other creatures, removing it won’t be fatal.”

[...A Dragon Heart is not like a heart.]

Calurien growled in a low whisper.

[We were born as the firstborns of this world. Even when the divine beings were still babbling, our kind walked this earth. We lived through times when the land was nothing but seething lava, and through eras when not a single blade of grass could grow.]

Isaac wondered if this was a moment for applause, but it seemed it would be nothing more than sarcasm. Despite Calurien’s proud words, dragons were now nearly extinct.

[A Dragon Heart is the source that allowed us to be born as divine beings. Simply by breathing, power accumulates within the Dragon Heart. My soul is contained within it.]

“That’s exactly why you need to extract it, Calurien.”

Isaac spoke, hoping his words would sound partly like a threat.

“If I take it by force, you will surely die. You might not die permanently since you’re an angel now, but without your precious Dragon Heart, you won’t be as powerful as before. Who knows what might happen to you before you resurrect. And I can’t leave you here out of pity because you might recover and come after us again.”

Subduing Calurien had been a near-miraculous feat achieved with the help of the Sword of May.

Isaac had no intention of taking the gamble of facing Calurien again. He had to ensure Calurien remained crippled while he had the upper hand. The Dragon Heart was a kind of hostage.

“But if you willingly extract your Dragon Heart, you won’t die.”

Calurien narrowed his eyes and stared at Isaac. Though the statement sounded absurd, he realized Isaac’s intention.

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[You say you won’t kill me? Are you defying the Sword of May’s command?]

“Strictly speaking, the Sword of May’s objective was to liberate Elil, not necessarily to kill you.”

Isaac shrugged as he replied.

“If liberating Elil can be achieved without your death, I think that’s acceptable. Besides, killing you, only for you to come back, serves no purpose. But if you ‘lend’ me your Dragon Heart for a while, it serves a purpose.”

[Purpose?]

“You can stay by my side and see if my words come true.”

There would be no Great War, and neither the Elil Kingdom nor its faith would fall. If that meant the end of the world, then so be it.

Calurien was silent for a moment before a mental wave of laughter emerged. It was a satisfied laugh.

[There seems to be no other way.]

It was clear that Isaac’s goals were different from those of the Codex of Light or Elil. In that case, it might be better to stay by this rising figure and lend him strength as needed. It didn’t matter if Isaac was a servant of the Nameless Chaos.

In fact, it was precisely because of that that Calurien felt he should stay close. If Isaac began to go astray, he would need someone to warn him.

Calurien felt that Isaac was a being who would do anything to achieve his desires.

[Very well. I will entrust my heart to you.]

***

After receiving the Dragon Heart from Calurien, Isaac was guided by Nimloth to an unknown destination.

Unlike when he had walked for a long time with the Sword of May, the scenery changed rapidly with each step. In an instant, the time of day and even the seasons shifted.

They arrived at a picturesque hill by a lake. Reeds swayed by the lakeside, and flocks of geese flew in formation.

Isaac, feeling a sense of déjà vu as he observed the scenery, spoke up.

“Is this the Holy Land of Elion?”

Nimloth glanced back at Isaac, but Edelred looked at him with confusion.

“What? Isn’t this a completely different place? There’s no surrounding lake or walls of stone.”

Having fought for weeks around the fortress of Elion, Edelred was somewhat familiar with its surrounding geography. The landscape here had none of the distinguishing features that marked Elion.

However, Isaac wasn’t speaking based on the terrain.

In the game’s lore, aside from the gods, he was the strongest entity in one-on-one combat.

The title of the Supreme King’s Guardian Knight wasn’t given lightly. Nimloth remained bowed before him in silence.

“Nimloth? What’s going on?”

Someone peeked out from beside the Lion Knight.

It was the same face Isaac had seen in the Holy Land of Elion. A tall, slender elf with a beautiful appearance.

It was Elil.

The title of Supreme King seemed almost laughable given his quiet and modest presence. The Lion Knight’s overwhelming aura had overshadowed Elil.

Edelred instinctively knelt at the sight.

Isaac and Hesabel, though technically heretics, followed suit out of respect. But Isaac noticed that Elil wasn’t even looking at him.

No, he didn’t need to.

The moment Isaac set foot in this space, everything about him had already been laid bare to Elil’s senses. Every blade of grass underfoot, every breath of wind, every ray of sunlight touching his skin was an extension of Elil’s perception.

“We have interesting guests. Larabia, wake up. We have visitors.”

A woman had been sleeping next to Elil. They both seemed to have been napping under the autumn sun. But she didn’t wake up, instead, she mumbled and turned over.

Elil looked apologetic as he turned to Isaac’s group.

“Apologies. Larabia seems tired. Let’s talk with me instead.”

Elil smiled warmly as he approached Isaac’s group.

Isaac found Elil’s demeanor odd.

Elil, supposedly sealed for nearly a century, was calm and gentle. It differed from the stern image shown to Elil’s followers, and contrary to Calurien’s fears, there was no self-destructive inclination visible.

Elil looked around at the group, then tilted his head.

“But where is Calurien? He always came with you.”

Isaac noticed Nimloth’s head bowing even lower. She radiated intense tension and fear.

Nimloth, Elil’s mentor, and Calurien had become celestial angels almost simultaneously. Yet here she was, trembling before Elil.

It wasn’t fear of Elil himself, but fear of the confession she was about to make.

Elil’s gaze shifted to the sword, Kaldwin, embedded in the ground.

His expression hardened instantly. Nimloth spoke up.

“Calurien can no longer maintain the seal.”

As soon as Nimloth spoke, Isaac felt something was terribly wrong.

Elil remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“I see.”

Elil’s voice was dry and cracked, devoid of the kindness and gentleness from moments ago.

It sounded like the tearing scream of an ancient tree about to fall.

Isaac realized why Calurien had been able to imprison Elil.

Calurien hadn’t used sheer force to seal Elil. He had trapped him in a cycle of sweet illusions and happiness, making Elil unwilling to leave. Elil had been performing the role of the happiest moments in his paradise.

In other words, Elil had willingly chosen to stay within Calurien’s seal.

Now that the play had ended, Elil had to return to reality.

His paradise began to crumble.

–TL Notes–

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to read more than 25 advance chapters or support me, you can do it at /Akaza156