Trait Hoarder-Chapter 234: Arctic Sovereign (2)

Arctic Sovereign — Part 2

A deafening cheer erupted.

“We won!”

“Hahaha! We did it! We actually won!”

“Serves you right, you damn ice bird! Ptooey!”

Even the dragons craned their long necks and let out victorious roars.

[Victory is ours!]

[Those who challenge the dominion of dragons shall meet only death!]

[Tremble in fear! Fear the dragons! Fear the wings that cover the sky and the roars that shake the earth!]

Meanwhile, some people were saying things they really shouldn’t.

“Is it… really dead?”

But novels and reality were two different things.

The mana core was already shattered, drained of power.

Its massive body hung limply, lifeless.

Its heart had stopped beating.

Confirmed kill.

There was no absurd revival, no sudden conjuring of another Northern Winds.

“Hahaha! Ahaha!”

The elf brother started dancing.

“Hehehehe!”

Even the normally solemn captain of the elven guards was shaking his shoulders in excitement.

The stone giant and the wooden giant stood side by side, shaking their fists toward the south.

“See? I told you it would work! You old geezers never believe me!”

“The elder geezers are still the same, huh?”

“Of course! They just sit around hogging their seats, those old fools! This time too—”

Meanwhile, the nine-tailed fox and the blue wolf were locked in a chaotic embrace, licking and nibbling each other in excitement.

[Meat!]

Red thundered toward the fallen Arctic Sovereign.

I didn’t bother stopping him.

I already knew how this would go.

[Tastes bad!]

Just as expected.

Red took a bite and immediately spat it out.

A red dragon’s attribute is fire.

Meat with an ice attribute was its natural enemy.

Even if he ate beast meat, it had to be fire-attribute for it to taste good.

[Human.]

The silver dragon ignored Red and approached me instead.

[I owe you a great debt today.]

The other dragons followed.

The irritable azure dragon, the sensitive white dragon, the rough sea dragon.

But even the silver dragon, along with all three others, had unmistakable gratitude in their eyes.

Standing before me, they even bowed their heads respectfully.

[Truly, thank you.]

[We are in your debt.]

[We will not forget this deed.]

[We must reward you greatly, human. Is there something you desire? Humans love gold and artifacts, do they not? If there’s an artifact you wish for, name it, and I shall retrieve it from my hoard.]

Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

I hesitated for a moment before pointing something out to the dragons.

“[Um… will your hoards even still be intact?]”

[What do you mean?]

“[As far as I know, you’ve been trapped here for quite some time.]”

[Well, yes, we have been frozen for a while, but…]

[Wait… No way!]

[Damn it!]

[Curse it all! Argentum! Check your hoard! Mine’s been completely ransacked!]

[What?!]

The usually dignified silver dragon widened his eyes.

He closed them, murmuring an incantation.

Then, after a moment—

[Damn it! Those filthy thieves! Those wretched insects! KRAAAA!]

The silver dragon unleashed an enraged breath attack into the sky.

The Forbidden Zone had already collapsed.

We now stood at the very North Pole itself.

The icy breath struck the cluster of national flags planted at the pole, obliterating not only the flags but the structures protecting them.

The watching members of the other races quickly backed away in shock.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“No idea.”

“Is he going insane?”

“No way. Dragons are immune to disease. Even mental attacks barely affect them.”

“They’re not immune, they just have high resistance.”

“Dude, is that really what you want to correct after all these years?”

“Not my problem.”

“Anyway, what’s his deal?”

At the very least, decades had passed.

In that time, there had been a First World War and a Second World War.

Would the guardians of their hoards have survived?

What about the spells and traps that once protected their treasure?

With the advancement of magical science, greedy looters would have had more than enough means to strip the hoards clean.

Gold? Gems? Magical materials? Artifacts?

Obviously, all stolen.

After a long bout of rage, the silver dragon finally calmed down.

He gazed south with lingering regret, then turned to me.

[Human. I am sorry. You revived me, helped me take my revenge… yet I have nothing to give you.]

A dragon apologizing? That was rare.

But there was a reason.

He had seen how I fought Arctic Sovereign.

How I used Celestial Wall to block every single attack.

When it comes to power, laws are meaningless, and fists speak louder than words.

On top of that, I could even speak Draconic—of course he had to show humility.

“[It’s fine. I didn’t do this expecting material rewards.]”

[Hmph…]

The dragons didn’t seem satisfied with that answer.

Frozen or not, dragons had their pride.

For beings as proud as them, receiving a favor from a once-despised human without repaying it would be a blow to their dignity.

That wasn’t all.

Among dragons, this would become a joke at their expense.

[Human. Do you have a wish?]

After thinking for a moment, the silver dragon asked.

[If you desire something, I will grant it. If it is within my power, or the power of those present here, we will make it happen. What do you think, friends? We cannot simply return home as if nothing happened.]

The other dragons nodded.

[Agreed.]

[I concur. Going back like this would be disgraceful.]

[Argentum, as expected, you are wise. I support this as well.]

Just as I thought.

In the game, there was an item called Dragon’s Call, which you obtained not from slaying Arctic Sovereign but from defeating the Dragon King.

Each use of the item summoned a Level 7 dragon to aid in battle.

Since Episode 4 and Episode 7 hadn’t started yet, things were shifting in this way instead.

“[Thank you. Then… if I ever need your help in the future, will you lend me your strength? I have a great enemy to face.]”

I gave them a brief explanation of my grudge against the Old Father’s Cult.

The dragons’ eyes burned with renewed determination.

[Such a thing…]

[This is good. Very good!]

[We will gladly aid you! The Old Father—he is our enemy as well!]

[Three times! If the opponent is the Old Father’s Cult, we shall help you three times. Summon us whenever you need.]

They exhaled their breath upon me.

Invisible mana circuits formed, flying toward me and embedding themselves deep within my body.

They wrapped around the back of my neck, protecting the pathway leading to my brain.

With a mere thought, I could now summon these four dragons.

One at a time, or all at once.

A sense of security settled over me.

‘This is even better than in the game.’

In the game, it was a one-time-use item.

You could summon each dragon only once.

But this wasn’t a game.

I had demonstrated overwhelming power, spoken Draconic, and—most importantly—I had restricted their aid specifically to battles against the Old Father’s Cult.

That had increased the number of summons.

Good. Everything was going smoothly.

The alliance was gradually taking shape.

[Elder, let us go.]

The silver dragon bowed his head toward Red.

[Hmm?]

Red tilted his head in confusion.

The silver dragon spoke patiently.

[It is time to return home.]

[Home? Is there meat?]

[That is…]

Of course not.

Anything they had stored would have rotted long ago.

[No meat, no go!]

Sensing something was off, Red shook his head violently.

[Elder…]

The silver dragon looked troubled, but there was nothing he could do.

Red was already bound to me.

Instinctively, he felt an unbreakable sense of belonging.

Because our minds were linked, he also knew that back at my aircraft hangar, there was a stockpile of premium Brazilian beef waiting for him.

[Hehehe. Meat, meat. Hehehehe.]

Red’s delighted laughter echoed across the North Pole.

The silver dragon let out a sigh and turned to me.

[It seems the Elder has already chosen you. There is nothing we can do. Please take good care of him.]

“[Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he eats until he’s ready to burst.]”

[…That is good enough. As long as he is happy.]

The silver dragon spread his wings.

The other dragons prepared for flight.

[Human. Will you relay a message to the others?]

“[Of course. What is it?]”

[Tell them that today was enjoyable… and that we will be seeing each other again soon.]

[My hoard, and the treasures from my companions’ hoards, have likely ended up in their cities.]

[We do not wish to fight those we bled alongside today, but we must be compensated accordingly.]

“[Understood. I’ll deliver your message.]”

Something similar happened in the game as well.

The timing was different, but the result was the same.

But did it lead to war? Of course not.

With three Level 8 Grand Elders defending the city, no one was foolish enough to pick a fight.

Instead, the dragons took stakes in the city’s economy and became absurdly wealthy in the 21st century.

Later, when I visited the Castle of the Inexplicable, I would see them living in luxury like nouveau riche aristocrats.

“Let’s head back.”

“Well fought, everyone.”

“Hmm, what about that thing?”

“Well, obviously, it belongs to our Superhuman here. Unless you’re thinking of claiming it for yourself?”

“Hell no! I was just curious! Just curious!”

I secured Arctic Sovereign’s corpse to Red.

I pulled out a magic rope from my golf bag and tied it down.

“You carrying a fairy bag or something?”

The elf sister—the true Winter Queen—asked in amazement.

I simply smiled.

Even I had to admit, my golf bag held an absurd variety of items.

At this point, calling it a Dokkaebi’s club wouldn’t be far off.

Whoosh!

Red lifted off, carrying the others with him.

The flight was both refreshing and exhilarating.

The cold Northern Winds whipped against my face.

Red’s emotions flowed into me—his exhilaration as he gazed down at the world, his swelling sense of pride…

And, at the same time, the constant, unceasing thoughts of meat.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘So, when dragons get old, they become this adorable, huh?’

“Hey, over there!”

The nine-tailed fox, who had been wedged between Red’s scales, suddenly shouted.

“It’s the others!”

The Superhumans we had sent out first from the Forbidden Zone.

They were still marching south.

The healing effects of the Gold Ruler’s Elixir and the Immunity Suppressant had restored them, but they lacked the ability to traverse dozens of kilometers in an instant.

Red, still carrying Arctic Sovereign’s corpse, began to descend.

The Superhumans below noticed us.

Then—

“W-Wait! That’s a dragon! Run!”

“Shit! The Captains aren’t here either!”

“What the hell is that thing hanging below it?”

“It… looks like a bird…”

“It’s Arctic Sovereign! That’s Arctic Sovereign!”

“What?!”

“Arctic Sovereign is dead! That damned bird is finally dead!”

As we got closer, they recognized us riding on Red.

And, of course, they saw the corpse dangling beneath him.

A moment of silence—

Then, a thunderous roar of victory.

It was no different from the earlier celebrations of the Captains.

Some started singing. Others danced.

One among them even howled bizarrely toward the north.

“Calm down and get on.”

“W-We can ride it?”

“But it’s a dragon…”

Of course, Red didn’t care.

[Meat!]

Despite being an enormous dragon—several dozen meters long, the size of a massive aircraft—the moment we loaded several dozen more people onto him, space became tight.

With no saddles or harnesses, we secured ourselves using magic ropes looped around his scales.

That was enough.

Everyone here was at least Level 5 or higher.

“I never thought I’d ever get to ride the Red Emperor…”

A dwarf muttered in disbelief.

Then, the werewolf sitting next to him jabbed him in the ribs.

“Shh! Shut up! You’ll make him mad!”

“He won’t eat us, right?”

“If you piss him off, he might. He’d chew you up real slow.”

Ah, right.

That was the name they used for him.

Didn’t matter to me.

In the past, he was called the Red Emperor or the Northern Flame King, but now—he was simply Red, my ride.

[Meat!]

And his mind was completely consumed by it.

The Castle of the Inexplicable came into view.

Its prismatic walls shimmered with rising heat.

Fireworks exploded from the watchtowers, and intercept cannons emerged from their turrets.

All around, the ground split open, revealing missile launchers, gatling gun turrets, and even magical harpoons ready to fire.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The emergency alarm rang out.

The elf sister formed ice wings with her Ice Spirit and leaped off.

“It’s me! It’s me! No need for the alert! Arctic Sovereign is dead!”

The other non-humans followed suit.

The elf brother jumped after his sister, while the rock giant and the wood giant hurled themselves down.

The nine-tailed fox and the blue wolf, along with the rest, all jumped without hesitation.

Whether they had superpowers or not.

Whether their landing would break bones or not.

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They all descended with pure exhilaration.

“I’m back!”

“Mom! Dad! Little brother!”

“Is everyone doing well?”

Like snowflakes, the non-humans rained down.

Though the Castle of the Inexplicable stood isolated in the North Pole, it hadn’t missed out on magical technology advancements.

Magical radar, mana detection systems, heat-tracking devices—everything was in place.

The emergency alert was quickly rescinded.

The magical barrier surrounding the fortress faded, and for the first time in decades, the returning warriors were welcomed with full force.

Boom! Pop!

Instead of alarms, magical fireworks erupted.

A cascade of fiery petals blossomed around Red.

[Wah!]

Red instinctively snapped at the magic flames.

[Huh. Not edible.]

Grumbling in disappointment, Red sulked.

I chuckled and guided him into a gentle descent.

Toward the central plaza of the Castle of the Inexplicable.

A space vast enough to hold hundreds of thousands—

And yet, even before we landed, the place was swarming with people.

At least tens of thousands were already gathered.

And the crowd was still growing, expanding by the second.

Before long, the entire plaza would be packed.

“Hohoho.”

One figure stood out from the rest.

A massive quadrupedal draconic beast—a drake—let out a deep, hearty laugh.

“I never imagined Arctic Sovereign would actually be slain… Even with the Grand Elders joining forces, they couldn’t kill it. Truly astonishing.”

“I had a lot of help from the Captains.”

“Hoho. You’re quite modest. I know the past and present Captains’ abilities well. They’re strong, yes, but even they alone couldn’t have defeated Arctic Sovereign.”

The drake’s gaze shifted toward Red.

“Seeing you return atop a true dragon, I can guess what happened.”

Thud.

I released the corpse of Arctic Sovereign.

The drake observed its lifeless form with fascination.

“Arctic Sovereign… ruler and terror of the Arctic. To think it would end up like this… I never imagined such a sight.”

“I’m sure you didn’t.”

Not that it was easy for me, either.

I nearly shattered every bone in my body.

Sure, I had planned everything carefully, but that didn’t make it any less grueling.

I jumped off Red’s back.

[Meat…]

I ignored Red’s desperate gaze.

There were more pressing matters.

I coated Black Tiger Sword in sword energy and began slicing.

I split open Arctic Sovereign’s belly, extracting its organs, peeling its hide, removing its claws and beak, and extracting its entire nervous system in one swift motion.

[Butcher]

[Hmm…]

The drake, watching my fluid motions, swallowed thickly.

You want it, don’t you?

You crave it, don’t you?

This was the corpse of a Level 8 arcane beast.

Even a single scrap of it would be a tremendous prize.

But stealing it by force?

That was impossible.

After all, the very non-humans I had just saved were standing right here, watching everything.

The Castle of the Inexplicable had only one viable option.

Plop, plop, plop.

From the central tower, a slime bounced its way toward me, bowing its gelatinous head.

“Excuse me, Superhuman. The Grand Elders have requested your presence. Would you be able to spare some time?”

–TL Notes–

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