I exited the bathroom, adorned in the soft white linen garments Remlend had set out for my slumber. Droplets of water clung to my black hair, which I dried with a small towel.

Looking at a nearby clock, I noted that I had stayed in the bath far longer than intended.

"Leona?" I called out softly.

I found her fast asleep atop a cushion at the foot of my bed.

"Leona…" I cooed.

Her little body stirred, but she was still fast asleep.

"Leona, I'm going on an adventure. Do you want to come with me?" I poked her feathers.

"Mmmm… I ate enough…." She swatted at me with her little yellow wing. "Let me sleep…."

I smiled.

"Not that sort of an adventure," I said. "I'm going to go see a dragon. Do you want to go see a dragon with me?"

“Heh… most certainly not…” She buried her face deeper into the plush cushion.

I blinked.

I wasn't sure if the prospect of seeing a dragon was less desirable than sleep, if she thought I was joking, or if she didn't quite understand me and was merely sleeptalking.

I sighed.

Two of the possibilities indicated that she was too tired to bother. I suppose I can save the surprise for another time.

I grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen and wrote a note for her.

I'm going to go see a dragon below the library. If you need to reach me, try flying to the library and attempting to connect to my mind from there.

We never tested the full extent of her abilities, but in the past, it appeared that we had to be within about 100 feet of one another for her voice to reach my mind. However, after putting on the Whispering Necklace, apart from my own thoughts being able to reach her, her own reach seemed to have gained a larger radius. It was as if there was a multiplier effect that the necklace helped impose.

I tossed my hair towel away and pulled on a light jacket. Even though the underground area below the villa was warmer than one would expect, I wanted to be prepared just in case.

***

WOOSH!

The armchair pulled around through the hidden passageway in the bookshelf.

I stood up, adjusting my clothing. I felt significantly calmer than the first time I went through the hidden door in the library.

A familiar heavy-duty metal door was on the opposite side of the small room. I pushed through it and quickly rounded down the stairway, following the green and yellow light stones embedded on the path's sides.

Just as I was beginning to run out of breath and felt the need to rest, the sizeable familiar opening appeared, and a scent of dirt, ash, and mold filled my nostrils.

However, unlike the time before, I was not alone.

I peered curiously around the corner at a procession of purple-robed individuals approaching the large gate on the left. Their voices resonated with a chant that reverberated through the air and balanced on long wooden poles, a tightly bound box rested precariously, emitting a strange hum.

"Cough! Cough!" One of the mages with long blonde hair stumbled and fell. Thick blood spilled from her lips, staining the grey stone floor beneath her.

However, amidst the chaos, an older mage urged the others to press on, emphasizing the urgency of their task. "Keep going! Don't halt the chant. The longer we delay, the greater the peril. We must reach the depths and establish the protective circles."

The procession continued through the left gate with loud chanting and some coughing mixed in.

Meanwhile, the fallen blonde mage was left behind, heaving on the floor. Her bloodied hands wriggled through the pockets of her dark purple robe, attempting to fish something out.

Should I help her?

Considering the countless troubles I encountered in each round, I had made it a habit to carry multiple healing potions, apart from my trusty container of deadly strawberries.

I ran over and, kneeling beside the woman, gently raised her head from the ground.

Her green eyes rolled, barely meeting mine. They were bloodshot and swollen, as if she had been staring at the sun for too long. Blood continued to trickle out of her mouth.

Drawing out the most potent potion in my possession, I brought it closer to her lips. However, to my horror, the blue liquid poured through her cheek as if dissolving her flesh like a chocolate bar beneath a fire. I watched in disbelief as the rest of her body seemingly dissolved in my arms, leaving behind a peculiar puddle on the floor. Yet, remarkably, none of her essence clung to me as if repelled by an invisible force.

There ought to have been a horrible stench, but none came. There was a sweet, almost fruity scent instead.

"What the fuck…" I staggered back, my eyes fixed on the red, yellow, and black pool in place of the fallen mage.

A sudden surge of relief washed over me, knowing Leona was blissfully unaware, sound asleep upstairs. This was not the sort of adventure I had in mind for her.

My gaze shifted toward the left gate.

Just what the fuck was in that box?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Approaching footsteps sounded behind me, their echo gradually growing louder with each passing moment.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I glanced at the strange puddle.

I was unlikely to get in any real trouble for coming down here and witnessing what I had. Still, I won't be able to see the dragon after getting caught. Thinking fast, I veered to my right and entered the gate leading to the dragon's realm. Unfortunately, in my rush, I ended up closing the gate behind me yet again.

Tch. I guess I'll contact Ben when I'm ready to go.

I leaned against the cold metal gate.

Voices and rustling erupted ahead of me, having heard the sound of the gate opening.

Ah. I forgot about this little bit of the trip.

I chuckled.

The puddle of a woman aside, this was undoubtedly an unconventional place to bring a child to. Attempting to explain this peculiarity would have been a daunting task. Perhaps Leona was rather fortunate to have missed out on encountering a dragon in this objectionable setting.

Unless I cover her eyes and ears? Or there's another path I can take her through?

I considered my options and turned the corner of the dimly lit hallway. Cell after metal cell greeted me, with its inhabitants calling out to me, asking for help. I walked, ignoring them as in the round prior.

Hmmm?

I paused at one of the cells.

"Ah! Luca, so good to see you. You don't know me—I don't think—but I do know of you. Would you be so kind to help me out? There was a massive misunderstanding, you see…" Gavin Graves blabbed on.

I did advise Micah not to have Princess Evelyn throw him in the Humton Forest. I suppose this was his fate instead.

My gaze shifted across the rest of the caged inhabitants.

Just what did the rest of them do?

"Hey, Luca?" Gavin Graves called out.

I ignored Gavin Graves and walked on. With each step down the long stone hallway, the cries of the other imprisoned men and women faded into the background as well, their pleas falling upon deaf ears. My singular objective for tonight was to meet the dragon that awaited me at the bottom of the stairs.

At the end of the hall, I once again took in the sight before me. The cave was a breathtaking display of the earth. It's towering columns, and intricate formations created a maze-like effect that made determining the cave's true size impossible. The eerie blue and green glow emanated from crystals and light stones embedded in the walls and ceiling, adding to the cave's mysterious ambiance.

My footsteps echoed ominously as I descended. The only other sounds were the gentle drip of water from the ceiling and a faint rustling from the cave's depths.

At the bottom of the staircase sat the familiar enormous stone chair facing the never-ending cave's three sides.

Before I reached the chair, a deep inhale suddenly resonated throughout the cavern, causing the very ground to shake. It was clear that the dragon was nearby.

"HAAAAAAA…" A deep voice sounded in the darkness. "That scent…."

I felt a shiver run up my spine. I had forgotten just how terrifying it was meeting Azgralos the first time. The second time was hardly any better.

DRUHH DRUHH!

A pounding movement sounded, and Azgralos made his entrance. I looked up to see the black dragon emerging from the shadows, larger than I remembered. His scaled paws were thick as ten oaks of the cursed Humton Forest, and his extended claws were sharp as knives.

I continued down the steps, never taking my eyes off him. His immense wings were folded against his back, and his long neck craned to stare at me with two huge, glowing red eyes with black vertical pupils.

I sat on the enormous chair in the middle of the otherwise empty space. My legs felt weak, and not just from the exercises I had exhibited.

A shiver ran down my spine as he regarded me with amusement, his lips curling up to reveal his enormous white teeth.

"You… have phoenix eyes," he pointed out again, as in the prior round.

"But this isn't our first time meeting," he added.

I blinked in surprise at how quickly he had caught on. But, as ancient as Azgralos was, I had a feeling he knew far more about phoenix eyes and the Awakened than I did. Or even Leona. That was why I had come down to see him in the first place.

"Correct, it isn't." I nodded my head.

"How unfortunate… and yet most fortunate." Azgralos' lips curled up. "Forgive me… It is my first time meeting you, even if it's not yours… What is your name, human?"

"Luca Frey," I replied.

"Hmmm… Frey…” The dragon's lips moved down, covering its teeth. "And since this is only your second time coming down, what might I indulge you with today, Luca Frey?"

This took me aback.

"How do you know it's only my second time?" I asked.

My question seemed to amuse Azgralos as his lips curled up to reveal his enormous teeth.

"You appeared far too surprised when I guessed correctly that it wasn't our first time meeting," he replied.

"Ah." I noted this for future reference if I ever wished to hide how many rounds I'd gone through.

"So, let me ask you instead… for my own, albeit temporary indulgence… what sort of summoning has occurred?" Azgralos asked.

I frowned as I contemplated how to respond.

"Or perhaps you don't know?" the dragon offered.

"That's not quite it," I said. "It's just that this summoning is a tad odd."

“HAAAAA… is that so?” Azgralos said.

I bit my lip.

I wasn't sure how much was wise to reveal to this dragon. I had learned from the prior instance with Kathy that being too trusting, even with individuals I intended to prevent from dying, was foolish.

"You hesitate… well, I suppose I can guess based on prior summons," the dragon mused. "Has perhaps one of these so-called heroes decided to pillage a town or two in a throw-away round…? Or might there be a feud between the heroes...?"

"Or maybe you have a hero more interested in crafting and building than fighting monsters and completing the summoning quest like your average hero?" Azgralos suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"HAAAAA… Or have the heroes perhaps chosen to ally themselves with the villains instead…?" Azgralos chuckled, amused by the thought.

I felt a wave of revulsion sweep over me the more examples Azgralos provided.

<> I asked using the Whispering Necklace.

[ They have indeed. ]

I gripped the stone chair's armrests with both hands.

Just what was going on in our world when these Players arrived? Did they really treat our world as a sheer game to do as they pleased? Was our world's problems a mere entertainment arena for them?

The System had always referred to it as a game. But I never thought of it as such and had never even considered what it might mean for one of these outsiders to treat my world as one.

"It's something like that," I replied.

"No… Given your expression, it most certainly is not, apparently…." Azgralos looked intrigued. "How curious…"

The dragon lowered himself to what appeared like a lounging position.

"Well then… that bit of intrigue aside, what did you come to see me regarding?" he asked.

"Phoenixes. Do you know anything about them?" I asked.

"HAR HAR HAR… Do I? Most certainly." Azgralos' black lips curled up. "I perhaps know more than most... What is it about phoenixes that has captured your interest?"

Before I could respond, a sudden shriek reverberated within my mind.

LUCA!! I'm in the library! Did you really go off to see a dragon? Was that not a joke?

I smiled. Leona had indeed found the note I left her, and to my luck, she could reach me, thanks to the Whispering Necklace.

<> I coyly relayed back, even though I had been thinking twice now that it was perhaps fortunate that she did not come.

Not at all! Dragons are wicked and foolish creatures obsessed with things they ought not to have! I came to warn you of this.

Leona's voice chimed in, full of conviction.

I gazed over the ancient Azgralos.

<>

No. All dragons are foolish. Make no mistake.

I shook my head at Leona stereotyping all dragons.

Perhaps her ancestors' memories only contained foolish dragons? And future ancestors didn't bother with them either to replace their understanding?

<>

… That is most unlikely. Dragons, while they might live a long time compared to humans, their life spans are usually but a few centuries.

I frowned at Leona's words.

"Azgralos, how old are you?" I asked.

"HAAAA…. It's been so long. Including the time I was asleep?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Then I am 4,273 as of this year," Azgralos answered, carrying the weight of countless ages.

<> I relayed back to Leona.

Leona's voice took on a sharper edge, tinged with apprehension.

There's only one dragon that could ever be that old. And he is the most foolish and wicked of them all.