Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Ismenios

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

Russell and Julia continued on through the Commons. The path through the labyrinth was no longer an arched hallway.

Rather, it was more akin to a large natural cavern. It was not straight, but rather wound around, though it never came to a dead end.

Thick stalactites lined the ceiling, while stalagmites grew up to meet them, covering the floor. Some had grown together over the ages to become sturdy stone pillars.

Julia’s spell continued to cast its glow, the shadows of their two forms dancing and waving in its light.

Julia, who had been walking silently beside Russell, spoke up.

“It’s quite beautiful. I thought we had been walking for quite some time, but there is still no end in sight.”

“It hasn’t been that long. Maybe fifteen minutes at most.”

“That’s all? It feels like an hour.”

“That’ll be a lack of sunlight. It plays tricks on your perception of time. We’re almost there.”

Thud. Thud.

Their footsteps sounded different because of the difference in size. Julia listened to the sounds quietly, then spoke.

“When we get outside, where will you go?”

Russell glanced down at Julia, who was walking on his left, and then said,

“Anywhere I want.”

“Really?”

Russell thought. ‘Where would I go?’ When he first left home, he simply headed south. He had been in the far northern part of the continent.

He had gotten lost and wandered for some time before finding a town and getting passage on a ship, which had taken him to Calisden.

Calisden was in the northeast, and from there, if he went east, he would reach the Great Forest. Beyond that, there was the sea. And across the sea, there was a new continent.

However, the new continent held little appeal to him at the moment. There was still so much of this central continent that he had not seen. Why would he want to leave it already?

“I suppose I will go south or west.”

“Will you come to the Empire, then?”

“The Empire?”

“Yes. There is much to see. There are plays and circuses.”

Plays, circuses. Russell smiled faintly. Those were things that he had never seen in his previous life.

“I will come if the opportunity arises.”

“Very well.”

Julia nodded, as if satisfied with the answer.

At that moment, the path through the cavern ended. Russell, who had anticipated this, looked ahead, and Julia raised her lightstone higher.

A space much larger and grander than the chamber where Ludwig’s armor had been was revealed. It was so large that they could not see all the way to the end, even with Julia’s lightstone.

The ceiling was not as high as he had thought it would be. Stalactites, dozens of times larger than the ones in the cavern they had come through, hung down all around.

Gigantic stalagmite pillars stood all around, supporting the low ceiling. The stalagmites’ trunks were so thick that it would take seven or eight full-grown men to wrap their arms around them. Julia looked up at the countless stalagmites in the chamber and tilted her head.

“There are an awful lot of pillars. It doesn’t seem like you would need this many to hold up the ceiling.”

“Then there must be some other reason for them.”

They walked into the chamber. It was not long before they found a gigantic block of ice among the stalagmite pillars.

Inside the ice was a dragon. While its two front legs clawed at the air, its two hind legs, with their bird-like ankles and claws, remained planted on the ground. Its yellow eyes, fixed on the air, were open in a silent roar.

Time seemed to have stopped around it, preserving it as if it were a diorama.

Russell could see countless spells woven together, from the dragon’s scales to its internal organs.

The key and lock to it all was a single greatsword. A single greatsword was embedded right through the center of the dragon’s chest. The very same pitch-black greatsword that Ludwig had shown him earlier.

Russell remembered the sword’s name, which Ludwig had told him.

“Nahilnir.”

“Yes. That’s the name of this sword.”

The voice came suddenly. Russell and Julia looked down to see a woman standing beneath the frozen dragon, where there had previously been no one.

Julia unconsciously put her hand on the hilt of her longsword, but Russell stood still.

The woman was tall and blonde, and she wore leather armor over her well-developed body. The armor was old and worn in places.

Outwardly, she looked like nothing more than an ordinary traveler, but there was one thing that set her apart from humans.

She was distinguished by her yellow irises, her vertically-slit black pupils, and the two large, curved horns on her head. Julia muttered,

“A Draconian?”

“No. I am Ismenios.”

Her voice was beautiful, like her face, but it was devoid of emotion. It was like hearing a colorless sound.

The dragonkin, who had identified herself as Ismenios, looked between the two of them.

“To have come all this way to find me, Ludwig must be dead.”

Russell replied,

“He is.”

“I see. . . Did he pass peacefully?”

“He died with a smile.”

“That is good. I kept him alive with my greed for far too long.”

“You do not seem as mad as he led me to believe.”

Ismenios gave a faint laugh.

“To be exact, I am the conscious fragment of Ismenios. I am a collection of fragments, more or less rational, from what was destroyed and corrupted. This ice no longer contains a dragon. It is simply a beast that hungers for slaughter.”

That was how she defined herself. Even as she spoke self-deprecatingly, Ismenios’ eyes were sharp and firm. They were the eyes of someone who had accepted and come to terms with her current state. She said,

“I would hear the names of those who would kill me. Will you tell me?”

Julia said,

“My name is Julia Hippolia de Hyperion. I came this far. . . to find traces of my ancestor.”

“Yes. Silver hair and golden eyes. Unforgettable features. I can feel Ludwig’s power within you. Warrior, you are?”

“Russell. A wanderer.”

“Is that all you are?”

“That is all I am now.”

“The ‘now’ self. . . Understanding the tense of humans can be challenging. You separate your past self, your present self, and your future self. That was something that Ludwig and I often argued about. . .”

A light of nostalgia appeared in the dragonkin’s eyes. At that moment, Julia asked,

“Ismenios-nim. I have a question.”

Ismenios, who had been thinking of a time long past, quickly refocused and looked at them.

“Why did things turn out this way?”

“Yes.”

“. . .Dragon children are rare. We can only bear one child in our long lives. As individuals, we are as strong as giants, but as a race, we are hopelessly inferior.”

Ismenios spoke slowly, her voice devoid of emotion.

“We cannot bear children of our own volition, and we can only conceive with the help of fate. If we miss our chance, we must live our entire lives alone and die. Many dragons were indifferent to children, but I. . . yearned to see a child between Ludwig and myself.

Ismenios turned to the side and reached up. She touched the cold ice, which had even frozen time, and continued speaking.

“Some impatient dragons used their own blood and magic to create similar races. Leviathans, drakes, Drakan, Draconians, lizardmen, etc. But that was nothing more than a form of self-gratification. It served as a means to satisfy an unfulfillable desire, albeit through an alternative approach. My thoughts along those lines became even stronger after I met Ludwig.”

“What did you do?”

Ismenios looked at Russell, moving only her eyeballs.

“Everything.”

A demon had visited her. Demons appeared in front of those who desperately desired something. Demons consistently outpaced gods in speed and proximity, and they consistently presented an irresistible offer.

Ismenios had not been able to refuse the demon’s offer.

“History will record me as an evil dragon, or perhaps as a mad dragon. I will not deny it. It is the truth. My yearning for a child compelled me to call forth an unwarranted force, ultimately driving me into madness. As you can see, my actions have sealed me here. I’m waiting for someone to come and kill me.”

“Do you not remember which demon it was?”

Julia asked. Ismenios sighed softly.

“My memories of that time are incomplete. As I said before, I am a collection of the more intact fragments of a corrupted mind. My memories contain large holes, causing the past, present, and future to blend together. Perhaps the only fortunate thing is that I cannot use magic at all.”

Ismenios, who had been speaking, moved her hand, which was resting on the ice. At that point, there was a ringing sound, and a crack appeared on the surface of the ice.

She made several more cracks in the same way, and the solid surface broke apart, revealing the hilt of the greatsword.

“Pull out the sword. That will break the seal.”

Russell said,

“Is there a reason why I have to pull it out?”

“Nahilnir is an altanium sword. Only the light of the sun and stars can melt this metal. It has many rare properties, including repelling magic. Nahilnir’s magic circle persistently disperses my magical power, simultaneously upholding the seal, the curse, and the debilitation. If not for it, it would have been difficult to seal me away.”

Russell looked at the dark-colored greatsword with new eyes.

“It starts the moment you pull out the sword. And with anything other than Nahilnir, it would be difficult to wound me.”

Russell nodded. He motioned for Julia, who was trying to follow him, to stay back and walk up to the frozen dragon. A dragon, as portrayed in various media, was a magnificent creature.

Its scaled body, which stretched from head to tail, inspired awe just by looking at it. The same was true for its muscular arms and legs, as well as the large horns that sprouted from its head and long face.

Ismenios said,

“Now that I see you up close, I can tell. You are not fully human.”

Russell looked down at her. His purple eyes flashed briefly, then went dark.

“I can see a little bit of your bloodline and soul. There is a distant and remote bloodline flowing through you that even I cannot guess at. Violet eyes. . . That is the proof. Those aren’t ordinary magic eyes. They are not the eyes of a demon or devil in a fairy tale. Those eyes. . . Those eyes are. . . . .”

At that moment, blood flowed from Ismenios’ eyes. She laughed wryly and said,

“I should not say any more. Pull it out now. Then kill me.”

Russell, who had been looking down at Ismenios in silence for a moment, immediately grabbed Nahilnir’s hilt and pulled.

With a sensation like cutting through flesh, the great sword was completely pulled out and came into his hands.

The blade was roughly the same length as the claymore he had previously used. However, it was much wider and thicker on both sides. In the center was a blade that emitted a faint white light.

The crossguard and hilt, which were large enough for him to comfortably hold in both hands, and the pommel, which had a red metal fitting on the end, seemed to have been made in one seamless piece. In every way, it was a large, beautiful, and magnificent sword.

“It suits you nicely. I am glad that it has found a good master.”

When Russell looked away from Nahilnir and at Ismenios, her body was gradually becoming transparent.

In response, the ice surrounding the golden-scaled dragon began to shake.

Crack, crack, crack.

Ismenios looked at Russell with a fading smile.

“You’ll be able to kill me. I am sure of it. When you have finished your task, come back to this chamber. I have something left for you.”

“I will.”

“Very well. . . It was a pleasant conversation. Farewell.”

“Farewell.”

And Ismenios disappeared. The dragon, which had been imprisoning it, was all that remained.

Kwa-kwaa-kwa-kwa-!

The dragon shook its body violently, as if it could not tolerate having a human directly below it.

Under the immense force, the ice that had been binding the dragon shattered and fell away. The dragon, which had regained the use of its two front legs, brought one of them down on top of Russell’s head.

Julia screamed in shock.

“Russell!”

However, it was the dragon that suffered the most damage. As it retracted its flailing front leg, it struggled to regain balance.

Russell shook the hand that had unleashed the shockwave. The ground beneath his feet had cracked open, unable to withstand the force of the dragon and Russell.

“Ismenios. Can you hear me?”

Kyaaaaaaa-!

The dragon only roared in response to Russell’s question. There was no intelligence whatsoever in the glowing yellow reptilian eyes.

Steam snorted out of its nostrils, making its whiskers flutter. Its hard, long snout snapped shut, making a clicking sound.

Russell’s eyes narrowed. As Ismenios said earlier, the dragon before him was no longer the great being it had once been.

It was nothing more than a monster—a beast that could not even utter a single spell. The dragon’s sharp teeth and claws, as well as its powerful body, were all that was left.

The mad, corrupted dragon charged at Russell. The stalagmite pillars that supported the ceiling collapsed with a roar, kicking up dust.

The sight of the dragon, which stood nearly five or six meters tall on all fours, lunging forward with its snout open, was enough to give anyone nightmares. But Russell was a warrior who could face such nightmares head-on.

Once again, magical power flowed into his left hand. With a whoosh, the air vibrated, and a purple light flashed from his left hand.

Bang!

A giant hammer lifted up the dragon’s head. Its hard, scaled underside was exposed.

Russell jumped up and swung Nahilnir, the dark-colored greatsword, and the dragon hurriedly lifted its left foot.

The dragon’s left foot suffered a deep wound as the scales tore apart with a grinding sound. A tremendous amount of blood poured out, but for Russell, who had intended to cut it off completely, it was a disappointing wound.

The dragon roared and reared up on its hind legs, supporting itself with its thick tail.

The swinging tail struck the stalagmite pillars, shattering them. Russell, who was floating in the air, raised Nahilnir’s flat blade.

He could have cut through it with the blade, but when he saw it up close, he realized that the scales were much harder than he had thought. The force might push him back, so he blocked the front with the flat of the blade.

A loud noise knocked Russell backward, causing him to smash through the stalagmite pillars.

Just as the dragon was about to charge at Russell, a blinding light erupted right in front of its eyes.

Kyaaaaaaa-!

The overwhelming brightness of the light temporarily paralyzed the dragon’s optic nerves. As it lost its sight and could see nothing but darkness, the dragon went on a rampage.

Julia, who had diverted the dragon’s attention, ran to Russell. At that moment, a grinding sound emanated from the broken stalagmite pillar where he must have fallen, forcing it aside.

“Ow, my head.”

“A. Are you okay?”

“More or less.”

Russell groaned and got to his feet. He brushed the dust off his coat and looked at the dragon rampaging in the distance, then at the ceiling above it.

“It might crush us if we’re not careful. This won’t do. Julia?”

“Y, Yes?”

“Prepare to go up.”

“Up?”

Russell ignored Julia’s confusion and walked toward the dragon. The dragon, which had just recovered its sight, was stopping its rampage.

Russell took a white, single-edged axe out from inside his coat. When he struck the axe and the greatsword together, they made a clang, clang sound.

The dragon immediately turned its head toward the sound’s source. Russell chuckled.

“Come on. Beast.”

The dragon charged forward with an angry roar. More pillars collapsed. Russell kicked off the pillar next to him and jumped up, listening to the ominous sounds coming from the ceiling.

A chase between the dragon and Russell ensued through the chamber. Russell moved in three dimensions, zigzagging from one pillar to the next, while the dragon swung its claws, crushing everything in its path.

And finally, the ceiling, which had lost all of its supporting pillars, began to give way under its own weight.

A gigantic stalactite fell and struck the dragon directly in the back. The sudden weight of several tons was enough to make even the dragon scream.

The dragon shook its body in panic, trying to throw off the stalactite, but more large boulders fell on top of it. Russell kicked the falling boulders with his feet, sending them flying at the dragon.

The large boulders quickly crushed the dragon, rendering it immobile.

“Russell! We’re going to get crushed too!”

Julia, who was now fully armed, ran toward him, dodging the stalactites and boulders falling from the ceiling. Russell, who had jumped down from a broken pillar, said,

“Stay close to me. We’re going up soon.”

“What are you talking about. . .”

At that moment, a crimson light began to emerge from the gigantic pile of rocks. Numerous stalactites and boulders had buried the dragon there.

The uncontrollable red light turned the rocks a fiery red. And then, a giant pillar of flame shot up toward the ceiling, blowing the boulders away.

The dragon’s breath blew through the rocks and completely pierced the ceiling. The cavern’s ceiling had now collapsed completely. Through the gap, they could briefly see the night sky.

The dragon moved its body, breathing in the fresh air.

A tremendous gust of wind blew as the leathery wings on its back flapped up and down, overwhelming even the heavy boulders, causing them to roll away.

“Now’s our chance.”

Russell put the greatsword and the axe inside his coat, grabbed Julia’s hand, and ran. They dodged the boulders falling from the ceiling, sometimes knocking them away with fists filled with magical power, and approached the dragon.

“Jump!”

“Where to?!”

“Onto the dragon’s back!”

“Are you crazy?!”

“I sometimes think so myself.”

Russell and Julia jumped onto the back of the dragon, which had just begun to rise.

Fortunately, there were many small protrusions on the scales, so it was not difficult to hold on. Julia was surprised to find herself thinking that it was fortunate.

“Hold on tight!”

“Ughhh! I never thought I would have this kind of experience when I came here.”

‘Me neither.’ Russell laughed wryly as he faced the wind, which was blowing past them like mad.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

There was a battle with a monster in the eastern wilderness of Calisden.

Kwa-kwang!

The ground collapsed downward, and a dragon soared up, flapping its wings.

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