< 125. The Dragon Hides Its Young (2) >
'I'm in for a rare treat.'
The feeling was akin to that of a farmer gazing proudly at a barn full of cattle.
When Min-jun readily agreed, Jenkinson seemed a bit surprised.
"Thank you. Honestly, I thought it might be inappropriate to invite a non-dragon to a gathering with so many dragons…"
Min-jun shook his head and responded playfully, "Where would you find anyone who loves dragons as much as I do?"
"..."
"..."
Both Blair and Jenkinson missed their chance to respond, albeit for different reasons.
Blair was caught off guard, thinking, 'I've never seen him show it, but does he have similar tastes to mine?' and was too busy reassessing Min-jun to reply.
On the other hand, Jenkinson was struck speechless because he recalled Min-jun's past before he came to Earth, and found it absurd.
As far as Jenkinson knew, Min-jun was a convict with the most dragon kills among non-dragons. Most were criminals who had fallen out of favor with the Committee and lost the protection of the Draconic Code, but still.
For Min-jun to say he liked dragons was like boasting about how much one loved China by chopping it into pieces, as the ancient dragons did.
"Where is the meeting being held this time?"
"In Hong Kong."
Once a British colony, Hong Kong had become the capital of the Cantonese Federation after a long civil war in China. It was only a three- or four-hour flight from Korea.
But it seemed that dragons had no interest in taking advantage of modern conveniences.
"You'll be traveling with me by teleportation."
It wasn't an urgent situation, so why waste magical energy?
Sensing Min-jun's curiosity, the dragon explained.
"We'll be accompanied by a passenger too sensitive to be transported by plane."
After hearing this, Min-jun understood.
"You mean the spider monster."
The experimental creature referred to internally by Jenkinson Company as 'The Spider.' Min-jun still hadn't decided whether to call it a 'dragon spider' or a 'spider dragon.'
'Well, considering that it's one of the main topics of the meeting, it would be strange not to bring it along.'
Blair added, "And they also plan to bring along the offspring that the creature gave birth to."
He was referring to the four offspring born after the creature stole the seed of half-elf Edward Mitchem.
Although they looked like blonde half-elves, their genetic makeup was a complex mix.
'Come to think of it, their genes are mixed from four different species: dragon, Ober spider, human, and elf... This might be a first in history.'
"Then I'll inform the Dragon Lord's secretary's office that you'll be attending. I'll contact you once the departure date is confirmed."
"So, is that all for today?"
"No, there's one more thing. Min-jun... I need your help with something."
The red dragon explained that the research conducted by Jenkinson Company on the monster had been facing difficulties.
Understanding how a hybrid of dragon and spider could be created and what technology was involved was extremely important from the dragon's perspective. Especially since the creature had been discovered within Jenkinson's territory.
But with little progress, the red dragon decided to get involved directly, conducting high-level magical experiments only an ancient dragon could perform.
"During the research, something strange was discovered."
He couldn't make sense of it, so he wanted Min-jun to take a look.
After all, Min-jun had lived in more dimensions than Jenkinson, who had fled Earth for political reasons. Without mentioning this fact due to Blair's presence, the dragon hinted.
"Even an ancient dragon doesn't know everything."
Min-jun casually agreed to take a look, and the dragon waved his hand in the air. Light enveloped the two of them, transporting them to the dragon's private research lab.
Not far from Jenkinson's lair, somewhere in Seoul, four boys were gathered in a room filled with surveillance cameras.
They appeared to be around 17 years old at a glance, with identical appearances that made them look like twins.
But they were much younger and not twins at all. Only a few knew that they had been born just a few months ago, each a day or two apart.
The room was filled with the sound of a TV left on but ignored. The boys were silent, making the scene seem eerie. They sat facing each other, changing expressions and exchanging glances, but none of them spoke.
In reality, though, they were chattering away telepathically.
One of them mentally shouted.
=Ah, come on! Quiet down for a second!=
It was a clear, verbalized thought. For an ordinary human or elf, developing this quickly within a few months of birth would be impossible. But for these four, it was natural.
The third of the siblings managed to quiet the others' chatter and continued speaking through the mental link that only they shared.
=Listen, I learned something new from the spirit master today.=
The brothers had shared a part of their minds since birth.
Their way of communicating was slightly different from the dragons' inherent mental waves. There was no magical energy expended in sending and receiving messages, and only the four brothers could access this network.
Moreover, they shared not only verbalized concepts but also emotions. It was something that ordinary dragons couldn't and wouldn't attempt.
Jenkinson had concluded that it was closer to the traits of a soldier spider than a dragon.
=You said that earlier!=
=No, but listen to this. Remember the game console we saw when we went out last week? I begged the caretaker to buy it, and finally, Mr. Jenkinson said yes! It's supposed to be delivered today, so let's play together.=
=Change the channel on the TV. Not the news, something else.=
=I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?=
=Hey, hey, listen to me!=
The third brother sent out a stronger mental wave than before, making the others frown.
=That spirit thing, we can't even see it! It's boring.=
=No, this time it'll be different.=
=Huh?=
The third brother grinned confidently.
=This time, I learned how to summon it so everyone can see it!=
=Really? You're not lying, right?=
=Yeah! Just watch.=
The third brother closed his eyes and concentrated. At that moment, the other siblings felt him temporarily shut a mental door. They could no longer send him messages, nor could they receive any.
Time passed.
Whoosh!
Only the third brother, with his affinity for spirits, sensed something approaching. This was an extraordinary ability rarely manifested in dragons.
A soft ripple gently resonated in the air.
Whoosh!
A form appeared that anyone could see, even without supernatural abilities.
=...!=
=See? You saw it, right?=
The third brother looked proud.
But the other brothers didn't respond.
They all stared at the space above the third brother's head, their faces blank.
A vague light had taken shape, forming eight legs, of which only five were intact. The other three hung limply, like crushed worms. Scales covered its back like a reptile, but its segmented legs had the characteristics of an arthropod.
The head at the center was overwhelming. It looked more like someone had hammered it into place on the neck rather than it naturally connecting. Its face was crumpled and torn like paper, with pieces of flesh hanging loosely, and its teeth and gums were exposed.
The spirit, mimicking the mind of its summoner, appeared like a grotesque blend of spider and dragon. However, the mix seemed far from perfect.
Its appearance was enough to terrify any ordinary child.
Yet.
=...!=
The expressions of the three brothers lit up as they looked at it. Like flowers blooming.
=Mom!=
=It's Mom!=
=Wow, it looks just like her!=
The third brother, who had shaped the spirit's form, shrugged and smiled.
=How is it? Looks exactly like her, right?=
=Amazing... You're really the best!=
=Make it move! Make it move more!=
However, contrary to his siblings' wishes, the spirit soon returned to the spirit world. The third brother couldn't maintain control, as the magic consumption was too intense.
As the spirit was unsummoned, the third brother, now a bit pale, collapsed onto the floor. His siblings' mental voices immediately overwhelmed him.
=How did you do it? Did you command the spirit to appear like that?=
=No, I already told you before. Can you please listen when I speak? It looked like that from the first time I summoned it, but until now, only I could see it.=
=Why did it take the form of our mother? Was that just a coincidence?=
=Can I learn spirit magic too? How do I do it?=
Questions poured in, and the third brother was busy fending them off when suddenly...
=...!=
The boys stopped speaking and turned to look in one direction.
At the end of their gaze was the youngest brother.
The fourth brother, born just days apart from the third, initially seemed to lag behind in growth compared to his siblings, but over time, he had caught up to the point where it was impossible to distinguish them by appearance alone. However, the expression on the fourth brother's face now was different from the others, with a hard and tense look.
The other brothers could sense his emotional state even without seeing his face. They had stopped speaking because they suddenly felt an undeniable surge of emotion from their youngest brother.
Sorrow. Frustration. A heavy sense of longing.
The siblings knew it wasn't a longing for their mother. His sadness wasn't because of the form the spirit had taken. The problem lay with the spirit itself.
They tried to comfort him.
=Don't worry. You'll awaken to something soon, too! Mr. Jenkinson said so himself.=
=That's right. The fact that all three of us have awakened to different abilities is something very unusual, he said.=
=Yeah, we were born in an unusual way, so of course you won't be an ordinary person either. You'll definitely have abilities!=
=Remember? Before I could summon spirits, I was super envious of our two older brothers too. Then I eventually awakened to my powers like this. For you, it's just a matter of time.=
Just then...
=...Huh?=
The first brother was the first to notice it. It wasn't that he was more perceptive than the others; it was simply because from his angle, the TV was most visible.
=Hey, everyone, look over there!=
The first brother pointed to the TV, which had been left on without anyone paying attention.
All their heads turned simultaneously. The youngest, who had been feeling down, instinctively obeyed the mental command, and the moment he saw it, he forgot his sadness.
A brief silence followed.
=...How is that possible?=
The news was on. Archival footage played as a reporter spoke in complicated terms. The boys couldn't understand everything, but key phrases stuck in their minds. None of them had to remember everything individually; their linked minds would fill in the gaps.
What captivated their attention was a man on the screen.
-...Robert Mitchum, chairman of the domestic conglomerate Mitchum Group, which ranks fifth in the nation's economy, has reportedly transferred shares worth five trillion won in an over-the-counter transaction to his eldest son, Edward Mitchum. It is expected that his son, who has been in training to take over, will now be directly involved in the management...
A blonde half-elf man's face appeared on the screen. The boys didn't know it, but this was the first official photo of Edward Mitchum released to the media by the group's PR department.
The boys stared blankly at the face on the screen, then, as if on cue, turned to look at each other.
The same face they saw on TV was now reflected in each other's eyes.
'The smell of blood?'
As soon as they arrived at the lair's laboratory, Minjun muttered those words. A sharp, pungent smell pricked at his nose.
But it didn't trigger any of his past traumas. It was different from the incidents he had experienced before coming to Earth. This was the smell of blood from an entirely different species.
Minjun's gaze landed on a wall in the lab. A massive tank filled with dark red liquid stood there.
The dragon explained.
"Dragon blood. It's why other researchers aren't allowed in here."
There was no need to ask whose it was.
"I returned to my original form and gradually extracted some blood, storing it like that."
Minjun once again reflected on just how profoundly the Jang Tae-jun incident had affected this ancient dragon.
A typical dragon would never even conceive of such an experiment. These narcissistic beings would never willingly harm themselves or draw their own blood on purpose.
Despite this, Jenkinson was mimicking something similar to what Jang Tae-jun had done. The barriers that had once limited his imagination had crumbled.
Of course, the goal he aimed to achieve through these actions was entirely different from that of the mad dragon.
"Since the monster's blood contains dragon DNA, I wondered if it might show a magical reaction to my blood."
But the results were disappointing. The reaction was too weak to extract any meaningful information.
"…"
Meanwhile, Minjun was only half-listening to his explanation.
His eyes were fixed on the tank filled with dragon's blood. He could sense the multiple layers of magic sealing it. Despite that, his nose detected the unmistakable scent of blood. Given that it was the work of an ancient dragon, the blood was likely preserved in its freshest state, with the best preservation magic at work. The result was right in front of him. So fresh... and... appetizing...
Gulp.
The sound, out of place for the setting, caught the dragon's attention, and he turned his head.
It was only then that Minjun realized his mistake. The part of him that saw dragons as livestock hadn't yet fully integrated with the part that viewed this ancient dragon as a friend. He chastised himself for craving his friend's blood.
Minjun covered up his mistake with a nonchalant tone.
"…My throat's a bit dry."
Jenkinson tilted his head, puzzled, but continued his explanation.
"In any case, since the experiment using my blood didn't yield results, I changed my approach. I decided to stimulate the monster's blood with magical waves. I figured that creating such a creature must have involved life and genetic magic, and that traces of those spells would remain."
Magical traces inevitably react to magical energy.
However, crafting the precise key to unlock those traces is a highly challenging task. Without top-tier equipment from the Committee, machines couldn't substitute for this task, which involves generating and matching three-dimensional patterns almost infinitely.
This task would be impossible for any being other than something like a dragon, who could dedicate an entire brain to magic.
And Jenkinson had succeeded in doing just that.
"I discovered that the blood reacts to a specific pattern of magical waves. It left an artificial trace."
His prediction had been correct.
However, he couldn't interpret the content.
"I've never seen anything like this before. Can you recognize it?"
With a gesture, he focused the magical waves into the container. The blood reacted, reflecting the transformed magical waves. The computer read the reflected waves and displayed them on the monitor.
"It looks like a drawing, or maybe symbols... but I've never seen any species use such symbols. I can only guess it's a fragment of a blueprint left behind during the genetic manipulation process. What do you think? Does it look familiar to you?"
"…"
Minjun stared at the monitor, momentarily lost for words.
The computer had diagrammed the magical waves reflected from the blood, merely copying them without understanding their meaning.
The pattern had matched nothing in Jenkinson's extensive database.
But Minjun could read it.
And he thought to himself:
'I can't tell Jenkinson about this...'
After a moment of silence, Minjun spoke.
"Did you happen to use the same magical waves on your own blood?"
"I didn't do it intentionally, but my blood was exposed to those magical waves during the experiment. But there was no reaction. Of course, there wasn't. Why would you ask such a thing?"
Jenkinson believed those traces belonged to the creators of the monster.
But Minjun thought differently. Those traces were left much earlier. Likely... encoded within the dragon DNA used to create the monster.
Minjun read what the monitor displayed.
.
.
.
Livestock Traceability System Information Access
Individual Identification Number: Unknown
Origin: Unknown
Slaughterhouse: Unknown
Slaughter Date: Unknown
Processing Plant: Unknown
Genetic Information
Breed 1: Fire Dragon-241 Type (Breeder: Latuma, Year of Registration: 6,210)
Breed 2: Arthropod (Detailed information unknown)
※Severe genetic damage limits access to accurate information.
< 125. The Dragon Hides Its Offspring (2) > End