~Chapter 148~
“That can’t happen!”
I was panicking when—
‘Do not worry.’
Even while being bitten, Eyeball’s voice was calm.
‘That thing is nothing more than a husk, clinging to obsession and regret.’
“A husk?”
‘Yes. A shell stripped of reason, driven only by instinct.’
“….”
‘Unlike me, who left behind a sliver of soul for my descendants and lived on through them…’
Eyeball’s gaze turned toward the zombie dragon biting into his neck.
‘These ones left no heirs. They went extinct.’
“But it’s chewing you to pieces!”
I shouted, horrified, but Eyeball remained composed.
‘Dragons are creatures that survive through intelligence.’
He looked majestic for a moment.
‘Without intellect, a kin cannot defeat me.’
And then—
The rotting dragon began to melt, its flesh sloughing off like wax.
“Kyaaahhh… Kiiiii-aaaahhh…”
The decayed body dissolved and was absorbed directly into Eyeball.
The devourer became the devoured.
Its wailing cut off instantly.
“….”
All that remained was a grotesque clump of dragon flesh merged into Eyeball’s form.
“…Hm.”
I summed it up bluntly:
“My cute little mascot just turned into a chimera…”
Honestly, it looked gross. Eyeball furrowed his brow.
‘I don’t know what that means, but…’
And then, Eyeball’s body glowed.
A flood of power burst forth—I felt it too.
He had absorbed every last drop of the monster’s magic.
Eyeball smiled faintly, satisfied.
‘Good. This magic will be useful.’
“Useful for what? We’re stuck here forever anyway—”
‘I will reopen the Gate.’
“What?”
The words stunned me.
He would reopen the closed Gate? Like the demon dragon had tried?
“Is that… possible?”
I stared, uneasy. His form was twisted, monstrous, and his golden eyes blazed.
A dreadful suspicion crept up my spine.
“…Eyeball. You’re not planning to use Karl’s body yourself, are you?”
He’d said earlier: There might be another path.
Was he planning to be reborn through Karl, just to chase that path?
If the Gate opened again, wouldn’t more monsters spill through?
The Demon King was gone—but now was Eyeball becoming the new Demon King?
My thoughts spiraled until Eyeball smiled at me, eyes shining brighter than ever.
‘Let us go, child.’
That sealed it.
Too suspicious.
“…Listen.” I frowned.
‘What troubles you?’
“If you come back to life using Karl’s body and try to take me as yours—it won’t work.”
‘….’
“I’ll swear chastity. I won’t accept you as my husband.”
I wasn’t overreacting. He was the one speaking ominously like a villain!
“If Karl suffers because of you, I’ll kill you. And then myself—”
‘Wait, child.’
His voice cut me off.
Pop!
His golden eyes narrowed sharply.
‘…I have always been faithful. I was, and will remain, devoted only to my mate. I have never once thought of turning elsewhere.’
“….”
‘I never said you were my mate. Only that you resemble her.’
“Who said otherwise?”
‘Unlike certain people, I have no intention of having two mates at once.’
“Hey! I never cheated either!”
‘Unlike certain people, I have no wish to juggle two partners…’
“They were the same person!”
We snapped at each other, ridiculous and heated.
But oddly, I felt relieved.
“So you really won’t do that?”
‘What on earth are you imagining?’
“Then why reopen the Gate—”
At last, Eyeball’s gaze calmed.
He smiled gently again.
‘Of course, to send you back, child.’
“…Really?”
‘Yes. I will make sure you return.’
His tail brushed softly against me, wrapping me in a gentle coil.
Even though his form no longer looked like a dragon—his scales upturned, his body grotesque—this time, he seemed almost beautiful.
Maybe because of what he said.
Then his voice dropped.
‘But there will be a price.’
“…A price?”
‘Even after absorbing that husk’s magic, it’s not enough to open the Gate.’
His eyes narrowed.
‘I’ll gather every source I can. The magic in its minions, the power I scattered across Saint Portu… and—’
The tip of his tail tapped my forehead gently, like Karl smoothing my frown.
‘The dragon’s magic flowing in my descendant’s veins.’
“What?”
‘And even my own existence.’
“Wait. If you do that… won’t you disappear?”
Then what would happen to Karl? To Saint Portu?
Before I could demand answers, my vision blurred.
A warmth, like anesthesia, spread over me.
His chuckle rang softly in my ears.
‘Eyeball, huh. An arrogant nickname… yet I’ll miss hearing it.’
“…Wait—”
‘Now you must find a way. Open a new era.’
His final words echoed through my fading consciousness:
‘From now on, even without me… you will manage. I believe it.’
And then I blacked out.
Meanwhile…
“No.”
Biiiiii—
A ringing filled Karl’s ears. His breathing came fast and ragged.
“No. Elaine.”
Boom!
He slammed his sword against the Gate.
Even with all his Swordmaster strength, the Gate did not open.
His arms, battered from repeated strikes, were mangled—if he were a normal man, they would have fallen off already.
“Your Grace, it’s useless! We need another way!”
Istar, who had once stopped Elaine’s bloodied fists, now grabbed Karl’s shredded arms to hold him back.
But Karl didn’t hear.
“Please, calm yourself!”
Even Jeremy, who had reached this place with Beth, couldn’t reach him.
Elaine.
He thought it was all over.
Safe at last.
He’d let himself relax, enjoying her warmth in his arms.
And because he let his guard down—he lost her.
Right before his eyes.
“….”
Broken syllables spilled from his mouth. His insides twisted like ripped guts.
Why had he come this far? To prevent exactly this.
To never again let her be taken from him.
Now, all he could see was Elaine’s fading smile, her hand refusing to reach for his.
Pain. Grief. Helplessness.
And finally—betrayal.
You shouldn’t have done this.
Even if she meant well, she shouldn’t have left him.
A heavy, bitter emotion swelled in his chest—like resentment.
No, Karl Silens. This is your fault.
Yes. It was.
It had always been.
The enemy’s true target was him.
Elaine was just caught up in it.
Think. Find a way…
But his mind was blank.
He hadn’t felt this powerless since the day he heard of his parents’ deaths.
His ragged breath filled his ears.
Think of a way to open it…!
Looking at his bloody hands, Karl clenched them tight.
If brute force failed, then maybe—magic.
He summoned all he could, willing enough power to shatter the Gate.
“…?”
But nothing stirred.
His palm was empty.
The dragon’s magic no longer responded.
In fact, it was gone—like it had never existed.
“…What…?”
From beneath his torn sleeve, his bare skin showed.
The black marks left by monster poison were gone.
The constant pain and headaches—gone too.
But it brought no joy.
“Damn it…”
A curse slipped from his lips.
The very magic he had always despised was gone.
And now, in the moment he needed it most—
“Elaine…”
He whispered, drowning in despair.
Then—
Creeeeak.
The Gate, thought sealed, cracked open just a sliver.
A faint light shone through.
