Chapter 73

Jae continued to train as Bailey’s body rested well. As soon as he woke up after about four hours of sleeping, the two immediately set off once again.

Incidentally, the only reason they knew where to go is by tracking the faint traces of lingering magic in the area. Occasionally, however, the trail would get lost within the dense jungle-like atmosphere of natural mana that filled the Middle Layer.

Due to this, although they had to go at a slower pace than would have been preferred, at the very least, it was a steady one.

Of course, as they travelled, Jae used the perfect opportunity to raise his and Bailey’s skill proficiency. In this way, the time they spent while travelling, which doubled as training, passed by in a flash.

Soon...

They ceaselessly chased after Rena’s party, gaining momentum as they went, and Jae became confident that it wouldn’t be too long now.

Keeping this pace, should it be within a week? Less than that, if we speed up a bit.

Eventually, though, Jae noticed a change in the traces of magic.

This...?

It felt like a familiar yet strange magic at first. Jae wondered why he recognised it as it contained an incredibly abnormal pattern he could swear he never encountered before.

It was a rather sudden shift, but it was a powerful one. It took a while for Jae to remember.

It’s... Polymorph, isn’t it?

The spell Aphy used to transform from a Dragon into a human. In a sense, it was like the reverse of「Dragon Body」. It would also reduce the stats of the person using it instead of increasing them, though it wouldn't make much of a difference for a Dragon.

His thoughts ran wild; trying to imagine just what could have happened to detect a trace of Polymorph being used, Jae’s expression naturally became grave.

“...Bailey.”

He had a bad feeling. There was something off about this situation.

“Yes?”

Jae understood more or less how the Pride Dungeon worked, or at least he thought he did.

“Be ready for anything. We might be in for trouble soon.”

As he recalled Aphy telling him, the different Layers are supposed to be separated via magic barriers such that the monsters living in the Dungeon couldn’t intrude into other Layers, with the exception of Aphy herself as the Dungeon Boss.

That was what Jae knew, but could he have been wrong?

Aphy isn’t the only Dragon capable of using Polymorph here. Still, she should be the only one that can pass between Layers, so how...?

Unless Aphy was the one who used Polymorph here, Jae could think of only one reason how another Dragon would be able to sneak out of the Outer Layer.

―If the barriers separating Layers were not put in place through the power of the Dungeon Master, but instead done through purely magic, then...

It’d make perfect sense for a Dragon to be capable of leaving whenever it so wished.

Assuming that’s the case, why would Aphy leave it like that...? Ah, would it be to save authority?

‘Authority’, as in, the authority the Dungeon Boss or Master receives when creating and managing the Dungeon. Perhaps, the reason it wasn’t used to create barriers is that it would be too expensive in terms of the authority cost.

After all, I guess the only thing that can bypass a Dragon’s magic barrier would be another Dragon, and since Aphy is the most powerful Dragon currently alive, she wouldn’t have a problem subduing any that escape...

That then became an explanation for why she would have to sometimes leave the Dungeon herself to go and either kill or bring back a Dragon who had somehow escaped.

Then, with that theory quickly solidifying itself as the truth within Jae’s mind, he jumped back to the situation at hand.

This Polymorph... The trace isn’t quite mixed in with the others yet, so it can’t have been long since their party and this Dragon met.

Jae thought about it briefly. He knew the Dragon wouldn’t want to hurt Rena or any of the party members initially due to their innate curiosity, and if they played their cards right, they might even be able to get along for a short while.

He also knew that anyone entering the Dungeon from the outside world would have inherent value to the Dragons living here, so he wasn’t worried about their immediate safety.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t like he could simply sit still with the knowledge that Rena had encountered a Dragon.

If it’s a scheming fucker--No, any Dragon roaming around in a place outside the Outer Layer is just asking to get battered and brought back by Aphy. Since its goal is probably going to be freedom―finding a way out of the Dungeon―I should already mark it as an enemy.

Nothing good would come of allowing a Dragon to leave the Pride Dungeon. The only outcome Jae could imagine was the world being ruined within a matter of hours. Even if Aphy were to come and stop it, it would be too late by that point.

I need to take it down before it causes any damage. And for that...

All of a sudden, Jae smirked while thinking about the future.

―It’s a good thing I’ve been thinking of ways to kill those lizard bastards since back then, huh?

Jae, confident that soon, not even a Dragon could best him, felt it hard to repress his laughter as he used a certain skill.

「Greed」has activated Usage of the「Predator」System has been authorised Choose 1 [Upgraded Unique Skill] to integrate:

1.「Angel's Touch」- Seraphim

2.「Equivalent Exchange」- Otherworlder

3.「Demonic Magic Erasure...

4....

Jae ignored dozens of enticing and delicious-looking skills as he scrolled through. It was as if he already had in mind the skill he wanted, and as it turns out, that was indeed the case.

Option 3 -「Belladonna [Upgraded]」has been integrated

One belonging to a guardian of nature, a Dryad.

Also known as ‘deadly nightshade’, it was a skill with the simple name of a highly poisonous flower. What kind of effect does it have that would make Jae choose it without hesitation?

The designated Dungeon Boss calls your decision interesting The designated Dungeon Boss cackles and says it is a smart choice

Glancing only once at the messages, Jae agreed wholeheartedly. He had already read over the description once again, and he was certain that this was the right skill to take.

What Jae didn’t expect, though, was the appearance of a different message.

All three options have been integrated. The「Predator」System will now shut down

“...Huh?”

He expected that ‘something’ would happen once all three upgraded skills were chosen, but not that the「Predator」System―Greed’s System itself would shut down.

Due to the「Predator」System shutting down, all integrated skills will be granted separately

"Oh..."

Skill「Perfect Imitation」has been acquired Skill「Mark of Death」has been acquired Skill「Belladonna」has been acquired Title「Unique」has been acquired

Jae couldn’t believe his eyes as powerful Unique Skills were being added to his Status one by one. And that new Title,「Unique」―it seemed to be acquired as a result of owning at least 10 Unique Skills.

Finally...

The「Predator」System has been permanently shut down The user of the System will receive compensation

Excuse me? ‘Compensation’?

Title「Predator」has been acquired

“What the hell...? He never said anything about this...”

Recalling all the previous conversations Jae had with Greed, did he ever mention something along these lines? Honestly, Jae couldn’t remember.

―Of course, he wouldn’t dare to refuse such a beneficial thing as a free Title.

Well, in that case... I’ll gladly take it.

Grinning ear-to-ear, Jae was exceptionally pleased as he gained more than he expected. At this very moment, Jae couldn’t possibly be happier about the outcome.

What an unexpected windfall, huh?

If this was always going to happen, shouldn’t he have done this much sooner?

In return, I suppose we should start ramping up the pace. I’m beginning to run out of patience, especially now that I know they’ve run into a Dragon.

Jae could feel the magic residue being as recent as a few days ago now. If he used「Perfect Imitation」, he and Bailey could most likely arrive at their target before the duration even ran out.

It won’t take me long. Just hold on for a tad longer, Rena.

When Jae had just found out that a Dragon had set its sights on Rena and her party, that very party was already making its way deeper into the Middle Layer.

Not only that, but because the encounter rate of deadly monsters has dropped to almost zero thanks to the new addition to their party, Sal, the group’s pace was also beginning to rapidly steepen.

“Wow~ How do you do that?”

Amelia exclaimed in wonder as she watched Sal shoot off all kinds of Fire Magic without so much as a single incantation.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Despite being Otherworlders, they were still ordinary humans; it didn’t mean they could use magic without chanting unless they had a Unique Skill for it.

This fantasy world they had been transported to was like a game and in more than one sense. Not to mention the Status, monsters, magic, and overall setting, the way skills worked was precisely like that of a game, too.

To use magic and skills listed under the Active Skills tab, they had to first call out the name―similar to how someone would need to press the corresponding button on a controller to input a command and thus perform an action in the video game.

It was also important to note that most Active Skills such as「Power Burst」also had ‘cooldown’ timers, where you would have to wait a while before using the skill again. This part of the System also performed like a game.

As such, watching this mysterious man who introduced himself as Sal spout Fire Magic like it was nothing, was simply astonishing. It was equivalent to playing a video game with only your mind and no physical controller.

He had bypassed the ways of the System, in other words.

Needless to say, it was clear at a glance that this would be an insurmountable advantage to have in a world where everyone is limited by the same System, which prompted the group to ask Sal for his teachings.

Or, more specifically, just Amelia and Kaitlyn.

“Ah? You kids wanna learn chantless magic...? Pft...! Kahaha! Uhh, keep dreaming big, humans. Don’t worry about things like that and just crawl along for a goal you can actually accomplish, okay?”

―Thus was his response, which upset the two girls quite a bit.

Ryan, Nicolas, and Rena didn’t seem to care about learning chantless magic though, and they each had their reasons. In Ryan’s case, he simply didn’t trust Sal and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible, while Nicolas was poor at using magic in the first place and never even used it, so there was no need to learn to cast it chantless.

As for Rena...

“Hmph. Daddy can do it better.”

She, well, refused to even go near him after sulking and muttering similar things. Rena was already dispirited about the whole situation, and now, she was heavily disappointed that it wasn’t Jae who had shown up but instead this random guy who began showing off techniques she didn’t even find that impressive.

Impelled by this, Rena decided to try and prove her point. Recalling the impossible training she did back when Jae was ‘attempting’ to teach her incantation-less magic, she wanted to give it another shot.

The “Impossible Child”.

Perhaps, with her unparalleled level of talent, it was possible to break through that wall.

Some time has passed since Sal joined the party.

They continued to make their way deeper and deeper through the Middle Layer, and because they didn’t have to worry about dying to monsters due to Sal’s presence, they could both get stronger and traverse the Dungeon at a much faster rate.

Rena’s training, which was continuing to work on incantation-less magic by herself, was not bearing much fruit, but she refused to give up. Although progress was almost unnoticeable, it still existed.

No matter how long it takes―as long as progress can be made, even if it’s bit-by-bit, she believes she will succeed.

However, no matter how easy of a time they are having compared to before, the party was quickly becoming more exhausted and anxious about when they might be able to finally leave.

These feelings were an inevitable result, of course. Despite the sense of having adapted to the Dungeon, its living conditions only became worse as each day passed.

Everyone’s bodies always felt remarkably heavy due to the environment and mana, the rising temperature became harsher by the hour, and everyone’s circadian rhythm has long been shoved completely out of order due to the constant shining of the seven suns in the orange sky―not to mention the constant wariness around having to watch out for the continuous assaults of ruthless monsters far above the ordinary level.

It wouldn’t at all be out of the question for someone to go insane under these conditions.

The only reason they could hold out for this long was thanks to their outrageous Statuses, commendable tenacity, and incredible mental strength. Nonetheless, the higher the Status, the harder it became to level up.

With the experience points gained from each monster slain being shared between all five members of the party, they would need to kill five times the monsters just to keep up with someone who was killing the amount they already were by themself.

But that wasn’t all, either. The few supplies they had on them such as restorative potions, clothes, and other necessities were already running thin―with some having all but vanished―and there was no foreseeable way of attaining more.

What’s more, they had to take utmost care of their weapons. If they happened to chip, snap or break, there is nothing that could be done about it. No one here knew how to repair weapons or create new ones, after all.

Still, they persevered. Throughout all this struggling and tough environment, they endured.

‘God, why is it always so damn bright? I just want to sleep normally...’

―Although there were times when someone may have complained.

‘Fuck... We never should have come here...’

―Although there were times when someone may have regretted it all.

‘We’re never getting out of here... Shit, maybe just dying would be better...’

―Although there were times when someone may have lost hope.

“Oi, Nico, shut the fuck up, eh? You ain’t dyin’ here, so get off ya ass and walk.”

―They resolved to see it through to the very end.

“Ah... Our Great Leader, can’t you give me this one pass?”

“The fuck’re you on about?”

“The party leader should be kinder to the members, shouldn’t he? Please give me a moment to rest? Five minutes?”

“It’ll be eternal if ya don’t start runnin’ now.”

“...Alright.”

Surrendering to Ryan’s threats, Nicholas, who lay on the ground, stood up and brushed himself off before the party once again began to wander forwards.

Despite being oftentimes asked questions about the Dungeon by Nicholas, Kaitlyn and Amelia, Sal usually refrained from answering or dodged the question by saying something along the lines of: “Stop pestering me, humans. You should be grateful you even survived this long.”

They couldn’t figure out his intentions or what his objective was aside from the Dungeon exit. It could be presumed because of this that his goal was to get out of the Dungeon, though there was a hint of worry that naturally came along with this.

Over time, this uneasiness they felt about Sal progressively grew. Having spent some time with each other, and with Sal being quite the braggart, he frequently boasted and showed off what he was capable of.

And that made not just Ryan, but all five members of the party, quite anxious.

Although Sal always retained his Polymorphed, humanoid form, he was still a Dragon after all. His capabilities far surpassed that of any mortal creature, not just humans. Such great pride was also something that came inherently.

That disposition, common among Dragons, also compelled them to take interest in things that were ‘out of the ordinary’, or beyond the norm.

Unfortunately, this included Rena.

It wasn’t hard for Sal to notice her extraordinary talent, especially when she was in the midst of training herself to use incantation-less magic. And, though it was slight, he realised her progress.

A half-breed? What’s that, a Spirit and a Demon? I wonder what led to that... With an aptitude like that, could this be a first for a lesser creature to attain transcendence of the System? Ah, no, there was that one ‘Disciple of the Tyrant’ a while ago... That’d make this the second occurrence, then?

Sal recalled the incident from 30 years ago where ‘Aphyllanthes, Tyrant of the Snow’ suddenly adopted a disciple out of nowhere and began acting strange.

Is having a disciple such a great thing? The Tyrant has never been the same since then...

The Tyrant’s Disciple had only stayed for three and a half years, but that short time was more pressing than anything else before―all because of the Tyrant’s warning that was sent out.

『If you dare touch what’s mine, you shan’t receive mercy』

It was a simple, straightforward threat, but it worked like a charm. Few Dragons defied the Tyrant’s warning and attempted to approach her disciple, who seemed interesting in their eyes. Those who did, did, of course, meet the consequences set by the Tyrant.

I still remember. The human smelt like an Undead and exuded an aura of something resembling death.

Sal always wondered the reason behind the Tyrant’s decision. Just what was it in that disciple that caused her to adopt a disciple and change so drastically? Was it a similar level of talent to what Sal was currently witnessing that piqued her interest, or was it something else?

...If I get a disciple too, would it become clear?

He was trying to find the Dungeon’s exit to escape from the Tyrant, but it was difficult. Ever since she raised that disciple, the Tyrant made sure to not let a single Dragon escape the Dungeon.

However, these inferior creatures had suddenly entered the Dungeon and were also looking for a way to escape. By teaching them and helping them get out of the Dungeon, he could both acquire a disciple and escape from the Tyrant’s clutches―two birds with one stone!

Hmm... Alright, then. A worthy disciple...

Watching over the young magician like a predator gauging its prey, Sal’s golden eyes glinted sharply with greed.

―I want one.

Then, he spoke to the group.

“Humans, as well as you, Demon-mix girl. If you can prove yourself to me, I shall grant you the opportunity to become my disciples.”

Although his tone was incredibly condescending, both Amelia and Kaitlyn were excited.

“Oh! Really?! Does that mean we won’t need to use chants anymore?!”

“You’re only a human. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“What...?”

“Damn...”

They sounded disappointed, but Sal then remembered something.

The Tyrant’s disciple was also a human, and yet he became able to at least mimic our magic in the short span of three years. Something about these humans smells... strange. Although I don’t know what exactly it is, there’s the possibility of them having similar potential. If they can do it, then isn’t it only a positive thing since it means my disciples are worthy? Yes...

Thinking about it this way gave Sal hope that these humans could learn a Dragon’s way of magic, just like how the Tyrant’s had done.

And so, he changed his answer.

“Actually, you humans may possess hidden potential. From the perplexing smell you have, it seems so. In that case, there’s a possibility you could learn it.”

Apparently, that was enough for the girls, as the two celebrated cheerfully that they could learn magic from such a strong person. Nicholas still found it useless and Ryan remained cautious of Sal, but he heavily considered learning from him as there may never come another opportunity quite like it.

It goes without saying that Rena immediately refused, saying that she didn’t want to be taught magic by anyone other than her father. As a Dragon, this kind of attitude damaged Sal’s pride and resulted in the rising of his temper.

“A mere whelp... You dare insult me!?”

―Due to this, his mind was clouded, and he failed to notice the incoming presence behind him.

In a rage, Sal raised his clenched fist in the air with his wrath directed towards the young girl in front of him who offended him.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

――Just as he was about to unleash that anger, however, he heard a voice, felt something touch his back, and simultaneously, two odd notifications appeared in front of his eyes.

You have been [Marked By Death] You have been cut off from all the world's magic

Eh-...?

Unmoving due to the confusion, Sal found his body being coiled and enwrapped by a sickening black mist.

Wha--??!

In the next moment, the mist hardened into thick, unbreakable chains. Sal, who instinctively began to struggle, failed to free his bound body and instead was pushed to the ground.

P-Polymorph!! Why?!!

For some inexplicable reason, not only could he not undo the Polymorph magic, but it was as if Sal had never known how to use magic in the first place, as no matter how hard he tried, there was no effect.

That message earlier?! Shit...!

Although he was stuck in his humanoid form with reduced stats, a Dragon’s Status isn’t something that could be restrained so easily by any old bindings.

His stamina quickly depleted as the ominous chains drained his lifeforce at a rapid pace.

Sal, beginning to panic, roared internally.

Fuuuck!! Who the fuck is it that dares treat me like this!? I’ll show you the wrath of a Dragon...!!

“Wh--!?”

*Slam!!*

Just as the Dragon was about to open his mouth and bellow in fury, a sturdy black boot stomped ruthlessly on his face and a cold voice called out from above.

“--Shut your mouth unless I say so, fucking lizard.”

“!?”

Unable to move his body due to the chains, Sal could only glare at the attacker with his eyes, trembling with rage.

For a prideful Dragon, this kind of humiliation was absolutely unbearable, and Jae knew it. That’s why he thought to provoke him even further. Jae refused to let this end quickly for the Dragon.

Because he dared to try and harm his daughter.

“Don’t look at me like that, you bastard.”

*Bam!*

Jae stomped on his face a second time, causing blood to splatter. Then, he noticed a change in Sal’s eyes. Realising that he was going to say something interesting, he briefly released his foot.

“Cough...! You little shit... The Tyrant sent you, is that it?! Fuck...!”

Raising an eyebrow, Jae inquired.

“Tyrant...? What’re you on about?”

But, before Sal could answer, a small, trembling voice spoke out from behind him.

“...Are you... Jae...?”

“Hm?”

He turned around, and everyone present widened their eyes.

“Daddy...!”

―In this otherwise silent place, the cheerful cry of a young girl was all that could be heard.