The Dragon Slayer Who Regressed After 1,000 Years - Chapter 66

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Dragon Slayer’s Regression — Episode 066
Dragons rarely experience pain in their lives.
Nothing threatens them, perched as they are at the apex of predators.
But Nerkasion’s mouth hung open in constant agony.
[Screeeeeeeeeeeech!]
Black blood poured from the cracks spreading across his scales like toxic venom.
He had thought he’d tasted pain fighting his own kind, but this was pain of an altogether different magnitude.
“Does it hurt?”
[H-hrrrrgh…….]
He lacked even the breath to speak.
Instead, when he shot Cain a look of pure hatred, the Dragon Slayer smiled faintly and drove his blade through living flesh.
[Ahhhhhhhhhhh!]
It wasn’t merely the pain of torn flesh.
That force—Aura infused with Magical Power—incinerated everything inside.
“Speak. Who are you cooperating with? Which other dragons know you came here?”
Questions meant to eliminate variables.
But Nerkasion only clenched his teeth harder.
Or rather, he bluffed.
[Krr, krkrkk, this won’t…… get you anywhere…… soon my subordinates will pour in…… you’re finished.]
Beratus fidgeted at those words, but Cain felt no threat whatsoever.
The Seer’s Earring had already told him it was a lie.
‘Impressive—his spirit doesn’t break even now. He has some mettle.’
But Cain knew.
A limit would come eventually.
It always had with every dragon before the Regression.
Thwick!
He simply smiled without speaking and thrust his blade again.
[Ahhh! Hnnnnaaahhh!]
The cavern filled with screams.
Cain repeated the same question.
Perhaps it was the expressionless torture that broke him.
Nerkasion, who had only boasted moments before, said something different now.
[Only my subordinates know I’m here…… Other dragons don’t…… they don’t know.]
“Where are your subordinates now?”
[To avoid disturbing my enjoyment…… they wait for my orders from their own Lairs…….]
He’d expected as much.
For all the screaming that had echoed through this place, none of them had shown their faces.
“Where did you acquire the slaves?”
[From Alton Drake…… when I asked, he sent them…….]
“Then Alton knows what you were planning to do?”
[He wouldn’t know…… I didn’t tell him…… and he didn’t ask.]
Providing slaves without asking what they’d be used for.
Cain felt a chill run through him at Alton’s callousness anew.
“Is Alton the only human you’re cooperating with?”
[Yes…….]
“So hearing about killing Drakasion came through Alton as well.”
[That’s right…….]
All truth.
Nerkasion’s eyes had gone dead—he no longer had the strength to lie.
‘This much was just the opening skirmish.’
The real question came now.
“How much does Alton know about me?”
He needed to confirm whether his identity had been exposed.
[He knows there’s someone who takes out Dragon Hearts…… but not who. If he knew, he would have reported it to me.]
“Does Alton also know that it wasn’t Ignition who killed Bellacors?”
[He knows. No dragon, no matter how strong, would do something like extract a Dragon Heart.]
With that, Cain was certain.
‘Alton still doesn’t know my true identity.’
He knows there’s a mysterious Dragon Slayer extracting Dragon Hearts, but nothing beyond that.
‘I can rest easy.’
Cain continued with a few more questions.
The location of the Relic, the location of the Dragon Lair, and so on.
Most of it was information he already knew, but some of it proved useful.
‘What I know is… all of it….’
“That seems to be the case.”
There was no further use for him.
The moment Cain reached that conclusion, he swung his blade without hesitation.
Slice!
[Kgh…….]
Before the black blood dripping from the half-severed neck could pool, Nerkasion’s pupils went vacant.
Cain immediately began extracting the heart.
It was the second Dragon Heart since Morphenion.
Drip, drip.
He devoured it without hesitation.
Beratus, witnessing this, deliberately looked away.
After finishing, Cain sat down at once.
Eyes closed, he concentrated on guiding the mana coursing through his body.
Toward his heart, where his Circle lay.
‘Strengthen my Magical Power.’
Now that he understood Magical Power was the source that elevated the Relic’s limits, there was no reason not to strengthen it.
“Exhale.”
As time passed and Cain opened his eyes, he felt it clearly.
The ring of mana encircling his heart had grown solid.
His Magical Power had increased.
‘But my Circle didn’t rise.’
He remained at the 6th Circle for now.
Even after consuming two Dragon Hearts, reaching the 7th Circle was far from easy.
Still, he felt more than half had filled up.
[Is it finished……? Seer?]
Beratus, who had kept his distance, floated over in his spirit form.
“The people?”
[They’re safe.]
As Cain made his way to the Prison, he could see the Slaves trembling.
Even though Cain had rescued them from the dragon, they couldn’t even meet his eyes.
Fear of an unknowable future had etched itself deep into their very bones.
Slash, slash.
He swung his blade and severed the iron bars entirely.
Regardless of whether the Slaves were startled, Cain turned and spoke.
“Go. You are free.”
There was no word of thanks.
They simply rushed out, breaking free of the Prison.
Cain had finished his business as well and was about to leave.
Or rather, he tried to.
Had Beratus not stopped him.
[Seer? There’s one more person here?]
Curious, Cain went to look and found a child lying collapsed in the Prison.
A girl who appeared to be around ten years old.
‘What? Did they all leave her behind?’
Cain first tried to shake the girl awake.
She wouldn’t open her eyes.
As he puzzled over this, the girl’s appearance caught his attention.
‘……An Elf?’
With pale skin and pointed ears, she was unmistakably an Elf.
‘She’s probably around a hundred and fifty years old.’
Elves are expensive at slave markets.
And it’s not just their appearance—Elf Slaves are nearly impossible to acquire because they’re so rare.
After all, Elves were a people who lived lives apart from humans.
‘Was she kidnapped?’
Then Cain felt an unusual aura emanating from beside the girl.
Suddenly bursting from the earth, it had the shape of a small stone, no larger than a fist.
‘The Earth Spirit?’
It circled nervously around the Elf Girl, then suddenly lunged at Cain.
Since it had no physical form, it passed right through him, but Cain couldn’t help feeling unsettled.
“What’s wrong with you? Don’t tell me you think I did this to your contractor.”
The words don’t land.
Then he speaks in Spirit Language instead.
[I saved your contractor’s life. What is this disrespect?]
The Earth Spirit froze the moment Cain spoke again.
This time, it clearly understood.
When Cain saw the doubt in its eyes, his brow furrowed.
[If you don’t believe me, read the earth’s memory. See what happened on this land.]
The Earth Spirit submerged itself halfway into the ground as instructed.
It closed its eyes, and as the memories of what had transpired flooded through it, it shot upward in alarm.
[Sorry… I… misunderstood…….]
Its speech was halting—a young spirit’s.
The wind spirit that served Cain spoke at much the same level, truth be told.
[Don’t go charging at people without warning. Where were you when the dragon was here? Hiding, only to attack innocent folk now?]
[Really… sorry…….]
It seemed the spirit had been too frightened to emerge while the dragon was present.
Dragons could perceive spirits, after all.
Beratus in its polymorphed form proved as much.
[Is this Elf your contractor?]
The Earth Spirit nodded.
[How did she end up here?]
No answer came.
Young spirits expended energy simply in speaking.
‘Why won’t she wake up?’
Cain grasped the Elf’s wrist and channeled his magical power into her.
The answer revealed itself quickly.
‘Her Magic Circuit is shattered.’
This wasn’t something that happened naturally.
Someone had deliberately destroyed it.
The same as with Valencieus.
‘On top of that, enslaved and denied proper nourishment…….’
It was no wonder she had no strength.
Would a slave trader have even bothered to feed her properly?
As if they’d know what an Elf ate.
‘This is a mess. I can’t just leave her here…….’
Cain looked down at the Elf for a moment, then turned to go.
This was none of his concern.
He’d done his part by saving her.
But then.
[Help…… me.]
The Earth Spirit hanging in front of him left no room to leave.
“Fine. Move.”
Cain hoisted the Elf Girl onto his shoulder and began moving.
Alton’s men would arrive soon enough.
‘It won’t do if she’s still unconscious when they get here.’
One more person remained.
Cain approached Lorenzo, standing dazed in one corner.
“This one was under Mind Control too?”
[Yes, Seer.]
Cain bore no small part in the downfall of the Bellion Kingdom’s true ruler.
It was Cain who had used Camiloas to burn the duchy.
“Tell me. Did you come on Ignition’s orders?”
“Yes.”
“To find the Dragon Slayer who killed his child?”
“Yes.”
“Did you find him?”
“Yes.”
“Who are you?”
Lorenzo’s pupils remained hollow and vacant.
Yet his fingertip pointed with perfect precision at Cain.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Cain laughed bitterly.
“Fine, say it was me. Then what? What will you do now?”
“I’ll tell Ignition.”
“You think I’d let that happen?”
There was no answer.
If he killed Lorenzo now, there would be nothing to report to Ignition.
But.
‘The moment the Mind Control breaks, Ignition will sense it. He’ll Teleport straight here.’
After expending his strength against two dragons, was he really prepared to face a six-thousand-year-old ancient one as well?
Cain had no desire for that.
So he decided to let Lorenzo live.
Instead.
‘I can manipulate his memories.’
Cain understood the principles of Mind Control.
One could bind actions, but not the wavering of memory itself.
“Hey. But here’s the thing. You have proof I killed him?”
“Yes. You came to our house as a servant that day……”
“How does that prove you killed Camiloas?”
“…….”
“And you’re sure? That I came as a servant?”
“…….”
Lorenzo’s pupils began to tremble, wavering slightly.
Humans are creatures of forgetting.
Once doubt takes root—once the question forms whether a memory is false—conviction crumbles.
Dragons do not know this.
“What if your memory is the one that’s wrong?”
That was the wedge that split him.
Lorenzo collapsed.
Like a puppet with its strings cut.
‘That’ll do.’
Cain rose and left.
Lorenzo was no longer a threat.
No one would believe a word that came from his mouth.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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