< 128. The Dragon Hides Its Young (5) >
Crack! Boom!
A deafening noise erupted, tearing through the still urban air.
Everyone ceased their mental communication and froze. Minjun pierced through the darkness to witness the scene.
The explosion spread with heavy mass. Observers saw a massive chunk of debris, consisting of glass, concrete, and rebar, erupting from the top of the building. It resembled Jenkinson: with multiple layers of wings, a smoothly curved neck, arms and legs, and a long, extended tail.
Fire Dragon.
Jenkinson was horrified.
=···Oh!=
What emerged from the ICC after destroying it initially appeared the size of a hatchling but quickly transformed into a young dragon several hundred years old, then into a size comparable to Jenkinson's own, and soon into an enormous scale beyond even that.
Minjun understood that this was the result of a sudden release of polymorph. The Dragon Lord, who had been in human form in the room, had instantly reverted to his dragon form.
As a result, the entire top of the building was blown away.
But that was just the beginning. The massive body of the Elder Dragon crashed helplessly. It was a beast-like form impaled on a long, sharp spear. But the beast was too heavy, and the spear was not sturdy enough to pierce it.
The elongated building was crushed under the dragon's form.
The physical barrier on the exterior, designed to withstand terror, could not endure the dragon's weight. The high-rise barrier was crushed and shattered. As a result, the collapse exhibited patterns entirely different from natural destruction.
Like the Tower of Babel in stories, Hong Kong's tallest building began to crumble.
Crackling!
Crushed by the falling dragon, the building shattered from the top. Like a living creature, it shed fragments from its head to its tail. It was as if a rough hand was rearranging the pieces. Along the points where the building was crumbling, flames and smoke stretched in straight lines. Like igniting a fuse, the destruction moved downward, downwards.
At the end of this fuse lay the one thing heavier than the falling dragon.
The dragon hit the ground.
------!
The heart-stopping roar resounded once more.
Rumbling!
The ground shook and trembled. The earth's resonance, impacting the Kowloon Peninsula, continued for a while.
At the collapse point, debris scattered in all directions. Metal beams and glass shot out like hail in the storm, leaving behind a brutal scar on nearby buildings. And contrasting with that, dust followed, settling in a thick layer. It slowly consumed the earth.
The explosions continued.
Boom! Crash!
A mountain of flames erupted. The magical field distorting the area around the ICC disappeared at that moment.
Dragons, who had been stunned into silence, regained their senses. Although the collapse took only a few seconds, it felt like years had passed.
=Hurry!=
Minjun and the dragons took to the air to manage the situation. Like firefighters, they poured magic near the building. The fire was quickly extinguished. But the collapsed structure could not be restored. It was impossible to estimate how many people had died.
And the dragon that caused the explosion.
"······."
It was a scene of devastation.
Minjun looked at the collapsed land and the limp dragon. It was clear at a glance. There was no sign of life in its body.
=Lord!=
Jenkinson screamed. The mental waves sent by the other dragons filled the sky with chaos.
Minjun stood like a statue, staring at the horrific sight of the Gold Dragon's corpse.
The man he had shared drinks with until dawn, Dragon Lord, lay dead there. The body was twisted into an unnatural shape. The long tail extending northwest had submerged in the seawater beyond the breakwater, while the head was thrown southeast, buried in the remains of what was once Austin Road. Twelve wings, skewed to one side, had completely swept away the entrance to the underwater tunnel leading to Hong Kong Island.
Minjun stared at the ground beneath him. The high-rise buildings around it, torn and cracked by the collapse, looked down upon the scene. The skyscrapers enveloped in black smoke appeared like a monument to the world's oldest dragon and the victims entangled with it.
The Princess of Endelion was still awake at dawn.
As the bronze tentacles moved, a single sword appeared in its place. It was a tiny object compared to her body, almost as if it were a hair. Of course, Endelion had no hair.
Observing, she thought again.
'No mental response. It's not an Ego Sword.'
Minjun had secretly sent this sword for examination. She recalled the contents of the secret letter.
It's certain that this sword has seduced several people. The last host was molecularly disintegrated due to the frying pan you provided, making interrogation impossible. But when this sword was examined immediately afterward... there was no abnormality.
Del had already conducted several experiments with the sword. The results matched what Minjun had said.
My thought is this. The sword did not originally harbor an Asif-1 shard or anything of that sort but was cursed in a normal way, and its effect has expired. The last attack was likely fatal. Still, it's better if you inspect it yourself. There might be secrets that Endelion's technology can uncover that I missed.
Del's experiments on Earth had limits. Thus, the princess planned to quietly send it to another dimension. Though not expecting much, there was one thing that concerned her.
The princess pondered inwardly. The sword maintained its shape despite the attack from that frying pan? Instead of being completely shattered?
Of course, Minjun might have unconsciously performed selective attacks or used probability distortion fields. It's a feature supported by the frying pan.
'But I wasn't told about that.'
Just in case, she decided to send it.
"Director, I have an urgent report."
An alien covered in white feathers requested an audience. Del complied.
The door opened. A small creature, almost like an ant compared to her, entered. It was an employee sent along with her when she was dispatched to Earth, a regular staff member from the headquarters but not an ancient race.
Del sent out a mental wave.
=What's the matter? Dotes.=
Dotes, who had entered through the open door, stiffened in front of the 6 km diameter tentacle creature. Although it was a scene he had seen many times, it was still unfamiliar. Every time he stood in front of her, an instinctive fear arose. He found himself resenting Gedwick, who had sent him here. He would have preferred a furred, linear creature of similar size to Dotes.
He steadied his mind and spoke.
"It has just been confirmed that the Dragon Lord of Earth has died."
Dotes observed his superior's reaction.
He had learned how to interpret their body language from the instructions to stay close to Endelion. It involved reading eye movements, twitches, tentacle wriggles, and changes in skin color.
Despite his thorough study before the dispatch, Dotes found himself confused again when seeing Del.
Her demeanor was, by the standards of other races, a perfect blank expression.
The princess had always been like this from their first meeting. As if she were a race devoid of emotions. She was as still as an inanimate object, as cold as ice. To someone familiar with Endelion's fiery emotions, it was strangely unsettling.
Even upon hearing such significant news, she showed no signs of agitation.
'Is it a characteristic of royalty?'
The puzzled Dotes watched as the princess spoke.
=Understood. Please send the relevant information. I will review it and provide instructions for necessary actions.=
"I have already sent it. Well then..."
After Dotes left, the tentacle reached out into the air. A massive hologram materialized. Photos and videos of the Fire Dragon, covered in golden scales, appeared, followed by detailed explanations.
Endelion reviewed the profile of the deceased Dragon Lord once more. Her gaze fixed on one point.
-···Categorized as one of the most militant dragons on Earth. Caution is advised.
With the Dragon Lord's death, the dragons would need to elect a new representative.
Endelion scanned the list of potential candidates in the documents. And she fell into deep thought.
Her contemplation continued until dawn.
Suppressing the urge to fly to Africa immediately and bite an elephant.
"But it can't be helped."
The decision on whether to hold the Dragon Council meeting scheduled for a few days later became uncertain. They needed to elect a new Lord right away, and that wasn't something that could be decided overnight.
In this situation, most dragons stayed here instead of going home. They had cast magic to ensure no one touched the body.
Those who voluntarily became witnesses were now waiting for all the heirs to the Lord to gather. Even those who hadn't come to Hong Kong because they weren't originally meant to attend the meeting.
For reference, dragons who are not required to attend the Dragon Council are typically hatchlings and their mothers.
"There are quite a few hatchlings among the heirs. Since the children can't move, their mothers will come as guardians. It's taking time to set up a thorough barrier to ensure their safety."
Upon hearing that, Minjun frowned slightly.
The two were on the rooftop of a nearby building, which had a clear view of the ICC collapse site. Besides them, dragons monitoring the scene were scattered around.
Minjun looked down. The scene below still felt unreal.
The corpse of the golden dragon.
Minjun experienced complex emotions as his past and present selves mixed.
"······."
The body seemed more like a landscape feature or a structure than the remains of a living creature due to its enormity.
Traffic around the area was thoroughly controlled, and there was not a rat in sight except for the dragons and Minjun.
The Great Dragons who ruled over Hong Kong had declared martial law. Broadcast stations and individuals who had attempted to film the dragon's body with helicopters or drones just before the announcement faced the wrath of the Great Dragons.
Meanwhile, the number of casualties was relatively low given the scale of the incident. The ICC's residential facilities were limited to a single hotel, which had been entirely rented out by the Lord beforehand. Additionally, the office floors were almost empty due to the early hour.
Without touching the dragon's body, the search and rescue operations for those caught up in the collapse and injured in nearby buildings were completed by dawn. The speed of the recovery was close to miraculous, considering the scale of the collapse. With hundreds of dragons involved directly, delays were unavoidable.
Of course, their purpose was more about investigation than rescuing non-dragon races, but still.
"It still doesn't feel real."
Jenkinson, who was watching the scene alongside him, lamented again. His face was filled with dejection and loss.
The dragon murmured with a sorrowful voice.
"How could this happen?"
The Lord was the oldest dragon on Earth, and as commonly believed, a dragon's age generally correlates with its strength.
So, Jenkinson found it hard to imagine who could have done such a thing. Some dragons whispered about the 'Lord's suicide theory,' but considering his nature, it seemed far-fetched.
Minjun spoke with a dark expression.
"If it's someone who would assassinate the Lord, it can only be an ancient race, right?"
"That's true, but..."
It was an unpleasant possibility to entertain.
Jenkinson questioned back.
"It wouldn't be a situation where they'd act so openly, would it?"
A mistake here could lead to a large-scale conflict involving other dimensions.
"If they did it, they would have thoroughly hidden the evidence. They'd have had the confidence to act and would have taken steps to cover their tracks."
That was the way of the Council.
The timing was also critical. Minjun recalled his conversation with the Lord from the previous day.
At that moment, a flash of light appeared, and another dragon emerged in the sky. Upon revealing herself, she cried out upon seeing the corpse.
=Lord!=
Minjun recognized her.
One of the deceased's former mates.
Which also meant they had a child together. He remembered that much but couldn't recall which number child it was.
"Lepaslar, is the child she bore still a hatchling?"
"Yes. She is also qualified as a guardian of the heir."
The reason why the corpse of the Dragon Lord is still left at the scene is due to their unique funeral rites.
Unless it's a special case like Jang Tae-jun or Chang Cheon, there are rules that must be followed.
The reason it cannot be touched lightly is simple: the dragon's corpse is a treasure of immense value in itself.
Let alone, the Great Dragon? No need to mention it.
The most valuable dragon heart, scales, bones, blood, and various organs are considered top-tier treasures in any dimension. The same holds true among dragons.
Thus, when a dragon dies, its family does not bury the body in the ground. Doing so would attract grave robbers from all dimensions who are excited by the impossible challenge. They do not cremate it either, as even the fires of hell cannot completely incinerate it. Nor is the body hidden in an inaccessible place, as the value of the corpse is too great to be wasted in such a manner.
Therefore, dragon funeral rites have taken on a form that other races would find appalling.
The procedure is simple. When a Great Dragon dies, the direct heirs gather, chop up the body, and divide it equally among themselves.
"Lord, I never expected to see you like this."
Jenkinson looked down again, mourning.
It is rare for a dragon's corpse to be publicly displayed. The current situation was the result of an abnormal series of events. Normally, a dragon of that age would die naturally and be aware of their final moments beforehand. They would gather their family and pass away in their lair.
Now, the process has reversed. No one can touch the corpse until all the heirs gather.
After a brief silence, Minjun suddenly asked.
"Shouldn't we also call the alien heirs?"
"I've already checked that. They had thoroughly arranged and settled everything with the children from other dimensions before coming to Earth. I'd imagine a tremendous price was paid for that."
"So we only need the Earth's heirs. How many have arrived so far?"
"Eleven heirs who were of age and had already come to Hong Kong. And four dragons who arrived late as guardians for the heir hatchlings."
"So only three more need to come."
"No, only two."
"Huh?"
Minjun tried to recall. Since he had heard the information just yesterday, there was no way he could be mistaken.
"Aren't there three left? Dragon inheritance rights are only granted to children, right?"
"Yes, so two are left. The Dragon Lord had seventeen children born on Earth. This includes the illegitimate children born during this spawning season."
"······?!"
"Fifteen heirs and guardians have already arrived, so only two more are needed. That makes seventeen."
Minjun was thrown into confusion. He clearly remembered what the Lord had said at the bar.
There are eighteen children born on Earth.
He was certain. The Lord had said there were 18 children born on Earth.
Could it be that he confused the number of his own children?
'Impossible.'
It wasn't like the Lord to make such a mistake.
Moreover, there was no reason to lie to Minjun about this.
To confirm, he asked again.
"The last divorce party I attended for the Lord... which number was that?"
"The sixteenth."
With each marriage, the Lord had one child. After sixteen divorces, sixteen children were born, and including the eggs laid with cohabiting partners, there were seventeen. So the calculation adds up.
'But why did the Lord tell me there were eighteen?'
The suspicion grew.
'Could it be?'
Why would he say that just a few hours before passing away?
His expression grew complex.
'Could there be a hidden child on Earth?'
But why hint at something to Minjun, who is not a dragon? A secret even other dragons like Jenkinson don't know?
Of course, it could also be a slip of the tongue. The Lord might have inadvertently revealed a secret kept from other dragons to Minjun...
'That's impossible. That can't be it.'
Minjun shook his head.
'He's not that careless.'
So ultimately, he had to think this way.
The Lord must have had a reason for making such a statement.
'But...'
Though everything from start to finish is filled with confusion, the most bewildering part for Minjun was this.
He couldn't begin to guess why a dragon would need to hide its offspring.
< 128. The Dragon Hides Its Offspring (5) > End