Chapter 62 …
The treasure vault of Recrit.
Recrit, whose legacy stretched back a thousand years, was filled with unimaginable treasures.
If a greedy grave robber were to enter, he might become so entranced by the riches that he’d lose his way and starve to death.
Many legendary treasures spoken of among the people lay sleeping inside Recrit’s vault.
To be granted access to such a place—this was a tremendous mark of trust.
Ikael’s knights secretly swallowed their shock.
Clack.
“Tell him I accept with gratitude.”
“Gasp.”
Seeing Ikael act as calmly as if he’d just been handed the key to his own room made them even more astonished.
‘The other brothers must never find out.’
The moment they did, Ikael would become the target of their vigilance.
That was how great the meaning of the vault key was.
* * *
The vault was beneath the Bronze Castle.
After descending a dizzying spiral staircase, the entrance to the vault appeared.
The door alone was so massive one had to tilt their head back to look up at it.
“Show the key!”
Clang!
Even though the guards recognized Ikael, they did not open the way.
The owner of the vault was solely Kyron Pel Recrit.
Unless Kyron himself came, no one could be allowed inside without verification.
The treasure vault of Recrit was that strictly secured.
Only after confirming the key did the guards open the door.
“Open the gate!”
Clank—creeak—
The doors of Recrit’s vault opened.
‘Amazing, no matter how many times I see it.’
The ceiling rose so high it was impossible to estimate its height.
The enormous chamber was packed with treasures of every kind.
The entire room shone golden, as if several suns had been lit within it.
Ikael held the gift from the Imperial Palace in his arms, then chose an appropriate place and set it down.
Even though it was clearly an astonishing gift, inside Recrit’s vault it looked ordinary—almost faded.
‘It’s been a while.’
In his previous life, he had been one of the few people allowed to enter the vault.
‘But this is the first time I’ve been given the key.’
Clink—
The golden key jingled lightly in Ikael’s hand.
It felt as though he was holding Kyron’s trust itself.
Since he was already here, Ikael decided to look around the vault.
From aura-amplifying tools to magic-nullifying artifacts, it was filled with incredible items.
Any single one of them released into the world would be treated as a sacred relic of a kingdom.
—Ha, unbelievable. They were letting things like this rot underground?
Even Pkelron, the master of the great desert kingdom—who could be called a treasure vault himself—couldn’t hide his admiration.
‘Hm. Did I come too far?’
He’d been sightseeing so long he’d lost track of time.
Ikael was about to head back.
But then—
Woooooo—
A sound from far away.
It resembled a human voice.
‘There shouldn’t be anyone here.’
Ikael reflexively placed a hand on his sword.
As far as he knew, aside from Kyron, he alone could enter this vault.
‘A thief?’
Though he thought it unlikely, Ikael found himself drawn toward the sound.
Woooooo—
His feet seemed to move on their own.
The sound was like a low human wail—or wind scraping along a desert cliff.
Clink—clang—
With every step Ikael took, rare bracelets, armor, and swords rolled underfoot.
But he didn’t spare them a glance and walked straight ahead.
And at last, what he found was—
“A throne?”
A black throne.
Step by step,
Ikael climbed the low stairs leading to it.
The black throne was as dark as if carved from pure darkness.
And atop it lay a tiny bone fragment, no bigger than a fingernail.
“This is…”
That small bone fragment was the source of the sound.
Ikael picked it up and rolled it in his hand.
Woooooo—
The bone resonated as if it had found its lost counterpart.
‘Why is something like this here?’
Just then—
—Hey, hey!!
At the desert dragon’s voice, Ikael snapped back to his senses.
—Why is this here!!!
And then the desert dragon said something unbelievable.
—That’s my bone!!
‘What?!’
What guarded the empty throne was none other than Desert King Pkelron’s molar.
—Tch, I knew those Recrit bastards took my tooth, but to think they stuffed it here!!
For the first time, raw fury filled the desert dragon’s voice.
“Hey. Calm down.”
Ikael’s words were useless; the desert dragon raged wildly.
—Give it back. Return my remains!
“I’ve only been granted access to the vault. The real owner is Kyron.”
—Hand it over right now!!
“Don’t be ridiculous. If it’s in the vault, it’s an extraordinary item. After I build more trust—”
—Then kill Kyron immediately!!
‘…So he’s this kind of guy.’
The desert dragon had completely lost his reason.
Ikael was puzzled.
He knew the dragon valued his remains, but did a single molar really hold such importance?
“Hey, Pkelron.”
Ikael tried to calm him—
—Silence!!
Tssss—Fwoooosh!
“Ugh!”
From the necklace came Pkelron’s roar, followed by a tremendous tearing sound.
It felt like his ears would burst.
At the same time, strength drained from Ikael’s legs.
Stagger—
‘This is dangerous.’
His vision split into multiples.
Below the stairs, greatswords and armor were displayed—if he fell onto them, he would be shredded to pieces.
“Grrrk—”
Thud!
With all his strength, Ikael threw himself onto the throne.
Thump!
Onto the throne that had been empty for hundreds—perhaps thousands—of years,
Ikael collapsed face-first.
* * *
“Mm…”
Ikael opened his eyes.
…Or could he really say he had opened them?
Though his eyelids lifted, he saw nothing.
‘Where is this…?’
Void.
A pitch-black space of absolute nothingness.
“Is anyone there?”
In a place where front, back, up, and down were indistinguishable, Ikael spoke.
Not even an echo followed his voice.
It seemed to be some kind of subspace.
“I asked if anyone is there!”
Fwaaa—
Only then did something appear.
A hole opened in the empty darkness, and sand began to pour out through the gap.
Ssssss—
The sand flowed with a mysterious glow, like molten gold.
At last, the sand formed a shape.
A tall, well-built young man.
It was the desert dragon, Pkelron.
Though this was the first time seeing him not as a skeleton dragon, Ikael knew immediately who he was.
His instincts told him so.
“Pkelron…”
—Yes. It’s me, slave.
“Drop the ‘slave.’”
—What?
Pkelron raised his hand.
The next instant—
Tspapapapap!
“Ugh—AAARGH!”
Ikael’s body burned with agony.
This was no earthly fire.
It was a hellish blaze of pain, like something kindled in the demon realm.
The desert dragon spoke in fury.
—You’re not my slave?
“Ghh…”
Whooooo—
Pkelron flicked a finger.
A crushing force pressed down on Ikael’s head.
Forced down,
Ikael ended up bowing toward the desert dragon—
Like a slave.
He struggled to resist the humiliating posture, but his body would not move.
—At the beginning, you borrowed my power, swearing to stab Kyron. And yet!
Wooooong!
Pkelron added more force to his finger.
Ikael felt as though his neck would snap.
“AAAGH!”
—You haven’t taken revenge on Kyron! On the one who dared steal my bone!!
As Pkelron spoke, his fury grew—and so did Ikael’s pain.
“Ghh!”
—I waited because your antics as a slave amused me. But I can wait no longer.
Even while being violently tossed around, Ikael couldn’t shake his question.
What did that bone fragment mean to the desert dragon?
KWA-AAA!
Pkelron raised both hands.
From the empty ground, a massive stone slab rose.
Rumble—
Ancient desert script was carved across it.
—A slave contract. Swear here that you will immediately go and sever Kyron’s head.
Amid pain severe enough to make him lose consciousness, Ikael barely spoke.
“I… cannot do that.”
—What?
Pkelron snorted.
—Hmph. Have you grown fond of your father and son bond?
“Idiot… I’m saying that because… I cannot defeat Kyron like this.”
—Ha! Kids these days are unbelievable. If it were me, the moment I got even a razor, I’d have taken Kyron’s head.
“Ridiculous.”
Whip—
With all his strength, Ikael lifted his head and glared straight at Pkelron.
“Kyron Pel… he’s not someone you can defeat. Not a bodiless bastard like you!”
—You insignificant insect!!
BAAAAM—
Pkelron exploded in rage.
A formless power burst from his body.
Sssss—
The scattered force in the air turned into grains of sand—
SHAAAAAA!
—and rushed straight toward Ikael.
‘It’s coming.’
Before his eyes rose a sandstorm.
It towered far above his height.
KIEEEEE!
Sand grains lashed his body.
Like being swept by a typhoon, Ikael was dragged through the sand heap.
Though it felt like he was buried in a massive sand tomb, he could still clearly hear Pkelron’s voice.
—I am the ruler of this subspace. I can keep this up for eternity.
Time flows differently here than outside.
Even though Ikael had been swept around for a long time, outside less than a minute might have passed.
‘Damn… what a mess.’
—Arrogant brat. I don’t trust you. Sign the slave contract and promise to take Kyron’s head immediately—or remain in the sandstorm forever.
Ikael had already reached his limit.
But his mind was clearer than ever.
‘Now I understand why the desert dragon Pkelron is so furious.’
Ikael realized how to handle the rampaging desert dragon.
And also—
how to escape this subspace.
Shhk—
With great difficulty, Ikael drew his sword.
And—
Stab!
Without hesitation, he plunged it into his own heart.
At the same moment, the desert dragon sensed something.
Whoosh—
The raging sandstorm vanished as if it had never existed.
Not a single grain of sand remained in the subspace.
And in the next instant—
the subspace shattered.
“Gasp—! Hah!”
Ikael’s body rolled weakly off the throne.
This was not the body inside the subspace—
but his real body.
Sweat poured off him like rain.
Collapsed at the foot of the black throne’s stairs, Ikael panted heavily.
—You bastard Ikael, what did you do!!
The desert dragon’s furious voice rang from Inamisa’s necklace.
Smirk.
Despite his hazy consciousness, Ikael smiled.
“You need me, don’t you, desert dragon?”
—Wh… what?
