Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 257

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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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My body fell from the last remaining stone window.
Blood dripped onto the transparent lake, staining its waters crimson. My body descended slowly toward the lake like the falling blood itself.

“How troublesome.”

But I never fell into the lake.
The ancient dragon, who had drawn near without warning, caught me with a single hand, supporting me before I could plunge into the water.

I was already drenched from my earlier fall into the lake, stained with blood until my appearance was so wretched that falling in again would make no difference, but that was not the concern now.

Erhafen immediately laid me down on the grassland beside the lake.

Gasp, gasp.
I could not breathe properly.
Ragged, desperate inhalations as if clawing for breath. Black blood spilling from my lips and limbs trembling uncontrollably. My body convulsing beyond my control.

“Lord Erhafen! What is happening to him?”

Vicross’s face twisted at the sight of me lying on the grass. It was utterly unlike the composed demeanor I had maintained even while coughing blood.

Even when injured, even when spitting blood, even when losing consciousness—I had always remained calm. Yet now I was writhing in agony, unable to control my own body.
Suddenly, Ron’s voice echoed through Vicross’s mind.

‘Since I cannot go, I entrust this to you alone.’

Believing it a grave matter, he had followed without question.
When it seemed to involve obtaining ancient power, similar to ordinary combat, he had simply watched and waited.

But now he clearly felt that my anguished state was distinctly different from usual.

“Should we leave him as he is?”

A sharp edge crept into Vicross’s voice unbidden.
Hearing that tone, Erhafen knelt on one knee beside me and opened his mouth to speak.

“This is something that must be left as is.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Kale Heniatus is currently reconstructing and expanding his own vessel.”

Erhafen paused for a moment before continuing.

“I hadn’t anticipated the process would be this agonizing. But right now, he cannot receive any other treatment. No external power must enter his body.”

The ancient dragon’s head throbbed.
Despite living for nearly a thousand years, this was the first time I had witnessed something like this.

‘I never imagined such a violent collision would occur.’

The natural attributes within Kale’s body clashed violently, over and over. Erhafen’s eyes narrowed. It was difficult to bear watching Kale, who couldn’t even open his eyes properly and was crying out in agony, especially when he was always so composed.
Seeing someone so perpetually calm suffer like this was unbearable.

“Cough!”

Another mouthful of blood spilled from Kale’s lips.
Kale felt as though his insides were turning inside out. It was as if his entire body had become glass, and someone was striking it repeatedly with a small hammer.
Along with the sensation of being trampled from head to toe, a searing pain twisted through everything inside him.

Kale’s temper flared.

‘What is this? Martial arts? A complete rebirth?’

What was the meaning of this sudden agony?
If at least his body would harden from undergoing a complete rebirth, it would be one thing, but instead he was just becoming a larger glass vessel. What use was that?

Of course, it was fortunate that he wasn’t dying, but for some reason, Kale’s irritation kept mounting.
This cursed birth of a hero!
This was the first time in my life I had experienced such bodily pain. It was different from the beatings I’d taken as a child or after growing up—a pain of an entirely different magnitude.

-…You mustn’t sacrifice yourself.

Jjangdol’s melancholic voice.

-…I can’t eat right now.
-Let’s become stronger! Let’s get stronger and then go on a spending spree! Let’s feel that exhilaration again!

Meokbo and Destructive Fire’s voices continued in succession.
I felt irritation at the ancient powers’ murmuring, but I lacked even the strength to express it. In that instant, a sharp pain struck me as if someone had kicked my abdomen with both feet, forcing me to gasp for breath.

“Cough…”

Tears streamed down involuntarily—a purely physiological response.
The pain was unbearable.

Vicross, witnessing this, was considerably startled. For Kale Heniatus to shed tears while unable to endure the agony—just how severe was the suffering?
He struggled to maintain composure and turned his gaze toward Erhafen, thinking he needed to do something urgently.

“Erh—”

But before he could finish uttering the ancient dragon’s name, Vicross’s body froze as a chill enveloped him entirely.
That suffocating, needle-like aura he had felt the moment they reached the lake resembling grey eyes—this was distinctly different, yet the force that rigidified his entire being halted his movements.

It was not violent.

Rather, it was serene and silent.
Simultaneously, it was an aura laden with noble coldness.

It felt like standing alone in the depths of a moonless night.
A power that evoked the vague dread any living creature would sense within darkness.

Vicross retreated one step, then another.
And he lifted his gaze.

The origin of this aura.
It came from his own arms.

Vicross looked up at the being floating in the air, having escaped his embrace.

Raon Mir.
The Black Dragon was enveloped in black mana, ascending higher into the air.
From Raon—from the six-year-old dragon who had seemed powerfully yet endearingly cute—an aura of absolute supremacy, of a transcendent being, now emanated.

“…He is awakening.”

Erhafen’s hushed voice reached Vicross’s ear.
The ancient dragon shuddered at the sight of the Young Dragon suspended in the air.

The vessel had shattered, mana spilling forth—I thought perhaps the attribute remained undiscovered.
But that was not the case.

This aura must be Raon’s attribute.

What could it be?
What was this cool, serene aura?
The ancient dragon watched the growing human and the Young Dragon, fulfilling his duty. He unfurled multiple shields, protecting the Young Dragon, Kale Heniatus, and Vicross respectively.

This was a critical moment.
For Kale Heniatus and for Raon alike. This instant would determine their futures. The ancient dragon marshaled his mana in preparation, hoping to grasp their destinies fully.

In that moment, Erhafen brushed away the goosebumps rising on his arm.

Uuuuu—

The air trembled, and the cool, serene aura began to permeate the lake within the barrier. The ancient dragon gazed upon Raon, the source of this aura.

Within the dream.
Inside the Trial Ground.
Raon’s time was passing.
Raon could hear everything and smell everything.
And he could feel it.

Without touching, he felt it all.

Kale Heniatus’s pained groans. His blood’s scent. Even the subtle yet violent rhythm of his breathing. Raon sensed it all—that great suffering had befallen Kale Heniatus.

Raon recalled what he had said.

‘Human, if you grow weak again like before and need saving, will I save you?’
‘Of course I will.’

I will always be by the human’s side when he is hurting and weak.

Raon sensed the presences pursuing him through the dream.
A colossal Black Dragon and false connections chased after him.
He shook them from his ankles, yet they pursued him still.

But Raon paid them no mind as he unfurled his small dragon wings.

Whoooosh—

Black mana converged upon the Young Dragon’s wings.
Raon realized he could wield mana again. With that knowledge, nothing could frighten him. After all, he had always excelled at magic.
It was something he could master whenever he learned it.

Black mana began to coalesce upon his wings.
And it formed colossal wings.

Wings so vast that even a 30-meter dragon could never possess them sprouted from the small dragon’s back. They beat with tremendous power.
Raon surged toward the highest point of the Trial Ground’s sky—a realm without sun or moon.

The flying Young Dragon curled his body inward.
Raon was heading toward reality.

From birth to age four. The years spent in a dark cave devoid of even a glimmer of light.
He passed through that past.

From age four to six.
He traversed the days when he witnessed flowers bloom in spring, snow fall in winter, and could feel summer’s verdant embrace and autumn’s fragrant whisper.

And he recalled those who had been with him during that time.
Those who had woven stories—moments that might have merely flickered past became memories, became cherished recollections.

Now Raon could see the highest point.
And he smiled.

A wall appeared.
A transparent wall came into view.

So this place is not real after all.
This is not the space where I have lived.

Then there is only one thing left to do.

Destroy that wall.
Break free from this space.

Raon curled my body tighter and tighter.
Like when I was hurt and lonely in the cave.
Like when I curled up on the bed wanting to sleep beside Kale Heniatus, On, and Hong.

I curled and curled again.
My massive wings folded inward as well.
Like an arrowhead, Raon Mir’s body became a black spear.

That spear shot forth toward the transparent wall without hesitation.

“Human, I’m coming!”

Raon collided with the wall.

Crack.
It began with the smallest of sounds.
The arrowhead did not stop, striking again and again.

Crack, crackle.
Fissures gradually appeared across the transparent wall.

Those cracks manifested in reality as well.
Erhafen gazed at Raon and exhaled in awe.

“The vessel is shattering completely.”

On one side the vessel broke apart, while on the other it continued to expand. Erhafen, concerned that Raon’s aura might affect Kale Heniatus, layered additional shields around him and observed the surroundings with meticulous care.
At this moment, neither of them could hear Erhafen’s voice.

Raon heard nothing at all now.
My small head, wrapped in mana, struck the wall again.

Crack, crackle—

The sound grew louder and louder.
Raon paused briefly and turned to look behind him.
The massive Black Dragon and the false connections had drawn near.
They began grasping at Raon’s ankles once more.

Raon let them be. Breaking through the wall alone would be impossible.
The Young Dragon was a child who had learned not to fight alone, but to fight together. For this reason, Raon chose a different path.

The massive dragon and the false connections clung to Raon’s motionless body.
Raon’s black mana embraced them.

Though they were false, they were connections forged with his future self and the bonds accumulated in his past. For Raon, who now possessed enormous wings, these beings grasping at his ankles became a source of strength instead.

An arrow that once had only a point now gained a shaft.
Balance was achieved.

Raon retreated from the wall.
Then he charged forward once more with tremendous force toward the wall.

I am the great Raon Mir.

A solid shaft now supported the sharp arrowhead.
The arrowhead—Raon could now collide with the wall far more powerfully.

And so it was.

Crack, crackle.

The small fissure continued to meet the powerful impacts.
And finally.

Boom!

The wall crumbled.
Beyond the collapsed wall, Raon began to beat his wings anew. The dragon, carrying his future self and the bonds of his past, broke free from the Trial Ground that had confined him.

* * *

“Ah.”

Vicross let out a gasp of admiration.
The cold, aloof aura that had surrounded him began to shift.

It was warm.
Like the night passing and dawn breaking, finally bringing the gentle warmth of morning sunlight—the once frigid aura now enveloped Vicross’s exhausted body with comfort.

“Haha, the aura has changed. An attribute that can transform.”

Erhafen could not contain his laughter.
The aura representing the attribute had changed. An attribute capable of transformation. What could it be?
The ability to change into anything meant the capacity to grow.
He had transcended the barrier and obtained something.
The ancient dragon immediately grasped Raon’s achievement.

With a smile, Erhafen cancelled all his magic.
The platinum-hued shields that had draped the lakeside crumbled into dust and vanished into the sky.
And through the platinum dust, black mana slowly became transparent, revealing Raon’s form.

Raon descended slowly through the glittering platinum fragments.
Like petals falling, he drifted gently downward.

Thud.

And with a soft sound, he settled gently back into place.

“Oh!”

Vicross started forward in surprise, then stopped himself.

Shhh, shhh, shhh.
The soft, peaceful breathing of a sleeping child—different from the pained gasps of before.
A hand gently stroked the head of the young dragon sleeping as if lost in pleasant dreams.

It was Kale Heniatus.
Raon had settled onto the grass beside Kale, pressing against his side—just as he did every night when they slept together, just as on that first night when his growth had begun. He had returned to his rightful place.

Kale Heniatus opened his eyes slightly.
Though breathing still came with difficulty, he could not remain still when he heard the small one’s voice.

-I’ve recovered! Now it’s the human’s turn to recover!

Raon’s words, spoken before I fell asleep, still echoed in my mind.
My limbs continued to tremble, and breathing felt labored.
My entire body screamed in agony, my thoughts consumed by white-hot pain.

Tap.
My trembling hand reached up and touched Raon’s head. The gesture was clumsy.
My heavy-lidded eyes looked past Raon toward Erhafen.

I gazed at him with desperate longing. And I screamed silently within.

‘Bed!’

Even if it hurt, I would rather suffer on a soft bed.
I despised lying on the wet grassland like this.
Whether Erhafen heard that fervent plea or not, I felt a small measure of relief seeing him nod with a solemn expression.
Erhafen’s mouth opened.

“Indeed, you unlucky wretch. It seems you can’t bear to leave Raon behind. You should tend to your own body first.”

That wasn’t what I meant, but I simply closed my eyes.
It wasn’t entirely wrong anyway.
Both Raon and I needed a bed.

Snap!

The moment Erhafen snapped his fingers, I felt my body lift into the air.
Simultaneously, Erhafen unfolded a teleportation magic circle. The moment Vicross stepped onto the circle, the spell activated.

Whoooosh!

Platinum light shot skyward, and when it faded, no one remained in that place.

* * *

And after some time had passed.

Rustle, rustle.

A space devoid of all presence, filled with nothing but ordinary lake water.
Footsteps echoed as a single figure emerged at the lake’s edge.

“…Why isn’t it here?”

The delicate brow of the one gazing upon the ordinary lake water furrowed. That person clicked their tongue with disappointment.

“I need to find the fifth one quickly.”

After observing the surroundings of the lake’s edge, they departed with a puzzled expression.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kale Heniatus returned to the Inn and, upon lying down on the bed, felt somewhat relieved.

‘These insane ancient powers! This insane glass body! If only I could lose consciousness, it would be easier!’

But I couldn’t lose consciousness—my mind remained far too lucid.
My consciousness was perfectly intact, yet the pain threatened to drive me mad.

My body trembled uncontrollably, and due to the twisting sensation within, my entire frame writhed involuntarily. I despised being unable to control myself.
Back when I was Kim Rok-soo, when my brain couldn’t handle the overload of mental activity and control became impossible, how infuriating that had been. Yet now, as Kale, my body refused to obey—and this too was equally maddening.

“…Young master.”

Ron’s voice reached my ears.
I slowly opened my eyes again. It was an action to show that I retained my senses.
But the moment I barely opened my eyes and saw Ron dimly—

“Cough!”

A handful of black blood spilled forth, staining the bed crimson.
I stopped trying to look at Ron and closed my eyes again, enduring the agony.

“Father!”

Vicross’s startled cry rang out. Yet with my eyes closed, I couldn’t discern what was happening.
Then, another sound reached me.

Beep beep beep— beep beep—

The sound came from the video communication device.
Wheeze. Wheeze, wheeze.
The video communication device’s noise cut through the peaceful breathing of the sleeping Raon Mir.
The ancient dragon Erhafen, holding the communication device, spoke to the people in the room with an awkward expression.

“…It’s a call from Rosalind.”

Ah, my head.
I felt a sudden headache coming on.
In that moment, Jjangdol’s timid, hesitant voice echoed in my mind.

-You’ll need to suffer for at least another day.

This pathetic body, worse than a mere glass marble!
I just wanted to lose consciousness.

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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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